About the Later Mughals and the Rise of Regional States
After the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, the Mughal Empire began to decline. The emperors who followed him are called the Later Mughals. They were weak, and real power passed into the hands of nobles, ministers and regional governors. Many provinces broke away and became independent kingdoms, known as the regional states or the successor states.
The Later Mughal Emperors
- Bahadur Shah I (1707–1712): also called Shah Alam I; tried to win over the Rajputs and Marathas.
- Jahandar Shah (1712–1713): a puppet in the hands of the nobles.
- Farrukhsiyar (1713–1719): raised to the throne by the Sayyid Brothers.
- Muhammad Shah (1719–1748): called Rangeela; saw the rise of the Sayyid Brothers and the invasion of Nadir Shah.
- Ahmad Shah, Alamgir II, Shah Alam II, Akbar II and Bahadur Shah II: the last Mughal, deposed by the British in 1858.
Causes of the Decline of the Mughal Empire
- Weak and inefficient later Mughals who could not control the empire.
- Wars of succession among princes, which weakened the throne.
- Rise of powerful nobles and factionalism (the Sayyid Brothers, the Turani and Irani parties).
- Religious intolerance and revolts by the Jats, Sikhs, Satnamis and Marathas.
- Economic weakness, heavy taxation and the crisis of the Jagirdari and Mansabdari systems.
- Foreign invasions of Nadir Shah (1739) and Ahmad Shah Abdali.
- Rise of the Marathas and the gradual coming of the Europeans.
Nadir Shah’s Invasion (1739)
In 1739 the Persian ruler Nadir Shah invaded India and defeated the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah at the Battle of Karnal. He occupied Delhi, carried away the famous Peacock Throne and the Koh-i-Noor diamond, and dealt a mortal blow to Mughal prestige. This invasion exposed the weakness of the empire to all of India.
The Regional (Successor) States
As central authority collapsed, ambitious governors set up their own kingdoms. These are called the regional or successor states:
- Bengal: Murshid Quli Khan, Shuja-ud-din, Alivardi Khan and Siraj-ud-Daulah.
- Awadh: Saadat Khan (Burhan-ul-Mulk) and Safdarjung.
- Hyderabad: Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah.
- Mysore: Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan.
- Punjab: the Sikhs, later under Ranjit Singh.
- Rohilkhand, the Rajput states, the Marathas and others.
Timeline of the Later Mughals
- 1707 AD: Death of Aurangzeb; Bahadur Shah I becomes emperor.
- 1713–1719 AD: The Sayyid Brothers dominate the court.
- 1739 AD: Nadir Shah invades India; Battle of Karnal; sack of Delhi.
- 1748 AD: Death of Muhammad Shah.
- 1761 AD: Third Battle of Panipat; Ahmad Shah Abdali defeats the Marathas.
- 1857 AD: The Revolt of 1857; Bahadur Shah II is the symbolic leader.
- 1858 AD: Bahadur Shah II is deposed; the Mughal Empire formally ends.
Main Facts about the Later Mughals (Quick Revision Bullets)
- Last great Mughal emperor: Aurangzeb (died 1707).
- First of the Later Mughals: Bahadur Shah I.
- Mughal emperor during Nadir Shah’s invasion: Muhammad Shah (Rangeela).
- Battle of Karnal: 1739 AD.
- Nadir Shah took away: the Peacock Throne and the Koh-i-Noor.
- Founder of Bengal’s independent rule: Murshid Quli Khan.
- Founder of Awadh: Saadat Khan (Burhan-ul-Mulk).
- Founder of Hyderabad: Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah.
- Mysore’s famous rulers: Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan.
- The last Mughal emperor: Bahadur Shah II (deposed 1858).
Important Persons and Terms
- Bahadur Shah I: the first Later Mughal; tried to conciliate Rajputs and Marathas.
- Sayyid Brothers: Abdullah Khan and Husain Ali; the powerful kingmakers.
- Muhammad Shah: the emperor defeated at Karnal; called Rangeela.
- Nadir Shah: Persian invader of 1739.
- Ahmad Shah Abdali: Afghan invader who won at Panipat (1761).
- Murshid Quli Khan: made Bengal virtually independent.
- Saadat Khan: founded the Awadh dynasty.
- Nizam-ul-Mulk: founded the Hyderabad state.
- Jagirdari and Mansabdari: the Mughal land-revenue and military systems whose crisis weakened the empire.
- Successor states: the regional kingdoms that rose after Mughal decline.
Why This Topic Matters for Exams
Common questions: Who was the last great Mughal emperor? (Aurangzeb.) Who was the first of the Later Mughals? (Bahadur Shah I.) Who invaded India in 1739? (Nadir Shah.) Which battle did Nadir Shah win? (The Battle of Karnal.) Who founded Hyderabad? (Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah.) Who was the last Mughal emperor? (Bahadur Shah II.) A common trap is to confuse Nadir Shah (1739) with Ahmad Shah Abdali (1761), and to mix up the founders of Bengal, Awadh and Hyderabad.
How to Prepare This Topic
- Learn the order of the Later Mughals. Bahadur Shah I, Jahandar Shah, Farrukhsiyar and Muhammad Shah.
- Learn the causes of decline. Weak emperors, factionalism, revolts, economy and invasions.
- Learn Nadir Shah’s invasion (1739). Karnal, Delhi, the Peacock Throne and the Koh-i-Noor.
- Learn the regional states and their founders. Bengal, Awadh, Hyderabad and Mysore.
- Learn the end of the empire. 1857 Revolt and the deposition of Bahadur Shah II in 1858.
Common Exam Traps
- Nadir Shah invaded in 1739; Ahmad Shah Abdali won at Panipat in 1761.
- Muhammad Shah was the emperor at the time of Nadir Shah’s invasion, not Bahadur Shah I.
- Murshid Quli Khan founded Bengal’s independent rule, not Awadh.
- Saadat Khan founded Awadh; the Nizam-ul-Mulk founded Hyderabad.
- The last Mughal was Bahadur Shah II (Bahadur Shah Zafar), not Bahadur Shah I.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were the Later Mughals and why did the empire decline?
The Later Mughals were the weak emperors who ruled after Aurangzeb’s death in 1707. The empire declined because of weak rulers, wars of succession, the rise of powerful nobles and factions, religious intolerance, economic weakness and the Jagirdari crisis, and foreign invasions such as those of Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali.
Who was the first of the Later Mughals?
Bahadur Shah I, also called Shah Alam I, was the first of the Later Mughals. He ruled from 1707 to 1712 and tried to conciliate the Rajputs and the Marathas.
What was the result of Nadir Shah’s invasion of 1739?
Nadir Shah defeated Muhammad Shah at the Battle of Karnal in 1739, occupied Delhi, and carried away the Peacock Throne and the Koh-i-Noor diamond. The invasion destroyed the prestige of the Mughal Empire and exposed its weakness.
Name the main regional (successor) states and their founders.
Bengal was founded by Murshid Quli Khan, Awadh by Saadat Khan (Burhan-ul-Mulk), and Hyderabad by Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah. Mysore later became powerful under Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan.
What was the crisis of the Jagirdari and Mansabdari systems?
The Mansabdari system fixed the rank and military obligation of nobles, and the Jagirdari system assigned them land revenue. As the number of nobles grew and good jagirs became scarce, there was intense competition for land, which weakened imperial control and contributed to the decline of the Mughal Empire.
When and how did the Mughal Empire finally end?
During the Revolt of 1857, Bahadur Shah II (Bahadur Shah Zafar) was the symbolic leader of the rebels. The British crushed the revolt and deposed him in 1858, formally bringing the Mughal Empire to an end.