Muhammad Shah

Muhammad Shah was the grandson of Bahadur Shah I. At an early age of 16, he found himself at the throne. Muhammad Shah had a profound obsession with several art forms such as music and paintings. During his reign, the paradigm of the Mughal Empire shifted vehemently towards art and culture. Although he had no appropriate policies to safeguard the unity of the Mughal Empire, during his reign the Mughal Empire experienced some minor administrative development. Muhammad Shah replenished his administrative inefficiencies through his rigorous patronage towards art and culture. That is why Muhammad Shah is known as “Muhammad Shah rangila”.

The Political scenario during the reign of Muhammad Shah

After ascending the throne with the assistance of the powerful “Sayyid brothers”, Muhammad Shah killed them due to an escalation of tension between the Sayyid brothers and him. He appointed “Asaf Jah I” as his general after evicting the Sayyid brothers. Asaf Jah exhorted Muhammad Shah to impart and inculcate a character full of valiance and cation to execute the empire in a methodical and fortified way. Although Asaf Jah resigned as a general after learning that Muhammad Shah is apathetic towards executing the administration. Muhammad Shah, in the initial phases of his reign, fought a couple of conflicts. The foundation of the Mughal Empire became quite weak due to gruesome administration which lacked cohesion and meaning. As a result, the Mughal Empire fell apart after a certain time due to the escalation of disintegration and desultory condition of the integral part of the Mughal administration. The safety and security of the dynasty had not been considered by Muhammad Shah which resulted in a major loophole in safety fortifications.  

The improvement of culture and science during the reign of Muhammad Shah

Muhammad Shah complemented the Urdu language in a way that was never followed before in the case of his predecessors. He was quite passionate about the Urdu language and also enunciated it as the prime court language as a replacement of the Persian language. A unique music from “Qawwali” was introduced in the Mughal royal palace or fort during his reign. Later this music form experienced a spurt in the south asia. The “Quran” which is the holy religious book of the Muslim community was first translated in Urdu during his ruling period. He propounded for different religious institutions for promoting education and culture pertaining to the Muslim religion. The “Sherwani” was also introduced during his reign. He appointed two supremely talented artists namely “Nidha Mal” and “Chitarman” to draw several gorgeous paintings related to the court life such as different festival celebrations, hunting and different portraits. 

Two great musicians were there in the court of Muhammad Shah namely Naimat Khan and Firoz Khan. Firoz Khan was the introducer of the music from “khyal”. During the reign of Muhammad Shah, Indian classical music reached at the pinnacle of excellence. Muhammad Shah had a deep disregard towards executing administration with no interest in performing the duties of a Mughal emperor. This paved the way for future invasions to the Mughal Dynasty. In accordance with the precedents, Muhammad Shah was greatly immersed in music during the work time of the court postponing all important matters that requires attention. Although, the period of his reign can be identified as one of the golden eras of art and culture with respect to the Mughal dynasty. A minor scientific achievement during his reign can also be identified in form of “Zij-i Muhammad Shahi” which can be considered as remarkable in the field of science. This undertaking was accomplished by Jay Singh II of Amber.

The attack on the Mughal Empire

As Muhammad Shah was always immersed in several art forms such as paintings and music, the condition of administration of the Mughal Empire became deplorable. Several attackers of different origins took advantage of the indifference of Muhammad Shah and invaded the Mughal dynasty. Nadir Shah from Persia was one of the attackers worth mentioning. Nadir Shah reared up an intention to subdue the Mughal Empire with an abrupt attack on it. Muhammad Shah was quite unorganized with respect to the art of war. Nadir Shah was quick to read this and commenced his invasion from Afghanistan. He conquered Ghazni afterwards. Nadir Shah’s invasion on the Mughal Empire left Muhammad Shah bewildered. The Mughal dynasty is about to turn into several fragments after that which paved the ultimate way of obliteration of the Mughal empire. Several revolts and insurgencies arose in different places of the Mughal dynasty pointing out the inefficiencies of Mahammad Shah in terms of confrontation and retaliatory measures.

Conclusion

Muhammad Shah can be identified as an individual with a colorful and vivacious persona. He can be recognized as a true patron of art and culture. He introduced several unique art forms and music forms. During his reign, the art and culture of the Mughal industry touched the zenith of excellence. He was also a true lover of the Urdu language. He persuaded important ventures for ensuring the advancement of the Urdu language. He made deliberate attempts to expand the usage of Urdu language. He can also be identified as a benefactor of the Muslim community as he performed significant duties in inculcating education and art among the Muslim community. He did not pay heed to his experienced and hard toiled generals about being a little careful regarding the integration of the Mughal dynasty.