Reason Behind The Decline

During the later period of the empire, the Mughals witnessed several faulty policies that surmounted the reason for the decline of Mughal Empire. In the later period of the rule of Aurangzeb, the empire witnessed multiple regressive policies that led to religious persecution of the people belonging to the Hindu community. After the downfall of Aurangzeb, there was hardly any strong and effective ruler who could have governed the extent of the empire. Internal clashes and structural fault amidst the nobles and annexation from regional and foreign armies finally concluded the Mughal Empire. 

Mughal Empire: Background

Babur reigned the Mughal Empire from the year 1526 to 1530. He was an efficient ruler of Central Asia and the founder of the Mughal dynasty. The empire mainly ruled over present day Pakistan and most of the portion of India, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Mughal Empire consolidated Islam and also spread Muslim mainly the Persian culture, faith, and arts in Southern Asia. Mughals were mainly Muslims and they used to rule over a country with a huge community of Hindus. The empire began in the year 1526 ruling most of the parts of India, and it rapidly spread its rule over various sub-continents by 1707. The main reason for decline of Mughal Empire was weak successors and the degeneration of nobility. The Mughals were a part of the Timurid dynasty from Central Asia. The Mughal Empire brought several changes to India.

• The Mughal dynasty introduced the culture and art of Persian
• Taj Mahal was a creation of Mughals, comprises of stylized architecture
• They had established a centralised government to unite several smaller kingdoms

Reasons for decline of Mughal Empire

The key reasons for decline of Mughal Empire were religious percussion of Hindus by Aurangzeb, the degeneration of nobility of Mughals, many weak successors, Mughal army’s demoralisation, and economic bankruptcy. Other reasons were also there which gradually weakened the empire such as invasions, and due to challenging regional powers the size of the Mughal empire started reducing. The policy of Aurangzeb that had destroyed the efficient undermined and efficient soldiers of Mughal Empire is “the Deccan policy”. After implementing this policy he started exterminating Mughals and destroyed the Shai kingdoms of Golconda and Bijapur through several wars. Another reason for decline of Mughal Empire was “the Jagirdari Crisis”, which ruptured the functional bond between aristocracy and emperors within the administrative system of “Imperial Mughal”. 

Economic reasons for decline

The Jagirdari Crisis was one of the major economic reasons for the decline of the Mughal Empire. The Mansabdari system was introduced within military and civil organisations by Akbar, to accommodate aristocracy. Akbar appointed Jagirdars who were the reason for serious shortage of “paribaqi” land and decrease in resources. This also affected four-fifth of “land revenue” of Mughal Empire. Another economic reason for decline was Shah Jahan’s construction zeal which had almost depleted the empire. The long wars between Aurangzeb and Shah Jahan had further drained “the exchequer”. The faulty policies of Aurangzeb eventually led to the downfall of the kingdom and the incapable future successors of the empire led to the economic reason for the decline of the Mughal Empire. 

Social reasons for decline of Mughal Empire

There are various social reasons for the decline of the Mughal Empire, such as civil wars, succession wars, foreign invasions, and political causes like the expansion of Marathas in the Northern part of central authority weakened the empire in the 18th century. The dissatisfaction of peasants due to “feudal oppression” of state, nobles, and the zamindars was also the major economic reason for decline. Another reason for the decline of the Mughal Empire was the religious cause. Muslim and Hindu nobles, chiefs, and the zamindars oppressed and exploited the common people ruthlessly irrespective of their “religion”.

Conclusion

Several reasons accumulated as the reasons for the decline of the Mughal Empire. The empire was vehemently affected by several atrocious policies of Aurangzeb during his long period of rule. His approach to military and nobilities during his late tenure affected the internal strength of the structure of the empire. After his downfall, several successors came by but failed to grasp a hold on to the extent of the empire and the regional revolutionary uprising, especially from the Maratha Empire. Finally, the advent of the East India Company marks the end of the Empire.