Ever since the dawn of civilisation, India and its riches have been a centre of attraction for foreign invaders. From the far away Greeks to the Mongols and the British, India never failed to awestruck its neighbourhood countries. The cultural riches and the priceless treasures of India have always led to several wars between India and its enemies. While several rulers could only manage their stay in India for a very short period of time, the Mughal rulers of India made their rule over the Indian subcontinent an important part of Indian history. But, how could the Mughal rulers in India gain so much power and influence over others such as the Greeks and the Persis? How and by whom the Mughal Empire was established on Indian soil? For how many years Mughal rule in India? What was the history of Mughals? This article will share the answer to all such queries along with the list of Mughal rulers. Read more.
The Mughal Empire – Mughal Rulers In India
This article will show you the list of Mughal rulers and take you to the golden period of the Mughal rulers in India, when advancements in architecture and art and painting were at their peak, the golden period of India wherein several new architectural monuments and buildings were erected which still never fails to mesmerise their viewers for their great designs and architectural details.
The History Of Mughals – How Many Years Mughal Rule In India
The dawn of the Mughal Empire in India began with the stepping of Babur into Indian soil. The Mughal empire in India, which ruled us for almost 300 years, came at the cost of several wars between the Mughal rulers of India and other dynasties.
While Babur planted the roots of Mughal rule in India by gaining victory at the Battle of Panipat, his successors followed his path. They strengthened their power and influence on foreign soil by contributing to wars and conflicts for centuries!
The List Of Mughal Rulers Of India
While there were many successors of Babur, only a few six of them could mark their graceful presence on the pages of Indian history. Let us look at the list of Mughal rulers who ruled our people for centuries one by one:
1. Babur
Zahir-ud-Din Muhammad Babur, the founder of the Mughal rule in India was a successor of Ghengis Khan, the great Mongol ruler. Born in 1483 in Andijan, Timurid Empire, he ruled Kabul, Samarkand and Ferghana before he set his eyes on India. In the 15th century, he stepped onto Indian soil in the hope to conquer Punjab. But, he was so mesmerised by India’s riches that he decided to conquer the entire Indian subcontinent.
In the first battle of Panipat in 1526, he defeated the Lodi dynasty which ended the rule of the Delhi Sultanate and established the Mughal empire in India. He ruled the throne from 1526-1530 during which he conquered the Rajputs in the battle of Khanwa and the Battle of Chanderi. During his rule, ancient India got its Babri Masjid, the Jama Masjid, and the Kabuli Bagh Mosque.
2. Humayun
According to the list of Mughal rulers, after the demise of his father Babur in 1530, Humayun conquered the throne. Nasir al-Din Muhammad, the eldest son of Babur ruled the throne from 1530 to 1540 after which he was sent to exile by Sher Shah Suri. During the battle of Kannauj in 1540, he lost to Sher Shah Suri and had to choose exile.
Fifteen years later in 1555, he again returned to India to regain his power. His son Akbar supported him in his mission. He died in 1556. The Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi is a tribute to the second ruler of the Mughal dynasty. He was one of the Mughal rulers of India who was sent to exile.
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3. Akbar
Akbar was one of the Mughal rulers in India who was famous among the masses for his helping nature. He was able to put his mark on the pages of history as Akbar the Great. Born to his father Humayun and mother Hamida Begum in 1542 in Umarkot, Jalal-ud-din Muhammad reigned the throne from 1556 to 1605 after his father’s death. Young Jalal got support from Bairam Khan in ruling the kingdom.
One of the most celebrated Mughal rulers in India, he has often been at the centre of discussion for marrying a Hindu Princess, Jodha Bai. Apart from Jodha Bai, his favourite consort was Ruqaiya Begum, who loved him immensely. In his mission to rule the entire Hindustan, he attacked Punjab, Delhi, Agra, Rajputana, Gujarat, Bengal, Kabul, Kandahar, and Balochistan. He won the Battle of Haldighati in 1576 and gained control of Rajputana. Again, he conquered Gujarat and Buland Darwaza was built as a symbol of victory over Gujarat. He also conquered Bengal during his reign.
Apart from being a great warrior, he also spread secularism in his kingdom. He gave equal respect to all religions. Besides, he had a keen interest in architecture. Some of his great works of art were Agra Fort, Jodhabai Palace, and the fort-city of Fatehpur Sikri. He died in 1605 in Agra.
4. Jahangir
Born as Nur-ud-Din Muhammad Salim to father Akbar and mother Jodha Bai, Jahangir was seated on the throne after his father’s death in 1605. He followed his father’s path and set out on a mission to conquer all of India! His prime goal was to capture Mewar in Rajasthan, and after conquering Mewar, he set his eyes on South India where he could conquer Khandesh and a part of Ahmadnagar. But, he could never conquer the whole of South India.
Jahangir was an art fanatic. During his rule, Indian art and culture were at their pinnacle of glory! Some of his architectural marvels include Shalimar Bagh, the Begum Shahi Mosque, and the Bachcha Taj.
5. Shah Jahan
He was the fifth Mughal empire succeeding his father, Jahangir. Born in 1592 as Shihab al-Din Muhammad Khurram to Jagat Gosain, he became the ruler in 1628 and served till 1658. He shifted the capital of the Mughal Empire from Agra to Delhi.
Being a great admirer of art and architecture, he built the famous Taj Mahal in the memory of his late wife, Mumtaz. Some of his other works of architecture include Jama Masjid, Shalimar Gardens of Lahore, Wazir Khan Mosque, Agra Fort and Red Fort. He was later imprisoned till death by his youngest son Aurangzeb in Agra Fort. He died in 1666.
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6. Aurangzeb
After Shah Jahan was diagnosed with an age-related illness, he gifted the royal throne to his eldest son Dara Shikoh. But destiny had other plans for the Mughal empire. Aurangzeb, the youngest son of Shah Jahan conquered the throne by removing his elder brothers. He was one of the Mughal rulers in India who is known for ruling almost the entire Indian subcontinent. He is known for his conflict with the Maratha ruler, Shivaji. Though he tortured the Marathas a lot, Shivaji never surrendered to him.
Being a Muslim Orthodox, he destroyed many Hindu temples and buildings. He was a tyrannous ruler. During his reign, the Mughal empire was weakening gradually. After he died in 1707, the fall of the Mughal empire had begun. He built Moti Masjid, Burj-I Shamli, Badshahi Mosque, Bibi ka Maqbara, Zeenat-ul-masjid, and Zafar Mahal.
According to the list of Mughal rulers, his successor was Bahadur Shah 1, followed by Jahandar Shah, Farrukhsiyar, Muhammad Shah, Ahmad Shah Bahadur, Alamgir II, Shah Alam II, Akbar II and Bahadur Shah II. But, none of them could reign for a much longer period until the death of Mughal Rule happened when they were conquered by the British Army.
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How Many Years Mughal Rule In India?
The History of Mughals hints at the fact that they were one of the important parts of ancient Indian history. But, how many years Mughal rule in India? According to historians, the Mughal rule in India continued for about 300 years during which 21 Mughal rulers of India ruled the throne. But, a turning point in the history of Mughals began after the death of Aurangzeb. The Mughal Rule in India started crumbling.
Several attacks on the dynasty led to its weakening and ultimately the glorious period of Mughal rule in India came to an end when the Britishers defeated the last Mughal ruler, Bahadur Shah II. He was imprisoned until he died in 1862. Soon, the British Army established themselves on Indian soil and the period of the British Raj began!
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