THE MUGHALS (1707–1857) - PART 1

🇮🇳 INDIA AFTER AURANGZEB’S DEATH: THE MUGHALS (1707–1857)

The EXAM - ORIENTED  Study Material For UPSC IAS Prelims 

---

🔥 INTRODUCTION – WHY THIS PERIOD MATTERS

The death of AURANGZEB IN 1707 marked a turning point in Indian history. The Mughal Empire, once the most powerful in the subcontinent, began a slow but irreversible decline. This period is crucial for UPSC aspirants because it explains:

• The fragmentation of centralized authority
• The rise of regional powers
• The entry and expansion of European trading companies
• The transition from medieval to colonial India

UPSC frequently asks questions from this era in both Prelims and Mains, especially focusing on succession wars, administrative collapse, and British ascendancy.

---

🏛️ POLITICAL STRUCTURE AFTER AURANGZEB

🔹 2.1 WAR OF SUCCESSION (1707)

Aurangzeb’s death led to a violent power struggle among his sons:

• MUAZZAM (later Bahadur Shah I)
• AZAM SHAH
• KAM BAKHSH

BAHADUR SHAH I emerged victorious and ruled from 1707 to 1712. However, his reign was marked by:

• Attempts to reconcile with Rajputs, Marathas, and Sikhs
• Failure to assert strong central control
• Continued revolts and instability

🔍 UPSC TIP: Bahadur Shah I is often seen as the last Mughal with some semblance of authority. His conciliatory policies failed due to lack of resources and loyalty.

🔹 2.2 THE ERA OF PUPPET EMPERORS (1712–1759)

After Bahadur Shah I, the Mughal throne became a plaything for powerful nobles, especially the Sayyid Brothers and later Imad-ul-Mulk.

📌 KEY EMPERORS AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS

Emperor	Reign	Notable Features
JAHANDAR SHAH	1712–1713	Controlled by Zulfiqar Khan; promoted Irani nobles
FARRUKHSIYAR	1713–1719	Issued 1717 Farman to British; removed by Sayyid Brothers
MUHAMMAD SHAH	1719–1748	Patron of arts; Nadir Shah invaded Delhi in 1739
AHMAD SHAH BAHADUR	1748–1754	Weak ruler; Abdali’s invasions intensified
ALAMGIR II	1754–1759	Puppet of Imad-ul-Mulk; assassinated

🔍 UPSC FACT: The 1717 Farman by Farrukhsiyar allowed the British East India Company duty-free trade in Bengal—a major turning point.

🔹 2.3 SHAH ALAM II AND THE BRITISH ASCENDANCY (1759–1806)

• Present during the Battle of Buxar (1764)
• Signed the Treaty of Allahabad (1765), granting Diwani rights to the British in Bengal
• Became a British pensioner, symbolizing the end of Mughal sovereignty

🔍 UPSC TRAP: Shah Alam II was the emperor during Buxar, not Aurangzeb or Bahadur Shah Zafar.

🔹 2.4 THE LAST MUGHALS (1806–1857)

Emperor	Reign	Key Events
AKBAR II	1806–1837	Gave title “Raja” to Ram Mohan Roy
BAHADUR SHAH ZAFAR	1837–1857	Symbolic head of 1857 Revolt; exiled to Rangoon

🔍 UPSC FACT: Bahadur Shah Zafar was not the military leader of the 1857 revolt—he was a symbolic figure.

🔹 2.5 ADMINISTRATIVE COLLAPSE

• MANSABDARI SYSTEM broke down
• No standing army—dependent on nobles
• Revenue collection became corrupt and inefficient
• Jagirdari assignments were arbitrary and unsustainable

🔍 UPSC TIP: Expect questions comparing Mansabdari vs. Zamindari systems.

🪙 ECONOMY DURING MUGHAL DECLINE (1707–1857)

As the Mughal Empire weakened politically, its economic foundations also began to crumble. The once-flourishing agrarian economy, vibrant trade networks, and sophisticated revenue systems fell into disarray. This period saw:

• Collapse of centralized revenue administration
• Rise of regional economic centers
• Increasing European control over trade
• Shift from surplus extraction to exploitation

🔍 UPSC HACK: Questions often test your ability to link economic decline with political fragmentation and colonial expansion. Always connect the dots.

---

🌾 3.1 AGRARIAN STRUCTURE

The Mughal economy was primarily agrarian. But after Aurangzeb:

• Jagirdars became corrupt and exploitative
• Peasants faced increased taxation without protection
• Land productivity declined due to wars and instability

📌 Key Terms for UPSC

Term	Meaning	UPSC Relevance
Raiyatwari	Direct settlement with cultivators	Introduced later by British; contrast with Mughal Jagirdari
Jagirdari	Land grants to nobles for revenue collection	Collapsed post-Aurangzeb; led to decentralization
Khudkasht	Peasant-owned land	Important for understanding rural autonomy

🔍 UPSC TIP: Match terms like Khudkasht and Raiyat with their definitions. UPSC loves factual traps here.

---

📉 3.2 REVENUE SYSTEM BREAKDOWN

The Mughal revenue system was based on Akbar’s Todar Mal model, but post-1707:

• Revenue assignments (Jagirs) became unstable
• Local zamindars gained autonomy and resisted imperial control
• Peasants defaulted due to droughts, wars, and over-taxation

🔍 UPSC HACK: Link revenue collapse to rise of regional powers like Marathas and Nawabs. They filled the vacuum left by Mughal inefficiency.

---

🛍️ 3.3 TRADE AND COMMERCE

India was a major exporter of textiles, spices, and handicrafts. But after Aurangzeb:

• Internal trade declined due to lawlessness
• European companies began dominating coastal trade
• Artisan guilds collapsed due to lack of patronage

📌 Key Shifts in Trade

Aspect	Before Decline	After Decline
Textile Exports	Dominated by Indian weavers	Controlled by British East India Company
Port Cities	Surat, Masulipatnam, Hooghly	Madras, Bombay, Calcutta (British hubs)
Currency	Silver-based Mughal coins	British-issued currency began circulating

🔍 UPSC TIP: Remember the shift from Surat to Bombay as a trade hub—classic UPSC question.

---

🕍 3.4 EUROPEAN ECONOMIC PENETRATION

European companies didn’t just trade—they reshaped the economy:

• 1717 Farman gave British duty-free trade in Bengal
• Battle of Plassey (1757) gave them political control over trade routes
• Diwani rights (1765) allowed direct revenue collection

🔍 UPSC HACK: Always link economic privileges with political power

---

📚 3.5 UPSC PRELIMS POINTERS

• Match terms like Jagirdar, Zamindar, Raiyat with their roles
• Know the 1717 Farman and its impact on British trade
• Understand the decline of port cities and rise of British ones
• Link revenue collapse to rise of regional powers

🧠 IAS HACK: Practice cause-effect linking. UPSC rarely asks isolated facts—it tests your ability to connect events across domains.

 Dear Students, 

Here Part 1 Ends here. 

SHARE this with Your Friends, Brothers and Sisters. 

If You need any topic to be Presented Here, feel free to Contact Us 👍

🧑‍💻 Don't Forget to Read THE PART-2 

Compulsory for The UPSC PRELIMS 🙏