Later Mughals and Emergence of New States

Nine Mughal rulers, called the Later Mughals, followed one another in quick succession in the 50 years after the death of Aurangzeb. Many rulers formed independent states for themselves when the central authority grew weak.

Muazzam defeated his brothers and assumed the title of Bahadur Shah I. He released Shahu, the grandson of Shivaji, who had been imprisoned by Aurangzeb.

Let us learn about the later Mughals or late Mughal rulers.

After Aurangzeb died in 1707, there was a war of succession among his three sons (Prince Muazzam, Muhammad Azam, and Kam Baksh) for the possession of the throne of Delhi.

BAHADUR SHAH I

Do you know, who was Bahadur Shah I?

Muazzam defeated his brothers and grabbed the title of Bahadur Shah I also known as Shah Alam. He granted the Marathas sardeshmukhi of the Deccan. He made peace with the Bundela chief, Chhatarsal, and the Jat chief, Churaman. He could not prevent the decline of the empire due to his sudden death in 1712.

JAHANDAR SHAH

Jahandar Shah (son of Bahadur Shah) became the emperor after the death of his father. He was supported by his general, Zulfiqar Khan. In 1713, his rule came to an end when he was defeated by Farrukh Siyar, his nephew.

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FARRUKH SIYAR

Farrukh Siyar became the emperor with the support of Sayyid brothers, Abdullah Khan and Hussain Ali, who were appointed as the Wazir and Mirbakshi. He was an incapable ruler, therefore Sayyid brothers acquired control over the empire.

The Sayyid brother killed Farrukh Siyar and raised three rulers in succession- Rafi-ud-Darajat (1719), Rafi-ud-Daula (1719) and Muhammad Shah (1719-1748).

MUHAMMAD SHAH

Muhammad Shah ruled from 1719-1748. He was a weak ruler, who lived a life of luxury. His first Wazir after the fall of the Sayyid brothers was Muhammad Amin Khan. After his death, Nizam-ul-Mulk was appointed the Wazir in 1722.

Do you know about the rulers who set up autonomous states in the Decaan, Awadh and Bengal?

Nawab Saddat Khan was the founder of the autonomous state of Awadh. The state of Hyderabad was founded by Nizam-ul-Mulk and the state of Bengal was founded by Murshid Quli Khan.

After the death of Muhammad Shah, the Mughal Empire existed only in name. The successors of Muhammad Shah Ahmad Shah (1748-1754) and Alamgir II (1754-1759) were too weak to handle the Empire. Shah Alam II, ascended the throne in 1759. After the death of Shah Alam II, his son succeeded as Akbar Shah II (1806-1837).

Do you know, who was the last Mughal emperor?

Bahadur Shah Zafar is also known as Bahadur Shah II, became the emperor after the death of Akbar II. He had the title of 'Zafar'. He was the last ruler of Mughal dynasty. He was deported to Rangoon by the British where he died in 1862 and thus it ended the Mughal dynasty.

Emergence of New States

AWADH

The province of Awadh comprised Awadh proper, Banaras, Allahabad and Kanpur. Saadat Khan, the founder of autonomous state of Awadh was popularly known as Burhan- ul-Mulk. He was appointed as the Governor of Awadh in 1722.

Saadat Khan was succeeded by his nephew, Safdar Jung. His reign gave a long period of peace to the people of Awadh. Safdar Jung extended his control over the Gangetic plains. His successor Shuj-ud-Daulah also tried to consolidate the basis of the autonomous political system in Awadh.

BENGAL

Murshid Quli Khan

Do you know, who was the Governor of Bengal in 1717?

Murshid Quli Khan was made Governor of Bengal in 1717. He soon freed himself from the central control and made Bengal an independent state.

Murshid Quli Khan established an efficient administration and also granted loans to the poor cultivators to relieve their distress and to enable them to pay land revenue on time. He introduced the Ijara system, in which contracts were given for the collection of revenue.

After the death of Murshid Quli Khan in 1727, his son-in-law Shuja-ud-din ruled Bengal till 1739. In that year, Alivardi Khan killed Shuja-ud-din's son and made himself the Nawab.

Later Mughals - Question

1. Who was the last ruler of Mughal dynasty?
a) Bahadur Shah I
b) Farrukh Siyar
c) Alamgir II
d) Bahadur Shah Zafar

2. How many rulers were there who had given the title of Later Mughals?
a) 8
b) 6
c) 7
d) 9

3. Who introduced the Ijara system in the state of Bengal?
a) Alivardi Khan
b) Shuja-ud-din
c) Saadat Khan
d) Murshid Quli Khan

4. Who was the founder of the autonomous state of Hyderabad?
a) Saadat Khan
b) Murshid Quli Khan
c) Alivardi Khan
d) Nizam-ul-Mulk

5. Who adopted the title of Bahadur Shah I?
a) Kam Baksh
b) Ahmad Shah
c) Jahandar Shah
d) Prince Muazzam

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