Mughal Decline

Key Pointers

Later Mughals: Bahadur Shah I (1707–12); Jahandar Shah (1712–13); Farrukhsiyar (1713–19); Muhammad Shah 'Rangila' (1719–48); Ahmad Shah, Alamgir II, Shah Alam II (1759–1806); Bahadur Shah II 'Zafar' (1837–57).
Sayyid brothers (Abdullah Khan and Hussain Ali Khan Barha): 'Kingmakers'; Farrukhsiyar was ultimately deposed by them.
Invasions: Nadir Shah (1739) defeated the Mughals at Karnal, sacked Delhi, took the Peacock Throne and Kohinoor; Ahmad Shah Abdali (several raids; Third Battle of Panipat, 1761).
British consolidation: Battle of Plassey (1757), Battle of Buxar (1764); Treaty of Allahabad (1765): Shah Alam II granted Diwani of Bengal, Bihar, Orissa to the East India Company.
End: Revolt of 1857; Bahadur Shah II exiled to Rangoon, ending the Mughal dynasty.
Causes:
- Aurangzeb's Deccan policy drained resources and manpower.
- Religious policy alienated Rajputs, Sikhs, Marathas and others.
- Jagirdari crisis and agrarian crisis (Irfan Habib, Satish Chandra).
- Weak successors; factionalism among nobles (Irani, Turani, Hindustani/Afghan).
- Peasant and regional revolts (Jats, Satnamis, Sikhs, Marathas).
- Rise of successor states (Awadh, Bengal, Hyderabad).
- Military weakness and European naval and military superiority.

MCQs

Q1. Nadir Shah invaded India in: (a) 1707 (b) 1739 (c) 1757 (d) 1761 Answer: (b).

Q2. Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa was granted to the British by: (a) Alamgir II (b) Muhammad Shah (c) Shah Alam II (d) Farrukhsiyar Answer: (c). Granted in 1765 after Buxar.

Q3. The 'Sayyid Brothers' were associated with which Mughal ruler's reign as kingmakers? (a) Farrukhsiyar (b) Aurangzeb (c) Akbar (d) Shah Jahan Answer: (a). They also placed and removed several of his successors.