Mughal Rulers
Why it Matters?
NCERT’s new Class 8 textbook presents Mughal rulers like Babur, Akbar, and Aurangzeb as complex figures, intellectually accomplished yet capable of brutality, while also highlighting resistance against them.
What You Should Know?
Babur (1526–1530)
Babur was the first Mughal emperor and the founder of the empire.
He was a skilled warrior and a poet who conquered the Delhi Sultanate and established his capital at Agra.
He defeated the Rajputs at the Battle of Khanwa and expanded his territory to the Gangetic plains.
He also introduced gunpowder, artillery, and gardens to India.
He wrote his memoirs, the Baburnama, which is considered a masterpiece of Persian literature.
Akbar (1556–1605)
ar was the grandson of Babur and the greatest of the Mughal emperors.
He ascended the throne at the age of 13 and consolidated his empire through military conquests, administrative reforms, and cultural patronage.
He conquered most of northern and central India, including Gujarat, Bengal, Kashmir, and the Deccan.
He abolished the jizya tax on non-Muslims, promoted religious tolerance, and founded a new faith called Din-i-Ilahi.
He was a patron of the arts, literature, architecture, and science.
He built the magnificent Fatehpur Sikri, the Agra Fort, and the Buland Darwaza.
He also commissioned the Akbarnama, a history of his reign, and the Ain-i-Akbari, a record of his administration.
Aurangzeb (1658–1707)
Aurangzeb was the son of Shah Jahan and the sixth and last of the great Mughal emperors.
He was a devout Muslim and a strict ruler who enforced the Sharia law and reimposed the jizya tax on non-Muslims.
He also banned music, dancing, and painting in his court.
He fought many wars to expand his empire, which became the largest in India’s history, covering almost the entire subcontinent.
However, he also faced fierce resistance from the Marathas, the Sikhs, and the Rajputs, who challenged his authority and drained his resources.
He died in 1707, leaving behind a vast but unstable empire that soon collapsed under the pressure of internal and external forces.