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Pak Studies History IGCSEPDF 16

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• The Mughal rulers after the death of Aurangzeb became weak, luxury oriented, corrupt and inefficient and left the administration to their ministers who sought for their own vested interests. • There was no law of succession for which the ancestors of Aurangzeb fought with each other. Aurangzeb’s son Moazzam (Bahadar Shah I) defeated and killed his brothers Azam and Kam Baksh to take control of the throne. He lived for 5 years and died in 1712. His four sons also fought with each other for the throne but Jahandar killed his brothers, though he was also killed a year later. • They were more interested in drinking, dancing, music and poetry rather than administration. • Fighting the wars became expensive and resulted in loss of treasury. • Military was stretched and loyal to Mansabdars and not to the King for which the army became inefficient. • The vastness of the empire with less interest and efficiency in the administration became a reason for the decline of Mughal Empire. • The provinces which were far from the center i.e., Oudh, Bihar, Orissa and Deccan declared independence. • The foreign invasions of Nadir Shah in 1739 and Ahmad Shah Abdali looted the Mughal Empire. •They (Marathas) lived in the southern state of Deccan. •They were devoted Hindus and were popular for their guerrilla fighting. •Aurangzeb spent 25 years fighting with Marathas in the state of Deccan but failed. •In 1737, they defeated Mughals in 1st battle of Delhi and captured strategic town of Malwa. •In 1757, Marathas captured Delhi in 2nd battle of Delhi and controlled vast lands which were previously part of Mughal Empire. •This vast land was not easy to control and administer by the Marathas. So, local rulers came to the picture and Maratha families started showing loyalty to the local leaders than Peshwa (Maratha Leader). •Shah Wali Ullah organized an opposition to the Marathas. He called all the Muslims to come together to save Mughal Empire. •Ahmad Shah Abdali was also called upon who came and defeated Marathas in 1761 at the 3rd battle of Pani Pat. •It was the technical expertise of Ahmad Shah Abdali which made him victorious. •Thousands of Marathas were dead on that day including the Peshwa’s heir. •So, this defeat ended the Maratha ambitions. Aurangzeb on a pretext of idolatry and apostasy from Islam. His head was sent to Shāh Jahān in Agra fort. • Four sons of Shāh Jahān were governors of large provinces i.e., Dārā Shikoh- the governor of Multan and Kabul but was resident at Shāh Jahān’s court, Murād Baksh- the governor of Gujrat and Malwa, Shāh Shuja´- the governor of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, and Aurangzeb- the governor of Deccan, fought with each other and Aurangzeb had ultimately taken control by defeating and killing his brothers. Q: Why the Mughal Empire declined following the death of Aurangzeb? OR [7] Q: How did the successors of Aurangzeb contribute to the downfall of Mughal Empire?[7] Q: Why were the Marathas defeated after the decline of the Mughal Empire? [7]