UPSC Notes / Medieval Indian History / Chapter 10
Chapter 10 of 24

Mughal Empire

Babur's founding, Akbar's consolidation and Din-i-Ilahi, and the succession of great emperors that built one of history's most powerful empires.

📖 ~16 min read 🕌 Medieval Indian History

Introduction

The Mughal Empire (1526-1857 CE, effectively powerful until c. 1707), founded by Babur, became one of the largest and wealthiest empires in world history at its height under Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, and Aurangzeb — leaving a lasting imprint on India's administration, art, architecture, and culture.

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Image space — add illustration here
Suggested: The Taj Mahal or Red Fort — iconic symbols of Mughal imperial grandeur
Suggested visual: A great Mughal monument (Taj Mahal, Red Fort, or Fatehpur Sikri)

Key Mughal Emperors

EmperorReignKey Achievement
Babur1526-1530 CEFounder; defeated Ibrahim Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat (1526) and Rana Sanga at Khanwa (1527); wrote the Baburnama
Humayun1530-1540, 1555-1556 CETemporarily lost the empire to Sher Shah Suri (next chapter), regained it with Persian assistance shortly before his death
Akbar1556-1605 CEGreatest Mughal ruler; consolidated and expanded the empire; introduced administrative and religious reforms (Mansabdari system, Din-i-Ilahi, abolished Jizya)
Jahangir1605-1627 CEContinued Akbar's policies; renowned patron of painting; wrote the Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri
Shah Jahan1628-1658 CE"Golden Age" of Mughal architecture — built the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Jama Masjid
Aurangzeb1658-1707 CELargest territorial extent of the empire, but over-extension, reimposition of Jizya, and prolonged Deccan wars strained resources, contributing to later decline

Akbar's Consolidation and Policies

Flowchart — Akbar's Key Policy Innovations
Akbar's Governance Approach
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Rajput alliances — marriage diplomacy and military service (not just conquest)
Mansabdari system — graded military-administrative ranking of nobles
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Abolished Jizya (tax on non-Muslims) and pilgrim tax
Din-i-Ilahi (1582) — a syncretic ethical order for the elite, not a mass religion

Din-i-Ilahi drew selectively from Islam, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, and Jainism; it attracted only a small number of courtiers and was never intended as (nor did it become) a mass religious movement — a common misconception UPSC often tests.

Later Mughal Policy Shift

Aurangzeb departed from Akbar's broadly tolerant approach — reimposing Jizya (1679), destroying some temples in specific political contexts, and pursuing prolonged, resource-draining campaigns in the Deccan against the Marathas and the remaining Deccan Sultanates — developments explored further in the "Decline of the Mughal Empire" chapter.

✅ UPSC Focus: Emperor sequence and key achievements · Din-i-Ilahi's true nature (elite ethical order, not mass religion) · Akbar's Rajput alliance policy vs Aurangzeb's later reversal · First Battle of Panipat (1526) as the Mughal founding event.

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