Question

This is a portrait of the last of the Later Mughals.

Mention any four reasons for the decline of the Mughal empire Explain any two reasons.

Answer 1

(a) Politics in the Mughal court
(b) Weak Military organization and Administration
(c) Aurangzeb’s Bankruptcy
(d) Foreign Invasions

(a) Politics in the Mughal court:

There were four groups of nobles in the Mughal court Iranis, Turanis, Afghans, and Hindustanis. The Iranis hailed from Persia, the Turanis hailed from Transoxiana, and Afghans came from the mountainous border regions across the Indus. The Mughal court was a house sharply divided from within. This resulted in a constant struggle for power among these groups. Their mutual jealousies and rivalries caused great harm to the Mughal administration and undermined the prestige and authority of the Mughal Emperor.

(b) Economic Bankruptcy: 

A major cause of the disintegration of the Mughal Empire was its economic bankruptcy. The enormous sums of money spent by Shah Jahan on magnificent monuments like the Taj Mahal had drained the royal treasury. Aurangzeb’s Deccan campaign was a financial disaster that ruined the empire and made its collapse inevitable.