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Mughal Emperors and Monuments

The great Mughal emperors with reign, achievements and the monuments they built, for CAPF Paper I revision

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The "Great Mughals" ruled from 1526 to 1707, after which the empire declined. Cover the right columns and recall the reign and the buildings. See mughal empire and unesco world heritage sites india.

The great Mughals

Emperor (Reign) Remembered for
Babur (1526 to 1530) Founder; won the First Battle of Panipat (1526) and Khanwa (1527); wrote the Baburnama
Humayun (1530 to 1540, 1555 to 1556) Lost to Sher Shah Suri; regained the throne in 1555; died in 1556
Akbar (1556 to 1605) Greatest Mughal; Mansabdari system; Din-i-Ilahi; abolished jizya; Rajput alliances; Todar Mal's revenue system (Dahsala / Zabti)
Jahangir (1605 to 1627) Justice (the chain of justice); patron of painting; Nur Jahan's influence; first English embassy (Sir Thomas Roe)
Shah Jahan (1628 to 1658) The golden age of Mughal architecture; built the Taj Mahal
Aurangzeb (1658 to 1707) Greatest extent of the empire; re-imposed jizya; long Deccan wars; austere; the last great Mughal

Monuments by emperor

Emperor Monuments
Humayun (tomb built by his widow at Delhi, a World Heritage Site)
Akbar Fatehpur Sikri (and the Buland Darwaza); Agra Fort; his tomb at Sikandra
Jahangir Shalimar Bagh (Kashmir); the tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah (built by Nur Jahan, the "Baby Taj")
Shah Jahan Taj Mahal (Agra); Red Fort and Jama Masjid (Delhi); the Peacock Throne; Shahjahanabad
Aurangzeb Bibi Ka Maqbara (Aurangabad); Badshahi Mosque (Lahore); Moti Masjid in the Red Fort

Administration terms

Term Meaning
Mansabdari Ranking system of nobles (zat and sawar ranks) introduced by Akbar
Jagir Revenue assignment to a mansabdar
Zabti / Dahsala Todar Mal's revenue settlement based on measurement and average prices
Sulh-i-kul Akbar's policy of "peace with all" (universal tolerance)
Din-i-Ilahi Akbar's syncretic order of faith (1582)

Quick memory hooks

  • Akbar: Fatehpur Sikri and Buland Darwaza; the religious and revenue reforms.
  • Shah Jahan: the Taj Mahal, Red Fort and Jama Masjid; the architectural peak.
  • Aurangzeb: the greatest extent but the start of decline.

Cross-references

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