Later Mughals (1605–1707 AD) & Imperial Decline

1. Jahangir (1605–1627 AD)

Cue Words	Notes
Reign & Administration	Original name Salim. Installed Zanjir-i-Adl (Chain of Justice) at Agra Fort for direct public petitions. Executed 5th Sikh Guru Guru Arjan Dev for assisting rebellious son Prince Khusrau.
Nur Jahan Junta	Married Mehr-un-Nisa in 1611 AD, conferring title Nur Jahan ("Light of the World"). Formed dominant court faction (Junta) comprising Nur Jahan, her father Itimad-ud-Daulah, brother Asaf Khan, and Prince Khurram (Shah Jahan).
British Diplomacy & Art Patronage	British Envoys: Received Captain William Hawkins (1608 AD) and Sir Thomas Roe (1615 AD, envoy of King James I), granting permission to East India Company to set up factories at Surat. Zenith of Mughal Painting: Passionate patron of miniature painting. Emphasized realism, portraiture, natural history (flora/fauna), and Halo/Nimbus around emperors. Famous court painters: Ustad Mansur (specialist in birds/animals e.g. Siberian crane, dodo) and Bishan Das. Authored memoir Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri.

2. Shah Jahan (1628–1658 AD)

Cue Words	Notes
Reign & Expansion	Original name Prince Khurram. Annexed Nizam Shahi kingdom of Ahmednagar (1636 AD); forced Bijapur and Golconda to accept Mughal suzerainty. Lost Kandahar permanently to Safavid Persia (1649 AD).
Golden Age of Architecture	Regarded as the "Golden Age of Mughal Architecture". Shifted capital from Agra to Shahjahanabad (Delhi, 1638 AD). Taj Mahal (Agra): Built in memory of wife Arjumand Banu Begum (Mumtaz Mahal) using white Makrana marble, Pietra Dura inlay, double dome, and four minarets. Chief architect: Ustad Ahmad Lahori. Red Fort (Delhi): Built Lal Qila containing Diwan-i-Am, Diwan-i-Khas, and the Peacock Throne (Takht-i-Taus) crafted by Bebadal Khan (housing Koh-i-Noor diamond). Jama Masjid (Delhi): Largest mosque in India. Moti Masjid (Agra Fort): Built of pure white marble.
War of Succession (1557–1558 AD)	Brotherly war among Shah Jahan's sons: Dara Shikoh (learned philosopher, translated 52 Upanishads into Persian as Sirr-i-Akbar), Shuja, Aurangzeb, and Murad. Aurangzeb defeated Dara Shikoh at the Battles of Samugarh and Deorai, executed Dara, imprisoned Shah Jahan at Agra Fort, and seized the throne.

3. Aurangzeb Alamgir (1658–1707 AD)

Cue Words	Notes
Religious & Social Policy	Assumed title Alamgir ("Conqueror of the World"). Orthodox Sunni ruler who reversed Akbar's liberal policies: Abolished court music, dancing, astrology, alcohol, and the Persian festival Nauroz. Banned Jharokha Darshan (royal balcony appearance) and Tuladan (weighing emperor). Re-imposed Jizya tax (1679 AD) and Pilgrim Tax. Destroyed major Hindu temples (Kashi Vishwanath at Varanasi, Keshavdeva at Mathura, Somnath). Executed 9th Sikh Guru Guru Tegh Bahadur (1675 AD) at Chandni Chowk (Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib) for refusing to convert, leading Guru Gobind Singh to establish the Khalsa (1699 AD). Compiled Islamic legal code Fatawa-i-Alamgiri.
Deccan Ulcer & Imperial Decline	Spent last 25 years (1681–1707 AD) personally campaigning in Deccan ("Deccan Ulcer ruined Aurangzeb as Spanish Ulcer ruined Napoleon"): Annexed Bijapur (1686 AD) and Golconda (1687 AD). Executed Maratha ruler Sambhaji (1689 AD). Faced persistent guerilla warfare from Marathas under Rajaram, Tarabai, and local chiefs. Excessive expansion overstretched treasury, disrupted Jagirdari System (Jagirdari crisis), and aliened Rajputs, Sikhs, Marathas, and Jats, precipitating the collapse of the Mughal Empire after his death in 1707 AD.

Cue Words

Notes

Religious & Social Policy

Assumed title Alamgir ("Conqueror of the World"). Orthodox Sunni ruler who reversed Akbar's liberal policies:

Abolished court music, dancing, astrology, alcohol, and the Persian festival Nauroz. Banned Jharokha Darshan (royal balcony appearance) and Tuladan (weighing emperor).
Re-imposed Jizya tax (1679 AD) and Pilgrim Tax. Destroyed major Hindu temples (Kashi Vishwanath at Varanasi, Keshavdeva at Mathura, Somnath).
Executed 9th Sikh Guru Guru Tegh Bahadur (1675 AD) at Chandni Chowk (Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib) for refusing to convert, leading Guru Gobind Singh to establish the Khalsa (1699 AD).
Compiled Islamic legal code Fatawa-i-Alamgiri.

Deccan Ulcer & Imperial Decline

Spent last 25 years (1681–1707 AD) personally campaigning in Deccan ("Deccan Ulcer ruined Aurangzeb as Spanish Ulcer ruined Napoleon"):

Annexed Bijapur (1686 AD) and Golconda (1687 AD).
Executed Maratha ruler Sambhaji (1689 AD). Faced persistent guerilla warfare from Marathas under Rajaram, Tarabai, and local chiefs.
Excessive expansion overstretched treasury, disrupted Jagirdari System (Jagirdari crisis), and aliened Rajputs, Sikhs, Marathas, and Jats, precipitating the collapse of the Mughal Empire after his death in 1707 AD.

→ 👑 Later Mughals After Aurangzeb (1707–1857): The Long Twilight

Bahadur Shah I (1707–1712): Aurangzeb's son; briefly stabilized the empire but faced continuous Rajput, Sikh (Banda Bahadur revolt), and Maratha pressure.
Rise of "King-makers": The Sayyid Brothers (Abdullah Khan & Hussain Ali Khan) dominated the court (1713–1720), installing and deposing emperors like Farrukhsiyar at will — coined "king-makers."
Muhammad Shah "Rangila" (1719–1748): His reign saw the catastrophic invasion of Nadir Shah of Persia (1739 AD), who sacked Delhi and carried off the Peacock Throne and the Koh-i-Noor diamond.
Afghan Invasions: Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded India repeatedly (1748–1767), climaxing in the Third Battle of Panipat (1761 AD) against the Marathas.
Nominal Sovereignty: After 1803 (Second Anglo-Maratha War), the Mughal emperor at Delhi became a British pensioner with only nominal authority; the line ended with Bahadur Shah II (Zafar), exiled to Rangoon after the 1857 Revolt.

Later Mughals (1605–1707 AD) & Imperial Decline ​