SYDNEY, NIKKI, & JORDAN THE MUGHAL EMPIRE. WHO Founded by a Chagatai Turkic prince named Bābur who was descended from the Turkic conqueror Timur on his.

S Y D N E Y , N I K K I , & J O R D A N

THE MUGHAL EMPIRE

WHO

• Founded by a Chagatai Turkic prince named Bābur who was descended from the Turkic conqueror Timur on his father’s side and from Chagatai, second son of the Mongol ruler Genghis Khan, on his mother’s side.

• He was originally from Central Asia but turned India to quench his thirst for conquest because he was ousted from his original domain.

• The creation of this empire was due to the need to conquer more land. India was easily taken because it was so unified and easy pickings.

WHERE

• Northern India – at times their rule extended from Afghanistan in the west to Bengal in the east.

WHEN

• Start Date: 1526• End Date: 1857• Total Duration: 331 years

WHAT

• The Mughal Empire, founded in 1526, was the most powerful Islamic state to rule in India. It was at its most prosperous during the 17th century, when fine buildings such as the Taj Mahal were constructed.

• The Taj Mahal was begun in 1632 and completed 22 years later. About 20,000 people were employed, including Asia’s finest craftsmen. Famous for its perfect symmetry, it is exactly as wide as it is high, and the dome is the same height as its façade.

• Religion: The Mughal Empire was a time period of peaceful religious and cultural flourishing between the Hindus and Muslims of India, culminating in a golden age of Islamic-Hindu cross cultural pollination.

WHAT

• Contact between Western Europe and the Mughal empire was put into practice in the very beginning of the 17th century. The Portuguese, English, and later on, the Dutch were the ones to trade with the Mughal empire. As the first Islamic power on the Indian subcontinent, the Mughal empire was more interested in assimilating the land, studying the history, customs and religion of the people occupying this area, and communicating with the other two Islamic empires – the Saffavid and the Ottoman Empires. Akbar was known for his tolerance towards unorthodox Muslims and Hindus. Along with being tolerant towards his Hindu and Muslim subjects, Akbar welcomed Portuguese Jesuits, which allowed Portugal to enter the trade with Indian goods. At the very end of his rule, the British, Dutch, and Portuguese started trade with the Mughal empire as well.

HOW

• The Mughal Empire rose through many generations of Turkic emperors. Through much warfare over the generations the empire expanded. Religion played a major factor in the expansion of the Mughal empire which was mainly Muslims. The Muslims decided to conquer any Hindu land thus expanding their empire.

• The decline of the empire was due to rivalries within the empire, unnecessary warfare, and the invasion of the Iranian conqueror Nādir Shah in Northern India. Finally the empire was reduced to a small area that would end up falling to British control in 1857.

WHY

• Stability (Why not conquered)• There was no invasion from the West for 200 years during the reign of

the "Great Mughals".• Fewer tensions and wars, while the relations between Middle Eastern

rulers were good.• Military Technology (Why not conquered)• Babur is credited with the first use of canons in India.• The Mughals also pioneered the use of rockets which were used in

several wars inside the country.• Other Achievements (Why significant & Why not conquered)• Jehangir gave the British East India Company trading rights in Surat.• This broke the Portuguese monopoly in the Arabian Sea, and also let

the British East India Company perpetually extend its monopoly on trade with India.

WHY

• Trade and Commerce (Why significant)• The economy generally did well.• But the money makers benefited from a road system and a uniform

currency throughout much of the country.• Administration (Why significant)• Creation of several data collection, land settlement and tax calculation

schemes that outlived the Empire and some even exist today.• Cultural Achievements (Why significant)• The Mughals ushered in the golden age of Indo-Persian culture

especially with respect to art and architecture. In some ways this is responsible for the development of the Urdu and Hindi languages.

• One of Akbar's great achievements was establishing a great degree of religious tolerance, which survived for almost 50 years after his death.

• Contruction streak building monuments such as the Taj Mahal, the Red Fort, and several mosques.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• "Mughal Dynasty | India [1526-1707]." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 9 Feb. 2015. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/396125/Mughal-dynasty>.

• "Mughal Empire." Mughal Empire. Web. 9 Feb. 2015. <http://worldvisitguide.com/article/F0010829.html>.

• "Mughal Empire." - New World Encyclopedia. Web. 9 Feb. 2015. <http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Mughal_Empire>.

• "Muslim Hindu Religious Interactions in the Mughal Empire: The Birth and Death of a Cohesive Culture." Sensible Reason. Web. 9 Feb. 2015. <http://sensiblereason.com/muslim-hindu-religious-interactions-in-the-mughal-empire-the-birth-and-death-off-a-cohesive-culture/>.

• "Quora." What Were the Major Contributions of the Mughal Empire? -. Web. 9 Feb. 2015. <http://www.quora.com/What-were-the-major-contributions-of-the-Mughal-empire>.

• Web. 9 Feb. 2015. <http://empires.findthedata.com/q/176/2515/How-long-did-the-Mughal-Empire-exist>.

• "24 X 7." MUGHAL INDIA. Web. 9 Feb. 2015. <http://www.factmonster.com/dk/encyclopedia/mughal-india.html>.