THE MUGHAL EMPIRE ('In Brief' Books for Busy People Book 7)

Akbar’s sons, on the other hand, were born at a time of prolonged stability with no serious threat from outside invasion. Consequently, the princes were able to enjoy the wealth, luxury and leisure time denied to the earlier Mughal rulers. Rather than learning the art of war, they excelled in the art of debauchery, including an excess of wine, wome

Unfortunately, Humayun did not live to see his plans fulfilled. On the 27th January 1556, he fell from the top floor of his library to his death. It is said that he was carrying a pile of books when he heard the call to prayer and in his rush to respond he caught his heel in his robes.

Humayun also gained from his period in Persia where he was introduced to Persian cultural and military life that not only enabled him to retake Delhi but also contribute to the cultural life of India. His agreement to accept Shi’a Islam as opposed to the Sunni tradition was most likely purely pragmatic in order to secure the help offered by Shah Ta

After acceding to the Mughal throne in 1556, he gained the title Akbar the Great, which literally means Great the Great.

Jahangir was also determined to punish Guru Arjan, who was the fifth of the ten Sikh Gurus. He believed that the Guru had supported Khusrau in his rebellion and so had him taken to Lahore fort where he died. The exact cause of his death is unclear. Some believe that he was tortured to death for refusing to convert to Islam. Another theory is that h

The recent film Viceroy’s House attempts

In August 1765, Clive secured from the Mughal Emperor another Firman granting the Company the titles of Bengal, Bihar and the Deccan. Under this new arrangement, the Company received the right to collect taxes on behalf of the Emperor. This led to corruption and aggressive heavy handedness by Company agents. Furthermore, the Company was accused of

Unlike many Mughal Princes, who showed signs of a life of excess, Aurangzeb was slim.

Dara was taken to Delhi, placed on a filthy elephant and to his humiliation, was paraded through the streets in chains. Aurangzeb then called a council which judged Dara to be a political threat and also guilty of apostasy. He was executed by four of Aurangzeb’s henchmen on the 30th August 1659. His severed head was taken to Aurangzeb for identific