Explore Akbar's administrative reforms during the Mughal era, focusing on his innovative land revenue systems like zabti and dahsala.
Learn how these reforms shaped governance and economic policies in medieval India.
Explore Akbar's military campaigns that brought Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Bengal under Mughal rule.
Learn about the sieges of Chittor and Ranthambhor, conquests in Ahmedabad, and the Bengal campaign, shaping the early expansion of the Mughal Empire in India.
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India in the First Half of the Seventeenth Century
The first half of the seventeenth century in India witnessed progress and growth under Mughal rulers Jahangir (1605-1627) and Shah Jahan (1628-1658).
The Mughal rulers consolidated Akbar's administrative system, maintaining alliances with the Rajputs and broadening their political base with alliances including Afghans and Marathas.
They embellished their capitals with beautiful marble buildings, transforming the Mughal court into a cultural hub of the country.
The Mughals played a positive role in stabilizing India’s relations with neighboring Asian powers such as Iran, the Uzbeks, and the Ottoman Turks, which facilitated greater avenues for India’s foreign trade.
However, despite these advancements, disparities persisted as the growing prosperity of the ruling classes did not alleviate the hardships faced by peasants and workers.
Jahangir succeeded Akbar without major internal conflict, but faced challenges including his son Khusrau's rebellion, reflecting typical succession tensions of the time.
During Jahangir's reign, conflicts persisted with Mewar and Malik Ambar in the Deccan, as well as with Afghan chiefs in East Bengal, despite Akbar's earlier efforts to subdue them.
Islam Khan, grandson of Shaikh Salim Chishti, played a pivotal role in Bengal, strategically moving the provincial capital to Dacca and subduing Afghan rebellions, thus consolidating Mughal power in the region.
Jahangir emphasized reconciliation over force, integrating defeated Afghan chiefs into the Mughal nobility and restoring their estates, which contributed to a period of peace and prosperity in Bengal.
Nur Jahan, Jahangir's wife, emerged as a powerful political figure amidst challenges such as the Persian conquest of Qandahar, which undermined Mughal prestige.
The growing instability due to Jahangir's failing health exacerbated succession struggles among princes and power struggles among the nobles, leading to political uncertainty.
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