Tales from later Mughals

They owned landed property, possessed wealth, and had
high titles which increased their prestige in the society. In
the later period, most of them lacked the merit, intelligence
and efficiency which were the hallmark of their
predecessors. The breakdown of the bureaucratic system`s
administrative problems could not be resolved and
subsequently the state suffered and lost its writ.
The nobility was further divided on ethnic basis such
as Turaniana (people from Central Asia), Iranians and
Rajputs, which led to civil wars and factional fights, causing
relationships between the emperor and nobles to
deteriorate. Every successive emperor became a stooge in
the hands of some faction who used him for its own
advantage; for example the Saiyyad brothers became so
powerful that they played the role of king makers.
The most important feature of the later period was
the emergence of regional powers which included the
Marhattas, Rajputs, Sikhs, Jats, and Ruhellas. The Mughal
state and aristocracy refused to recognise their national
ambitions and were not ready to give them any share or
space. When these powers rebelled, the Mughal state
regarded it a serious challenge to its authority and instead of
negotiating or integrating them into the imperial system,
adopted force to crush their uprisings. Rebellion against the
empire was regarded as a serious crime and the only
method was to put it down with the help of military force.
The result was that the state got involved in a series
of wars and suffered militarily and financially and by the
18th century it did not have enough resources to meet such
expenses. Its military system was no longer efficient enough
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