Tales from later Mughals

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Death of the Institutions There is a close relationship between individuals and institutions. On one hand, individuals are responsible for building institutions and changing them according to the need of the time. On the other hand, institutions produce and train individuals and provide them space to display their talents. As a result of the cooperation between these two, society can face challenges and absorb the shocks of political upheavals and economic and social crises. However, when the relationship between the two is broken, and individuals and institutions no longer remain associated with each other, society faces chaos and anarchy. In case of the Mughal state, there is heated discussion among historians as to who was responsible for its decline individuals or institutions? Those who argue that the collapse of institutions was the main cause of the disintegration of the Mughal Empire, point out that the most powerful institution of kingship had lost all its power, integrity, and capability in the 18th century. Transfer of power no longer remained a peaceful process. Wars of 16
succession not only weakened the position of the ruler but also led to the disintegration of the nobility into different factions. The dynastic monopoly of the Mughals over kingship slowly caused a degeneration of the intellectual capability of rulers and produced inept and untalented persons to occupy the throne. Their only claim to legitimacy was belonging to the ruling dynasty. The second important institution which no longer sustained its original form was the Mansabdari system which was the civil and military bureaucracy organised by Akbar. It suffered financially when there was a `crisis of Jagirdari system`. Due to political weakness, local zamindars refused to pay revenue. The only way to extract surplus was with the help of force. An alternative solution, which was adopted, was to auction jagirs to contractors (ijaradars) who forcibly collected revenue after paying jagirdars their share. The result was that the Mughal emperor lost all his personal landed property and became a stipend holder of the Marhattas and the East India Company. Political weakness tempted first Nadir Shah to invade India in 1738-9, and later on Ahmad Shah Abdali in 1748, 1756-7 and 1761. Both invaders plundered all the accumulated wealth of the Great Mughals and took it away to Afghanistan. Moreover, weakness of the imperial institutions encouraged regional powers to assert their autonomy. The Marhattas, Sikhs, Jats, Rajputs, and Ruhelas challenged the Mughal sovereignty and resisted the central authority. The centre tried to crush their rebellions but, having no power, was forced to leave them alone and the Mughal Empire 17
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Page 4 and 5: Copyright© 2014 All rights reserve
Page 6 and 7: From Mulitary Adventurer to Nawab 9
Page 8 and 9: of them retired to their home towns
Page 10 and 11: it in getting political ascendancy.
Page 12 and 13: The Decline of Power Studying the h
Page 14 and 15: to face the regional armies who wer
Page 18 and 19: eluctantly surrendered to the regio
Page 20 and 21: Dynastic Rule The Mughal dynasty, w
Page 22 and 23: ule. On the question of succession,
Page 24 and 25: The Salatin The term Salatin was us
Page 26 and 27: the British Resident that his month
Page 28 and 29: Story of a Mughals The descendents
Page 30 and 31: treated well by Nawab Asifud Dowla
Page 32 and 33: Financial Condition of The Later Mu
Page 34 and 35: meet the expenses. The Red Fort was
Page 36 and 37: Manners and Society Manners and soc
Page 38 and 39: unless asked. For common people the
Page 40 and 41: The Etiquette of Mughal Court Mugha
Page 42 and 43: told the emperor that he should not
Page 44 and 45: Decadence of the Mughal Nobility Th
Page 46 and 47: had the titles of Amin or A`timad o
Page 48 and 49: Nobility on the Decline One of the
Page 50 and 51: As most of the state officials were
Page 52 and 53: Of Sadists and Savages Eighteen cen
Page 54 and 55: a while he awoke and rebuked the pr
Page 56 and 57: which he killed Farrukhsiyar`s fath
Page 58 and 59: Abdullah Khan, who was on his way t
Page 60 and 61: of the state reducing the authority
Page 62 and 63: whenever political candidates attem
Page 64 and 65: palaces and spent more time in merr
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This culture had a deep impact on t
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Awadh who spent large amounts on we
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Although Sharar glamorised the feud
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situation where their wealth and pr
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Soldiering On It was the common pra
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their dues but also promised some e
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The Looting Soldiers Although the s
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example, when Jaswantrao Hulker, th
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converted to Christianity along wit
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Her career fully reflects the decli
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any state or ruler and organised th
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down their arms; some of them compr
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In 1794, he got an opportunity when
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people hid their wealth temporarily
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were adopted to force payment. Once
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now he wanted a peaceful life. Ther
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from Hamuz to Thana in India and ha
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Europeans. As their eating and drin
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were employed from 1784 to 1903 by
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Singh had to sign a contract that a
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starve and die in poverty. Taking a
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lives in peace. Whatever they got a
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person. An English officer Col. Sle
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language, as well as the local lang
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a Muslim woman with a Christian man
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conversion from Islam to Christiani
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country to earn a good living. The
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the past years. According to him th
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his guards. It became customary for
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Indianisation of the British As the
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available to the rich, one can unde
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political power, those who came to
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The complete break up between these
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French to resolve their internal di
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The Custom House When European trad
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the Portuguese that they even learn
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India and it`s after effects. They
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affairs of the country was in the S
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the traders. They were attached to
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Company, which had by this time bec
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Tales from later Mughals

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