Decline of the Mughal Empire

The decline of the Mughal Empire was a period in Indian history roughly between the early 18th century and mid 19th century during which the Mughal Empire, which once dominated the subcontinent, experienced a sharp decline. Various factors frequently cited to be responsible for the decline include internal conflicts, Rajput, Sikh, Jats and Maratha rebellions, Afghan and Persian invasions and expansion of East India Company influence and power.

The period is usually considered to have begun with the death of Bahadur Shah I in 1712 and ended with the deposition of Bahadur Shah II in 1857. A number of provinces became hereditary vassal monarchies who ruled nominally in the name of the emperor. All powers, including the Marathas and British, nominally ruled in the name of the emperor, and the politics of the era was marked by these powers trying to gain a larger influence over the emperor than the other.

Several Historians have debated the cause of decline. Irfan Habib argues the excessive exploitation of the peasantry by the rich, which stripped away the will and the means to support the regime causing the empire to collapse.

Jeffrey G. Williamson states that the Indian economy went through deindustrialization in the later half of the 18th century as an indirect outcome of the collapse of the Mughal Empire, with British rule later causing further deindustrialization which led to a decline in agricultural productivity, which drove up food prices, nominal wages, and textile prices. This led to India losing a share of the world textile market to Britain.

Karen Leonard focuses on the failure of the regime to work with Hindu bankers. In a religious interpretation, some scholars argue that the Hindu powers revolted against the rule of a Muslim dynasty.

Some Historians assert such orthodox policies resulting in decline of Mughal power in the Indian Subcontinent. During the reign of Aurangzeb imposed practices of orthodox Islamic state based on the Fatawa 'Alamgiri. This resulted in the persecution of Shias, Sufis and non-Muslims. G. N. Moin Shakir and Sarma Festschrift argue that he often used political opposition as pretext for religious persecution, resulting in revolts of groups of Jats, Marathas, Sikhs, Satnamis and Pashtuns.

Other scholars argue that the very prosperity of the Empire inspired the provinces to achieve a high degree of independence, thus weakening the imperial court.

Aurangzeb's son, Bahadur Shah I, repealed the religious policies of his father and attempted to reform the administration. However, after he died in 1712, the Mughal dynasty began to sink into chaos and violent feuds. In 1719 alone, four emperors successively ascended the throne.