Decline of Mughal Empire

Factors Responsible for the Decline of Mughal Empire

The causes for decline and the downfall of the Mughal Empire was the combination of varied political, social and economic factors such as: 

1. Weak successors

2. Role of nobility

3. Ineffective Mughal army, neglect of naval power 

    and foreign invasions 

4. Lack of strong finances 

5. Orthodox rule of Aurangzeb

6. Rise of regional polities and states 

1. Weak successors: None of Aurangzeb's successors could give any stability to the empire. They were absolutely inefficient and most of them were mere puppets in the hands of powerful nobles who often ran the administration on their behalf. None of them had the ability to overcome the centrifugal forces to unite the empire. The wars of succession that plagued Delhi from 1707 to 1719 CE gradually weakened the empire.

2. Role of nobility: Another crucial factor for the disintegration of the Mughal Empire was the constant infighting between the nobles. They had assumed a lot of powers and the course of politics and state activities were guided by their individual interests.

The Mughal court consisted of four groups of nobles: 

• the Turanis

• the Iranis

• the Afghans 

• the Indian born Muslims 

With the accession of weak rulers at the centre, these four groups fought amongst themselves for more power, jagirs and high offices. They, thus eventually weakened the Empire. 

3. Ineffective Mughal army, neglect of naval power and foreign invasions: The Mughal army gradually became inefficient and demotivated after losing many important battles. The neglect of naval power by the Mughals also cost them dearly. Further, the external invasions of Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali not only took a heavy toll of the imperial treasury but also exposed the inefficiencies of the Mughal military and political administration.

4. Lack of strong finances: Due to the emergence of many autonomous states, the revenue sources depleted , and due to continuous wars, the treasury was further emptied.

5. Orthodox rule of Aurangzeb: To some extent, the religious and Deccan policies of Aurangzeb contributed to the empire's decline. He was ambitious and wanted to increase the geographical limits of his empire without taking into consideration the practicability of such moves. His hard-headed attitude towards the Marathas, Rajputs and the Jats turned away the loyal warriors, and he went on making more enemies without having strong alliances. His religious policy too alienated the Hindus, which certainly had an adverse effect on the stability of the empire. 

6. Rise of regional polities and states: The gradual weakening of the central Mughal authority further resulted in the creation of different provincial kingdoms. Interestingly, the Mughal court also did not oppose the formation of these states as its chief concerns at that point of time was two-fold: firstly, assurance of the flow of the necessary revenue from the provinces and secondly, the maintenance of at least the semblance of imperial unity and both of these concerns were being met these new states.

The states that arose in India during the phase of Mughal decline and the following century (between 1700 and 1850 CE) varied greatly in terms of their state resources, essential character and their life span. For instance, a state such as Hyderabad had been in a region where there had been an older regional tradition of provincial states in the immediate pretty-Mughal period too, where as many of the other post-Mughal states were based on either ethnic or sectarian groupings such as the Jats, the Marathas and the Sikhs. However, each of the contenders in the regions, in proportion to their strength, looked for and seized opportunities to establish their dominance over the others in the neighbourhood.