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Mughal Period : Miscellaneous Notes with PDF

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 Foreign Travelers & Envoys in Mughal India

Who Visited Which Mughal Emperor

  • Jahangir (1605-1627)
    • Sir William Hawkins (1608-1611): Requested permission to set up an English factory.
    • Sir Thomas Roe (1615-1619): Official English ambassador.
  • Shah Jahan (1628-1658)
    • Jean-Baptiste Tavernier: French merchant who made six trips to India between 1638-1663.
  • Aurangzeb (1658-1707)
    • Niccolao Manucci (1653-1708): Italian traveler, writer, and skilled gunner who was employed by Aurangzeb.
  • Incorrect Pairing Clarification: Sir Thomas Roe did not visit Akbar’s court; he arrived during Jahangir’s reign after Akbar’s death (1605).

Chronological Order of Arrival

  1. Ralph Fitch (1583)
  2. William Hawkins (1608)
  3. Nicholas Dawnton (1614)
  4. Sir Thomas Roe (1615)

 Specific Contributions

  • Jean-Baptiste Tavernier is renowned for his elaborate discussions on diamonds and diamond mines in India.

Important Battles & Wars

Battles of Panipat

  • First Battle of Panipat (1526): Babur vs. Ibrahim Lodi. Result: Victory for Babur.
  • Second Battle of Panipat (1556): Akbar’s forces (led by Bairam Khan) vs. Hemu. Result: Victory for Akbar.
  • Third Battle of Panipat (1761): Ahmad Shah Abdali (Afghans) vs. the Marathas. Result: Defeat of the Marathas.

Other Key Battles

  • Battle of Khanwa (1527): Babur vs. Rana Sanga.
  • Battle of Chanderi (1528): Fought by Babur.
  • Battle of Ghaghra (1529): Fought by Babur.
  • Battle of Chausa (1539): Humayun vs. Sher Shah Suri.
  • Battle of Kannauj/Bilgram (1540): Humayun vs. Sher Shah Suri.
  • Battle of Talikota (1565): Led to the defeat of the Vijayanagara Empire.
  • Battle of Haldighati (1576): Akbar’s forces (led by Man Singh) vs. Maharana Pratap. Result: Defeat of Rana Pratap.
  • Capture of Asirgarh Fort (1601): Akbar captured the fort from Miran Bahadur.
  • Battle of Chandawar (1194): Muhammad Ghori vs. Jaichandra.

Wars of Succession

  • A war of succession occurred among the sons of Shah Jahan (Dara Shukoh, Shuja, Aurangzeb). Shah Jahan himself did not fight in it.
  • The Revolt of Khusrau took place during the reign of his father, Jahangir.

Mughal & Contemporary Rulers

Chronology of Mughal Emperors (Partial List)

  • Jahangir (1605-1627)
  • Muhammad Shah (1719-1748)
  • Ahmad Shah (Mughal) (1748-1754)
  • Alamgir II (1754-1759)
  • Bahadur Shah II (1837-1857) was the last Mughal emperor.

Other Important Rulers

  • Sultan Zainul Abidin of Kashmir: Known for religious tolerance and administrative reforms, earning him the title ‘Akbar of Kashmir’.
  • Hemu (Hem Chandra Vikramaditya): Powerful Hindu ruler and prime minister under the Suri dynasty. Fought 22 battles against Mughals and Afghans before being defeated by Akbar in the Second Battle of Panipat (1556).
  • Prithviraj Chauhan is historically referred to as ‘the last sun of Indian glory’.

Foreign Invasions

Chronological Order of Major Invasions

  1. Genghis Khan: Invaded during Iltutmish’s rule (1211-1236).
  2. Timur (Taimur): Invaded Delhi in 1398.
  3. Nadir Shah: Invaded in 1739, defeated Muhammad Shah, and massacred Delhi.
  4. Ahmad Shah Abdali: Invaded multiple times between 1748 and 1769.

Dynasties & Sources of History

Paramara Dynasty

  • Sources of History:
    • Navsahsank Charit by Padmagupta
    • Prabandha Chintamani by Merutunga
    • Udaipur Prashasti (inscription)

Significant Events & Years

  • 1556: Accession of Akbar.
  • 1600: Queen Elizabeth I granted a charter to the English East India Company.
  • 1680: Death of Shivaji.
  • 1707: Death of Aurangzeb.
  • 1739: Nadir Shah captured Delhi.

Medieval Indian History: Facts from MCQs

M1: Mughal Emperors & Key Battles

  • Babur (1526-1530)
    • Battles: Battle of Khanwa (1527 vs. Rana Sanga), Battle of Ghaghra (1529).
    • Architecture: Built the Jama Masjid in Sambhal.
  • Humayun (1530-1540, 1555-1556)
    • Battles: Defeated in the Battle of Chausa (1539) and Battle of Kannauj/Bilgram (1540) by Sher Shah Suri.
    • Architecture: Built Din Panah city in Delhi. His tomb (built by Hazi Begum) is in Delhi.
  • Akbar (1556-1605)
    • Battles: Battle of Haldighati (1576 vs. Maharana Pratap), Battle of Sarnal (1572, Gujarat campaign).
    • Architecture: Built Fatehpur Sikri, Buland Darwaza, Jahangiri Mahal (Agra), and Jama Masjid (Fatehpur Sikri, also known as ‘Shahi-Fatehpur’).
  • Jahangir (1605-1627)
    • Architecture: Built the Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daula (Agra).
    • Correction: The Battle of Balkh occurred during Shah Jahan’s reign (1646).
  • Shah Jahan (1628-1658)
    • Battles: Fought the Battle of Balkh (1646).
    • Architecture: Built the Moti Masjid (Agra).
  • Aurangzeb (1658-1707)
    • Battles: Battle of Dharmat (1658 vs. Dara Shukoh), Battle of Samugarh (1658 vs. Dara Shukoh).
    • Architecture: Built the Moti Masjid (Delhi). His tomb is in Khuldabad, Aurangabad. Built the Tomb of Rabia Daurani (Bibi ka Maqbara) in Aurangabad (1651-1661).
  • Later Mughals
    • Battle of Jajau (1707): Fought between Bahadur Shah I and Muhammad Azam Shah for the throne after Aurangzeb’s death.

M2: Architecture & Monuments

  • Delhi Sultanate: Alai Darwaza (Alauddin Khalji); Qutb Minar (associated with Iltutmish).
  • Vijayanagara Empire: Defeated in the Battle of Talikota (1565).
  • Sur Dynasty: Sher Shah Suri’s Tomb is in Sasaram.
  • Regional Architecture:
    • Atala Mosque (Jaunpur, 1408 AD, Ibrahim Shah Sharqi).
    • Gol Gumbad (tomb of Muhammad Adil Shah, Bijapur).
    • Bara Imambara and Rumi Darwaza (Lucknow, built by Nawab Asaf-ud-daula with bricks and lime).
  • Other Structures:
    • Khayr-ul-Manzil (mosque/school near Purana Qila, Delhi) built by Maham Anaga, Akbar’s foster mother.
    • Tomb of Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan is in Delhi.

M3: Culture, Administration & Society

  • Festivals: Mughals adopted Navroz from Zoroastrians; Abul Qadir Badauni called it “Navroz-e-Jalali”.
  • Land Revenue Systems:
    • Iqta: Delhi Sultans
    • Jagir: Mughals
    • Amaram: Vijayanagara
    • Mokasa: Marathas
  • Trade & Ports:
    • Surat: Major Mughal port, known as ‘Babul Mecca’ (Gate of Mecca).
    • Banjaras: Nomadic traders.
    • Muallim: Refers to a Muslim navigator, not a ship.
  • Education:
    • Lucknow: Prominent center for Muslim Jurisprudence (Fiqh).
    • Mulla Nizamuddin created the ‘Darse Nizami’ curriculum.
  • Historical Personalities:
    • Tansen’s original name was Ramtanu Pandey; after conversion, he was known as Ata Ali Khan.
    • William Finch reported that 5,000-20,000 men worked for 40 years to build the palace of forty pillars at Allahabad during Akbar’s time.

M4: Important Personalities (Non-Royal)

  • Rani Padmini: Queen of Chittor, known for performing Jauhar against Alauddin Khalji.
  • Rani Durgavati: Queen of Gondwana who fought against Akbar.
  • Tara Bai: Queen of Chhatrapati Rajaram Bhonsle, led resistance against Mughals.
  • Ahilya Bai: Ruler of the Holkar dynasty (Indore).

M5: Geographical Terms

  • The region now known as Jharkhand was called Kukra during the Mughal period.
  • The medieval government was a fusion of Persian-Arabic, Turko-Mongol, and Indian elements.
  • The terms ‘Panahi’ and ‘Upanah’ refer to shoes/footwear.

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