Mughal dynasty

This article is about the historical imperial family. For the territorial state over which it ruled, see Mughal Empire. For rulers of that empire, see Mughal emperors.

House of Babur
Imperial dynasty
Imperial seal
(1837–1857)
Parent houseTimurid dynasty
CountryMughal India
Place of originTimurid Empire
Founded21 April 1526
FounderBabur
Final rulerBahadur Shah II
TitlesList
Traditions
Dissolution1857
Deposition21 September 1857

The Mughal dynasty (also known as the Gurkani or Gūrkānī dynasty; Persian: گورکانی), or the House of Babur, was a branch of the Timurid dynasty that reigned over the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia, and much of the Middle-East as the sovereign house of the Mughal Empire for more than five centuries.

Mughal Emperors first ruled South Asia in the 16th Century following the conquest of Timurid Prince Babur who would then become Emperor. The Empire itself was centered on modern-day Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. At the dynasty’s height under Akbar the Great in the 16th and early 17th centuries, the Mughal Empire was one of the largest empires in history, with the family itself being the richest in the world.[2] Later commanding the world’s largest military under Emperor Aurangzeb, the Mughal Dynasty was the foremost global power on the globe,[3] with their vast empire encompassing the Indian Ocean in the east, the Himalayas in the north, the Hindu Kush in the northwest, and multiple city-states beyond.

Through Timurlane, the dynasty traces its origins to the imperial clans of the Barlas and Borjigin, which ruled the Mongol Empire and its successor states.[4][5][6] Emperor Babur (b. 1483) was a direct descendant of the conqueror Timur (b.1336) on his father's side, and of Mongol emperor Genghis Khan on his mother's side. Later descendants genealogically held Persian and Indian heritage as well, since Mughal Royals often pursued marriage alliances with noble houses throughout Persia and India.[7][8]

For the majority of the family's reign, the throne of the Mughal Empire was continuously occupied by a singular Emperor who functioned as the absolute head of state, government, and military. Largely secular, Mughal Court ceremonies saw not just Muslim elites but also prominent Maratha, Rajput, and Sikh leaders acknowledging the Emperor as the region's sole ruler.[9] Later in the dynasty’s history, much of the power shifted to the office of the Grand Vizier as the empire became divided into many regional kingdoms and princely states. As a consequence, the dynasty also produced the Nawabs (nobles) of Hyderabad, Delhi, Kashmir, Lahore, Lucknow, Aligarh, Dhaka, and Bengal. During this time, the family fragmented into several branches, most consequentially in the mid-18th century between its Indian and Persian-Pakistani branches following the exile of the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah II.

Name

This section is an excerpt from Mughal Empire § Name.[edit]
The Mughal designation for their dynasty was Gurkani (Gūrkāniyān), a reference to their descent from the Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur who took the title Gūrkān 'son-in-law' after his marriage to a Chinggisid princess.[10] The word Mughal (also spelled Mogul[11] or Moghul in English) is the Indo-Persian form of Mongol. The Mughal dynasty's early followers were Chagatai Turks and not Mongols.[12][13] The term Mughal was applied to them in India by association with the Mongols and to distinguish them from the Afghan elite which ruled the Delhi Sultanate.[12] The term remains disputed by Indologists.[14] In Marshall Hodgson's view, the dynasty should be called Timurid/Timuri or Indo-Timurid.[12]

History

The Mughal empire is conventionally said to have been founded in 1526 by Babur, a Timurid Prince, from Andijan, which is in Uzbekistan today. First establishing himself in Kabul, Afghanistan, and declaring kingship, Babur later marched towards the Indian subcontinent, ultimately taking control over a greater portion of Asia and crowning himself Emperor.[15] The Mughal imperial structure was founded by Akbar the Great, grandson of Babur, around the 1580s which lasted until the 1740s, until shortly after the Battle of Karnal. Many of the Mughals had significant Indian and Persian ancestry through marriage alliances as they often married and were born to Persian princesses.[16][17]

Mughal rule was interrupted for about 16 years by the Sur Emperors during Emperor Humayun's reign, however, he resumed control of the region again in 1555.[18] During the reigns of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, the dynasty reached its zenith in terms of geographical extent, economical prosperity, military might, and cultural influence.[19] At that time, the Mughal Empire was the wealthiest empire in the world with the largest military on earth,[20] and the Mughal Family controlled approximately 24% of the world's economy, an army of over a million soldiers,[21][22] and over 160 million subjects; approximately 23% percent of the world's population.[23]

Mughals played a great role in the flourishing of Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb (Indo-Islamic Civilization).[24] As patrons of art, culture, literature and architecture, the Dynasty oversaw the evolution of ancient Indian paintings, architecture, culture, clothing, cuisine and the Urdu language. Mughal Emperors themselves were incredibly passionate about the arts. Emperor Babur, Aurangzeb and Shah Alam II were great calligraphers,[25] Jahangir was a great painter,[26] Shah Jahan was a great architect[27] while Bahadur Shah II was a great poet of Urdu.[28] Famed Russian linguist and physicist, Vladimir Braginskiĭ, also believed that the Hikayat Aceh literature from Aceh Sultanate were influenced by Mughal dynasty historiography, as he found out the literal structure similarities of Hikayat Aceh with Mahfuzat-i-Timuri, as the former has shared the similar theme with the latter about the lifetime and exploits of the protagonist of Mahfuzat-i-Timuri, Timur.[29] Braginskiĭ also found the similarities in structure of both Hikayat Aceh and Mahfuzat-i-Timuri with Akbarnama manuscript.[29]

With the arrival of the British East India Company, the Dynasty's power rapidly dwindled during the 18th century, exacerbated by internal dynastic conflicts, incompatible monarchs, foreign invasions from the Persians and Afghans, as well as revolts from the Marathas, Sikh, Rajputs, and other regional nobilities.[30][31] Eventually, the power of the last Mughal Emperor was reduced only to the Walled city of Delhi.

As the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah II (r. 1837–1857) was tried and convicted by the British East India Company before sentenced to exile in Rangoon, situated in British-controlled Burma (present-day Myanmar).[32] The imperial family was hence abolished, and the empire was dissolved on 21 September 1857 after the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The UK declared the establishment of the British Colonial rule the following year.

Succession to the throne

Every male member of the dynasty was hypothetically eligible to become Emperor. Even though an heir-apparent was appointed several times in the dynasty's history, the certain processes through which imperial princes rose to the Peacock Throne, however, were very specific to each Emperor. For greater detail about these processes, the history of succession between Emperors can be divided into two eras: Era of Imperial successions (1526–1713) and Era of Regent successions (1713–1857).

Disputed headship of dynasty

The Mughal Emperors practiced polygamy. Besides their many wives, they also had several concubines in their harem, who produced many children that would grow to inherit incredibly diverse titles, many different surnames (as royal names were often chosen personally with reference to meaning, not parental identity) and enjoyed many different noble statuses. Tracing the lineages of all offsprings of each Emperor with certainty is hence incredibly difficult.[33] However, many have claimed to be descendants of the last Mughal Emperor:

  • A man in India named Habeebuddin Tucy claims to be a descendant of Bahadur Shah II. His claim is not universally believed.[34]
  • Another Indian woman named Sultana Begum, who lives in the slums of Kolkata, has claimed that her late husband, Mirza Mohammad Bedar Bakht was the great-grandson of Bahadur Shah II.[35]
  • Yaqoob Ziauddin Tucy also claims to be a sixth generation descendant of Bahadur Shah II. Currently living in Hyderabad, he has been involved in numerous disputes with the Indian Government to have the properties of the erstwhile Mughals released to their legal heirs. Tucy also demands the restoration of the scholarships that supported Mughal descendants after 15 August, 1947, and were discontinued by the government in May of 2004. Additionally, Tucy demands that amount be raised to ₹8,000, and that the government provides economically distressed Indian Mughal descendants grants to elevate the damage done to the family after their wealth was confiscated by the Indian Government. Tucy has two sons[36] and a younger brother, Shajeeuddin Tucy.
  • Shajeeuddin Tucy was a member of the Indian Air Force. Even though his family is not recognised by the government as being of Mughal descent, he had been a state guest to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, along with his two elder brothers on one occasion. He also frequently travels to the Middle East and central Asia as part of a self-funded campaign that is not affiliated with, upon the invitation of, or supported by the governments of India, Pakistan, or any other country of the Middle East. He lives in Hyderabad along with his two sons Yaqoob Muzammiluddin Tucy and Yaqoob Mudassiruddin Tucy.[37]

Notes

References

  1. ^ Zahir ud-Din Mohammad (10 September 2002). Thackston, Wheeler M. (ed.). The Baburnama: Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emperor. New York: Modern Library. p. xlvi. ISBN 978-0-375-76137-9. In India the dynasty always called itself Gurkani, after Temür's title Gurkân, the Persianized form of the Mongolian kürägän, 'son-in-law,' a title Temür assumed after his marriage to a Genghisid princess.
  2. ^ Sartore, Melissa. "The Largest Empires In History, By The Numbers". Ranker. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  3. ^ "Aurangzeb: A Political History". MANAS. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  4. ^ B.F. Manz, "Tīmūr Lang", in Encyclopaedia of Islam, Online Edition, 2006
  5. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica, "Timurid Dynasty", Online Academic Edition, 2007. (Quotation: "Turkic-Mongol" dynasty descended from the conqueror Timur (Tamerlane), renowned for its brilliant revival of artistic and intellectual life in Iran and Central Asia. ... Trading and artistic communities were brought into the capital city of Herat, where a library was founded, and the capital became the centre of a renewed and artistically brilliant Persian culture.")
  6. ^ "Timurids". The Columbia Encyclopedia (Sixth ed.). New York City: Columbia University. Archived from the original on 5 December 2006. Retrieved 8 November 2006.
  7. ^ Jeroen Duindam (2015), Dynasties: A Global History of Power, 1300–1800, page 105 Archived 6 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Cambridge University Press
  8. ^ Mohammada, Malika (1 January 2007). The Foundations of the Composite Culture in India. Akkar Books. p. 300. ISBN 978-8-189-83318-3.
  9. ^ Bose, Sugata; Jalal, Ayesha (2004). Modern South Asia: History, Culture, Political Economy (2nd ed.). Routledge. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-203-71253-5.
  10. ^ Zahir ud-Din Mohammad (2002). Thackston, Wheeler M. (ed.). The Baburnama: Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emperor. New York: Modern Library. p. xlvi. ISBN 978-0-375-76137-9. In India the dynasty always called itself Gurkani, after Temür's title Gurkân, the Persianized form of the Mongolian kürägän, 'son-in-law,' a title he assumed after his marriage to a Genghisid princess.
  11. ^ John Walbridge. God and Logic in Islam: The Caliphate of Reason. p. 165. Persianate Mogul Empire.
  12. ^ a b c Hodgson, Marshall G. S. (2009). The Venture of Islam. Vol. 3. University of Chicago Press. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-226-34688-5.
  13. ^ Canfield, Robert L. (2002). Turko-Persia in Historical Perspective. Cambridge University Press. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-521-52291-5.
  14. ^ Huskin, Frans Husken; Dick van der Meij (2004). Reading Asia: New Research in Asian Studies. Routledge. p. 104. ISBN 978-1-136-84377-8.
  15. ^ Eraly, Abraham (2007), Emperors of the Peacock Throne: The Saga of the Great Moghuls, Penguin Books Limited, ISBN 978-93-5118-093-7
  16. ^ Duindam, Jeroen (2016). Dynasties: A Global History of Power, 1300–1800. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-06068-5.
  17. ^ Mohammada, Malika (2007). The Foundations of the Composite Culture in India. Aakar Books. ISBN 978-81-89833-18-3.
  18. ^ Kissling, H. J.; N. Barbour; Bertold Spuler; J. S. Trimingham; F. R. C. Bagley; H. Braun; H. Hartel (1997). The Last Great Muslim Empires. BRILL. pp. 262–263. ISBN 90-04-02104-3. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  19. ^ "BBC - Religions - Islam: Mughal Empire (1500s, 1600s)". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  20. ^ Lawrence E. Harrison, Peter L. Berger (2006). Developing cultures: case studies. Routledge. p. 158. ISBN 9780415952798.
  21. ^ Maddison, Angus (25 September 2003). Development Centre Studies The World Economy Historical Statistics: Historical Statistics. OECD Publishing. pp. 256–. ISBN 978-92-64-10414-3.
  22. ^ Art of Mughal Warfare." Art of Mughal Warfare. Indiannetzone, 25 August 2005.
  23. ^ József Böröcz (10 September 2009). The European Union and Global Social Change. Routledge. p. 21. ISBN 9781135255800. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  24. ^ Alvi, Sajida Sultana (2 August 2012). Perspectives on Indo-Islamic Civilization in Mughal India: Historiography, Religion and Politics, Sufism and Islamic Renewal. OUP Pakistan. ISBN 978-0-19-547643-9.
  25. ^ Taher, Mohamed (1994). Librarianship and Library Science in India: An Outline of Historical Perspectives. Concept Publishing Company. ISBN 978-81-7022-524-9.
  26. ^ Dimand, Maurice S. (1944). "The Emperor Jahangir, Connoisseur of Paintings". The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin. 2 (6): 196–200. doi:10.2307/3257119. ISSN 0026-1521. JSTOR 3257119.
  27. ^ Asher 2003, p. 169
  28. ^ Bilal, Maaz Bin (9 November 2018). "Not just the last Mughal: Three ghazals by Bahadur Shah Zafar, the poet king". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  29. ^ a b V.I. Braginsky (2005). The Heritage of Traditional Malay Literature: A Historical Survey of Genres, Writings and Literary Views. BRILL. p. 381. ISBN 978-90-04-48987-5. Retrieved 17 March 2024. ...author shares T. Iskandar's opinion that Hikayat Aceh was influenced by Mughal historiography..
  30. ^ Hallissey, Robert C. (1977). The Rajput Rebellion Against Aurangzeb. University of Missouri Press. pp. ix, x, 84. ISBN 978-0-8262-0222-2.
  31. ^ Claude Markovits (2004) [First published 1994 as Histoire de l'Inde Moderne]. A History of Modern India, 1480–1950. Anthem Press. pp. 172–173. ISBN 978-1-84331-004-4.
  32. ^ Bhatia, H.S. Justice System and Mutinies in British India. p. 204.
  33. ^ Dalrymple, William (2006). The Last Mughal. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. p. 44. ISBN 978-1-4088-0092-8.
  34. ^ Rao, Ch Sushil (18 August 2019). "Who is Prince Habeebuddin Tucy?". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  35. ^ "Destitute Mughal empire 'heir' demands India 'return' Red Fort". aljazeera.com. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  36. ^ Baseerat, Bushra (27 April 2010). "Royal descendant struggles for survival". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  37. ^ "Monumental issue Uae – Gulf News". 6 June 2024. Archived from the original on 6 June 2024.

Further reading

  • Asher, Catherine Ella Blanshard (2003) [First published 1992]. Architecture of Mughal India. The New Cambridge History of India. Vol. I:4. Cambridge University Press. p. 368. ISBN 978-0-521-26728-1.
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