How Long Did the Mughals Rule India?

Written by

Shatarupa Chaudhuri

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

History

The Mughals established their rule in India after Babur defeated Delhi’s Sultan Ibrahim Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat in April 1526, thus founding the dynasty. Babur, who reigned from 1526–30, was descended from the Turkic conqueror Timur (Tamerlane) on his father’s side and from Chagatai, second son of the Mongol ruler Genghis Khan, on his mother’s side. Over the next two centuries, the Mughal Empire reached its height under Babur and his successors—Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, and Aurangzeb—often collectively called the “Great Mughals.” During this period the empire showed political, military, administrative, and artistic achievement, extending over much of northern India and even into the Deccan. However, following the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, Mughal power steadily diminished. Although the empire continued to exist, it was a considerably reduced and increasingly powerless entity under several successive rulers. The last ruler of the empire, Bahadur Shah II, was deposed by the British colonial powers and exiled to Rangoon, Burma (present-day Yangon, Myanmar), after his involvement in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Taken together, the Mughal dynasty ruled in India for about 330 years.

List of Mughal Emperors
name	birth–death	reign	highlights
“Great Mughals”
Babur	1483–1530	1526–30	He founded the Mughal dynasty, with major victories at the First Battle of Panipat (1526) and against a Rajput coalition led by Rana Sanga, and was known for his military acumen and for commissioning beautiful gardens, such as Ram Bagh (previously called Aram Bagh) in Agra.
Humayun	1508–56	1530–40; 1555–56	He laid the foundation of a new capital called Din Panah, in present-day Delhi. His rule was fraught with hostilities, and he was ousted from India by Afghan soldier Sher Shah of Sur in 1540 but regained the throne in 1555, dying the following year after falling down a staircase.
Akbar	1542–1605	1556–1605	Considered the greatest of all Mughal rulers, he embarked on a series of military campaigns to extend his boundaries, adopted such strategies as enlisting defeated opponents as allies to consolidate the empire, centralized his administration, encouraged interreligious dialogues, and ensured a high degree of harmony in the empire.
Jahangir	1569–1627	1605–27	Known as Salim at birth, he staged a rebellion against his father, Akbar, in 1599 before inheriting the throne upon Akbar’s death. He was a patron of the arts; miniature paintings in the Mughal tradition saw significant stylistic development during his reign.
Shah Jahan	1592–1666	1628–58	Born Shihab al-Din Muhammad Khurram, he extended the Mughal Empire into the southern regions of India and constructed grand monuments, the most famous of which is the Taj Mahal, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. He fell ill and was replaced as emperor by Aurangzeb, his son, who confined Shah Jahan until his death.
Aurangzeb	1618–1707	1658–1707	The last of the great Mughal emperors, under him the Mughal Empire reached its greatest extent. He was a skilled military leader and administrator, and he was an orthodox Muslim known to have discriminated against those following other religions.
“Lesser Mughals”
Muhammad Azam	1653–1707	March 1707–June 1707	Heir apparent to Aurangzeb, he assumed the throne amid many claimants after Aurangzeb’s death and was killed by his half brother Muhammad Muazzam (also called Shah Alam and Bahadur Shah I).
Bahadur Shah I	1643–1712	1707–12	He followed a policy of compromise, tried to contain growing factions and gather support from officials known as mansabdars to consolidate his rule, and left behind a fragile and financially weak empire.
Jahandar Shah	1661–1713	1712–13	A weak and degenerate ruler, he raised the courtesan Lal Kunwar to the position of empress-consort and lavished her with riches but did not pay his soldiers.
Muhammad Farrukhsiyar	1685–1719	1713–19	He rose to power with the help of two courtier brothers, the Sayyids. Feebleminded and indecisive, he became suspicious of the Sayyids and came into conflict with them, which spelled his doom.
Rafi-ud Darajat	1699–1719	February 28–June 4, 1719	Hastily installed on the throne by the Sayyid brothers as a nominal emperor, he signed a significant treaty with the Marathas and ruled for three months before succumbing to tuberculosis.
Shah Jahan II	1696–1719	June 6–September 17, 1719	Born Rafi-ud Daula, he was the frail brother of Rafi-ud Darajat and died less than four months after being enthroned.
Muhammad Shah	1702–48	1719–48	The third ruler to be crowned in 1719, he came to be known as Rangila (Hindustani: “colorful”) and patronized the arts. His reign was marked by unrest and invasions, including those by Nadir Shah of Persia and the Afghans, and after his reign, the Mughals were reduced to puppet rulers.
Ahmad Shah Bahadur	1725–75	1748–54	He was a ruler interested mostly in entertainment and pleasure; his mother, Udham Bai, ran the kingdom on his behalf. He fell out with his vizier (wazir), Imad-ul Mulk, and spent the last two decades of his life imprisoned.
Alamgir II	1699–1759	1754–59	A peaceful, pious man whose rule was fraught with discord, he assumed the title of Aziz-ud Din. Real power rested with the vizier Imad-ul Mulk, who had him killed.
Shah Jahan III	1711–72	1759–60	He was an insignificant token ruler for nine months; his rival, Shah Alam II, was already setting up to be the true sovereign.
Shah Alam II	1728–1806	1759–1806	Known to have been an intelligent man with military prowess, he gained an unstable and diminished empire but lost to the British East India Company’s forces at the Battle of Buxar (1764); eventually granted diwani, or right to collect revenue, to the company in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa (now Odisha); and became the company’s pensioner.
Akbar II	1760–1837	1806–37	He was reduced to a nominal head with no real authority, though courtly protocols were maintained; British officials outwardly treated him with respect and courtesy while gradually stripping him of the last remnants of symbolic power.
Bahadur Shah II	1775–1862	1837–57	The last Mughal emperor of India, effectively a ceremonial ruler under British dominance, he was a symbolic figurehead during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and was exiled after its suppression.

This family tree traces the lineage of more than three centuries of the Mughal dynasty.

Shatarupa Chaudhuri

How Long Did the Mughals Rule India?

Thank you for signing up!