LATER MUGHALS
Aurangzeb died in 1707. A war of succession started amongst his three surviving sons-Muazzam, Azam and Kam Baksh in 1707. Muazzam defeated Azam in Battle of Jajau and Kam Baksh in Hyderabad in 1707.
Some famous rulers of later Mughal period are as follow
- BAHADUR SHAHI (1707-12)
Bahadur Shah Muazzam ascended the Mughal throne with the title of Bahadur Shah. He pursued a pacifist policy and therefore he was also called Shah-i-Bekhabar. He assumed the title of Shah Alam I. He made peace with Guru Gobind Singh and Chatrasal. He granted Sardeshmukhi to Marathas and also released Shahu. He forced Ajit Singh to surrender, but later recognised him as the Rana of Marwar. His death lead to another war of succession among his four sons, Jahandar Shah, Raji-us-Shan, Azin-us-Shan and Jahan Shah. Jahandar Shah was successful in the war than the others
- JAHANDAR SHAH (1712-13)
He ascended the throne with the aid of Zulfiqar Khan. He advocated a friendly policy towards the Rajputs, the Marathas and the Hindu chieftains. He pacified Churaman Jat and Chhatrasal Bundela, but continued a strict policy towards the Sikhs. He abolished the Jizya. He gave title of Mirza Raja to Jai Singh and Maharaja to Ajit Singh. He was defeated by his nephew Farrukhsiyar at Agra in 1713. Zulfiqar Khan was soon executed by the orders of the new emperor
- FARRUKHSIYAR (1713-19)
He ascended the throne with help of Sayyid brothers, Abdullah Khan and Hussain Ali Khan, who were the Wazir and the Mir Bakshi respectively. Sikh leader Banda Bahadur was captured at Gurdaspur and executed. The two brothers soon acquired dominant control over the affairs of the state. The struggle for power between the emperor and the Sayyid brothers increased and the efforts of the emperor to overthrow the brothers failed respectively. Finally, Farrukhsiyar was killed by the Sayyid brothers in 1719
- SAYYID BROTHERS
The two Sayyid brothers Abdullah Khan and Hussain Ali Khan held high offices in the Mughal kingdom from 1713 AD to 1719 AD.
They made and unmade emperors of Delhi, thus known as kingmakers. They took some measures for the benefit of Mughal Empire
- They followed a policy of religious toleration and abolished Jizya tax. Pilgrimage taxes were also abolished from a number of places.
- They appointed the Hindus to high positions.
- They created a group of their supporters with the aim to check the propaganda of the fanatics and to promote national feelings.
- The brothers won over to their side the Rajput chiefs and tried to conciliate the Jats.
- RAFI-UD-DARAJAT (1719 AD)
He was the youngest son of Rafi-us-Shan and nephew of Azim-us-Shan. The most important event was the Revolt of Nikusiyar. He captured the fort of Agra and declared himself the emperor. Amongst the Mughal emperors, he was the one who ruled for the shortest period
- RAFI-UD-DAULA (1719 AD)
He is also known as Shah Jahan II. He succeeded his shortlived brother Rafi-ud- Darajat. Like his brother, he also died in September 1719, at Delhi, as a result of lung cancer
- MUHAMMAD SHAH (1719-48)
He was a pleasure loving king and was nicknamed Rangeela or Rangile. He wanted to free himself from the hold of the Sayyid brothers, thus he backed the anti-Sayyid nobles strongly. In 1720, Hussain Ali was killed by the rebellious nobles and Abdullah Khan died in 1722 after he was defeated in Agra
During Muhammad Shah’s reign, autonomous states of Hyderabad, Bengal and Awadh were established by Nizam-ul-Mulk, Murshid Quli Khan and Saadat Khan Burhan-ul-Mulk respectively.
The already declining Mughal empire received another fatal blow when the Persian monarch, Nadir Shah (Nepolean of Iran) invaded India in 1738-39. The two armies met at Karnal in 1739 and the Mughals suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Nadir Shah.
The latter carried away with him, the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond and the jewel studded peacock throne of Shah Jahan. Ahmad Shah Abdali, the successor of Nadir Shah, invaded the kingdom for the first time during Muhammad Shah’s reign in 1748.
- AHMED SHAH (1748-1754)
During his reign, Ahmed Shah Abdali marched towards Delhi twice in 1749 and 1752 and the Mughals ceded Punjab and Multan.
- ALAMGIR II (1754-1759)
Aizz-ud-Din Alamgir II was the son of Jahandar Shah. He was murdered by Imad-ul-Mulk and the Maratha leader Sadashivrao Bhau. During his reign, Ahmed Shah Abdali occupied Delhi in 1757.
- SHAH ALAM II (1759-1806)
Muhi-ul-millar, the grandson of Kam Baksh was placed on the throne as Shah Jahan III by Imad-ul-Mulk. He was deposed by the Marathas who captured Delhi in 1760.
During his reign, Najib Khan Rohilla became very powerful in Delhi. The Battle of Buxar (1764) was fought during his reign. During his reign, Delhi was overpowered by British in 1803. Shah Alam II and his two immediate successors, Akbar II and Bahadur Shah II became the pensioners of East India Company.
- AKBAR II (1806-37)
During his reign, Lord Hastings ceased to accept the sovereignty of Mughals and claimed an equal status in 1813. He sent Raja Rammohan Roy to England to seek a raise in pension
- BAHADUR SHAH II (1837-1862)
The last Mughal king, who was confined by the British to the Red Fort. During the Revolt of 1857, he was proclaimed the emperor by the rebel. He was deported to Rangoon following the 1857 rebellion. He was fond of poetry and had the title of Zafar.