1. Foundations of the Mughal State Picture: Babur reading his memoirs

2. Babur r
Original home in Ferghana Valley, inherits kingdom while still a teenager, looses it
Rivals include Timurid and Chingizid relatives; also Uzbeks
Will spend much of his life trying to win his homeland back but is not successful
Invasion of “Hindustan” occurred only after the hope of getting Ferghana was lost

3. Ferghana Valley

4. First Battle of Panipat, 1526
Babur’s army much smaller that that of Ibrahim Lodi, ruler of the Delhi Sultanate—roughly about 12,000 to 100, 000
Babur succeeds due to clever deployment of cavalry and canon
Large treasure captured from this victory allows Babur to hire more soldiers and attract Turkish Begs and Afghans to his army
Further conquests lead to the annexation of Delhi and Agra
Babur dies unexpectedly young in 1530

6. Humayun’s short Rule,
Reign begins with multiple rebellions—brother Kamran takes Punjab and Afghanistan
Sher Shah Suri rebels in Bihar,H. forced to sign treaty with him
2-yr campaign in Gujarat is won by H. in 1536, but Afghan chiefs there out H.’s brother Askari, who had been a governor.
By 1540 Gujarat is independent again and Humayun is defeated at the battle of Kannauj by Sher Shah Suri in 1540
For the next 15 years H. will be in exile in Persia until the Persian Emperor helps him win his kingdom back

7. Sher Shah Suri
Built a powerful alliance of Rajput and Afghan chiefs—why these two groups?
Reorganizes the old iqta system of the Sultanate
Build roads, rest-stops, creates a well-run state
After his death in 1545 his successors are unable to continue his policies
Humayun re-conquers north India in 1555, but dies shortly afterwards leaving his 15-year old son, Akbar on the throne.

9. Akbar, 1556-1605, the first “Great Mughal”
Early struggle to free himself from the control of Bayram Khan (guardian) and Maham Anaga (foster mother)
Humayun’s territories insecure but during 2nd battle of Panipat (1556) Akbar’s army defeats forces under Hemu.
Quick expansion follows.
After emancipating himself Akbar begins to copy Sher Shah’s reforms and makes many innovative radical changes to administration and policies.

10. Akbar with Abul Fazl

11. Political Expansion and Reforms
Political Expansion and the ability to follow through on reforms towards a more stable and centralized state were linked to economic reforms.
Revenue generated from conquered territories paid for the new expanded state bureaucracy
The conquered rules and elite were incorporated into the new state, bringing local knowledge and expertise, lands were cultivated more efficiently
Indigenous knowledge was grafted on Persian bureaucratic, book-keeping structures

12. Monetary Reforms
Local and illegal mints abolished, new imperial mints created
Akbar’s coins had a standard high purity of precious metals
Tri-metallic system of: Gold/Silver/Copper
Most revenue and taxes had to be paid in coin
Treasuries created all over empire to create a ready access for government funds
Non-imperial circulation also grows as safety improves—hundis become used for gov. and civil purposes

13. Encouraging Collaboration
For Akbar’s rivals, co-operation offered more financial and status incentives than resistance
As the Mughal resources grew, resistance became less likely
Religious reforms and recruitment into the government smoothed the way
Marriage alliances, changes in court ceremonies also encouraged collaboration

14. Akbar’s policy of Sulh-i Kul
Akbar was first attracted to mystic Sufis such as chistis of Ajmer
Later begins to study the customs of diverse religious groups and encourage formal debates in the Ibadat Khana in his new capital city
Has translations of major Hindu works done
Allows charitable grants to be made to spiritual leaders and institutions of all religious groups
Marries Hindu princesses and lets them maintain their own faith systems
Hindus and other groups allowed to observe their own legal customs in family law, jizya tax abolished

15. Akbar and his court

16. Changes in Court Ceremony
Central Asian tribal rules abandoned for a more elaborate, hybrid form of Persian and Indian rituals which emphasized the spiritual and political authority of the emperor
Rajput customs such as Jharoka, weighing ceremonies, Hindu festivals adopted
The older Mughal norm of the traveling court, however, was retained—Why?

17. “News reporters”
Send regular updates
To court from cities and towns

18. Mughal Officers (mansabdars) and Mansabdari system
All officers giver a rank in two tiers: 1) zat ( ) 2) sawar or cavalry rank(if army posting)
Officers could be moved from civilian to army posts and vice versa
Most paid cash salaries only the most senior had jagirs assigned to them
Jagirs are a right to collect revenue NOT a right to the land, could be audited, were often not in the same area as the posting.