Akbar opened the doors of Deccan for the Mughals and Aurangzeb spent 27 years there, still could not rule the Deccan.
Even during the period when the status of the Mughals was at its peak, Deccan (South India) remained a problem for them. During the long period of 150 years of rule from Akbar to Aurangzeb, the Mughals suffered more losses in the Deccan than their successes. The long war campaigns waged there worsened the financial condition of the Sultanate. The grip on the North weakened. The plunder and arbitrariness of the Subedars increased. The public remained in distress. Aurangzeb spent the last 26 years of his 49 years in the Deccan campaign and till the end the situation became worse. The process of further decline of the Mughals could not stop.
Many reasons can be enumerated for the decline of the Mughals, but according to the famous historian Yadunath Sarkar, Aurangzeb’s Deccan policy prepared the grave for the Mughal Sultanate.
Mughals crossed Narmada for the first time during Akbar’s time.
Babar laid the foundation of the Mughal Empire in 1526. Humayun’s time was short. Akbar (1556–1605) expanded the boundaries of his kingdom during his nearly five decades of rule. But before turning towards Deccan, he strengthened his position in North India. During his time the Mughals crossed the Narmada for the first time. In the last phase of his rule, in 1601, he captured Khandesh (Asirgarh Fort). His success in Ahmednagar was partial. Bijapur and Golconda remained independent during his time. The Marathas continued to struggle and emerged victorious.
Mughal emperor Akbar. Photo: Getty Images
Akbar opened the doors of Deccan for the Mughals but instead of directly governing the areas, he gave priority to the areas under his control from economic-political point of view. Military resistance from the Deccan was stronger than from the North. Due to distance and other geographical reasons, war campaigns were long and very expensive. Akbar adopted a practical and balanced policy towards the Deccan and avoided the burden of huge military expenditure in this region.
Jahangir remained dependent on Noorjahan and Subedars
Jahangir inherited a strong empire. But his interest in governance was limited. For the last 16 years of his 22-year rule between 1605 and 1627, Jahangir was on the throne but in reality the decisions were taken by his favorite Begum Malika-e-Jahan Noorjahan. Jahangir himself showed little interest in the war campaigns in the Deccan.
Mallika-e-Hind Noorjahan. Photo: Getty Images
He remained dependent only on Noorjahan and the Subedars. Maintained pressure on Ahmednagar. But meanwhile the Negro commander Malik Ambar became stronger. The challenge of Marathas also increased. His guerrilla policy troubled the Mughals a lot. Mughal armies kept losing against the Marathas again and again. In comparison, the success of the Mughals was limited. Deccan did not allow the Mughals to rest in peace. For the Mughals, this was an area which could neither be conquered properly nor could they leave it.
Shahjahan resorted to diplomacy along with military pressure
The Ahmednagar Sultanate had become weak, but Malik Ambar remained a problem for the Mughals. Both Bijapur and Golconda accepted nominal subordination of the Mughals. Between 1633-36, Shahjahan attacked Ahmednagar under the leadership of commander Khanzaman and then under his own leadership. The state was completely merged into the Mughal Empire. On the contrary, instead of direct attack on Bijapur, he chose the path of treaty. The ruler there accepted Mughal subordination. Accepted to pay regular tribute. The Golconda state considered the Mughal emperor supreme. Annual tribute was fixed. Shahjahan tried to conquer Deccan through military pressure and diplomacy. He made his son Aurangzeb the governor of Deccan.
Mughal emperor Shahjahan.
Aurangzeb’s thinking was different. He wanted to make Golconda and Bijapur completely a part of the Mughal Sultanate. With this, differences between father and son increased. Shahjahan’s success in Deccan was limited. The Mughals’ expenditure was more than what they achieved from there. Bijapur and Golconda could not be completely included in the Mughal Empire. Meanwhile, the Marathas were successful in gathering more strength. Shahjahan’s successes in Deccan could not last. In the coming days, Aurangzeb had to face such tough challenges which proved costly for the Mughals.
Aurangzeb spent 27 years in Deccan
Aurangzeb’s attitude on the question of Deccan was very aggressive. His policy was of complete military conquest and direct rule of the Mughals over the area. His emphasis was not only on political but also religious fanaticism. For this, Aurangzeb remained camping in the south from 1681 to 1707. He succeeded in annexing Bijapur to his Sultanate in 1686 and Golconda in 1687. But the long and costly wars in the Deccan worsened the condition of the Rajput. The guerrilla warfare of the Marathas entangled him.
Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
Due to focus on Deccan, North India was ignored. The arbitrariness and plunder of the local Subedars increased the troubles of the common people. The situation of law and order deteriorated. Agriculture, industries and business were adversely affected. On one hand, the army’s strength and expenditure increased, on the other hand, government income was decreasing. There was no consistency even in the victory of battles. It can be said that the Mughal Empire ended in 1857 but its script had started being written from the time of Aurangzeb. According to famous historian Yadunath Sarkar, Aurangzeb’s Deccan policy prepared the grave for the Mughal Sultanate.
Even after winning some battles in the Deccan, the Mughals could not prepare an administrative structure there. He could not leave any cultural impact there. Actually, the presence of Mughals in Deccan started from the time of Akbar. He controlled limited areas like Khandesh, Berar etc. in northern Deccan.
During the reign of Jahangir and Shahjahan, there were continuous wars in the Deccan but a permanent administration could not be established. Aurangzeb was the only Mughal emperor to have a large-scale military intervention in South India, but with his death the Mughal power rapidly collapsed. The Mughals had to pay the price of the Deccan wars in North India also. Due to weakening of control there, rebellion and unrest increased at the local level. The revenue system became weak. On the other hand, the governance system collapsed due to the burden of expenses of the army and government employees.
Aurangzeb was able to preserve the Sultanate even in adverse conditions during his life but his descendants completely failed. In fact, his long Deccan campaign has a special place among the reasons for the decline of the Mughal Empire.
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