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Mughal Empire
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HumayunWhen Babur died, his son Humayun (15301556) inherited a difficult task. He was pressed from all sides by a reassertion of Afghan claims to the Delhi throne and by disputes over his own succession. Driven into SindhSindhSindh is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and is home to the Sindhis, and Muhajirs and various other groups.... by the armies of Sher Shah SuriSher Shah Suri Sher Shah Suri also known as Sher Khan and as The Lion King, was founder of the Sur Dynasty of northern Indian ... , in 1540 he fled to the RajputRajput Rajputs are a prominent social group of India and Nepal.... Kingdom of UmarkotUmarkot Umarkot may refer to:*Hyderabad Airport... then to Persia, where he spent nearly ten years as an embarrassed guest of the Safavid court of Shah TahmaspTahmasp I ... . During Sher Shah's reign, an imperial unification and administrative framework were established; this would be further developed by Akbar later in the century. In addition, the tomb of Sher Shah Suri is an architectural masterpiece that was to have a profound impact on the evolution of Indo-Islamic funerary architecture. In 1545, Humayun gained a foothold in Kabul with Safavid assistance and reasserted his claims, a task facilitated by the weakening of Afghan power in the area after the death of Sher Shah Suri in May 1545. He took control of Delhi in 1555, but died within six months of his return, from a fall down the steps of his library. His tomb at Delhi represents an outstanding landmark in the development and refinement of the Mughal style. It was designed in 1564, eight years after his death, as a mark of devotion by his widow, Hamida Banu Begum. AkbarHumayun's untimely death in 1556 left the task of conquest and imperial consolidation to his thirteen-year-old son, Jalal-ud-Din Mohammad AkbarAkbar the Great SummaryJalaluddin Muhammad Akbar , also known as Akbar the Great was the son of Nasiruddin Humayun whom he succeeded a... (r.15561605). Following a decisive military victory at the Second Battle of PanipatSecond battle of Panipat The Second Battle of Panipat took place on November 5, 1556.... in 1556, the regent Bairam KhanBairam Khan Bairam Khan was a Turkoman military general who served as the regent to the underage Mughal ruler Akbar, who came to power i... pursued a vigorous policy of expansion on Akbar's behalf. As soon as Akbar came of age, he began to free himself from the influences of overbearing ministers, court factions, and harem intrigues, and demonstrated his own capacity for judgment and leadership. A workaholic who seldom slept more than three hours a night, he personally oversaw the implementation of his administrative policies, which were to form the backbone of the Mughal Empire for more than 200 years. With the aide of his legendary NavaratnasNavaratnas Navaratnas was a term applied to a group of nine extraordinary people in a king's court in India.... , he continued to conquer, annex, and consolidate a far-flung territory bounded by KabulKabul Overview Kabul, Kb'l , is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan with a population variously estimated at 5 to 6 million.... in the northwest, KashmirFacts About Kashmir For the Led Zeppelin song, see Kashmir .... in the north, BengalBengal Bengal, known as Bngo , Bangla , Bngodesh , or Bangladesh in the Bengali language, is a region in the north... in the east, and beyond the Narmada RiverNarmada River The Narmada or Nerbudda is a river in central India in Indian subcontinent.... in central India.  Starting in 1571, AkbarAkbar Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar , also known as Akbar the Great was the son of Humayun whom he succeeded to become ru... built a walled capital called Fatehpur SikriFatehpur Sikri Fatehpur Sikri was the political capital of India's Mughal Empire under Akbar's reign, from 1571 until 1585, when it was aba... (Fatehpur means "town of victory") near Agra. Palaces for each of Akbar's senior queens, a huge artificial lake, and sumptuous water-filled courtyards were built there. However, the city was soon abandoned and the capital was moved to LahoreLahore Lahore is the second largest city of Pakistan and is the capital of the province of Punjab.... in 1585. The reason may have been that the water supply in Fatehpur Sikri was insufficient or of poor quality. Or, as some historians believe, Akbar had to attend to the northwest areas of his empire and therefore moved his capital northwest. In 1599, Akbar shifted his capital back to Agra from where he reigned until his death. AkbarAkbar Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar , also known as Akbar the Great was the son of Humayun whom he succeeded to become ru... adopted two distinct but effective approaches in administering a large territory and incorporating various ethnic groups into the service of his realm. In 1580 he obtained local revenue statistics for the previous decade in order to understand details of productivity and price fluctuation of different crops. Aided by Todar MalRaja Todar Mal Raja Todar Mal was the Indian Mughal emperor Akbars finance minister, who overhauled the revenue system in the kingdom.... , a Hindu scholar, Akbar issued a revenue schedule that optimized the revenue needs of the state with the ability of the peasantry to pay. Revenue demands, fixed according to local conventions of cultivation and quality of soil, ranged from one-third to one-half of the crop and were paid in cash. Akbar relied heavily on land-holding zamindarZamindar Zamindar, also known as Zemindar, Zamindari, or the Zamindari System were employed by the Mughals to colle... s to act as revenue-collectors. They used their considerable local knowledge and influence to collect revenue and to transfer it to the treasury, keeping a portion in return for services rendered. Within his administrative system, the warrior aristocracy held ranks (mansabs) expressed in numbers of troops, and indicating pay, armed contingents, and obligations. The warrior aristocracy was generally paid from revenues of non-hereditary and transferable jagirJagir In Mughal India, a Jagir was a small territory granted by the ruler to an army chieftain in fairly short terms usually of th... s (revenue villages). An astute ruler who genuinely appreciated the challenges of administering so vast an empire, Akbar introduced a policy of reconciliation and assimilation of Hindus (including JodhabaiMariam-uz-Zamani Mariam-uz-Zamani was a Rajput princess, the senior wife of Akbar, married in 1562, and mother of Jahangir.... , later renamed Mariam-uz-ZamaniFacts About Mariam-uz-Zamani Mariam-uz-Zamani was a Rajput princess, the senior wife of Akbar, married in 1562, and mother of Jahangir.... Begum, the Hindu RajputRajput Rajputs are a prominent social group of India and Nepal.... mother of his son and heir, Jahangir), who represented the majority of the population. He recruited and rewarded Hindu chiefs with the highest ranks in government; encouraged intermarriages between Mughal and RajputRajput Rajputs are a prominent social group of India and Nepal.... aristocracy; allowed new temples to be built; personally participated in celebrating Hindu festivals such as Deepavali (or Diwali), the festival of lights; and abolished the jizyaJizya In states ruled by Islamic law, jizya or jizyah is a per capita tax imposed on non-Muslim adult males, known as dhimmi... (poll tax) imposed on non-Muslims. Akbar came up with his own theory of "rulership as a divine illumination," enshrined in his new religion Din-i-IlahiDin-i-Ilahi Din-i Ilahi "Divine Faith" was a syncretic religion propounded by the Mughal emperor Jalalu d-Din Muhammad Akbar intended to... (Divine Faith), incorporating the principle of acceptance of all religions and sects. He encouraged widow re-marriage, discouraged child marriage, outlawed the practice of satiSati (practice) Sati is a Hindu funeral custom, now very rare, in which the dead man's widow immolates herself on her husbands funeral ... and persuaded Delhi merchants to set up special market days for women, who otherwise were secluded at home. By the end of Akbar's reign, the Mughal Empire extended throughout north IndiaFacts About North India North India is a geographic and linguistic-cultural region of India.... and south of the NarmadaNarmada River The Narmada or Nerbudda is a river in central India in Indian subcontinent.... river. Notable exceptions were GondwanaGondwana (India) Gondwana, sometimes called Gondaranya, is a region of central India, and is named after the Gondi people who live there.... in central India, which paid tribute to the Mughals, AssamAssam Assam now renamed to Asom is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur.... in the northeast, and large parts of the Deccan. The area south of the GodavariGodavari River Overview The Godavari River is a major waterway in India, next to the Ganges and Indus rivers. ... river remained entirely out of the ambit of the Mughals. In 1600, Akbar's empire had a revenue of £17.5 million. By comparison, in 1800, the entire treasury of Great BritainGreat Britain Overview Great Britain is an island lying off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe and to the east of Ireland, comprising the ma... totalled £16 million. Akbar's empire supported vibrant intellectual and cultural life. The large imperial library included books in Hindi, PersianPersian language Persian is an Indo-European language spoken in Iran , Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Armeni... , GreekGreek language Greek has a documented history of 3,500 years, the longest of any single language within the Indo-European family.... , KashmiriKashmiri language Kashmiri is a Dardic language spoken primarily in valley of Kashmir, a South Asian region now split between India and Pakist... , EnglishEnglish language English is a widely distributed language that originated in England but is now the primary language in numerous countries.... , and ArabicArabic language The Arabic language , or simply Arabic , is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language fami... , such as the ShahnamehShahnameh *Vis o Ramin ... , Bhagavata PuranaBhagavata purana The Bhagavata Purana is one of the Puranas, a part of the literature of Hinduism.... and the BibleBible The Bible , is the name used by Jews and Christians for their differing canons of sacred texts.... . Akbar regularly sponsored debates and dialogues among religious and intellectual figures with differing views, and he welcomed JesuitSociety of Jesus The Society of Jesus is a Christian religious order of the Catholic Church in direct service to the Pope.... missionaries from GoaGoa Goa is India's second smallest state in terms of area after Delhi and the fourth smallest in terms of population after Sikk... to his court. Akbar directed the creation of the HamzanamaHamzanama The Hamzanama is an artistic masterpiece created about 1558–1573 under the Mughal emperor Akbar.... , an artistic masterpiece that included 1400 large paintings. Architecture flourished during his reign. One of his first major building projects was the construction of a huge fort at Agra. The massive sandstone ramparts of the Red Fort are another impressive achievement. The most ambitious architectural exercise of Akbar, and one of the most glorious examples of Indo-Islamic architecture, was the creation of an entirely new capital city at Fatehpur Sikri. JahangirAfter the death of Akbar in 1605, his son, Prince Salim, ascended the throne and assumed the title of Jahangir, "Seizer of the World". He was assisted in his artistic attempts by his wife, Nur Jahan. The Mausoleum of AkbarTomb of Akbar the Great The Tomb of Akbar the Great is the an important architectural masterpiece set in 48 Ha of grounds in Sikandra a suburb of A... at Sikandra, outside Agra, represents a major turning point in Mughal history, as the sandstone compositions of Akbar were adapted by his successors into opulent marble masterpieces. Jahangir is the central figure in the development of the Mughal garden. The most famous of his gardens is the Shalimar Bagh on the banks of Dal LakeDal Lake The Dal Lake is a famous lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, India.... in KashmirKashmir For the Led Zeppelin song, see Kashmir .... . Mughal rule under Jahangir (160527) and Shah JahanShah Jahan Shahbuddin Mohammed Shah Jahan , January 5, 1592 – January 22, 1666) was the ruler of the Mughal Empire in India from... (162858) was noted for political stability, brisk economic activity, beautiful paintings, and monumental buildings. Jahangir's wife Nur Jahan (Light of the World), emerged as the most powerful individual in the court besides the emperor. As a result, Persian poets, artists, scholars, and officers including her own family members lured by the Mughal court's brilliance and luxury, found asylum in India. However, the number of unproductive officers mushroomed in the state bureaucracies, as did corruption, while the excessive Persian representation upset the delicate balance of impartiality at the court. The reign of Jahangir was also known for religious persecution. Joint Hindu and Jain forces were rebelling against the government and disrupting society. Upon stopping the rebellion, he severely persecuted the Jains and destroyed HinduHindu A Hindu , as per modern definition, is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, the religious, phi... temples. Guru Arjun, the fifth Guru of SikhismSikhism Sikhism is a religion that began in sixteenth century Northern India with the teachings of Nanak and nine successive human ... , was tortured to death during his reign, although his relations with the son of Guru Arjun, Guru Hargobind, remained very cordial and friendly. It is contended that Guru Arjun and the Jains suffered because of their disrespect of the Empire. Nur Jahan's abortive efforts to secure the throne for the prince of her choice led the first-born, Prince Khusrau (Maharani Maanbai's son) to rebel against Jahangir in 1622. In that same year, the Persians took over KandaharKandahar Kandahar is a city in southern Afghanistan, the capital of Kandahar Province on the Helmund River.... in southern Afghanistan, an event that struck a serious blow to Mughal prestige. Jahangir also had the Tuzak-i-Jahangiri composed as a record of his reign. Shah JahanThe Taj MahalTaj Mahal The Taj Mahal is a monument located in Agra, India, constructed in 22 years by a workforce of 22,000.... is the most famous monument built by the Mughals. It was built by Prince Khurram who ascended the throne in 1628 as Emperor Shah Jahan. Between 1636 and 1646, Shah Jahan sent Mughal armies to conquer the Deccan and the lands to the northwest of the empire, beyond the Khyber PassKhyber Pass The Khyber Pass is the most important pass connecting Pakistan with Afghanistan and it is also the National pass of the Pa... . Even though they aptly demonstrated Mughal military strength, these campaigns drained the imperial treasury. As the state became a huge military machine, causing the nobles and their contingents to multiply almost fourfold, the demands for revenue from the peasantry were greatly increased. Political unification and maintenance of law and order over wide areas encouraged the emergence of large centers of commerce and crafts such as Lahore, Delhi, Agra, and AhmadabadAhmadabad *Ahmadabad or Ahmedabad is a city in India.... linked by roads and waterways to distant places and ports. However, Shah Jahan's reign is remembered more for monumental architectural achievements than anything else. The single most important architectural change was the use of marble instead of sandstone. He demolished the austere sandstone structures of Akbar in the Red Fort and replaced them with marble buildings such as the Diwan-i-Am (hall of public audience), the Diwan-i-Khas (hall of private audience), and the Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque). The tomb of Itmad-ud-Daula, the grandfather of his queen, Mumtaz MahalMumtaz Mahal Mumtaz Mahal is the common nickname of Arjumand Banu Begum, who was born in April of 1593 in Agra, India.... , was also constructed on the opposite bank of the JamunaJamuna Jamuna may refer to:* Jamuna, popular Telugu film actress.... or Yamuna. In 1638 he began to lay out the city of Shahjahanabad beside the Jamuna river further North in Delhi. The Red Fort at Delhi represents the pinnacle of centuries of experience in the construction of palace-forts. Outside the fort, he built the Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in the empire. However, it is for the Taj Mahal, which he built as a memorial to his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, that he is most often remembered.  Shah Jahan's extravagant architectural indulgence had a heavy price. The peasants had been impoverished by heavy taxes and by the time his son Aurangzeb ascended the throne, the empire was in a state of insolvency. As a result, opportunities for grand architectural projects were severely limited. This is most easily seen at the Bibi-ki-Maqbara, the tomb of Aurangzeb's wife, built in 1678. Though the design was inspired by the Taj Mahal, it is half its size, the proportions compressed and the detail clumsily executed. The Taj Mahal thus symbolizes both Mughal artistic achievement and excessive financial expenditures at a time when resources were shrinking. The economic positions of peasants and artisans did not improve because the administration failed to produce any lasting change in the existing social structure. There was no incentive for the revenue officials, whose concerns were primarily personal or familial gain, to generate resources independent of what was received from the Hindu zamindars and village leaders, who, due to self-interest and local dominance, did not hand over the entirety of the tax revenues to the imperial treasury. In their ever-greater dependence on land revenue, the Mughals unwittingly nurtured forces that eventually led to the break-up of their empire. The Reign of Aurangzeb and the decline of the empire Shah Jahan fell ill in 1657, and a succession struggle emerged among his four sons, Dara ShikohDara Shikoh Dara Shikoh was the eldest son of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal.... , Shah Shuja, AurangzebAurangzeb Aurangzeb ,Although, he is a central figure in Pakistani nationalism for his correct treatment to non-Muslims.... , and Murad BakshMurad Baksh Overview Murad Baksh was the youngest son of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and empress Mumtaz Mahal.... . In 1658 Aurangzeb defeated Dara Shikoh's army near Agra, and Dara Shikoh fled north. Aurangzeb captured Agra, crowned himself emperor, and imprisoned Shah Jahan. Dara Shikoh and Murad Baksh were captured and later executed, while Shah Shuja fled into exile in 1660. Shah Jahan remained imprisoned in the citadel at Agra until his death in 1666. Aurangzeb Alamgir was the last of the Great Mughals. During his fifty-year reign, the empire reached its greatest physical size (the BijapurBijapur Sultanate Summary Bijapur was one of the Deccan sultanates.... and GolcondaGolconda Golconda may refer to:*Golconda Sultanate... Sultanates which had been reduced to vassaldom by Shah Jahan were formally annexed), but also showed unmistakable signs of decline. The bureaucracy had grown corrupt; the huge army used outdated weaponry and tactics. Aurangzeb restored Mughal military dominance and expanded power southward, at least for a while. Aurangzeb was involved in a series of protracted wars against the sultans of Bijapur and Golkonda in the Deccan, the RajputRajput Rajputs are a prominent social group of India and Nepal.... s of RajasthanRajasthan Rajasthan is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area.... , MalwaMalwa ;central India* Malwa a region* Malwa Plateau... , and BundelkhandBundelkhand Overview Bundelkhand is a geographic region of central India.... , the MarathaMaratha "The Marathas"s a collective term referring to an Indo Aryan group of Hindu, Marathi-speaking castes of warriors and peasant... s in MaharashtraMaharashtra Maharashtra is India's third largest state in terms of area and second largest in terms of population after Uttar Pradesh.... and the AhomAhom The Ahoms ruled parts of present-day Assam for nearly 600 years: from 1228 to 1826.... s in Assam. Peasant uprisings and revolts by local leaders became all too common, as did the conniving of the nobles to preserve their own status at the expense of a steadily weakening empire. From the early 1700s the campaigns of the Sikhs of Punjab under leaders such as Banda BahadurBanda Bahadur Baba Banda Singh Bahadur is revered as one of Sikhism's greatest warriors as well as one of its most hallowed martyrs.... , inspired by the martial teachings of their last Guru, Guru Gobind SinghGuru Gobind Singh Summary Guru Gobind Singh was the tenth and last of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and became Guru on November 11, 1675 following in the f... , also posed a considerable threat to Mughal rule in Northern India. But most decisively the series of wars against the Pashtuns in Afghanistan weakened the very foundation upon which Moghul military rested. The Pashtuns formed the backbone of the Muhgal army and were some of the most hardened troops. The antagonism showed towards the erstwhile Mughal General Khushal Khan KhattakKhushal Khan Khattak Khushal Khan Khattakwas a famous Pashtun warrior, poet and tribal chief of the Khattak tribe.... , for one, seriously undermined the Mughal military apparatus. Aurangzeb made his religion an important part of his reign. However, that brought about resentment. For instance, the much resented jiziya tax which non-Muslims had to pay was re-introduced. In this climate, contenders for the Mughal throne were many, and the reigns of Aurangzeb's successors were short-lived and filled with strife. The Mughal Empire experienced dramatic reverses as regional nawabNawab Nawab was originally the subedar or viceroy of a subah or region of the Mughal empire, but became a high title for M... s or governors broke away and founded independent kingdoms such as the Marathas to the southwest and the Sikhs in the northwest. In the war of 27 yearsWar of 27 years War of 27 years was a series of battles fought between Marathas and Mughals from 1681 to 1707 in the Indian subcontinent.... from 1681 to 1707, the Mughals suffered several heavy defeats at the hands of the Marathas. In the early 1700s the Sikhs became increasingly militant in an attempt to establish their own country where only they would control and govern. They had to make peace with the Maratha armies. Nader ShahNader Shah Nader Shah ruled as Shah of Iran and was the founder of the short-lived Afsharid dynasty.... defeated the Mughal army at the huge Battle of KarnalBattle of Karnal Summary Battle of Karnal, was a battle and great victory of Nadir Shah Afshari emperor of Persia over Mughal emperor of India, Muha... in February, 1739. After this victory, Nader captured and sacked Delhi, carrying away many treasures, including the Peacock ThronePeacock Throne The Peacock Throne, called Takht-e-Tavous in Persian, is the name originally of a Mughal throne, later used to describe ... . In 1761, Delhi was raided by Ahmed Shah AbdaliAhmed Shah Abdali Ahmad Shah Abdali, also known as Ahmad Shah Durrani or simply Ahmad Shah, was the founder of the Durrani dynasty... after the Third battle of PanipatThird battle of Panipat The Third Battle of Panipat took place on January 14, 1761 at Panipat about 80 miles north of Delhi, between the Maratha for... . The decline of the Mughal Empire has been ascribed to several reasons. Some historians such as Irfan HabibIrfan Habib Irfan Habib is a Marxist Indian historian, a professor at the Aligarh Muslim University and a former Chairman of the Indian ... have described the decline of the Mughal Empire in terms of class struggle. Habib proposed that excessive taxation and repression of peasants created a discontented class that either rebelled itself or supported rebellions by other classes and states. Athar Ali proposed a theory of a "jagirdari crisis." According to this theory, the influx of a large number of new Deccan nobles into the Mughal nobility during the reign of Aurangzeb created a shortage of agricultural crown land meant to be allotted, and destroyed the crown lands altogether. The most obvious concept is that of increasing European hegemony and spheres of influence in the region. The powers of Europe were challenging themselves to the game of who could conquer these foreign lands and exploit their riches and wealth for their own personal gain. Other theories put weight on the devious role played by the Saeed brothers in destabilizing the Mughal throne and auctioning the agricultural crown lands to the Dutch or the British for revenue extraction. The lesser Mughals
Present-day descendantsA few descendants of Bahadur Shah Zafar are known to be living in PakistanPakistanPakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan , is a country located in South Asia that overlaps with the Gre... , DelhiDelhi Delhi is a metropolis in northern India.... , KolkataKolkata Kolkata is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal.... (previously called Calcutta), Hyderabad, and Burma. Some of the direct descendants still identify themselves with the clan name Timur and with one of its four major branches: Shokohane-Timur (Shokoh), Shahane-Timur (Shah), Bakshane-Timur (Baksh) and Salatine-Timur (Sultan). Some direct descendants of the Timur carry the surname of Mirza, Baig and Jangda are found predominantly in PakistanPakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan , is a country located in South Asia that overlaps with the Gre... , especially in major cities like MultanMultan Multan is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan, and capital of Multan District.... and LahoreLahore Overview Lahore is the second largest city of Pakistan and is the capital of the province of Punjab.... . A number of 'imposter' Mughals, ie people who do not have authentic right to descent are to be found in India. Descendants in Pakistan are now known of the surname of "Malik". However, good genealogical records exist for most families in the subcontinent and are often consulted for establishing the authenticity of their claims. Some descendants of the Mughal empire have even settled in the western places like America and Europe. Some Burmese decedents of Bahadur Shah Zafar live in Rangoon, France and Canada. The Pashtun tribe Babar living in Baluchistan regard themselves as direct descendants of BabarBabar Babar can refer to:* Babar the Elephant... however this claim has not been proven authentically. However, there are real descendants of Mughal kings living in all over Pakistan as one of the family is in Lahore Pakistan. The surname "Sheikh" is also commonly known to be descendent's of the Mughul Empire and the these type of families do have their family tree written prove with them also known as which can be traced back to zaher ud din babar and some times to Amir Taimor Lang Jogzai. Some descendants are also called "ChughtaiChughtai ChughtaiThis is a family/clan name in portions of Asia that claims descent from Chagatai Khan, and thus status as Chagatai ... " so it can be also used by them. Mughal influence on the subcontinentA major Mughal contribution to south Asia was their unique architectureArchitecture * Architectural history* Architectural mythology... . Many monuments were built during the Mughal era including the Taj Mahal. The Muslim Mughal Dynasty built splendid palaces, tombs, minars and forts that stand today in DelhiDelhi Delhi is a metropolis in northern India.... , AgraAgra Agra , is an ancient city on the banks of Yamuna River in India, within the state of Uttar Pradesh.... , JaipurJaipur Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, historically sometimes rendered as Jeypore, is the capital of Rajastha... ,LahoreLahore Lahore is the second largest city of Pakistan and is the capital of the province of Punjab.... , Shiekhapura and many other cities of Northern India. The first Mughal emperor Babur wrote in the BaburnamaBaburnama Baburnama or Babar Nameh are the memoirs of Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur, commonly known as Babur, the founder of the M... : Fortunately his successors, with fewer memories of the Central Asian homeland he pined for, took a less jaundiced view of cultures of the subcontinent, and became more or less naturalised, absorbing many subcontinental traits and customs along the way. The Mughal period would see a more fruitful blending of Indian, Iranian and Central Asian artistic, intellectual and literary traditions than any other in the subcontinents' history. The Mughals had a taste for the fine things in life for beautifully designed artifacts and the enjoyment and appreciation of cultural activities. The Mughals borrowed as much as they gave; both the Hindu and Muslim traditions of the subcontinent were huge influences on their interpretation of culture and court style. Nevertheless, they introduced many notable changes to societies of the subcontinent and culture, including:
The remarkable flowering of art and architecture under the Mughals is due to several factors. The empire itself provided a secure framework within which artistic genius could flourish, and it commanded wealth and resources unparalleled in the history of the subcontinent. The Mughal rulers themselves were extraordinary patrons of art, whose intellectual caliber and cultural outlook was expressed in the most refined taste. See also
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