Causes of the Decline of the Mughal Empire in India

7 min readSep 15, 2022

Introduction

From the 1526 War of Panipat till its dissolution in 1857, the Mughal Empire was one of the largest empires in the world. Covering more than a million square km, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, Kashmir in the north, Bangladesh in the east, and the uplands of the Deccan Plateau in South India. Its population numbered more than 100 million consisting of 100 distinct nationalities.

Although created and sustained by military warfare, the Mughal Empire lasted for such a long time due to its efficient centralised bureaucratic structure, fair treatment to all, and most importantly convenient alliance-building with diverse ruling elites to produce an efficient, centralised, standardised rule. However, no one could guess that behind the formidable façade of an empire, lay a divided house that would crumble like a house of cards within a few decades

Causes of the decline

There is no doubt that the British ascendency played a crucial role in the earlier-than-expected breakup of the Mughal Empire. However, it would be too much to give it full credit; there were so many structural and managerial causes of its decline that it is impossible to point out one or two reasons for an event as complex and far-reaching as the dissolution of an empire. People are still arguing about the causes of the fall of the Roman Empire. They are not going to agree quickly on why the Mughal Empire collapsed. And ironically, some even argue why it took so long for the Empire to break! Here are a few theories

1. Conventional Wisdom Theory

The majority of scholars hold Auranzeb responsible for the ultimate decline and ultimate collapse of the Mughal Empire. To them, it was his 20-year-long campaign to crush the Deccan states that led to the depletion of resources and the long absence from the headquarters resulted in weakening the writ of the state. He was, they maintain, trying to do much in too short a time and badly mishandled it. However, it is not true as the Mughal Empire was already falling apart at the seams. None could have done anything which could stop this decline. History will always remember Aurangzeb for his last-ditch efforts to preserve the Muslim rule in India.

2. Succession Wars

There was no law of succession among the Muslim rulers of the subcontinent. During the period of the Delhi sultanate and the Mughal era, the transfer of power was not peaceful except for a few. During the last years of Shah Jehan a war of succession broke out among his sons and its consequences were disastrous for the complexion of the entire society. Likewise, after the death of Aurangzeb, the war was again fought among his kin, which divided the Muslim elite. These wars of succession were also responsible for the decline of the Mughal and Muslim Empires.

3. Declining Military Power

The Mughal Empire, like any other power in history, was created by power and must keep on improving its military muscle to sustain it; the Mughal Empire forgot this fundamental law of history. The military, with which the earlier strong rulers carried on the conquest and extended the empire, had now become demoralized and inefficient. There was a lack o discipline, cohesion, patriotism, and ignorance with the modern military warfare in the army. The military was also divided on a religious, linguistic and ethnic basis. Thus in the final show, down, the British proved to be formidable foes, largely due to their superior weapons, training, and strategy, which play a decisive role in any military contest. The very Enfield rifle that the rebels had refused to operate became their nemeses for its accuracy.

4. It was an Agricultural Empire

Although India used to produce 25% of the world’s GDP in the 1600s, more than 80% of her income was produced by the agricultural sector. Her growing population ensured that there was enough supply of labour force, obviating the necessity to use machines in agricultural operations or its value addition. Consequently, her industrialization process was painstakingly slow, keeping her status as an agricultural empire that did not produce enough surpluses to be ploughed into R&D and technological advancements. An agricultural empire is inherently weak when pitted against the industrial one, which has sufficient resources and needs for technology.

5. Leadership Capacity Deficit

At the end of the day, it is the capability of the leadership in any country which decides its fate. One of the reasons for the longevity of the Roman Empire was its Cursus Honorum- the great honour attached to each post. Consequently, only the best of the best would proceed through this course of honour. Unfortunately, the latter Mughals failed to come up to the highest standards of leadership expected from them.

The king and sultans like Altumash. Balban, Alauddin Khilji. Muhammad Tughluq, Sikandar Lodhi, Babar, Akbar, and Aurangzeb, were competent, handwork, and intelligent people, who were well aware, of the art of smooth sailing of the government. The remaining rulers were neither competent nor had the highest values of character. The courtiers and the nobles of Mughal rulers of the 17th and 18th centuries were not men of character and were divided on ethnic and linguistic basis.

6. Rise of Marhattas

The rise of the Marhattas resulted in a period of anarchy and chaos. Aurangzeb’s death was a signal for Marathas to enhance their authority over the government, which resulted in administrative disorder. There was a great resentment amongst the Muslim masses against the Marhattas particularly, but the emperors were too weak to meet the challenge.

7. Ignorance Towards Sea Power

The Muslim rulers particularly the Mughals neglected the importance of sea power. They lacked the vision and sagacity to understand the challenges posed by the European sea power. 8. Administrative chaos resulted in economic downfall. The revenue taxes were enhanced and there was no uniformity in the tax policy during the later Mughal emperors. Economic instability thus undermined the stability of the empire.

8. Foreign Invasions

The attacks of Nadir Shah and Ahmed Shah were a fatal blow to the Mughal authority and resulted in the rise of the regional powers and deterioration n the central authority. Deccan, Orissa, Oudh, Bengal Bihar, etc., all declared their independence. Unfortunately, the Muslim rulers neglected the importance of educational institutions. When Europe was being illuminated by the renaissance movement, establishing universities, hospitals, and welfare institutions, our rulers were indulged in making gardens, palaces, and palace intrigues

9. Imperial Overreach Theory

Paul Kennedy in his book about the reasons for the fall of the great powers maintains that the great powers start declining when they overstretch themselves. It fits perfectly in this case; the Mughal Empire had stretched itself too much but did not have enough resources to cover the costs of this imperial burden. It had 100 distinct nationalities and nations under its fold all aspiring for independent status on a different basis. Once Deccan states gave a tough time to Aurangzeb, it was an unstoppable process. State after state started asserting their independence. Deccan, Orissa, Oudh, Bengal Bihar, etc., all declared their independence.

10. Erosion of Instrumental Legitimacy

The Mughal Empire just lost its instrumental legitimacy or raison d’être i.e., the reason for being. It became irrelevant to the common citizen for its failure to help them maintain a decent standard of living. It was this dysfunctionality of the communist system which failed the Mughal Empire. It stifled the incentive to work and save because the state was extracting too many resources for maintaining the Mughal Darbar, its costly wars, and mega projects. It discouraged innovation because there was no reward for individuals to excel. Consequently, the economic system failed to create enough surplus which could be ploughed into running the empire.

Conclusion

Muslims came to India as conquerors and established their rule in the subcontinent. This period stretched almost 1000 years. Muslims had always been in a minority but they maintained their capacity to rule this vast land. By mixing the dogmas, culture, ideas and ethnicity there emerged a culture, which was homogenous and embracing to all the communities.

Aurang Zeb was the last Mughal emperor the last effective Muslim ruler of India; when he died the chaos interrupted his empire and a war of succession among his descendants proved disastrous to the Mughal glory. The invasion of Ahmed Shah Abdali, during the reign of Muhammad Shah, proved fatal for the crumbling Mughal Empire.

Bahadar Shah, the last Mughal Empire, was merely a titular head, a pensioner of East India Company. The 1857 War of Independence resulted in the formal end of the Muslim Empire and the East India Company took the reign of the subcontinent.

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