Why did the Mughal Empire decline?

The decline of the Mughal Empire unfolded from the early 18th to the mid-19th century, driven by internal revolts, wars of succession, foreign invasions, and economic strain. Historians debate the primary triggers, pointing variously to agrarian crises, Aurangzeb's rigid religious policies, and political fragmentation. Ultimately, the weakened empire fractured into independent provinces and succumbed to the rising power of the British East India Company.

What we know

• The decline began following the death of Bahadur Shah I in 1712 and ended with the deposition of Bahadur Shah II in 1857. [1, 2]
• Frequent factors cited for the collapse include wars of succession, regional rebellions by Marathas, Rajputs, Sikhs, and Jats, and Afghan and Iranian invasions. [2, 4]
• Irfan Habib attributes the collapse to an agrarian crisis caused by the excessive exploitation of the peasantry by the rich. [2, 5] · medium confidence
• William Dalrymple highlights Aurangzeb's rigid religious policies and the protracted Deccan Wars as key causes of the decline. [2] · medium confidence

Still open

• Historians debate whether the primary cause of decline was an agrarian economic crisis, strict religious orthodoxies under Aurangzeb, or the political fragmentation caused by regional prosperity.

Where to go next

• whoHow did Aurangzeb's rule impact the empire?
• what caused itWhat role did the Maratha Confederacy play in the collapse?
• what followedHow did the British East India Company take over?
• how it workedWhat caused the South Asian deindustrialization?
• the bigger pictureHow were taxes collected during the peak of Mughal rule?
• an unexpected connectionHow did economic prosperity weaken the Mughal court?Some scholars argue that the empire's very success and wealth inspired provinces to achieve independence, inadvertently weakening the central imperial court.

Sources

• [1]Start of Sher Shah suri rule (Wikidata Q125292294) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Decline of the Mughal Empire · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Mughal–Persian wars · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Mughal–Rajput wars · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Mughal Empire · CC BY-SA 4.0