L20 Medieval Akbar Part 1

Babur 1526–1530
Humayun (first reign) 1530–1540
Humayun (second reign) 1555–1556
Akbar 1556–1605
Jahangir 1605–1627
Shahryar Mirza (de facto) 1627–1628
Shah Jahan 1628–1658

Alamgir I (Aurangzeb) 1658–1707
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Dr. MAHIPAL SINGH RATHORE
I teach History, Polity and

Current Affairs for UPSC CSE
8 Years of teaching Experience.
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Dr. Mahipal Rathore Sir

• When Humayun died, the
Afghans (vassals of Sher
Shah) were still strong
beyond Agra.
• Hemchandra Vikramaditya, a
Hindu general of Afghans had
occupied Agra after
Humayun’s sudden death.
• Sikander Sur, the defeated

Afghan ruler, was still
loitering in the Siwalik Hills.
• Bairam Khan – a loyal officer of
Humayun – rose to the occasion.
ØHe tutored the prince and became the

wakil of the kingdom (Khan-i-Khanan).
ØHe rallied the Mughal forces around

him.
Jalaluddin Akbar 1556-1605
• Born to Hamida Banu Begum at
Umerkot in 1542.
• Coronated in 1556 at the age of 14 at

Kalanaur, Punjab, by Bairam Khan.
• The threat from Hemu was the most serious.
• The area from Chunar to the border of Bengal = was under the
domination of Adil Shah – a nephew of Sher Shah.
• Hemu served as wazir (with the title Vikramajit) under Adil Shah.
• Hemu had not lost a single one of the 22 battles that he had
fought.
Chunar
• Hemu captured Agra.
Next he marched towards Delhi with an army of:

• 50 thousand cavalry
• 500 elephants
• Strong park of artillery.
ØHemu defeated the Mughals near Delhi and occupied the city.
ØBairam Khan marched with his army to face Hemu.

5th November 1556 – 2nd Battle of Panipat.
ØThe tide of the battle changed when an arrow hit Hemu

in the eye, and he fainted.
ØThe leaderless Afghan army was defeated.
ØHemu was captured and executed.
Ø Akbar** defeated and killed Hemu

in the Second Battle of Panipat in 1556.
• Akbar Made Agra capital, not Delhi
• Bairam khan – General and regent
until 1560
• Regency overthrown in 1560
• Bairam Khan murdered by an Afghan
while on his way to Hajj
Bringing the Nobility under Control (1556-67)
• Bairam Khan remained at the helm of affairs for almost 4
years.
ØHe had offended many powerful persons.
ØHis opponents alleged that he was appointing only Shias to

high offices.
ØHe also underestimated Akbar as a small boy, even when he

was growing up.
Rajput policy of Akbar
• 1562 – Akbar Married a Rajput princess, the daughter
of Raja Bharmal of Amer
• Turning point in the history of Mughals – stability!!
• Rajputs served the Mughals for four generations.
• Many of them rose to the positions of military generals
and governors.
• Raja Bhagawan Das and Raja Man Singh were given

senior positions in the administration by Akbar
• One by one, all Rajput states submitted to Akbar
• Rajput policy was combined with a broad religious
toleration- abolished the pilgrim tax and later the
Jiziya.
• Beneficial to the Mughal state as well as to the

Rajputs.
• The alliance secured to the Mughals the services of

the bravest warriors.
• Ensured peace in Rajasthan and a number of Rajputs

who joined the Mughal service rose to important
positions
Rana Pratap vs. Akbar
• All Rajput states except Mewar , submitted to
Akbar
• Rana Udai singh and his son Rana Pratap
continued
to defy the Mughal army despite losing
Chittorgarh (1568)
Battle of Haldighati (1576) – stalemate
• Although Mughals controlled the capital, Mewar
could not be fully subdued by Akbar due to
guerrilla warfare tactics of Rana Pratap’s army.
Rana Pratap vs. Akbar
• Battle of Haldighati (1576)
Outcome - stalemate
• Although Mughals controlled the capital, Mewar

could not be fully subdued by Akbar due to
guerrilla warfare tactics of Rana Pratap’s army.
Rao Chandrasen of Marwar
put up a strong fight against Akbar
till his death in 1581.
Military Conquests of Akbar
• Malwa 1561 (Baz Bahadur) – Adham Khan rebels after victory

• Gondwana 1564 (Rani Durgawati)
• Chittorgarh- Mewar 1568 (Rana Udai Singh)
• Ranthambore -1568 (Hada Chauhans)
• Gujrat 1572 (Mirzas revolted)
• Bihar 1574
• Bengal 1575 (Afghans)
• Kabul – 1581 (against his
brother Hakim)
• Kashmir - 1589
• Khandesh -1601
ØMultiple rebellions by
Uzbek nobles, Governors
and Brothers were
suppressed by Akbar
Military Genius
1565 – The Deccan sultanates combine to
defeat Vijaynagar in the Battle of Talikota.
ØSoon, the Deccan sultanates fell out

amongst themselves (Ahmadnagar and
Bijapur dispute over Sholapur; Bijapur and
Golconda dispute over Naldurg; Gujarat
sultans aided Berar against Ahmadnagar).
1572 – Mughal conquest of Gujarat upset

the balance.
ØAhmadnagar took advantage and annexed
Berar.
• Bijapur took over old Vijaynagar territories.
• Maratha auxillary troops (bargis) served in the armies of the Deccan

sultans – they grew powerful.
1576 – Mughal invasion of Khandesh.

ØHowever, Akbar had to return to Lahore and pay attention to the
northwest between 1586 and 1598.
ØChaos in the Deccan, as a result.
ØGrowing power of the Portuguese and their hijacking /piracy on Hajj

ships annoyed Akbar.
ØTimely Mughal intervention in Gujarat saved Surat from the
Portuguese.
• Therefore, Akbar decided that coordination and pooling together of the
resources of the Deccani Sultanates, under Mughal supervision, would
keep Portuguese under check.
• Akbar first offered the Deccani states to accept his suzerainty (like he did
with the Rajputs).
1595 – Succession struggle among the Nizam Shahis of Ahmadnagar, after

the death of Burhan.
Chand Bibi (sister of Burhan, also the widow of former Bijapur sultan, and
regent for 10 years for his nephew – the new Bijapur Sultan) steps in
Ahmadnagar to support the claim of Burhan’s son – practically acts as
regent.
ØRival Deccanis invited Akbar to intervene.
• Mughal invasion of Ahmadnagar, led by Prince Murad and Abdur
Rahim Khan-i-Khanan.
• Chand Bibi shut herself up at Ahmadnagar fort with the boy king
and resisted – Mughal siege for 4 months.
1596 – Resulting treaty –

ØAhmadnagar ceded Berar to Mughals.
ØAccepted Akbar’s suzerainty.
ØMughals recognized Bahadur (the boy king son of Burhan) as the
Nizam Shah.
• However, Mughal annexation of Berar threatened the other Deccani
sultanates.
• Bijapur + Golconda + Ahmadnagar = combined alliance invaded

Mughal Berar.
1597 – Mughal defeated the Deccanis.
ØSecond Mughal siege of Ahmadnagar followed – in order to force

Chand Bibi to negotiate.
ØHowever, Chand Bibi was accused of treachery and murdered by

her own nobles.
1600 – Mughals capture Ahmadnagar fort + Mughal garrison
permanently stationed.
– Balaghat added to Mughal empire.
ØThe boy king Bahadur was sent to Gwalior Fort.
ØFeud between Mughal commanders and Deccani vassals of

Mughals followed.
ØAkbar personally marched to Malwa and then Khandesh.

1601 – Akbar laid siege to Asirgarh fort of Khandesh.
ØKhandesh annexed.
ØPrince Daniyal (Akbar’s youngest son + commander of

Mughal armies in the Deccan) proclaimed peace with
Ahmadnagar – Ahmadnagar, Balaghat, parts of Telangana
officially annexed by Mughals.
• Malik Ambar (Ethiopian slave general of Ahmadnagar) rose to
the post of Peshwa (it was already a common post in
Ahmadnagar), and led the future resistance against Mughals.
ØGathered a large band of Maratha bargis and harassed the

Mughals with guerrilla warfare (Mughals were not used to it).
ØMughal commander Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan kept him in

check.
MAHIPAL

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Babur 1526–1530

Humayun (first reign) 1530–1540

Humayun (second reign) 1555–1556

Shah Jahan 1628–1658

Dr. MAHIPAL SINGH RATHORE

I teach History, Polity and

For PDF and Lecture Updates,

Dr. Mahipal Rathore Sir

• Sikander Sur, the defeated

ØHe tutored the prince and became the

ØHe rallied the Mughal forces around

• Coronated in 1556 at the age of 14 at

Next he marched towards Delhi with an army of:

ØBairam Khan marched with his army to face Hemu.

ØThe tide of the battle changed when an arrow hit Hemu

ØThe leaderless Afghan army was defeated.

ØHemu was captured and executed.

Ø Akbar** defeated and killed Hemu

ØHe had offended many powerful persons.

ØHis opponents alleged that he was appointing only Shias to

ØHe also underestimated Akbar as a small boy, even when he

• Raja Bhagawan Das and Raja Man Singh were given

• Beneficial to the Mughal state as well as to the

• The alliance secured to the Mughals the services of

• Ensured peace in Rajasthan and a number of Rajputs

• Although Mughals controlled the capital, Mewar

• Malwa 1561 (Baz Bahadur) – Adham Khan rebels after victory

ØSoon, the Deccan sultanates fell out

1572 – Mughal conquest of Gujarat upset

• Maratha auxillary troops (bargis) served in the armies of the Deccan

1576 – Mughal invasion of Khandesh.

ØGrowing power of the Portuguese and their hijacking /piracy on Hajj

1595 – Succession struggle among the Nizam Shahis of Ahmadnagar, after

1596 – Resulting treaty –

• Bijapur + Golconda + Ahmadnagar = combined alliance invaded

1597 – Mughal defeated the Deccanis.

ØSecond Mughal siege of Ahmadnagar followed – in order to force

ØHowever, Chand Bibi was accused of treachery and murdered by

ØThe boy king Bahadur was sent to Gwalior Fort.

ØFeud between Mughal commanders and Deccani vassals of

ØAkbar personally marched to Malwa and then Khandesh.

ØPrince Daniyal (Akbar’s youngest son + commander of

ØGathered a large band of Maratha bargis and harassed the

ØMughal commander Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan kept him in

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