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Apr 21, 1526
Battle of Panipat.
Marks the beginning of the Mughal Empire. -
Dec 26, 1530
Babur's death.
Due to instability within the empire. -
Jan 26, 1531
1531.
Humayun gains the throne. -
Jan 26, 1540
Sher Shah Suri takes power.
Humayun takes refuge with the Safavid rulers in Persia, which serves to create a strong bond with the two dynasties. -
Jul 23, 1555
Humayun reclaims the Empire
Humayun takes advantage of the deaths of both Sher Shah Suri and his son and successor, Islam Shah, to march an army provided by his Persian allies back to India. -
Jan 27, 1556
Akbar the Great comes to power.
Humayun stops for daily prayer in the middle of carrying books down a flight of stairs and trips. He is fatally injured and dies three days later. Humayun's son, Akbar, succeeds him under a regent, Bairam Khan, the general who had won victory for his father. The rival Sur Dynasty once again attempts to seize power. -
Nov 5, 1556
The Second Battle of Panipat solidifies Akbar's control.
Under Bairam Khan, the Mughal army defeats the Surs and solidifies Akbar's control. -
Jan 31, 1561
Bairam Khan is assassinated.
Under the guidance of his mother and other supporters, Akbar strips Bairam Khan of the regency, and Khan is assassinated on a journey to Mecca. -
Jahangir revolts against Akbar.
Though Jahangir, Akbar's oldest son, is the declared successor, he impatiently leads a revolt against his father while Akbar is occupied in a foreign military campaign. While he is defeated, he still has enough political support from the women in Akbar's harem, including Akbar's mother, to retain his role as successor. -
Jahangir succeeds as emperor.
Jahangir succeeds as emperor, thanks to the immense support of the harem women. His eldest son, Khusrau Mirza, unsuccessfully rebels against him. Jahangir kills all his son's supporters and blinds his son. -
Shah Jahan succeeds as emperor.
Jahangir dies on his way back from a visit to Kashmir and is succeeded by his third son, Shah Jahan. It is during this period that the court's opulence becomes more expensive than its value. -
Construction on the Taj Mahal begins.
Shah Jahan begins construction on the Taj Mahal in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The white marble mausoleum is recognized by many as the finest example of Mughal architecture. -
Shah Jahan falls ill.
Shah Jahan falls ill, and his eldest son, Dara Shikoh, becomes regent for him. However, due to his liberal politics, his younger brother, Aurangzeb, allies with conservative Islamic factions to oppose him. -
Aurangzeb succeeds as emperor.
Aurangzeb defeats Dara Shikoh and has him executed. Though Shah Jahan has recovered by this point, Aurangzeb declares him unfit for rule and has him imprisoned. Aurangzeb goes on to expand the empire. -
Shah Alam succeeds as emperor.
Aurangzeb's son, Shah Alam, succeeds him and tries to undue the disastrous policies of his father. The empire descends into chaos and violent feuds after his death and starts to break up. -
Bahadur Shah Zafar is deposed.
Bahadur Shah Zafar, the final Mughal ruler, leads a revolt against them, although he is in reality little more than a figurehead. The revolt is defeated and the Mughals deposed by the East India Company, which assumes formal control over the country and ends the Mughal Empire.
