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Apr 21, 1526
Battle of Panipat
One of the earliest battles to involve gunpowder, firearms, and field artillery. -
Jan 1, 1530
Babur's death
leads to difficulties with his son Humayun's succession. -
Jan 1, 1531
Hamayun gains the throne
Seizes power after the death of his dad Babur. -
Jan 1, 1540
Sher Shah Suri gains the power.
A rival, drives Hamayun out of India and seizes power. -
Jul 23, 1555
Hamayun fights back to India
He 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
Hamayun's injury/death
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. -
Nov 5, 1556
Bairam Khan defeats the empire's rival
The rival Sur Dynasty once again attempts to seize power. Under Bairam Khan, the Mughal army defeats the Surs and solidifies Akbar's control. -
Jan 31, 1561
Assassination of Bairam Khan/Akbar seizes control of the empire
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 is declared successor
Akbar's oldest son, leads a revolt against his father. 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
During his rule, Jahangir is addicted to opium and alcohol and so neglects his role as ruler, allowing him to be manipulated by rival factions. -
Jahangir's death
Jahangir dies on his way back from a visit to Kashmir and is succeeded by his third son, Shah Jahan. The court's opulence becomes more expensive than its value. -
Contruction of Taj Mahal
Shah Jahan begins construction on the Taj Mahal in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. -
Shah Jahan gets ill
Shah Jahan falls ill, and his eldest son, Dara Shikoh, becomes regent for him. Due to his liberal politics, his younger brother, Aurangzeb, allies with conservative Islamic factions to oppose him. -
Beginning of the decline of the Mughal's power.
Aurangzeb defeats Dara Shikoh and has him executed. Aurangzeb goes on to expand the empire, but his harsh religious conservatism undermines the stability of the empire. -
The empire starts to break up
urangzeb's son, Shah Alam, succeeds him and tries to undo the disastrous policies of his father, but it is too little, too late. The empire descends into chaos and violent feuds after his death. -
End of the Mughal Empire
Bahadur Shah Zafar, the final Mughal ruler, leads a revolt against the British East India Company. The revolt is defeated and the Mughals deposed by the East India Company, which assumes formal control over the country
