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Apr 21, 1526
First Battle of Panipat
First Battle of Panipat, Babur defeats Ibrahim Lodhi, Sultan of Delhi, and founds Mughal Empire -
Mar 17, 1527
Battle of Khanwa
Battle of Khanwa, Babur conquers the combined army of the Rajput princes and takes control of much of northern India -
Dec 26, 1530
Babur dies
Babur dies, is succeeded by son Humayan -
Jul 11, 1543
Humayan's defeats
Pashtun leader Sher Shah Suri defeats Humayan, drives him into exile in Afghanistan -
1554
Humayan travels
Humayan travels to Persia, hosted by Safavid emperor -
Jul 23, 1555
Humayun control of northern India
July 23, 1555: Discord among Sher Shah Suri's successors allows Humayun to retake control of northern India, be restored to Mughal throne -
Jan 17, 1556
Humayan's death
Humayan falls down stairs and dies, succeeded by 13-year-old son Akbar, later Akbar the Great -
Nov 5, 1556
Second Battle of Panipat
Second Battle of Panipat, child Emperor Akbar's army defeats Hemu's Hindu forces -
1570
Akbar Mughal Rule
During 1560s - 1570s Akbar consolidates Mughal rule over much of northern and central India, as well as what is now Pakistan and Bangladesh -
Akbar the Great dies
Akbar the Great dies, succeeded by his son Jahangir -
The British East India Company
The British East India Company defeats Portuguese at Surat, Gujarat State and establishes the first warehouse in India -
Jahangir dies
Emperor Jahangir dies, succeeded by son Shah Jahan -
Destruction of Temples
Shah Jahan orders destruction of newly-built Hindu temples, breaking with Mughal record of religious tolerance -
Taj Mahal
Shah Jahan designs and begins building Taj Mahal as a tomb for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal -
Shah Jahan Imprisioned
Aurangzeb imprisons his father, Shah Jahan, for the rest of his life in the Red Fort at Agra -
Badshahi Mosque
Aurangzeb orders construction of the Badshahi Mosque at Lahore, now in Pakistan -
Aurangzeb expands
During the period of 1660s till 1690s Aurangzeb expands Mughal rule to more than 3.2 million square km, including Assam, the Deccan plateau, and parts of southern India -
Establishment of British East India Company'
Establishment of British East India Company's Fort William on Ganges delta, fort and trading factory which becomes Calcutta (Kolkata) -
Death of Aurangzeb
Death of Aurangzeb marks the end of Mughal Golden Era, beginning of slow decline; he is succeeded by son Bahadur Shah I -
Bahadur Shah I dies
Bahadur Shah I dies, succeeded by incompetent son Jahandar Shah -
Emperor Farrukhsiyar
Weak-willed Emperor Farrukhsiyar falls under the control of Syed brothers, two generals and king-makers who had helped depose Jahandar Shah -
Jahandar executed
Jahandar Shah is executed by agents of nephew Farrukhsiyar, who takes the Mughal throne -
Emperor Farrukhsiyar blinded
Syed brothers have Emperor Farrukhsiyar blinded and strangled; his cousin Rafi ud-Darjat becomes new Mughal emperor -
Emperor Rafi ud-Daulah Death
Syeds kill 23-year-old Emperor Rafi ud-Daulah after three months on the throne -
Persia invades India
Nader Shah of Persia invades India, wins Battle of Karnal, loots Delhi, steals Mughal Peacock Throne -
Battle of Manipur
Battle of Manipur, Mughal Army defeats Durrani invasion force from Afghanistan -
Emperor Muhammad Shah dies
Emperor Muhammad Shah dies, succeeded by 22-year-old son Ahmad Shah Bahadur -
Emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur blinded
Emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur deposed and blinded by Vizier Imad-ul-Mulk; former emperor spends rest of life in prison, dying in 1775 -
123 British death
British make lurid charges about imprisonment and death of 123 British and Anglo-Indian troops by Bengali captors in Black Hole of Calcutta; story likely fabricated -
Emperor Shah Alam II
Emperor Shah Alam II, in alliance with Durranis, works to restore the glory of Mughal Empire -
Battle of Buxar
Battle of Buxar, British East India Company defeats the combined army of Emperor Shah Alam II and the nawabs of Awadh and Bengal -
Emperor Shah Alam II dies
Emperor Shah Alam II dies, marking the end of effective leadership from Mughal Dynasty; he is succeeded by hapless son Akbar Shah II, who is a puppet of the British -
Akbar Shah II dies
Akbar Shah II dies at age of 77, succeeded as a puppet ruler by son Bahadur Shah II -
Indian Revolt
Use of pork and/or beef fat on army cartridges sets off the Sepoy Mutiny or Indian Revolt -
Mughal Dynasty Ends
British use Indian Revolt of 1857 as the pretext to exile last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah II, to Rangoon, Burma; Mughal dynasty ends