The Mughal Empire

  • Sher Shah Suri, the leader of the rival Sur dynasty
    153

    Sher Shah Suri, the leader of the rival Sur dynasty

    drives Humayun out of India and seizes power
  • Humayun gains the throne
    532

    Humayun gains the throne

    Due to instability within the empire, Babur's death in 1530 leads to difficulties with his son Humayun's succession. Some of the nobles instead try to install Humayun's uncle, Mahdi Khwaja, and, though they are defeated, it signals Humayun's weakness.
  • Battle of Panipat
    Apr 21, 1526

    Battle of Panipat

    marks the beginning of the Mughal Empire. This is one of the earliest battles to involve gunpowder, firearms, and field artillery.
  • Humayun stop for daily
    Jan 27, 1555

    Humayun stop for daily

    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 takes advantage of the deaths of both Sher Shah Suri and his son and successor
    Jul 23, 1555

    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. He puts the army under the leadership of Bairam Khan, who proves himself a much more skilled tactician.
  • Bairam Khan
    Nov 5, 1556

    Bairam Khan

    under Bairam Khan, the Mughal army defeats the Surs and solidifies Akbar's control.
  • Jahangir leads a revolt against his father
    Jan 25, 1559

    Jahangir leads a revolt against his father

    Impatiently leads a revolt against the father and that Akbar is engaged in a foreign military campaign.
  • Akbar strips Bairam
    Jan 31, 1561

    Akbar strips Bairam

    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 succeeds as emperor

    jahangir succeeds as emperor

    Jahangir succeeds as emperor, thanks to the immense support of the harem women.
  • Jahangir died

    Jahangir died

    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

    construction on the Taj Mahal

    is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra. In memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
  • Shah Jahan falls

    Shah Jahan falls

    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 defeats Dara Shikoh

    Aurangzeb defeats Dara Shikoh

    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
  • end of the Mughal Empire.

    end of the Mughal Empire.

    has become the protector of the Mughal Empire, using it to solidify their claim on trade with India. 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.
  • the demise

    the demise

    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 and starts to break up.