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# The decline of the Mughal Empire ## A: Aurangzeb (1618-1707): expansion at the cost of power ### Key Questions: - How successful an emperor was Aurangzeb? - To what extent was Aurangzeb to blame for the decline of the Mughal Empire? Aurangzeb was the last great Mughal emperor. He spent a great pa...

# The decline of the Mughal Empire ## A: Aurangzeb (1618-1707): expansion at the cost of power ### Key Questions: - How successful an emperor was Aurangzeb? - To what extent was Aurangzeb to blame for the decline of the Mughal Empire? Aurangzeb was the last great Mughal emperor. He spent a great part of his life fighting against the Hindu chieftains, Rajputs and Marathas, as he wanted to emulate the Tughlaqs and expand the boundaries of the Empire into the Deccan in the south. Aurangzeb was a controversial figure during his lifetime. He remains a subject of dispute as historians try to assess the nature of his rule and the extent to which he was responsible for the eventual decline of the Mughal Empire. ### How did Aurangzeb gain power? Victory in battle gave Aurangzeb the power to move ahead. In 1657 his father, the Emperor Shah Jahan, fell ill and was thought to be dying. His four sons had been posted as governors of large provinces and possessed powerful armies. All four were keen to succeed their father and there being no law of primogeniture among the Mughals, the strongest contender came to the throne. Shah Jahan favoured Dara as his successor. In Bengal, Shah Shuja declared himself to be the new emperor. At first Aurangzeb supported Murad, the youngest son. In the end both Shah Shuja and Murad proved too weak and dropped out of the struggle for power. Only Dara stood between Aurangzeb and the throne. On 28 May 1658 their two armies fought at Samugarh near Agra. During the fierce battle Dara's elephant was killed under him and his soldiers, assuming that Dara had also been killed, gave up the fight. Dara fled to Punjab where he had previously been the governor, but the Punjabis were terrified of Aurangzeb and refused Dara entry into Lahore. In desperation he sought refuge in Afghanistan, but his guide, an old friend, betrayed him. Dara was captured and soon afterwards, he and his son were executed. By now, to everyone's surprise, Shah Jahan had recovered from his illness. But it was too late to recover his power and he quietly surrendered to his own son.