Mughal Nama

Much of the population of Indian subcontinent, i.e. present day Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, has generalized views about the things – things which they have been taught in books and told by elders. Few take the pain of analyzing the facts rationally and even fewer dare to shed the false concepts of history inculcated in their minds. “Mughals Era” as we perceive generally was the golden period of the history of the sub-continent. The facts are however contrary, in my opinion, if we look in to it objectively. What was the major achievement that they accomplished in the region apart from just reigning innocent people? Apart from building monuments, they did nothing withstanding. There are a few major points which ought to be discussed.

Mughal empires were not strong internally. This applies on almost every Mughal Emperor from Babur to Aurangzeb. Babur died just after four years of his succession to Indian throne and his son Humayun took charge of the empire but had to face opposition from his own brother Kamran. Ultimately, Humayun had to flee from his own empire and fifteen years later resurged and took to the throne once again. Unfortunately, he died after only six months leaving the yet not re-established empire in the hands of his young son Akbar. Although Akbar was a better administrator and a better human being as compared to the rest of the Mughals but he too had to face his son Jahangir’s defiance. Jahangir in turn was challenged by Khusrau, his eldest son. The next successor saw the most impertinent of the treatment by his son. Shah Jahan fell ill in his later years of life. His four sons namely Aurangzeb, Dara Shikoh, Shah Shuja, and Murad Baksh saw the succession of the throne nowhere after their father’s death. Hence, the time saw the brothers at war with each other. The successor was Aurangzeb and so he had to take revenge. He ordered to kill his two brothers and a nephew. To add to the brutality and infidelity he captured his own father Shah Jahan to imprison him until his death. The list went on. After the death of Aurangzeb, his son Moazzam Shah exterminated his two brothers and assumed the title of Bahadur Shah. His successor Jahandar Shah snuffed out all the princes of the time. His nephew, Farrukh Siyyar, in turn had slain him the following year. Siyyar was also killed later on. It continued even till the last dummy emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar. So to speak, their internal integrity was too weak and continued through the centuries. How could they focus on welfare of their people when they were constantly threatened by insurgencies in their empires? They did not do anything to exterminate the reasons behind it.

The major profession in the sub-continent since thousands of years was cultivation and agriculture. But it remained; perhaps, the most misgoverned and uninfluenced area of concern. Almost fifty percent of the produce had to be snatched away from the cultivator. The one who collected tax was never an employee of the emperor but he was authorized to do so, provided he continuously added to the emperor’s treasury. This left the petty farmer, forming the majority of the population, living hand to mouth, whereas the Mughal families and the flanking one’s enjoyed every luxury available at that time.

Another serious issue which was overlooked was development in science and technology. When intellect of west was brimming with the innumerable discoveries and inventions, east was busy in settling old and creating new disputes and rivalries among themselves. The populace even at that crucial time had great potential in them. We saw the emergence of some great poets, writers and philosophers of that time. But they too were all there to entertain the great emperor of the time usually. It was not needed at that time. British over threw the last Mughal throne because they were far ahead in these fields of life.

Then talk about the emperor’s courts. The emperor had immense powers of deciding cases regarding mere thefts to such serious ones as relating to people’s lives. The presence in the court where the decisions were made was a prerogative of few. The justice was provided quickly but the intricacies of the matters were overlooked. Hence, it led justice to the extent of brutality. The appointments in the government were made by emperor himself, which of course left gaps for mistakes of appointing improper people at improper appointments.

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