O LEVEL PAK STUDIES | 2059/01 | SECTION 1 | HAIDER
O LEVEL PAK STUDIES
2059/01 | SECTION 1
COMPREHENSIVE NOTES
Compiled by: HAIDER
All Topics | A to Z Coverage | Exam Ready
Page 1 | All Rights Reserved — Compiled by HAIDER
, O LEVEL PAK STUDIES | 2059/01 | SECTION 1 | HAIDER
TOPIC 1: DECLINE OF THE MUGHAL EMPIRE
The Mughal Empire was one of the greatest empires on the Indian subcontinent, ruled over a vast
territory by Muslim rulers. Understanding its decline is fundamental to O-Level Pakistan Studies.
INTRODUCTION
✔ The Mughal Empire was ruled by Muslims over a vast area of the subcontinent.
✔ The Mughal dynasty started in 1526 with the accession of Babar.
✔ Aurangzeb was the ruler who both strengthened the Mughal Empire and, through his policies,
contributed to its decline.
✔ The Mughal Empire declined slowly and gradually after the death of Aurangzeb in 1707.
✔ It took approximately 150 years after the death of Aurangzeb for the Mughal Empire to fully
collapse.
CAUSES OF THE DECLINE
1. Vast Empire
✔ During Aurangzeb's rule, the Mughals kept on capturing new lands under their expansion policy.
✔ The empire extended from Afghanistan to Assam and from Kashmir to Mysore.
✔ The sheer size of the empire made it unmanageable — a single ruler could not effectively
administer such a large territory.
✔ It was extremely difficult to travel to different parts of the empire quickly, making communication
and control nearly impossible.
2. Weak Administration
✔ After Aurangzeb's death, his sons were not capable enough to administer such a large empire.
✔ The citizens of the empire faced too many problems that a single ruler could not handle.
✔ Traveling to distant parts of the empire to address issues was a major challenge for the rulers.
3. Succession Dispute
✔ There was always a succession dispute when a Mughal ruler died, because there was no
established law of succession.
✔ Only Akbar came to the throne without fighting — almost every other ruler faced bloody power
struggles.
✔ Even Aurangzeb, who divided his empire among his sons before his death to avoid conflict, saw
his sons fight for power after he died.
✔ These conflicts caused disunity, heavy loss of lives, money, and weakened the army.
4. Lavish Lifestyle
✔ Mughal rulers were always pleasure-seeking and excessively fond of luxuries.
✔ They wasted their time and money on luxuries instead of administering and protecting the
empire.
✔ Aurangzeb spent an enormous amount of money on the construction of the Pearl Mosque in
Delhi, setting a bad example for future successors.
✔ Successors were often busy with drinking, gambling, and consorting with women — completely
neglecting their duties.
✔ This lavish lifestyle led them further away from Islamic teachings.
Page 2 | All Rights Reserved — Compiled by HAIDER
, O LEVEL PAK STUDIES | 2059/01 | SECTION 1 | HAIDER
5. Aurangzeb's Policies
✔ Aurangzeb interfered in the religious matters of non-Muslims, causing widespread resentment.
✔ He re-imposed the Jizya Tax on non-Muslims, requiring them to pay money in exchange for
rights and protection.
✔ Instead of giving protection to non-Muslims, he banned their culture and burnt many of their
temples.
✔ Non-Muslims were forcibly converted to Islam and removed from important government
positions.
✔ Aurangzeb divided the empire into districts, appointing separate Mansabdars (governors) in
each district to collect taxes and administer.
✔ Unfortunately, many of these Mansabdars were corrupt and misused the tax revenues for
personal gain.
6. Religious Policies of Aurangzeb
✔ Upon ascending the throne, Aurangzeb introduced strict Islamic reforms to make his dominion a
truly Islamic state, which pleased orthodox Muslims.
✔ He appointed censors of public morals in all major cities to enforce Islamic laws and suppress
practices such as drinking, gambling, and prostitution.
✔ He forbade the cultivation of bhang (cannabis) throughout the country.
✔ In 1664, he forbade the practice of Suttee (the ritual burning of widows on their husbands'
funeral pyres).
✔ In 1668, he forbade music at court, with the exception of the Royal Band.
✔ He pensioned off state musicians and court singers.
✔ He demolished many Hindu temples, as he wished to spread Islam far and wide.
Key Exam Note: Aurangzeb's religious policies alienated both Hindus and Sikhs, ultimately
weakening the empire by turning large populations against Mughal rule.
7. No Naval Force
✔ The Mughal forces had no navy — a critical military weakness.
✔ The Mughals were over-confident about their military power and overlooked the importance of a
naval fleet.
✔ This over-confidence ultimately turned into a disaster when faced with the British, who
possessed a very strong and well-managed navy.
8. Weak Army
✔ The army's expertise and efficiency was declining over time due to years of internal conflict and
neglect.
✔ There was a severe lack of finance in the Mughal treasury, meaning modern weapons could not
be afforded.
✔ Multiple invasions and enemy advancements could not be repelled by the weakened Mughal
army.
✔ Infighting among successors further reduced the army's overall efficiency and morale.
9. Internal Invasions — The Marathas
✔ The Maratha forces had become very powerful and were constantly causing difficulties for the
Mughals.
✔ The Marathas were skilled Hindu guerrilla fighters who defeated a Mughal army in 1737 and
took control of Delhi and territories eastwards towards Bengal.
✔ By 1760, the Marathas had become the most powerful people in India and nothing the Mughals
did could stop their advance.
Page 3 | All Rights Reserved — Compiled by HAIDER
O LEVEL PAK STUDIES
2059/01 | SECTION 1
COMPREHENSIVE NOTES
Compiled by: HAIDER
All Topics | A to Z Coverage | Exam Ready
Page 1 | All Rights Reserved — Compiled by HAIDER
, O LEVEL PAK STUDIES | 2059/01 | SECTION 1 | HAIDER
TOPIC 1: DECLINE OF THE MUGHAL EMPIRE
The Mughal Empire was one of the greatest empires on the Indian subcontinent, ruled over a vast
territory by Muslim rulers. Understanding its decline is fundamental to O-Level Pakistan Studies.
INTRODUCTION
✔ The Mughal Empire was ruled by Muslims over a vast area of the subcontinent.
✔ The Mughal dynasty started in 1526 with the accession of Babar.
✔ Aurangzeb was the ruler who both strengthened the Mughal Empire and, through his policies,
contributed to its decline.
✔ The Mughal Empire declined slowly and gradually after the death of Aurangzeb in 1707.
✔ It took approximately 150 years after the death of Aurangzeb for the Mughal Empire to fully
collapse.
CAUSES OF THE DECLINE
1. Vast Empire
✔ During Aurangzeb's rule, the Mughals kept on capturing new lands under their expansion policy.
✔ The empire extended from Afghanistan to Assam and from Kashmir to Mysore.
✔ The sheer size of the empire made it unmanageable — a single ruler could not effectively
administer such a large territory.
✔ It was extremely difficult to travel to different parts of the empire quickly, making communication
and control nearly impossible.
2. Weak Administration
✔ After Aurangzeb's death, his sons were not capable enough to administer such a large empire.
✔ The citizens of the empire faced too many problems that a single ruler could not handle.
✔ Traveling to distant parts of the empire to address issues was a major challenge for the rulers.
3. Succession Dispute
✔ There was always a succession dispute when a Mughal ruler died, because there was no
established law of succession.
✔ Only Akbar came to the throne without fighting — almost every other ruler faced bloody power
struggles.
✔ Even Aurangzeb, who divided his empire among his sons before his death to avoid conflict, saw
his sons fight for power after he died.
✔ These conflicts caused disunity, heavy loss of lives, money, and weakened the army.
4. Lavish Lifestyle
✔ Mughal rulers were always pleasure-seeking and excessively fond of luxuries.
✔ They wasted their time and money on luxuries instead of administering and protecting the
empire.
✔ Aurangzeb spent an enormous amount of money on the construction of the Pearl Mosque in
Delhi, setting a bad example for future successors.
✔ Successors were often busy with drinking, gambling, and consorting with women — completely
neglecting their duties.
✔ This lavish lifestyle led them further away from Islamic teachings.
Page 2 | All Rights Reserved — Compiled by HAIDER
, O LEVEL PAK STUDIES | 2059/01 | SECTION 1 | HAIDER
5. Aurangzeb's Policies
✔ Aurangzeb interfered in the religious matters of non-Muslims, causing widespread resentment.
✔ He re-imposed the Jizya Tax on non-Muslims, requiring them to pay money in exchange for
rights and protection.
✔ Instead of giving protection to non-Muslims, he banned their culture and burnt many of their
temples.
✔ Non-Muslims were forcibly converted to Islam and removed from important government
positions.
✔ Aurangzeb divided the empire into districts, appointing separate Mansabdars (governors) in
each district to collect taxes and administer.
✔ Unfortunately, many of these Mansabdars were corrupt and misused the tax revenues for
personal gain.
6. Religious Policies of Aurangzeb
✔ Upon ascending the throne, Aurangzeb introduced strict Islamic reforms to make his dominion a
truly Islamic state, which pleased orthodox Muslims.
✔ He appointed censors of public morals in all major cities to enforce Islamic laws and suppress
practices such as drinking, gambling, and prostitution.
✔ He forbade the cultivation of bhang (cannabis) throughout the country.
✔ In 1664, he forbade the practice of Suttee (the ritual burning of widows on their husbands'
funeral pyres).
✔ In 1668, he forbade music at court, with the exception of the Royal Band.
✔ He pensioned off state musicians and court singers.
✔ He demolished many Hindu temples, as he wished to spread Islam far and wide.
Key Exam Note: Aurangzeb's religious policies alienated both Hindus and Sikhs, ultimately
weakening the empire by turning large populations against Mughal rule.
7. No Naval Force
✔ The Mughal forces had no navy — a critical military weakness.
✔ The Mughals were over-confident about their military power and overlooked the importance of a
naval fleet.
✔ This over-confidence ultimately turned into a disaster when faced with the British, who
possessed a very strong and well-managed navy.
8. Weak Army
✔ The army's expertise and efficiency was declining over time due to years of internal conflict and
neglect.
✔ There was a severe lack of finance in the Mughal treasury, meaning modern weapons could not
be afforded.
✔ Multiple invasions and enemy advancements could not be repelled by the weakened Mughal
army.
✔ Infighting among successors further reduced the army's overall efficiency and morale.
9. Internal Invasions — The Marathas
✔ The Maratha forces had become very powerful and were constantly causing difficulties for the
Mughals.
✔ The Marathas were skilled Hindu guerrilla fighters who defeated a Mughal army in 1737 and
took control of Delhi and territories eastwards towards Bengal.
✔ By 1760, the Marathas had become the most powerful people in India and nothing the Mughals
did could stop their advance.
Page 3 | All Rights Reserved — Compiled by HAIDER
