Medieval India: 18th Century Political Formations
The Mughal Crisis
● Emperor Aurangzeb had depleted the military and financial resources of his
empire by fighting a long war in the Deccan.
● Nobles who were appointed as governors (subadars) controlled the offices of
revenue and military administration (diwani and faujdari) which gave them
extraordinary political, economic and military powers over vast regions of the
Mughal Empire.
, ● Peasant and zamindari rebellions in many parts of northern and western India
added to these problems.
Emergence of New States
● Through the 18th century, the Mughal Empire gradually fragmented into a number
of independent, regional states.
● It can be divided into three overlapping groups:
1. States that were old Mughal provinces like Awadh, Bengal, and Hyderabad.
Although extremely powerful and quite independent, the rulers of these states did
not break their formal ties with the Mughal emperor.
2. States that had enjoyed considerable independence under the Mughals as watan
jagirs. These included several Rajput principalities.
3. States under the control of Marathas, Sikhs and others like the Jats. They all had
seized their independence from the Mughals after a long-drawn armed struggle.
Hyderabad
● Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah, the founder of Hyderabad state, was appointed by
Mughal Emperor Farrukh Siyar.
● He was entrusted first with the governorship of Awadh, and later given charge of
the Deccan.
● He ruled quite independently without seeking any direction from Delhi or facing
any interference.
● The state of Hyderabad was constantly engaged in a struggle against the
Marathas to the west and with independent Telugu warrior chiefs (nayakas)
Awadh
● Burhan-ul-Mulk Sa‘adat Khan was appointed subadar of Awadh in 1722.
● Awadh was a prosperous region, controlling the rich alluvial Ganga plain and the
main trade route between north India and Bengal.
● Burhan-ul-Mulk held the combined offices of subadari, diwani and faujdari.
● Burhan-ul-Mulk tried to decrease Mughal influence in the Awadh region by
reducing the number of office holders (jagirdars) appointed by the Mughals.
● The state depended on local bankers and mahajans for loans.
The Mughal Crisis
● Emperor Aurangzeb had depleted the military and financial resources of his
empire by fighting a long war in the Deccan.
● Nobles who were appointed as governors (subadars) controlled the offices of
revenue and military administration (diwani and faujdari) which gave them
extraordinary political, economic and military powers over vast regions of the
Mughal Empire.
, ● Peasant and zamindari rebellions in many parts of northern and western India
added to these problems.
Emergence of New States
● Through the 18th century, the Mughal Empire gradually fragmented into a number
of independent, regional states.
● It can be divided into three overlapping groups:
1. States that were old Mughal provinces like Awadh, Bengal, and Hyderabad.
Although extremely powerful and quite independent, the rulers of these states did
not break their formal ties with the Mughal emperor.
2. States that had enjoyed considerable independence under the Mughals as watan
jagirs. These included several Rajput principalities.
3. States under the control of Marathas, Sikhs and others like the Jats. They all had
seized their independence from the Mughals after a long-drawn armed struggle.
Hyderabad
● Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah, the founder of Hyderabad state, was appointed by
Mughal Emperor Farrukh Siyar.
● He was entrusted first with the governorship of Awadh, and later given charge of
the Deccan.
● He ruled quite independently without seeking any direction from Delhi or facing
any interference.
● The state of Hyderabad was constantly engaged in a struggle against the
Marathas to the west and with independent Telugu warrior chiefs (nayakas)
Awadh
● Burhan-ul-Mulk Sa‘adat Khan was appointed subadar of Awadh in 1722.
● Awadh was a prosperous region, controlling the rich alluvial Ganga plain and the
main trade route between north India and Bengal.
● Burhan-ul-Mulk held the combined offices of subadari, diwani and faujdari.
● Burhan-ul-Mulk tried to decrease Mughal influence in the Awadh region by
reducing the number of office holders (jagirdars) appointed by the Mughals.
● The state depended on local bankers and mahajans for loans.
