Key Terms
- Jizya: Tax on non-Muslims; abolished 1564 by Akbar, reimposed 1679 by Aurangzeb
- Mansabdari: Akbar's graded ranking system for officials
- Zabt: Todar Mal's land measurement tax system
- Din-i-Ilahi: Akbar's blended faith (very few followers)
- Rajput policy: Alliance through marriage and court appointment
Key Dates
- 1526: Babur wins Battle of Panipat; dynasty founded
- 1556: Akbar becomes emperor aged 13
- 1564: Akbar abolishes jizya
- 1571: Fatehpur Sikri begun
- 1632-1653: Taj Mahal built
- 1679: Aurangzeb reimposes jizya
- 1707: Aurangzeb dies; empire begins to break up
Key People
- Babur: Founder; gunpowder artillery at Panipat
- Akbar: "The Great"; tolerance, zabt system, Rajput alliances
- Todar Mal: Finance minister; designed zabt revenue system
- Shah Jahan: Taj Mahal; costly building projects
- Aurangzeb: Religious intolerance; Deccan Wars; decline
- Shivaji: Maratha leader; resisted the Mughals
Must-Know Facts
- Battle of Panipat (1526): Babur's much smaller army beat Lodi's much larger one, and artillery was decisive
- At its peak the empire produced a huge share of world wealth (a rough estimate is a quarter)
- Fatehpur Sikri: begun 1571, abandoned about 1585 (probably water supply)
- Din-i-Ilahi: very few followers, so some historians see it as a political move
- The Taj Mahal and other buildings are often said to have strained the treasury under Shah Jahan
- Aurangzeb's Deccan Wars lasted 26 years (1681-1707)
Common Mistakes
- Treating Mughal tolerance as constant across all rulers: Akbar and Jahangir were tolerant; Aurangzeb was not. Always name the specific emperor and policy rather than generalising about "the Mughals".
- Listing Akbar's achievements without explaining their impact: Don't just say "Akbar abolished jizya". Explain that this helped the Hindu majority become willing subjects rather than resentful ones, which is part of what made the empire stable.
- Blaming only Aurangzeb for the empire's fall: The decline had several causes: weak successors after 1707, Maratha resistance, treasury exhaustion from the Deccan Wars, and growing British East India Company power. Link these causes together rather than naming one factor alone.
- Forgetting specific dates and evidence: Use "jizya abolished in 1564 and reimposed in 1679" not "Akbar was tolerant but Aurangzeb was not".