Key Terms
- Jizya: Tax on non-Muslims; abolished 1564 by Akbar, reimposed 1679 by Aurangzeb
- Mansabdari: Akbar's meritocratic ranking system for officials
- Zabt: Todar Mal's land measurement tax system
- Din-i-Ilahi: Akbar's syncretic faith (only 18 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 founded
- 1632–1653: Taj Mahal built
- 1679: Aurangzeb reimposed jizya
- 1707: Aurangzeb dies; decline begins
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; treasury strained
- Aurangzeb: Religious intolerance; Deccan Wars; decline
- Shivaji: Maratha leader; resisted Aurangzeb
Must-Know Facts
- Battle of Panipat (1526): 12,000 Mughals beat 100,000+ Lodis — artillery decisive
- Mughal Empire at peak = ~25% of world GDP
- Fatehpur Sikri: built 1571, abandoned ~1585 (water supply)
- Din-i-Ilahi: only 18 followers — shows tolerance was political strategy
- Taj Mahal cost strained 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 meant the Hindu majority (roughly 80% of the population) became willing subjects rather than resentful ones, which is what made the empire stable.
- Blaming only Aurangzeb for the empire's fall: The decline had multiple 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 statistics: Use "jizya abolished in 1564 and reimposed in 1679" not "Akbar was tolerant but Aurangzeb was not", and "25% of world GDP" not "the Mughals were very wealthy".