The Big Fat Mughal Family

The Mughal family is studded with gold, diamonds, coals, rubies, pearls, and whatnot. Every person in the great Mughal family had a personality of theirs. Whether a man or a woman, they had their roles to play and their own stories to write. Let's explore some of these stories through this tale.

When the great Mughal dynasty entered the Indian subcontinent; Image Source: India Today

<p>When India saw the emergence of the Mughals, we thought them to be the conquistadors of our land. But the seven generations of the Mughal dynasty's rule made us realize that their contribution to our society was much more than we could ever think of.</p><p><br></p><p>From the early years of the sixteenth century to the middle years of the eighteenth century, the Mughals ruled over the land and the people's hearts. Though there were situations when people didn't admire Mughal rule, with time, we realized that it was only because of them that India was saved from several other possible invasions.</p><p><br></p><p>The rulers had a firm yet gentle grip on the overall administration system. This very grip allowed them to unify Hindus and Muslims to create a unified country based on the law of peace and prosperity. Most of the Mughal rulers were vast patrons of art, leaving behind a mark in the history of Indian art that the generations could admire.</p><p><br></p><p>After the death of the first emperor of the Mughal empire, Babur Humayun took the reigns and introduced excellent Persian artists who peacefully worked with the local Indian artists to bring about the classic Mughal artworks that would become quite famous later on.</p><p><br></p><p>When Akbar entered the ruling field, he, too, knew that being liberal-minded would allow him to take control over those who did not willingly give up control. He not only promoted marriages between two enemy clans, the Rajputs and the Mughals but also promoted re-marriage and stood firmly against child marriage. Under his rule, the&nbsp;<em>Hamzanama</em>, an artistic magnum opus of 1,400 large-scale paintings, was produced.</p><p><br></p><p>When Jahangir, and later on, his son Shah Jahan, sat on the tremendous Mughal throne, remarkable artworks emerged. During Shah Jahan's reign, the Taj Mahal, an emblem of undying love, was built in Agra as a mausoleum for his adored wife, Mumtaz Mahal.</p><p><br></p><p>With the coming of Aurangzeb, the Mughal art repository faced a setback. Aurangzeb's reign was a low point in the Mughal era, as he expelled court musicians, dancers, and singers. He even prohibited the production of figurative artwork, including the famous Mughal miniature paintings.</p><p><br></p><p>When Muhammad Shah died in 1748, the Marathas were more than ready to capture the northern princely states of India. Though some later Mughal emperors survived till 1857, their royalty and freedom were buried underneath the dark soil. They were provided pensions like any regular man of this decade by the British officers, and their life was far from luxurious.</p><p><br></p><p>The final emperor, the demented Bahadur Shah Zafar, was accused of inciting discontent and commanding the rebels in the 1857 revolt. He was subsequently sent to Rangoon, where he lived in a foreign land for the rest of his life. He ended the reign of the Mughal empire, paving the way for historians, scholars, and archaeologists to trace life in the Mughal empire and tell about them to the masses.</p><p><br></p><p>But how was life during Mughal rule? How did marriages take place, how were harems managed, how did the king manage his crown and throne, and how did people live their everyday life? Let's explore these nuances of Mughal life, one at a time. Stay tuned for the next part!</p>