Post-Mughal Period (1707–1857): Later Mughals and the Decline of the Empire

Post-Mughal Period notes for OPSC OAS and UPSC cover the decline and disintegration of the Mughal Empire from Aurangzeb's death in 1707 to the exile of Bahadur Shah Zafar in 1857. This page explains every Later Mughal ruler, the role of the Sayyid Brothers, the invasions of Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali, the loss of Odisha, the rise of the British, and the final collapse after the Revolt of 1857.

Later Mughals 1707–1857: Timeline and Quick Reference

The period after Aurangzeb's death is called the Later Mughal Period. It saw a rapid succession of weak emperors, the rise of nobles as kingmakers, and the emergence of regional powers.NCERT

Bahadur Shah I (1707–1712): The First Later Mughal

Muazzam, also known as Shah Alam I or Bahadur Shah I, succeeded Aurangzeb after winning the war of succession.UPPSC 2012 He was 65 years old at accession and ruled for a short period.

• He defeated his brother Azam at the Battle of Jajau (1707) and later eliminated Kam Baksh.Jajau
• He adopted a conciliatory policy: released Shahu (son of Sambhaji) and granted the Marathas the right to collect Sardeshmukhi in the Deccan (but not Chauth).UPPSC 2012NCERT
• He reversed Aurangzeb's harsh policies, made peace with Rajput states, and adopted a tolerant attitude.NCERT
• He was called Shah-i-Bekhabar (Heedless King) by historian Khafi Khan for his excessive conciliation.NCERT
• Banda Bahadur was not executed during his reign; that happened under Farrukhsiyar.UPPSC

Jahandar Shah (1712–1713): The Shortest Reign

Jahandar Shah ascended the throne after the death of Bahadur Shah I, with the help of the noble Zulfikar Khan.UPPSC 2012

• His reign was the shortest among the Later Mughals, lasting about 11 months.SSC 2018
• He was dominated by his mistress Lal Kunwar, who interfered in state affairs.Lal Kunwar
• He was defeated and deposed by his nephew Farrukhsiyar (with Sayyid Brothers' support) in 1713.IAS (Pre) 2003
• He gave the title Mirza Raza to Jai Singh, the Subedar of Malwa.Later Mughal titles

Farrukhsiyar (1713–1719): The Puppet of the Sayyid Brothers

Farrukhsiyar owed his throne to the Sayyid Brothers—Abdullah Khan (Wazir) and Hussain Ali (Mir Bakshi)—who became the real power behind the throne.Sayyid Brothers

• He executed Banda Bahadur, the Sikh leader, in 1716.Executed Banda Bahadur
• In 1717, he issued a famous farman granting the English East India Company the right to trade in Bengal without paying customs duties—a concession with far-reaching consequences.CDS 2004
• He awarded the title Sawai to Jai Singh of Amber.Sawai title
• He appointed Chin Qilich Khan (later Nizam-ul-Mulk) as Subedar of the Deccan.MPPSC 2003
• The Maratha leader Balaji Vishwanath supported the Sayyid Brothers in overthrowing Farrukhsiyar.IAS (Pre) 1999

Muhammad Shah (1719–1748): Rangeela and the Nadir Shah Invasion

Muhammad Shah, whose original name was Roshan Akhtar, ruled for the longest period among the Later Mughals.UPPSC 2009CDS 2004 He was known as Rangeela (the colourful one) for his lavish lifestyle.MPPSC 2014

• He was the first Mughal ruler to patronise Urdu.CDS 2009
• His reign saw the invasion of Nadir Shah of Persia in 1739. The battle was fought at Karnal, where the Mughal army was defeated.CDS 2001UPPSC 2008
• Nadir Shah sacked Delhi, carried away the Kohinoor diamond and the Peacock Throne, and massacred thousands.Kohinoor
• The Mughal-Maratha Treaty of 1719 was concluded during his reign (though he was a puppet then).Mughal-Maratha Treaty
• He awarded Fatehchand the title Jagat Seth.Jagat Seth
• He was the last Mughal emperor to sit on the Peacock Throne.BPSC 1995

Ahmad Shah, Alamgir II and Shah Alam II: The Final Descent

Ahmad Shah (1748–1754)

• Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded Punjab in 1748 but was defeated by the Mughal army near Sirhind.Sirhind
• A group of eunuchs and ladies dominated the court during his reign.UPPSC 2004
• His Wazir Ghazi-ud-Din Imad-ul-Mulk deposed him and later blinded him.

Alamgir II (1754–1759)

• His original name was Aziz-ud-Din.UPPSC 2008
• The Battle of Plassey (1757) was fought during his reign between the Nawab of Bengal and the English East India Company.CDS 2003
• He was later murdered by his Wazir Ghazi-ud-Din.Wazir murder

Shah Alam II (1759–1806)

• He was defeated by the British in the Battle of Buxar (1764).Buxar
• His empire was so reduced that it was said to stretch from 'Delhi to Palam'.Delhi to Palam
• He was blinded by Ghulam Qadir Ruhela in 1788.UPPSC 2003
• He was not allowed to enter Delhi by Wazir Ghaziuddin.Wazir entry
• He wrote the Urdu prose work 'Ajaib-ut Qasas'.Ajaib-ut Qasas
• He spent his early years away from his capital due to the threat of foreign invasions from the north-west.Shah Alam II

Akbar II and Bahadur Shah Zafar: The Last Mughals

Akbar II (1806–1837)

• He sent Raja Rammohan Roy as an ambassador to London to plead his case.Rammohan Roy
• He gave Rammohan Roy the title Raja.Raja title
• He started the Hindu-Muslim unity festival Phool Walon ki Sair.Phool Walon ki Sair
• Mughal coins were discontinued under his regime in 1835.Coins discontinued

Bahadur Shah II (Zafar) (1837–1857)

• He was the last Mughal Emperor.SSC 2009
• His father was Akbar Shah II.UPPSC 2005
• He was an emperor without an empire, receiving a pension from the East India Company.UPPSC 2006
• His poetry teachers included Ibrahim Zuaa and Asad Ullah Khan Ghalib.UPPSC 2006
• He was the nominal leader of the Revolt of 1857.Revolt 1857
• After the revolt, he was exiled to Rangoon, where he died in 1862.Rangoon death

Decline of the Mughal Empire: Causes and Historiography

The decline was caused by multiple factors:

• Weak successors: After Aurangzeb, the later Mughals were incapable and pleasure-loving.
• Jagirdari crisis: The shortage of fertile jagirs led to administrative breakdown.Satish Chandra
• Agrarian crisis: Excessive revenue demands and peasant revolts (Jats, Satnamis, Sikhs).Irfan Habib
• Rise of nobles as kingmakers: The Sayyid Brothers, Turani and Hindustani factions weakened central authority.
• Foreign invasions: Nadir Shah (1739) and Ahmad Shah Abdali (1761) drained the treasury and exposed military weakness.
• Rise of regional powers: Marathas, Sikhs, Rajputs, and Awadh, Bengal, and Hyderabad became effectively independent.

Mughal Odisha in the Post-Mughal Period (1707–1857)

Mughal rule in Odisha continued as part of the Bengal Subah, but central authority weakened significantly after Aurangzeb's death.

• Odisha was administered by Subahdars appointed from Delhi, but they often acted independently.
• With the decline of Mughal power, the Nawabs of Bengal increasingly controlled Odisha.
• In 1751, the Marathas under Raghuji Bhonsle invaded and annexed Odisha, ending Mughal rule.Maratha invasion
• The British later took control of Odisha after the Battle of Buxar (1764) and the subsequent treaties.Buxar

Practice Questions on the Post-Mughal Period for OPSC OAS