List of all Mughal Emperors (1526 -1857)

The emperors of the Mughal Empire, who were all members of the Timurid dynasty (House of Babur), ruled over the empire from its inception in 1526 to its dissolution in 1857.

They were the supreme monarchs of the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

They ruled parts of India from 1526, and by 1707, ruled most of the subcontinent. Afterwards, they declined rapidly, but nominally ruled territories until the 1857 rebellion.

List of all Mughal Emperors (1526-1857)

Babur laid the foundation for the empire on April 20, 1526, by defeating Ibrahim Lodi in the Battle of Panipat. However, the empire began its decline during the reign of the sixth emperor, Aurangzeb. Ultimately, on September 21, 1857, the empire faced its demise due to the Revolt of 1857. The final ruler, Bahadur Shah II, marked the end of the Mughal Empire.

Mughal Emperors and Important Wazirs

Safdar Jang (1748-53)

• Safdar Jang was the second Nawab of Awadh and a major figure at the Mughal court during the declining years of the Mughal Empire. He provided valuable assistance to the weakened Emperor Muhammad Shah, who gave him the title of Safdar Jang.
• When Ahmad Shah Bahadur ascended the throne at Delhi in 1748, Safdar Jang became his Wazir-ulMalik-i-Hindustan. However, court politics eventually overtook him, and he was dismissed in 1753. He died in October 1754 in Sultanpur near Faizabad.

Imad-ul-Mulk (1754-60)

• Imad-ul-Mulk, a grandson of Nizam-ul-Mulk, Asaf Jah I, was recommended by Nawab Safdar Jung to be appointed as Mir Bakshi in 1752.
• Emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur selected Imad-ul-Mulk to counter the influence of the powerful
  Safdar Jang.
• With the help of Maratha, Imad-ul-Mulk emerged as the de facto ruler of Delhi. He had collected
  1,500,000 dams but refused to pay salaries to the Mughal army and imperial officials, estranging him from the emperor.
• Ahmad Shah Bahadur declared the reinstatement of Safdar Jang as his Grand Wazir and tried to
  remove Imad-ul-Mulk from the imperial court. This caused Imad-ul-Mulk to fight against the Mughal emperor.

Imad-ul-Mulk vs Mughal Emperor

• With the help of Maratha, Imad-ul-Mulk defeated Ahmad Shah Bahadur’s army at Sikandrabad in
  May 1754 and captured members of the emperor’s household, including 8,000 women. Ahmad Shah Bahadur fled toward Delhi while the ailing Safdar Jang fled to Awadh.
• Imad-ul-Mulk, with the support of Raghunath Rao, proceeded to Delhi, deposed Ahmad Shah Bahadur on 2 June 1754 and was imprisoned at the Salimgarh Fort (Delhi) in December. Imad-ul-Mulk released Prince Aziz-ud-Din from prison and crowned him emperor with the regnal name Alamgir II.

Reasons for decline of Later mughals