INDIA UNDER THE MUGHALS

1. Economic and social life

The Mughal period saw important social and economic developments. During this period, many European travellers and traders came to India and their accounts contain a mine of information about the socio-economic conditions of India. In general, they described the wealth and prosperity of India and also the luxurious life of the aristocratic classes.

Mughal Nobility

• The nobles of the Mughal period formed a privileged class. Most of them were foreigners such as Turks and Afghans. But there was a tussle between them throughout this period.
• They readily assimilated themselves into the Indian society and culture. At the same time, they retained some of their personal traits. From the time of Akbar, the Hindus, Particularly the Rajputs were included in the nobility. For example, mention may be made of Raja Man Singh, Raja Birbal and Raja Todar Mal. Later, the Marathas also joined the Mughal service and rose to the position of nobles.
• The Mughal nobles were paid high salaries but their expenses were also very high. Each noble maintained a large number of servants, horses, elephants etc., and the nobles tried to follow the luxurious lifestyle of the Mughal emperors.

Growth of Trade

• The Indian trading classes were large in numbers and spread throughout the country. They were well-organized and highly professional.
• Seth, Bohra traders specialized in long-distance trade while local traders were called banik. Another class of traders was known as banjaras, who specialized in carrying bulk goods.
• The banjaras used to move to long distances with their goods on the back of oxen. Bulk goods were also taken through rivers on boats. The trading community did not belong to one caste or religion.
• Bengal exported sugar, rice as well as delicate muslin and silk. The Coromandel coast became a centre of textile production. Gujarat was an entry point for foreign goods. From there, fine textiles and silk were taken to north India. Indigo and food grains were exported from north India through Gujarat. It was also the distribution centre for the luxury products of Kashmir such as shawls and carpets.
• The major imports into India were certain metals such as tin and copper, war horses and luxury items such as ivory. The balance of trade was maintained by the import of gold and silver.

2. Cultural Development under the Mughals

Art and Architecture

• The architecture of the Mughals includes the magnificent forts, palaces, public buildings, mosques and mausoleums. The Mughals were fond of laying gardens with running water. Some of the Mughal gardens such as the Nishat Bagh in Kashmir, the Shalimar Bagh at Lahore and the Pinjore Garden in the Punjab have survived even today.
• During the reign of Sher Shah, the mausoleum at Sasaram in Bihar and the Purana Qila near Delhi were built. These two monuments are considered the architectural marvels of medieval India.
• Large-scale construction of buildings started with the advent of Akbar. He built many forts and the most famous one was the Agra Fort. It was built in red sandstone. His other forts are at Lahore and Allahabad. The climax of fort-building reached its climax during the reign of Shah Jahan.
• The famous Red Fort at Delhi with its Rang Mahal, Diwan-i-Am and Diwan-i-Khaswas his creation. Akbar also built a palace cum-fort complex at Fatehpur Sikri (City of Victory), 36 kilometres from Agra.
• Many buildings in Gujarathi and Bengali styles are found in this complex. Gujarathi-style buildings were probably built for his Rajput wives.
• The most magnificent building in it is the Jama Masjid and the gateway to it is called Buland Darwaza or the Lofty Gate. The height of the gateway is 176 feet. It was built to commemorate Akbar’s victory over Gujarat.
• Other important buildings at Fatehpur Sikri are Jodh Bai’s palace and Panch Mahal with five storeys.
• During Akbar’s reign, the Humayun’s tomb was built at Delhi and it had a massive dome of marble. It may be considered the precursor of the Taj Mahal. Akbar’s tomb at Sikandara near Agra was completed by Jahangir. Nur Jahan built the tomb of Itimaddaulah at Agra.
• It was constructed wholly of white marble with floral designs made of semi-precious stones on the walls. This type of decoration was called pietra dura. This method became more popular during the reign of Shah Jahan. The pietra dura method was used on a large scale in the Taj Mahal by Shah Jahan. The Taj Mahal is considered a jewel of the builder’s art.
• It contains all the architectural forms developed by the Mughals. The chief glory of the Taj is the massive dome and the four slender minarets. The decorations are kept to a minimum.
• Mosque building had reached its peak during Shah Jahan’s reign. The Moti Masjid at Agra was built entirely in white marble. The Jama Masjid at Delhi was built in red stone.
• The Mughal architectural traditions continued in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
• Their influence in the provincial kingdoms is clearly visible. Many features of Mughal tradition can be seen in the Golden Temple at Amritsar.

Paintings and Music

• The contribution of the Mughals to the art of painting was remarkable. The foundation for the Mughal painting was laid by Humayun when he was staying in Persia. He brought with him two painters – Mir Sayyid Ali and Abdal Samad to India. These two painters became famous during Akbar’s reign.
• Akbar commissioned the illustrations of several literary and religious texts. He invited a large number of painters from different parts of the country to his court. Both Hindus and Muslims joined in this work. Baswan, Miskina and Daswant attained great positions as Akbar’s court artists.
• Painting Historical works such as Akbar Nama also remained the main themes of Mughal paintings. The most important work is Hamznama, which consisted of 1200 paintings. Indian colours such as peacock blue, and Indian red began to be used.
• Mughal paintings reached its climax during the reign of Jahangir. He employed several painters like Abul Hasan, Bishan Das, Madhu, Anant, Manohar, Govardhan and Ustad Mansur.
• Apart from painting the scenes of hunting, battles and royal courts, progress was made in portrait painting and paintings of animals. Many albums containing paintings and calligraphy were produced during the Mughal period. Later, the influence of European painting could be seen.
• Music had also developed under the Mughals. Akbar patronized Tansen of Gwalior. Tansen composed many ragas. Jahangir and Shah Jahan were also fond of music.

Language and Literature

• The Persian language became widespread in the Mughal Empire by the time of Akbar’s reign.
• Abul Fazl was a great scholar and historian of his period. He set a style of prose writing and it was followed by many generations. Many historical works were written during this period.
• They include Ain-i-Akbari and Akabar Nama authored by Abul Fazl. The leading poet of that period was his brother Abul Faizi.
• The translation of Mahabharata into the Persian language was done under his supervision. Utbi and Naziri were the two other leading Persian poets. Jahangir’s autobiography, Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri was famous for its style.
• He also patronized many scholars like Ghiyas Beg, Naqib Khan and Niamatullah. Shah Jahan also patronized many writers and historians like Abdul Hamid Lahori, author of Padshah Nama and Inayat Khan who wrote Shah Jahan Nama. His son Dara Shikoh translated the Bhagavat Gita and Upanishads into the Persian language.
• Many historical works were written during the reign of Aurangzeb. Famous dictionaries of the Persian language were also compiled during the Mughal period. Regional languages such as Bengali, Oriya, Rajasthani and Gujarathi had also developed during this period.
• Many devotional works including the Ramayana and Mahabharata were translated into regional languages.
• From the time of Akbar, Hindi poets were attached to the Mughal court. The most influential Hindi poet was Tulasidas, who wrote the Hindi version of the Ramayana, the Ramcharitamanas.