When Vasco da Gama reached India, he established an open port policy which brought immense prosperity. There was a stranglehold union of Europe and India established. Even though the Portuguese and Dutch companies were most prominent and had their territorial rights in India, there were many other trading companies from England, France, Germany, and Denmark […]
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The Peshwa or the prime minister was the foremost minister in the Ashta Pradhan, the council of ministers of Shivaji. The Peshwas gained more powers and became dominant in the eighteenth Century. Balaji Viswanath (1713-1720) Balaji Viswanath was one of the greatest Maratha Peshwa, who contributed to the expansion and grandeur of Maratha monarchy. Balaji
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Sivaji was born in the hill fort of Shivner near Junnar in 1627. His father was Shahji Bhonsala and mother was Jijabai. In 1632 Shahaji had entered into the service of Bijapur state and left for his new jagir with his second wife. The serious illness of the Sultan of Bijapur in 1646 and the
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An additional reason for the rise of Marathas had been the wide gap between the ordinary people and the ruling class. The gap had been created by the deteriorating nature of leadership provided by Delhi rulers, who, siphoning wealth from the country, left it underdeveloped and poor. In contrast, the sturdy economic strength of its
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Mughal Nobility The nobles of the Mughal period formed a privileged class. Most of them were foreigners such as Turks and Afghan many of them settled down in India and made it their permanent home. The emperor encouraged new elements to join his service, and Iranians came to form an important block of the Mughal
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The mighty Mughal empire which had ruled over a large part of the subcontinent was teetering at the verge of collapse. The weakness of the empire was exposed when Nadir Shah imprisoned the Mughal Emperor and looted Delhi in 1739. The weak successors and demoralization of the Mughal army also paved the way for it.
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Aurangzeb ascended the throne in 1658 after getting rid of all the competitors for the throne, Dara Shukoh, Shuja and Murad, in a war of succession. He assumed the title Alamgir, World Conqueror. The Jats and Satnamis and also the Sikhs revolted against him. His reign of fifty years falls into two equal parts. During
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Shah Jahan was the fifth Mughal ruler after Babur, Humayun, Akbar and Jahangir. After winning the war of succession post the demise of his father Jahangir, Shah Jahan successfully ruled the empire for 30 years. Shah Jahan (Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram) was one of the most successful emperors of the Mughal Empire. His Deccan policy was
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Prince Salim succeeded with the title Jahangir (Conqueror of World) in 1605. His son Khusrau revolted but was defeated and imprisoned. One of his supporters, Guru Arjun, the fifth Sikh Guru, was beheaded. For Jahangir, the most irksome internal problem was that of the Rana of Mewar, head of the Sisodia clan of Rajputs at
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Akbar ruled India from 1556 to 1605 AD. He was the son of Humayun, who ruled over India for 26 years. In large the Mughals surely came to annex India under Babur, but they were unlike other cruel rulers who plundered India. The Mughals in fact helped India to flourish under their kingship. He succeeded
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