Mughal Empire

1526 – 1857

Map layer: Empires & Regional Powers

From Babur's victory at Panipat to the deposition of Bahadur Shah II.

🗺 Map at start (1526) Map at midpoint (1692) Zoomed timeline

Main polities of this period

Name	Type	Span	Region	Capital
Kingdom of Kandy ★	Kingdom	c. 1469 – 1815	Sri Lanka	Senkadagala (Kandy)
Mughal Empire ★	Empire	1526 – 1857	North	Agra / Fatehpur Sikri / Delhi (Shahjahanabad)
Koch Kingdom (Kamata / Cooch Behar)	Kingdom	1515 – 1949	Northeast	Kamatapur / Cooch Behar
Madurai Nayaks	Kingdom	1529 – 1736	South	Madurai / Tiruchirappalli
Gorkha Kingdom	Kingdom	1559 – 1768	Himalaya	Gorkha
Bhutan under the Zhabdrung (Druk Desi)	Theocratic state	1616 – 1907	Himalaya	Punakha
Kingdom of Cochin	Kingdom	c. 1102 – 1949	South	Kochi / Thrissur
Chaubisi & Baisi Principalities	Chiefdoms	c. 1400 – 1786	Himalaya
Bikaner State	Kingdom	1465 – 1949	West	Bikaner
Kantipur (Kathmandu)	Kingdom	1482 – 1769	Himalaya	Kantipur (Kathmandu)
Lalitpur (Patan)	Kingdom	1482 – 1769	Himalaya	Lalitpur (Patan)
Bhaktapur	Kingdom	1482 – 1769	Himalaya	Bhaktapur
Keladi Nayakas (Ikkeri)	Kingdom	1499 – 1763	South	Ikkeri / Bednur
Safavid Empire (eastern provinces)	Foreign / northwestern kingdom	1501 – 1736	Northwest	Herat
Kingdom of Sitawaka	Kingdom	1521 – 1594	Sri Lanka	Sitawaka
Thanjavur Nayaks	Kingdom	1532 – 1673	South	Thanjavur
Kingdom of Sikkim	Kingdom	1642 – 1975	Northeast	Yuksom, later Gangtok

Also existing during this period

Malwa Sultanate

Central · 1392 – 1562

Holkar State (Indore)

Central · 1731 – 1948

Scindia State (Gwalior)

Central · 1731 – 1948

Bhonsles of Nagpur

Central · 1739 – 1853

Portuguese Cochin

Coastal · 1503 – 1663

Portuguese Estado da Índia

Coastal · 1505 – 1961

Portuguese Bassein & Bombay

Coastal · 1534 – 1739

Portuguese Diu

Coastal · 1535 – 1961

Portuguese Daman

Coastal · 1559 – 1961

Portuguese Hooghly

Coastal · 1579 – 1632

Dutch East India Company (VOC) in India

Coastal · 1605 – 1825

Dutch Coromandel (Pulicat)

Coastal · 1610 – 1825

Danish India

Coastal · 1620 – 1869

Danish Tranquebar

Coastal · 1620 – 1845

Fort St George, Madras

Coastal · 1639 – 1858

Dutch Chinsurah

Coastal · 1656 – 1825

Dutch Malabar (Cochin)

Coastal · 1663 – 1795

French India

Coastal · 1668 – 1954

Bombay (English East India Company)

Coastal · 1668 – 1858

Chandernagore

Coastal · 1673 – 1950

Pondichéry

Coastal · 1674 – 1954

Mahé

Coastal · 1721 – 1954

Yanam

Coastal · 1731 – 1954

Karaikal

Coastal · 1739 – 1954

Danish Serampore

Coastal · 1755 – 1845

Bahmani Sultanate

Deccan · 1347 – 1527

Ahmadnagar Sultanate (Nizam Shahi)

Deccan · 1490 – 1636

Bijapur Sultanate (Adil Shahi)

Deccan · 1490 – 1686

Berar Sultanate (Imad Shahi)

Deccan · 1490 – 1574

Bidar Sultanate (Barid Shahi)

Deccan · 1492 – 1619

Golconda Sultanate (Qutb Shahi)

Deccan · 1518 – 1687

Maratha Empire

Deccan · 1674 – 1818

Hyderabad State (Nizams)

Bengal Sultanate

Gajapati Kingdom

Nawabs of Bengal

Rohilkhand

Gangetic Plain · 1721 – 1774

Awadh (Nawabs of Oudh)

Gangetic Plain · 1722 – 1856

Malla Dynasty of Nepal

Himalaya · 1201 – 1769

Kingdom of Nepal — expansion era

Himalaya · 1768 – 1816

Kingdom of Nepal

Himalaya · 1816 – 2008

Sultanate of the Maldives

Islands · c. 1153 – 1968

Delhi Sultanate

North · 1206 – 1526

Kashmir Sultanate

North · 1339 – 1586

Sur Empire

North · 1540 – 1556

Jat Kingdom of Bharatpur

North · 1722 – 1947

Sikh Empire

North · 1799 – 1849

Ahom Kingdom

Northeast · 1228 – 1826

Hotak Dynasty

Northwest · 1709 – 1738

Durrani Empire

Northwest · 1747 – 1823

Emirate of Afghanistan

Northwest · 1823 – 1926

British East India Company

Pan-Indian · 1600 – 1858

Zamorins of Calicut

South · c. 1124 – 1766

Vijayanagara Empire

South · 1336 – 1646

Kingdom of Mysore

South · 1399 – 1950

Carnatic (Nawabs of Arcot)

South · 1692 – 1855

Travancore

South · 1729 – 1949

Jaffna Kingdom

Sri Lanka · c. 1215 – 1619

Kingdom of Kotte

Sri Lanka · 1412 – 1597

Portuguese Ceylon

Sri Lanka · 1597 – 1658

Dutch Ceylon

Sri Lanka · 1658 – 1796

British Ceylon

Sri Lanka · 1796 – 1948

Kachwahas of Amber (Jaipur)

West · c. 1128 – 1949

Marwar (Rathore)

West · c. 1226 – 1949

Mewar (Sisodia)

West · 1326 – 1949

Gujarat Sultanate

West · 1407 – 1573

Gaekwad State (Baroda)

West · 1721 – 1949

Events

Year	Event	Polity
1526	First Battle of Panipat Ibrahim Lodi was killed and Babur founded the Mughal Empire.	Mughal Empire
1527	Battle of Khanwa Babur defeated Rana Sanga's Rajput confederacy, securing Mughal rule in the north.	Mughal Empire
1529	Battle of the Ghaghra Babur defeated the Afghan chiefs of the east.	Mughal Empire
1530	Death of Babur; Humayun succeeds	Mughal Empire
1535	Humayun takes Mandu and Champaner	Mughal Empire
1539	Battle of Chausa Humayun was defeated and escaped by swimming the Ganga.	Sur Empire
1540	Battle of Kannauj Humayun fled into exile and Sher Shah founded the Sur Empire.	Sur Empire
1541	Rohtas Fort begun by Sher Shah	Sur Empire
1545	Death of Sher Shah at Kalinjar	Sur Empire
1555	Humayun recovers Delhi (Battle of Sirhind) Humayun regained his throne from the Surs.	Mughal Empire
1556	Second Battle of Panipat Hemu was captured and killed, securing Akbar's throne.	Mughal Empire
1558	Portuguese occupy Malé	Portuguese Malé
1559	Drabya Shah founds the Gorkha kingdom	Gorkha Kingdom
1564	Akbar abolishes the jizya	Mughal Empire
1565	Battle of Talikota Vijayanagara's army was routed and its capital Hampi was sacked.	Tuluva Dynasty
1568	Akbar takes Chittorgarh Chittor fell and Rana Udai Singh moved his capital to Udaipur.	Mughal Empire
1571	Fatehpur Sikri founded	Mughal Empire
1573	Akbar conquers Gujarat	Mughal Empire
1573	Muhammad Thakurufaanu frees the Maldives The Portuguese were expelled after fifteen years.	Sultanate of the Maldives
1576	Battle of Haldighati The Mughals held the field but Maharana Pratap escaped to continue resisting.	Mewar (Sisodia)
1576	Battle of Rajmahal: Mughals take Bengal Daud Khan Karrani was killed and Bengal became a Mughal province.	Mughal Empire
1580	Akbar organises the empire into subahs The empire was divided into twelve provinces with uniform administration.	Mughal Empire
1582	Akbar's Din-i-Ilahi	Mughal Empire
1586	Mughals annex Kashmir	Mughal Empire
1591	Charminar built	Golconda Sultanate (Qutb Shahi)
1600	East India Company chartered	British East India Company
1601	Asirgarh falls to Akbar	Mughal Empire
1602	Dutch East India Company (VOC) founded	Dutch East India Company (VOC) in India
1604	Adi Granth installed at Harmandir Sahib
1605	Death of Akbar	Mughal Empire
1606	Execution of Guru Arjan Dev Sikhism began to take on a militant character under Guru Hargobind.	Mughal Empire
1611	English factory at Masulipatnam	British East India Company
1612	Battle of Swally The English defeated the Portuguese and won trading rights at Surat.	British East India Company
1615	Sir Thomas Roe at Jahangir's court	Mughal Empire
1616	Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal arrives in Bhutan	Bhutan under the Zhabdrung (Druk Desi)
1628	Shah Jahan becomes emperor	Mughal Empire
1632	Taj Mahal construction begins	Mughal Empire
1639	Fort St George founded at Madras	Fort St George, Madras
1646	Last Vijayanagara stronghold falls	Aravidu Dynasty
1648	Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi) inaugurated	Mughal Empire
1653	Taj Mahal completed	Mughal Empire
1656	Dutch take Colombo from the Portuguese Portuguese rule in Sri Lanka ended by 1658.	Dutch Ceylon
1658	Aurangzeb becomes emperor	Mughal Empire
1659	Shivaji kills Afzal Khan at Pratapgad Bijapur's army was routed and Shivaji's power grew.
1661	Bombay passes to England	Portuguese Bassein & Bombay
1664	Shivaji sacks Surat
1665	Treaty of Purandar Shivaji ceded 23 forts to the Mughals and agreed to attend Aurangzeb's court.
1666	Shivaji escapes from Agra
1671	Battle of Saraighat The Ahoms defeated the Mughals, keeping Assam independent.	Ahom Kingdom
1674	Shivaji crowned Chhatrapati	Maratha Empire
1675	Execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur	Mughal Empire
1679	Aurangzeb reimposes the jizya Alienated many Rajput and other subjects.	Mughal Empire
1680	Death of Shivaji His son Sambhaji succeeded him.	Maratha Empire
1681	Aurangzeb moves to the Deccan	Mughal Empire
1686	Mughals annex Bijapur The Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur ended.	Mughal Empire
1687	Mughals annex Golconda The Qutb Shahi dynasty of Golconda ended.	Mughal Empire
1689	Execution of Sambhaji	Maratha Empire
1690	Job Charnock founds Calcutta Calcutta grew into the capital of British India.	British East India Company
1699	Guru Gobind Singh founds the Khalsa
1707	Death of Aurangzeb	Mughal Empire
1708	Death of Guru Gobind Singh He declared the Guru Granth Sahib the eternal Guru.
1709	Mirwais Hotak's revolt at Kandahar	Hotak Dynasty
1713	Balaji Vishwanath becomes Peshwa	Maratha Empire
1716	Execution of Banda Singh Bahadur	Mughal Empire
1717	Farrukhsiyar's farman to the East India Company	Mughal Empire
1720	Baji Rao I becomes Peshwa	Maratha Empire
1724	Battle of Shakar Kheda: Hyderabad State founded Nizam-ul-Mulk defeated the Mughal governor and founded Hyderabad State.	Hyderabad State (Nizams)
1737	Baji Rao raids Delhi	Maratha Empire
1739	Nadir Shah sacks Delhi Delhi was plundered and the Peacock Throne and Koh-i-Noor taken to Persia.	Mughal Empire
1741	Battle of Colachel Travancore defeated the Dutch, ending Dutch ambitions in Kerala.	Travancore
1742	Maratha (Bargi) raids on Bengal	Nawabs of Bengal
1746	French capture Madras (First Carnatic War)	French India
1747	Ahmad Shah Durrani founds the Durrani Empire	Durrani Empire
1749	Battle of Ambur Anwaruddin Khan was killed; Chanda Sahib, backed by the French, took Arcot.	Carnatic (Nawabs of Arcot)
1751	Siege of Arcot Clive's defence of Arcot turned the Second Carnatic War in Britain's favour.	Carnatic (Nawabs of Arcot)
1757	Battle of Plassey Siraj ud-Daulah was defeated and Mir Jafar became a Company-backed nawab.	British East India Company
1760	Battle of Wandiwash French power in India was broken.	British East India Company
1761	Third Battle of Panipat The Marathas were crushed by Ahmad Shah Durrani and their northward expansion checked.	Maratha Empire
1764	Battle of Buxar The Company defeated Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daula and Shah Alam II together.	British East India Company
1765	Diwani of Bengal granted The Company won the right to collect revenue in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.	British East India Company
1767	First Anglo-Mysore War	Kingdom of Mysore
1768	Prithvi Narayan Shah conquers Kathmandu Kathmandu became the capital of a unified Nepal.	Kingdom of Nepal — expansion era
1769	Treaty of Madras Ended the First Anglo-Mysore War with mutual restitution of conquests.	Kingdom of Mysore
1770	Great Bengal Famine	British East India Company
1773	Regulating Act; Warren Hastings Governor-General	British East India Company
1775	First Anglo-Maratha War begins	Maratha Empire
1780	Battle of Pollilur Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan destroyed a Company force under Colonel Baillie.	Kingdom of Mysore
1782	Treaty of Salbai The First Anglo-Maratha War ended with a return to the status quo.	Scindia State (Gwalior)
1784	Asiatic Society founded	British East India Company
1784	Treaty of Mangalore Ended the Second Anglo-Mysore War on the basis of mutual restitution.	Kingdom of Mysore
1792	Treaty of Seringapatam Tipu Sultan ceded half his kingdom and gave two sons as hostages.	Kingdom of Mysore
1793	Permanent Settlement of Bengal	British East India Company
1795	Battle of Kharda The Marathas defeated the Nizam of Hyderabad.	Maratha Empire
1796	British take coastal Ceylon from the Dutch Coastal Sri Lanka passed to Britain, confirmed by the Treaty of Amiens.	British Ceylon
1798	Hyderabad accepts the Subsidiary Alliance The Nizam became the first ruler to accept Wellesley's system.	Hyderabad State (Nizams)
1799	Fall of Srirangapatna Tipu Sultan was killed and the Wodeyars were restored as Company allies.	Kingdom of Mysore
1799	Ranjit Singh takes Lahore	Sikh Empire
1802	Treaty of Bassein Peshwa Baji Rao II accepted the Subsidiary Alliance.	Maratha Empire
1803	British capture Delhi The Mughal emperor came under British protection.	British East India Company
1803	Battle of Assaye Arthur Wellesley defeated the combined Scindia and Bhonsle armies.	British East India Company
1806	Vellore mutiny	British East India Company
1809	Treaty of Amritsar fixes the Sutlej frontier Ranjit Singh agreed not to expand south of the Sutlej.	Sikh Empire
1814	Anglo-Nepal War: siege of Nalapani The Gorkha garrison under Balbhadra Kunwar held out before withdrawing.	Kingdom of Nepal — expansion era
1815	Kandyan Convention The Kandyan kingdom ended and all Sri Lanka came under British rule.	Kingdom of Kandy
1816	Treaty of Sugauli Nepal ceded Kumaon, Garhwal and the Terai and accepted a British resident.	Kingdom of Nepal
1817	Battle of Khadki The Peshwa's army was defeated near Pune.	Maratha Empire
1818	Third Anglo-Maratha War ends The Peshwa's territories were annexed and the Company became the paramount power.	Maratha Empire
1824	Kittur revolt against the Company Rani Chennamma won an early victory but was captured in a second assault.
1826	Treaty of Yandabo Burma ceded Assam, Manipur, Arakan and Tenasserim to the Company.	Ahom Kingdom
1828	Brahmo Samaj founded	British East India Company
1829	Sati abolished	British East India Company
1835	English Education Act	British East India Company
1839	Death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh	Sikh Empire
1839	First Anglo-Afghan War begins Shah Shuja was installed in Kabul, but British forces were destroyed in 1842.	Emirate of Afghanistan
1842	British retreat from Kabul Almost the entire retreating British column was annihilated.	Emirate of Afghanistan
1843	Annexation of Sindh Sindh was annexed after the Battle of Miani.	British East India Company
1845	First Anglo-Sikh War The Sikhs ceded the Jullundur Doab and paid an indemnity.	Sikh Empire
1846	Jammu & Kashmir granted to Gulab Singh The Dogra-ruled princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was created.
1846	Kot massacre; Rana rule begins in Nepal Jung Bahadur Rana seized power and Rana prime ministers ruled for 104 years.	Kingdom of Nepal
1848	Doctrine of Lapse applied to Satara Satara was annexed because its ruler died without a natural heir.	British East India Company
1849	Punjab annexed The Sikh Empire ended and Maharaja Duleep Singh was pensioned off.	British East India Company
1853	First passenger railway: Bombay to Thane	British East India Company
1855	Santhal Hul (rebellion) Suppressed in 1856; the Santhal Parganas district was created.	British East India Company
1856	Awadh annexed Wajid Ali Shah was deposed on the charge of misgovernance.	British East India Company
1856	Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act Remarriage of Hindu widows was legalised.	British East India Company
1857	Revolt of 1857 begins at Meerut The revolt was suppressed by 1858 and Company rule was ended.
1857	Mangal Pandey's attack at Barrackpore Mangal Pandey was hanged; his regiment was disbanded.	British East India Company
1857	Rebels proclaim Bahadur Shah Zafar emperor Delhi became the centre of the revolt until retaken in September 1857.