Mughal Empire

Empire Level 2 ★ Major power

1526 – 1857

Timurid empire from Babur to Bahadur Shah II.

🗺 See on map in 1691

Capital: Agra / Fatehpur Sikri / Delhi (Shahjahanabad)
Region: North
Duration: 331 years
Main period: Mughal Empire

Changing extent

1526 — ≈ 410,000 km²: Babur after Panipat: Kabul, the Punjab and Delhi–Agra
1540 — ≈ 70,000 km²: Humayun in exile — the Mughals hold only Kabul
1555 — ≈ 340,000 km²: Humayun restored: Kabul, the Punjab and Delhi
1576 — ≈ 1,780,000 km²: Akbar: Rajputana, Malwa, Gujarat, Gondwana and Bengal
1605 — ≈ 2,790,000 km²: Akbar's 15 subahs: + Kashmir, Sindh, Orissa, Kandahar, Khandesh, Berar and Ahmadnagar
1690 — ≈ 3,520,000 km²: Aurangzeb's peak: Bijapur (1686) and Golconda (1687) annexed; Kandahar lost (1649)
1720 — ≈ 2,600,000 km²: Fragmentation: the Deccan and the Carnatic slip away
1740 — ≈ 390,000 km²: After Nadir Shah: Kabul and Sindh lost; Malwa and Gujarat to the Marathas
1761 — ~130 km radius
1803 — ~30 km radius: British protectorate — Delhi only

Approximate extent over time (solid = latest, dashed = earlier).

At a glance

Move along the chart to read any year; click a ruler or event to open the map there.

Rulers

Babur Humayun Humayun Akbar Jahangir Shah Jahan Aurangzeb (Alamgir)Bahadur Shah I Farrukhsiyar Muhammad Shah Shah Alam II Akbar II Bahadur Shah II (Zafar)

Events

Extent

15261600170018001857

Rulers

Babur Padshah
Victor at Panipat and Khanwa.
1526 – 1530
Humayun Padshah
First reign, ended by Sher Shah.
1530 – 1540
Humayun Padshah
Restored after Sur collapse.
1555 – 1556
Akbar Padshah
Mansabdari; Sulh-i-kul; Fatehpur Sikri.
1556 – 1605
Jahangir Padshah
Nur Jahan; received Sir Thomas Roe.
1605 – 1627
Shah Jahan Padshah
Taj Mahal; Shahjahanabad.
1628 – 1658
Aurangzeb (Alamgir) Padshah
Largest extent; long Deccan wars.
1658 – 1707
Bahadur Shah I Padshah
1707 – 1712
Farrukhsiyar Padshah
1717 farman to the EIC.
1713 – 1719
Muhammad Shah Padshah
Nadir Shah's invasion 1739.
1719 – 1748
Shah Alam II Padshah
Granted the Diwani (1765).
1759 – 1806
Akbar II Padshah
1806 – 1837
Bahadur Shah II (Zafar) Padshah
Symbolic leader of 1857; exiled to Rangoon.
1837 – 1857

Selected rulers; gaps in the list are not gaps in the dynasty.

Key events

Year	Event	Place
1526	First Battle of Panipat Babur defeats Ibrahim Lodi; the Mughal Empire begins. Ibrahim Lodi was killed and Babur founded the Mughal Empire.	Panipat
1527	Battle of Khanwa Babur defeats Rana Sanga. Babur defeated Rana Sanga's Rajput confederacy, securing Mughal rule in the north.	Khanwa
1529	Battle of the Ghaghra Babur defeated the Afghan chiefs of the east.	Ghaghra river
1530	Death of Babur; Humayun succeeds	Agra
1535	Humayun takes Mandu and Champaner	Champaner
1555	Humayun recovers Delhi (Battle of Sirhind) Humayun regained his throne from the Surs.	Sirhind
1556	Second Battle of Panipat Akbar's forces defeat Hemu. Hemu was captured and killed, securing Akbar's throne.	Panipat
1564	Akbar abolishes the jizya Part of Akbar's policy of Sulh-i-kul (peace with all).	Agra
1568	Akbar takes Chittorgarh Chittor fell and Rana Udai Singh moved his capital to Udaipur.	Chittorgarh
1571	Fatehpur Sikri founded	Fatehpur Sikri
1573	Akbar conquers Gujarat	Ahmedabad
1576	Battle of Rajmahal: Mughals take Bengal Daud Khan Karrani was killed and Bengal became a Mughal province.	Rajmahal
1580	Akbar organises the empire into subahs The empire was divided into twelve provinces with uniform administration.	Fatehpur Sikri
1582	Akbar's Din-i-Ilahi	Fatehpur Sikri
1586	Mughals annex Kashmir	Srinagar
1601	Asirgarh falls to Akbar	Asirgarh
1605	Death of Akbar	Agra
1606	Execution of Guru Arjan Dev Sikhism began to take on a militant character under Guru Hargobind.	Lahore
1615	Sir Thomas Roe at Jahangir's court	Ajmer
1628	Shah Jahan becomes emperor	Agra
1632	Taj Mahal construction begins	Agra
1648	Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi) inaugurated	Delhi
1653	Taj Mahal completed	Agra
1658	Aurangzeb becomes emperor	Delhi
1675	Execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur	Delhi
1679	Aurangzeb reimposes the jizya Alienated many Rajput and other subjects.	Delhi
1681	Aurangzeb moves to the Deccan	Aurangabad
1686	Mughals annex Bijapur The Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur ended.	Bijapur
1687	Mughals annex Golconda The Qutb Shahi dynasty of Golconda ended.	Golconda
1707	Death of Aurangzeb Beginning of rapid Mughal decline.	Ahmednagar
1716	Execution of Banda Singh Bahadur	Delhi
1717	Farrukhsiyar's farman to the East India Company	Delhi
1739	Nadir Shah sacks Delhi Peacock Throne and Koh-i-Noor carried off. Delhi was plundered and the Peacock Throne and Koh-i-Noor taken to Persia.	Karnal / Delhi