How Many Years Did Mughals Rule Over India?

The Actual Duration of Mughal Rule Over India

The Mughal Empire is often considered one of the most powerful dynasties to have ruled over India. However, the common perception that the Mughals ruled over the entire Indian subcontinent for an extended period is not historically accurate. Their control was never absolute across the entire region, and their dominance lasted for a limited timeframe.

This article examines the actual duration of Mughal rule over India, highlighting the period of their peak power and the limitations of their territorial control.

The Establishment of Mughal Rule

The Mughal Empire was established in 1526 when Babur, a descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan, defeated Ibrahim Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat. This victory marked the beginning of Mughal rule in northern India. However, Babur’s control was limited to Delhi, Agra, and parts of the Indo-Gangetic plains. His sudden death in 1530 left the empire unstable, and his successor, Humayun, faced multiple challenges, even losing the throne temporarily to Sher Shah Suri in 1540.

Humayun managed to reclaim Delhi in 1555, but his reign was short-lived as he died a year later, leaving the empire in the hands of his son, Akbar the Great.

Akbar’s Expansion and Consolidation (1556–1605)

The real expansion of the Mughal Empire began under Akbar, who ruled from 1556 to 1605. He systematically extended Mughal rule beyond the Indo-Gangetic plains, conquering Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bengal, Punjab, and parts of the Deccan. By the end of his reign, the Mughals controlled most of northern and central India, though significant parts of the South, Northeast, and Northwest were not under their direct rule.

The Peak of Mughal Power (1605–1707)

The Mughal Empire reached its territorial zenith under Aurangzeb (1658–1707). During his reign, the empire stretched from Kashmir in the north to Tamil Nadu in the south and from Bengal in the east to Afghanistan in the west.

However, even during Aurangzeb’s rule, complete control over India was never achieved. The Mughals faced continuous resistance from Rajputs, Marathas, Sikhs, Jats, Ahoms of Assam, and other regional powers. The empire’s southern expansion, particularly into the Deccan, was met with fierce opposition from the Marathas under Shivaji and later his successors.

Limitations of Mughal Rule

Despite their military success, the Mughals never truly ruled over entire India. Several regions remained outside their control:

1. South India – While Aurangzeb launched extensive campaigns in the Deccan, the Marathas, Nayakas of Tamil Nadu, and the Mysore kingdom resisted Mughal dominance. The Mughals never established a stable rule over these regions.
2. Northeast India – The Ahoms of Assam successfully resisted multiple Mughal invasions, particularly in the famous Battle of Saraighat (1671).
3. Northwest (Afghanistan and beyond) – Mughal control over Afghanistan remained weak, with constant incursions from Persian and Central Asian forces.
4. Maratha Resistance – The Marathas, under Shivaji and his successors, waged relentless guerrilla warfare, challenging Mughal supremacy.

Thus, even at its peak (around 1700), Mughal rule over the entire Indian subcontinent was largely nominal rather than absolute.

Decline of the Mughal Empire (1707–1857)

After Aurangzeb’s death in 1707, the Mughal Empire began to decline rapidly. The empire suffered from internal conflicts, weak rulers, and external invasions. Several key developments marked the collapse of Mughal authority:

1. The Rise of Regional Powers – The Marathas, Sikhs, Rajputs, Jats, and Nawabs of Bengal, Hyderabad, and Awadh asserted independence.
2. Nadir Shah’s Invasion (1739) – The Persian ruler Nadir Shah plundered Delhi, looting immense wealth, including the Kohinoor diamond and the Peacock Throne.
3. Ahmad Shah Abdali’s Invasions (1748–1761) – The Third Battle of Panipat (1761) weakened Mughal influence further.
4. Maratha Control over Delhi (1757–1803) – The Marathas effectively controlled Delhi before losing it to the British in 1803.
5. British Expansion – The British East India Company gradually took control, defeating the Mughals in the Battle of Buxar (1764) and later the Revolt of 1857.

By 1857, after the failure of the First War of Independence (also called the Sepoy Mutiny), the British formally ended the Mughal Empire, exiling the last emperor, Bahadur Shah II, to Burma.

How Many Years Did Mughals Rule Over India?

If we consider nominal rule, the Mughal Empire lasted from 1526 to 1857—331 years. However, if we focus on the period when they ruled over a major portion of India with actual control, it was from Akbar’s consolidation in the 1570s to Aurangzeb’s death in 1707, a span of 130–140 years.

After 1707, Mughal power was largely symbolic, with real authority in the hands of the Marathas, British, and regional rulers.

Conclusion

The idea that the Mughals ruled over all of India for several centuries is misleading. Their dominance lasted for about 130–140 years, from Akbar (1570s) to Aurangzeb (1707), and even during this period, many regions remained beyond their direct control.

Following Aurangzeb’s death, the empire declined rapidly, and by the mid-18th century, the Mughals had become puppet rulers under the influence of the Marathas and later the British. By 1857, the British formally ended the Mughal dynasty, bringing an end to their rule.

Thus, while the Mughals left a significant cultural and architectural legacy, their actual political dominance over India was limited both in time and space. Their rule was never absolute over the entire subcontinent, and regional powers continuously resisted their authority. The real political power in India shifted much earlier than their official removal in 1857, making their actual period of dominance much shorter than often believed.