Mughal Empire

  • Battle of Panipat
    Apr 21, 1526

    Battle of Panipat

    One of the earliest battles to involve gunpowder, firearms, and field artillery.
  • Babur's death
    Jan 1, 1530

    Babur's death

    leads to difficulties with his son Humayun's succession.
  • Hamayun gains the throne
    Jan 1, 1531

    Hamayun gains the throne

    Seizes power after the death of his dad Babur.
  • Sher Shah Suri gains the power.
    Jan 1, 1540

    Sher Shah Suri gains the power.

    A rival, drives Hamayun out of India and seizes power.
  • Hamayun fights back to India
    Jul 23, 1555

    Hamayun fights back to India

    He takes advantage of the deaths of both Sher Shah Suri and his son and successor, Islam Shah, to march an army provided by his Persian allies back to India.
  • Hamayun's injury/death
    Jan 27, 1556

    Hamayun's injury/death

    Humayun stops for daily prayer in the middle of carrying books down a flight of stairs and trips. He is fatally injured and dies three days later.
  • Bairam Khan defeats the empire's rival
    Nov 5, 1556

    Bairam Khan defeats the empire's rival

    The rival Sur Dynasty once again attempts to seize power. Under Bairam Khan, the Mughal army defeats the Surs and solidifies Akbar's control.
  • Assassination of Bairam Khan/Akbar seizes control of the empire
    Jan 31, 1561

    Assassination of Bairam Khan/Akbar seizes control of the empire

    Under the guidance of his mother and other supporters, Akbar strips Bairam Khan of the regency, and Khan is assassinated on a journey to Mecca.
  • Jahangir is declared successor

    Jahangir is declared successor

    Akbar's oldest son, leads a revolt against his father. While he is defeated, he still has enough political support from the women in Akbar's harem, including Akbar's mother, to retain his role as successor.
  • Jahangir succeeds as emperor

    Jahangir succeeds as emperor

    During his rule, Jahangir is addicted to opium and alcohol and so neglects his role as ruler, allowing him to be manipulated by rival factions.
  • Jahangir's death

    Jahangir's death

    Jahangir dies on his way back from a visit to Kashmir and is succeeded by his third son, Shah Jahan. The court's opulence becomes more expensive than its value.
  • Contruction of Taj Mahal

    Contruction of Taj Mahal

    Shah Jahan begins construction on the Taj Mahal in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
  • Shah Jahan gets ill

    Shah Jahan gets ill

    Shah Jahan falls ill, and his eldest son, Dara Shikoh, becomes regent for him. Due to his liberal politics, his younger brother, Aurangzeb, allies with conservative Islamic factions to oppose him.
  • Beginning of the decline of the Mughal's power.

    Beginning of the decline of the Mughal's power.

    Aurangzeb defeats Dara Shikoh and has him executed. Aurangzeb goes on to expand the empire, but his harsh religious conservatism undermines the stability of the empire.
  • The empire starts to break up

    The empire starts to break up

    urangzeb's son, Shah Alam, succeeds him and tries to undo the disastrous policies of his father, but it is too little, too late. The empire descends into chaos and violent feuds after his death.
  • End of the Mughal Empire

    End of the Mughal Empire

    Bahadur Shah Zafar, the final Mughal ruler, leads a revolt against the British East India Company. The revolt is defeated and the Mughals deposed by the East India Company, which assumes formal control over the country