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Marks the beginning of the Mughal Empire. The forces of Babur, a Central Asian ruler who was descended from the Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan, defeat the Lodi Empire of Northern India.
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Due to instability within the empire, Babur's death in 1531 leads to difficulties with his son Humayun's succession.
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Sher Shah Suri, the leader of the rival Sur dynasty, drives Humayun out of India and seizes power.
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Humayun takes advantage of the deaths of both Sher Shah Suri and his son and successor. He puts the army under the leadership of Bairam Khan, who proves himself a much more skilled tactician.
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Shortly after retaking power, 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.
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On November 5, 1556, under Bairam Khan, the Mughal army defeats the Surs and solidifies Akbar's control.
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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.
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Though Jahangir, Akbar's oldest son, is the declared successor, he impatiently leads a revolt against his father, while Akbar is occupied in a foreign military campaign.
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Jahangir succeeds as emperor, thanks to the immense support of the harem women. His eldest son, Khusrau Mirza, unsuccessfully rebels against him.Jahangir kills all his son's supporters and blinds his son. 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.
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Jahangir dies on his way back from a visit to Kashmir and is succeeded by his third son, Shah Jahan. During this period the court's opulence becomes more expensive than its value.
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Shah Jahan begins construction on the Taj Mahal in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. .
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Shah Jahan falls ill, and his eldest son, Dara Shikoh, becomes regent for him. However, due to his liberal politics, his younger brother, Aurangzeb, allies with conservative Islamic factions to oppose him.
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Aurangzeb defeats Dara Shikoh and has him executed. Though Shah Jahan has recovered by this point, Aurangzeb declares him unfit for rule and has him imprisoned. Aurangzeb goes on to expand the empire, but his harsh religious conservatism undermines the stability of the empire. This marks the beginning of the decline of the Mughal's power.
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Shah Alam, succeeds his father in 1707 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 and starts to break up.
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British East India Company has become the protector of the Mughal Empire, using it to solidify their claim on trade with India. Bahadur Shah Zafar, the final Mughal ruler, leads a revolt against them, although he is in reality little more than a figurehead. The revolt is defeated and the Mughals deposed by the East India Company, which assumes formal control over the country and ends the Mughal Empire.
