Rise of Regional Powers

Decline of Mughals led to rise of regional powers

Successor States

• autonomous but within Mughal Empire (powerful nobles - aristocrats, mansabdars)
  • Murshid Kuli Khan - Bengal
  • Sadat Khan - Awadh
  • Nizam - Hyderabad
• ruled autonomously but never declared formal independence due to
  1. Legitimacy of Mughal Empire: to have symbolic authority for them
  2. ambitions in daily politics and desire for greater influence outside principalities by holding imp mansabs at centers like Vazir, Mir Bakshi etc
  3. greater possibility of getting military assistance from rest of the Mughal Empire at war and better trade

Nobles after becoming Governors consolidated powers

• ending system of checks and balances. Eg. ensured their loyalists are appt to im mansabs like Diwan, Dpty. Subedar, Naib Nazim
• established strong revenue administration to inc financial powers. eg. Murshid Kuli Khan was known for efficient revenue admin
• converted Tankha Jagir into Watan Jagir to get support of military nobles. eg. Hyd
• Gathered support of economically powerful people and intermediary zmndr, revenue farmers, merchant, moneylenders by not harassing them, not levying high taxes, giving security of property and law and order stability and by making them mansabdars
• In Bengal by 1727, 15 intermediary zmndr collected 50% LR of Bengal Subha
• distributed mansab and jagir without permission of emperor and acted independently in foreign & domestic policy
• reduced financial reporting of revenue collected to Delhi and stopped sending revenue regularly to Delhi
• estd. dynastic rule and Mughal emperor lost power to choose future governor of successor states

Rebel States

Marathas

• founded by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 17th century
• in 1674, Coronation of Shivaji Maharaj as Chhatrapati
• Shahu 1949 accepted Mughal as emperor, accepted a mansab and accepted to pay tribute and maintain an army

Phases in Maratha Polity

• after 1680, Turmoil after death of Shivaji Maharaj 7480 and continuous warfare by Mughals

• 1707 - 19 - civil war (Tarab bai vs Shahu 1949)

• 1719 - 61 - period of growth - expanded from Swarajya to also include Samrajya

• 1761+ - decline with temporary revival in 1770s

• Maratha won 1st Anglo Maratha War (1775-82)

1. Successor states: by successors of Mughal

      timeline
      		title Successor states
      		1717 : Bengal
      		1722 : Awadh
      		1724 : Hyderabad
   

2. Rebel states

   • Maratha
   • Sikh
   • Jat
   • Afghan

3. Already autonomous: Mughals never had control

   • Rajput
   • Mysore
   • Travancore