{{Short description|Dynasty of the Mughal Empire}} {{About|the historical imperial family|the territorial state over which it ruled| Mughal Empire|rulers of that empire|Mughal emperors}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}} {{Royal house| | surname = House of Babur | native_name = | type = [[Empire|Imperial]] [[dynasty]] | country = [[Mughal India]] | origin = [[Timurid Empire]] | parent house = [[Timurid dynasty]] | native_name_lang = | coat of arms = Seal of Bahadur Shah II of India.png | coat_of_arms_caption = [[Flags of the Mughal Empire|'''Imperial seal'''<br>(1837–1857)]] | titles = List * [[Badshah of Hindustan]] * [[Khan of Khans]] * [[Sultan of Sultans]] * [[Shahanshah|Shah of Shahs]] * [[Caliphate|Mughal Caliph]] * [[Gurkani (disambiguation)|Gurkani]]<ref name="Thackston2">{{cite book|title= The Baburnama: Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emperor|publisher= Modern Library|isbn= 978-0-375-76137-9|author= Zahir ud-Din Mohammad|author-link= Babur|editor= Thackston, Wheeler M.|editor-link= Wheeler Thackston|location= New York|page= [https://archive.org/details/babarinizam00babu/page/ xlvi]|date= 10 September 2002|quote= In India the dynasty always called itself ''Gurkani'', after Temür's title ''Gurkân'', the Persianized form of the Mongolian {{lang|mn-Latn| kürägän}}, 'son-in-law,' a title Temür assumed after his marriage to a Genghisid princess.|title-link= Baburnama}}</ref> ** [[Sardar]] ** [[Khan (title)|Khan]] ** [[Baig]] ** [[Mirza (name)|Mirza]] ** [[Shah]] ** [[Sultan]] ** [[Malik]] ** [[Shahzada (title)|Shahzade]] ** [[Shahzadi]] ** [[Padshah Begum]] ** [[Hazrat Ishaan]] (Title), special title for a distinguished branch of [[Shahzadi|Princes]], descending from [[Jahangir]] and [[Aurangzeb]], leading the [[Naqshbandi]] Sufi order | founder = [[Babur]] | dissolution = 1857 | final ruler = [[Bahadur Shah II]] | final_head = | founding year = [[First Battle of Panipat|21 April 1526]] | deposition = [[Siege of Delhi|21 September 1857]] | cadet_branches = | traditions = {{ubl|[[Sunni Islam]] (1526–1857) | [[Din-i Ilahi]] (1582–1605)}} }}

The '''Mughal dynasty''' ({{langx|fa|{{Nastaliq|دودمان مغل}}| Dudmân-e Mughal}}) or the '''House of Babur''' ({{langx|fa|{{Nastaliq|خاندانِ آلِ بابُر}}|Khāndān-e-Āl-e-Bābur}}), was a branch of the [[Timurid dynasty]] that ruled South Asia and other territories within modern day Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan, that composed the [[Mughal Empire]].

Founded in 1526 by [[Babur]], the first Mughal Emperor, the House of Babur ruled over much of South Asia and parts of the Middle East until the early 18th century, thereafter continuing their roles as imperial suzerains until 1857. At the dynasty’s height under [[Akbar|Akbar the Great]] in the 16th and early 17th centuries, the Mughal Empire was one of the largest empires in history.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sartore |first=Melissa |title=The Largest Empires In History, By The Numbers |url=https://www.ranker.com/list/biggest-empires-ever-history/melissa-sartore |access-date=2025-08-13 |website=Ranker |language=en}}</ref> Later commanding the world’s largest military under [[Aurangzeb|Emperor Aurangzeb]], the family emerged as the foremost global power in the region.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aurangzeb: A Political History |url=https://southasia.ucla.edu/history-politics/mughals-and-medieval/aurangzeb/ |access-date=2025-08-13 |website=MANAS |language=en-US}}</ref>

The dynasty originated from the branches of the imperial Barlas and Borjigin clans which ruled the Mongol Empire and its successor states.<ref name="EI">B.F. Manz, ''"Tīmūr Lang"'', in [[Encyclopaedia of Islam]], Online Edition, 2006</ref><ref name="Britannica">''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'', "[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9072546/Timurid-Dynasty Timurid Dynasty]", Online Academic Edition, 2007. (Quotation: "Turkic-Mongol" dynasty descended from the conqueror Timur (Tamerlane), renowned for its brilliant revival of artistic and intellectual life in Iran and Central Asia. ... Trading and artistic communities were brought into the capital city of Herat, where a library was founded, and the capital became the centre of a renewed and artistically brilliant Persian culture.")</ref><ref name="Columbia">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Timurids |encyclopedia=The Columbia Encyclopedia |publisher=[[Columbia University]] |location=New York City |url=http://www.bartleby.com/65/ti/Timurids.html |access-date=2006-11-08 |edition=Sixth |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061205073939/http://bartleby.com/65/ti/Timurids.html |archive-date=2006-12-05}}</ref> Emperor Babur himself (b. 1483) was a direct descendant of the Turco-Mongol conqueror [[Timur]] (1336–1405) on his father's side, and of Mongol emperor [[Genghis Khan]] on his mother's side. Later descendants genealogically held Persian and Indian heritage as well, since Mughal Royals often pursued marriage alliances with noble houses throughout Persia and India.<ref>Jeroen Duindam (2015), [https://books.google.com/books?id=5ky2CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA105 ''Dynasties: A Global History of Power, 1300–1800'', page 105] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206075722/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=5ky2CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA105 |date=6 December 2022 }}, [[Cambridge University Press]]</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Malika|last=Mohammada|title=The Foundations of the Composite Culture in India|publisher=Akkar Books|date=1 January 2007|pages=300|isbn=978-8-189-83318-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dwzbYvQszf4C&pg=PA300}}</ref>

For most of the Mughal dynasty's history, the throne of the Mughal Empire was continuously occupied by a singular Emperor who functioned as the absolute head of state, government, and military. Largely secular, Mughal Court ceremonies saw not just Muslim elites but also prominent [[Maratha Empire|Maratha]], [[Rajput clans|Rajput]], and Sikh leaders acknowledging the Emperor as the region's sole ruler.<ref name="MSA2">{{Cite book |last1=Bose |first1=Sugata |author-link1=Sugata Bose |title=Modern South Asia: History, Culture, Political Economy |last2=Jalal |first2=Ayesha |author-link2=Ayesha Jalal |publisher=Routledge |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-203-71253-5 |edition=2nd |page=41}}</ref> Later in the dynasty’s history, much of the power shifted to the office of the [[Grand vizier|Grand Vizier]] as the empire became divided into many regional kingdoms and [[Princely state|princely states]]. As a consequence, the dynasty also produced the [[Nawab|Nawabs]] (nobles) of [[Hyderabad]], [[Delhi]], [[Kashmir]], [[Lahore]], [[Lucknow]], [[Aligarh]], [[Dhaka]], and [[Bengal]]. During this time, the family fragmented into several branches, most consequentially in the mid-18th century between its Indian and Persian-Pakistani branches following the exile of the last Mughal Emperor, [[Bahadur Shah Zafar|Bahadur Shah II]].

==Mughal Empire== {{excerpt|Mughal Empire|Name|paragraph=2}}

==History== The Mughal empire is conventionally said to have been founded in 1526 by [[Babur]], a [[Timurid dynasty|Timurid prince]] from [[Andijan]] which today is in [[Uzbekistan]]. After losing his ancestral domains in Central Asia, Babur first established himself in [[Kabul]] and ultimately moved towards the Indian subcontinent.<ref>{{citation |first=Abraham |last=Eraly |author-link=Abraham Eraly |title=Emperors of the Peacock Throne: The Saga of the Great Moghuls |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h7kPQs8llvkC|year=2007 |publisher=Penguin Books Limited |isbn=978-93-5118-093-7}}</ref> Mughal rule was interrupted for 16 years by the [[Sur Empire|Sur Emperors]] during [[Humayun]]'s reign.<ref name=The-Last-Great-Muslim-Empires>{{cite book|title=The Last Great Muslim Empires |first1=H. J. |last1=Kissling|author2=N. Barbour |author3=Bertold Spuler |author4=J. S. Trimingham |author5=F. R. C. Bagley |author6=H. Braun |author7= H. Hartel |year=1997|publisher=BRILL |isbn=90-04-02104-3|pages=262–263|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-AznJs58wtkC&pg=PA262|access-date=17 May 2020}}</ref> Famed Russian linguist and physicist, [[Vladimir Braginsky|Vladimir Braginskiĭ]], also believed that the [[Hikayat Aceh]] literature from [[Aceh Sultanate]] were influenced by Mughal dynasty historiography, as he found out the literal structure similarities of Hikayat Aceh with ''Mahfuzat-i-Timuri'', as the former has shared the similar theme with the latter about the lifetime and exploits of the protagonist of ''Mahfuzat-i-Timuri'', [[Timur]].<ref name="The Heritage of Traditional Malay Literature: A Historical Survey of Genres, Writings and Literary Views;">{{cite book |author1=V.I. Braginsky |title=The Heritage of Traditional Malay Literature: A Historical Survey of Genres, Writings and Literary Views |date=2005 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-48987-5 |page=381 |url=https://brill.com/display/title/23610?language=en |access-date=17 March 2024 |language=En |quote=...author shares T. Iskandar's opinion that Hikayat Aceh was influenced by Mughal historiography..}}</ref> Braginskiĭ also found the similarities in structure of both Hikayat Aceh and ''Mahfuzat-i-Timuri'' with [[Akbarnama]] manuscript.<ref name="The Heritage of Traditional Malay Literature: A Historical Survey of Genres, Writings and Literary Views;" />

The Mughal imperial structure was founded by [[Akbar the Great]] around the 1580s which lasted until the 1740s, until shortly after the [[Battle of Karnal]]. During the reigns of [[Shah Jahan]] and [[Aurangzeb]], the dynasty reached its zenith in terms of geographical extent, economy, military and cultural influence.<ref>{{Cite web|title=BBC - Religions - Islam: Mughal Empire (1500s, 1600s)|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/mughalempire_1.shtml|access-date=15 June 2020|website=www.bbc.co.uk|language=en-GB}}</ref>

Around 1700, the dynasty was ruling the wealthiest empire in the world, with also the largest military on earth.<ref name="harrison">{{cite book|title=Developing cultures: case studies|author=[[Lawrence Harrison (academic)|Lawrence E. Harrison]], [[Peter L. Berger]]|publisher=[[Routledge]]|year=2006|page=158|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RB0oAQAAIAAJ|isbn=9780415952798}}</ref> Mughals had approximately 24 percent share of the world's economy and a military of one million soldiers.<ref name="Maddison2003">{{cite book|last=Maddison|first=Angus|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rHJGz3HiJbcC&pg=PA256|title=Development Centre Studies The World Economy Historical Statistics: Historical Statistics|date=25 September 2003|publisher=OECD Publishing|isbn=978-92-64-10414-3|pages=256–|author-link=Angus Maddison}}</ref><ref name=":0">Art of Mughal Warfare." Art of Mughal Warfare. Indiannetzone, 25 August 2005.</ref> At that time the Mughals ruled almost the whole of South Asia with 160&nbsp;million subjects, 23 percent of the world's population.<ref name="borocz">{{cite book|author=József Böröcz|title=The European Union and Global Social Change|page=21|publisher=[[Routledge]]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d0SPAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA21|access-date=17 May 2020|isbn=9781135255800|date=10 September 2009|author-link=József Böröcz}}</ref> The Dynasty's power rapidly dwindled during the 18th century with internal dynastic conflicts, incompatible monarchs, foreign invasions from Persians and Afghans, as well as revolts from [[Maratha Confederacy|Marathas]], Sikh, Rajputs and regional Nawabs.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hallissey |first=Robert C. |year=1977 |title=The Rajput Rebellion Against Aurangzeb |publisher=University of Missouri Press |pages=ix, x, 84 |isbn=978-0-8262-0222-2}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Claude Markovits |date=2004 |orig-year=First published 1994 as ''Histoire de l'Inde Moderne'' |title=A History of Modern India, 1480–1950 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uzOmy2y0Zh4C&pg=PA172 |publisher=Anthem Press |pages=172–173 |isbn=978-1-84331-004-4}}</ref> The power of the last emperor was limited only to the [[Old Delhi|Walled city of Delhi]]. [[File:More Simplified Mughal Lineage.jpg|thumb|[[Mughal Empire|The Mughal Lineage]]; represents all the descendants mentioned in written sources and verbal sources found and researched in the New Era. Contains male issues only.]] Many of the Mughals had significant Indian and Persian ancestry through marriage alliances as they were born to Persian princesses.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Duindam|first=Jeroen|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5ky2CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA105|title=Dynasties: A Global History of Power, 1300–1800|date=2016|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-06068-5|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Mohammada|first=Malika|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dwzbYvQszf4C&pg=PA300|title=The Foundations of the Composite Culture in India|date=2007|publisher=Aakar Books|isbn=978-81-89833-18-3|language=en}}</ref> Mughals played a great role in the flourishing of [[Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb]] (Indo-Islamic civilization).<ref>{{Cite book|last=Alvi|first=Sajida Sultana|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RHJaPgAACAAJ&q=mughals+and+indo+Islamic+civilization|title=Perspectives on Indo-Islamic Civilization in Mughal India: Historiography, Religion and Politics, Sufism and Islamic Renewal|date=2 August 2012|publisher=OUP Pakistan|isbn=978-0-19-547643-9|language=en}}</ref> Mughals were also great patrons of art, culture, literature and architecture. [[Mughal painting]], [[Mughal architecture|architecture]], [[Mughal culture|culture]], [[Mughal clothing|clothing]], [[Mughal cuisine|cuisine]] and [[Urdu language]]; all were flourished during Mughal era. Mughals were not only guardians of art and culture but they also took interest in these fields personally. Emperor Babur, [[Aurangzeb]] and [[Shah Alam II]] were great calligraphers,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Taher|first=Mohamed|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qRLXDBX5KzkC|title=Librarianship and Library Science in India: An Outline of Historical Perspectives|date=1994|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|isbn=978-81-7022-524-9|language=en}}</ref> [[Jahangir]] was a great painter,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Dimand|first=Maurice S.|date=1944|title=The Emperor Jahangir, Connoisseur of Paintings|journal=The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin|volume=2|issue=6|pages=196–200|doi=10.2307/3257119|jstor=3257119|issn=0026-1521}}</ref> Shah Jahan was a great architect<ref>{{harvnb|Asher|2003|p=169}}</ref> while [[Bahadur Shah II]] was a great poet of Urdu.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bilal|first=Maaz Bin|date=9 November 2018|title=Not just the last Mughal: Three ghazals by Bahadur Shah Zafar, the poet king|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1444563|access-date=24 June 2020|website=DAWN.COM|language=en}}</ref>

As the last Mughal Emperor, [[Bahadur Shah Zafar|Bahadur Shah II]] ({{reign | 1837 | 1857}}) was tried and convicted by the British [[East India Company]] before sentenced to exile in [[Rangoon]], situated in British-controlled [[British rule in Burma|Burma]] (present-day Myanmar).<ref name="Last Mughal"> {{Cite book |last=Bhatia |first=H.S. |title=Justice System and Mutinies in British India |page=204}} </ref> The imperial family was hence abolished, and the empire was dissolved on 21 September 1857 after the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]]. The UK declared the establishment of the [[British Raj]] the following year.

==Succession to the throne== [[File:Khalili Collection Islamic Art mss 0874.3.jpg|thumb|right|Group portrait of Mughal rulers, from [[Babur]] to [[Aurangzeb]], with the Mughal ancestor [[Timur]] seated in the middle. On the right: [[Shah Jahan]], [[Akbar]] and Babur, with Abu Sa'id of Samarkand and Timur's son, [[Miran Shah]]. On the left: Aurangzeb, [[Jahangir]] and [[Humayun]], and two of Timur's other offspring [[Umar Shaikh Mirza I|Umar Shaykh]] and [[Muhammad Sultan Mirza|Muhammad Sultan]]. Created {{circa|1707–12}}]]

The Mughal dynasty operated under several basic premises: that the [[Mughal Emperor|Emperor]] governed the empire's entire territory with complete sovereignty, that only one person at a time could be the Emperor, and that every male member of the dynasty was hypothetically eligible to become Emperor, even though an [[heir-apparent]] was appointed several times in dynastic history. The certain processes through which imperial princes rose to the [[Peacock Throne]], however, were very specific to the [[Mughal Empire]]. To go into greater detail about these processes, the history of succession between Emperors can be divided into two eras: Era of Imperial successions (1526–1713) and Era of Regent successions (1713–1857).

== Disputed headship of dynasty == The Mughal Emperors practiced [[polygamy]]. Besides their wives, they also had several concubines in their [[harem]], who produced children. This makes it difficult to identify all the offspring of each emperor.<ref>{{cite book |last=Dalrymple |first=William |title=The Last Mughal |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing Plc |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-4088-0092-8 |location=London |page=44}}</ref>

A man in [[India]] named Habeebuddin Tucy claims to be a descendant of [[Bahadur Shah II]], but his claim is not universally believed.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 August 2019 |first=Ch Sushil |last=Rao |title=Who is Prince Habeebuddin Tucy? |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/who-is-prince-habeebuddin-tucy/articleshow/70720992.cms |access-date=4 September 2022 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref>

Another woman named Sultana Begum who lives in the slums of [[Kolkata]] has claimed that her late husband, Mirza Mohammad Bedar Bakht was the great-grandson of Bahadur Shah II.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Destitute Mughal empire 'heir' demands India 'return' Red Fort |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/30/heir-mughal-empire-demands-india-return-red-fort |access-date=4 September 2022 |website=aljazeera.com |language=en}}</ref>

Yaqoob Ziauddin Tucy is a sixth generation descendant of the last Mughal Emperor [[Bahadur Shah Zafar]]. Living in [[Hyderabad]], he still believes that the government will release properties of the erstwhile Mughals to the legal heirs. He also demands restoration of scholarships for Mughal descendants, that was discontinued by the government in May of 2004. He wants that amount be raised to {{currency|8000|INR}} and that the government should grant the economically depressed Mughal descendants the money for their upliftment. Tucy has two sons.<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 April 2010 |first=Bushra |last=Baseerat |title=Royal descendant struggles for survival |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/royal-descendant-struggles-for-survival/articleshow/5862064.cms |access-date=4 September 2022 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref>

Yaqoob Ziauddin Tucy also has a younger brother Yaqoob Shajeeuddin Tucy. Shajeeuddin Tucy has served the country as a part of the [[Indian Air Force]]. He has been the state guest to [[Tashkent]], Uzbekistan along with his two elder brothers. He frequently travels to the [[Middle East]] and [[central Asia]]. He lives in Hyderabad along with his two sons Yaqoob Muzammiluddin Tucy and Yaqoob Mudassiruddin Tucy.<ref>{{cite web | title = Monumental issue Uae – Gulf News | url = https://gulfnews.com/uae/monumental-issue-1.305043 | date = 2024-06-06 | archiveurl = https://archive.today/20240606071523/https://gulfnews.com/uae/monumental-issue-1.305043 | archivedate = 2024-06-06 }}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== * {{cite book |last=Asher |first=Catherine Ella Blanshard |year=2003 |orig-year=First published 1992 |title=Architecture of Mughal India |series=[[The New Cambridge History of India]] |volume=I:4 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |page=368 |isbn=978-0-521-26728-1 }}

[[Category:Mughal dynasty| ]] [[Category:Mughal Empire| ]] [[Category:Emperors of the Mughal Empire]] [[Category:Nobility from the Mughal Empire]] [[Category:Maturidis]] [[Category:Dynasties of India]]