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After a brief pause caused by the Suris, Mughals were back on the throne of Delhi. But very soon after Humayun got used to the air of Hindustan, the days turned sour, taking the emperor’s life. History of Delhi proposes that he had fallen from the stairs of Sher Mandal, his astronomical library, while some believe he was pushed. The future of the Mughal dynasty was jeopardized once again when 13-year-old Akbar was proclaimed Emperor.



But under the guidance of Bairam Khan, Jalal ud-din Muhammad Akbar grew up to become one of the most able rulers in history of India. He brought Rajputana under his control either by force, or by strategic alliances. Bengal in the east and Gujarat in the west were subjugated by the Mughals. Akbar’s administration was unparalled. Reforms in the taxation and judiciary are few of the many changes made by Akbar to achieve a stable empire.



The heirs to the Mughal throne, Jahangir and Shah-Jahan further expanded the kingdom in the south. Throughout the course of history , the threats faced by the Mughal dynasty were mainly because of the internal rivalries between father and son, and between brothers and half-brothers. Shah Jahan built the city of Shahjahanabad in 1639 , and the famous jewel in Indian history, Taj Mahal. Aurangzeb, son of Shah Jahan, was constantly at war. By 1689, almost all of Southern India was a part of the Mughal Empire. But soon, Marathas and Sikhs began their rebellion in south and north respectively.



After the death of Aurangzeb, revolts had increased, and the Mughal empire started to disintegrate. Following the invasion by Nadir Shah in 1739, the foundations of Mughal dynasty were fatally weakened. Further the colonial monopoly of the East India Company brought down the Mughals to mere namesake rulers. The last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah was unfrocked by the British after the revolt of 1857, and was exiled to Burma. Queen Victoria in 1876 was proclaimed the empress of India.



British Raj had begun.