Rise of Autonomous Regional Powers Following the Decline of Mughal Central Authority in the Early 18th Century

At a Glance

• Trigger Death of Aurangzeb, 1707
• Three kinds Successor, independent and new states
• Successor states Hyderabad, Awadh, Bengal
• New states Marathas, Sikhs, Jats
• Link to Delhi Nominal loyalty to the emperor
• Exam link UPSC Prelims, Medieval History: Regional Kingdoms

Where Does It Fit?

This is the twelfth topic of the category on regional kingdoms. The previous topics covered the older regional sultanates and the individual states of the eighteenth century, and this topic gives the general explanation. The next topic covers the Maratha Confederacy. Previous topic: Military Organisation in the Regional Kingdoms. See also Successor States: Bengal, Awadh and Hyderabad.

What Led to the Rise of Regional Powers?

In short: the rise of autonomous regional powers followed the weakening of the Mughal Empire after Aurangzeb, when weak rulers, noble quarrels and a crisis of land assignments let governors and local groups build their own states.

Aurangzeb’s reign (1658 to 1707) marked the beginning of the end. His successors were weak, and Muhammad Shah (1719 to 1748) was incompetent. In his reign Hyderabad, Bengal, Awadh and Punjab took shape, local chiefs asserted independence and the Marathas bid to inherit the empire. The Sayyid brothers made and unmade emperors, and Farrukhsiyar was the first emperor killed by his nobles. Once nobles could make emperors, provincial governors saw more advantage in building their own states than in defending the centre.

Why Did the Jagirdari Crisis Matter?

The number of nobles and their ranks rose sharply while there was little land left to assign as jagirs, a state called bejagiri. Aurangzeb showed a higher income from jagirs on record to ease the problem, but amirs tried to recover the income by squeezing peasants. Wars, the luxury of the court and a reduction of crown land (khalisa) made expenditure far exceed income. The zamindars, hereditary holders who kept soldiers and helped in revenue collection, grew more powerful, and regional loyalties were encouraged. The Mughals had tried to curb the zamindars but had not wholly succeeded. As the historian Satish Chandra argued, the roots of decline lay in the stagnant economy and in the jagirdari crisis, which led nobles to bid for independent rule. For the full discussion see Causes of the Decline of the Mughal Empire and Jagirdari Crisis and the Shifting Allegiance of Zamindars.

What Kinds of Regional Power Emerged?

What Was the Nature of These States?

The new states kept ties with the Mughal emperor and respected him as an umbrella of legitimacy. Even Maratha and Sikh rebels acknowledged him as supreme. Their rule rested on cooperation with zamindars, merchants, local nobles and chiefs, and the rulers had to look after these local interests. Mysore was an exception, where rulers did not recognise local chiefs. The states kept administration and trade going in their regions when the centre failed, and talented people who lost imperial patronage found new patrons at the courts of Hyderabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Murshidabad and Patna. Trade prospered even as the rest of the economy stagnated.

What Were Their Limits?

None of the states developed a sound system of finance, administration and military organisation. They were backward in science and technology, with some exceptions such as Mysore. They fought each other constantly, and none could ultimately dominate. They were strong enough to challenge Mughal power but not to replace it with a stable all-India order. As an analytical point, this crowded and divided field gave an outside power the chance to take sides, which is how the English East India Company later gained, as described in the topics on British conquest.

Why Is This Topic Important?

• Bridge topic Links the Mughal decline to the British conquest
• Classification Successor, independent and new states is a standard framework
• Analysis Prepares answers on why no state replaced the Mughals

What Came Next?

The next topic covers the Maratha Confederacy of the eighteenth century, the largest of the new states. Next topic: The Maratha Confederacy in the 18th Century (Peshwas, Bhonsles, Gaikwads, Holkars, Scindias).

Key People and Terms

• Successor state Province that became a state
• Bejagiri Shortage of land for jagirs
• Khalisa Crown land
• Zamindar Hereditary landholder
• Nizam-ul-Mulk Founder of Hyderabad
• Murshid Quli Khan Founder of independent Bengal

Exam Corner

Mains Angle

Questions on this theme ask why regional powers rose and why none replaced the Mughals. These points add depth.

• Cause Weak rulers and jagirdari crisis
• Nature Regional and cooperative with local groups
• Limit Constant war and no all-India order