Gujarat under Mughal Empire
| Gujarat subah | |||||
| Subah of the Mughal Empire | |||||
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| Capital | Ahmedabad | ||||
| Government | viceroyalty | ||||
| Historical era | Early modern period | ||||
| • | Established | 1573 | |||
| • | Disestablished | 1756 | |||
| Today part of | Gujarat, India | ||||
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Gujarat under Mughal Empire Gujarat Subah (1573–1756) |
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| Gujarat Sultanate | (1407–1535) |
| Humayun | (1535-1536) |
| Gujarat Sultanate | (1536-1573) |
| Akbar | (1573–1605) |
| Jehangir | (1605–1627) |
| Shah Jahan | (1627–1658) |
| Aurangzeb | (1658–1707) |
| Bahadur Shah I | (1707-1712) |
| Jahandar Shah | (1712–1713) |
| Farrukhsiyar | (1713–1719) |
| Muhammad Shah | (1719–1748) |
| Ahmad Shah Bahadur | (1748–1754) |
| Alamgir II | (1754–1756) |
| Gujarat under Maratha Empire | (1756-1819) |
In 1573, Akbar (1573-1605), the emperor of the Mughal Empire captured Gujarat (now a state in western India) by defeating Gujarat Sultanate under Muzaffar Shah III. Muzaffar tried to regain the Sultanate in 1584 but failed. Gujarat remained the Mughal province (subah) governed by the viceroys and officers appointed by the Mughal emperors from Delhi. Akbar's foster brother Mirza Aziz Kokaltash was appointed as the viceroy who strenghthened Mughal hold over the region. The nobles of former Sultanate continued to resist and rebel during the reign of the next emperor Jehangir (1605-1627) but Kokaltash and his successor viceroys subdued them. Jehangir also permitted the British East India Company to establish factories in Surat and elsewhere in Gujarat. The next emperor Shah Jahan (1627-1658) expanded his terrotories in south and his viceroys made hold over Kathiawar peninsula including Nawanagar. Shah Jahan had also appointed his prince Aurangzeb, who was involved in religious disputes, prince Dara Shikoh and later prince Murad Bakhsh as viceroys. Following battle of succession, Aurangzeb (1658-1707) came to the Mughal throne and his policies resulted in revolts and discontent. During his reign, the Marathas under Shivaji raided Surat (1666) and their incursions in Gujarat started. Till then Gujarat prospered due to political stability, peace and growing international trade.
During the next three emperors (1707-1719) who had brief reigns, the nobles became more and more powerful due to instability in the Delhi. The royals of Marwar were appointed viceroys frequently. During the reign of the emperor Muhammad Shah (1719-1748), the struggle between the Mughal and Maratha nobles were heigthened with frequent battles and incursions. The south Gujarat was lost to the Marathas and the towns in north and central Gujarat was attacked on several ocassions with frequent demand of tributes. The Marathas continued to grow their hold and the frequent change of viceroys did not reverse the trend. The competing houses of Marathas, Gaikwars and Peshwas engaged between themselves which slow down their progress for a while. They later made peace between themselves. During the reign of the next emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur (1748-1754), there was nominal control over the nobles who acted on their own. There were frequent fights between themselves and with Marathas. Ahmedabad, the capital of province, finally fell to the Marathas in 1752. It was regained by noble Momin Khan for a short time but again lost to the Marathas in 1756 after a long siege. Finding opportunity, the British captured Surat in 1759. After a setback at Panipat in 1761, the Marathas strenghtened their hold on Gujarat. During this fifty years, the power struggle between the Mughal nobles and Marathas caused disorder and the decline in prosperity.
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Wikipedia