- Shah Jahan
Shahbuddin Mohammed Shah Jahan, January 5, 1592 - January 22, 1666) was the ruler of the Mughal Empire in the Indian Subcontinent from 1628 until 1658. The name Shah Jahan comes from Persian meaning "King of the World." He was the fifth Mughal ruler after Babur, Humayun, Akbar, and Jahangir. After revolting against his father Jahangir, as the latter had revolted against Akbar, he succeeded to the throne upon his father's death in 1627.
- Mumtaz Mahal
Mumtāz Mahal is the common nickname of Arjumand Banu Begum, who was born in April, 1593 in Agra, India. Her father was the Persian noble Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan, the brother of Nur Jehan who subsequently became the wife of the emperor Jahangir, and she was religiously a Muslim. She was married at the age of 19, on May 10, 1612, to Prince Khurram, who would later ascend the Peacock Throne as Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I. She was his second wife, and became his favorite.
- Akbar The Great
Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar, also known as "Akbar the Great" ("Akbar-e-Azam") (October 15 1542 - October 12 1605) was the son of Nasiruddin Humayun whom he succeeded as ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1556 to 1605. His lineage was Turkic, and more distantly Mongolian. Only 13 when he ascended to the throne (because of the death of his father Humayun by falling from the stairs of his library), …
- Muhammad Shah
Muhammad Shah was a Mughal emperor of India between 1719 and 1748. He was the grandson of Bahadur Shah I. Ascending the throne at the age of seventeen with the help of the Saiyid Brothers, he later got rid of them through revolutions. During his reign, the Mughal empire eventually broke up into a loosely-knit collection of several regional states, each with its own ruler, thus declining the authority of the emperor into a greater extent.
- Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb, also known as Alamgir I, (November 3, 1618 - March 3, 1707) was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1658 until his death. He was the sixth Mughal ruler after Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan. Aurangzeb was notable for his piety and zeal. Strict adherence to Islam and Sharia (Islamic law)-as he interpreted them-were the foundations of his reign. He codified and instituted Sharia law throughout the empire, …
- Akbar
Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar, also known as "Akbar the Great" ("Akbar-e-Azam") (October 15 1542 - October 27 1605) was the son of Nasiruddin Humayun whom he succeeded as ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1556 to 1605. Though only 13 when he ascended to the throne, he is widely considered the greatest of the Mughal emperors.
- Dara Shikoh
Dara Shikoh was the eldest son of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. His name is from Persian داراشكوه meaning "The possessor of Glory". He was favoured as a successor by his father and his sister Jahanara Begum, but was defeated by his younger brother Aurangzeb in a bitter struggle for the Mughal throne. In 1657, the illness of emperor Shah Jahan triggered a fierce and desperate battle for power among the four Mughal princes, …
- Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II (1728-1806) was a Mughal emperor of India. He inherited the throne from his father, Alamgir II as Shah Alam II (1761-1805). Prince Ali Gauhar, afterwards Emperor Shah Alam II, had been the heir apparent of his father, Emperor Azizuddin Alamgir II. Alamgir's unscrupulous minister (Wazir), Ghaziuddin, had completely dominated the emperor and kept Ali Gauhar under surveillance. After an escape from Delhi, Ali Gauhar appeared in the eastern provinces in 1759, …
- Nawab Of Bengal
During the Mughal Empire, the Nawabs of Bengal were the "subadars" (provincial governors) or viceroys of the "subah" (province) of Bengal. Siraj Ud Daulah was the last independent Nawab of Bengal and lost his state to Mir Jafar.
- Humayun
Nasiruddin Humayun, was the second Mughal Emperor who ruled modern Afghanistan, Pakistan,and the northern parts of India from 1530-1540 and again from 1555-1556. Like his father, Babur, he lost his kingdom early, but with Persian aid, he eventually regained an even larger one. He succeeded his father in India in 1530, while his half-brother Kamran Mirza, who was to become a rather bitter rival, obtained the sovereignty of Kabul and Lahore, …
- Jadunath Sarkar
Jadunath Sarkar was a Bengali Indian historian born on 10 December 1870 in Karchamaria, Natore (part of current day Bangladesh). He became a teacher in 1893 at Ripon College, Kolkata, instructing English literature after getting his degrees in English and History. He is most remembered for his books, "Aurangzib" and "Shivaji", …
- Jahangir
Nuruddin Salim Jahangir was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1605 until his death. The name Jahangir is from Persian جهانگير, meaning "Conqueror of the World," "World-Conqueror," or "Dominant over the World." Alternative spellings of the name include "Jehangir", and "Cihangir" (in Turkish). Nuruddin or Nur al-Din is an Arabic name which means "the Light of the Faith."
- Bairam Khan
Bairam Khan also Bayram Khan was an Afghan military general who served as the regent to the underage Mughal ruler Akbar, who came to power in 1556. Bairam was very important in securing Akbar's rule during the young ruler's first years in power. He also contributed greatly to the reconquest of the Mughal empire under Humayun, while his most notable battle was at the Second Battle of Panipat.
- Syed Ahmed Khan
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan Bahadur, GCSI (October 17 1817 – March 27 1898), commonly known as Sir Syed, was an Indian educator and politician who pioneered modern education for the Muslim community in India by founding the Muhammedan Anglo-Oriental College, which later developed into the Aligarh Muslim University. His work gave rise to a new generation of Muslim intellectuals and politicians who composed the Aligarh movement to secure the political future of Muslims in India.
- Shah Shuja
Shāh Shujā was the second son of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and empress Mumtaz Mahal. Emperor Shah Jahan appointed Shah Shuja as the "Subahdar" or governor of Bengal in 1639. In 1642, Shuja was also given the charge of the province of Orissa. He ruled the provinces for more than twenty years, from 1639 to 1660. During the period there were two short breaks: first in 1647-1648, …
- Salim Chishti
Shaikh Salim Chisti (1418-1572) was one of the famous Sufi saints of the Chishti Order in India. Salim Chisti was the descendant of the famous Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti whose tomb is in Ajmer, Rajasthan. Salim Chisti was greatly revered saint, and the Mughal emperor Akbar also kept him in high regard. The legend states that Akbar was not getting any offspring, and he prayed through Salim Chisti. Salim Chisti blessed Akbar, and three sons were born to him.
- Shivaji
Shivaji Bhosle, also known as Chatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhosle was the founder of Maratha empire in western India in 1674. Using guerrilla tactics superbly suited to the rugged mountains and valleys of the region, he annexed a portion of the then dominant Mughal empire. He is considered a great hero in India particularly in the present-day state of Maharashtra, and stories of his exploits have entered into folklore.
- Indu Sundaresan
Indu Sundaresan is an American author. She was born and raised in India, and migrated to the United States for graduate school. Trained as an economist, her short fiction has appeared in The Vincent Brothers Review and on iVillage.com. She lives in the Seattle, Washington area. One of the novels Indu Sundaresan has written is "The Twenthieth Wife" which is about how a girl named Mehrunissa becomes Empress of the Mughal Empire.
- Misl
Misl refers to a fighting clan. The period from 1716 to 1799 in Punjab was a highly turbulent time politically and militarily. This was caused by the overall decline of the Mughal Empire, particularly in Punjab caused by Sikh military action against it. This left a power vacuum that was eventually filled by the Sikh Confederacy. This Confederacy was made up of individual Sikh kingdoms that were ruled by Sikh barons. Each of these barons has his own army, …
- Islam Khan
Shaikh Alauddin Chisti (? - 1613) was a Subahdar and general of the army of the Mughal empire in Bengal, and the first governor of the city of Dhaka, the capital of modern Bangladesh. He was awarded the titular name of Islam Khan by Mughal emperor Jahangir.
- Akbar Shah II
Akbar Shah II (1760 - 1837), also known as Mirza Akbar, was the second-to-last of the Mughal emperors of India. He held the title from 1806 to 1837. He was the second son of Shah Alam II and the father of Bahadur Shah Zafar II. Akbar had little real power due to the increasing British control of India through the East India Company. Shortly before his death he sent Ram Mohan Roy as an ambassador to England.
- Mir Jumla
Mir Jumla (1591-1663 CE) was a prominent subahdar (governor) of Bengal in Eastern India under the Indian Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. An Iranian by birth, his original name was Mir Muhammad Said. He received various titles from the Indian emperor such as Muazzam Khan, Khan-i-Khanan, Sipahsalar and Yar-i-Wafahdar, but he became more popular in history as Mir Jumla.
- Mir Qasim
Mir Qasim (also spelt Mir Kasim (d. 1777) was the Nawab of Bengal from 1760 to 1764. He was installed as Nawab by the British East India Company replacing Mir Jafar, his father-in-law, who had himself been installed by the British after his treacherous role in the Battle of Palashi. However, Mir Jafar had started to act rebelliously by trying to tie up with the Dutch East India Company, and eventually the British overran the Dutch forces at Chinsura.
- Ahmad Shah Bahadur
Ahmed Shah Bahadur (1725-1775) was born in 1725 to Mohammed Shah. He succeeded his father to the throne as the 15th Mughal Emperor in 1748 at the age of 23. His mother was Udham Bai, (also known as Kudsiya Begam). When Ahmed Shah came to power the rule of the Mughal Empire was collapsing. During the reign of his father the city of Delhi (the Mughal capital) had been plundered and much of northern India had been ransacked by the invading army of Nadir Shah).
- Murad Baksh
Murad Baksh (died 1661) was the youngest son of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and empress Mumtaz Mahal. He proclaimed himself emperor after reports that his father had died and later joined hands with Aurangzeb to defeat Dara Shikhoh, the eldest son of Shah Jahan. Later while he was in a tent with his brother Aurangzeb, …
- Mirza Ghiyas Beg
Mirza Ghiyas Beg was an important official during the rule of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. He was the father of Jahangir's wife, Mehrunissa, as well as Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan, who served as wazir to Shah Jahan, and, through his son, the grandafther of Arjumand Banu Begum. Ghiyas Beg immigrated to India from Persia after the death of his father and his family's fall into disgrace.
- Adham Khan
Adham Khan was a general of Akbar. Born to Maham Anga, he thus became the foster brother of Akbar. After the dismissal of Bairam Khan, he was appointed as a general and was sent to Malwa, to capture it. Ataga Khan, Akbar’s favourite general was assassinated by him and so he was thrown down twice from the ramparts of the Agra Fort which was 40 ft high from ground level. This sudden demise of Adham khan, made his mother mentally disordered.
- Alivardi Khan
Ali Vardi Khan was the independent Nawab or ruler of Bengal between 1740 and 1756. He was a Shiite Muslim and his forefathers were originally from Turkey. His father was Mirza Muhammad Madani - an employee of Azam Shah, - the son of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Azam shah also employed the sons of Mirza Muhammad, however after the death of Azam Shah the family fell into poverty.
- Firishta
Firishta or Ferishta (c. 1560-c. 1620), given name "Muhammad Qasim Hindu Shah" was a Persian historian. Firishta was born at Astrabad, on the shores of the Caspian Sea. While he was still a child his father was summoned away from his native country into Hindustan, where he held high office in the Deccan; and by his influence the young Firishta received court promotion.
- Ebba Koch
Ebba Koch is an architectural historian, an art historian, and a cultural historian; presently she is a professor at the Institute of Art History in Vienna, Austria. She completed her doctorate in philosophy and her Habilitation from Vienna University. Since 2001 she has been the architectural advisor to the Taj Mahal Conservation Collaborative. 2005-2009 Austrian delegate to the Management Committee of the COST Action A36 of the European Commission, …
- Raja Todar Mal
Raja Todar Mal was born in Laharpur, in Oudh, and rose to become the Finance Minister in Akbar's Darbar. It was Todar Mal who overhauled the revenue system of Mughal empire. He was from the Kayastha community. Todar Mal had developed his expertise in Sher Shah's employ. Todar Mal succeeded Khwaja Malik I'timad Khan in 1560. Raja Todar Mal introduced standard weights and measures, a land survey and settlement system, revenue districts and officers.
- Tansen
Miyan Tansen (1506-1589) is believed to have been the greatest North Indian musician of all time. He was instrumental in creating the classical style of North Indian music as we know it today, and has influenced it greatly up to the present day, both through his actions and his blood descendants. He was one of the Navaratnas (nine jewels) at the court of the Mughal Emperor Akbar.
- Maham Anga
Maham Anga (d.1562) was the wet nurse of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. She was the de facto regent of the Mughal state after the exclusion Bairam Khan in 1560 to Akbar's assumption of full power in 1562, shortly before her death. The period is referred to by some historians as the "The Petticoat Government", suggesting that the 'foster father cohort' attempted to keep Akbar as a puppet ruler after Bairam Khan's death.
- Job Charnock
Job Charnock (d. 1693) was regarded by few as the founder of Calcutta, however the Calcutta High Court ruling of May 16, 2003 clearly stated that he could not be regarded as the founder of Kolkata/Calcutta (see below). He went out to India in 1655 or 1656, apparently not in the East India Company's service, but he soon joined it thereafter. He was first stationed at Cossimbazar, and subsequently at Patna. In 1685 he became chief agent at Hughli, …
- Timur Shah Durrani
Timur Shah Durrani (1748 - May 18, 1793) was ruler of Khorasan from October 16, 1772, until his death in 1793. He was the second son of Ahmad Shah Durrani and the second king of the Durrani Empire. Timur Shah had a quick rise to power by marrying the daughter of Mughal Emperor Alamgir II. He received Sirhind as a wedding gift and later his father (Ahmad Shah Durrani) made him governor of Punjab, Kashmir and the Sirhind district in 1757 when he was only 9 years old.
- François Bernier
François Bernier was a French physician and traveler, born at Joué-Etiau /Anjou. For 12 years he was the personal physician of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. His 1684 publication "Nouvelle division de la terre par les différentes espèces ou races qui l'habitent" is considered the first published post-Classical classification of humans into distinct races. He wrote "Travels in the Mughal Empire", which is mainly about the reigns of Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb.
- Birbal
Raja Birbal (1528-1586) was a courtier in the administration of the Mughal emperor Akbar and one of his most trusted members along with being a part of Akbar's inner council of nine advisors, known as the 'navaratana', a Sanskrit word meaning 'nine jewels'. Birbal's duties in Akbar's court were mostly military and administrative but he was also a very close friend of the king, who liked Birbal most for his wit as well as his wisdom, …
- Mirza Mughal
Prince Mirza Mughal (1817 - 1857) was the fifth (and eldest surviving legitimate) son of Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar and heir apparent to the throne of Delhi and the title of Emperor of India. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, he was effectively the head of the civil administration of Delhi. Towards the end of the revolt he (along with two of his brothers) surrendered to the British, but was summarily executed, …
- Muhammad Shaybani
Abu 'I-Fath Muhammad, known in later centuries as Shaybani Khan (c. 1451 - 1510), was a khan of the Uzbeks (1500-10) who continued consolidating various Uzbek tribes and laid foundations for their ascendance in Transoxiana. He was a descendant of Genghis Khan through his grandson Shayban and considered the Timurids as usurpers of the Genghisid heritage in Central Asia. Continuing the policies of his grandfather, Abu'l-Khayr Khan, …
- Tuzk-E-Jahangiri
"Tuzk-e-Jahangiri" or "Tuzk-i-Jahangiri" is the autobiography of Mughal Emperor Nor-u-Din Muhammad Jahangir (1569-1609). Tuzk-e-Jahangiri is written in Persian. Jahangir was a good writer and loved nature. Jahangir recorded detailed description about wildlife in his autobiography. Jahangir admired and especially master paintings and collected many of them in his palace. Many of them survive and are found in the museums around the world.