Last updated: 07 April, 2024
Founded in the 1520s by Babur, a warrior chieftain from present-day Uzbekistan and a descendant of Timur (or Tamerlane), the Mughal Empire quickly dominated most of north, central and even a swathe of south India for two centuries, before limping into terminal decline for a third.
At its height, the Mughals effectively ruled most of India, from present-day Pakistan all the way east to Assam, and from Kashmir in the north to parts of Tamil Nadu in the south.
Its military prowess, efficient administration and generally outward-looking embrace of existing elites and cultures helped generate prosperity, while its emperors patronised painting, literature and textiles.
But it’s their grand architecture, including some of India’s most iconic monuments such as the Taj Mahal, that have proved their most enduring and tangible legacy.
Its capital shifted between Delhi, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri and Lahore (Pakistan), and it is these destinations which today boast virtually all of the Mughals’ finest monuments.