Mughal Empire

In this workshop, before tracing the line of Mughal rulers, students will be introduced to the background of the Mughals. They were descendants of Genghis Khan and the Mongol empire, and therefore inherited a mix of influences. Although the Mughals were Islamic rulers, other parts of their heritage comes into play in the life and political thought of some of them, and in their art and architecture. We will relate the biographies of two important rulers – Akbar and Aurangzeb. These two, the second and last of the most significant rulers, contrast well. Akbar, sometimes called the greatest ruler who ever lived, practiced tolerance towards other religions, and ensured that Hindus were given positions of power within his administration. In the end, he rejected Islam and made himself God. Students will be introduced to short excerpts from his commissioned biography, the Akbarnāmā, and asked how the story of your life might turn out if you either write it yourself or get someone else to do it, someone who wants to please you. Aurangzeb, on the other hand, was a devoted Muslim, who ended the religious tolerance that had been characteristic of the previous one hundred years of Mughal rule in India. Under Aurangzeb, the Mughals lost much of their power.

Bracelet depicting three Mughal emperors and their wives, currently held at the Walters Art Museum, USA

Curriculum for Excellence subjects and skills:

SOC 3-01a / SOC 4-01a / SOC 3-04a / SOC 3-05a / SOC 4-05c / SOC 3-06a / SOC 4-06a / SOC 4-06d / SOC 4-15a / SOC 4-16c

RME 3-04b / RME 3-05a  / RME 4-05a /

EXA 3-07a / EXA 4-07a

National Curriculum subjects and skills:

History: Studying a significant society or issue in world history and its interconnections with other world developments: The Mughal India 1526-1857. Understanding the expansion and dissolution of empires, and connections between aesthetic, cultural, political, religious and social history.

RE: Learning about the history of Islam and Hinduism. Learning about religious tolerance and cross-cultural interaction

Art: Learning about great artists and architects in history.