Key Mughal Emperors

• Babur (1526 - 1530): A descendant of Genghis Khan and Timur, he founded the Islamic Mughal Empire.
• Humayun (1530 - 1540, 1555 - 1556): Lost the empire in 1540, regained it in 1555, and advanced Mughal art, starting the tradition of miniature painting.
• Akbar [the Great] (1556 - 1605): Expanded the empire, established strong administrations, promoted religious tolerance and included Hindus in governance.
• Jahangir (1605 - 1627): Made a few military conquests, leading to relative peace. He got addicted to opium and gave his wife (Nur Jahan) significant political power.
• Shah Jahan (1627 - 1657): He ruled during the empire’s peak. Loved architecture over art and built the Taj Mahal. He hired skilled craftsmen from his empire and across the Islamic world. To afford it, he raised taxes heavily.
• Aurangzeb (1657 - 1707): He focused on expanding the empire, ignoring art and architecture. He also ended religious tolerance. The empire was strongest militarily but unstable. His harsh religious rules and heavy taxes caused people to rebel and the empire got too big to control properly.