Claimed that he was a descendant of Chinggis Khan and Tamerlane
His father was the prince of Farghana
He wanted to expand to central Asia but couldn't
With the help of gunpowder weapons (artillery and firearms), he took over Delhi in 1526
He wanted to use the wealth of India to build a huge empire (like Tamerlane)
Built a loosely knit empire from Kabul - Punjab - Bengal
Called it Mughal (Persian term for Mongol)
Akbar
Babur's Grandson (reigned from 1556-1605)
Brilliant Charismatic ruler
Took personal control over the Mughal government
He created a centralized administrative structure with ministries regulating various provinces
Strong military power in Gujarat and Bengal
Destroyed the Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar
He was interested in religion and philosophy
Encouraged syncretic religion - divine faith (focused attention on the emperor as a ruler common to all the religious, ethnic and social groups of India)
Aurangzeb
Reached its greatest extent
Pushed Mughal authority into South India (ruled most of it)
There were rebellions and conflicts caused by religious tensions
He was a devout Muslim and he broke Akbar's policy of religious toleration
Demolished famous Hindu temples and replaced them with mosques
Imposed tax on non-Muslims
Strongly promoted Islam, but this led local leaders to rebel