Read Part I first!
Shah Jahan ruled after Jahangir from 1628–1658. His reign is widely recognized as the golden age of Mughal Architecture. He sponsored many architectural works of art, such as the Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Lahore Fort, and many more. His most famous building is the Taj Mahal, which was built for his deceased wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
Shah Jahan fell Ill around 1658, and his sons soon began fighting for power. Aurangzeb emerged victorious in this conflict and imprisoned his father, who had recovered but was declared unfit to rule. Under Aurangzeb’s reign, The Indian subcontinent grew rich, and its economy took up a quarter of the world’s GDP. Aurangzeb employed more Hindus in his court than any of his predecessors but encouraged them to convert to Islam.
Aurangzeb wanted to make the religion of Islam dominant throughout his realm, but this brought him into conflict with the Hindus and Sikhs. Aurangzeb is seen as India’s most controversial king, with historians arguing over whether he was intolerant of non-muslims and whether his actions destabilized the Mughal Empire or his employment of Hindus in his court made the Mughal courts more diverse. His reign also says The Mughal Empire reached its territorial peak.
His successor, Bahadur Shah, tried to eliminate his father’s religious policies, but the Mughal Empire continued to destabilize, and multiple rebellions disturbed his reign.
