IGNOU HISTORY NOTES : India History From 8th to Mid 15th Century - Relations with Central Asia and Persia

IGNOU HISTORY Study Notes for IAS, UPSC Exams

History India From 8th to Mid 15th Century

Relations with Central Asia and Persia

Structure

7.0 Objectives
7.1 Inroduction
7.2 Global and Regional Perspectives
7.3 Relations with the Uzbegs
7.3.1 Babur and Humayun
7.3.2 Akbar
7.3.3 Jahangir
7.3.4 Shahjaban
7.4 Relations with Persia
7.4.1 Babur and Humayun
7.4.2 Akbar
7.4.3 Jahangir
7.4.4 Shahjahan
7.5 The Deccan States and the Perso-Mughal Dilemma
7.6 Aurangzeb and the North-West Frontier
7.7 Let Us Sum Up
7.8 Key Words
7.9 Answers to. Check Your Progress Exercises

7.0 OBJECTIVES

This Unit deals with the tripartite relations which developed between the Mughlas,
Persians and Uzbegs during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The study of
this unit will enable you to understand the:

geo-political significance of North-Western frontier; the global and regional
perspective which shaped and determined tripartite relations;
main stages in the Mughal-Uzbeg relations; and
main phases of the Mughal-Safavi relations.

7.1 INTRODUCTION

Surrounded by a natural defence from the Himalayan mountains, the Indian ocean,
Arabain sea and the Bay of Bengal on its three sides, India was vulnerable only from
the North-West frontiers. Invaders had come at frequent intervals from lands beyond
the Hindukush mountains comprising Persia, Kabul and Transoxiana. Apart from the
Greeks, Huns, Turks and other invaders, the Mughals also amved in India by the
same old route. After establishing their power, they were vigilant enough to guard
their North-Western fronteirs. For expediency, Akbar concentrated on the extension
and consolidation of his Empire within India rather than involving himself in ventures
beyond the Hindukush or Hormuz. From the very beginning of his reign, therefore,
he wanted to retain Kabul and Qandahar under his sway as a bulwark against external
invaders. Abul Fazl emphasized the fact that Kabul and Qandahar are the twin gates
of India, one leading to Central Asia and the other to Persia. Earlier, Babur, too,
had noted this aspect in his Baburnama. Later Chroniclers like Sujan Rai Bhandari
also expressed such views. While Akbar and his predecessors had a nostalgic love for
their homeland, his successors were drawn into the whirlwind of a reckless imperialist
ambition and, hence, in many ways the Mughal Empire had to pay the price for
adventures in the North-Western campaigns under Shahjahan. The Mughal relations
with Persia and Central Asia were determined partly by internal political
developments and their own mutual tripartite needs, and global and regional
perspective and considerations.