Medieval India · Topic 14 of 15
Autonomous successor states emerging from Mughal decline, before British expansion
The Basics
By the early 1700s, the Mughal centre at Delhi controlled little beyond its own region. Governors in the Deccan, Awadh and Bengal grew powerful in their own right. This continued the decline seen under the Later Mughals.
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Bengal was a rich Mughal province known for its agriculture, textiles, and trade. Like Hyderabad and Awadh, its governor had the chance to turn growing provincial strength into near independence while Mughal authority at Delhi kept weakening after 1707.
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Awadh was a fertile Mughal province in the middle Gangetic plains. It lay close to the shrinking Mughal heartland around Delhi.
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Mysore began as a small principality under the Vijayanagara Empire. It was ruled by the Wodeyar (also spelt Vadiyar) dynasty. After Vijayanagara's decline, Mysore grew into an independent regional kingdom. Rulers such as Kanthirava Narasaraja and Chikka Devaraja expanded its territory in the 17th century.
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Jaipur state rose under a ruler who kept jagir lands near his home territory.
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Jats rose to power around Bharatpur as Mughal central authority weakened in the 18th century.
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After Banda Bahadur's execution in 1716, Sikh resistance did not end; it scattered into smaller bands operating in the countryside.
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