Impact of the highly improbable – Part 3

As said in my earlier post let us go to the pre independence era and try to identify the little black swan which triggered major changes.

 Let’s visit the Mughal frontiers – The Mughal Empire (1526 – 1858). This is how our India looked at that point of time. (Source: Wikipedia)

 And here is the flag of the Mughal Empire (Source: Wikipedia)

The above image would be familiar to those who have watched the movie “Jodha Akbar”. And what I would be telling you now is what would have been briefed in the beginning of the movie.

In 1526 Babur defeated the last of the Delhi Sultans at the first battle of panipat. The "classic period" of the empire started in 1556 with the accession of Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar, better known as Akbar the Great. Under the rule of Akbar the Great, India enjoyed much cultural and economic progress as well as religious harmony. The Mughals also forged a strategic alliance with several Hindu Rajput Kingdoms.

The reign of Shah Jahan, the fifth emperor was the Golden age of Mughal architecture. He erected many splendid monuments, the most famous of which is the legendary Taj Mahal at Agra as well as Pearl Mosque, the Red Fort, Jama Masjid (Mosque) and Lahore Fort.

The reign of Aurangzeb saw the enforcement of strict Muslim fundamentalism which caused rebellions among the Sikhs and Hindus. Now here is where our little black swan comes into the picture.

There was absolute religious harmony at the time of Mughal Empire with its roots set strong by Akbar till the time of Aurangzeb. The black swan set its eyes on the Mughal Empire due to the strict enforcements brought by Aurangzeb. Often times we create policies without realizing the impacts it might create.

As J K Rowling says in Harry potter & the half blood prince, “Have you any idea how much tyrants fear the people they oppress. All of them realize that, one day, amongst their many victims, there is sure to be one who rises against them and strikes back!”

 

Here the Hindus and Sikhs felt oppressed but am not sure how much their rulers realized this. The impact of which was underestimated at that point of time. All looked like normal routine policy making. After all we are the rulers and why can’t we have special privileges when we protect you, was the attitude.

 

The effect of black swan may not be quick. It is like a slow poison which just sets in and when not controlled and removed at roots, might spread and cause more profound damages.

 

In the case of Mughal Empire it was a slow poison.

By early 1700s, the Sikh Misl and the Hindu Maratha Empire had emerged as formidable foes of the Mughals. Following the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, the empire started its gradual decline although the dynasty continued for another 150 years. Following 1725, the empire began to disintegrate, weakened by wars of succession, agrarian crises fueling local revolts, the growth of religious intolerance, the rise of the Maratha, Durrani, as well as Sikh empires and finally British colonialism. 

The Last Emperor, Bahadur Shah II, whose rule was restricted to the city of Delhi, was imprisoned and exiled by the British after the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

The decline of Mughal dynasty and finally its fall cannot be seen separately from the rise and end of British East India Trading Company which entered the soils of India in 1602. They are intimately connected.  The word Trading had been intentionally highlighted ;).

So let us look at how “Honourable East India Company” colloquially referred to as the John company or the Company Bahadur invaded our country and how the highly privileged company which never expected its end was dissolved.

 To be continued...