About Lesson
A.2. Rise of Regional Powers
- The death of Aurangzeb in 1707 triggered the decline of Mughal Empire in India. The rise of regional powers was primarily due to the decline of the Mughal Empire.
- The regional nobles and overlords had already become powerful during Aurangzeb’s reign and the chain of events after his death gave them the leeway to assert their independence.
- The regional states that rose in the 18th century can be broadly classified into
- Successor States – states that arose due to assertion of independence by governors of Mughal provinces due to decay of central authority- and
- Rebel States – states that arose due to rebellion by local chieftains, Zamindars and peasants against Mughal authority.
Independent States – These states emerged by taking advantage of the destabilisation of imperial control over the provinces.