December 11th, 2009 
Aman 
Young Prince Akbar was only 13 years old when his father Humayun died. It was a difficult position to the young Mughal heir. But Bairam Khan, Akbar’s tutor and Humayun’s trusted friend and officer rose to the occasion. He became the regent of the young prince and looked after his kingdom until he was able enough to rule India. When Humayun died Akbar was in Punjab. Bairam Khan hastily constructed a throne for Akbar’s coronation in Kalanor near Gurdaspur and proclaimed Akbar as the new King of India. At the time of Akbar’s accession, the Mughal Empire did not have definite borders. Slowly and steadily he not only expanded his empire but also consolidated and strengthened his empire by his good administration and works. He was anointed as the King of India on February 14, 1556. Since his childhood, Akbar had always dreamt of expanding his empire. After proclaiming Akbar as the ‘Samrat’ of India Bairam Khan spent next 4-5 years to suppress the enemies of the Mughal Empire. Soon after his accession Akbar started to conquer all the independent states. He conquered almost all the north and south Indian states.
Initial Campains Takeing the advantage of Humayun’s death and Akbar’s absence, Hemu (military general of Aadilshah Suri) captured Agra and marched towards Delhi. Mughal forces marched from Sirhind towards Delhi under the leadership of Bairam Khan and Akbar. Mughal military met the Afghan military on the historic battlefield of Panipat and a fierce battle was fought on November 5, 1556. Afghan army was defeated badly and Hemu was captured and killed. This battle has a historic significance as it ended the Afghan rule in India forever and consolidated the position of Mughals in India. After defeating the Afghan military and recapturing Agra and Delhi, an army was sent to Mewat to kill the relatives of Hemu under the leadership of Peer Mohammad in 1557. Hemu’s father was captured and killed and Mewat was included into the Mughal empire. In 1557 Mughals marched to suppress Sikander Suri’s resistance under the leadership of Akbar and Bairam Khan. The Suri ruler was in Mankot fort at that time. For next six months he resisted the Mughals from the fort but in the last he accepted his defeat. By 1560 Gwalior and Jaunpur states, too had been won.
Akbar on his own From Akbar’s accession to 1560 Bairam Khan had his complete control of Mughal administration. He defeated all the Mughal enemies whoever dared to challenge Akbar. If anyone of their enemy was defeated and captured alive in the battlefield, Bairam Khan, himself, brutally murdered him. But Akbar did not like this kind of approach towards his enemies. In 1560 Akbar took the reins of administration into his own hands and asked Bairam Khan to spend rest of his life in peace. Bairam Khan chose to go to Mecca but he was murdered on his way to Mecca by an Afghan in 1561. In 1561 Akbar sent an expedition towards Malwa under the leadership of Peer Mohammad and Aadam Khan. Malwa ruler Baz Bahadur was defeated and fled towards Khan Desh. Peer Mohammad was appointed the governor of Malwa. But after some time Baz Bahadur defeated the Mughals and recaptured Malwa. Under the leadership of Abdulah Khan, Akbar sent a huge army against the Malwa ruler. Baz Bahadur was defeated and he accepted Akbar’s lordship. In 1564 on Akbar’s orders Asif Khan conquered Gondwana. Gondwana ruler Rani Durgawati and her son Veer Narayan was killed during the battle. In 1567 Mughal forced marched towards Chittor. Chittor was ruled by Mewar king Rana Uday Singh. By that time, many Rajput kings had accepted Akbar’s lordship but Mewar king had declined to do so. He also had helped Mughal enemies. So Akbar himself led his military towards Chittor. Uday Singh himself fled and hid in mountains but Rajputs of Mewar bravely fought against the invading Mughals under the leadership of two brother military generals Jaimal and Fatta. After four months of seize Mughals captured Chittor while Jaimal and Fatta were killed in the battle. Storied of their bravery are still famous in Rajathan and are sung as folk songs. In 1569 Akbar sent military expedition to conquer Ranthambhor and Kalinjar. Ranthambhor ruler Surjan Rai fought bravely against the Mughals but finally acknowledged Akbar’s lordship.Kalinjar ruler Ramchandar, too, accepted his acknowledged Akbar’s lordship without any military resistance.
Expansion of Mughal Empire After the death of his father Uday Singh, Rana Pratap ascended to the throne of Mewar. It is said that he had took oath to free his homeland from the Mughals. On June 18, 1576 a battle was fought between Rana Pratap and Mughal forces in the battlefield of Haldighati. Rana Pratap was defeated and he fled towards mountains. But he kept on fighting against Mughals from 1576 till his death in 1597. By the time of his death he had freed almost all the Mewar except Ajmair and Chittor from the clutches of Mughals. Praising Rana Pratap, a historian has written ‘the vanquished, it may be, were greater than the victors’. Rana Pratap is considered as a great patriot and his picture is a part of almost every north Indian household. Tales of his bravery are sung in the form of folk songs. Indian freedom struggle especially armed freedom struggle was influenced a lot from Rana Partap. In 1572 Akbar sent Mughal army to conquer Gujarat and himself followed his army to Gujarat.
When he reached Ahmadabad, the Gujarat ruler Muzaffar Khan III acknowledged his lordship. In 1572 he defeated the Mirzas of Gujarat in the battle of Sarnal. After that he conquered Surat and thus whole of the Gujarat was under the Mugals by year of 1573. After that he suppressed the revolt of Gujarat and Mirzas were punished. Rebels were punished severely and thus suppressed the revolt and consolidated the Mughal rule in Gujarat by establishing peace. After conquering Gujarat an army was sent against the independent ruler of Bihar and Bengal Dawood Khan under the leadership of Muneem Khan and Toddar Mall. After some time Akbar himself joined his forces. First it was Patna and Hazipur that fell to the Mughal might and after that whole of the Bengal was conquered. Dawood Khan acknowledged the lordship of the Mughal ruler. But after some time he rebelled. Under the leadership of Khan Jahan and Toddar Mall Mughal forces defeated and forced Dawood Khan to flee from the battleground. Later on he was captured and murdered. By the year of 1576 Bihar and Bengal had been included into the Mughal Empire.
Posted in 
