Mughal Foreign Policy: History Of Medieval India

 

Interactions with the Uzbek Empire of Central Asia, the Safavid Empire of Persia (Iran), and the Ottoman empire of Turkey had an impact on the Mughals' foreign policy at the period. Originating in Central Asia, the Mughals. They were driven from Uzbekistan by Uzbeks who identified as Sunni Muslims. The Safavid emperors of Persia, who were Shia Muslims, saw themselves as the only legitimate successors to the Prophet Muhammad. The Muslim rulers of Turkey declared themselves to be the legitimate heirs to the Baghdad Khalifa. They claimed to be Sunni Muslims. 

 

•    The actions made by succeeding Mughal emperors to protect India's western boundaries are referred to as Mughal foreign policy.

 

•    The Khyber Pass along the Kabul-Qandhar road was India's natural line of defense, and its foreign strategy was centered on protecting these outposts while balancing the emergence of strong empires in the area.

 

•    The Ottomans in Turkey, the Safavids in Persia, and the Uzbeks in Central Asia rose to prominence as new power rivals with the dissolution of the Timurid Empire in the 15th century. The Ottomans, Uzbeks, and Mughals were Sunni Muslims whereas the Safavids were Shia.

 

•    Babur and other Timurid rulers were forced to leave Khurasan and Samarqand by the Uzbeks, who were the Mughals' natural foes.

 

•    To overthrow Shia-ruled Persia, the powerful Uzbeks who dominated central India sought an alliance of Sunni forces, but the Mughals were too tolerant to be swayed by sectarian turmoil.

 

•    To balance out the fighting Uzbeks, the Mughal emperors, especially Akbar, were eager to forge close connections with Persia.

 

•    As a result, the Mughals' foreign policy was focused on deepening their ties with Persia while also preserving the balance of power in the region by monitoring the development of a single Uzbek state. 

 

•    To defend India against invasion by foreigners.

 

•    To maintain a balance of power between the Turks (Ottoman Empire), Safavids, and Uzbeks.

 

•    To expand business and trade globally.

 

•    To recover their banished ancestor Babur's native lands in Central Asia.

 

•    In order to assess the influence of Afghan tribes that reside in the highlands between Punjab and Kabul.

 

•    Babur was able to briefly seize control of Samarqand after the Safavids' victory over the Uzbek leader Shaibani Khan in 1510. Babur lost authority after the Uzbeks swiftly retaliated by overthrowing the Safavids.

 

•    He was helped by the Safavids at this time, starting a custom of friendly cooperation between the two empires.

 

•    Shah Tahmasp of Persia offered Humayun asylum when Sher Shah Suri drove him out of India.

 

•    Abdullah Khan Uzbek took control of Balkh in 1572 and sent an envoy to Akbar's court to request an alliance of Sunnis against Persia.

 

•    Akbar rebuked him, telling him that sectarianism was not a legitimate justification for conquering.

 

•    He had little desire to fight the Uzbeks until they threatened Mughal positions in Kabul and Qandhar, despite the fact that they had seized Balkh, which had been held by the Timurids until 1585.

 

•    While the Mughals disapproved of the intolerant tactics of the Safavid rulers and the Uzbeks attempted to stir up anti-Shia feelings against Iran, it was the fear of Uzbek hegemony that drew the Safavids and the Mughals together.

 

•    The only point of dispute between them was Qandhar, which was coveted for sentimental, prestige, and economic as well as strategic reasons.

 

•    Before the Uzbeks overthrew them in 1507, Qandhar was a province of the Timurid Empire and was ruled by Babur's cousins, the lords of Herat.

 

•    Qandhar was essential to the defense of Kabul. Being well-watered, the fort of Qandhar was thought to be among the strongest in the area.

 

•    Qandhar, which governed all of southern Afghanistan and was strategically extremely significant, was situated at the intersection leading to Kabul and Herat.

 

•    Beyond Kabul and Khyber, there was no natural line of defense, the Kabul-Ghazni-Qandhar line was a logical and strategic barrier.

 

•    Furthermore, it was simpler to handle the Afghan and Baluch tribes after Qandahar was under control.

 

•    Before Nazr Muhammad, a new Uzbek king, took control of Balkh and Bokhara, the Uzbeks were unable to seriously threaten the Mughal position in the North-West after Abdullah Khan Uzbeg's death in 1598.

 

•    Both Nazr Muhammad and his son Abdul Aziz had ambition, and their authority over Balkh and Bokhara suggested that they would one day try to put the Mughals in Kabul in danger.

 

•    Later, Abdul Aziz overthrew his father, and Nazr Muhammad was only able to maintain control over Balkh, which was also in danger due to his son's antics.

 

•    Nazr Muhammad felt threatened by his rebellious son and turned to Shah Jahan for help. Shah Jahan was eager to help since he wanted a sympathetic ruler in Bokhara.

 

•    Prince Murad Baksh was instructed by Shah Jahan to advance towards Balkh and aid Nazr Muhammad in seizing Samarqand and Bokhara as well as maintaining control of his dominion.

 

•    Prince Murad marched as directed, but he erred by rushing to Balkh without first waiting for Nazr Muhammad's command.

 

•    Additionally, he gave the order for his troops to advance inside the Balkh castle, where Nazr Muhammad was looking for safety.

 

•    Afghan tribal turmoil in the Khyber-Ghazni region and the Uzbek defeat in the Balkh region in 1649 gave the Persians the confidence to assault and take Qandhar.

 

•    All of this posed a serious threat to Shah Jahan, who therefore launched three important operations to retake Qandhar under the command of princes (of blood).

 

•    With a 50,000-man army, Aurangzeb (also known as the Balkh hero) launched the initial assault. The Persians resisted the Mughals with tenacity even after they routed them outside the fort, preventing them from taking control of it.

 

•    Three years later, Aurangzeb made another attempt but failed. In 1653, Dara Shikoh, Shah Jahan's favorite son, made the most eloquent effort.

 

•    Despite his best efforts, Dara Shikoh was eventually unsuccessful despite maintaining his position as the dominant force.

 

•    The repeated invasions and failures cost the Mughals far more than Qandhar as a whole. Additionally, failure damaged the Mughals' standing.

 

•    The Ottoman (Turkish) ruler requested aid in 1680 by sending an envoy to Aurangzeb's court.

 

•    In order to avoid a repetition of the pointless debate over the Qandhar issue, Aurangzeb resolved to establish diplomatic ties with Iran. 

 

The foundation of the Mughals' foreign policy was India's defense, which was strengthened through diplomatic channels. The Mughals' major priority was friendship with Persia, notwithstanding (temporary) impediments brought on by the Qandhar dispute. The Safavids, who asserted a special place due to their relationship with the Prophet, and the Ottoman sultans, who adopted the title of Padshah-i-Islam and declared themselves the successors of the Caliph of Baghdad, were two other prominent Asian states that the Mughals emphasized equality with. Additionally, the Mughals supported Indian business interests abroad through diplomatic strategy. The trade entrances for India into Central Asia were Qandhar and Kabul.