## TL;DR

The Mughal Empire (1526-1857) was a Muslim dynasty ruling most of the Indian subcontinent. Founded by Babur (descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan), peaked under Akbar the Great (1556-1605). Known for: Taj Mahal, religious tolerance, administrative efficiency, and Indo-Persian culture.

## Core Explanation

Akbar: religious tolerance (Din-i-Ilahi syncretic faith), abolished jizya tax on non-Muslims, efficient administration. Shah Jahan: Taj Mahal (mausoleum for wife Mumtaz, 1632-53), Red Fort, peak of architecture. Aurangzeb: reversed Akbar's tolerance, expanded empire to maximum extent but overextended. Decline: succession wars, Maratha uprisings, British East India Company expansion. Last emperor Bahadur Shah II exiled after 1857 Rebellion.

## Further Reading

- [The Mughal Empire (John F. Richards)](https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/mughal-empire/)