SHAH JAHAN (d. 1666) was greatly interested in artistic patronage but destroyed Ahmadnagar (1632) and defeated Golconda (1635) and Bijapur (1636). His active patronage of cultural production extended Akbar's cultural system.
The Taj Mahal was built as tomb for Shah Jahan's wife, Mumtaz Mahal, for whom he had already built the splendid palace Khass Mahal on the fort at Agra.
Having imprisoned Shah Jahan, AURANGZIB became emperor. The Mughal dominion was undermined, in part, by Aurangzib's continued effort to expand his dominions, lack of sufficient good land to award to new mansabdars, and a renewed emphasis on Islamic definitions of good rule, all of which led to reversals in Mughal cultural system and, thus, to a decline in political stability.
Sivaji reduced Bijapur (1659) and sacked Surat (1664 and 1670); the English factory escaped harm. In 1667 he won the title of rajah from Aurangzib and began to levy land taxes in Mughal territory (Khandesh, 1670); he successfully organized Maratha government on Hindu principles with the guidance of the poets Ramdas and Tukaram and was enthroned as an independent ruler (1674). Marathas thus became most formidable force in the Deccan and laid claim to the mantle of Vijayanagara, which now stood as model of “Hindu” kingship.
