Historical Perspective of the Eighteenth Century: In the Context of India

The relevance of the eighteenth century in Indian history is marked by two important events – the decline of the Mughal Empire and the expansion of the British Empire in India. These two events changed the socio-economic and political structure of India. Different historians have studied the two phases of the century and discussed different topics. Most studies on eighteenth-century India focus on the decline and decline that was allegedly pervading various spheres of life—social, political, religious or cultural. The idea that eighteenth century India was a 'dark age' has been highlighted by the writings of several European historians such as Henry Beveridge James Mill and John Marshman. William Irwin and Jadunath Sarkar, who wrote the first detailed histories of this period, attributed the decline in the character of the emperors and their aristocracy to their wrong policies. According to Jadunath Sarkar, Aurangzeb's conservative religious policy of eradicating un-Islamic practices, destroying temples, imposing discriminatory taxes on Hindus and prolonged campaigns in the Deccan were responsible for the decline of the Mughal Empire. As the government examined the developments of the period in terms of law and order, they regarded Aurangzeb as an arch-criminal. He explains the decline of the Mughal Empire under the later Mughals as a result of the personal downfall of the kings and amirs and the inefficient functioning of the administration.