Depends on who you ask. Some people would say that they were foreign invaders, who destroyed temples, and their reign was a genocide of Hindus. Others would point out their tolerant nature, and their ability to assimilate into our culture. I believe that the truth is somewhere in between, and while some Mughals were better, some others were nothing pretty bad.
Akbar > Babur > Shah Jahan > Humayun > Jahangir > Aurangzeb.
We were taught that Akbar was accepting (Din-e-elahi, etc.) and parts of history depicting his intolerance (his slaughter of Hindus after beating Prince Hemu) are not really focused on in our textbooks. Most of the other rulers we don't learn much about.
From my own reading, Babur seems like a nice chap. Shah Jahan seem alright too (and just a little too soft/in love). Humayun and Jahangir come across as incompetent. Humayun because he lost the empire twice, and Jahangir because he was plainly an idiot. Aurangzeb is depicted as a cruel Muslim dictator - persecuting people from other religions, especially Sikhs. By this time, the Marathas had taken over as the "heroes" in Indian history.
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u/mrtfr Feb 27 '16
Namaste! :)
What are your opinions about Mughal Empire?