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 CHAPTER IX

DELHI IN MOGHAL TIMES

Babar — Humayun — Akbar — Jahangir — Shah Jahan — Aurangzeb — Puppet emperors — Mahomed Shah — Nadir Shah's invasion — Ahmad Khan Abdali — Mahratta predominance — Shah Alam— Ghulam Kadir — A bHnd emperor, i

We have seen that the Moghals had persistently invaded India, from the days of Altamsh onward, with very little success, having often to retreat hurriedly. Timur, it is true, inflicted a severe defeat on Mahmud Shah, and occupied the capital; but even he did not remain, and left the country to fall into a state of anarchy. A new kingdom had been built up by the Lodi kings out of the ruins; but the jealousy of the brother of Ibrahim Lodi caused him to call in Babar to his aid — a short-sighted policy in any case, for as well might a jackal call in a tiger to help him kill a cow, and expect him not to have his feed. The Moghals did not have matters all their own way, for the Afghan nobles were not the men to resign a fair heritage without a struggle;