<P> Shah Jahan's eldest son, the liberal Dara Shikoh, became regent in 1658, as a result of his father's illness . However, a younger son, Aurangzeb, allied with the Islamic orthodoxy against his brother, who championed a syncretistic Hindu - Muslim religion and culture, and ascended to the throne . Aurangzeb defeated Dara in 1659 and had him executed . Although Shah Jahan fully recovered from his illness, Aurangzeb declared him incompetent to rule and had him imprisoned . During Aurangzeb's reign, the empire gained political strength once more, but his religious conservatism and intolerance undermined the stability of Mughal society . Aurangzeb expanded the empire to include almost the whole of South Asia, but at his death in 1707, many parts of the empire were in open revolt . Aurangzeb's attempts to reconquer his family's ancestral lands in Central Asia - Turan were not successful while his successful conquest of the Deccan region proved to be a Pyrrhic victory that cost the empire heavily in both blood and treasure . A further problem for Aurangzeb was the army had always been based upon the land - owning aristocracy of northern India who provided the cavalry for the campaigns, and the empire had nothing equivalent to the Janissary corps of the Ottoman Empire . The long and costly conquest of the Deccan had badly dented the "aura of success" that surrounded Aurangzeb, and from the late 17th century onwards, the aristocracy become increasing unwilling to provide forces for the empire's wars as the prospect of being rewarded with land as a result of a successful war was seen as less and less likely . Furthermore, the fact that at the conclusion of the conquest of the Deccan, Aurangzeb had very selectively rewarded some of the noble families with confiscated land in the Deccan had left those aristocrats who received no confiscated land as reward and for whom the conquest of the Deccan had cost dearly, feeling badly disgruntled and unwilling to participate in further campaigns . Aurangzeb's son, Shah Alam, repealed the religious policies of his father, and attempted to reform the administration . However, after his death in 1712, the Mughal dynasty sank into chaos and violent feuds . In the year 1719 alone, four emperors successively ascended the throne . </P> <P> During the reign of Muhammad Shah, the empire began to break up, and vast tracts of central India passed from Mughal to Maratha hands . Mughal warfare had always been based upon heavy artillery for sieges, heavy cavalry for offensive operations and light cavalry for skirmishing and raids . To control a region, the Mughals had always sought to occupy a strategic fortress in some region, which would serve as a nodal point from which the Mughal army would emerge to take on any enemy that challenged the empire . This system was not only expensive, but also made the army somewhat inflexible as the assumption was always the enemy would retreat into a fortress to be besieged or would engage in a set - piece decisive battle of annihilation on open ground . The militantly Hindu Marathas were expert horsemen who refused to engage in set - piece battles, but rather engaged in campaigns of guerrilla warfare, a war of raids, ambushes and attacks upon the Mughal supply lines . The Marathas were unable to take the Mughal fortresses via storm or formal siege as they lacked the artillery, but by constantly intercepting supply columns, they were able to starve Mughal fortresses into submission . Successive Mughal commanders refused to adjust their tactics and develop an appropriate counter-insurgency strategy, which led to the Mughals losing more and more ground to the Maratha . The Indian campaign of Nader Shah of Persia culminated with the Sack of Delhi and shattered the remnants of Mughal power and prestige, as well as drastically accelerating its decline and alarming other far - off invaders, including the later British . Many of the empire's elites now sought to control their own affairs, and broke away to form independent kingdoms . The Mughal Emperor, however, continued to be the highest manifestation of sovereignty . Not only the Muslim gentry, but the Maratha, Hindu, and Sikh leaders took part in ceremonial acknowledgements of the emperor as the sovereign of India . </P> <P> In the next decades, the Afghans, Sikhs, and Marathas battled against each other and the Mughals, only to prove the fragmented state of the empire . The Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II made futile attempts to reverse the Mughal decline, and ultimately had to seek the protection of outside powers . In 1784, the Marathas under Mahadji Scindia won acknowledgement as the protectors of the emperor in Delhi, a state of affairs that continued until after the Second Anglo - Maratha War . Thereafter, the British East India Company became the protectors of the Mughal dynasty in Delhi . After a crushed rebellion which he nominally led in 1857 - 58, the last Mughal, Bahadur Shah Zafar, was deposed by the British government, who then assumed formal control of a large part of the former empire, marking the start of the British Raj . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Portrait </Th> <Th> Titular Name </Th> <Th> Birth Name </Th> <Th> Birth </Th> <Th> Reign </Th> <Th> Death </Th> <Th> Notes </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Bābur بابر ‬ </Td> <Td> Zahir - ud - din Muhammad ظہیر الدین محمد ‬ </Td> <Td> 23 February 1483, Andijan </Td> <Td> 1 April 1526--26 December 1530 <P> 4 years 8 months 25 days or 56 months 25 days or 247 weeks 1 days or 1730 days </P> </Td> <Td> 26 December 1530 (aged 47) </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Humayun ہمایوں ‬ </Td> <Td> Nasir - ud - din Muhammad Humayun نصیر الدین محمد ہمایوں ‬ </Td> <Td> 17 March 1508 </Td> <Td> 26 December 1530&Nbsp;--17 May 1540 <P> 9 years 4 months 21 days or 112 months 21 days or 490 weeks 0 days or 3430 days and 11 months 5 days or 11 months 5 days or 48 weeks 3 days or 339 days Total 3,769 days </P> <P> 22 February 1555 - 27 January 1556 </P> </Td> <Td> 27 January 1556 (aged 48) </Td> <Td> Humayun was overthrown in 1540 by Sher Shah Suri of the Suri dynasty but returned to the throne in 1555 after the death of Islam Shah Suri (Sher Shah Suri's son and successor). </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Akbar - e-Azam اکبر اعظم ‬ </Td> <Td> Jalal - ud - din Muhammad جلال الدین محمد اکبر ‬ </Td> <Td> 14 October 1542 </Td> <Td> 27 January 1556--27 October 1605 <P> 49 years 9 months 0 days or 597 months 0 days or 2595 weeks 6 days or 18171 days </P> </Td> <Td> 27 October 1605 (aged 63) </Td> <Td> His mother was Persian princess Hamida Banu Begum . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Jahangir جہانگیر ‬ </Td> <Td> Nur - ud - din Muhammad Salim نور الدین محمد سلیم ‬ </Td> <Td> 20 September 1569 </Td> <Td> 15 October 1605--8 October 1627 <P> 21 years 11 months 23 days or 263 months 23 days or 1146 weeks 6 days or 8028 days </P> </Td> <Td> 28 October 1627 (aged 58) </Td> <Td> His mother was Rajput princess Mariam - uz - Zamani . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Shah - Jahan - e-Azam شاہ جہان اعظم ‬ </Td> <Td> Shahab - ud - din Muhammad Khurram شہاب الدین محمد خرم ‬ </Td> <Td> 5 January 1592 </Td> <Td> 8 November 1627--2 August 1658 <P> 30 years 8 months 25 days or 368 months 25 days or 1603 weeks 4 days or 11225 days </P> </Td> <Td> 22 January 1666 (aged 74) </Td> <Td> His mother was Rajput princess Jagat Gosaini . Built Taj Mahal . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Alamgir I عالمگیر ‬ </Td> <Td> Muhy - ud - din Muhammad Aurangzeb محی الدین محمداورنگزیب ‬ </Td> <Td> 4 November 1618 </Td> <Td> 31 July 1658--3 March 1707 <P> 48 years 7 months 0 days or 583 months 0 days or 2535 weeks 1 days or 17746 days </P> </Td> <Td> 3 March 1707 (aged 88) </Td> <Td> His mother was Persian princess Mumtaz Mahal . He was married to Safavid Dynasty Princess Dilras Banu Begum . After his death, His younger Son Azam Shah became the King (for 1 year). </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Bahadur Shah بہادر شاہ ‬ </Td> <Td> Qutb ud - Din Muhammad Mu'azzam Shah Alam قطب الدین محمد معزام ‬ </Td> <Td> 14 October 1643 </Td> <Td> 19 June 1708--27 February 1712 <P> (3 years, 253 days) </P> </Td> <Td> 27 February 1712 (aged 68) </Td> <Td> He made settlements with the Marathas, tranquilised the Rajputs, and became friendly with the Sikhs in the Punjab . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Jahandar Shah جہاندار شاہ ‬ </Td> <Td> Ma'az - ud - Din Jahandar Shah Bahadur معز الدین جہاندار شاہ بہادر ‬ </Td> <Td> 9 May 1661 </Td> <Td> 27 February 1712--11 February 1713 <P> (0 years, 350 days) </P> </Td> <Td> 12 February 1713 (aged 51) </Td> <Td> Highly influenced by his Grand Vizier Zulfikar Khan . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Farrukhsiyar فرخ سیر ‬ </Td> <Td> Farrukhsiyar فرخ سیر ‬ </Td> <Td> 20 August 1685 </Td> <Td> 11 January 1713--28 February 1719 <P> (6 years, 48 days) </P> </Td> <Td> 29 April 1719 (aged 33) </Td> <Td> Granted a firman to the East India Company in 1717 granting them duty - free trading rights for Bengal, strengthening their posts on the east coast . The firman or decree helped British East India company to import goods into Bengal without paying customs duty to the government . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Rafi ud - Darajat رفیع اُد درجات ‬ </Td> <Td> Rafi ud - Darajat رفیع اُد درجات ‬ </Td> <Td> 30 November 1699 </Td> <Td> 28 February--6 June 1719 <P> (0 years, 98 days) </P> </Td> <Td> 9 June 1719 (aged 19) </Td> <Td> Rise of Syed Brothers as power brokers . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Shah Jahan II شاہ جہاں دوم ‬ </Td> <Td> Rafi ud - Daulah شاہ جہاں دوم ‬ </Td> <Td> June 1696 </Td> <Td> 6 June 1719--19 September 1719 <P> (0 years, 105 days) </P> </Td> <Td> 19 September 1719 (aged 23) </Td> <Td>---- </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Muhammad Shah محمد شاہ ‬ </Td> <Td> Roshan Akhtar Bahadur روشن اختر بہادر ‬ </Td> <Td> 17 August 1702 </Td> <Td> 27 September 1719--26 April 1748 <P> (28 years, 212 days) </P> </Td> <Td> 26 April 1748 (aged 45) </Td> <Td> Got rid of the Syed Brothers . Fought a long war with the Marathas, losing Deccan and Malwa in the process . Suffered the invasion of Nader Shah of Persia in 1739 . He was the last emperor to possess effective control over the empire . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Ahmad Shah Bahadur احمد شاہ بہادر ‬ </Td> <Td> Ahmad Shah Bahadur احمد شاہ بہادر ‬ </Td> <Td> 23 December 1725 </Td> <Td> 26 April 1748--2 June 1754 </Td> <Td> 1 January 1775 (aged 49) </Td> <Td> Mughal forces defeated by the Marathas at the Battle of Sikandarabad . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Alamgir II عالمگیر دوم ‬ </Td> <Td> Aziz - ud - din عزیز اُلدین ‬ </Td> <Td> 6 June 1699 </Td> <Td> 2 June 1754--29 November 1759 <P> (5 years, 180 days) </P> </Td> <Td> 29 November 1759 (aged 60) </Td> <Td> Domination of Vizier Imad - ul - Mulk . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> ((File:)) </Td> <Td> Shah Jahan III شاہ جہاں سوم ‬ </Td> <Td> Muhi - ul - millat محی اُلملت ‬ </Td> <Td> 1711 </Td> <Td> 10 December 1759--10 October 1760 </Td> <Td> 1772 (aged 60--61) </Td> <Td> Consolidation of the Nizam of Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha, during the Battle of Buxar . Hyder Ali becomes Sultan of Mysore in 1761 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Shah Alam II شاہ عالم دوم ‬ </Td> <Td> Ali Gauhar علی گوہر ‬ </Td> <Td> 25 June 1728 </Td> <Td> 24 December 1759--19 November 1806 (46 years, 330 days) </Td> <Td> 19 November 1806 (aged 78) </Td> <Td> The death of Tipu Sultan of Mysore in 1799 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Akbar Shah II اکبر شاہ دوم ‬ </Td> <Td> Mirza Akbar مرزا اکبر ‬ </Td> <Td> 22 April 1760 </Td> <Td> 19 November 1806--28 September 1837 </Td> <Td> 28 September 1837 (aged 77) </Td> <Td> Titular figurehead under British protection . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Bahadur Shah II بہادر شاہ دوم ‬ </Td> <Td> Abu Zafar Sirajuddin Muhammad Bahadur Shah Zafar ابو ظفر سراج اُلدین محمد بہادر شاہ ظفر ‬ </Td> <Td> 24 October 1775 </Td> <Td> 28 September 1837--23 September 1857 (19 years, 360 days) </Td> <Td> 7 November 1862 (aged 87) </Td> <Td> Last Mughal Emperor . Deposed by the British and was exiled to Burma after the Indian Rebellion of 1857 . </Td> </Tr> </Table>

Who was the last emperor of the mughal empire