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With the passage of time the character of the Muslim Emperors deteriorated quickly. Babur,
Humayun, Akbar, Jehangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb were all physically very strong. Some
of them were reckless drinkers while the others were fond of women. Deterioration of
character of the rulers expedited the disintegration of the Mughal Empire.
5. Degeneration of Nobility
The character of the Rulers nobility also degenerated with their rulers. Abundance of wealth,
leisure and luxury rendered them inefficient and incompetent. This affected the
administration of the State.
6. Deterioration of Army
Hot climate, abundance of wealth and comforts deteriorated the standards of Mughal army.
The soldiers became easy going with the result that by the 18th century they began to avoid
the hardships of battlefields. The invasions of Nadir Shah and Ahmed Shah Abdali
demolished the army. The soldiers lost their ancestral confidence of victories. The army
ceased to be what it had been; a terror for the enemies. The invaders plundered the country
at will. Demoralized army could not keep the provinces together.
7. Intellectual Bankruptcy
The latter Muslim Rulers and nobility suffered from intellectual bankruptcy because there
was no proper system of education in the country. Lack of proper training resulted in the
production of rulers who were not competent to face the challenges of their jobs.
9. Corrupt Administration
With the weakening of the hold of the rulers the Muslim administration became corrupt. The
ministers, courtiers, nobles and officials accepted bribes. Such a situation weakened the
foundations of the Muslim Society.
The Muslim leaders with the passage of time became habitual of luxurious living. There was
a dearth of good administration and fighters. Previously this vacuum was filled by
adventures from neighboring states. The stoppage of their influx resulted in deterioration of
military and civil standards.
emergence of Sikhs as a power in Punjab. During the reign of Jahandar Shah (1712-13) and
Farrukhsiyar (1713-19) Banda Bahadur (the Sikh Leader) captured Sirhindi and killed its
Governor Wazir Khan. The rise of Sikhs also contributed to the downfall of Muslim Society.