Bahadur Shah I
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| Birth name: | Bahadur Shah | |
| Title: | Emperor of Mughal Empire | |
| Birth: | October 14, 1643 | |
| Birthplace: | Burhanpur, India | |
| Death: | February, 1712 | |
| Succeeded by: | Jahandar Shah |
Muazzam Bahadur Shah (October 14, 1643 – February 1712), also known as Shah Alam I was the Mughal emperor of India from 1707 to 1712.
Born in Burhanpur, he was the eldest son of the emperor Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb had successfully imposed Sharia law within his kingdom through harsh enforcement of strict edicts. This led to increased militancy by many constituencies including the Marathas, the Sikhs, and Rajputs, who along with other territories broke from the empire after his death.
Prior to Bahadur Shah's ascension to the throne he had been installed by his father as governor of the northwest territories, including Sikh-controlled parts of Punjab. The new governor relaxed enforcement of Aurangzeb's severe edicts, and an uneasy peace ensued between the Sikhs and the Mughal empire for a short time.
After Aurangzeb's death, Bahadur Shah took the throne, and the Mughal Empire, due both to Aurangzeb's overextension and cruelty, and to Bahadur's weak military and leadership qualities, entered a long decline. For example, a war of succession began immediately after Aurangzeb died. One younger brother, Prince Azam Shah, proclaimed to be emperor and marched towards Delhi, where he fought Bahadur Shah unsuccessfully and lost. Another brother, Muhammad Kam Baksh, was killed in 1709.
A more moderate man than his father, Bahadur Shah sought to improve relations with the militant constituencies of the rapidly crumbling kingdom. However, Bahadur Shah could do little to mitigate the damage already done by his father. He died in 1712 at Lahore while making alterations to the Shalimar Gardens, and was followed by his surviving son Jahandar Shah on the Mughal throne.
See also
Template:Start box Template:Succession box Template:End boxde:Bahadur Shah ja:バハードゥル・シャー1世