The foundation of the Mughal Empire
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how the Mughal Empire was founded.
Key learning points
- No single power ruled over India at the start of the 16th century.
- The Mughals came from Central Asia and were led by Babur.
- The Mughals invaded India in 1525 and achieved important military victories in 1526 and 1527.
- The Delhi Sultanate suffered from divisions before the Mughal invasion.
- Many historians date the foundation of the Mughal Empire to 1526.
Keywords
Sultanate - a sultanate is a Muslim state or country ruled by a sultan
Empire - an empire is a collection of territories or countries ruled by a single person or government
Descendant - a person who is related to you and who lives after you is known as a descendant
Conquer - if you conquer something you have taken control of it, usually by using force
Nobles - nobles are people from the highest social group in some countries
Common misconception
Prior to the Mughal conquest, India was all ruled by a single state.
Multiple states ruled over India prior to Babur's successful invasion from 1525-27. In northern India this included a mix of Muslim and Hindu-led states.
Teacher tip
During learning cycle 3, pupils could be asked to annotate the additional material to identify examples where Babur's conquest was helped by violence, by the weaknesses of his enemies, and by his own non-violent actions. This will directly support work on Task C.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of serious crime
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the words to their correct definitions.
Q2.Where is the Indian subcontinent located?
Q3.Put these historical empires in order, starting with the earliest.
Q4.Which centuries did the Mughal Empire exist in?
Q5.Which factors can help empires expand?
Q6.Put these historical figures in order of when they ruled, starting with the earliest.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What keyword describes taking control of something, usually by force?
Q2.What year do many historians date the foundation of the Mughal Empire to?
Q3.Match the keyword to its correct definition.
Q4.Where did the Mughals come from?
Q5.Which group made up the majority of India’s population at the start of the 16th century?
Q6.Why did some powerful groups in the Delhi Sultanate not resist the Mughal invasion?
To help you plan your 8 history lesson on: The foundation of the Mughal Empire, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 history lesson on: The foundation of the Mughal Empire, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 history lessons from the The Mughal Empire: how important was violence to the Mughal conquests in India? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.