Shah Alam II

Reign: 1760 – 1788; 1788 – 1806
Life: 1728–1806

The reign of Shah Alam saw a number of invasions, the first and foremost by Ahmed Shah Abdali in 1761, which led to the third battle of Panipat between the Maratha Empire and the Afghans under Abdali. He fought against the East India Company at the Battle of Buxar (1764), and was forced to grant the British the rights to collect taxes in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. During his reign the Mughal authority saw a brief revival in northern India under the capable general Mirza Najaf Khan, but after his death in 1782, the Mughal power collapsed for one last time. In 1803 the British captured Delhi after their victory in the Second Anglo-Maratha War, with Shah Alam becoming their pensioner.

During Shah Alam II's reign, George III of Great Britain ruled Great Britain, Catherine II of Russia ruled Russia, and Frederick II of Prussia ruled Prussia.

Further reading: The Last Mughal by William Dalrymple

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