The Mughals were from Afghanistan and were descended from Tamerlane and Genghis Khan. They conquered most of India. Although they were Muslim, the Mughal emperors (shahs) were usually tolerant of other religions. The most famous monument of Mughal era is the Taj Mahal in Agra, the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal who was the favorite wife of Shah Jahan.

The discriminatory policies of Emperor Aurangzeb led to a revolt of Hindus on the western coast led by Shivaji Bhosle, leader of the Maratha caste (part of the kshatriya, or warrior, caste). The Marathas were able to fight off the Mughals and control much of central India.

Aurangzeb conquered almost all of the remaining regions of India, bringing the empire to its greatest territorial extent. However, Aurangzeb re-introduced the jizyah, the traditional Muslim tax on non-Muslims, that earlier emperors had ignored. He also introduced rules restricting the non-Muslims in the government. Hindus and Sikhs rebelled against these policies, most importantly on the western coast.