Muhammad Shah in the context of "Sack of Delhi (1757)"

Begum (also Begüm, Bagum, Begom, Begam, Baigum or Beygum) is an honorific title from Central and South Asia, often used by leading women in society, including royals, aristocrats, first ladies and prime ministers. It is the feminine equivalent of the title baig or bey, which in Turkic languages means "higher official". It usually refers to the wife or daughter of a beg. The related form begzada (daughter of a beg) also occurs.

In the Indian subcontinent, particularly in Delhi, Hyderabad, Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Bengal, begum has been adapted for use as an honorific for Muslim women of high social status, accomplishment, or rank, as in English language the title "Lady" or "Dame" is used.

The Battle of Karnal (Persian: نبرد کرنال) (24 February 1739) was a decisive victory for Nader Shah, the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran, during his invasion of India. Nader's forces defeated the army of Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah within three hours, paving the way for the Iranian sack of Delhi. The engagement is considered the crowning jewel in Nader's military career as well as a tactical masterpiece. The battle took place near Karnal in Haryana, 110 kilometres (68 mi) north of Delhi, India. As a result of the overwhelming defeat of the Mughal Empire at Karnal, the already-declining Mughal dynasty was critically weakened to such an extent as to hasten its demise. According to Axworthy, it is also possible that without the ruinous effects of Nader's invasion of India, European colonial takeover of the Indian subcontinent would have come in a different form or perhaps not at all.

Mir Qamar-ud-din Khan Siddiqi (11 August 1671 – 1 June 1748) also known as Chin Qilich Qamaruddin Khan, Nizam-ul-Mulk, Asaf Jah and Nizam I, was the first Nizam of Hyderabad.

He began his career during the reign of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, who made him a general. Following the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, Asaf Jah preferred to remain neutral, refusing to favour any one of Aurangzeb's warring sons. When Aurangzeb's third son Bahadur Shah ultimately emerged victorious, Asaf Jah was rotated as governor of multiple Mughal provinces until 1714, when he was appointed as Viceroy of the Deccan with authority over six Mughal provinces in southern India from 1714 to 1719. From 1719 onwards, he was involved in combating the intrigues of the Sayyid brothers. From 1720 to 1722, he helped the new Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah in eliminating the Sayyid brothers and was elevated, as a reward, to the grand viziership from 1722 to 1724.

Badshah Begum (c. 1703 – 14 December 1789) was the first wife and chief consort of the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah. She is popularly known by her title Malika-uz-Zamani ("Queen of the Age") which was conferred upon her by her husband, immediately after their marriage.

Badshah Begum was a second-cousin of her husband and was a Mughal princess by birth. She was the daughter of Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar and his first wife, Gauhar-un-Nissa Begum. She wielded major political influence in the Mughal court during her husband's reign and was his most influential wife. It was through her efforts that her step-son, Ahmad Shah Bahadur, was able to ascend the Mughal throne.

The Battle of Khyber Pass (Persian: نبرد تنگه خیبر) was an engagement fought on 26 November 1738 between the Afsharid Iran of Nader Shah and the Mughal vassal state of Peshawar. The result of the battle was an overwhelming victory for the Iranians, opening up the path ahead to invade the crown-lands of the Mughal Empire of Muhammad Shah.

Ahmad Shah Bahadur (Persian: احمد شاه بهادر, 23 December 1725 – 1 January 1775), also known as Mirza Ahmad Shah or Mujahid-ud-Din Ahmad Shah Ghazi, was the fourteenth Mughal emperor from 1748 to 1754. Born to Emperor Muhammad Shah, he succeeded his father to the throne in 1748, at the age of 22. When Ahmed Shah Bahadur came to power, the Mughal Empire was in decline. Furthermore, his administrative weakness eventually led to the rise of the usurping Imad-ul-Mulk.

As a Prince, he defeated Ahmed Shah Abdali in the Battle of Manupur in 1748, Ahmed Shah Bahadur inherited a much weakened Mughal state as emperor for six years, but left all affairs of state to rivalling factions. He was deposed by the Vizier Imad-ul-Mulk and later blinded along with his mother. He spent the remaining years of his life in prison and died in 1775.

Sawai Jai Singh II (3 November 1688 – 21 September 1743), was the 30th Kachwaha Rajput ruler of the Kingdom of Amber, who later founded the fortified city of Jaipur and made it his capital. He became the ruler of Amber at the age of 11, after the untimely death of his father Mirza Raja Bishan Singh on 31 December 1699.

Initially, Raja Jai Singh served as a vassal of the Mughal Empire. He was given the title of "Sawai" by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb before the siege of Khelna Fort in Deccan."Sawai" means one and a quarter times superior to his contemporaries. He received the title of "Maharaja Sawai, Raj Rajeshwar, Shri Rajadhiraj " in the year 1723 which happened to be the reign of later Mughals under emperor Muhammad Shah; this was in addition to the title of "Saramad-i-Raja-i-Hindustan", conferred on him on 21 April 1721.