The Persian couplet 'Sultanat-e-Shah Alam, Az Delhi ta Palam' meant 'The Empire of Shah Alam extends (only) from Delhi to Palam (a nearby village)', highlighting his powerlessness.

Lord Lake captured Delhi in 1803 from the Marathas (Daulat Rao Scindia). The blind Emperor Shah Alam II accepted British protection.

Akbar II gave the title of 'Raja' to Ram Mohan Roy and sent him to England as an envoy to plead for an increase in the Emperor's pension.

Saadat Khan Burhan-ul-Mulk was appointed Governor of Awadh in 1722 and gradually established it as an autonomous state.

After the defeat in the Battle of Buxar (1764) and the Treaty of Allahabad (1765), Shah Alam II granted the Diwani rights to the British and lived on a pension provided by the Company.

The Battle of Plassey, which established British dominance in Bengal, took place in 1757 during the reign of Alamgir II.

Muhammad Shah (1719–1748) earned the epithet 'Rangila' (The Colorful/Merry-maker) because he spent much of his time in luxurious pursuits rather than statecraft.

Chin Qilich Khan, who held the title Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah, grew frustrated with the court politics of Delhi and established the independent state of Hyderabad in 1724.

The Third Battle of Panipat was fought in 1761. Shah Alam II was the recognized emperor at the time, although he was in exile in Bihar/Awadh, and Delhi was under the regency of his son or influenced by nobles.

Jahandar Shah was the first Mughal Emperor to be murdered by his nobles (the Sayyid Brothers conspired against him to place Farrukhsiyar on the throne). However, Farrukhsiyar was also later killed by them.