Muhammad Shah ruled for a period that was reasonable longs enough to revive the empire. He, however, made to serious attempt to do so. The Marathas, Sikhs, Jats, Rajputs and the Afghans (of Rohilkhand) revolted against the Mughals. Ambitious governors established the independent kingdoms of Hyderabad, Bengal Awadh and Rohilkhand.
During Muhammad Shah’s reign, the empire also faced invasions from the North-west. In AD 1739, Nadir Shah, the ruler of Iran invaded India and defeated the Mughal army. His invasion was followed by that of Ahmad Shah Abdali. These invasions inflicted an irreparable damage to the empire. The Mughals could never recover from these devastating blows to their power and prestige.