▁its ▁decl ine . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁emp ire ' s ▁el ites ▁now ▁sought ▁to ▁control ▁their ▁own ▁affairs , ▁and ▁broke ▁away ▁to ▁form ▁independent ▁kingdom s . ▁The ▁M ug hal ▁Emperor , ▁however , ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁highest ▁manifest ation ▁of ▁so vere ig nt y . ▁Not ▁only ▁the ▁Muslim ▁gent ry , ▁but ▁the ▁Mar ath a , ▁H indu , ▁and ▁S ikh ▁leaders ▁took ▁part ▁in ▁cer emon ial ▁acknowled g ements ▁of ▁the ▁em peror ▁as ▁the ▁so ver eign ▁of ▁India . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁next ▁dec ades , ▁the ▁Af gh ans , ▁S ik hs , ▁and ▁Mar ath as ▁batt led ▁against ▁each ▁other ▁and ▁the ▁M ugh als , ▁only ▁to ▁prove ▁the ▁fragment ed ▁state ▁of ▁the ▁emp ire . ▁The ▁M ug hal ▁Emperor ▁Shah ▁Al am ▁II ▁made ▁fut ile ▁attempts ▁to ▁reverse ▁the ▁M ug hal ▁decl ine , ▁and ▁ultimately ▁had ▁to ▁seek ▁the ▁protection ▁of ▁outside ▁powers . ▁In ▁ 1 7 8 4 , ▁the ▁Mar ath as ▁under ▁Mah ad ji ▁Sc ind ia ▁won ▁acknowled g ement ▁as ▁the ▁protect ors ▁of ▁the ▁em peror ▁in ▁Del hi , ▁a ▁state ▁of ▁affairs ▁that ▁continued ▁until ▁after ▁the ▁Second ▁Ang lo - Mar ath a ▁War . ▁There after , ▁the ▁British ▁East ▁India ▁Company ▁became ▁the ▁protect ors ▁of ▁the ▁M ug hal ▁dynast y ▁in ▁Del hi . ▁After ▁a ▁cr ushed ▁re bell ion ▁which ▁he