the British*
I know that's what Michael Axworthy claims, but I would say it's just one piece of what would motivate the British to claim the Mughal Empire. The most important first factor to consider is Aurengzeb, depending on who you ask He was the best or worst emperor of the Mughal Empire. The man ruled with an iron fist, curbing the progressive policies of his predecessors( say that 3 times fast). He imposed a stricter Islamic law that he created with the help of Islamic Scholars called the Fatawa-i-Hindiya, this lead to the persecution of minorities, certain professions (wine makers and growers, sufi musicians, etc) going extinct overnight, and much strife. But it also strengthened his base and allowed him to extend his empire to the furthest reaches. During his reign many groups like the Sikhs, Hill Chiefs, and Marathas all created rebel movements and stood against him. After his death the culmination of a succession war, these rebel movements gaining steam, and his policies not being upheld started to weaken the throne. Not setting a legitimate successor, between 1707 and 1719 when Muhammad Shah would take over, the Peacock throne of the Mughals would hold 6 other empowers. So you can see that the Mughal empire has started to decline already. And most of their European trade partners would already realize this, but they still realize that they aren't strong enough to do anything. During Nadir Shah's plunder of Delhi A Kashmiri by the name of Khojeh Abdulkareem accompanied Nadir Shah, he wrote an extensive journal about what happened, one that was translated by an East India Company employee. He writes in the subtext that "The continual troubles and internal wars depopulated the country, annihilated the government, and left the richest provinces of India an easy prey to European forces."1 This was in 1739. In 1757 during the 7 years war the Mughals took the side of the French against the British, after they lost this would be the one solid marker of where the once small East India Company would realize that the Mughals were now easy pickings.