Q 1 – Who repairs Qutb Minar later?
Ans. To rule over the vast territories of the Indian subcontinent was extremely di¨cult because of the diversity of people and cultures in the middle ages.
Q 2 – What is the importance of Red Fort in modern context?
Ans. Prime Minister of India addresses the nation on Independence Day from the ramparts of the Red Fort, the residence of Mughal Rulers.
Q 3 – Who were the Mughals?
Ans. Mughals were the descendants of two great rulers. From their maternal side, Genghis Khan’s ruler was their ancestor. From their father’s side Timur, ruler of modem day Turkey was their ancestor.
Q 4 – Mughals were proud of their Timurid ancestry.’ Comment
Ans. The Mughals did not like to be known as Mongols. Genghis Khan’s memory was associated with the massacre of people and invasional instinct. It was also linked with Uzbegs, their Mongol competitors.
Q 5 – Mention the year in which Mughal Empire was established in India
Ans. In 1526.
Q 6 – Who defeated Humayun at Chausa and Kanauj battles?
Ans. SherKhan
Q 7 – When was Delhi recaptured by Humayun?
Ans. When was Delhi recaptured by Humayun?
Q 8 – What was the age of Akbar when he became emperor? *
Ans. He was only 13 years old.
Q 9 – Who was Akbar’s father?
Ans. Akbar’s father’s name was Humayun.
Q 10 – When did Jahangir become Emperor of Mughal?
Ans. Jahangir became Emperor of Mughal after death of his father Akbar in 1605
Q 11 – What is recognized as a great success of Jahangir?
Ans. What is recognized as a great success of Jahangir?
Q 12 – Name the Mughal descendants.
Ans. The Mughals were descendants (offspring) of two great lineages of rulers; from the mother side Genghis Khan and from father’s side Timur.
Q 13 – When was the First war of Panipat fought?
Ans. In 1526.
Q 14 – Who refused to accept Mughal authority upto a long time?
Ans. The Sisodiya Rajputs refused to accept Mughal authority for a long time.
Q 15 – Who was Todar Mai?
Ans. Todar Mai was Akbar’s revenue minister.
Q 16 – What were the historically happenings during 16th to 17th century in the entire subcontinent?
Ans. From the latter half of the 16th century, the Mughals expanded their kingdom from Agra and Delhi until in the 17th century they controlled nearly the entire subcontinent
Q 17 – What do you know about term ‘zamindar’?
Ans. To describe the intermediaries, whether they were local headmen of villages or powerful chieftains the term used was ‘zamindar’. Peasants paid taxes through this zamindar.
Q 18 – Write about ‘sulh-i-kul’?
Ans. ‘Sulh-i-kul’ is a Persian ward which means ‘universal peace’. As a strong administrative function, Akbar established ‘sulh-i kul’. It did not allowed discrimination between people of different religions in his realm. While, it was focused on a system of ethics-honesty, justice and peace that was universally applicable.
Q 19 – Describe the work of Todar Mai undertaken for lands and taxes.
Ans. Todar Mai carried out a careful survey of crop yields, price and areas cultivated for a 10-years period, 1570-1580. On the basis of this data, tax was fIxed on each crop in cash. Each province was divided into revenue circles with its own schedule of revenue rates for individual crops. This revenue system was called ‘zabt’. It was prevalent in those areas where Mughal administrators could survey the land and keep very careful accounts.
Q 20 – Describe about “Akbar Nama” and its volume?
Ans. Abul Fazl wrote a three-volume history of Akbar’s reign, titled “Akbar Nama”. The First volume dealt with Akbar’s ancestors and the second volume recorded the events of Akbar’s reign. The third volume is the Ain-i-Akbari, it deals with Akbar’s administration, household, army, the revenues and the geography of his empire.
It also provides rich details about the traditions and culture of the people living in India. The most interesting aspect about the Ain-Akbari is its rich statistical details about things as diverse as crops, yields, prices, wages and revenues.
Q 21 – How did the Mughals succeed in ruling the subcontinent?
Ans.
- Quite in contrast to their predecessors, the Mughals created an empire and ruled over it for a long
period of time. - From the later half of the sixteenth century they expanded their kingdom from
Agra and Delhi up to the seventeenth century. - They controlled nearly all of the subcontinent.
- They imposed structures of administration and ideas of governance.
- They outlasted their rule, leaving a political legacy that succeeding rulers of t^e subcontinent could not ignore.
Q 22 – Who founded the Mughal rule in India and how?
Ans. Babur was the ¦rst Mughal Emperor in India (1526-1530). At the age of 12, he was forced to leave his ancestral home Ferghana due to Uzbegs’ attacks
- In 1526 he defeated Ibrahim Lodi at the battle of Panipat and captured Delhi and Agra.
- In 1527 he defeated Rana Sanga at Khanua.
- In 1528 he defeated Rajputs at Chanderi and strengthened his control over Delhi and Agra.
Q 23 – Describe the reign of Humayun.
Ans. Humayun 1530-1540, 1555-1556
- Humayun divided his inheritance according to the Will of his father.
- His brothers were each given a province.
- The ambitions of his brother Mirza Kamran weakened Humayun’s cause against Afghan competitors.
- Sher ‘Khan defeated Humayun at Chausa (1539) and Kanauj (1540), forcing him to §ee to Iran.
- In Iran Humayun received help from the Safavid Shah.
- He recaptured Delhi in 1555 but died the next year after an accident in the building
Q 24 – Describe the reigns of Jahangir and Shah Jahan
Ans. Jahangir 1605-1627:
- Military campaigns started by Akbar continued.
- The Sisodiya ruler of Mewar, Amar Singh, accepted Mughal service. Less successful campaigns
against the Sikhs, the Ahoms and Ahmadnagar followed. - Prince Khurram, the future Emperor Shah Jahan, rebelled in the last years of his reign. The efforts of Nur Jahan, Jahangir’s wife, to marginalise him were unsuccessful.
Shah Jahan 1627-1658
- Mughal campaigns continued in the Deccan under Shah Jahan.
- The Afghan noble Khan Jahan Lodi rebelled and was defeated.
- Campaigns were launched against Ahmadnagar; the Bundelas were defeated and
Orchha seized. - In the north-west, the campaign to seize Balkh from the Uzbegs was unsuccessful and Qandahar was lost to the Safavids.
- In 1632 Ahmadnagar was ¦nally annexed and the Bijapur forces sued for peace.
- In 1657-1658, there was con§ict over succession amongst Shah Jahan’s sons.
- Aurangzeb was victorious and his three brothers, including Dara Shukoh, were killed.
- Shah Jahan was imprisoned for the rest of his life in Agra.
Q 25 – Describe the Mughal traditions of succession.
Ans. Mughal Traditions of Succession:
- The Mughals did not believe in the rule of primogeniture (inheritance).
- Instead they followed the Mughal and Timurid custom of coparcenary inheritance. It is a division of the inheritance amongst all the sons.
- Mughal princes rebelled against their fathers, overthrew them and captured power.
- Mughal Relations with Other Rulers.
Q 26 – Who were the mothers of Jahangir and Shah Jahan?
Ans.
- Mother of Jahangir: A Kachhwaha Princess, daughter of Rajput, ruler of Amber (now Jaipur)
- Mother of Shah Jahan: A Rathor Princess, daughter of a Rajput, the ruler of Marwar (Jodhpur).
Q 27 – Who all formed the Mughal nobility?
Ans.
- With the expansion of Mughal empire, the Mughals recruited diverse bodies of people.
- From a small nucleus of Turkish nobles (Turanis) they expanded to include Iranians, Indian Muslims, Afghans, Rajputs, Marathas and other groups.
- Those who joined Mughal service were enrolled as mansabdars.
Q 28 – What were the duties of the Mansabdars?
Ans. Mansabdars and their duties:
- The term mansabdar refers to an individual who holds a mansab (a position or rank).
- It was a grading system used by the Mughals to fIx (i) rank, (ii) salary and (iii) military responsibilities.
- Rank and salary were determined by a numerical value called zat. The higher the zat, the more
prestigious was the noble’s position in court and the larger his salary, - The mansabdar had military responsibilities.
- It required him to maintain a speci¦ed number of sawar or cavalrymen.
- The mansabdar brought his cavalrymen for review, got them registered, their horses branded and then received money to pay them as salary.
Q 30 – How did the Mansabdars get their salaries?
Ans. Mansabdars received their salaries as revenue assignments called jagirs
- They were like iqtas.
- Most of the mansabdars did not actually reside in or administer their jagirs.
- They only had rights to the revenue of their assignments which was collected for them by their
servants. - Mansabdars themselves served in some other parts of the country.
Q 31 – Give an account of ranking on the basis of zat
Ans. Zat ranking
- Nobles with a zat of 5,000 were ranked higher than those of 1,000.
- In Akbar’s reign there were 29 mansabdars with a rank of 5,000 zat.
- By Aurangzeb’s reign the number of mansabdars had.increased to 79*.
- This had meant more expenditure for the state.
Q 32 – Describe Jagirdars and their duties.
Ans. Describe Jagirdars and their duties.
- In Akbar’s reign these jagirs were carefully assessed so that their revenues were roughly equal to the salary of the mansabdar.
- By Aurangzeb’s reign situation changed and the actual revenue collected was often less than the
granted sum. - There was also a huge increase in the number of mansabdars which meant a long wait before they
received a jagir. - These and other factors created a shortage in the number of jagirs. Hence, many jagirdars tried to
extract as much revenue as possible while they had a jagir. - Aurangzeb was unable to control these developments in the last years of his reign, so the peasantry suffered tremendously.
Q 33 – Who were Zamindars? What were their duties?
Ans. The Zamindars
- The main source of income of the Mughal rulers was tax on the produce of the peasantry.
- In most places, peasants paid taxes through the rural elites.
- The rural elite was the headman or the local chieftain.
- The Mughals used the term—zamindars—to describe all intermediaries, whether they were local
headmen of villages or powerful chieftains.
Q 34 – What was ‘Zabt’?
Ans.
- Akbar’s revenue minister, Todarmal, carried out a careful survey of crop yields, prices and areas
cultivated for a ten-year period, 1570-1580. - On the basis of this data, tax was fixed on each crop in cash.
Each province was divided into revenue circles with its own schedule of revenue rates for individual crops. - This revenue system was known as zabt.
Q 35 – What was the role of Zamindars?
Ans. Zabt was prevalent in those areas where Mughal administrators could survey the land and keep very careful accounts. This was not possible in provinces like Gujarat and Bengal.
- In some areas the zamindars exercised a great deal of power.
- The exploitation by Mughal administrators could drive them to rebellion.
- Sometimes zamindars and peasants of the same caste allied in rebelling against Mughal authority.
- These peasant revolts challenged the stability of the Mughal Empire from the end of the seventeenth century.
Q 36 – Describe Akbar Nama and Ain-i Akbari
Ans. Akbar Nama and Ain-i Akbari.
- Akbar ordered one of his close friends and courtiers, Abul Fazl, to write a history of his reign.
- Abul Fazl wrote a three volume history of Akbar’s reign titled, Akbar Nama.
- The ¦rst volume dealt with Akbar’s ancestors.
- The second volume recorded the events of Akbar’s reign.
- The third volume is the Ain-i Akbari.
- It deals with Akbar’s administration, household, army; the revenues and geography of his empire.
- It also provides rich details about the traditions and culture of the people living in India.
The most interesting aspect about the Ain-i Akbari is its rich statistical details about things like crops,yields, prices, wages and revenues.
Q 37 – Describe the policies of Akbar?
Ans. Policies of Akbar
- Akbar laid down broad features of administration.
- They were elaborately discussed by Abul Fazl in his last volume of Akbar Nama, the Ain-i Akbari.
- Abul Fail explained that the empire was divided into provinces called subas.
- The subas were governed by a subadar.
- The subadar carried out both political and military functions.
- Each province also had a ¦nancial o¨cer or diwan.
- For the maintenance of peace, law and order in his province, the subadar was supported by other
officers like the military paymaster (bakhshi), the minister in charge of religious and charitable patronage (sadr), military commanders (faujdars) and the town police commander (kotwal).
Q 38 – Discuss Nur Jahan’s in§uence in Jahangir’s court.
Ans. Nur Jahan’s In§uence in Jahangir’s Court: ‘
- Mehrunnisa, married the Emperor Jahangir in 1611.
- She received the title Nur Jahan.
- She remained extremely loyal and supportive to the monarch.
- As a mark of honour, Jahangir struck silver coins bearing his own title on one side and on the other the inscription “struck in the name of the Queen Begum, Nur Jahan”.
- The square seal states, “Command of her most Sublime and Elevated Majesty Nur Jahan Padshah Begum”.
- The round seal states, “by the sun of Shah Jahangir she became as brilliant as the moon; may Nur Jahan Padshah be the lady of the age”.
Q 39 – How did the nobles of Akbar weaken the empire?
Ans.
- Akbar’s nobles commanded large armies.
- They had access to large amounts of revenue.
- Till they were loyal the empire functioned e¨ciently.
- By the end of the seventeenth century many nobles had built independent networks of their own.
- Their loyalties to the empire were weakened by their own self-interest.
Q 40 – What led to Akbar’s ideas on Sulh-i-kul?
Ans. In 1570’s at Fatehpur Sikri Akbar started discussions on religion with people of different faiths. There were ulemas, Brahmanas, Jesuit Catholic priests and Zoroastrians.
- These discussions took place in Ibadat Khana. These were about social and religious customs.
- These interactions made him realise that religious scholars are bigots. They emphasize rituals and
dogma. - Their teachings create divisions in society. This led to the idea of Sulh-i-Kul or ‘Universal peace’.