HISTORY (VII)- LESSON-4 THE MUGHAL EMPIRE (QUESTION ANSWERS)

HISTORY (VII)- LESSON-4

THE MUGHAL EMPIRE

(QUESTION ANSWERS)

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(NCERT EXERCISE)

1. Match the following:

1.    mansab	A.   Marwar
2.    Mongol	B.   governor
3.    Sisodiya	C.    Uzbeg
4.    Rathor	D.   Mewar
5.    Nur Jahan	E.    rank
6.    subadar	F.    Jahangir

Answer: 1-E, 2-C, 3-D, 4-A, 5-F, 6-B

2. Fill in the blanks:

(a) The capital of Mirza Hakim, Akbar’s half-brother, was ____________.

(b) The five Deccan Sultanates were Berar, Khandesh, Ahmadnagar, ____________ and _________________.

(c) If zat determined a mansabdar’s rank and salary, sawar indicated his ____________ .

(d) Abul Fazl, Akbar’s friend and counsellor, helped him frame the idea of ____________ so that he could govern a society composed of many religions, cultures and castes.

Answer: (a) Kabul. (b) Bijapur and Golconda. (c) cavalrymen. (d) sulh-i-kul 

3. What were the central provinces under the control of the Mughals?

Answer: The central provinces under the control of the Mughals were Delhi, Kabul, Mewar, Sindh, Marwar, Gujarat, Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Chittor and Deccan.

4. What was the relationship between the mansabdar and the jagir?

Answer: Mansabdars received their salaries as revenue assignments called jagirs which were somewhat like iqtas. The Mansabdars did not actually reside in or administer their jagirs, rather they only had the rights to the revenue of their assignments, which was collected for them by their servants while the mansabdars themselves served in some other part of the country.

5. What was the role of the zamindar in Mughal administration?

Answer: ‘Zamindar’ was a term used by the Mughals to describe all intermediaries, whether the local headmen of a village or any powerful chieftain. The role of the zamindar in Mughal administration was to collect the revenues and taxes from the peasants that were a source of income for the Mughals. They acted as an intermediate between the Mughals and the peasants and in some areas the zamindars exercised a great deal of power.

6. How were the debates with religious scholars important in the formation of Akbar’s ideas on governance?

Answer: During the 1570s, Akbar had a discussion on religion with the Ulama, Brahmanas, Jesuit priests who were Roman Catholics and Zoroastrians. These discussions took place during his stay at Fatehpur Sikri in the ibadat khana. Akbar was interested in the religion and social customs of different people and his interaction with people of different faiths made him realise that their teachings created divisions and disharmony among his subjects. Thus, Akbar came up with an idea known as ‘sulh-i kul’, which focused on a system of ethics – honesty, justice and peace. Abul Fazl helped Akbar in framing a vision of governance around this idea of sulh-i kul, which was also followed by Jahangir and Shah Jahan as well.

7. Why did the Mughals emphasise their Timurid and not their Mongol descent?

Answer: From their mother’s side, the Mughals were descendants of Genghis Khan (died 1227), the Mongol ruler who ruled over parts of China and Central Asia. From their father’s side, they were the successors of Timur (died 1404), the ruler of Iran, Iraq and modern-day Turkey. However, the Mughals did not like to be called Mughal or Mongol. This was because Genghis Khan’s memory was associated with the massacre of innumerable people. But the Mughals were proud of their Timurid ancestry.

8. How important was the income from land revenue to the stability of the Mughal Empire?

Answer: The income from land revenue played an important role in establishing stability in the Mughal Empire. It strengthened the economic system of the Empire. The money collected was invested in building forts and was for the welfare of subjects. Its importance can be easily assessed from the fact that Todar Mal, Akbar ‘s revenue minister, took a 10-year period to carry out the proper calculation of land revenue.

9. Why was it important for the Mughals to recruit mansabdars from diverse backgrounds and not just Turanis and Iranis?

Answer: It was important for the Mughals to recruit mansabdars from diverse backgrounds and not just Turanis and Iranis because:

a. The empire had expanded to encompass different regions and provinces, thus it was needed to provide stability to the empire.

b. The problems of common folks would be understood better by the people living with them.

c. Mughal also didn’t want people to rebel against them on the issue of privileges to Turanis and Iranis.

d. They came here to rule, so they needed to respect the diversity of the country in order to have a control over it

 

(OTHER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS)

 

 1. The name of residence of Mughal Emperors in Delhi was
(a) the Red Fort
(b) the Old Fort.
(c) the Siri Fort
(d) none of these

 2. Genghis Khan was a ruler of this tribe:
(a) Turkish
(b) Mongols
(c) Huns
(d) None of these

 3. Which Mughal Emperor was defeated by Sher Shah Suri?
(a) Babur
(b) Humayun
(c) Akbar
(d) Jahangir

 4. What is the ruling period of Jahangir?
(a) 1526-1530 AD
(b) 1530-1556 AD
(c) 1556-1605 AD
(d) 1605-1627 AD

 5. Which Sikh Guru’s Martyrdom took place during Jahangir’s reign?
(a) Guru Nanak Singhji
(b) Guru Gobind Singhji
(c) Guru Aijun Singhji
(d) Guru Tegh Bahadur Singhji

 6. What was the capital of Mirza Hakim Akhar’s half brother?
(a) Kabul
(b) Afghan
(c) Morocco
(d) Sind

 7. Rathor Rajput was related to
(a) Marwar
(b) Mewar
(c) Amber
(d) Ranthambore

 8. Which ruler was insulted by Aurangzeb?
(a) Man Singh
(b) Rana Pratap
(c) Shivaji
(d) All of these

 9. The salary of the Mansabdars was called
(a) mansab
(b) jat
(c) jagir
(d) zabt

 10. Who was Akbars Revenue minister?
(a) Todar Mai
(b) Birbal
(c) Abul Fazl
(d) Tansen

 11. Akbar, a great Mughal Emperor was known for his
(a) tolerant religious policy
(b) good administration
(c) economic reforms and works
(d) all of these

 12. The minister-in-charge of religious and charitable patronage was known as
(a) zamindar
(b) bakhshi
(c) sadr
(d) bigot

 13. The literal meaning of Sulh-i kul is
(a) peace
(b) religion
(c) universal peace
(d) inheritance

 14. What was the approximate number of mansabdars in Shah Jahan reign?
(a) 6000
(6) 4000
(c) 8000
(d) 10,000

Match the contents of Column A with that of Column B:

Column A	Column B
1. Primogeniture	(a) Akbar Nama
2. Coparcenary	(b) In charge of charitable patronage
3. Todarmal	(c) Eldest inheritance
4. Abul Fazl	(d) Division of inheritance
5. Sadr	(e) Revenue Minister
6. Bakhshi	(f) Military paymaster

 

Fill in the blanks with appropriate words:

1. In the battle of Panipat Babur defeated ……………

2. Another name of Emperor Shah Jahan was Prince …………….

3. Mansabdars received their salaries as revenue assignments called ……………

4. First volume of Akbar Nama dealt with Akbar’s ………….. and second volume recorded the …………. of his reign.

5. The Mughals were descendants of ……….. and ………….

6. …………. captured Delhi in 1555 with help of Safavid Shah.

State whether the given statements are true or false:

1. Mughals were proud of their Mongol ancestry.

2. Those Who joined Mughal service were called mansabdars.

3. Higher the zat, more prestigious was noble’s position in court.

4. Mehrunnisa married Jahangir and was given the title of Nur Jahan.

5. Akbar was 15 years old when he became the Emperor.

6. Faujdar used to be the military commander.

 

ANSWERS

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
A	B	B	D	C	A	A	C	C	A
11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
D	C	C	C

MATCH THE FOLLOWINGS

1-C, 2-D, 3-E, 4-A, 5-B , 6-F

FILL IN THE BLANKS

1. IBRAHIM LODI, 2- KHURRAM, 3-JAGIR, 4-ANCESTATOR, AKBAR’S,  5-MAGOLS AND TIMUR, 6-HUMAYUN

TRUE/ FALSE

1- FALSE , 2- TRUE, 3- TRUE, 4- TRUE , 5- FALSE, 6- TRUE

 

Very Short Answer Type Questions

1. Why was it a difficult task for rulers of the Middle Ages to rule the Indian subcontinent? 
Answer:  It was because people of diverse backgrounds and cultures lived here.

2. Who was Genghis Khan?
Answer: He was the ruler of the Mongol tribes, China and Central Asia.

3. Who was Babur?
Answer: He was the first Mughal emperor and reigned from 1526 to 1530

4. Name the battlefield where Ibrahim Lodi was defeated by Babur?
Answer:  Panipat.

5. To whom did Babur defeat at Chanderi?[V- Imp.]
Answer:  Babur defeated the Rajputs at Chanderi

6. What forced Hwnayun to flee to Iran?
Answer: After being defeated by Sher Khan at Chausa in 1539 and Kanauj in 1540 Humayun fled to Iran.

7.  At what age did Akbar become the emperor of the Mughal Empire?
Answer: Akbar became the emperor of the Mughal Empire at the age of 13.

8. Who was the regent of Akbar?
Answer:  Bairam Khan.

9. How is Prince Khurram better known as in Indian History?
Answer: Price Khurram is better known as Emperor Shah Jahan in Indian History.

10. Who was victorious in the conflict over succession amongst Shah Jahan’s sons?
Answer: Aurangzeb was victorious.

11. Who fought guerrilla warfare?
Answer:  The Marathas fought guerrilla warfare.

12. What do you mean by the rule of primogeniture?           
Answer:  Under the rule of primogeniture the eldest son inherited his father’s estate.

13. What was the Timurid custom of coparcenary inheritance?    
Answer: It was a division of the inheritance amongst all the sons.

14. What qualities of the Mughals enabled them to extend their influence over many kings and chieftains?
Answer:  The careful balance between defeating but not humiliating their opponents enabled the Mughals to extend their influence over many kings and chieftains. is.

15 What does the term mansabdar refer to?
Answer: The term mansabdar refers to an individual who holds a mansab, te. a position or rank.

16. What was zat?
Answer:  Mansabdar’s rank and salary were determined by a numerical value called zat The higher the zat, the more prestigious was the noble’s position in the court.

17. What was jagir?
Answer:  Mansabdars received their salaries as revenue assignments known as jagirs.

18. What was zabt?
Ans. It was the revenue collected on the basis of the schedule of revenue rates for individuals crops.

19. With whom did Akbar hold a discussion on religion?
Answer:  Akbar held discussions on religion with the Ulama, Brahmanas, Jesuit priests who were Roman Catholics, and Zoroastrians.

20. When did Mehrunnisa receive the title of Nur Jahan?
Answer:  After Mehrunnisa got married to Emperor Jahangir, in 1611 she received the title of Nur Jahan.

21. What power did the nobles exercise during Akbar’s reign?
Answer:  During Akbar’s reign the nobles commanded large armies and had access to large amounts of revenue.

 Short Answer Type Questions

1. Contrast the Mughals to their predecessors.
Or
How were the Mughals greater than their predecessors?
Answer:  Unlike their predecessors, the Mughals created a huge empire and accomplished what had hitherto seemed possible for only short periods of time. From the latter half of the 16th century, they expanded their kingdom from Agra and Delhi until in the 17th century they controlled nearly all the subcontinent. They imposed structures of administrations and ideas of governance that outlasted their rule, leaving a political legacy that succeeding rulers of the subcontinent could not overlook.

2. How did Babur become the ruler of Delhi?
Answer:  Babur succeeded to the throne of Ferghana in 1494 when he was only 12 years old. However, he had to leave his ancestral throne due to the invasion of the Uzbeks, a Mongol group. Babur wandered for several years. Then in the year 1504, he seized Kabul. In 1526 he defeated the Sultan of Delhi, Ibrahim Lodi, at the battle of Panipat. Thus, he captured Delhi where he laid the foundation of the Mughal Empire. He became the first Mughal emperor and ruled from 1526 to 1530.

3. What do you know about the Mughal relations with other rulers especially the Rajputs?
Answer: It was the policy of the Mughal rulers to campaign constantly against rulers who were not ready to accept their authority. However, when the Mughal became powerful, many other rulers joined them willingly. There were several Rajputs who married their daughters into Mughal families in order to gain a high position. But at the same time, many resisted the Mughals. The Sisodiya Rajputs refused to accept Mughal authority for a long time. However, when they got defeat, the Mughals did not treat them badly. They honoured them by giving them their lands Le. watan back as assignments, Le. watan jagir. Thus the Mughals never humiliated their opponents even though they defeated them. This unique quality of theirs enabled them to extend their influence over many kings and chieftains.

4. Awangzeb, did not follow the Mughals’ policy and insulted Shivaji when he came to accept Mughal authority. What was the consequence of this insult?
Answer:  After being insulted by Aurangzeb Shivaji escaped from Agra and declared himself an independent king. Then, he resumed his campaigns against the Mughals. Prince Akbar rebelled against Aurangzeb and received support from the Marathas and the Deccan Sultanate. He finally fled to Safavid Iran. Aurangzeb could not remain silent. He personally managed campaigns in the Deccan against the Marathas who started guerrilla warfare, which was difficult to suppress.

5. Give an account of Todar Mai’s revenue system?
Answer:  Todar Mai was Akbar’s revenue minister. He carried out a careful survey of crop yields, prices, and areas cultivated for a 10-year period, 1570-1580. On the basis of this data, the 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 came to be known as zabt. This system was prevalent in those areas where Mughal administrators could survey the land and keep careful accounts

7. Give an account of Akbar Nama and Ain-i Akbari.
Answer:  Abul Fazl, one of Akbar’s close friends and courtiers, wrote a three-volume history of the reign of Akbar. It was titled as Akbar Nama. The first volume dealt with Akbar’s ancestors and the second volume recorded the events of Akbar’s reign. Ain-i Akbari is the third volume. It deals with Akbar’s administration, household, army, the revenues, and the geography of his empire. The book also provides details about the traditions and cultures of the people living in India. The most interesting aspect of Ain-i Akbari is its rich statistical details about things as diverse as crops, yields, prices, wages, and revenues.

8. What were the main features of Sulh-i Kul? 
Answer: The idea of Sulh-i Kul was introduced by Akbar, the Great. Sulh-i Kul meant universal peace. Its main features are given below :

The idea of Sul-i Kul was based on the idea of tolerance which did not discriminate between the people of different religions in Akbar’s realm.

It focused on a system of ethics—honesty, justice, peace. These values were universally applicable.