Decline of the Mughal Empire
A. Fill in the blanks:
1. During the first half of the 18th century, the great Mughal empire decayed and disintegrated.
2. The Mughal emperors who ruled India after the death of Aurangzeb are known as the Later Mughals.
3. There were four groups of nobles in the Mughal court.
4. Nadir Shah looted and plundered Delhi. He carried away immense treasures including the Kohinoor Diamond and the Peacock Thorn.
5. Ahmad Shah Abdali, the ruler of Afghan, repeatedly plundered northern India.
6. The last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, was defeated in the Revolt of 1857 and exiled to Rangoon by the British.
B. Match the following:
=
|
A |
B |
|---|---|
|
1. Bahadur Shah |
a. mansabdari system. [2] |
|
2. Akbar |
b. financial crisis. [3] |
|
3. Shah Jahan |
c. Nadir Shah. [4] |
|
4. Kohinoor Diamond |
d. exiled to Rangoon by the British. [5] |
|
5. Bahadur Shah Zafar |
e. first of the later Mughals. [1] |
C. Choose the correct answer:
1. Aurangzeb/Akbar/Shah Jahan followed a policy of religious tolerance.
2. The military campaign in the Deccan led by Shah Jahan/Aurangzeb/Akbar ruined the Mughal empire financially.
3. The invasions of Ahmed Shah Abdali, the ruler of Afghanistan/Persia/Iraq shattered the power and prestige of the Mughal empire.
4. The Mughal empire lasted for over 3/5/6 centuries.
5. The British ruled over India for nearly 100 years/200 years/300 years.
D. State whether the following are true or false:
1. Bahadur Shah ascended the throne after the death of Aurangzeb. [T]
2. The Mughal court was united and stable. [F]
3. The Mughal officers were given jagirs as payments for their services. [T]
4. The Mughal rulers did not have a navy. [T]
5. The successors of Aurangzeb were very strong and efficient. [T]
E. Answer the following questions:
1. When did the transition from the Medieval to the Modern period begin in India?
= The transition from the Medieval to the Modern period began with the decline of the Mughal empire in the first half of the eighteenth century.
2. Name the first and the last emperor in the line of the later Mughals.
= The first emperor of the later Mughals is Bahadur Shah (1707 to 1712) and the last of the later Mughals is Bahadur Shah Zafar (1837 to 1857).
3. Name any two rival groups of nobles in the Mughals Court.
= The two rival groups of nobles in the Mughal court - are Iranis and Turanis.
4. Mention any two reasons for the failure of the Mansabdari system.
= The two reasons for the failure of the Mansabdari system are -
i) An increase in the number of mansabs and a shortage of jagirs led to corruption and inefficiency in the system.
ii) The mansabdars did not maintain their quota of troops and adopted corrupt methods.
5. What was the economic impact of the Mughal wars of succession?
= The Mughal wars succession proved very costly and destructive. The drained the resources of the Empire.
6. How did Aurangzeb's religious policy affect the relationship between the Mughals and Rajputs?
= Aurangzeb's policy of religious intolerance caused loss of support of the loyal Rajputs who had earlier contributed greatly to the stability of the Mughal Empire but now became bitter foes.
7. What led to the drain on the royal treasury during Shah Jahan's reign?
= Shah Jahan spent numerous sums of money on magnificent monuments like the Taj Mahal which drained the the royal treasury.
8. Which Mughal Emperor assumed leadership of the revolt of 1857? What happened to him after the revolt?
= Bahadur Shah Jafar, the Last of the Mughals, assume leadership of the Rebels in the revolt of 1857 against the British.
He was defeated and exiled to Rangoon where he died.
F. Several factors were responsible for the decline of the Mughal empire. In this context answer the following questions:
1. How did court politics undermine the authority and Prestige of the Mughal Empire?
= There were four groups of nobles in the Mughal court Iranis, Turanis, Afghans and Hindustanis. The Mughal court was a house sharply divided from within. This resulted in a constant struggle for power among these groups. Their mutual jealousies and rivalries caused great harm to the Mughal administration and undermined the prestige and authority of the Mughal emperor.
2. To what extent was the jagirdari crisis responsible for a further decline of the power of the emperor?
= The Mughal officers were given jagirs as payment for their services. Towards the end of the seventeenth century, there were very few jagirs left to satisfy the demands of the newly recruited officers, Crown lands were converted into jagir lands and given to the nobles. This led to a loss of revenue for the royal treasury and further decline in the power of the emperor.
3. How did the words of succession and destabilize the Mughal Empire?
= The death of a Mughal ruler were generally followed by wars of succession among rival claimants to the throne. These civil wars proved very costly and destructive. They drained the resources of the empire, caused frequent political upheavals and made the empire unstable and weak.
G. With reference to the decline and disintegration of the Mughal Empire discuss the following:
1. The breakdown of the mansabdari system:
= Mansabdari system worked well under Akbar but it began to break down towards the end of 17th century. The mansabdars did not maintained their quota of Troops and adapted corrupt methods. This led to a decline of the military strength of the Mughal Empire.
2. The weakness of the Mughal Army:
= The Mughal Army also failed to keep peace with the times. The Mughal rulers did not have a navy and made no effort to establish one. Their equipment and techniques of warfare were obsolete and ineffective. Nothing was done to reform, modernize and strengthen the army.
3. Aurangzeb's religious policy:
= Aurangzeb's religious policy lead to the loss of support of the loyal Rajputs who had earlier contributed greatly to the stability of the Mughal Empire but now became bitter foes.
H. To what extent where the following factors responsible for the eventual collapse of the Mughal Empire?
1. Economic bankruptcy:
= The enormous sums of money spent by Shah Jahan on magnificent monument like the Taj Mahal had drained the royal treasury. Aurangzeb's Deccan campaign was a financial disaster that ruined the empire and made its collapse inevitable.
2. Foreign invasions:
= The Persian ruler Nadir Shah looted and plundered Delhi and carried away valuable treasures including the priceless Kohinoor Diamond and the Peacock Throne. Ahmad Shah Abdali, the Afghan ruler, plundered Northern India repeatedly.
3. Weak successors:
= Aurangzeb's successors wear pleasure loving weak and inefficient. They were puppets in the hands of powerful, ambitious nobles who controlled the administration. The provincial governors took advantage of the weak government at the centre and set up independent kingdoms in the provinces. This led to the breakup and collapse of the Empire.