The Mughals (16th–17th Century) – Important Questions and Answers
Based on NCERT 2024–25 book
Main Questions and Answers
Who were the Mughals?
- The Mughals were rulers who created a large empire in the Indian subcontinent from the 16th to the 17th century.
- They were descended from Genghis Khan on their mother’s side and Timur on their father’s side.
- They called themselves “Timurid” instead of “Mongol” because the term Mongol was associated with violent conquests, the massacre of innumerable people, and their rivals, the Uzbegs, who had overthrown Babur from the throne of Ferghana.
How did the Mughal Empire expand?
- The Mughals started from Agra and Delhi and expanded over most of the subcontinent by the 17th century.
- They used strong armies, cannons, and diplomatic strategies to increase their power.
- They treated conquered rulers respectfully and often returned their lands to maintain loyalty and peace.
What were Mughal traditions of succession?
- The Mughals did not follow primogeniture, where the eldest son inherits everything.
- They followed coparcenary inheritance, where property was divided among all sons.
- This method often caused struggles for the throne after a ruler’s death.
What was the Mughal policy towards other rulers such as Rajputs?
- The Mughals fought rulers who refused their authority but welcomed those who allied with them willingly.
- Many Rajput rulers married into the Mughal family and received high positions in the court.
- Jahangir’s mother was a Kachhwaha princess from Amber, and Shah Jahan’s mother was a Rathor princess from Marwar.
Who were mansabdars and what was the mansab system?
- Mansabdars were nobles or officers who held a rank called a mansab and served the Mughal emperor.
- Their status and salary were determined by a number called zat, with a higher number meaning higher rank and pay.
- They had to maintain a set number of cavalry called sawar and present their troops and horses for inspection.
What is a jagir and who were jagirdars?
- A jagir was a revenue assignment given to a mansabdar instead of a regular salary.
- The jagirdar collected revenue from this area but usually did not live or rule there directly.
- Revenue was collected by the jagirdar’s agents while he served elsewhere in the empire.
What changed from Akbar’s to Aurangzeb’s time in revenue and ranks?
- In Akbar’s reign, jagirs were assessed to match the salary of the mansabdar.
- By Aurangzeb’s reign, jagirs often produced less revenue than expected.
- The number of mansabdars increased, causing delays in jagir assignments and harsher revenue collection from peasants.
What was the main source of Mughal income?
- The main source of Mughal income was land revenue, which was a tax on the produce of peasants.
- Peasants usually paid this tax through local intermediaries known as zamindars.
Who were zamindars and what was their role?
- Zamindars were village headmen or powerful chiefs who acted as intermediaries in revenue collection.
- They maintained local control and sometimes resisted Mughal officials.
- In some regions, zamindars and peasants revolted against the empire, especially in the late 17th century.
What was zabt, and how did Akbar reform revenue?
- Zabt was a land revenue system based on careful measurement and assessment.
- It was introduced by Akbar’s revenue minister, Todar Mal.
- Land was measured, and average crop yields and prices over ten years were studied to set fair rates.
- This system worked best in areas with good records and was harder to apply in provinces like Gujarat and Bengal.
What is sulh-i kul?
Jahangir, Akbar’s son, described his father’s policy of sulh-i kul as:
- Sulh-i kul was Akbar’s policy of universal peace and tolerance.
- It allowed people of all religions to worship freely.
- The aim was to remove religious intolerance in the empire.
Who was Abul Fazl? What are Akbar Nama and Ain-i Akbari?
- Abul Fazl was a close friend and court historian of Akbar.
- He wrote the Akbar Nama in three volumes. The first volume was about Akbar’s ancestors, and the second covered Akbar’s reign.
- The third volume, Ain-i Akbari, described administration, the army, revenue, geography, culture, and statistics.
Who was Nur Jahan and what was her influence?
- Nur Jahan, born as Mehrunnisa, married Emperor Jahangir in 1611.
- She had great influence in the Mughal court’s politics and administration.
- Coins were issued in her honor, and royal orders were given in her name.
How did the Mughal Empire affect the economy and society?
- The Mughal administration and army promoted prosperity and encouraged trade.
- There was a wide gap between the wealthy elite and the poor peasants and artisans.
- Heavy taxes left the poor with little to invest in improving farming or crafts.
What happened to the empire in the 17th–18th centuries?
- The power of the Mughal emperors weakened during this time.
- Strong nobles and provincial governors began to act independently.
- Regional powers such as Awadh and Hyderabad emerged, recognizing the emperor in name but ruling their areas independently.
Practice Questions (Very Short)
Who was the first Mughal emperor?
Babur was the first Mughal emperor.
When did Babur rule as the Mughal emperor?
Babur ruled from 1526 to 1530.
When did Babur become the ruler of Ferghana?
Babur became the ruler of Ferghana in 1494.
How old was Babur when he became the ruler of Ferghana?
Babur was 12 years old when he became the ruler of Ferghana.
Why did Babur leave his ancestral throne?
Babur left his ancestral throne because the Uzbegs invaded.
Which place did Babur capture in 1504?
Babur captured Kabul in 1504.
Whom did Babur defeat at the Battle of Panipat in 1526?
Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the Sultan of Delhi, at the Battle of Panipat in 1526.
Which cities did Babur capture after winning the Battle of Panipat?
Babur captured Delhi and Agra after winning the Battle of Panipat.
Who used cannons and artillery effectively in the first Battle of Panipat ?
Babur used cannons and artillery effectively in the First Battle of Panipat in 1526 against the army of Ibrahim Lodi.
Who were the Mughals descended from?
The Mughals were descended from Genghis Khan on their mother’s side and Timur on their father’s side.
What is primogeniture? What did the Mughals follow instead?
Primogeniture means the eldest son inherits everything. The Mughals followed coparcenary inheritance, where property was divided among all sons.
What is a mansab? What does zat show?
A mansab is a rank or position in the Mughal administration. The zat shows the status and salary level of the mansabdar.
Who maintained cavalry—mansabdar or zamindar?
The mansabdar maintained the required cavalry, not the zamindar.
What is a jagir?
A jagir is a revenue assignment given to a mansabdar instead of a direct salary.
Who introduced zabt with detailed land surveys?
Akbar’s revenue minister, Todar Mal, introduced the zabt system with detailed land surveys.
What is sulh-i kul?
Sulh-i kul is Akbar’s policy of universal peace and tolerance towards all religions and communities.
Name two provinces that were hard to survey under zabt.
The provinces of Gujarat and Bengal were hard to survey under zabt.
Who wrote Ain-i Akbari?
Abul Fazl wrote the Ain-i Akbari.
Who was Nur Jahan?
Nur Jahan, born as Mehrunnisa, was the wife of Emperor Jahangir and had great influence in court.
Higher-Order Thinking (HOTS)
Why might coparcenary inheritance cause more conflicts than primogeniture?
Coparcenary inheritance could cause more conflicts as property was divided among all sons, creating rival claims to the throne.
How did tolerance (sulh-i kul) help govern a diverse empire?
Sulh-i kul helped by reducing religious conflicts and building trust among different communities in the empire.
If many mansabdars are added without enough revenue, what can happen to peasants and stability?
Peasants could suffer heavy revenue demands, leading to hardship, unrest, and weakened stability in the empire.
Why is careful land survey important for fair taxes?
Careful land survey ensures taxes match the actual land and production, creating fairness and reducing disputes.
Value-Based Questions
Why are fair taxes and good records important for both rulers and farmers?
Fair taxes and accurate records build trust, give steady revenue to rulers, and let farmers plan and invest without fear of unfair demands.
How can powerful local leaders help or harm a country’s unity?
Powerful local leaders can help unity by supporting governance and solving local issues, or harm it by resisting central authority.
Match the Following
Mewar → ?
Mewar → Sisodiya Rajput.
Marwar → ?
Marwar → Rathor Rajput.
Uzbeg → ?
Uzbeg → Mongol group.
Nur Jahan → ?
Nur Jahan → Jahangir.
Rank number → ?
Rank number → Zat.
Fill in the Blanks
The Mughals followed __________ inheritance, not primogeniture.
The Mughals followed coparcenary inheritance, not primogeniture.
A mansabdar’s rank and salary were shown by his ________.
A mansabdar’s rank and salary were shown by his zat.
Revenue assignments given to mansabdars were called ________.
Revenue assignments given to mansabdars were called jagirs.
Akbar’s revenue system based on measurement was called ________.
Akbar’s revenue system based on measurement was called zabt.
Akbar’s policy of universal peace was called ________.
Akbar’s policy of universal peace was called sulh-i kul.
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