Text Questions:
1. Match the following:
a) Mansab i) Marwar
b) Mongol ii) governor
c) Sisodiya Rajput iii) Uzbeg
d) Rathor Rajput iv) Mewar
e) Nur Jahan v) rank
f) Subadar vi) Jahangir.
Answers:
a) Mansab v) rank
b) Mongal iii) Uzbeg
c) Sisodiya Rajput iv) Mewar
d) Rathor Rajput i) Marwar
e) Nur Jahan vi) Jahangir
f) Subadar ii) governor
2. Fill in the blanks:
1) The capital of Mirza Hakim , Akbar’s half-brother was ——.
2) The five Deccan Sultanates were Berar, Khandesh, Ahmadnagar, ——- and ——-.
3) If zat determined a mansabdar’s rank and salary , sawar indicated his ——-.
4) AbulFazl, Akbar’s friend and counselor, helped him frame the idea of —— so that he could govern a society composed of many religions, cultures and castes.
Answers:
1) The capital of Mirza Hakim, Akbar’s half-brother was Kabul.
2) The five Deccan Sultanates were Berar, Khandesh, Ahmednagar, Bijapur and Golconda .
3) If zat determined a mansabdar’s rank and salary , sawar indicated his number of cavalrymen.
4) AbulFazl ,Akbar’s friend and counsellor, helps him frame the idea of Sulh –i-kul so that he could govern a society composed of many religions, cultures and castes.
3. What were the central provinces under the control of the Mughals.
Ans: Panipat, Lahore, Delhi, Agra, Mathura, Amber, Ajmer, Fatehpur, Sikri, Chittor, Rantham bhore and Allahabad.
4. What were the relationships between the mansabdar and the jagir.
Ans: Mansabdars were the patrols who joined Mughal service. They received their salaries as revenue assignments called jagirs. They only had rights to the revenue of their assignments. They did not actually reside in or administer their jagir. The revenue was collected by their servants while the mansabdars served in some other part of the country.
5. What was the role of the zamindar in Mughal administration.
Ans: Zamindars were powerful local chieftains appointed by the Mughal rulers. They collected taxes from peasants and gave them to the rulers.The exploitation by Mughal rulers made them rebel. They got support from the peasants to rebel against the Mughal rulers.
6. How were the debates with religious scholars important in the formation of Akbar’s ideas of governance.
Ans: During the 1570’s , Akbar had a discussion with the various religious leaders at FatehpurSikri in the ibadat khana . Akbar was interested in the religious and social customs of different people and his interaction with people of different faiths made him realize that their teachings created divisions and disharmony among his subjects. He came to an idea called sulh –i-kul which focused on a system of ethics—honesty, justice and peace. AbulFazi helped him to frame a vision round sulh-i-kul.
7. Why did the Mughals emphasis their Timurid and not their Mongol descent.
Ans: Maternally the Moghuls were descendants of Genghis Khan. Paternally they were descendants of Timur the ruler of Iran, Iraq and Turkey. The Mughals did not like to be called Mongol because Genghis Khan’s massacred many people . But the Mughals were proud of their Timur ancestry.
8. How important was the income from land revenue to the stability of the Mughal Empire.
Ans: The income from land revenue played an important role in establishing stability in the Mughal empire. The collected money was used to build forts and for the welfare of the subjects. Today Mal Akbar’s revenue minister took 10 year period to carry out the proper calculation of land revenue. Hence its importance is seen.
9. Why was it important for the Mughals to recruit mansabdars from diverse backgrounds and not just Turanis and Iranis.
Ans: It was important for the Mughals to recruit mansabdars from diverse backgrounds and not just Turanis and Iranis because The empire had extended so it was needed to provide stability to the empire . Mughals did not want people to fight with them because of the Turanis and Iranis. Common people problems would be understood better by the people living with them.They came to rule, so they needed to respect the diversity of the country.
10. Like the Mughal Empire India today is also made up of many social and cultural units. Does this pose a challenge to national integration.
Ans: No, unity in diversity is the special feature of India. People are one though they belong to different regions, castes, cultures and creed.Social conflicts do arise, but they are solved. Whenever there is danger of enemies attacking all Indians come together. The Kargil war is an example of this. All were filled with patriotism and decided to win the war which they did.
11. Peasants were vital for economy of the Mughal empire. Do you think that they are as important today? Has the gap in the income between the rich and the poor in India changed a great deal from the period of the Mughals.
Ans: Peasants are as important today as they were then. They grow crops without which we cannot live. They pay land revenue to the government which is used for various purposes. The economy will not be good without them. They are the backbone of the country.
12. The Mughal Empire left its impact on the different regions of the subcontinent in a variety of ways. Find out if it had any impact in the city, village or region in which you live.
Ans: No, I do not think the Mughal empire left its impact in Goa.
Fill in the blanks:
1. ________ was the ruler of Moghul tribes.
2. Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi at the battle of _________ .
3. ________ forced Humayun to flee to Iran.
4. ________ was the regent of Akbar.
5. Emperor Shah Jahan was also known as __________ .
6. The Marathas fought _________ warfare.
Answers:
1. Genghis Khan was the ruler of Moghul tribes.
2. Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi at the battle of Panipat.
3. Sher Khan forced Humayun to flee to Iran.
4. Bairam Khan was the regent of Akbar.
5. Emperor Shah Jahan is also known as Prince Khurram.
6. The Marathas fought gorilla .
Explain the following terms:
i) Zat ii) Jagir iii) Zabt iv) Mansabdar v) Ain-I-Akbar
i) Zat —Mansabdar’s rank and salary were determined by numerical value called zat.
ii) Jagir— Mansabdars received their salaries as revenue assignments known as jagirs.
iii) Zabt—It was the revenue collected on the basis of schedule of revenue rates for individual crops.
iv) Mansabdar— Refers to an individual who holds a mansab or a position or rank.
v) Ain-I-Akbar— Is the third volume writings of AbulFazi about Akbar’s administration and his details.
Match the Mughal emperors with their ruling years:
1. Babur a) 1605 –1627
2. Akbar b) 1658 —1707
3. Humayun c) 1526 –1530
4. Shah Jahan d) 1627–1658
5. Jahangir e) 1530–1540
6. Aurangzeb f) 1556–1605
Answers:
1. Babur c) 1526–1530
2. Akbar f) 1556–1605
3. Humayun e) 1530–1540
4. Shah Jahan d) 1627–1658
5. Jahangir a) 1605–1627
6. Aurangzeb b) 1658–1707 .