Test: The Decline of Mughal Empire & the Rise of Autonomous States - 1 - UPSC MCQ

Here’s the explanation for the correct chronological sequence of the Mughal Emperors:

1. Shah Alam I (Bahadur Shah I) (reigned 1707–1712)

   • He was the son of Aurangzeb and succeeded him as the Mughal Emperor after his death.

2. Jahandar Shah (reigned 1712–1713)

   • He was the son of Bahadur Shah I. His reign was short-lived, lasting less than a year.

3. Farrukh Siyar (reigned 1713–1719)

   • He was the grandson of Bahadur Shah I and succeeded Jahandar Shah after deposing him.

4. Muhammad Shah (reigned 1719–1748)

   • He was one of the more prominent emperors after Aurangzeb, known for his relatively longer rule during the decline of the Mughal Empire.

5. Ahmad Shah (reigned 1748–1754)

   • He succeeded Muhammad Shah and ruled during the later years of the Mughal Empire's decline.

• In 1799, Raja Ranjit Singh's army of 25,000 Khalsa, supported by another 25,000 Khalsa led by his mother-in-law Rani Sada Kaur of Kanhaiya misl, in a joint operation attacked the region controlled by Bhangi Sikhs centered around Lahore. The rulers escaped, marking Lahore as the first major conquest of Ranjit Singh.
• In 1809, the British East India Company and the head of the Sikh kingdom named Ranjit Singh signed an agreement which is called the Treaty of Amritsar. After the conquest of Amritsar, Ranjit Singh took possession of the city.
• The Treaty of Amritsar of 1809 was an agreement between the British East India Company and Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Sikh leader who founded the Sikh empire. Among the outcomes was that Singh gained a carte blanche to further consolidate his territorial gains north of the Sutlej river at the expense both of other Sikh chiefs and their peers among the other dominant communities. It was a pact between Charles T. Metcalfe and Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
• Maharaja Sansar Chand fought multiple battles with Gurkhas on one side and Sikh King Maharaja Ranjit Singh on the other. The Fort remained with the Katochs until 1828 when Ranjit Singh annexed it after Sansar Chand's death. The fort was finally taken by the British after the Sikh war of 1846.

Therefore, the correct order is given in option B. 

• Tipu had not reconciled to the loss of his prestige by the treaty of Srirangapattana.
• Lord Wellesley forced Tipu to sign the subsidiary alliance but he refused and tried to get help from France, Afghanistan, Russia, Turkey and Arabia.
• British along with the Maratha and Nizam attacked Mysore.
• Tipu fought undauntedly. He was the greatest enemy of the British and was very courageous.

Hence, the correct answer is D. 

The provision of the Treaty of Seringapatnam, signed between Tipu and Cornwallis were Surrender of almost half of Tipu's territories, which were to be shared among the English, the Nizam and the Marathas, Stationing of British resident at Seringapatnam.

Addition Information :

• The war ended with the Treaty of Seringapatam in 1792.
• As per the treaty, Tipu had to cede half of his kingdom to the English including the areas of Malabar, Dindigul, Coorg, and Baramahal.
• He also had to pay Rs.3 Crore as war indemnity to the British.
• Tipu also had to surrender two of his sons as surety to the British till he paid his due.

So, the correct answer is option C. 

• In 1782 Hyder suddenly died and Tipu became king. In 1783 the British took the town of Coimbatore and by January 1784 Tipu retook Mangalore from the British. With neither side in a position to win, the war ended in a a stalemate and was then concluded with the Treaty of Mangalore.
• George Macartney was governor of Madras Presidency at that time.

Hence, the correct option is 'D'

• In 1799 he took possession of Lahore, the economic and cultural center of Punjab, and assumed the title of the maharaja.
• The Treaty of Amritsar of 1809 was an agreement between the British East India Company and Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Sikh leader who founded the Sikh empire.
• A descendant of Abdali, Shah Shuja Durrani brought the Kohinoor back to India in 1813 and gave it to Ranjit Singh, the ruler of Lahore, in exchange for his help in winning back the throne of Afghanistan.
• The powerful Sikh ruler of Punjab, Ranjit Singh, attacked three times in Kashmir in 1813, 1814 and 1819 respectively.
• It was then followed by the meeting of Bentinck and Ranjit Singh on 25 October 1831 at Rupar on the bank of the river Sutlej amidst show and splendour.

Hence, the correct option is 'A'

• The war started when the Marathas attacked Mysore in 1766. Haider Ali purchased peace with the Marathas on payment of rupees thirty five lakh to them. The Marathas, then, turned back. Next, the Nizam attacked Mysore with the help of an English force. But the attack did not quite succeed. In September 1767, the Nizam left the side of the English and joined hands with Haider Ali. Smith, the English commander, could not face their combined forces and retreated to Trichinopoly where Colonel Wood joined him. The Nizam and Haider Ali failed to gain any success in the battle near Trichinopoly and in December, 1767, Haider Ali was defeated at another place. The English planned to attack Hyderabad which broke up the spirit of the Nizam. He left the side of Haider Ali and entered into a treaty with the English in March, 1768.
• The second Anglo-Mysore War in 1782, both of whom were taken prisoner to Seringapatam. This war saw the rise of Sir Eyre Coote, the British commander who defeated Hyder Ali at the Battle of Porto Novo and Arni. Tipu continued the war following his father's death.
• Third Anglo-Mysore War- General Sir William Medows KB (31 December 1738 – 14 November 1813) was an Englishman and a general in the British Army.
• Major Lachlan Macquarie (77th Regiment) served in the 4th Anglo-Mysore War of 1799 on the General Staff of General James Stuart, commander of the Bombay Army.

Hence, the correct answer is 'B'

All the given statements are correct with reference to anglo-nizam relations.

• Lord Wellesley offered Soonda and Harponelly districts of Mysore Kingdom to the Marathas, which the latter refused.
• The Nizam was given the districts of Gooty and Gurramkonda.
• The British took possession of Kanara, Wayanad, Coimbatore, Dwaraporam and Seringapatam.
• The new state of Mysore was handed over to the old Hindu dynasty (Wodeyars) under a minor ruler Krishnaraja III, who accepted the subsidiary alliance.

Hence, the correct option is 'D'

• After the death of Aurangzeb in c. 1707 CE, a war of succession broke out among his three sons – Muazzam (the governor of Kabul), Muhammad Kam Baksh (the governor of Deccan) and Muhammad Azam Shah (the governor of Gujarat). Muazzam emerged victorious and ascended the throne with the title of Bahadur Shah Ⅰ.

Hence, the correct option is 'B'

• The great Mughal Empire, the envy of its contemporaries for almost two centuries, declined and disintegrated during the first half of the eighteenth century. The Mughal emperors lost their power and glory and their empire shrank to a few square miles around Delhi.
• In the end, in 1803, Delhi itself was occupied by the British army and the proud Mughal emperor was reduced to the status of a mere pensioner of a foreign power.

Hence, the correct option is 'A'

• Bahadur Shah I (1707-12) was the first and the last of the later Mughal rulers to exercise real authority.
•  He followed a conciliatory policy towards the Rajput’s and Marathas but a strict policy towards the Sikhs.
• To have better control over Marwar and Amber he forced Ajit Singh of Marwar to submit to the Mughal authority.
• He made attempts to garrison Amber and replace Jai Singh with his younger brother Vijay Singh. 
• Both Ajit Singh and Jai Singh were later restored but their demand for high mansabs (ranks) and offices of subahdars of important provinces were not accepted.

Hence, the correct option is 'C'

• Chauth was a regular tax or tribute imposed, the from early 18th century, by the Maratha Empire in India.
• It was an annual tax nominally levied at 25% on revenue or produce, hence the name. It was levied on the lands which were under nominal Mughal rule.
• The sardeshmukhi was an additional 10% levy on top of the chauth. 

Hence, the correct answer is 'A'.

• Bahadur Shah had tried to conciliate the rebellious Sikhs by peace with Guru Gobind Singh and giving him a high mansab (rank).
• But after the death of the Guru, the Sikhs once again raised the banner of revolt in Punjab under theleadership of Banda Bahadur.

Hence, the correct option is 'D'

The famous battle between the Peshwa and the Nizam took place at Rakshasabhuvan. This battle, also known as the Battle of Rakshasabhuvan, was fought on the banks of the river Godavari near the village of Rakshasabhuvan in Maharashtra, India, on August 10, 1763. In this battle, the Maratha Empire under Madhavrao Peshwa defeated Nizam Ali Khan, the Nizam of Hyderabad. It was an important battle that marked the superiority of the Peshwa within the Maratha Empire and reiterated their influence over Indian subcontinent during the 18th century.

About Churaman Singh :

• Churaman Singh was Zamindar of Sinsini and the head of the Jat state of Bharatpur in Rajasthan, India.
• He was the son of Bhajja Singh and the younger brother of Raja Ram Jat.
• He was the first unanimously elected leader of Jats in 1695.
•  Churaman Singh apparently chose to be passive on the Sinsini affair.
• In July 1708 Jai Singh had occupied Amber.
• He died on 20 September 1721.

Hence, the correct option is 'B'.

• Jahandar Shah faced trouble from Muhammad Farrukhsiyar, grandson of Bahadur Shah, and the second son of Azim-ush-Shan.
• Farrukhsiyar, after the death of his father, proclaimed himself as the emperor.
• With the help of the Saiyid brothers, he was able to defeat Jahandar Shah on the battlefield of Samugarh, on January 6, 1713.
• Jahandar Shah and Lal Kanwar escaped and went back to Delhi and sought the help of Zulfiqar Khan.
• Instead of helping Jahandar Shah, Zulfiqar Khan imprisoned him in order to gain the favor of the new emperor.
• Jahandar Shah was murdered in prison on February 11, 1713, and was buried in the vault of Humayun’s tomb at the side of other members of the family.

Hence, the correct answer is 'B'.

• After Bahadur Shah’s death, a new element entered Mughal politics i.e. the succeeding wars of succession.
• While previously the contest for the power had been between royal princes only, and the nobles had hardly any interference to the throne; now ambitious nobles became direct contenders for the power and used princes as mere pawns to capture the seats of authority.
• In the civil war, one of Bahadur Shah's weak sons, Jahandar Shah, won because he was supported by Zulfiqar Khan, the most powerful noble of the time.
• When the nobles grew jealous of the position of Zulfiqar Khan, they poisoned the ears of the emperor against him.
• This led to misunderstandings between them.
• Finally, Jahandar Shah was defeated at Agra by his nephew Farrukh Siyar.

Hence, the correct option is 'D'.

• The term Sayyid brothers refers to Syed Abdullah Khan Baraha and Syed Hassan Ali Khan Baraha, who were powerful in the Mughal Empire during the early 18th century.
• These two sayid brothers became influential in the Mughal court after the death of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
• Later they ascended to different rulers as per their will or as a puppet ruler.
• Later after the death of Rafi-ud-daulah, Muhammad Shah became the ruler in 1719.
• After that to take complete rule under his control, he decided to kill these two sayid brothers.
• After the death of Sayid Hussain Ali Khan, the protected career of these two brothers came to an end.

Hence, the correct option is 'A'

• Abdullah Khan and Hussain Ali lost their importance during the reign of Muhammad Shah.
• These two sayid brothers became influential in the Mughal court after the death of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
• Later they ascended to different rulers as per their will or as a puppet ruler.
• Later after the death of Rafi-ud-daulah, Muhammad Shah became the ruler in 1719.
• After that to take complete rule under his control, he decided to kill these two sayid brothers.
• After the death of Sayid Hussain Ali Khan, the protected career of these two brothers came to an end.

Hence, the correct option is 'B'.

• Arriving at the Deccan, Syed Hussain made a treaty with Maratha ruler Shahu I in February 1718.
• Shahu was allowed to collect sardeshmukhi in Deccan and received the lands of Berar and Gondwana to govern.
• In return, Shahu agreed to pay one million rupees annually and maintain an army of 15,000 horses for the Sayyids.
• This agreement was reached without “Farrukhsiyar” approval.

Hence, the correct option is 'C'.

• The state of Hyderabad was founded by Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah in 1724 A.D., during the reign of Muhammad Shah Rangila, the 12th Mughal emperor (1719 A.D.-1748 A.D.).
• But after the death of Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah in 1748, Hyderabad fell prey to the disruptive forces.

• Baba Banda Singh Bahadur was a Sikh leader who, by early 1700, had captured parts of the Punjab region.
• Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah I failed to suppress Bahadur's uprising. In 1714, the Sirhind faujdar (garrison commander) Zainuddin Ahmad Khan attacked the Sikhs near Ropar.
• In 1715, Farrukhisyar sent 20,000 troops under Qamaruddin Khan, Abdus Samad Khan and Zakariya Khan Bahadur to defeat Bahadur.
• After an eight-month siege at Gurdaspur, Bahadur surrendered after he ran out of ammunition. Bahadur and his 200 companions were arrested and brought to Delhi; he was paraded around the city of Sirhind.
• Bahadur was put into an iron cage and the remaining Sikhs were chained.

Hence, the correct option is 'D'.

• During the reign of Bahadur Shah, the Rajput states of Jodhpur and Amber were annexed for a short time.
• His reign was disturbed by several rebellions, the Sikhs under the leadership of Banda Singh Bahadur, Rajputs under Durgadas Rathore and fellow Mughal Kam Bakhsh.

Hence, the correct option is 'A'.

The correct answer is Muhammad Shah.

• In 1739 Nadir Shah invaded India and sacked Delhi.
  • The Battle of Karnal, was a decisive victory for Nader Shah, the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran, during his invasion of India.
  • Nadir Shah advanced towards India in 1738. He captured the western frontiers of the Mughal Empire such as Kabul, Ghazni, Lahore in 1739.
  • The two forces of Nadir Shah and Muhammad Shah met at Karnal. At the battle of Karnal on 13 February 1739, Nadir Shah easily outnumbered the Mughal forces.
  • The battle lasted for less than three hours and the Mughal emperor, Muhammad Shah surrendered. Both the rulers now entered Delhi on 12 March 1739 and Delhi was handed over to Nadir Shah, along with all its treasures.
  • In 1739, Nadir Shah, the emperor of Iran, conquered and enslaved the city of Delhi and took away immense quantities of money.
  • Shah's army had easily defeated the Mughals in the battle of Karnal and in the aftermath of the battle, would eventually capture the Mughal Capital.

Hence, the correct option is 'A'.

Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded India for the first time in 1748, during the reign of Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah. Muhammad Shah was the 14th and last great Mughal emperor. He ruled from 1719 to 1748.

• Ali Gohar, historically known as Shah Alam II, was the sixteenth Mughal Emperor and the son of Alamgir II.
• Shah Alam II became the emperor of a crumbling Mughal empire. 
• Ahmed Shah Abdali defeated the Marathas in the third battle of Panipat.
• The battle took place at Panipat, in today's Haryana, on January 14, 1761.
• The battle was fought between the Marathas and the Afghan Army led by Ahmed Shah Abdali.
• Sadashivrao Bahu led the Maratha Army.
• The battle was the most eventful and also one of the biggest battles fought in the 18th century.

Hence, the correct option is 'C'.

• After defeating Mughal and Maratha, Abdali did not, however, find a new Afghan kingdom in India.
• He and his successors could not even retain the Punjab which they soon lost to the Sikh chiefs.

Hence, the correct option is 'B'.

About Ahmad Shah:

• Aḥmad Shah, in full Aḥmad Shah Bahādur Mujāhid al-Ḍīn Abū Naṣr, (born Dec. 24, 1725, Delhi [India]—died Jan. 1, 1775
• Mughal emperor of India from 1748 to 1754.
• Entirely dominated by others, including the queen mother, Udham Bai.
• Twice during his reign, the Afghan Aḥmad Shah Durrānī plundered the northwest Punjab area.
•  Aḥmad Shah was blinded and deposed by the Marathas and their allies in 1754.

Hence, the correct option is 'B'.

• There was further deterioration in the field of administration in Bahadur Shah's reign.
• The position of state finances worsened as a result of his reckless grants of jagirs and promotions.
• During his reign the remnants of the Royal treasure, amounting in 1707 to some 13 crores of rupees, were exhausted.

Hence, the correct option is 'A'.

Emergence of New States

• Through the 18th century, the Mughal Empire gradually fragmented into a number of independent, regional states.
• It can be divided into three overlapping groups:

1. States that were old Mughal provinces like Awadh, Bengal, and Hyderabad. Although extremely powerful and quite independent, the rulers of these states did not break their formal ties with the Mughal emperor.
2. States that had enjoyed considerable independence under the Mughals as watan jagirs. These included several Rajput principalities.
3. States under the control of Marathas, Sikhs and others like the Jats. They all had seized their independence from the Mughals after a long-drawn armed struggle.

The State of Hyderabad was founded by Qamar-ud-din Siddiqi, who was appointed Viceroy of the Deccan, with the title of Nizam-ul- Mulk, by Emperor Farrukhsiyar in 1712. He established a virtually independent state but returned to Delhi during the reign of Emperor Mohammad Shah.

Hence, the correct option is 'B'.