Consider the following statements regarding Mughals: 1. From their mot...
Statement 1: From their mother’s side they were descendants of Genghis Khan and from their father’s side they were the successors of Timur.
Explanation:
The first statement is correct. The Mughals were descendants of both Genghis Khan and Timur. The founder of the Mughal Empire, Babur, was a direct descendant of Timur through his father's side. Timur, also known as Tamerlane, was a Turkic-Mongol conqueror who established the Timurid Empire in Central Asia. On his mother's side, Babur was a descendant of Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire. Babur's mother was a descendant of Chengiz Khan through her lineage.
The lineage of the Mughals from both Genghis Khan and Timur gave them a prestigious and powerful ancestry, which they often used to legitimize their rule and establish their authority.
Statement 2: The Mughals believed in the rule of primogeniture, where the eldest son inherited his father’s estate.
Explanation:
The second statement is incorrect. The Mughals did not strictly follow the rule of primogeniture. Primogeniture is the practice of the eldest son inheriting his father's estate or title. In the case of the Mughals, the succession was not solely based on primogeniture.
The Mughals had a complex system of succession known as "agnatic seniority." According to this system, the eldest male member of the family, whether a son or a brother, could inherit the throne. The selection of the successor was based on the principle of seniority among the male members of the family. This led to frequent conflicts and power struggles among the Mughal princes and their factions, as each one vied for the throne after the death of the emperor.
The Mughal emperors often faced challenges from their own family members, including brothers and sons, who sought to claim the throne. This system of succession resulted in a lack of stability and frequent changes in leadership within the Mughal Empire.
In conclusion, the first statement is correct as the Mughals were descendants of Genghis Khan from their mother's side and successors of Timur from their father's side. However, the second statement is incorrect as the Mughals did not strictly follow the rule of primogeniture and instead had a complex system of succession based on agnatic seniority.
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