The Mughal Empire Class 7 Worksheet History Chapter 4

Q.1. What was the Mughal tradition of succession?

They followed the Mughal and Timurid custom of coparcenary inheritance or a division of the inheritance amongst all the sons.

Q.2. What is the rule of primogeniture?

In law, primogeniture is the rule of inheritance whereby the father’s estate descends to the eldest son.

Q.3. Who was Jahangir's mother?

The mother of Jahangir was a Kachhwaha princess, the daughter of the Rajput ruler of Amber (modern-day Jaipur).

Q.4. What forced Humayun to flee to Iran?

Sher Khan defeated Humayun at Chausa (1539) and Kanauj (1540), forcing him to flee to Iran.

Q.5. Who defeated the Sultan of Delhi, Ibrahim Lodi, and where?

Babur defeated and killed Ibrahim Lodi in the Battle of Panipat in 1526.

Q.6. What was the relationship between the man Sardar and the jagir?

Mansabdars received their salaries as revenue assignments called jagirs. Most mansabdars did not actually reside in or administer their jagirs. They only had rights to the revenue of their assignments which was collected for them by their servants while the mansabdars themselves served in some other part of the country.

Q.7. What were the military responsibilities of mansabdars?

The mansabdar’s military responsibilities required him to maintain a specified number of sawar or cavalrymen. The mansabdar brought his cavalrymen for review, got them registered, their horses branded, and then received money to pay them as salary.

Q.8. What helped the Mughals to extend their influence over many kings and chieftains?

The careful balance between defeating but not humiliating their opponents enabled the Mughals to extend their influence over many kings and chieftains.

Q.9. What was the role of the zamindar in the Mughal administration?

Zamindar in the Mughal administration collected taxes from peasants. They acted as intermediaries between peasants and the ruler. In some areas, the zamindars exercised a great deal of power.

Q.10. How important was the income from land revenue to the stability of the Mughal Empire?

The main source of income available to Mughal rulers was land revenue. The Mughal Empire was very large and therefore for administration and maintaining law and order, a huge amount of revenue was needed which comes from the land revenue. The land revenue was also needed for salaries of the soldiers and officials and welfare works for the common people. The enormous wealth and resources commanded by the Mughal elite made them an extremely powerful group of people in the late seventeenth century. Thus, we can say that land revenue played a crucial role in the stability of the Mughal Empire.

Q.11. How were the debates with religious scholars important in the formation of Akbar’s ideas on governance?

Akbar’s interaction with people of different faiths made him realise that religious scholars who emphasized ritual and dogma were often bigots. Their teachings created divisions and disharmony amongst his subjects. This eventually led Akbar to the idea of sulh-i kul or “universal peace”. This idea of tolerance did not discriminate between people of different religions in his realm. Instead, it focused on a system of ethics – honesty, justice, and peace – that was universally applicable.

Q.12. Why was it important for the Mughals to recruit mansabdars from diverse backgrounds and not just Turanis and Iranis?

As the empire expanded to encompass different regions the Mughals recruited diverse bodies of people. From a small nucleus of Turkish nobles (Turanis) they expanded to include Iranians, Indian Muslims, Afghans, Rajputs, Marathas and other groups. Those who joined Mughal service were enrolled as mansabdars.

Q.13. Write about the major campaigns and events of Shah Jahan reign.

Mughal campaigns continued in the Deccan under Shah Jahan. The Afghan noble Khan Jahan Lodi rebelled and was defeated. Campaigns were launched against Ahmadnagar; the Bundelas were defeated and Orchha seized. In the northwest, the campaign to seize Balkh from the Uzbeks was unsuccessful and Qandahar was lost to the Safavids. In 1632 Ahmadnagar was finally annexed and the Bijapur forces sued for peace.

Q.14. How were the Mughal different from their predecessors?

In contrast to their predecessors, the Mughals created an empire and accomplished what had hitherto seemed possible for only short periods of time. From the latter half of the sixteenth century they expanded their kingdom from Agra and Delhi, until in the seventeenth century they controlled nearly all of the subcontinent. They imposed structures of administration and ideas of governance that outlasted their rule, leaving a political legacy that succeeding rulers of the subcontinent could not ignore.

Q.15. Write a brief note on the Land Revenue System of Akbar. 

Akbar’s revenue minister, Todar Mal, carried out a careful survey of crop yields, prices and areas cultivated for a 10-year period, 1570- 1580. On the basis of this data, tax was fixed on each crop in cash. Each province was divided into revenue circles with its own schedule of revenue rates for individual crops. This revenue system was known as zabt. It was prevalent in those areas where Mughal administrators could survey the land and keep very careful accounts.