Textbook Solutions: The Creation of An Empire | Window on the Word Class 7: Solutions, Notes & Worksheets PDF Download

A. Choose the correct answer.

1.
Ans: (c)
When he was barely 12 years old, Babur became the ruler of Fargana

2.
Ans: (b)
In the Battle of Kannauj, Sher Shah defeated Humayun

3.
Ans: (a)
The head of Akbar's department of finance was TodarMal

4.
Ans: (a)
In the Mughal administrative system, the person who headed the military department was called Mirbakhshi

5.
Ans: (d)
One of the British travellers who visited Jahangir's court was Sir Thomas Roe

B.Fill in the blanks.

1.
Ans: Babur defeated the Lodis in the First Battle of Panipat.

2.
Ans: Sher Shah was the Afghan chief of Bihar who defeated Humayun and occupied the throne of Delhi.

3.  
Ans: Akbar was tutored by Bairam Khan.

4.
Ans: Akbarnama was written by Abu'l Fazl.

5.
Ans: Aurangzeb was the last of the Great Mughals.

C. Define the following.

1.
Ans: Jizyah - It was a tax imposed on non-Muslims living in a Muslim state.

2.
Ans: Sadr - In Mughal administration, Sadr was the head of the religious and charitable endowments.

3.
Ans: Sarkar - It was a territorial division in Mughal empire, each sarkar was divided into several Parganas or Mahals.

4.
Ans: Faujdar - Faujdar was a military rank holder in the Mughal empire, who was responsible for maintaining law and order in his jurisdiction.

5.
Ans: Mansabdar - Mansabdar was a military rank holder in the Mughal empire who was responsible for maintaining a certain number of troops and contributing them to the imperial service when required.

D. Answer in one or two sentences.

1.
Ans: Babur defeated Rana Sanga in the Battle of Khanwa.

2.
Ans: The importance of the First Battle of Panipat was that it marked the end of the Delhi Sultanate and established Mughal rule in India.

3.
Ans: Din-i-llahi was a syncretic religion propounded by the Mughal emperor Akbar integrating elements of Hinduism, Islam, Zoroastrianism and Christianity.

4.
Ans: The relationship between Jahangir and the Sikhs soured because Jahangir executed the Sikh guru Arjan Dev, who had aided Jahangir's son Khusrau in the latter's rebellion against his father.

5.
Ans: Aurangzeb was different from Akbar in his religious beliefs. While Akbar was known for his policy of religious tolerance, Aurangzeb was orthodox and his reversal of the tolerant policies of his predecessors alienated many groups.

E. Answer In a paragraph.

1.
Ans: The major achievements of Sher Shah included the extension of the Sadak-i Azam or the Grand Trunk Road, which ran from Bengal to Afghanistan, and the building of sarais (inns), planting of trees, and digging of wells along the roads for the convenience of travellers. He also reformed the currency system by minting silver coins (rupiya), gold coins (mohur), and copper coins (dam), thereby replacing the earlier coins that were made of mixed metals. He was a great builder and patron of art and architecture, and during his rule, he established law and order across the land, and promoted trade and commerce.

2.
Ans: Akbar adopted a number of strategies for expanding his empire. While the chapter does not provide specifics on these strategies, it is known from history that Akbar was a great military strategist and a diplomat. He expanded his empire through conquests and by forming alliances through marriages with the ruling families of the conquered kingdoms. He also introduced administrative reforms and innovative practices like religious tolerance, which helped him gain the loyalty and support of his subjects.

3.
Ans: Akbar's religious policy was one of tolerance and inclusiveness. Although he was a Muslim, he respected all religions and did not impose Islam on his subjects. He encouraged interfaith discussions and tried to create a syncretic religion, Din-i-Ilahi, which combined elements from different religions. However, the chapter does not provide detailed information on Akbar's religious policy.

4.
Ans: The chapter does not provide information on the mansabdari system introduced by Akbar. However, it is known from history that the mansabdari system was a unique system of governance introduced by Akbar where officials (mansabdars) were given ranks (mansabs) and were assigned the responsibility of maintaining specified numbers of troops and contributing them to the royal army whenever required. The system helped Akbar to maintain a large army without having to bear the cost of its maintenance.

5.
Ans: The chapter does not provide information on the Dashala system and how it benefited the farmers.

6.
Ans: Jahangir consolidated the empire by continuing Akbar's policy of expansion. He crushed Afghan rebellions in the east and brought the decade-long conflict with Mewar to an end by defeating Amar Singh, son of Rana Pratap Singh, in 1614 ce. By 1622 ce, he had brought Ahmudnugor under Mughal control, thus breaking the longstanding resistance to Mughal rule in the Deccan region.

7.
Ans: The chapter suggests that Aurangzeb's orthodox religious beliefs and his reversal of the tolerant policies of his predecessors led to alienation of many groups who eventually rose in revolt. His attempts to conquer the Deccan depleted the royal treasury and his extended absence from the capital emboldened the nobles to plot against him. These factors, along with the largeness and unwieldiness of the empire, led to the weakening and eventual downfall of the Mughal Empire. Therefore, it could be argued that Aurangzeb was partially responsible for the downfall of the Mughal Empire.