Important Questions: The Mughals (16th to 17th Century) - UPSC MCQ

The word mansab is of Arabic origin meaning rank or position. The system determined the rank and status of a government official and military generals. Every civil and military officer was given a mansab, which determined their salaries and allowances. The term manasabadar means a person having a mansab.

Topic in NCERT: Mansabdars and Jagirdars

Line in NCERT: "The term mansabdar refers to an individual who holds a mansab, meaning a position or rank."

• Yes, the statement is True.

• In the Mughal empire, mansabdars received their salaries in the form of revenue assignments known as jagirs. These jagirs were similar to iqtas but most mansabdars did not actually live in or manage their jagirs. Instead, they only had rights to the revenue from these assignments, which was collected for them by their servants.

Topic in NCERT: Mansabdars and Jagirdars

Line in NCERT: "Mansabdars received their salaries as revenue assignments called jagirs which were somewhat like iqtas."

Abul Fazl, a close friend and counselor of Akbar, helped him frame the idea of 'sulh-i-kul,' which means universal peace, allowing governance of a diverse society.

Topic in NCERT: Sulh-i kul

Line in NCERT: "Abul Fazl, Akbar's friend and counsellor, helped him frame the idea of sulh-i kul so that he could govern a society composed of many religions, cultures and castes."

The Mughals followed a custom called "coparcenary" inheritance, which means dividing the inheritance among all sons. It was their way of sharing the father's estate among all the sons.

Topic in NCERT: Mughal Traditions of Succession

Line in NCERT: "The Mughals did not believe in the rule of primogeniture, where the eldest son inherited his father's estate. Instead they followed the Mughal and Timurid custom of coparcenary inheritance, or a division of the inheritance amongst all the sons."

The main income source for the Mughal Empire was land revenue collected from peasants and agricultural products.

Topic in NCERT: Zabt and Zamindars

Line in NCERT: "The main source of income available to Mughal rulers was tax on the produce of the peasantry."

The mansabdars were assigned to military responsibilities. For this, they maintained 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.

Topic in NCERT: Mansabdars and Jagirdars

Line in NCERT: "The mansabdar's military responsibilities required him to maintain a specified number of sawar or cavalrymen."

The Mughals imposed systems of governance and administration that outlasted their rule, forming a political legacy that succeeding rulers could not ignore.

Topic in NCERT: THE MUGHALS

Line in NCERT: "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."

the revenue system known as 'zabt' was prevalent in areas where land could be surveyed and accounts kept.

Topic in NCERT: Zabt and Zamindars

Line in NCERT: "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."

Recruiting mansabdars from diverse backgrounds helped the Mughals gain the trust of different communities, ensuring stability and reducing the likelihood of rebellion.

Topic in NCERT: Akbar Nama and Ain-i Akbari

Line in NCERT: "Abul Fazl, Akbar's friend and counsellor, helped him frame the idea of so that he could govern a society composed of many religions, cultures and castes."

- The Mughal Empire followed the practice of coparcenary inheritance.
- Unlike primogeniture, where the eldest son inherits everything, coparcenary inheritance means that the property is divided among all sons.
- This system often led to conflicts and succession wars among brothers, as each had a legitimate claim to a share of the empire.
- The Mughals believed this practice ensured all royal family members maintained power and were loyal to the ruling emperor.

Topic in NCERT: Mughal Traditions of Succession

Line in NCERT: "The Mughals did not believe in the rule of primogeniture, where the eldest son inherited his father's estate. Instead they followed the Mughal and Timurid custom of coparcenary inheritance, or a division of the inheritance amongst all the sons."

Jahangir described his father Akbar's policy of 'sulh-i kul.'

Topic in NCERT: Sulh-i kul

Line in NCERT: "Sunnis and Shias met in one mosque and Christians and Jews in one church to pray. He consistently followed the principle of 'universal peace' (sulh-i kul)."

The Mughals emphasized their Timurid descent to distance themselves from Ghengis Khan's brutal legacy, as Timur was seen as a more noble ancestor who had conquered Delhi.

Topic in NCERT: Who were the Mughals?

Line in NCERT: "The Mughals did not like to be called Mughal or Mongol. This was because Genghis Khan's memory was associated with the massacre of innumerable people."

International travelers described the Mughal Empire as a place of great opulence because they saw it as very wealthy. This means the Mughal Empire was known for having a lot of riches and luxury, making it seem very grand and rich to those who visited it.

• The statement is True. The Mughals were indeed descendants of Genghis Khan and Timur.
• Genghis Khan was a powerful Mongol ruler, and Timur was a ruler of Iran, Iraq, and modern-day Turkey.

Topic in NCERT: Who were the Mughals?

Line in NCERT: "The Mughals were descendants of two great lineages of rulers. From their mother's side they were descendants of Genghis Khan (died 1227), the Mongol ruler who ruled over parts of China and Central Asia. From their father's side, they were the successors of Timur (died 1404), the ruler of Iran, Iraq and modern-day Turkey."

The Zabt system was a land revenue system used during the Mughal Empire, particularly under Akbar. It involved assessing and collecting taxes based on the agricultural produce of the land. The revenue was typically one-third of the crop yield, and it was collected from farmers in cash or kind. The system aimed to streamline revenue collection and was an important part of the Mughal administration.

Topic in NCERT: Zabt and Zamindars

Line in NCERT: "This revenue system was known as zabt."