class 7 Chapter 4 History

Class VII                                     Chapter 4 History -The Mughal Empire

Q1. Fill in the blanks:

1.     The capital of the state of Mirza Hakim, Akbar’s half-brother, was_____. (Kabul)

2.     The five Deccan Sultanates were Berar, Khandesh, Ahmednagar_____ and _____. (Bijapur and Golconda)

3.     Abul Fazl, Akbar’s friend and counsellor, helped him frame the idea of ______ so that he could govern a society composed of many religions, culture and castes. (Sulh-i-kul)

4.     Akbar became the emperor at the age of ____. (13)

5.     Qandahar was bone of contention between Mughals and ______. (Safavids)

6.     Chittoor was the capital of _____. (Sisodiya)

Q2. Choose the correct option:

1.      The ottoman ruler was given the title of   (a)

a.      Al-Qununi  b. Bakhshi   c. Sadr    d. Fauzdar

2.      The police commander under the Mughals was called  (b)

a.      Sadr  b. kotwal  b. Baisakhi   c. Fauzdar

3.      Under the early Mughal, the Turanis were the   (a)

a.      Nobles   b. Soldiers   c. Mongols Competitors.

Q3. Match the Column ‘A’ with the Column ‘B’:-

                        A                                 B

            1.        Mansab                                    Marwar     (4)

            2.        Mongol                                     governor   (6)

            3.        Sisodiya Rajput             Uzbeg        (2)

            4.        Rathore Rajput             Mewar       (3)

            5.        Nur Jahan                     rank             (1)

            6.        Subedar                                    Jahangir      (5)

Q4. Answer the following questions in brief (in 1 or 2 lines):

1.     Why did Mongols emphasize their Timurid and not their Mongol descent?

Ans: The Mughal emphasized their Mongol descent because Genghiz Khan was infamous for the massacre of innumerable people. Hewas also linked with the Uzbegs who were their Mongol competitors.

On the other hand, they were proud of their Timurid descend because Timur had captured Delhi in 1398. Moreover, Timur achieved good name in the history.

2.     Why was it important to recruit mansabdars from diverse backgrounds and not just Turanis and Iranis?

Ans:

·         It was important for the Mughals to recruit mansabdars from diverse backgrounds and not just Turanis and Iranis in order to provide stability to empire.

·         Moreover, the problems of common folks would be understood better by the people living there.

·         They came here to rule and to maintain the balance of the country as well as to respect it, so they recruited mansabdars from diverse backgrounds.

·         They also didn’t want the people to rebel against them and didn’t want to give special privilege to Turanis and Iranis.

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

Ans: The income from land revenue was the main source of income of the Mughal Empire.

·         The Mughal Empire was very large and therefore for running the administration and maintaining law and order, a huge amount of finance was needed which came from revenue.

·         The land revenue was also important for salaries of the soldiers and officials and welfare works for the commons.

·         Land revenue played a crucial role in the economy as well as administration of the Mughal Empire.

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

Ans: Akbar’s interaction with people of different faiths made him realize that religious scholars who emphasized ritual and dogma were often bigots.The teachings by different religious scholars created divisions and disharmony amongst his subjects.This gave him the idea of the sulh-i-kul or “universal peace” which means tolerance and not to discriminate between people of different religions.This helped him make a system of governance which focused on the welfare of his people. This system of governance was later followed by Jahangir and Shah Jahan as well.

5.     What were the central provinces under the control of the Mughals?

Ans: The central provinces under the control of the Mughals were Delhi, Sindh, Kabul, Marwar, Mewar, Gujarat, Bihar, Bengal, Orissa, Chittor, Ajmer, Agra, Panipat and Deccan.

Q5. Answer the following questions in detail (in 70 to 80 words):

1.      What was the relationship between the mansabdar and the jagirs?

Ans: Mansabdars received their salaries as revenue assignments called jagirs.

Mansabdars did actually reside in or administer their jagirs. They served in some other country while the revenue was collected for them by their servants.

2.      What was the role of the zamindar in Mughal administration?

Ans: Role of the Zamindar in Mughal administration:

a.      Zamindars were local headmen of villages or powerful chieftains appointed by the Mughal emperor.

b.      They played a role of source in running of the administration of the Mughals.

c.       They collected tax on the produce of the peasantry which was the main source of income available to Mughal rulers.

d.      In some areas the zamindars exercised a great deal of power and sometimes zamindars and peasants of the same caste allied in rebelling against Mughal authority.

3.      Like the Mughal Empire, India today is also made up of many social and cultural units. Does this pose a challenge to national integration?

Ans: Today, India follows a culture or tradition of “unity in diversity”. People living here are united by the heart and love the diversity of their own country. They consider this as their motherland and are proud of its diverse cultures, languages, religions, foods etc. Diversity is not a threat to national integration in India because people love and respect each-other’s culture. In fact, it brings people closer when they celebrate all festivals together and enjoy various foods. Diversity is thus a bone.

4.      Peasants were vital for the economy of the Mughal Empire. Do you think they are as important today? Has the gap in the income between the rich and the poor in India changed a great deal from the period of the Mughals?

Ans: Peasants are important today as they were during the Mughal Empire. They cultivate land and grow crops which we can use as food or as raw material in our industry. They pay land revenue to the government which is used in various development works. We cannot think of a sound economy without them. They are the backbone of the country.

Yes, I feel that the gap between the rich and the poor in India has decreased a great deal from the period of the Mughals because the people are now educated enough to know about their rights. Moreover, the governments have also started many policies to bring equality among the rich and poor and to bridge the gap between them.