Q: Who were the Mughals?

or
Describe the Mughal Rule. (4)

Ans.
The Mughal rule was founded by Babur in 1526. Six great rulers, from Babur to
Aurangzeb, expanded and consolidated their rule 1526 to 1707. During this period they
excelled in literature, music, painting and architecture, building several monuments like the
Taj in Agra. After the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, there were corrupt and inefficient rulers
who failed to run the affairs of a huge empire. The Mughal rule was replaced by the British in
1858.

Q: Describe what the Marathas did. [4]

Ans.
Marathas were a ferocious and militant Hindu community living in the Deccan, south
India. They were especially organised under their dynamic leader Shivaji who laid the
foundation of a Maratha Empire in the 1670s. Aurangzeb fought against them for about 25
years but failed to crush them. They defeated a huge Mughal army outside Delhi in 1737,
and later occupied it in 1760. They were defeated by the Afghan army of Ahmed Shah Abdali
in 1761, in the third battle of Panipat.

Q: What were Aurangzeb’s religious policies? [4]

Ans.
Aurangzeb, earned hostility and opposition by his non-Muslim subjects. He re-
introduced the Jiziya, a tax levied on non-Muslims that had earlier been abolished by Akbar.
He also destroyed some Hindu temples and tried to ban the old Hindu custom of Suttee,
burning a widow alive on the cremation ceremony of her husband. He also showed strictness
in enforcing Islamic law and tried to fix the length of the beard Muslim men were required to
keep.

Q: Who was Shivaji? [4]

Ans.
Shivaji was a ferocious Marathan fighter and founder of the Marathan Empire in
Bijapur, southern India. He was crowned Chhatarpati (monarch) in 1674. He innovated
military tactics, including guerrilla warfare, and revived old Hindu traditions. He fought the
Mughals from 1657 to 1668. He was arrested by Aurangzeb’s army in 1665, and brought to
Agra. Soon, however, he escaped cleverly, and established himself in the Deccan. He greatly
contributed to strengthen the Maratha power in sourthern India, and died in 1680.

Q: Who was Ahmad Shah Durrani? [4]

Ans.
He was also known as Ahmad Shah Abdali, and was a skilled Afghan commander
who was born in Heart, Afghanistan in 1722. He led ten invasions into northern India from
1747 to 1769 including three attacks on the Punjab between 1747 and 1753. These invasions
greatly weakened the Mughal Empire. He defeated the Marathas in the third and last battle
of Panipat in 1761, and broke their strength decisively. He died in 1772 in Kandhar in
Afghanistan.

By Dr. Iftikhar-ul-Haq 0333-4257013

Q: Explain why the Mughal Empire declined following the death of
Aurangzeb. [7]
Ans.
Aurangzeb’s successors were inefficient. They proved to be lazy, corrupt and luxury-
loving and left the state affairs to their courtiers and ministers who were usually selfish. These
weak successors became victim to an extravagant lifestyle as a result of which they failed to
run and defend the huge empire effectively. State resources were spent on personal
comfort and so, the empire suffered from financial inefficiencies. One of the later Mughals
was Muhammad Shah who, because of his colourful lifestyle, was titled as ‘Rangeela’. He
could not defend his empire against the Persian invader Nadir Shah Durrani.

There was no law of succession due to which the princes often fought for the throne
on the death of the emperor. These wars of succession led to a division of the army with
various lobbies supporting various princes. Succession was usually decided by the ability of
the individual princes and the support and strength they could get from the courtiers and the
army. This infighting incurred huge loss to the state exchequer that should have been spent
on the public welfare schemes and consolidating the empire. Aurangzeb had divided the
empire among his three sons, but they too, ended up fighting with each other.

Invasions by the Persians, Afghans and Europeans further accelerated the process
of decline. Nadir Shah Durrani sacked many cities in 1739, and Ahmed Shah Abdali
repeatedly attacked India 1748 onwards. Gradually, fighting wars became expensive and the
military was stretched and suffered from inefficiency and skills. It became hard to defend a
vast empire with an orthodox and outdated weapons and fighting tactics. The British, who
had been developing their army, fully exploited these weaknesses of a very rich Mughal
Empire that they overran with their advanced weapons, warfare and clever strategies.

By Dr. Iftikhar-ul-Haq 0333-4257013

Q: ‘The spread of Marathan power was the main reason for the decline
of the Mughal Empire.’ Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for
your answer. [14]
Ans.
Marathas were the militant Hindu community concentrated mainly in the southern
Indian state of Mahrashtra. The Maratha Empire was founded by the ferocious Marathan
commander Shivaji in the 1670s. They gradually organized themselves and began to offer
stiff resistance to the Mughals. They defeated the Mughal army in 1737 outside Delhi and
had captured the strategic town of Malwa in 1738. During the first six decades of the 18th
century, they were the most powerful and established community in India that was ready to
fill in the power vacuum created by the declining Mughal rule. Successive Mughal rulers found
it almost impossible to check the rapidly growing Marathan power. Aurangzeb spent about
25 years in the Deccan desperately trying to eliminate the Marathas. On his return, he found
the state treasury almost empty and this added to his difficulties.

However, the mighty Mughal rule did not decline due to the Maratha factor alone.
Historians also blame the prejudiced and intolerant policies of Aurangzeb, who adopted strict
measures against the non-Muslims. He imposed the discriminatory Islamic tax Jiziya on the
non-Muslims that had earlier been abolished by Akbar, though he tried to defend himself by
waiving some other taxes. He also demolished a number of Hindu temples, and adopted a
harsh attitude towards the Sikhs. Being a staunch Sunni ruler, he banned many activities
such as painting, music, drinking, gambling and dance that had been part of the Indian culture
and society. He also tried to ban the Hindu custom of Suttee, burning widow alive on the
cremation of her husband. In order to meet huge expenses of military campaigns, he imposed
heavy taxes, and the money collected by taxes was spent on luxurious buildings, a tradition
of the Mughal rulers. All this made Aurangzeb very unpopular, and his successors found it
quite difficult to rule the empire.

Weak successors of Aurangzeb fell victim to extravagant and luxurious lifestyles and
paid little attention to the defence and consolidation of the empire. They became morally
corrupt and comfort-loving, and could not overcome the difficulties faced by various parts of
the huge empire. This complacence is the usual result of continued successes of major
empires, and the Mughals were no exception to this. Negligence of the weak later Mughals
to the state affairs also contributed to the fall of the Mughal Empire.
The Mughals did not have a definite law of succession. On the death of an emperor,
the princes got engaged in conspiracies, intrigues and making loyal groups that always led
to regicidal wars of succession. Success of a candidate often depended on the support he
could get from the military and ministers. Thus, state resources were wasted on mutual fights
instead of public welfare and defence of the empire.
Aurangzeb had divided the whole empire between his three sons in order to prevent
a war of succession. However, the three princes began to fight, and eventually, Prince
Muazzam established himself as Emperor. Only after a few years, his four sons fought over
the throne, but the victor, Jahandar Shah was murdered within a year. So, in the ten years
after Aurangzeb’s death, twelve different people claimed to be Emperor at one time. This
greatly destabilized the huge Mughal Empire.
Finally, the last nail in the coffin of the Mughal rule was perhaps driven by the British,
who began to dominate the political horizon of India, 1750 onwards. The tottering Mughal
Empire was no match to the British supremacy in warfare. The British very skillfully
established themselves in India and eventually replaced the Mughals by annexing all
important states between 1757 and 1856. They started their victorious journey from north-
eastern India, and moving southwards, they turned to the north-western territories of Sindh,
Punjab and Kashmir. They also successfully applied their famous strategy of “divide and
rule” to occupy the Indian subcontinent.
By Dr. Iftikhar-ul-Haq 0333-4257013
 To conclude, we can say that the power of the Marathas was the decisive factor in
the decline of the Mughals because, if the Mughals had won their support, they might have
jointly averted the process of decline, or at least slowed it down. Instead, Mughals failed to
make friends with them and constantly earned their hostility.

Q. Was British expansion in India the most important reason for the decline
of the Mughal Empire? Explain your answer. (14)
Ans.

The British East India Company (EIC) reached India in 1600 AD when the Mughal
Empire was nearing its peak. The British had primarily come for trade in India. Initially, their
trade benefited Indians, too, but gradually the British began to enjoy monopoly on trade. With
time, the money thus earned was used to manufacture more sophisticated weapons. Being
the first beneficiary of the Industrial Revolution, they had more advanced weapons and were
gifted with superior military skills. With this they had a strong sense of success. The Mughals,
on the other hand, did not excel in science and technology. Moreover, the inherent disunity
among Indians was also exploited by the British. In the 18th century, many provinces had
broken away from the central Mughal authority.

Gradually, the British were able to keep their own armies and expand their influence
over various Indian territories that were previously part of the Mughal Empire. Their major
victories started decades after the death of Aurangzeb. They defeated the Indians in such
major battles as Plassey in 1757, Buxar in 1764 and Mysore in 1799 greatly reduced the
Mughal control over various strategic parts of India.

However, there were many other reasons for the decline of the mighty Mughal rule.
Rise of Marathan power also contributed to the Mughal decline. The Maratha Empire was
founded by the ferocious Marathan commander Shivaji in the 1670s. They defeated the
Mughal army in 1737 outside Delhi. During the first six decades of the 18th century, they were
the most powerful and established community in India that was ready to fill in the power
vacuum created by the declining Mughal rule. Aurangzeb spent about 25 years in the Deccan
desperately trying to eliminate the Marathas. On his return, he found the state treasury almost
empty and this added to his difficulties.

Historians also blame the prejudiced and intolerant policies of Aurangzeb, who
adopted strict measures against the non-Muslims. He imposed the tax Jiziya on the non-
Muslims that had earlier been abolished by Akbar. He also demolished a number of Hindu
temples, and adopted a harsh attitude towards the Sikhs. He banned many activities such as
painting, music, drinking, gambling and dance that had been part of the Indian culture and
society. He also tried to ban the Hindu custom of Suttee, burning widow alive on the cremation
of her husband. In order to meet huge expenses of military campaigns, he imposed heavy
taxes. As a result, his successors found it quite difficult to rule the empire.

Weak successors of Aurangzeb fell victim to extravagant and luxurious lifestyles and
paid little attention to the defence and consolidation of the empire. They became morally
corrupt and comfort-loving, and could not overcome the difficulties faced by various parts of
the huge empire. This complacence is the usual result of continued successes of major
empires, and the Mughals were no exception to this. Negligence of the weak later Mughals
to the state affairs also contributed to the fall of the Mughal Empire.
The Mughals did not have a definite law of succession. On the death of an emperor,
the princes got engaged in conspiracies, intrigues and making loyal groups that always led
to regicidal wars of succession. Success of a candidate often depended on the support he

By Dr. Iftikhar-ul-Haq 0333-4257013

could get from the military and ministers. Thus, state resources were wasted on mutual fights
instead of public welfare and defence of the empire.
Aurangzeb had divided the whole empire between his three sons in order to prevent
a war of succession. However, the three princes began to fight, and eventually, Prince
Muazzam established himself as Emperor. Only after a few years, his four sons fought over
the throne, but the victor, Jahandar Shah was murdered within a year. So, in the ten years
after Aurangzeb’s death, twelve different people claimed to be Emperor at one time. This
greatly destabilized the huge Mughal Empire.

It may be concluded that the British expansion played the decisive role in the decline
of the Mughal rule. British outsmarted the Mughals in military, trade, politics and social
spheres of life. Their exploitative policies remained unnoticed by the Mughals till the British
had established themselves in several parts of India.

Q. Were the invasions by the Persians and Afghans the main reason for the
decline of the Mughal Empire? Explain your answer.(14)
Ans.
With the death of Aurangzeb, the huge Mughal Empire began to shrimping size under
inefficient and corrupt rulers. This made empire vulnerable to invasions. Modern day
Afghanistan was shared between the Persians and Mughals for long time. Seeing the weak
successors of Aurangzeb, the Persian ruler Nadir Shah Durrani invaded and sacked Delhi in
1738-39. The invasion was primarily a looting raid as Nadir Shah took away wealth, gold,
jewellery and the famous Peacock Throne. Similarly, the Afghan fighter Ahmed Shah Abdali
followed Nadir Shah, and attacked various parts of the empire between 1748 and 1767 that
were under the Maratha rule. His attacks, too, were aimed at plundering the Indian wealth
like Nadir Shah. He, however, inflicted a humiliating defeat on the Marathas though this could
not prevent the decline of the Mughal rule.

However, there were many other reasons for the decline of the mighty Mughal rule.
The British East India Company (EIC) reached India in 1600 AD when the Mughal Empire
was nearing its peak. The British had primarily come for trade in India. Initially, their trade
benefited Indians, too, but gradually the British began to enjoy monopoly on trade. With time,
the money thus earned was used to manufacture more sophisticated weapons. Being the
first beneficiary of the Industrial Revolution, they had more advanced weapons and were
gifted with superior military skills. With this they had a strong sense of success. The Mughals,
on the other hand, did not excel in science and technology. Moreover, the inherent disunity
among Indians was also exploited by the British. In the 18th century, many provinces had
broken away from the central Mughal authority. Gradually, the British were able to keep their
own armies and expand their influence over various Indian territories that were previously
part of the Mughal Empire.

Rise of Marathan power also contributed to the Mughal decline. The Maratha Empire
was founded by the ferocious Marathan commander Shivaji in the 1670s. They defeated the
Mughal army in 1737 outside Delhi. During the first six decades of the 18th century, they were
the most powerful and established community in India that was ready to fill in the power
vacuum created by the declining Mughal rule. Aurangzeb spent about 25 years in the Deccan
desperately trying to eliminate the Marathas. On his return, he found the state treasury almost
empty and this added to his difficulties.

Historians also blame the prejudiced and intolerant policies of Aurangzeb, who
adopted strict measures against the non-Muslims. He imposed the tax Jiziya on the non-
Muslims that had earlier been abolished by Akbar. He also demolished a number of Hindu

By Dr. Iftikhar-ul-Haq 0333-4257013

temples, and adopted a harsh attitude towards the Sikhs. He banned many activities such as
painting, music, drinking, gambling and dance that had been part of the Indian culture and
society. He also tried to ban the Hindu custom of Suttee, burning widow alive on the cremation
of her husband. In order to meet huge expenses of military campaigns, he imposed heavy
taxes that made him more unpopular. As a result, his successors found it quite difficult to rule
the empire.

Weak successors of Aurangzeb fell victim to extravagant and luxurious lifestyles and
paid little attention to the defence and consolidation of the empire. They became morally
corrupt and comfort-loving, and could not overcome the difficulties faced by various parts of
the huge empire. This complacence is the usual result of continued successes of major
empires, and the Mughals were no exception to this. Negligence of the weak later Mughals
to the state affairs also contributed to the fall of the Mughal Empire.

The Mughals did not have a definite law of succession. On the death of an emperor,
the princes got engaged in conspiracies, intrigues and making loyal groups that always led
to regicidal wars of succession. Success of a candidate often depended on the support he
could get from the military and ministers. Thus, state resources were wasted on mutual fights
instead of public welfare and defence of the empire. Aurangzeb had divided the whole empire
between his three sons in order to prevent a war of succession. However, the three princes
began to fight, and eventually, Prince Muazzam established himself as Emperor. After a few
years, his four sons too ended up fighting with each other.

It may be concluded that the Persian and Afghan invasions were the main reason of
the Mughal decline. The invaders repeatedly attacked mainly to loot the Mughal wealth and
take it back to their countries. The Mughal treasury was gradually drained and thus little funds
were available for the development and defence of the empire.

Q. Was the in-fighting between Aurangzeb’s successors the most important

reason for the breakup of the Mughal Empire? Explain your answer.(14)
Ans.

Mughal rulers did not have a definite law of succession. This led to in-fighting among
princes on the death of an emperor. Aurangzeb, with the intention of avoiding such a fight,
divided the empire among his three sons but this strategy failed. Fighting broke out between
his sons and eventually Prince Muazzam established himself as Emperor. However, he ruled
as a weak ruler for a few years, and then his four sons fought for the throne. The victor,
Jahandar Shah was murdered within a year. These wars of succession became a permanent
tradition, and caused division in the army. They also resulted in waste of resources that
should have been spent on defending and developing the Empire.

There were many other factors that contributed to the process of decline. With the
death of Aurangzeb, the huge Mughal Empire began to shrimping size under inefficient and
corrupt rulers. This made empire vulnerable to invasions. Modern day Afghanistan was
shared between the Persians and Mughals for long time. Seeing the weak successors of
Aurangzeb, the Persian ruler Nadir Shah Durrani invaded and sacked Delhi in 1738-39. The
invasion was primarily a looting raid as Nadir Shah took away wealth, gold, jewellery and the
famous Peacock Throne. Similarly, the Afghan fighter Ahmed Shah Abdali followed Nadir
Shah, and attacked various parts of the empire between 1748 and 1767 that were under the
Maratha rule. His attacks, too, were aimed at plundering the Indian wealth like Nadir Shah.

The British East India Company (EIC) reached India in 1600 AD when the Mughal
Empire was nearing its peak. The British had primarily come for trade in India. Initially, their
trade benefited Indians, too, but gradually the British began to enjoy monopoly on trade. With
By Dr. Iftikhar-ul-Haq 0333-4257013
time, the money thus earned was used to manufacture more sophisticated weapons. Being
the first beneficiary of the Industrial Revolution, they had more advanced weapons and were
gifted with superior military skills. With this they had a strong sense of success. The Mughals,
on the other hand, did not excel in science and technology. Moreover, the inherent disunity
among Indians was also exploited by the British. In the 18th century, many provinces had
broken away from the central Mughal authority. Gradually, the British were able to keep their
own armies and expand their influence over various Indian territories that were previously
part of the Mughal Empire.

Rise of Marathan power also contributed to the Mughal decline. The Maratha Empire
was founded by the ferocious Marathan commander Shivaji in the 1670s. They defeated the
Mughal army in 1737 outside Delhi. During the first six decades of the 18th century, they were
the most powerful and established community in India that was ready to fill in the power
vacuum created by the declining Mughal rule. Aurangzeb spent about 25 years in the Deccan
desperately trying to eliminate the Marathas. On his return, he found the state treasury almost
empty and this added to his difficulties.

Historians also blame the prejudiced and intolerant policies of Aurangzeb, who
adopted strict measures against the non-Muslims. He imposed the tax Jiziya on the non-
Muslims that had earlier been abolished by Akbar. He also demolished a number of Hindu
temples, and adopted a harsh attitude towards the Sikhs. He banned many activities such as
painting, music, drinking, gambling and dance that had been part of the Indian culture and
society. He also tried to ban the Hindu custom of Suttee, burning widow alive on the cremation
of her husband. In order to meet huge expenses of military campaigns, he imposed heavy
taxes that made him more unpopular. As a result, his successors found it quite difficult to rule
the empire.

Weak successors of Aurangzeb fell victim to extravagant and luxurious lifestyles and
paid little attention to the defence and consolidation of the empire. They became morally
corrupt and comfort-loving, and could not overcome the difficulties faced by various parts of
the huge empire. This complacence is the usual result of continued successes of major
empires, and the Mughals were no exception to this. Negligence of the weak later Mughals
to the state affairs also contributed to the fall of the Mughal Empire.

By objective analysis it seems the infighting among the successors of Aurangzeb was
the main reason of the Mughal decline. Instead of acting as a united front, these weak
successors divided the state army whose various factions fought against each other. Thus,
the defence of the empire was neglected.

Q. Were the policies of Aurangzeb the main reason for the decline of the
Mughal Empire? Explain your answer. [14]
Ans.
Aurangzeb gradually became an unpopular ruler. He is described as a prejudiced and
intolerant ruler. He took many strict measures against the non-Muslims. He imposed the
discriminatory Islamic tax Jiziya on the non-Muslims that had earlier been abolished by Akbar,
though he tried to defend himself by waiving some other taxes. He also demolished a number
of Hindu temples, and adopted a harsh attitude towards the Sikhs. Being a staunch Sunni
ruler, he banned many activities such as painting, music, drinking, gambling and dance that
had been part of the Indian culture and society. He also tried to ban the Hindu custom of
Suttee, burning widow alive on the cremation of her husband. In order to meet huge expenses
of military campaigns, he imposed heavy taxes, and the money collected by taxes was spent

By Dr. Iftikhar-ul-Haq 0333-4257013

on luxurious buildings, a tradition of the Mughal rulers. All this made Aurangzeb very
unpopular, and his successors found it quite difficult to rule the empire.

There were many other reasons of this process of decline. Mughal rulers did not have
a definite law of succession. This led to in-fighting among princes on the death of an emperor.
Aurangzeb, with the intention of avoiding such a fight, divided the empire among his three
sons but this strategy failed. Fighting broke out between his sons and eventually Prince
Muazzam established himself as Emperor. However, he ruled as a weak ruler for a few years,
and then his four sons fought for the throne. The victor, Jahandar Shah was murdered within
a year. These wars of succession became a permanent tradition, and caused division in the
army. They also resulted in waste of resources that should have been spent on defending and
developing the Empire.

With the death of Aurangzeb, the huge Mughal Empire began to shrimping size under
inefficient and corrupt rulers. This made empire vulnerable to invasions. Modern day
Afghanistan was shared between the Persians and Mughals for long time. Seeing the weak
successors of Aurangzeb, the Persian ruler Nadir Shah Durrani invaded and sacked Delhi in
1738-39. The invasion was primarily a looting raid as Nadir Shah took away wealth, gold,
jewellery and the famous Peacock Throne. Similarly, the Afghan fighter Ahmed Shah Abdali
followed Nadir Shah, and attacked various parts of the empire between 1748 and 1767 that
were under the Maratha rule. His attacks, too, were aimed at plundering the Indian wealth
like Nadir Shah. He, however, inflicted a humiliating defeat on the Marathas though this could
not prevent the decline of the Mughal rule.

The British East India Company (EIC) reached India in 1600 AD when the Mughal
Empire was nearing its peak. The British had primarily come for trade in India. Initially, their
trade benefited Indians, too, but gradually the British began to enjoy monopoly on trade. With
time, the money thus earned was used to manufacture more sophisticated weapons. Being
the first beneficiary of the Industrial Revolution, they had more advanced weapons and were
gifted with superior military skills. With this they had a strong sense of success. The Mughals,
on the other hand, did not excel in science and technology. Gradually, the British were able
to keep their own armies and expand their influence over various Indian territories that were
previously part of the Mughal Empire.

Rise of Marathan power also contributed to the Mughal decline. The Maratha Empire
was founded by the ferocious Marathan commander Shivaji in the 1670s. They defeated the
Mughal army in 1737 outside Delhi. During the first six decades of the 18th century, they were
the most powerful and established community in India that was ready to fill in the power
vacuum created by the declining Mughal rule. Aurangzeb spent about 25 years in the Deccan
desperately trying to eliminate the Marathas. On his return, he found the state treasury almost
empty and this added to his difficulties.

Weak successors of Aurangzeb fell victim to extravagant and luxurious lifestyles and
paid little attention to the defence and consolidation of the empire. They became morally
corrupt and comfort-loving, and could not overcome the difficulties faced by various parts of
the huge empire. This complacence is the usual result of continued successes of major
empires, and the Mughals were no exception to this. Negligence of the weak later Mughals
to the state affairs also contributed to the fall of the Mughal Empire.

To conclude it may be said that Aurangzeb’s policies damaged the Mughal Empire to
such an extent that his successors could not undo the damage. Since his successors were
inefficient, and therefore, it was almost impossible for them to introduce popular and long
term policies.

By Dr. Iftikhar-ul-Haq 0333-4257013

Source A: an excerpt from Encyclopaedia Britanica,
“The Mughal dynasty was notable for its more than two centuries of effective rule over
much of India; for the ability of its rulers , who through seven generations maintained a record
of unusual talent; and for its administrative organisation. A further distinction was the attempt
of the Mughals was to integrate Hindus and Muslims into a united Indian state.”

Q. (a) According to Source A what do we learn about the Mughal rule in

India? [3]

Ans.
The Source describes the Mughals as a successful dynasty that ruled effectively for
more than two centuries. Its rulers capably maintained their talent through seven
generations. The rulers attempted to unify Hindus and Muslims as equal members of a
single state.

Source B: a portrait showing a scene of the Mughal court during its

peak.

By Dr. Iftikhar-ul-Haq 0333-4257013

Q. (b) With reference to Source B, describe the Mughal rule in
India. [5]
Ans.
The Mughal king is shown as the focal point of the painting that shows his strong grip
over the state affairs. There are two courtiers standing at the entrance of the corridor leading
to the royal throne. This shows the authority of the emperor who can be approached only by
way of the two countries. Any guest would be escorted by the same courtiers to the emperor.
There are several other courtiers on either side of the court, all formally dressed and standing
alert. The entire court room is well decorated that reflects the lavish style of living of the
Mughals. This way of living would become one of the reasons for the decline of the Mughal
rule.

Source A: an excerpt from

“In 1615, Thomas Roe finally arrived in Ajmer, bringing presents of hunting dogs,
some Mannerist paintings and many crates of red wine for which Jahangir had a fondness.
Roe, nevertheless, had a series of difficult interviews by Jahangir. Roe wanted immediately
to raise the subject of trade, but the emperor could barely cancel his boredom at such
conversations.”

Q. (a) According to Source A describe what Thomas Roe observed in

Jahangir’s court. [3]

Ans.
Thomas Roe knew about Jahangir’s love for red wine. He felt Jahangir could not be
convinced to listen to a European visitor. Jahangir made him wait for a long time before Roe
could tell the purpose of his visit.

Source B: a painting showing a British diplomat, Thomas Roe, appearing

before the Mughal emperor Jahangir

By Dr. Iftikhar-ul-Haq 0333-4257013

Q. (b) From Source B, what do we learn about the interaction between the
Mughal emperor and the British diplomat? [5]

Ans.
The emperor Jahangir seems to dominate the scene as he is seated on an elevated
throne. This shows his powerful rule over India. Thomas Roe is well dressed that reflects his
preparations for appearing in a royal court. He looks quite submissive as he is presenting a
document in a humble way. A senior courtier is reading out the text of the document,
perhaps acting as a translator. The document looks to be a formal request for starting trade
with India. Jahangir’s permission to the British to initiate trade with India would lay the
foundation of the British rule over India in the years to come.

Q. Why were Marathas defeated after the Mughal decline? [7]

Ans.
Marathas emerged as strong rivals to the Mughal rule. They ruled a greater part of
India than Mughals from 1674 to 1818. Their victorious journey began in 1737 when they
defeated the Mughal army outside Delhi, and soon they were ruling several parts of northern
India up to Bengal. By the middle of 18th century they were the most powerful people in India.
However, in the absence of a sustainable administrative system, they too, like Mughals, found
it difficult to govern such a huge area effectively. The central government gradually began to
lose its control over many provinces.

Maratha families, driven by lust for short term power, started allying themselves with
the local rulers instead of remaining loyal to the Peshwa seated in Pune. This weakened their
power over state affairs, and they became victims of disunity and disloyalty. Bajirao-II, the
son of Raghunathrao was an inefficient Peshwa. He failed in uniting the Maratha Sardars,
and internal conflict among the Sardars weakened the power of the Marathas in various parts
of their kingdom. Another Peshwa Madhavrao granted semi-autonomy to the strongest of
Sardars, and created a confederacy of Maratha states. This policy also backfired, and with
time the semi-autonomous Sardars became fully autonomous.

The Afghan invader Ahmed Shah Abdali defeated Marathas in the third and last battle
of Panipat in 1761. Abdali’s army had 41,800 cavalry and 38,000 infantry along with other
troops. The Marathan army comprised 55,000 cavalry with only 15,000 infantry. Abdali, a
military genius, used his numerically superior army with great tactics, and inflicted defeat on
the Marathas. They lost several soldiers and leaders including the Peshwa. This marked an
end of the Marathan ambitions. The British intervened in 1775 in Peshwa family succession
struggle in Pune. This led to three Anglo-Maratha wars, 1775 to 1818. Finally, by 1818, the
British had completely defeated them.

Q. What was the Industrial Revolution? [4]

Ans.
It was the process of industrialisation of Europe, and England was its first and greatest
beneficiary. Factory industry began to produce goods in bulk in the 1780’s in selected towns
of England. The development of steam engine provided power to run machines, railways and
steamships. This resulted in the growth of a rich business community in England, and
changed the landscape of its towns and lifestyle of the people.

By Dr. Iftikhar-ul-Haq 0333-4257013

Q. How did the Industrial Revolution change England? [7]

Ans.
Industrial Revolution was the process of industrialization of England that was later
experienced by other European nations too. With the invention of steam-engines,
the machinery of the first of the factories began to work in the 1780’s. The steam-power
began to run railway engines and ships. This created a sizeable segment of rich class in
England, and an overall improvement in the standard of living of the ordinary citizens.
Raw cotton from India gave a boost to the textile industry that tremendously increased the
export earnings of England. Soon it also started manufacturing modern and more powerful
weapons that enabled it to colonise various countries in Asia and Africa. Gradually, Britain
developed a huge and strong navy that helped it reach remote markets of the world and
conquer other countries.
The Industrial Revolution also changed the geographical and socioeconomic
landscape of England, and by 1850 when it was rightly called, “ The workshop of the world.”
Several factory towns began to replace the villages while railways connected various parts
of the country. With this the population doubled from about ten millions in 1800 to twenty
millions in 1850.

Q: What was the East India Company? [4]

Ans.
It was a trading company that was granted the charter of trading rights in 1600 by
Queen Elizabeth I. Its first ship landed on the southern Indian town of Surat, in 1608. It was
granted permission to trade in India by the Emperor Jahangir in 1612. It began to earn huge
profits, and moved its headquarters to Bombay/Mumbai in 1664. Gradually, it began to
acquire military power during 18th century. It was abolished in 1858 by the British government.

Q Explain why the EIC became involved in the Indian sub-continent

during the 17th century? [7]
Ans:
British were attracted to the Indian wealth and resources. With the discovery of sea
route to India by the Portuguese traveler Vasco Da Gama, reports began to reach about
Indian riches and resources to England. India became known as the “golden sparrow”
because of its fabulous wealth and resources such as cotton, silk, jute, indigo, jewellery and
even the addictive drug opium. British needed these to feed their factory industry as they
would soon be the fastest industrializing nation not only in Europe but also in the world.
Therefore, they began to conquer various Indian territories while introducing their own system
of administration in these areas.

British also began to think about expanding their influence and trade to the Far East
and South East Asia. For this they needed a strategic port in South Asia (Indian sub-
continent) as the Indian peninsula was located at international crossroads, and surrounded
by a warm water sea where multiple ports could operate throughout the year. Strategic ports,
such as the Bombay (now Mumbai), 1875 and Calcutta (now Kolkata), 1893 were founded
by the British in a planned way. These greatly helped the British expand their trade in multiple
directions from India as well as develop their naval force.

Also, British wanted to oust other European colonial powers such as the Dutch,
Portuguese and French from India in order to enjoy monopoly of trade in India. The Dutch
had driven the Portuguese and the British out of South East Asia in the 17th century.
Therefore, the British had to turn towards South Asia where the Indo-Pak subcontinent proved

By Dr. Iftikhar-ul-Haq 0333-4257013

to be a much better option for them. Establishing themselves cleverly, they began to replace
other European nations in India. With the availability of more destructive weapons and using
their clever non-military tactics, they were able to accomplish this mission rather successfully.

By Dr. Iftikhar-ul-Haq 0333-4257013