The Mughal Empire - Class 7 History - Extra Questions

The capital of Mirza Hakim, Akbar's half-brother, was _______.

The capital of Mirza Hakim, Akbar's half-brother, was Kabul.


MansabMarwar
MongolGovernor
Sisodiya RajputUzbeg
Rathor RajputMewar
Nur JahanRank
SubadarJahangir

Mansab  - Rank
Mongol  - Uzbeg
Sisodiya Rajput  - Mewar
Rathor Rajput  - Marwar
Nur Jahan  - Jahangir
Subadar  - Governor


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

Panipat, Lahore, Delhi, Agra, Mathura, Amber, Ajmer, Fatehpur Sikri, Chittor, Ranthambhore, and Allahabad were the central provinces under the control of the Mughals. 


The five Deccan Sultanate were Berar, Khandesh, Ahmadnagar, _____ and ______.

The five Deccan Sultanate were Berar, Khandesh, Ahmadnagar, Bijapur, and Golconda.


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.

Abul Fazl helped Akbar in framing a vision of governance around this idea of sulh-i kul. This principle of governance was followed by Jahangir and Shah Jahan as well.


What was the relationship between the mansabdar and the jagir?

Mansabdars received their salaries as revenue assignments called jagirs which were somewhat like iqtas of the Delhi Sultunate. 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.


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 scholar who emphasised ritual and dogma were often bigots. Their teachings created divisions and disharmony amongst his subject. This finally led Akbar to the idea of Sulh-i Kul or universal peace. He inferred that the idea of tolerance was of utmost importance because it did not discriminate between people of different religions in his realm. Instead, it focused on a system of ethics i.e. honesty, justice, peace. These were the virtues universally applicable. Finally Akbar, with the help of Abul Fazl, formed a vision of governance around the idea of sulh-i kul.


Why did the Mughals emphasised their Timurid and not their Mongol descent?

The Mughals were descendants of two great lineages of rulers. From their mother's side, they were descendants of Genghis Khan, ruler of the Mongol tribes. From their father's side, they were the successors of Timur, the ruler of Iran, Iraq and modern-day Turkey.
However, the Mughals did not like to be called Mongol because Mongol's especially Genghis Khan's memory was associated with the massacre of innumerable people. It was also linked with the Uzbeks, their Mongol competitors. On the other hand, the Mughals were proud of their Timurid ancestry, because it had achieved a good name in history.


If zat determined a mansabdar's rank and salary, sawar indicated his _______

The zat and sawar were parameters of defining a mansabdar’s “level”. Before this system was introduced, there was a single parameter the count of horses that a mansabdar maintained during Akbar’s times and therefore (possibly) the subsidy that he received in exchange for that. Mansabdars didn’t often maintain the required troops or horses, and this new, fairly elaborate system was used to classify mansabdars.
The zat was a rank conferred by the king on the mansabdar, whereas the sawar was a count of horsemen that were to be maintained. 


What were the main features of Sulh-i Kul?

The idea of Sulh-i Kul was introduced by Akbar, the Great. Sulh-i Kul meant universal peace. Its main features are given below :
  • The idea of Sul-i Kul was based on the idea of tolerance which did not discriminate between the people of different religions in Akbar's realm.
  • It focused on a system of ethics-honesty, justice, peace. These values were universally applicable.


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

The Mughal Empire expanded to different regions. Hence, it was important for the Mughals to recruit diverse bodies of people in order to make people comfortable with them. Apart from Turanis and Iranis, now there were mansabdars from Indian Muslims, Afghans, Rajputs, Marathas and other groups.


What was zabt?

It was the revenue collected on the basis of a schedule of revenue rates for individuals crops.


What does the term mansabdar refer to?

The term mansabdar refers to an individual who holds a mansab, ie. a position or rank.


Who were mansabdars? What were their responsibilities?

The Mughals recruited diverse bodies of people in order to run the empire smoothly. Those who joined Mughal service were enrolled as mansabdars.
The term mansabdar referred to an individual holding a mansab, meaning a position or rank. It was a grading system used by the Mughals to fix rank, salary and military responsibilities.
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.


When did Mehrunnisa receive the title of Nur Jahan?

After Mehrunnisa got married to Emperor Jahangir, in 1611 she received the title of Nur Jahan.


How important the income from land revenue was for the stability of the Mughal Empire?

Land revenue was the backbone of the Mughal Empire. Without it, nothing could be done. The king could not pay the salary of his soldiers. Neither could he do any welfare work. The administrative expenditure was so vast and this could be met with this revenue only. Hence, land revenue was important to strengthen the empire.


Class 7 History Extra Questions