NCERT Solutions for Class 7 History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire

The Mughal Empire Class 7 Questions and Answers

Let's Recall

1. Match the following

2. Fill in the blanks

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

(b) The five Deccan Sultanates were Berar, Khandesh, Ahmadnagar, Bijapur and Golconda.

(c) If zat determined a mansabdar's rank and salary, sawar indicated the number of cavalrymen he was required to maintain.

(d) Abul Fazl helped Akbar frame the idea of sulh-i kul so that he could govern a society with different religions, cultures and social groups.

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

Answer: The Mughal Empire controlled a large territory that included important regions and provinces such as Delhi, Agra, Lahore, Kabul, Gujarat, Bengal, Bihar, Malwa, Ajmer and parts of the Deccan. The extent of control changed during the reigns of different emperors.

4. What was the relationship between the mansabdar and the jagir?

Answer: Mansabdars received their salaries through revenue assignments called jagirs. Most mansabdars did not live in or directly administer their jagirs. They had rights to the revenue from these assignments, which was collected by their servants while they served elsewhere in the empire.

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The Mughal Empire Class 7: Important Questions and Answers

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

Answer: Zamindars were intermediaries between the Mughal administration and peasants. The term included local village headmen as well as powerful local chieftains. In many areas, they helped collect revenue from peasants. Some zamindars also had considerable local power and influence.

6. How did debates with religious scholars influence Akbar's ideas on governance?

Answer: Akbar held discussions with religious scholars and observed that religious arguments based on rigid rituals and dogmas could create divisions. These experiences contributed to his policy of sulh-i kul, or universal peace, which emphasised tolerance and peaceful coexistence among different groups.

7. Why did the Mughals emphasise their Timurid rather than their Mongol descent?

Answer: The Mughals were descended from Genghis Khan through their mother's side and Timur through their father's side. They preferred to emphasise their Timurid ancestry because the memory of Genghis Khan was associated with destruction and because Timur had captured Delhi.

The Mughal Empire Class 7: Discussion Questions

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

Answer: Land revenue was a major source of income for the Mughal state. It supported the administration, military and other expenses of the empire. The Mughals therefore developed systems to assess and collect revenue from agricultural production. The importance of this revenue also meant that problems in revenue collection could affect the stability of the empire.

9. Why was it important for the Mughals to recruit mansabdars from diverse backgrounds?

Answer: The Mughal Empire covered different regions and included people from many communities. Recruiting Turanis, Iranis, Indian Muslims, Afghans, Rajputs, Marathas and others helped the Mughals build a broader administrative and military base. It also helped them accommodate the diversity of the empire.

10. Did India's social and cultural diversity create a challenge for national integration?

Answer: India has long included people with different languages, religions, cultures and social traditions. Diversity itself does not prevent integration. Institutions, shared values, mutual respect and cooperation can help different communities live together while retaining their distinct identities.

11. Why were peasants important to the Mughal economy?

Answer: Peasants were important because agriculture was a major source of production and land revenue. The Mughal state depended heavily on taxes collected from agricultural production. At the same time, heavy revenue demands could put pressure on peasants and affect their economic condition.

Who Were the Mughals?

The Mughals descended from two important ruling lineages. Through his mother's side, Babur was connected to Genghis Khan, while through his father's side he was a descendant of Timur.

Babur captured Kabul in 1504 and defeated Ibrahim Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526, establishing Mughal rule in northern India.

The Mughal Empire expanded considerably under rulers including Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb. By the seventeenth century, Mughal control extended across a large part of the Indian subcontinent.

Read More : NCERT Solutions for Class 7 History Chapter 2 New Kings and Kingdoms

Mughal Traditions of Succession

The Mughals did not follow primogeniture, the practice in which the eldest son inherits the entire estate.

Instead, they followed the Timurid and Mughal tradition of coparcenary inheritance, in which inheritance was divided among the sons.

Mughal Relations with Other Rulers

The Mughals fought rulers who refused to accept their authority, but they also formed alliances with other rulers.

The Rajputs were an important example. Some Rajput rulers resisted Mughal authority, while others formed alliances with the Mughals. Rajput families also married into Mughal families and some Rajput nobles received important positions in the Mughal administration.

Mansabdari System

The mansabdari system was an important part of Mughal administration.

A mansab meant a position or rank. A person holding a mansab was called a mansabdar.

The numerical rank called zat determined a mansabdar's position and salary. Mansabdars also had military responsibilities and were required to maintain a specified number of sawar, or cavalrymen.

The cavalrymen were inspected and registered, and their horses were branded before the mansabdar received money for their salaries.

Zat and Sawar

Mansabdars and Jagirdars

Mansabdars received their salaries as revenue assignments called jagirs.

A jagir was not necessarily a place where the mansabdar lived or governed directly. In most cases, the mansabdar had rights to the revenue from the assignment, which was collected by servants while the mansabdar served elsewhere.

During Akbar's reign, jagirs were carefully assessed so that their expected revenue was roughly equal to the salary of the mansabdar. Later, problems developed as the number of mansabdars increased and the available jagirs became insufficient.

What Is Zabt in Class 7 History?

Zabt was a Mughal revenue system associated with Akbar's revenue minister Todar Mal.

A detailed survey of crop yields, prices and cultivated areas was carried out over a ten-year period. Land was divided into revenue circles, with revenue rates fixed for different crops.

The system worked in areas where Mughal officials could properly survey land and maintain detailed records. It was not equally applicable in provinces such as Gujarat and Bengal.

Who Were the Zamindars?

The Mughals used the term zamindar for intermediaries such as village headmen and powerful local chieftains.

They played an important role in revenue collection. In some regions, zamindars had significant local authority and could even become involved in resistance against Mughal officials.

Peasant and zamindar rebellions became a challenge to Mughal authority from the end of the seventeenth century.

Akbar's Policy of Sulh-i Kul

Sulh-i kul means universal peace.

Akbar developed a policy of governance that sought to maintain peace among people of different religions and communities. The idea was connected with tolerance, justice and peaceful coexistence.

Abul Fazl played an important role in helping Akbar develop this approach to governance.

Akbar Nama and Ain-i Akbari

Akbar commissioned his close friend and courtier Abul Fazl to write an account of his reign.

The Akbar Nama is a three-volume work. The third volume, the Ain-i Akbari, provides information about Akbar's administration, household, army, revenues and geography.

It also contains detailed information about crops, yields, prices, wages and revenues, making it an important source for understanding Mughal administration.

Mughal Empire in the Seventeenth Century and After

The Mughal Empire achieved considerable political, military and economic power during the seventeenth century. However, significant inequalities existed within the empire.

Revenue collection provided substantial resources to the Mughal ruling elite, while many peasants and artisans had limited resources. Towards the end of Aurangzeb's reign, problems involving jagirs, revenue collection and the pressure on peasants became more serious.

After the Mughal emperor's authority weakened, provincial governors and other powerful groups established increasingly independent centres of power. By the eighteenth century, provinces such as Hyderabad and Awadh had developed strong independent political identities while continuing to acknowledge the Mughal emperor formally.

Read more : NCERT Solutions for Class 7 History Chapter 3 The Delhi Sultans

The Mughal Empire Class 7 Extra Questions and Answers

Who were the Mughals?

Answer: The Mughals were descendants of Timur through their father's side and Genghis Khan through their mother's side. Babur established Mughal rule in India after his victory at Panipat in 1526.

Who were mansabdars?

Answer: Mansabdars were people who held a mansab, or rank, in the Mughal administration. Their rank and salary were determined through the mansabdari system, and they also had military responsibilities.

Who were jagirdars?

Answer: In the chapter's context, mansabdars received revenue assignments called jagirs as part of their salary. Most did not directly administer these assignments and instead had rights to their revenue.

What was the importance of zamindars?

Answer: Zamindars acted as intermediaries between the Mughal administration and peasants. They included village headmen and powerful local chieftains and played an important role in revenue collection.

What does sulh-i kul mean?

Answer: Sulh-i kul means universal peace. It refers to Akbar's approach to governance that emphasised peaceful coexistence among people of different religions and communities.

What is the difference between zat and sawar?

Answer: Zat indicated a mansabdar's rank and salary, while sawar indicated the number of cavalrymen the mansabdar was expected to maintain.

Quick Revision: The Mughal Empire Class 7