Oxford Solutions for ICSE Class 8 History Civics Chapter 5 Decline Of The Mughal Empire

EXERCISES

A. Fill in the blanks:

Question 1: During the first half of the 18th century, the great Mughal Empire decayed and disintegrated.
Answer: 18th, decayed, disintegrated.
The 1700s marked the time when the central power of the Mughals began to fail. This led to the empire breaking apart into many smaller, independent pieces.
Teacher's Tip: Remember the year 1707 as the "Start of the End" for the Mughals.
Exam Tip: Underline the words you fill in to make your answer stand out clearly.

Question 2: The Mughal emperors who ruled India after the death of Aurangzeb are known as the later Mughals.
Answer: later Mughals.
These rulers were much weaker than famous kings like Akbar or Shah Jahan. They lacked the strength and skills needed to manage such a huge territory.
Teacher's Tip: "Later" means the ones who came after the "Great" ones.
Exam Tip: Always mention that the Later Mughals began their rule after the death of Aurangzeb.

Question 3: There were four groups of nobles in the Mughal court.
Answer: four.
The four groups were the Iranis, Turanis, Afghans, and Hindustanis. Their constant fighting for influence made the royal court very unstable.
Teacher's Tip: Think of four different teams competing for one single trophy.
Exam Tip: Be prepared to list the names of these four groups in short-answer questions.

Question 4: Nadir Shah looted and plundered Delhi He carried away immense treasures including the priceless Kohinoor and the Peacock Throne. Ahmad Shah Abdali, the ruler of Afghanistan, repeatedly attacked the Mughal empire.
Answer: Delhi, Kohinoor, Peacock Throne, Ahmad Shah Abdali.
These foreign invasions took away the great wealth that the Mughals had collected for centuries. The loss of the Peacock Throne was a huge blow to the empire's honor and pride.
Teacher's Tip: Remember 'N' for Nadir and 'D' for Delhi to link the invader to the city.
Exam Tip: Make sure to mention both the diamond and the throne when talking about the loot.

Question 5: The last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, was defeated in the Revolt of 1857 and exiled to Rangoon by the British.
Answer: Bahadur Shah Zafar, 1857.
Bahadur Shah Zafar was more of a poet than a warrior, but he became a symbol of the rebellion. His exile to Burma officially marked the end of Mughal history in India.
Teacher's Tip: "Zafar" was the "Final" ruler of the Mughal dynasty.
Exam Tip: Mention the year 1857 as the major turning point that ended the empire.

B. Match the following:

1.Bahadur Shah
2.Akbar
3.Shah Jahan
4.Kohinoor Diamond
5.Bahadur Shah Zafar
(a) mansabdari system
(b) financial crisis
(c) Nadir Shah
(d) exiled to Rangoon by the British
(e) first of the Later Mughals
Answer:
1. Bahadur Shah - (e) first of the Later Mughals
2. Akbar - (a) mansabdari system
3. Shah Jahan - (b) financial crisis
4. Kohinoor Diamond - (c) Nadir Shah
5. Bahadur Shah Zafar - (d) exiled to Rangoon by the British
This matching exercise connects famous emperors with the systems they created or the fate they met. For example, Akbar is famous for the military system he introduced to organize his officers.
Teacher's Tip: Use a ruler to draw straight lines or write the correct letter next to the number.
Exam Tip: Rewriting the matched pairs in full sentences is the best way to score full marks.

C. Choose the correct answer:

Question 1: Aurangzeb/Akbar/Shah Jahan followed a policy of religious intolerance.
Answer: Aurangzeb followed a policy of religious intolerance.
Aurangzeb brought back several strict taxes and rules that had been removed by earlier emperors. This made many of his subjects angry and led to various rebellions.
Teacher's Tip: Aurangzeb was very different from his great-grandfather Akbar, who was known for tolerance.
Exam Tip: Identify the specific group, like the Sikhs or Marathas, who rebelled because of this policy.

Question 2: The military campaign in the Deccan led by Shah Jahan/ Aurangzeb/Akbar ruined the Mughal Empire financially.
Answer: The military campaign in the Deccan led by Aurangzeb ruined the Mughal Empire financially.
Aurangzeb spent about 25 years fighting in the south, which was incredibly expensive. This long war drained the treasury and left the rest of the empire neglected.
Teacher's Tip: Think of "Deccan" as the place where the Mughal money went "Down."
Exam Tip: Use the phrase "drained the treasury" to explain the economic cause of the decline.

Question 3: The invasions of Ahmad Shah Abdali, the ruler of Afghanistan/Persia/Iraq shattered the power and prestige of the Mughal Empire.
Answer: The invasions of Ahmad Shah Abdali, the ruler of Afghanistan shattered the power and prestige of the Mughal Empire.
Abdali was a powerful king from Afghanistan who attacked India several times in the mid-1700s. His victories proved that the Mughals could no longer defend their own borders.
Teacher's Tip: Associate "Abdali" with "Afghanistan" as both start with the letter 'A'.
Exam Tip: Don't confuse Abdali from Afghanistan with Nadir Shah who was from Persia.

Question 4: The Mughal Empire lasted for over 3/5/6
Answer: The Mughal Empire lasted for over 3 centuries.
The empire began in 1526 with Babur and officially ended in 1858. This shows that the Mughals ruled parts of India for more than 300 years.
Teacher's Tip: 3 centuries is roughly equal to 12 generations of kings.
Exam Tip: Memorize the start date (1526) and end date (1857) to calculate the duration yourself.

Question 5: The British ruled over India for a 100 years/nearly 200 years/ 300 years.
Answer: The British ruled over India for nearly 200 years.
British control began as trade and slowly turned into total political rule by the mid-18th century. They remained in power until India finally gained freedom in 1947.
Teacher's Tip: Think of two centuries of colonial rule replacing the Mughal era.
Exam Tip: Always use the word "nearly" as the rule was slightly less than exactly 200 years.

D. State whether the following are true or false.

Question 1: Bahadur Shah ascended the throne after the death of Aurangzeb.
Answer: True.
Bahadur Shah I was the son of Aurangzeb and was already an old man when he became king. He tried to fix the problems of the empire but didn't have enough time.
Teacher's Tip: He was the very first of the "Later Mughal" group.
Exam Tip: Check the sequence of kings; Bahadur Shah I is the first after the death of Aurangzeb.

Question 2: The Mughal court was united and stable.
Answer: False
Correct: The Mughal court was divided and unstable.
The nobles were split into different rival groups that were always plotting against each other. This constant fighting made it impossible for any emperor to rule effectively.
Teacher's Tip: A divided house cannot stand strong against enemies.
Exam Tip: When a statement is false, always write the "Correct" version to get full credit.

Question 3: The Mughal officers were given jagirs as payments for their services.
Answer: True.
Jagirs were pieces of land that the officers could collect taxes from as their salary. This system worked well initially but later caused a massive crisis when land ran out.
Teacher's Tip: Think of a 'Jagir' as a "land-paycheck."
Exam Tip: Define 'Jagir' clearly if you are asked to explain the Mughal administration.

Question 4: The Mughal rulers did not have a navy.
Answer: True.
The Mughals were powerful on land, but they never built a strong fleet of ships. This allowed European powers like the British to take control of the seas around India.
Teacher's Tip: Mughals were "Kings of the Land," but the British became "Lords of the Sea."
Exam Tip: This lack of a navy is a very important point to mention in long answers about military failure.

Question 5: The successors of Aurangzeb were very strong and efficient.
Answer: False.
Correct: The successors of Aurangzeb were very weak and unefficient.
The kings who followed were mostly interested in their own comfort and luxury. Because they were weak, they became puppets for powerful and ambitious nobles.
Teacher's Tip: Weak leaders lead to a falling empire.
Exam Tip: Use the specific word "puppets" to describe how the nobles controlled these weak kings.

E. Answer the following questions in one or two words/ sentences:

Question 1: When did the transition from the Medieval to the Modern Period begin in India?
Answer: The transition from the Medieval to the Modem Period began with the decline of the Mughal empire in the first half of the 18th century.
As the Mughal power faded, new European powers and local kingdoms began to rise. This shift in power is what marks the beginning of the Modern age in Indian history.
Teacher's Tip: The 1700s is the century of this big change.
Exam Tip: Be precise and mention "the first half of the 18th century" in your answer.

Question 2: Name the first and the last emperors in the line of the Later Mughals.
Answer: Bahadur Shah first in the line of emperors referred to as the Later Mughals. Bahadur Shah Zafar last emperor in the line of the Later Mughals.
These two kings share similar names, but they ruled at very different times. The first saw the beginning of the decline, and the last saw the final collapse.
Teacher's Tip: Both names start with "Bahadur Shah," but only the last one has "Zafar."
Exam Tip: Adding "Zafar" to the last emperor's name helps distinguish him from the first one.

Question 3: Name any two rival groups of nobles in the Mughal court.
Answer: 1. The Iranis hailed from Persia, 2. Turanis hailed from Transoxiana.
These groups were based on where the nobles originally came from before serving the Mughals. Their rivalry was so intense that they often helped enemies just to defeat their court rivals.
Teacher's Tip: Iranis are from Iran, and Turanis are from Central Asia.
Exam Tip: Mentioning their places of origin (Persia and Transoxiana) shows you have studied well.

Question 4: Mention any two reasons for the failure of the mansabdari system.
Answer: Mansabdars had to maintain a fixed number of troops. They were given jagirs as the payment for doing so. Later, an increase in the number of man sabs and a shortage of jagirs led to corruption and inefficiency in the system.
As the empire grew weaker, there was no more new land to give out as jagirs. This caused officers to compete and cheat to get the few land grants that were left.
Teacher's Tip: Think: "Too many officers, not enough land."
Exam Tip: Use the terms "shortage of jagirs" and "corruption" as your two main reasons.

Question 5: What was the economic impact of the Mughal wars of succession?
Answer: After the death of a Mughal ruler, generally there were wars of succession among rival claimants to the throne. These wars proved very costly and destructive. They drained the resources of the empire and made it in stable and weak.
Each war meant spending huge amounts of gold on soldiers and weapons instead of helping the people. By the time a new king won, the empire's treasury was often nearly empty.
Teacher's Tip: Succession wars are like brothers fighting over an inheritance and breaking it in the process.
Exam Tip: Explain that these wars made the empire "unstable" as well as poor.

Question 6: How did Aurangzeb’s religious policy affect the relationship between the Mughals and the Rajputs?
Answer: Aurangzeb’s policy of religious intolerance shook the foundations of the empire and resulted in the following:
1. The costly, long-drawn and ruinous Deccan campaign.
2. Numerous wars with the Sikhs, the Marathas, the Jats and the Rajputs.
3. Loss of support of the loyal Rajputs who had earlier contributed greatly to the stability of the Mughal Empire but now became its bitter foes.7.
The Rajputs had been the strongest allies and soldiers for previous Mughal kings. Because of Aurangzeb's strict rules, they turned into enemies who fought against the empire.
Teacher's Tip: Loyal friends became bitter enemies because of a lack of tolerance.
Exam Tip: Use the phrase "loss of support" to describe the diplomatic failure with the Rajputs.

Question 7: What led to the drain on the royal treasury during Shah Jahan’s reign?
Answer: The enormous sums of money spent by Shah Jahan on magnificent monuments like the Taj Mahal had drained the royal treasury.
While these buildings are beautiful, they were incredibly expensive to build. This meant that later kings had much less money to spend on defending the empire.
Teacher's Tip: Magnificent art sometimes comes with a very heavy price tag.
Exam Tip: Always name the Taj Mahal as a specific example of this spending.

Question 8: Which Mughal emperor assumed leadership of the Revolt of 1857? What happened to him after the Revolt?
Answer: Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last of the Mughals, assumed leadership of the rebels in the Revolt of 1857 against the British. He was defeated and exiled to Rangoon where he died. The Mughal Empire came to an inglorious end.
The rebel soldiers wanted a king to unite under, and Zafar was their choice. After the British won, they sent him far away to Burma to ensure the Mughal rule would never return.
Teacher's Tip: Rangoon is in modern-day Myanmar (Burma).
Exam Tip: Mention his "exile and death in Rangoon" to get full marks.

F. Answer the following questions briefly.

Question 1: Several factors were responsible for the decline of the Mughal Empire. In this context answer the following questions:
(a) How did court politics undermine the authority and prestige of the Mughal empire?
(b) To what extent was the jagirdari crisis responsible for a further decline of the power of the emperor?
(c) How did the wars of succession destabilize the Mughal Empire?
Answer:
(a) There were four groups of nobles in the Mughal court- Iranis, Turanis, Afghans and Hindustanis. The Iranis hailed from Persia, the Turanis hailed from Transoxiana, and the Afghans came from the mountainous border regions across the river Indus. The Mughal court was a house sharply divided from within. This resulted in a constant struggle for power among these groups. Their mutual jealousies and rivalries caused great harm to the Mughal administration and undermined the prestige and authority of the Mughal emperor.
(b) The Mughal officers were given jagirs as payment for their services. Towards the end of the 17th century, there were very few jagirs left. To satisfy the demands of the newly recruited officers, crown lands were converted to jagir lands and given to the nobles. This led to a loss of revenue for the royal treasury and a further decline in the power of the emperor.
(c) After the death of a Mughal ruler, generally there were wars of succession among rival claimants to the throne. These wars proved very costly and destructive. They drained the resources of the empire and made it instable and weak.
The empire was being attacked from the inside by greedy nobles and fighting princes. At the same time, the government ran out of land and money, which made the king lose his power over the country.
Teacher's Tip: Think of these three points as "Court fights," "Land crisis," and "Brother wars."
Exam Tip: Present your answer in three distinct points (a, b, and c) to match the question format.

Question 2: With reference to the decline and disintegration of the Mughal empire discuss the following:
(a) The breakdown of the mansabdari system
(b) The weaknesses of the Mughal army
(c) Aurangzeb’s religious policy
Answer:
(a) Under this system, mansabdars had to maintain a fixed number of troops. They were given jagirs as the payment for doing so. Later, an increase, in the number of mansabs and a shortage of jagirs led to corruption and inefficiency in the system.
(b) The Mughal army also failed to keep pace with the time. The Mughal rulers did not have a navy and made no efforts to establish one. Their equipment and techniques of warfare were obsolete and ineffective. Nothing was done to reform, modernize and strengthen the army.
(c) His policy of religious intolerance shook the foundations of the empire and resulted in the following:
1. The costly, long-drawn and ruinous Deccan campaign.
2. Numerous wars with the Sikhs, the Marathas, the Jats and the Rajputs.
3. Loss of support of the loyal Rajputs who had earlier contributed greatly to the stability of the Mughal Empire but now became its bitter foes.
The army became weak because it used old weapons and didn't have ships to protect the coast. Meanwhile, Aurangzeb's strict religious rules turned many of his best friends into enemies.
Teacher's Tip: Obsolete means "out of date." The Mughal army was using very old tech.
Exam Tip: Mention the lack of a "navy" as a major military mistake.

Question 3: To what extent were the following factors responsible for the eventual collapse of the Mughal Empire?
(a) Economic bankruptcy
(b) Foreign invasions
(c) Weak successors
Answer: (a) Economic bankruptcy: A major cause of the disintegration of the Mughal empire was its economic bankruptcy. The enormous sums of money spent by Shah jahan on magnificent monuments like the Taj Mahal had drained the royal treasury. Aurangzeb’s Deccan campaign was a financial disaster that ruined the empire and made its collapse inevitable.
(b) Foreign invasions: The invasions of Nadir Shah, the ruler of Persia (Iran), and Ahmad Shah Abdali, the ruler of Afghanistan, shattered the power and prestige of the Mughals. Nadir Shah looted and plundered Delhi and carried away valuable treasures, including the priceless Kohinoor Diamond and the Peacock Throne. Ahmad Shad Abdali plundered northern India repeatedly.
(c) Weak successors: Aurangzeb ruled over a vast empire which he controlled with an iron hand. His successors were pleasure-loving, weak and inefficient. They were puppets in the hands of powerful, ambitious nobles who controlled the administration. The provincial governors took advantage of the weak government at the center and set up independent kingdoms in the Mughal provinces. This led to the break-up and collapse of the empire.
The empire simply ran out of money and strong leaders. When powerful foreign kings attacked, the weak Mughal emperors were too broke and helpless to stop them.
Teacher's Tip: Bankruptcy + Invaders + Weak Kings = The Final Collapse.
Exam Tip: Name Nadir Shah and Abdali specifically when discussing foreign invasions.

G. Picture Study:

Question 1: Identify the Mughal emperor represented in this picture.
Answer: Bahadur Shah Zafar.
This portrait shows the very last man to ever be called the Emperor of India. He was a poet who lived to see the final end of his family's long rule.
Teacher's Tip: He is always shown with a white beard and traditional royal clothes in these old pictures.
Exam Tip: Identify him as the leader during the 1857 Revolt.

Question 2: What part did he play in the Revolt of 1857?
Answer: Role of Bahadur Shah Zafar in the Revolt of 1857: As the Indian rebellion of 1857 spread, sepoy regiments seized Delhi. Seeking a figure that could unite all Indians, Hindu and Muslim alike, most rebelling Indian kings and the Indian regiments accepted Zafar as the Emperor of India. Under whom the smaller Indian kingdom would unite until the British were defeated. Zafar was the least threatening and least ambitious of monarchs, and the legacy of the Mughal Empire was more acceptable a uniting force to most allied kings than the domination of any other Indian kingdom.
Even though he was old, his name was very important because it gave the rebels a legitimate leader to fight for. He was the one symbol that both Hindus and Muslims could agree to support together.
Teacher's Tip: He was a symbol of unity, not a strong military commander.
Exam Tip: Use the word "symbol" to describe his role in the rebellion.

Question 3: What happened to the Mughal Empire after his death?
Answer: The Mughal Empire came to an inglorious end.
With his death in Rangoon, the entire dynasty officially disappeared. The British took full control of India, and there were no more Mughal kings to lead the people.
Teacher's Tip: "Inglorious" means it ended without pride or honor.
Exam Tip: Mention that his death marked the official end of the empire.

Question 4: Mention any four reasons for the decline of the Mughal Empire Explain any two reasons.
Answer: (a) Politics in the Mughal court
(b) Weak Military organization and Administration
(c) Aurangzeb’s Bankruptcy
(d) Foreign Invasions
(a) Politics in the Mughal court: There were four groups of nobles in the Mughal court Iranis, Turanis, Afghans and Hindustanis. The Iranis hailed from Persia, the Turanis hailed from Transoxiana, and Afghans came from the mountainous border regions across the Indus. The Mughal court was a house sharply divided from within. This resulted in a constant struggle for power among these groups. Their mutual jealousies and rivalries caused great harm to the Mughal administration and undermined the prestige and authority of the Mughal Emperor.
(b) Economic Bankruptcy: A major cause of the disintegration of the Mughal Empire was its economic bankruptcy. The enormous sums of money spent by Shah Jahan on magnificent monuments like the Taj Mahal had drained the royal treasury. Aurangzeb’s Deccan campaign was a financial disaster that ruined the empire and made its collapse inevitable.
The empire was weakened by fighting inside the court and a lack of money in the royal bank. These internal problems made it impossible to defend against outside invaders and keep the provinces together.
Teacher's Tip: Politics and Money were the two biggest internal "viruses" that killed the empire.
Exam Tip: Choose the two reasons that are easiest for you to explain clearly in your own words.

OTHER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Question 1: How did party politics undermine the authority and prestige of the Mughal empire?
Answer: The Mughal court had four groups of nobles i.e Iranis, Turanis, Afghans and Hindustanis. Due to these groups the Mughal court was sharply divided from within. This resulted in a constant struggle for power, mutual jealousies and rivalries between these groups, led to undermine the authority and prestige of the Mughal Empire.
The nobles were more interested in their own power than in the safety of the empire. This meant the emperor could never trust his own advisors to help him rule.
Teacher's Tip: A team that fights with each other can never win against an opponent.
Exam Tip: List the names of the four groups to show your detailed knowledge.

Question 2: How did jagirdari crisis lead to a further decline of the emperor’s power?
Answer: During that time, Mughal rulers used to give jagirs to their officers as payment for their services. Due to this, very few jagirs were left. To satisfy the demands of the newly recruited officers, crown lands were converted to jagir lands and given to the nobles. This led to a loss of revenue from the royal treasury and a further decline in the power of the emperor.
The king had to give away his own private lands just to pay his soldiers. This left him very poor and unable to afford the cost of running a large empire.
Teacher's Tip: "Crown lands" are the king's private property that gives him money.
Exam Tip: Explain that losing "revenue" (tax money) made the emperor weak.

Question 3: What weaknesses in the Mughal army led to the loss of military strength towards the end of the 17th century?
Answer: The Mughal army at that time was reorganized system. Under this system mansabs had to maintain a fixed number of troops. For this they were given jagirs as payment. An increase in the number of mansabs and a shortage of jagirs led to corruption,inefficiency in the system and decline in the military strength. Further the army was not able to keep pace with the times. Their equipment and techniques of warfare were out of date and ineffective. No efforts were done to reform, modernize and strengthen the army. This all resulted in weakening of the Mughal army.
The soldiers weren't being paid well because of the land crisis, so they didn't want to fight hard. Also, while other armies were getting modern guns, the Mughals were still using very old weapons.
Teacher's Tip: An army with "out of date" gear will always lose to a modern one.
Exam Tip: Mention "corruption" and "inefficiency" as results of the land-payment system.

Question 4: To what extent were Aurangzeb responsible for the decline of the Mughal Empire?
Answer: Aurangzeb was not a successful emperor. He did not realize the importance of religious tolerance and the support and unity of the people for the progress of empire. His policy towards the Sikhs the Marathas the Jats and the Rajputs lossed their support. His Deccan campaign also proved failure and drained wealth of the kingdom too. This all resulted in decline of the Mughals.
Aurangzeb's choices created enemies out of people who used to be the empire's best friends. His very long wars also spent all the money that the empire had saved for centuries.
Teacher's Tip: Aurangzeb was a strong fighter, but his choices were bad for the empire's long-term health.
Exam Tip: Mention both the "religious policy" and the "Deccan campaign" as his two biggest mistakes.

Question 5: To what extent were Aurangzeb’s successors responsible of the disintegration of the Mughal Empire?
Answer: Successors of Aurangzeb were pleasure-loving weak and inefficient. They were puppets in the hands of powerful, ambitious nobles who controlled the administration. The nobles took advantage of the weak government at the center and set up their own independent kingdoms in the Mughal provinces. This led to die breakup and collapse of the empire.
Because the kings were weak, the local governors realized they didn't have to listen to the central government anymore. They started their own countries, which slowly made the Mughal empire smaller and smaller until it was gone.
Teacher's Tip: Weak kings allowed the provinces to "break away" and become independent.
Exam Tip: Use the word "disintegration" to describe how the empire broke apart into pieces.