History Test

Decline of Mughal Empire

Q1:
Why was Britain so successful in expanding its control of the
sub-continent between 1750 and 1850? {7}
British were able to carry out this mission so successfully as
mughal (who were previously ruler of whole Indian subcontinent)
were in decline due to the harsh policies implemented by previous
rulers and so India was not under one roof and were an easy
target for a foreign invasion. Not only had this British recruited
local Indians as guards for the company known as Sepoys and so
their company grew stronger than the weak ruling power sitting in
Delhi. Due to expert generals such as Robert Clive, Englishmen
were not only able to take over their first Indian princely State,
Bengal from Nawab Sijaj-ud-daula who marched against him in
battle of Plessey but got defeated in 1773 but also fight other
foreign invasions led by Portuguese and French. British started
taking over lands and state in the name of trade and gained
wealth never seen before in the history of its Empire and so it
gained power and on the other hand Indians keep lagging behind
them in the education.
Q2:
Were the invasion by Persians and afghan the main reason
for the decline of Mughal Empire? Explain your answer? {7}
In 1738, Persians invaded Mughal Empire’s prestigious capital,
Delhi. Persian forces were led by Nadir Shah and they met face to
face with the Mughal’s army led by Muhammad Shah himself at
the battle of Karnal in 1739. After winning the battle, Nadir Shah
who had came not to rule India but to robe India came to Delhi
and gathered as much booty as possible taking with him, the
peacock throne. Having a major effect to the already falling
economy of Mughals and also it showed the rebel’s that empire
was weakened.
Similarly in 1747, a Afghan general Ahmad Shah Durrani or
Ahmad Shah Abdali attacked Peshawar, Punjab even adding
Multan and Lahore to his conquest. Further he was the one who
stopped Maratha’s expansion in the 3rd battle of Panipat. This
conquest showed how weakened the once globally recognized
Empire had become.
Although the Persian and Afghan invasions were a major
contribution to the fall of Mughal Empire they were not the main
reason as these were major financial and reputation loss from
which Mughal could recover over time but they could not as the
British Empire continued to damage the Mughal Empire till its end
in 1857 becoming the main reason of the Fall of Mughal empire.
Q3:
Explain the appeal of India to the EIC during the early
seventeen century? {7}
East India Company came as trading company but over the
passage of time they started to recruit armed forces for security of
their post which later became their army in India. This Company
had gained too much authority over the commerce of the
subcontinent that even the Ruling powers hesitated to come in
conflict with them. British were gaining as much profit as they
could by cheating on locals who sell them goods on low prices. It
is said that all of British industrial development was backed up or
financed by the loot British collected in India resulting in the rapid
development of British and unimaginable loss to Indians
merchants and citizens over-all. Now to reduce unemployment in
their nation and to hire trustworthy employees, British started to
bring other British officer’s to India, resulting in very few high
ranks available for Indians and unemployment reaching heights
never seen before.
Ma’am Masooma you are the best teacher, please cut less
marks!!!!!