Questions for Short Answer

The Mughals The EIC

1. What were the historians’ views about
Aurangzeb’s religious tolerance? [4]
2. Describe how the foreign invaders had
weakened the Mughal Empire? [4]
3. Describe how the Mughal Military
Expertise had declined. [4]
4. What was the Pleasure Seeking among the
Mughals? [4]
5. What was the Suttee? [4]
6. Who was Nadir Shah? [4]
7. Who was Ahmed Shah Abdali? [4]
8. What was Mansabdari System? [4]
9. Describe what the Marathas did. [4]
10. Who were the Thuggee? [4]
1. What was the EIC? [4]
2. Describe how the EIC had removed other
European Powers from India. [4]
3. What was the Battle of Plassey? [4]
4. Describe British Expansion after 1780s. [4]
5. What was the annexation of Sindh? [4]
6. What was the Doctrine of Lapse? [4]
7. What was ‘the Pitt’s Indian Act’ of 1784? [4]
8. What was Charter Act of 1833? [4]
9. What was the Drain of Wealth? [4]
10. Who was Robert Clive? [4]
11. Who was Tipu Sultan? [4]
12. Who was Ranjit Singh? [4]
13. Who was Warren Hastings? [4]

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 Possible Exam Questions

1. Explain why the Mughal Empire declined following the reign of Aurangzeb. [7]
2. Explain why the successors of Aurangzeb failed to prevent the decline of the Mughal Empire. [7]
3. Why were the British able to replace the Mughals as the dominant force in the Sub-Continent by
1850? [7]
4. ‘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]
5. ‘The coming of the British was the main reason for the decline of the Mughal Empire’. Do you agree
or disagree? Give reasons for your answer. [14]
6. Were the weak and greedy characteristics of Aurangzeb’s successors the most important reasons for
the collapse of the Mughal Empire? Explain your answer. [14]
7. ‘Aurangzeb’s successors failed to live up to his courageous and determined personality.’ Was this
the most important reason for the decline of the Mughal Empire? Give reasons for your answer.
[14]

 Decline of the Mughals

 Number of reasons
 Empire started, to decline; it found itself at risk from invasion
 The Afghans under invaded the Empire a number of times during the 18th Century
 The Persians under Nadir Shah exposed the weakness of the Mughals
 However there were other reasons for the decline.
 Aurangzeb’s intolerant attitude to non-Muslims, Jizya, destruction of Hindu temples,
ban on Hindu practices, high Taxation, cost of military campaigns high expenditures
on luxuries became unpopular
 Later Emperors lived an extravagant lifestyle, effects on the economy of the Empire
 Vastness of Empire and incapable successors
 Inefficiencies and a lack of interest in the running of the Empire
 The absence of a definite line of succession, significant fighting amongst his
successors
 The Marathas were skillful Hindu guerrilla fighters and eastwards towards Bengal
 The British expansion into the sub-continent Mughals who fell into rapid decline as a
result

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Success of Indians/British during British Expansions

 Success of British/Failures of Indians

 Industrial Revolution and its benefits
 Technologically much more advanced than India
 Superior weapons, means of communication
 Considered themselves superior to the Indians
 Considered it National Duty of spread their culture

 Power of local Nawabs

 Siraj ud Dulah defeated the EIC (get a minor detail)
 Effective/Cunning diplomats
 convinced Mir Jaffar to abandon Sir ud Dulah
 Deceitful to Mir Jaffar, promoted his son Mir Sadiq against him
 Defeated Mir Sadiq when he refused to obey
 Battle of Plassey
 Clive Became the First Governor General
 Convinced Gulab Singh Dogra against the fellow Sikhs

 Defeated the French in The Seven Years' War (1756–1763)

 French could not help their Indian allies.

 Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan offered much resistance

 The rulers of Mysore’s struggle, the four Anglo-Mysore Wars, defeat in 1799
with the death of Tipu Sultan (get a minor detail)

 Gradual weakening Maratha Empire in the aftermath Anglo-Maratha wars (get a

minor detail)

 The British had secured the entire region of Southern India

 Sikh Dynasty fell into the hands of British

 Ranjit Singh’s Treaty of “Perpetual Friendship” (1809) was broken by successors
 Treaty of Lahore (1846), a shameful defeat of Sikh rulers
 Gulab Singh Dogra chose to ally British against the Sikh brothers
 Punjab and NWF fell at the hands of British

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  Amir of Sindh had fallen to conspiracy of British
 Annexation of Sindh, a shameful British policy

 Doctrine of Lapse
 Lands of Nwab of Oudh
 Lands of Rani of Jhansi, Sitara, Nagpur

1. Explain why the Mughal Empire declined following the reign of Aurangzeb. [2006/S] [7]
There are many reasons why the Mughal Empire declined. The decline was gradual and although some
historians blame Aurangzeb for sowing the seeds of decline. By 1748 the Mughal Empire was
disintegrating rapidly. It should not be forgotten that it was often true that huge sums were wasted
when emperors died and there was a succession dispute. Aurangzeb had become emperor by defeating
his rivals in battle. Aurangzeb decided to divide the empire between his three sons, but this was not
successful and succession disputes continued to erode the empire. In the ten years after Aurangzeb's
death, twelve different people claimed to be Emperor at one time! The stable Mughal Empire had
become weak and divided.

The wealth created by the Mughals also encouraged the nobility to become pleasure loving and
degenerate. They betrayed the principles of Islam and instead enjoyed the pleasures brought about by
wealth. Nobles often had the finest clothes, jewellery and food. The emperors also set a poor example.
Fine buildings were a symbol of power and culture, but they were also sometimes so expensive that
they were a symbol of extravagance.

With weak control from the centre, the mansabadari system was not sufficiently supervised and
administrative efficiency declined. Discontent grew and revenue from tax collection declined. The huge
empire was very difficult to administer. Decisions often had to be relayed over thousands of miles.
Obviously emperors could not know exactly what was happening in every part of the empire. When
rebellions broke out, it was often many months before the emperors could take decisive action to end
them.

2. Were the weak and greedy characteristics of Aurangzeb’s successors the most important reasons
for the collapse of the Mughal Empire? Explain your answer. [2005/W] [14]

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There are many reasons why the Mughal Empire declined. The decline was gradual and although some
historians blame Aurangzeb for sowing the seeds of decline. By 1748 the Mughal Empire was
disintegrating rapidly.

Aurangzeb had become emperor by defeating his rivals in battle. He was determined to avoid such a war
after his death so he divided the Empire between his three sons. But he did not succeed. In the ten years
after Aurangzeb's death, twelve different people claimed to be Emperor at one time! The stable Mughal
Empire had become weak and divided. The wealth created by the Mughals also encouraged the nobility
to become pleasure loving and degenerate. They betrayed the principles of Islam and instead enjoyed
the pleasures brought about by wealth. Nobles often had the finest clothes, jewellery and food. As the
wealth and influence of the nobility grew so that they became highly powerful at court and some of the
emperors found it very difficult to control them. With weak control from the centre, the mansabadari
system was not sufficiently supervised and administrative efficiency declined.

The huge empire was very difficult to administer. Decisions often had to be relayed over thousands of
miles. Obviously emperors could not know exactly what was happening in every part of the empire.
When rebellions broke out, it was often many months before the emperors could take decisive action to
end them. The cost of putting down rebellions and fighting wars against invaders, such as Nadir Shah
from Persia was enormous. Huge sums were wasted when emperors died and there was a succession
dispute. When dynasties are in power for long periods, it is easy to become complacent and to imagine
that success will continue forever. This happened with the Mughals, who let their army's expertise
decline until it was no longer an effective fighting force. Consider how Aurangzeb was unable to deal
with Shivaji's rebellion in the Deccan.

What eventually pushed it into final decline was the ambition of the British. England had been the first
country to experience the Industrial Revolution. Its industries were producing cheap manufactured
goods which were sold around the world. With the wealth this created, the British could afford a military
strength which the Mughals could not match. The weaknesses of the Mughal Empire, together with the
strength of the British, meant that the fall of one of the mightiest dynasties in history was almost
inevitable.

Conclusion: There are many reasons why the Mughal Empire declined. The decline was gradual and
although some historians blame Aurangzeb for sowing the seeds of decline, the empire continued for

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another 150 years after his death. Perhaps the real answer to the question is that a number of factors
combined to bring about the fall of one of Asia's most famous dynasties.

3. Explain why Britain was so successful in extending its control of the sub-continent between
1750 and 1850. [2006/W] [7]

The EIC purchased spices, silks and cotton from the Indians and trade was so profitable that the
company soon had its own huge private army to protect the trading posts. By the early eighteenth
century, the EIC had three main bases, Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. At this time the British imported
Indian goods but did not export much to India. However, the British began to develop plans for growth
which would lead to direct competition with the Emperor. By the end of the seventeenth century the
EIC was talking about how it wanted to lay 'the foundation of a large, well-grounded, sure English
dominion for all time to come'.

The EIC was more successful in fighting against other European nations who wanted the opportunity to
share in the highly profitable Indian trade. During the seventeenth century both the Portuguese and the
Dutch were defeated, but the main rivalry came from the French. They had set up their trading company
in 1664 and soon came into conflict with the EIC. The military skills of the British general Robert Clive
enabled the EIC to defeat the French and take advantage of India's unsettled conditions.

Although much of 'British India' had been gained in battle, the British did not formally add all conquered
lands to their empire. In some places, such as Hyderabad Deccan and Oudh, the local Nawabs had been
forced to sign treaties with the East India Company. These treaties allowed the rulers to stay on the
throne and to rule their subjects, but gave Britain control of external affairs.

4. Why did the Indian sub-continent attract European traders in the late sixteenth and early
seventeenth centuries? [2007/S] [7]

The EIC purchased spices, silks and cotton from the Indians and trade was so profitable that the
company soon had its own huge private army to protect the trading posts. By the early eighteenth
century, the EIC had three main bases, Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. At first the arrival of the British
merchants brought benefits not only to the British but also to the Mughal Empire. Indian merchants
were able to sell their goods and became wealthy from the large amounts of silver being sent out from
Britain to pay for them.

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Robert Clive had been responsible for the military victory which brought EIC control of Bengal. Thus one
of India's richest provinces fell under British control. The EIC now took control of the revenue collection
in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa and also extended its influence into Oudh. The East India Company had been
established to gain as much profit as possible, but its greed after Buxar embarrassed the British
government. The company made huge profits from its monopoly of the trade in Bengal and company
merchants became accustomed to receiving personal 'gifts' which increased their wealth.

5. Why did the British Government take control of the affairs of the East India Company in the
early nineteenth century? [2004/S] [7]

The EIC took control of the revenue collection in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa and also extended its influence
into Oudh. The East India Company had been established to gain as much profit as possible, but its greed
after Buxar embarrassed the British government. The company made huge profits from its monopoly of
the trade in Bengal and company merchants became accustomed to receiving personal 'gifts' which
increased their wealth. Whilst they made huge profits, the local people were exploited and many died in
a serious famine which hit Bengal.

By the early nineteenth century the British were becoming increasingly concerned about the Russian
expansion. The British wanted to make sure that Afghanistan did not fall into Russian hands. However, a
rebellion in Afghanistan in 1841 led to all British troops in the country being killed. The British
government was forced to act to try to stop this misgovernment. In 1773 it passed an Act of Parliament
which required the EIC to provide good government to stop this anarchy. Then in 1784 the British
government passed the India Act and took direct control of the Indian possessions.

To further improve efficiency, a police force and legal system were set up on British lines. A professional
civil service was also introduced, but local people were not given jobs in it. Only the British were
considered suitable to help run 'British India'.

6. How successful was Indian resistance to British attempts to take control of lands in the sub-
continent between 1750 and 1850? Explain your answer. [14]
7. ‘Indian resistance to British attempts to take control of lands in the sub-continent in the hundred
years before 1850 was totally unsuccessful.’ Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer. [2008/S]
[14]

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The East India Company had been established to gain as much profit as possible. By the mid-nineteenth
century the British were firmly established in India. The EIC even had the audacity to go to war with
Aurangzeb in 1686. It slowly began to expand its forces to make local Indian princes accept its authority
and was thus able to set up its own government in parts of India.

Tipu was Sultan of Mysore and he proved a formidable enemy for the British. Tipu was determined to
resist the British advance in India to defeat them. His army was so strong that he defeated the British in
battle several times. The Nizam of Hyderabad and the Marathas sided with the British in Anglo-Mysore
Wars. Tipu was defeated in 1799 and Mysore fell at British Hands. In 1757 Clive defeated Siraj-ud-
Daulah's troops in the Battle of Plassey. Clive's victory had been made easy by the treachery of Siraj-ud-
Daulah's general, Mir Jafar. The EIC rewarded him by making him Nawab of Bengal. This showed how
British control was growing. Thus one of India's richest provinces fell under British control. In 1764 Mir
Jafar's son, Mir Qasim joined forces with the Nawab of Oudh and the Mughal emperor, Shah Alam II to
drive the EIC out of Bengal. They were unsuccessful and after their defeat in the Battle of Buxar in 1764
British influence actually increased. The EIC now took control of the revenue collection in Bengal, Bihar
and Orissa and also extended its influence into Oudh.

During nineteenth century Sindh was ruled by a collection of Amirs who had signed a treaty of friendship
with Britain in 1809. However, the British wanted to make sure that Sindh could not be a target for Sikh
expansion. All they needed was an excuse. The British general, Sir Charles Napier provoked the Amirs of
Sindh so much that they attacked the British Residency in 1843. The Amirs were defeated and Sindh was
annexed by the British. Shortly afterwards the Punjab also fell into British hands. Ranjit Singh had signed
a treaty of 'perpetual friendship' in 1809 but the Sikh army attacked British possessions south of the
River Sutlej and provoked the British to invade the Punjab. Following the Treaty of Lahore of 1846 the
Sikhs paid a huge indemnity and Gulab Singh Dogra, a Hindu chief who had helped the British, was given
Kashmir as a reward. Finally in 1849, after a revolt against the British, the Punjab and the North Western
Frontier were annexed and became part of the British Empire on 30 March 1849. Although much of
'British India' had been gained in battle, the British did not formally add all conquered lands to their
empire. In some places, such as Hyderabad Deccan and Oudh, the local Nawabs had been forced to sign
treaties with the East India Company. These treaties allowed the rulers to stay on the throne and to rule
their subjects, but gave Britain control of external affairs.

Conclusion: Indian rulers could not follow a foreign policy with which the British disagreed. British
influence was further extended by settling a British resident in the territory to 'advise' the ruler. The EIC

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first landed in Surat in 1608, but it was not until 1612 that they were allowed to begin trading. When the
Governor of Gujarat (the future Shah Jehan) granted this permission, he could not have imagined that
one day the British would end up ruling all of India.

8. Was the Industrial Revolution in Britain the most important reason why the British were able to
take control of India between 1750 and 1850? Explain your answer. [2013/W] [14]

The East India Company had been established to gain as much profit as possible. By the mid-nineteenth
century the British were firmly established in India. British influence was further extended by settling a
British resident in the territory to 'advise' the ruler. Indian rulers could not follow a foreign policy with
which the British disagreed.
The Industrial Revolution in Britain resulted in it being technologically much more advanced than India.
It had superior weapons, means of communication and the confidence that went with these
technological advantages. Quite simply, the British considered themselves superior to the Indians. They
did not doubt that it was their right, if not their duty, to spread their 'superior' culture across the globe.
They saw India as a country in stagnation and decline. There were great opportunities for profitable
trade and for imposing efficient British administrative systems on the sprawling giant of a country. A
major reason for the British success in India was that they always believed that they would succeed.
Their political belief was that progress was inevitable. Part of that progress was a belief that they were
not only superior, but that they were destined to rule large parts of the world.

In 1757 Clive defeated Siraj-ud- Daulah's troops in the Battle of Plassey. Clive's victory had been made
easy by the treachery of Siraj-ud-Daulah's general, Mir Jafar. The EIC rewarded him by making him
Nawab of Bengal. This showed how British control was growing. Thus one of India's richest provinces fell
under British control. In 1764 Mir Jafar's son, Mir Qasim joined forces with the Nawab of Oudh and the
Mughal emperor, Shah Alam II to drive the EIC out of Bengal. They were unsuccessful and after their
defeat in the Battle of Buxar in 1764 British influence actually increased. The EIC now took control of the
revenue collection in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa and also extended its influence into Oudh.

The Mughal Empire was already in decline when the British began to expand their influence in India. At
that time there was no strong uniting force in India. It was a collection of disunited territories with a
variety of different rulers with different religions and cultures. They fought with each other and they
often saw the British as possible allies in their arguments with their neighbours, rather than potential

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enemies. It was also true that many rulers were wealthy feudal lords living on their past history and
allowing their states to decline through neglect rather than aiming to reform and reinvigorate them. In
some places, such as Hyderabad Deccan and Oudh, the local Nawabs had been forced to sign treaties
with the East India Company. These treaties allowed the rulers to stay on the throne and to rule their
subjects, but gave Britain control of external affairs.

Conclusion: Much of 'British India' had been gained in battle. The military skills of the British general
Robert Clive enabled the EIC to defeat the French and take advantage of India's unsettled conditions to
increase British influence and control. It slowly began to expand its forces to make local Indian princes
accept its authority and was thus able to set up its own government in parts of India.

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