P1 Chapter 1 Mughal & British Rule in India

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SECTION 1 Mughal & British Raj in India

CHAPTER 1
Pakistan Studies 2059
History & Culture of Pakistan
Chapter Number 1
RISE AND FALL OF MUGHAL EMPIRE & EIC RULE IN SUB-CONTINENT
(1526-1850)
PART A
RISE & FALL OF THE MUGHAL EMPIRE
TABLE OF CONTENT
o TIMELINE FOR PART A
o SECTION SUMMARY
o KEY DETAILS & FACTS
o EXPECTED QUESTIONS CHECKLIST
o EXAMPLE SOURCE BASED QUESTIONS
o MARKING SCHEME FOR PART A
AID TO LEARN BY MR ZUNAIR
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TIMELINE OF CHAPTER
712AD – Muslims conquered Sindh under Muhammad Bin Qasim

977 –1186 – Mehmood Ghaznavi established Ghaznavid dynasty
1186-1192 – Gauri Dynasty in Sub-continent under Shahabuddin Ghauri
1206-1290 – Slave dynasty of Qutub-ud-din-Aibek
1290-1321 – Khilji Dynasty was established in Sub-continent
1321-1412 – The Tughlaq dynasty established in Sub-continent
1414-1451 -- Syed Dynasty took control of Sub-continent
1451-1526 – The Lodhi dynasty in Sub-continent
1526-1757 -- Establishment of Mughal dynasty in Sub-continent
1526-1530 -- Babar become emperor of India
1530-1556 -- Humayun and Suri dynasty in Sub-continent
1556-1605 -- Akbar as the emperor of India
1571 -- Mansabdari system by Akbar
1600-1614 -- EIC arrival in Sub-continent
1605-1627 -- Jahangir as the emperor of India
1627-1659 -- Shah Jahan as the emperor
1659-1707 -- Aurangzeb served as the emperor
1657 -- Shivaji revolted against the Aurangzeb
1670 -- Sikh revolted against Aurangzeb
1707 -- Death of Aurangzeb
1717 -- Bengal revolted against Mughals
1738 -- Nadir Shah invaded Delhi
1748-1767 -- Ahmed Shah Durani invasions of India
1757 -- British fought battle of Plassey to annex Bengal
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SECTION SUMMARY
Pakistan is the end result of the Muslim revivalism in Sub-continent during 1707-1947. The
revivalism which traces its birth as an inspiration of the Muslim glory in Sub-continent under the
Mughals who were the last stable Muslim rulers of India before they were out classed by the
British and other opposing forces mainly Hindus from India during 18th century. The key discussion
in this part of the chapter is about the course of decline of the Muslims as a ruling class in India
or the dominating political, social, religious and cultural force under the Mughal empire which
pushed Muslims towards regaining their position as a community and reality in Sub-continent
under the British supremacy when they were marginalized from social, political and economic
rights as natives of India during 1750-1947. Fundamental aim of this literature is to produce a
wider picture of the background to the origin of the Muslim freedom movement from the history of
Sub-continent with the rise and decline of the Mughal empire in India during 16th to 18th century.
KEY DETAILS & FACTS FROM THE CHAPTER 1:
Key information which is required to answer this chapter is based on understanding:
1. History of Muslim rule in Sub-continent 712AD-1526.
2. Mughal rule in Sub-continent 1526-1750.
3. Early & Later Mughal emperors and their policies 1526-1707.
4. Reasons behind Decline of the Mughal empire 1707-1750.
HISTORY OF MUSLIM RULE IN SUB-CONTINENT 712AD-1526
Mughals were the last empire of the Muslims in sub-continent before the colonialization of India
by the British during 1757-1857. Muslims remained dominant in sub-continent for more than 700
years during its medieval history. Arrival of Muhammad Bin Qasim a Umayyad general in Sindh
and defeat of the Hindu Maharaja of Debal Raja Dahir marked origin of Muslim rule in Sub-
continent in 712AD. After the departure of Muhammad Bin Qasim in 715AD from sub-continent
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the next Muslim invaders who came to sub-continent for the annexation of lands and spread of
faith were from Turk background under the title of Ghaznavi dynasty by Mehmood Ghaznavid
during 997-1186. After them another Muslim invasion took place under Ghauri dynasty of
Afghanistan and established control in Delhi during 1186-1192 and were replaced by slave
dynasty of Qutub-ud-Aibek from 1206-1290.Slave dynasty of the Muslims in sub-continent were
defeated by Khilji dynasty and ruled India during 1290-1321. From 1321 till 1526 Tughlaq dynasty
another Turkish invader to Lodhi dynasty of Afghanistan managed sub-continent largely. Mughals
defeated Lodhi dynasty and established Mughal dynasty which was about to rule India for almost
300 years in the future of sub-continent till arrival of the British raj in India.
MUGHALS OF SUB-CONTINENT 1526-1857
Mughals were the Persian Invaders who came to sub-continent in 1526 under the leadership of
Baber and by defeating the local ruler of India in charge of Delhi Ibrahim Lodhi of Lodhi dynasty
during battle of Panipat established one of the greatest, mightiest and longest Muslim empire in
Sub-continent between 16th & 19th century which existed over the span of 200 years in history of
this region. The descendants of the Mongol Empire who lived in Turkestan in the 15th century
founded the Mughal Empire in Sub-continent in 16th century through invasion of Kabul and then
Delhi. They had become Muslims and embraced Middle Eastern culture while retaining their Far
Eastern ancestry components. Mughals who dominated this Hindu subcontinent were Muslims.
Mughals expanded their kingdom from Agra & Delhi in the second half of the 16th century until
they dominated practically the whole subcontinent by the 17th century. They established
administrative systems and governance principles that outlasted their authority, establishing a
political legacy that successive subcontinent rulers could not ignore. Babur, a descendant of Timur
on his father’s side and Genghis Khan on his mother’s side, founded the Mughal Empire which
continued ruling through a chain of succession of the emperors in the Sub-continent from 1526-
1857.
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EARLY & LATER MUGHAL EMPERORS 1556-1750
Mughal emperor are categorized generally into two major categories early Mughals and later
Mughals. Early Mughals are Baber, Humayun and Akbar and later Mughals are Jahangir, Shah
Jahan and Aurangzeb till the collapse of the Mughal empire in 1857 during region of Bahadar
Shah Zafar 2 under the supervision of British East India company. Following are the major details
and contribution of various Mughal emperors in the history of sub-continent during 1526 to 1857.
 Zahir-ud-din (Baber)
 Nasir-ud-din (Humayun)
 Jalal-ud-din (Akbar)
 Nur-ul-din (Jahangir)
 Shihab al-din Muhammad (Shah Jahan)
 Muhi al-din Muhammad (Aurangzeb)
 1707 to 1788
o Azam Shah
o Bahadur Shah
o Jahandar Shah
o Farrukhsiyar
o Shah Jahan 2
o Muhammad Shah
o Ahmad Shah Bahadur
o Alamgir 2
o Shah Jahan 3
o Shah Alam 2
Zahir-ud-din (Baber): Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, was
born in 1483 in Andijan, Timurid Empire. Before coming to India, he ruled Kabul, Samarqand, and
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Ferghana as a descendent of Genghis Khan (Mongol ruler). Babur came to India in the early 15th
century with the purpose of conquering Delhi and Punjab, but soon changed his mind and set his
sights on the entire country. At that time, the Lodi dynasty governed the Indian Subcontinent. In
the First Battle of Panipat in 1526, Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi and this led to the establishment
origin of Mughal rule in Sub-continent.
Nasir-ud-din (Humayun): After Babur's death, the Mughal Empire was ruled by his son,
Humayun. Born as Nasir al-Din Muhammad, the Mughal emperor reigned from 1530 to 1540 and
then again between 1555 and 1556. Humayun was compelled to fight with Sher Shah Suri alone
in the Battle of Kanauj in 1540, and he eventually lost the battle and his empire too. Following the
defeat, the second Mughal emperor had to spend 15 years in exile before returning to India in
1555 with the support of the Persians and his son Akbar. This reestablished the Mughal Empire.
However, in 1556, he died after falling down from the stairwell of his library.
Jalal-ud-din (Akbar): After his father's death in 1556, Akbar assumed control of the empire. He
is regarded as the greatest Mughal emperor and therefore he is often dubbed Akbar the Great.
The Mughal Empire began to grow and succeed under his rule. The defeat of Hemu and the
Afghan armies in the second battle of Panipat in 1556, was one of his major accomplishments
during his rule. Since Hemu and his army posed a serious threat to the Mughal Empire, Akbar's
win over him is regarded so crucial. Akbar is also credited with creating the administrative
institutions that would influence the ruling class of the empire for generations. In India, Akbar
made a significant contribution to Mughal architecture. He built a few architectural marvels
including the Buland Darwaza, Agra Fort, Jodhabai Palace, and the fort-city of Fatehpur Sikri
Nur-ul-din (Jahangir): Jahangir was born to Mariam-uz-Zamani, commonly known as Jodha Bai
in Fatehpur Sikri in 1569 as Nur-ud-din Muhammad Salim. He succeeded Akbar as the fourth
Mughal Emperor. In 1605, he was crowned the emperor and reigned until 1627. Jahangir set out
on a mission to conquer all of the lands that his father had failed to conquer throughout his reign.
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Jahangir's first goal was to take Mewar, which was located in Rajasthan. After conquering Mewar,
Jahangir shifted his focus to South India, where he was able to gain control of a few forts and
territory. However, Jahangir was never able to fully rule South India, making the victory over
Mewar his most significant military achievement. Apart from his military campaigns, Jahangir was
also interested in several art forms, especially painting. During his reign, Mughal paintings are
thought to have achieved their pinnacle.
Shihab al-din Muhammad (Shah Jahan): The fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire, he was born
as Shihab al-Din Muhammad Khurram. Shah Jahan was recognized for his prolific love for
architecture. Additionally, his reign is regarded as the Mughal Empire's cultural pinnacle. In fact,
the iconic Taj Mahal was erected for his late wife, Mumtaz Mahal, during his reign. The Red Fort
in Delhi was also built during Shah Jahan's rule. Although Shah Jahan had an obsession for
architecture, he lacked the same appetite for art and paintings. As a result, there were few
substantial additions to Mughal art during Shah Jahan's reign. Later in his life, he fell ill and
abdicated the kingdom, turning it up to his son Dara Shikoh. However, after his recovery,
Aurangzeb took over the control and imprisoned him in Agra Fort until his death in 1666.
Muhi al-din Muhammad (Aurangzeb): After Shah Jahan's death, his youngest son, Aurangzeb
conquered the throne by eliminating his brothers. The sixth Mughal Emperor was born as Muḥi-
al-Din Muḥammad to Mumtaz Mahal. He was a pious Muslim, and it is widely believed that he
spent his long reign, rampaging against Hindus and Hinduism. During his reign, he fought
rebellions from the Jat peasantry of Mathura, the Satnami peasantry of Punjab, and the Bundelas
of Bundelkhand. He also executed the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur in 1675. Moti Masjid,
Burj-i Shamali, Badshahi Mosque, and Bibi ka Maqbara are among the structures that were built
during his reign. It can be said that the death of Aurangzeb in 1707 was a turning point in Indian
history, as the Mughal Empire gradually crumbled to the number of attacks on them.
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From 1707 to 1788: After the death of Aurangzeb in 1707 many Mughals came to the power but
mostly remained unsuccessful in stabilizing the Mughal empire of India and eventually collapsed
till 1750 as the director and manager of sub-continent. Azam Shah became the Mughal King after
1707 He was briefly Mughal emperor, who reigned for 3 months. He was the eldest son
of Aurangzeb and his chief consort Dilras Banu Begum. Bahadur Shah became the emperor after
Azam Shah. He made settlements with the Marathas, tranquilized the Rajput’s, and became
friendly with the Sikhs in Punjab. Jahandar Shah followed him in ruling the empire than
Farrukhsiyar became the king Granted a firman to the East India Company in 1717 granting them
duty-free trading rights for Bengal, strengthening their posts on the east coast. The firman or
decree helped British East India Company to import goods into Bengal without paying customs
duty to the government.
After him Shah Jahan 2 became the emperor than Muhammad Shah and Ahmad Shah Bahadur
remained serving as emperor of the sub-continent. The Mughals lost some significant states
during the reign of Muhammad Shah, who came to power in 1719. In the battle of Karnal in 1739,
he was defeated by Nader Shah, who went on to conquer Delhi and most of northern India. Nader
also defeated the Mughals in Jalalabad, Lahore, and Sirhind, taking control over these regions.
While Mohammad Shah was unable to reclaim his kingdoms, he did manage to rule until 1748.
Even after Muhammad Shah's reign, the Mughals continued to lose territory controlled by them
until 1857, when the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah II or Bahadur Shah Zafar, failed to
defeat the British and was imprisoned until his death in 1861. The East India Company took
control of the Indian subcontinent after the Mughals and began their rule.
REASONS BEHIND THE DECLINE OF MUGHAL EMPIRE 1556-1750
Mughal empire which was the impressionable index of the Muslim rule in Sub-continents after
dominating social, religious, cultural and political life during 1526-1750 of India started to face
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decline after the death of Aurangzeb in 1707 because of various internal and external reasons
among them fundamental causes were
 Weak Administration
 Foreign invasions
 Economic Bankruptcy
 Revolt in Bengal & Punjab
 Religious policy of Aurangzeb
 Arrival of the British
 Pleasure Seeking
 Marathan revolt in Deccan & Rajput revolt in Rajasthan
 War of succession among later Mughals
 Decline in Military supremacy
Weak Administration: Strong administration of the early Mughals like Baber and Akbar became
the major reason behind the growth of Mughal influence in India during 16 th & 17th century. Akbar
as the greatest of the Mughal emperor established a well paved administrative system under
Mansabdari, Zaildari, Patwari and Tehsildar system to strength the control of the empire on the
domestic level and to collect revenue from the masses in a proper manner which was the pulse
of the empire but during the rule of later Mughals specially after the death of Aurangzeb the
administrative system of the empire started to collapse. The Mansabdari system degenerated in
the time of Aurangzeb and his successors. Jagirs were in short supply. Transfers were frequent
and the allotment of a new jagir took a long time. Even when a jagir was allotted, its real income
was generally far below its paper income. The result was that many nobles could not keep their
quota of troops. That weakened the army and affected adversely the administrative efficiency.
The practice of farming lands to the highest bidder made the position of the peasants miserable.
The old landed nobility (Zamindars) was replaced by a new type of business-cum-oppressor
class.
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Foreign invasions: Another major reason behind the decline of the Mughal empire was various
foreign invasions led by Muslim invaders from the different parts of continent mainly Persians and
Afghans. These invasions did not only weaken the empire but also kept the administration and
recourses engaged for many years which played vital role in the collapse of the Mughals after the
death of Aurangzeb in the start of 18 th century. In this context the first invasion which challenged
Mughal empire was led by an Afghan warlord Sher Shah Suri of Suri dynasty during the region of
Humayun in 1540-1555. He did not only defeated Humayun and took control of the empire but
also maintain his control in India till 1555 till Humayun was able to retake empire from his son
Islam Shah after Sher Shah death. This invasion shock Mughal empire soon after its formation
and challenged the supremacy of Mughals in Sub-continent.
Another Invasion which contributed in the evolution of the decline of Mughal empire was of Nader
Shah of Persia. Nader Shah Afshar was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran and one of
the most powerful rulers in Iranian history, ruling as shah of Iran from 1736 to 1747, when he was
assassinated during a rebellion. Nadir Shah’s invasion of India left the most tumultuous and
destructive mark on the Mughal history of India. He invaded India in 1739. Nadir Shah known for
his brutal and inhumane behavior inflicted irretrievable damage to Mughal rule. This invasion is
marked as one of the colossal calamities of the period. Nadir Shah killed 20,000 Mughal soldiers
and Muhammad Shah had to surrender. The Mughal resistance was feeble. Muhammad Shah
had to appear before Nadir Shah. When Nadir Shah entered Delhi, the defeated Mughals
welcomed him with the firing of cannons and guns. It is estimated that 70 crores of wealth were
carried away by Nadir Shah from Delhi: Jewels from emperors and amirs: 25 crores. Utensils and
handles of weapons set with jewels, with the Peacock Throne, etc.: 9 crores.
Besides Nadir Shah another ruler from Afghanistan became a damaging reason towards the
decline of the Mughal empire after the death of Aurangzeb and it was led by Ahmed Shah Durani
from Afghanistan. Ahmed Shah Durani attacked Delhi after Nadir Shah. Ahmad Shah
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Durrani invaded India eight times between 1748 and 1767. After the assassination of Nadir Shah,
Ahmad Shah Durrani succeeded the throne of Afghanistan and started plundering wealth from
nearby regions for the same reason he attacked Mughal empire again and again till 1767 which
weaken the empire at large during the tenure of later Mughals. Ahmed Shah Durani kept
challenging the Mughal monarchs who were already struggling against other challenges
eventually resulting into its decline.
Economic Bankruptcy: The economic conditions of the empire were stable under the headship
of Akbar his proper administration of economic resources and collection of tax through grass route
administration made the empire financially stable but the economic stability of the empire was
ruined because of the constant wars during the rule of later Mughals. Each Mughal ruler spent
enormous amounts on war. Some of the wars did not add even an inch to the Mughal empire,
and only proved to be a financial burden. Example- the loss of kandhar during Shah Jahan’s rule
and Aurangzeb’s wars in the Deccan. Besides this, the Mughal rulers spent lavishly on buildings
and monuments. The reign of Shah Jahan is often compared to a wall picture which appears
beautiful on the front but behind the picture, one gets to see only the nails. The buildings erected
by him are no doubt beautiful and magnificent but they cost the treasury a lot. The extraordinary
grandeur of the Mughal court during Shah Jahan’s reign and the luxurious lifestyle of the nobles
were a big drain on the treasury. Finally, foreign invasions completely shattered the economy.
Due to the emergence of many autonomous states, the revenue resources got depleted and the
continuous wars further emptied the treasury. Also, the foreign invasions of Nadir Shah and
Ahmad Shah Abdali took a heavy toll on the imperial treasury.
Revolt in Bengal & Punjab: Akbar had a very visionary approach towards various states of the
empire and use to keep a strong check and information about the activities of their Nawabs and
Nobility but because of the conservative and weak control of the later Mughals specially after
Aurangzeb various states revolted against Mughals. New powers such as the Sikhs, Jats and
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Marathas came onto the scene. Rulers like Aurangzeb did not understand their importance. He
did nothing to win them over. Gradually they broke off from the Mughal domination and
established their own independent states. Bengal in the 18th century comprised Bengal, Bihar
and Orissa. Murshid Quli Khan was the Diwan of Bengal under Aurangzeb. Farrukhsiyar
appointed him Subedar (governor) of Bengal in 1717. Taking advantage of the growing weakness
of the central authority who were later Mughals, Murshid Quli Khan declared Bengal as an
independent state from the Mughals in 1720. Similarly Sikh of Punjab also revolted against the
Mughals and formed independent Sikh rule in Punjab. Because of the religious rigidity of the
Aurangzeb and the assassination of their Guru Teg Bahadur during his rule in response Sikh
revolted against the Mughal emperor in 1670. Later Banda Bahadur was a Sikh military
commander who established a Sikh state with capital at Lohgarh. He led a revolt against the
Mughals after the assassination of another Sikh Guru Gobind Singh. He was captured and
executed during the reign of Farrukh Siyar on 9th June 1716. This event sealed the resistance of
Sikh against the Mughals and till 1748 Punjab was declared independent from the Mughal rule.
Religious policy of Aurangzeb: The early Mughals like Baber, Humayun and Akbar were
successful in maintaining a secular image of the empire their tolerant and flexible approach
towards various faiths existing under them helped the empire to grow. Akbar introduced many
liberal religious reforms to win support of non-Muslim subjects like he himself married to a Rajput
princes Jodha to make alliance with this resistive group of Hindus he also built church in his court
had a very accepting approach towards non-Muslims practices and stopped receiving Jizya from
many of the local non-Muslim subjects which gave confidence to the minorities living under his
role ultimately strengthening the empire but when Aurangzeb became the emperor of India he
took a new dimension in this approach by coining the concept of Islamization of India. Aurangzeb
is known for his strict and aggressive religious opinions and policies. Though there are two
schools of thought which differ in their analysis of the religious nature of Aurangzeb, many reports
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suggest that, indeed, Aurangzeb was a very orthodox, conservative Islamic. It is believed that he
had memorized the complete Quran, the holy book or scriptures of Islam. He had learned Hadiths
and observed rituals of Islam keenly. He transcribed the Quran into other languages also. Also,
some studies claim him as the anti-Hindu emperor for the entire Mughal empire history. Though
his great-grandfather was a supporter of pluralism and secularism, his grandfather had given new
directions toward Islam’s dominant regulations. Aurangzeb was similarly and more actively
involved in expanding his political as well as religious dominance over the Indian subcontinent.
His religious policies dictate more about his conservative nature. Here we will overview some of
his religious policies.
 It is reported by several historians that Aurangzeb ordered and destroyed many temples and
Hindu idols. Among these included the Vishwanath temple, Chintamani temple, Somnath
temple, and many others. Some studies state that in Mewar alone, he destroyed around 240
temples.
 Jizya was the taxation collected from permanent non-Muslim habitants of the empire. Akbar,
being secular, discontinued this taxation during his rule. Aurangzeb reimposed this tax with
much more strict orders and rules. This is believed to have the secondary hidden objective of
manipulating Hindu citizens to convert to Islam.
 He declared Fatawa-e-Alamgiri, which is a compilation of ethics, laws, and rules which are
completely based on Islam. He was among the very few Mughal emperors to establish a
complete Sharia law and Islamic economics.
 At the beginning of his reign, Aurangzeb prohibited the kalma being inscribed on coins, as it
trampled underfoot or be defiled while passing from one hand to another. Aurangzeb banned
the festival of Nauroz, as it was considered as Zoroastrian practice favored by
the Safavid rulers of Iran. Aurangzeb appointed Muhtasibs in all the provinces. Their major
work was to see that people lived their lives in accordance with the shara. Muhtasibs were
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responsible for ensuring that the things, which were forbidden (such as intoxicants and
gambling dens, etc.) by the shara and the zawabits (secular decrees) were, as far as possible,
not disobeyed openly. While appointing Muhtasibs, though, Aurangzeb emphasized that the
state was also responsible for the moral welfare of the citizens. But these officials were
instructed not to interfere in the private lives of citizens. In 1669, Aurangzeb took a number of
measures, which have been called puritanical, but many of them were of an economic and
social character, and against superstitious beliefs. Likewise, he prohibited singing in the court
and the official musicians were pensioned off. The instrumental music and naubat (the royal
band) were, however, continued.
 Singing also continued to be patronized by the ladies in the harem, and also by individual
nobles. It is interesting to note that the largest number of Persian works on classical Indian
music were written during Aurangzeb's reign. Aurangzeb himself was proficient in playing
the Veena. Aurangzeb withdrawn the practice of jharoka darshan or showing himself to the
public from the balcony (initiated by Akbar). He considered it a superstitious practice and
against Islam. Aurangzeb banned the ceremony of weighing the emperor against gold and
silver and other articles on his birthdays. However, because of majority of social demand,
Aurangzeb had to permit this ceremony for his sons when they recovered from illness.
 Aurangzeb looked upon temples as the centers of spreading rebellious ideas, i.e., ideas which
were not acceptable to the orthodox elements. Therefore, in 1669, he took strict action
especially when he learnt that in some of the temples in Thatta, Multan and especially at
Banaras, both Hindus and Muslims used to come from great distances to learn from the
Brahmans. Aurangzeb issued orders to the governors of all provinces to prohibit such
practices and to destroy all those temples where such practices took place. As a result of
these orders, a number of temples such as the famous temples of Vishwanath at Banaras and
the temple of Keshava Rai at Mathura built by Bir Singh Deo Bundela during the reign of
Jahangir were destroyed and a mosque; erected in their place.

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Arrival of the British: The Europeans, especially the British, played an important role in putting
an end to the Mughal empire. They first obtained a permission to trade with India, but gradually
began interfering in Indian politics and tightened their grip over the Indian States. They not only
wiped off the traces of other European powers, but also defeated the Indian princes one after the
other and gradually set up a British empire in India that lasted for 200 years after the decline of
Mughals. The emergence of British and other European colonial powers and their arrival to India
was the last nail in the coffin of any hope of survival of the Mughal empire. The western colonial
powers were militarily and financially superior and politically informed of the Indian conditions
further they won loyalties of local Nawabs and established strong economic system in sub-
continent during the years when Mughals were busy in all these challenges after 1740 British
changed their role from traders to invaders and step by step outclassed Mughals from the Indian
political scene. The decline of the Mughal Empire was due to social, economic, political and
institutional factors as well as because of the British presence in sub-continent as well by 1813,
the British government took away the power that allowed the East India Company’s monopoly
and later, the company worked on behalf of the government. In 1857, the Indian Rebellion
occurred which prompted the British colonial office to exile the last emperor, Bahadur Shah II,
and take complete control of the Indian subcontinent.
Pleasure Seeking: The habit of Mughal emperors to lead luxurious life consumed lot of income
from land and trades. Unlimited access to money enabled the Mughals to live in magnificence
and glory. All the rich class competed and compared with each other to lead an elegant life. They
used rich clothes, costly jewels with number of courtiers to add enjoyment to life. These things
acted as the symbols of high status. This kind of luxury brought about moral decay in the society
of eighteenth century.
Marathan revolt in Deccan & Rajput revolt in Rajasthan: Maratha were the part of Hindu
community mainly from Deccan and had an important existence in the regional politics of India
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since long. They were considered brave and warrior nation and kept on resisting foreign invaders
in India specially Muslims for long. During the region of Akbar, he signed peace agreements with
both Rajput’s of Rajasthan who were also a Hindu group and Marathan. Aurangzeb adopted
Decan policy towards Maratha under which he planned to annex the northern territories to the
Mughal empire which were mainly developed by Marathan which offended them against the ruler
It was considered as the most serious reason for the decline of Mughals. Aurangzeb failed to
defeat Mahrattas before his death. Under the leadership of Sivaji, the Mahrattas power expanded
Aurangzeb took 25 years of his tenure which was of 49 years to suppress and defeat Martha but
he was not able to do so and economy of the Mughals suffered because of this Decan policy.
After the death of Aurangzeb in 1737, they defeated the Mughal army outside Delhi and took over
Malwa. In 1760, the even captured Delhi. They became the most powerful people during the
middle of the century which weaken the later Mughals and their control of India. Besides that
Akbar had Rajput policy to keep Rajput’s in alliance with Mughals who were also a resistive and
well organized groups of Hindus in Rajasthan state but later Mughals after the death of Aurangzeb
were not able to keep them in alliance and the Rajput’s created problems for the Mughal empire
during the declining stage.
War of succession among later Mughals: The Mughal Dynasty suffered from a grave internal
problem.it was the problem of succession. Sons revolted against fathers to capture the throne.
Brothers fought the wars of succession. Jahangir, as prince Salim, revolted against his father
Akbar. Shah Jahan revolted against Jahangir. Aurangzeb revolted against Shah Jahn. The
fratricidal wars among the brothers were of a more serious nature. Shah Jahn killed his brother.
Aurangzeb came to the throne by killing his brothers Murad, Darshakon and Shuja. The first six
Mughal Emperors from Babar to Aurangzeb are described as the great Mughals. The Emperors
after Aurangzeb are called the latter Mughals. After him, the wars of succession came in quick
interval. The disease became more serious. For a Mughal Prince, there were only two
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alternatives, namely, either the throne or the coffin. As they fought rapid wars, the Empire lost its
vitality quickly. No Emperor among the later Mughals could rule in peace.
These later Mughal Emperor are weak and worthless. They could not save the Empire from rapid
decline. Aurangzeb was succeeded by his son Bahadur Shah. He came to the throne after the
bloody battle with other brothers. He was too old to rule effectively, and died within five years.
The next emperor Jahndar Shah came to the throne by killing his three brothers. He was a
worthless man. He ruled at the advice of a dancing girl named Lal Kumari. The contemporary
historian Khafi Khan wrote: “In the brief reign of Jahnder, violence had full sway. It was a fine time
for minstrels and singers and all the tribes of dancers and actors.” This emperor was killed within
a year by his nephew, Farrukhsiyar. Another useless man, Farrukhsiyar became a puppet in
hands of two Sayyid Brothers who became the Kingmakers. Within a short time, Farrukhshiyar
was blinded and killed pitilessly by the kingmakers. More unworthy men were made Emperors.
The story of such tragedies continued. The Mughal Empire broke down because of such
successors.
Decline in Military supremacy: When rulers and the nobles became unworthy of their position,
the Mughal army too became weak and inefficient. Days were gone when the soldiers of Babar
could suffer extreme hardship only the Indian soil. The armies of the later Mughals had no vigor,
courage or capability for bigger military role. Their generals became lazy and pleasure loving.
Though big in size, the Mughals army could not show its strength in the Rajput or the Maratha
war even under Aurangzeb. The Inspiration, which was seen among the Jats, Bundelas, Sikhs,
Rajput’s and Marathas, was not seen among the Mughals. The military weakness became a
potential cause of the decline of the Mughals Empire. The Mughal army gradually became
inefficient and de-motivated after losing several battles. The neglect of naval power by the
Mughals also cost them dearly. Artillery arm of the military which was outstanding became
outdated compared to other armies. Latest models of guns were developed in other parts of the
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world but the guns used in the military were outdated. Mughals did not pay much interest to the
sea power, and thus the navy was underdeveloped. As Mughals could not estimate the upcoming
threat from European trading companies, they never concentrated on the developing Mughal
navy.
EXPECTED 4 MARKS QUESTIONS CHECKLIST
1. Who was Zahir-ud-din Baber?
2. What was Battle of Panipat 1526?
3. Who was Ibrahim Lodhi?
4. Who was Sher Shah Suri?
5. Write a note on mansabdari system?
6. Who were Mughals?
7. Describe what was Jizya?
8. Who was Nadir Shah?
9. Write a note on religious policy of Aurangzeb?
10. Who was Ahmed Shah Durani?
11. What was Din-e-Elahi?
12. Who were Maratha and what they did?
13. Describe the era of Akbar as the Mughal king.
14. Who were Rajput’s?
15. Who was Shivaji?
EXPECTED 7 MARKS QUESTIONS
1. Why Mughals came to Sub-continent in 1526?
2. Why Akbar was a successful Mughal ruler?
3. Explain why religious policies of Aurangzeb resulted into decline of Mughal empire?
4. Explain why the Mughal Empire declined following the reign of Aurangzeb after 1707.
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5. Explain how foreign invasions and domestic revolts became reason for Mughal decline in Sub-
continent.
1. Were the weak and greedy characteristics of Aurangzeb’s successors the most important
reasons for the collapse of the Mughal Empire? Explain your answer.
2. 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.
3. The policies of Aurangzeb were the main reason for the decline of the Mughal Empire. Do you
agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer
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
5. Do you think that foreign invasions during the Mughal rule was the main reason for the decline
of the Mughal Empire? Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer
6. Was the weak administration of the later Mughals the most important reasons for the collapse
of the Mughal Empire? Explain your answer.
ANSWERS FOR EXPECTED QUESTIONS FROM CHAPTER
4 MARKS
1. Who was Zahir-ud-din Baber?
Babur, born in 1483 as Zahir-ud-din Muhammad, was the founder of the Mughal Empire in the
Indian subcontinent. He was a descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan through his father and
mother respectively. Baber fought battle of Panipat during 1526 against Ibrahim Lodhi the last
emperor of the Lodhi dynasty and got control of Delhi. He died in 1530 and was followed by his
son Humayun. He is known for his strong administration and effective rule as ruler of Sub-
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continent he did not only set up Mughal empire but also won against Rajput’s who were Hindu
from Rajasthan during 1527 in the Battle of Khanwa.
2. What was Battle of Panipat 1526?
Battle of Panipat 1526 was fought between the army of Baber who were on the verge of invading
sub-continent against Ibrahim Lodhi the ruler of Delhi from the Lodhi dynasty of Afghans. It took
place in north India and marked the beginning of the Mughal Empire and the end of the Delhi
Sultanate. Ibrahim Lodi died on the field of battle along with 20,000 of his troops. The battle of
Panipat was militarily a decisive victory for Timurids. Politically it gained Babur new lands, and
initiated a new phase of his establishment of the long-lasting Mughal Empire in the heart of
the Indian subcontinent.
3. Who was Ibrahim Lodhi?
Ibrahim Lodi was the third and last ruler of the Lodi dynasty of Delhi. He ruled from 1517 to 1526.
Ibrahim Lodhi an Afghan by blood was the last ruler of the Lodhi dynasty. He succeeded his father
Sikander Lodhi but could not match his ability as a ruler. He was defeated by Babur in the battle
of Panipat which saw the end of Delhi Sultanate and the beginning of the Mughal reign. Ibrahim
Lodi died on the field of battle during battle of Panipat along with 20,000 of his troops. He was the
last ruler of the Lodi dynasty. He was killed by the forces of Babur in 1526 during Battle of Panipat.
4. Who was Sher Shah Suri?
He was the founder of the Sur Empire in North India. After taking control of the Mughal Empire in
1540, he set up a new civic and military administration and implemented several reforms in the
financial and postal sectors. He reorganized the empire and revived the historical city of
Pataliputra as Patna which had been in decline since the 7th century CE. He was known to be a
great warrior and an able administrator whose works laid the foundation for the later Mughal
emperors; he went on to conquer Bengal and at the Battle of Chausa he defeated the Mughal
Emperor Humayun and assumed the royal title of Farid al-Din Sher Shah. Counted amongst the
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greatest Muslim rulers of India, he died during the siege of Kalinjar fort in 1545 and was replaced
by his son Sikandar Suri.
5. Write a note on mansabdari system?
The Mansabdari system was the administrative system introduced by Akbar in Mughal Empire
during 1571. The word ‘Mansab’ is of Arabic origin meaning rank or position. Hence, Mansabdari
was a system of ranking the government officials and determined their civil & military duties, along
with their renumerations. This administrative system became one of the reasons for his success
during the establishment of Mughal empire in Sub-continent. Mansabdari system started to
collapse after the death of Akbar and its decline became the major reason for the decline of
Mughal empire during the years 1707 to 1780.The bureaucratic administration of Mughals in India
was based on a system called Mansabdari System. Those nobles who joined Mughal service
were enrolled as mansabdars.
6. Who were Mughals?
Mughals were the Persian Invaders who came to sub-continent in 1526 under the leadership of
Baber and by defeating the local ruler of India in charge of Delhi Ibrahim Lodhi of Lodhi dynasty
during battle of Panipat established one of the greatest, mightiest and longest Muslim empire in
Sub-continent between 16th & 19th century which existed over the span of 200 years in history of
this region. The descendants of the Mongol Empire who lived in Turkestan in the 15th century
founded the Mughal Empire in Sub-continent in 16th century through invasion of Kabul and then
Delhi. They had become Muslims and embraced Middle Eastern culture while retaining their Far
Eastern ancestry components. Mughals who dominated this Hindu subcontinent were Muslims.
Mughals expanded their kingdom from Agra & Delhi in the second half of the 16th century until
they dominated practically the whole subcontinent by the 17th century.
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7. Describe what was Jizya?
Jazya was a tax imposed by Islamic rulers on their non-Islamic subjects, especially those whose
religion was based on sacred texts, in return for state protection and freedom. Mughals and before
them Sultanates of Delhi imposed Jizya on the non-Muslims of Sub-continent under their rule and
the collection of more and more Jizya was one of the reasons for marinating the financial system
of the empire but when Akbar became the Mughal king, he abolished the Jizya for non-Muslims
and that is the reason his era saw peace with other communities Aurangzeb as later Mughal King
reintroduced the concept which became one of the major sources of resistance against the
empire.
8. Who was Nadir Shah?
Nader Shah Afshar was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran and one of the most powerful
rulers in Iranian history, ruling as shah of Iran from 1736 to 1747, when he was assassinated
during a rebellion. Nadir Shah’s invasion of India left the most tumultuous and destructive mark
on the Mughal history of India. He invaded India in 1739. Nadir Shah known for his brutal and
inhumane behavior inflicted irretrievable damage to Mughal rule. This invasion is marked as one
of the colossal calamities of the period. Nadir Shah killed 20,000 Mughal soldiers and Muhammad
Shah had to surrender. The Mughal resistance was feeble. Muhammad Shah had to appear
before Nadir Shah. When Nadir Shah entered Delhi, the defeated Mughals welcomed him with
the firing of cannons and guns. It is estimated that 70 crores of wealth were carried away by
Nadir Shah from Delhi: Jewels from emperors and amirs: 25 crores. Utensils and handles of
weapons set with jewels, with the Peacock Throne, etc.: 9 crores.
9. Write a note on religious policy of Aurangzeb?
Aurangzeb became the emperor of India he took a new dimension in this approach by coining the
concept of Islamization of India. Aurangzeb is known for his strict and aggressive religious
opinions and policies. Though there are two schools of thought which differ in their analysis of the
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religious nature of Aurangzeb, many reports suggest that, indeed, Aurangzeb was a very
orthodox, conservative Islamic. It is believed that he had memorized the complete Quran, the holy
book or scriptures of Islam. He had learned Hadiths and observed rituals of Islam keenly. He
transcribed the Quran into other languages also. Also, some studies claim him as the anti-Hindu
emperor for the entire Mughal empire history.
10. Who was Ahmed Shah Durani?
Ahmed Shah Durani was from Afghanistan. Ahmed Shah Durani attacked Delhi after Nadir Shah.
Ahmad Shah Durrani invaded India eight times between 1748 and 1767. After the assassination
of Nadir Shah, Ahmad Shah Durrani succeeded the throne of Afghanistan and started plundering
wealth from nearby regions for the same reason he attacked Mughal empire again and again till
1767 which weaken the empire at large during the tenure of later Mughals. Ahmed Shah Durani
kept challenging the Mughal monarchs who were already struggling against other challenges
eventually resulting into its decline.
11. Who were Maratha and what they did?
Maratha were the part of Hindu community mainly from Deccan and had an important existence
in the regional politics of India since long. They were considered brave and warrior nation and
kept on resisting foreign invaders in India specially Muslims for long. During the region of Akbar,
he signed peace agreements with both Rajput’s of Rajasthan who were also a Hindu group and
Marathan. Aurangzeb adopted Decan policy towards Maratha under which he planned to annex
the northern territories to the Mughal empire which were mainly developed by Marathan which
offended them against the ruler It was considered as the most serious reason for the decline of
Mughals. Aurangzeb failed to defeat Mahrattas before his death. Under the leadership of Sivaji,
the Mahrattas power expanded Aurangzeb took 25 years of his tenure which was of 49 years to
suppress and defeat Martha but he was not able to do so and economy of the Mughals suffered
because of this Decan policy. After the death of Aurangzeb in 1737, they defeated the Mughal
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army outside Delhi and took over Malwa. In 1760, the even captured Delhi but were defeated by
Ahmed Shah Durani.
12. Describe the era of Akbar as the Mughal king.
After his father's death in 1556, Akbar assumed control of the empire. He is regarded as the
greatest Mughal emperor and therefore he is often dubbed Akbar the Great. The Mughal Empire
began to grow and succeed under his rule. The defeat of Hemu and the Afghan armies in the
second battle of Panipat in 1556, was one of his major accomplishments during his rule. Since
Hemu and his army posed a serious threat to the Mughal Empire, Akbar's win over him is regarded
so crucial. Akbar is also credited with creating the administrative institutions that would influence
the ruling class of the empire for generations. In India, Akbar made a significant contribution to
Mughal architecture. He built a few architectural marvels including the Buland Darwaza, Agra
Fort, Jodhabai Palace, and the fort-city of Fatehpur Sikri
13. Who were Rajput’s?
Rajput’s are part of Hindu community from central India mainly Rajasthan who are known for their
resistive nature against foreign rule and other faiths in the past. During the region of Mughals, the
same Rajput’s played important role in challenging them and kept on resisting the Mughal
emperors till the collapse of the empire. Akbar had better relations with them and was part of
alliance through marriage with Rajput’s but Aurangzeb considered them as threat to the empire
and started military operations against them the Rajput’s resisted Aurangzeb and continuous
struggle of these Hindu warriors against the Mughals resulted into decline of the Mughal empire
during the later Mughals in last half of the 18th century.
14. Who was Shivaji?
Shivaji was a legendary Maratha king, who established the Maratha kingdom in western India
during 18th century. He became symbol of resistance against the later Mughal kings and led
Martha to liberation of deccan from the influence of the Mughal rule. Under the leadership of
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Sivaji, the Mahrattas power expanded Aurangzeb took 25 years of his tenure which was of 49
years to suppress and defeat Martha but he was not able to do so became of his strong leadership
and courage because of which economy of the Mughals suffered and became one of the reasons
behind the decline of the empire after Aurangzeb rule.
7 MARKS
1. Why Akbar was a successful Mughal ruler?
After death of Humayun in 1556, Akbar assumed control of the empire. He is regarded as the
greatest Mughal emperor and therefore he is often dubbed Akbar the Great. The Mughal Empire
began to grow and succeed under his rule because of his various policies like Mansabdari system
The Mansabdari system was the administrative system introduced by Akbar in Mughal Empire
during 1571. The word ‘Mansab’ is of Arabic origin meaning rank or position. Hence, Mansabdari
was a system of ranking the government officials and determined their civil & military duties, along
with their renumerations. This administrative system became one of the reasons for his success
during the establishment of Mughal empire in Sub-continent. Mansabdari system started to
collapse after the death of Akbar and its decline became the major reason for the decline of
Mughal empire during the years 1707 to 1780.The bureaucratic administration of Mughals in India
was based on a system called Mansabdari System. Those nobles who joined Mughal service
were enrolled as mansabdars. Further, Akbar introduced many liberal religious reforms to win
support of non-Muslim subjects like he himself married to a Rajput prince Jodha to make alliance
with this resistive group of Hindus he also built church in his court had a very accepting approach
towards non-Muslims practices and stopped receiving Jizya from many of the local non-Muslim
subjects which gave confidence to the minorities living under his role ultimately strengthening the
empire.
Lastly Akbar remained successful in the maintenance of the empire by having peace treaties and
alliances with those Hindu groups who were always resistive to the foreign rule and never
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submitted to Muslim rulers in the past like Maratha and Rajput’s he remained peaceful to them
and did not want to impose his rule or policies which kept the empire mostly peaceful unlike the
rule of Aurangzeb aur later Mughals after 1707.
2. Explain why religious policies of Aurangzeb resulted into decline of Mughal empire?
Aurangzeb managed his rule as the Mughal king during till his death in 1707 which is considered
as turning point of the Mughal rule in Sub-continent towards its decline because of mainly his
religious policy in India. Jizya was the taxation collected from permanent non-Muslim habitants of
the empire. Akbar, being secular, discontinued this taxation during his rule. Aurangzeb reimposed
this tax with much more strict orders and rules. This is believed to have the secondary hidden
objective of manipulating Hindu citizens to convert to Islam under him and largely non-Muslims
started to develop hate towards this policy of re introducing jizya with increased ratio of amounted
to be paid as Jizya for the communities which are in minority as part of Mughal empire.
Secondly, Aurangzeb looked upon temples as the centers of spreading rebellious ideas, i.e., ideas
which were not acceptable to the orthodox elements. Therefore, in 1669, he took strict action
especially when he learnt that in some of the temples in Thatta, Multan and especially at Banaras,
both Hindus and Muslims used to come from great distances to learn from the Brahmans.
Aurangzeb issued orders to the governors of all provinces to prohibit such practices and to destroy
all those temples where such practices took place. As a result of these orders, a number of
temples such as the famous temples of Vishwanath at Banaras and the temple of Keshava Rai at
Mathura built by Bir Singh Deo Bundela during the reign of Jahangir were destroyed and mosques
were erected in their place which created hate in the hearts of the Hindu subjects and pushed
them towards revolt against him. Lastly Aurangzeb unlike Akbar who gave important positions to
the non-Muslim subjects under him terminated all the non-Muslim administrators from the courts
and other important offices which was considered victimizing of the non-Muslims under him.
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Further he banned practice of Suttee allowed cow slaughtering to the Muslims which annoyed the
Hindu community against him. Aurangzeb discouraged the Hindu practices and idol worshiping
and always resisted against open observation of their believes causing hatred for his religious
approach in Sub-continent.
3. Explain why the Mughal Empire declined following the reign of Aurangzeb after 1707.
Major reason behind the decline of the Mughal empire was various foreign invasions led by
Muslim invaders from the different parts of continent mainly Persians and Afghans. Firstly, Nadir
Shah’s invasion of India left the most tumultuous and destructive mark on the Mughal history of
India. He invaded India in 1739. Nadir Shah known for his brutal and inhumane behavior inflicted
irretrievable damage to Mughal rule. This invasion is marked as one of the colossal calamities of
the period. Nadir Shah killed 20,000 Mughal soldiers and Muhammad Shah had to surrender. The
Mughal resistance was feeble. Muhammad Shah had to appear before Nadir Shah. When Nadir
Shah entered Delhi, the defeated Mughals welcomed him with the firing of cannons and guns.
Besides Nadir Shah another ruler from Afghanistan became a damaging reason towards the
decline of the Mughal empire after the death of Aurangzeb and it was led by Ahmed Shah Durani
from Afghanistan. Ahmed Shah Durani attacked Delhi after Nadir Shah. Ahmad Shah
Durrani invaded India eight times between 1748 and 1767. After the assassination of Nadir Shah,
Ahmad Shah Durrani succeeded the throne of Afghanistan and started plundering wealth from
nearby regions for the same reason he attacked Mughal empire again and again till 1767 which
weaken the empire at large during the tenure of later Mughals.
Secondly, the habit of Mughal emperors to lead luxurious life consumed lot of income from land
and trades. Unlimited access to money enabled the Mughals to live in magnificence and glory. All
the rich class competed and compared with each other to lead an elegant life. They used rich
clothes, costly jewels with number of courtiers to add enjoyment to life. These things acted as the
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symbols of high status. This kind of luxury brought about moral decay in the society of eighteenth
century.
Lastly, The Europeans, especially the British, played an important role in putting an end to the
Mughal empire. They first obtained a permission to trade with India, but gradually began
interfering in Indian politics and tightened their grip over the Indian States. They not only wiped
off the traces of other European powers, but also defeated the Indian princes one after the other
and gradually set up a British empire in India that lasted for 200 years after the decline of Mughals.
The emergence of British and other European colonial powers and their arrival to India was the last
nail in the coffin of any hope of survival of the Mughal empire. The western colonial powers were
militarily and financially superior and politically informed of the Indian conditions.
4. Explain how foreign invasions and domestic revolts became reason for Mughal decline
in Sub-continent.
Major reason behind the decline of the Mughal empire was various foreign invasions led by
India. He invaded India in 1739. Nadir Shah killed 20,000 Mughal soldiers and Muhammad Shah
had to surrender. The Mughal resistance was feeble. Muhammad Shah had to appear before
Nadir Shah. When Nadir Shah entered Delhi, the defeated Mughals welcomed him with the firing
of cannons and guns. Besides Nadir Shah another ruler from Afghanistan became a damaging
reason towards the decline of the Mughal empire after the death of Aurangzeb and it was led by
Ahmed Shah Durani from Afghanistan. Ahmed Shah Durani attacked Delhi after Nadir Shah.
Ahmad Shah Durrani invaded India eight times between 1748 and 1767. After the assassination
of Nadir Shah, Ahmad Shah Durrani succeeded the throne of Afghanistan and started plundering
wealth from nearby regions for the same reason he attacked Mughal empire again and again till
1767 which weaken the empire at large during the tenure of later Mughals.
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Further, after Aurangzeb various states revolted against Mughals. New powers such as the Sikhs,
Jats and Marathas came onto the scene. Rulers like Aurangzeb did not understand their
importance. He did nothing to win them over. Gradually they broke off from the Mughal domination
and established their own independent states. Bengal in the 18th century comprised Bengal, Bihar
and Orissa. Murshid Quli Khan was the Diwan of Bengal under Aurangzeb. Farrukhsiyar
appointed him Subedar (governor) of Bengal in 1717. Taking advantage of the growing weakness
of the central authority who were later Mughals, Murshid Quli Khan declared Bengal as an
independent state from the Mughals in 1720. Similarly Sikh of Punjab also revolted against the
Mughals and formed independent Sikh rule in Punjab. Because of the religious rigidity of the
Aurangzeb and the assassination of their Guru Teg Bahadur during his rule in response Sikh
revolted against the Mughal emperor in 1670. Later Banda Bahadur was a Sikh military
commander who established a Sikh state with capital at Lohgarh. He led a revolt against the
Mughals after the assassination of another Sikh Guru Gobind Singh. He was captured and
executed during the reign of Farrukh Siyar on 9th June 1716. This event sealed the resistance of
Sikh against the Mughals and till 1748 Punjab was declared independent from the Mughal rule.
14 MARKS
1. Were the weak and greedy characteristics of Aurangzeb’s successors the most
important reasons for the collapse of the Mughal Empire? Explain your answer.
Mughal empire who is regarded as the greatest and longest Muslim empire managed India during
1526-1857 started to face decline after the death of Aurangzeb in 1707 because of various
reasons among them weak and greedy characteristics of Aurangzeb’s successors is the important
factor as the Mughal Dynasty suffered from a grave internal problem.it was the problem of
succession. Sons revolted against fathers to capture the throne. Brothers fought the wars of
succession. Jahangir, as prince Salim, revolted against his father Akbar. Shah Jahan revolted
against Jahangir. Aurangzeb revolted against Shah Jahn. The fratricidal wars among the brothers
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were of a more serious nature. Shah Jahn killed his brother. Aurangzeb came to the throne by
killing his brothers Murad, Darshakon and Shuja. The first six Mughal Emperors from Babar to
Aurangzeb are described as the great Mughals. The Emperors after Aurangzeb are called the
latter Mughals. After him, the wars of succession came in quick interval. The disease became
more serious. For a Mughal Prince, there were only two alternatives, namely, either the throne or
the coffin. As they fought rapid wars, the Empire lost its vitality quickly. No Emperor among the
later Mughals could rule in peace.
These later Mughal Emperor are weak and worthless. They could not save the Empire from rapid
decline. Aurangzeb was succeeded by his son Bahadur Shah. He came to the throne after the
bloody battle with other brothers. He was too old to rule effectively, and died within five years.
The next emperor Jahndar Shah came to the throne by killing his three brothers. He was a
worthless man. He ruled at the advice of a dancing girl named Lal Kumari. The contemporary
historian Khafi Khan wrote: “In the brief reign of Jahnder, violence had full sway. It was a fine time
for minstrels and singers and all the tribes of dancers and actors.” This emperor was killed within
a year by his nephew, Farrukhsiyar. Another useless man, Farrukhsiyar became a puppet in
hands of two Sayyid Brothers who became the Kingmakers. Within a short time, Farrukhshiyar
was blinded and killed pitilessly by the kingmakers. More unworthy men were made Emperors.
The story of such tragedies continued. The Mughal Empire broke down because of such
successors.
Besides that, another important factor behind their decline was various foreign invasions led by
India. He invaded India in 1739. Nadir Shah known for his brutal and inhumane behavior inflicted
irretrievable damage to Mughal rule. Besides Nadir Shah another ruler from Afghanistan became
a damaging reason towards the decline of the Mughal empire after the death of Aurangzeb and it
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was led by Ahmed Shah Durani from Afghanistan. Ahmed Shah Durani attacked Delhi after Nadir
Shah. Ahmad Shah Durrani invaded India eight times between 1748 and 1767. After the
assassination of Nadir Shah, Ahmad Shah Durrani succeeded the throne of Afghanistan and
started plundering wealth from nearby regions for the same reason he attacked Mughal empire
again and again till 1767 which weaken the empire at large during the tenure of later Mughals.
Moreover, the habit of Mughal emperors to lead luxurious life consumed lot of income from land
century.
The decline of the Mughal empire also marked end to the long history of Muslim supremacy in
Sub-continent and started a new chapter of Indian history under the British rule which ultimately
paved way to Muslim revivalism in the region through a freedom movement for a separate
homeland in 20th century
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2. 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.
reasons among them coming of the British was the main reasons as the Europeans, especially
the British, played an important role in putting an end to the Mughal empire. They first obtained a
permission to trade with India, but gradually began interfering in Indian politics and tightened their
grip over the Indian States. They not only wiped off the traces of other European powers, but also
defeated the Indian princes one after the other and gradually set up a British empire in India that
lasted for 200 years after the decline of Mughals. The emergence of British and other European
colonial powers and their arrival to India was the last nail in the coffin of any hope of survival of
the Mughal empire. The western colonial powers were militarily and financially superior and
politically informed of the Indian conditions further they won loyalties of local Nawabs and
established strong economic system in sub-continent during the years when Mughals were busy
in all these challenges after 1740 British changed their role from traders to invaders and step by
step outclassed Mughals from the Indian political scene. The decline of the Mughal Empire was
due to social, economic, political and institutional factors as well as because of the British
presence in sub-continent as well by 1813, the British government took away the power that
allowed the East India Company’s monopoly and later, the company worked on behalf of the
government. In 1857, the Indian Rebellion occurred which prompted the British colonial office to
exile the last emperor, Bahadur Shah II, and take complete control of the Indian subcontinent.
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century.
Lastly, the economic conditions of the empire were stable under the headship of Akbar his proper
administration of economic resources and collection of tax through grass route administration
made the empire financially stable but the economic stability of the empire was ruined because
of the constant wars during the rule of later Mughals. Each Mughal ruler spent enormous amounts
of war. Some of the wars did not add even an inch to the Mughal empire, and only proved to be
a financial burden. Example- the loss of kandhar during Shah Jahan’s rule and Aurangzeb’s wars
in the Deccan. Besides this, the Mughal rulers spent lavishly on buildings and monuments. The
reign of Shah Jahan is often compared to a wall picture which appears beautiful on the front but
behind the picture, one gets to see only the nails. The buildings erected by him are no doubt
beautiful and magnificent but they cost the treasury a lot. The extraordinary grandeur of the
Mughal court during Shah Jahan’s reign and the luxurious lifestyle of the nobles were a big drain
on the treasury.
homeland in 20th century.
3. The policies of Aurangzeb were the main reason for the decline of the Mughal Empire.
Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer
Policies of Aurangzeb till 1707 as the cause with other three to four causes will be discussed as
per format for example go through the last pages of document.
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
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reasons among them spread of Marathan power was the main reason as Maratha were the part
of Hindu community mainly from Deccan and had an important existence in the regional politics
of India since long. They were considered brave and warrior nation and kept on resisting foreign
invaders in India specially Muslims for long. During the region of Akbar, he signed peace
agreements with both Rajput’s of Rajasthan who were also a Hindu group and Marathan.
Aurangzeb adopted Decan policy towards Maratha under which he planned to annex the northern
territories to the Mughal empire which were mainly developed by Marathan which offended them
against the ruler It was considered as the most serious reason for the decline of Mughals.
Aurangzeb failed to defeat Mahrattas before his death. Under the leadership of Sivaji, the
Mahrattas power expanded Aurangzeb took 25 years of his tenure which was of 49 years to
suppress and defeat Martha but he was not able to do so and economy of the Mughals suffered
because of this Decan policy. After the death of Aurangzeb in 1737, they defeated the Mughal
army outside Delhi and took over Malwa. In 1760, the even captured Delhi. They became the
most powerful people during the middle of the century which weaken the later Mughals and their
control of India.
Besides that, the economic conditions of the empire were stable under the headship of Akbar his
proper administration of economic resources and collection of tax through grass route
administration made the empire financially stable but the economic stability of the empire was
ruined because of the constant wars during the rule of later Mughals. Each Mughal ruler spent
enormous amounts of war. Some of the wars did not add even an inch to the Mughal empire, and
only proved to be a financial burden. Example- the loss of kandhar during Shah Jahan’s rule and
Aurangzeb’s wars in the Deccan. Besides this, the Mughal rulers spent lavishly on buildings and
monuments. The reign of Shah Jahan is often compared to a wall picture which appears beautiful
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on the front but behind the picture, one gets to see only the nails. The buildings erected by him
are no doubt beautiful and magnificent but they cost the treasury a lot. The extraordinary grandeur
of the Mughal court during Shah Jahan’s reign and the luxurious lifestyle of the nobles were a big
drain on the treasury.
century.
homeland in 20th century.
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5. Do you think that foreign invasions during the Mughal rule was the main reason for the
decline of the Mughal Empire? Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer
reasons among them foreign invasions played key role in the decline of Mughals as various
foreign invasions led by Muslim invaders from the different parts of continent mainly Persians and
Afghans took place after the death of Aurangzeb. Firstly, Nadir Shah’s invasion of India left the
most tumultuous and destructive mark on the Mughal history of India. He invaded India in 1739.
Nadir Shah killed 20,000 Mughal soldiers and Muhammad Shah had to surrender. The Mughal
resistance was feeble. Muhammad Shah had to appear before Nadir Shah. When Nadir Shah
entered Delhi, the defeated Mughals welcomed him with the firing of cannons and guns. Besides
Nadir Shah another ruler from Afghanistan became a damaging reason towards the decline of
the Mughal empire after the death of Aurangzeb and it was led by Ahmed Shah Durani from
Afghanistan. Ahmed Shah Durani attacked Delhi after Nadir Shah. Ahmad Shah Durrani invaded
India eight times between 1748 and 1767. After the assassination of Nadir Shah, Ahmad Shah
Durrani succeeded the throne of Afghanistan and started plundering wealth from nearby regions
for the same reason he attacked Mughal empire again and again till 1767 which weaken the
empire at large during the tenure of later Mughals.
century.
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homeland in 20th century
6. Was the weak administration of the later Mughals the most important reasons for the
collapse of the Mughal Empire? Explain your answer.
Weak administration as the cause with other three to four causes will be discussed as per
format for example go through the last pages of document.
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EXAMPLE OF SOURCE BASE QUESTIONS
TAJ MAHAL IMPRESSIONABLE INDEX OF MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE
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MARKING SCHEMES ON CHAPTER
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PART B
ORIGIN OF BRITISH RULE IN SUB-CONTINENT 1600-1850
TABLE OF CONTENT
o TIMELINE FOR PART B
o SECTION SUMMARY
o KEY DETAILS & FACTS
o EXPECTED QUESTIONS CHECKLIST
o EXAMPLE SOURCE BASED QUESTIONS
o MARKING SCHEME FOR PART B
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TIMELINE OF CHAPTER
1600 – EIC came to Sub-continent under Sir Thomas Roy

1612 – EIC got trade agreement from Jahangir and established first trading post in India
1613 – EIC Built a trading post and started factories in Surat India
1615 – EIC signed a commercial treaty with Jahangir
1634 – EIC started trade in Bengal
1640 – EIC established fort George in Madras
1690 -- EIC started trade in Calcutta
1696 – EIC established Fort William in Calcutta
1707 -- Decline of Mughal empire started
1710 -- EIC started to grow influence in Sub-continent
1750 -- EIC number of troops reached 30000 in Sub-continent
1751 -- Battle of Arcot EIC victory over French East India company
1756 -- Black hole of Calcutta tragedy
1757 -- Annexation of Bengal started through Battle of Plassey under Robert Clive
1764 -- Battle of Buxar Mir Qasim Shah Alam 2 were defeated by EIC
1766 -- First Anglo Mysore war
1769 -- Famine in Bengal
1799 -- Annexation of Mysore Tipu Sultan was defeated
1803 -- EIC took control of Delhi
1838 -- Ranjit Singh defeated EIC
1843 -- Annexation of Sindh by Charles Napier
1849 -- Annexation of Punjab by EIC Daleep Singh was defeated
1852 -- British fought battle of Plassey to annex Bengal
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SECTION SUMMARY
British arrived in Sub-continent during 17th century for the purpose of trade but the declining
conditions of the Mughal empire during start of 18th century and British supremacy in the global
politics of that time motivated British to take control of India by 1850. British east India company
which was the trading unit of British crown and its objectives like to establish trade monopoly of
British in Europe for Indian goods, spread of Christian faith and glorification of the British empire
in sub-continent motivated them to get involved in the politics of sub-continent from 1750 and till
1850 British east India company was successful in transforming its role in sub-continent from
traders to invaders. The focal point of this part of information is to identify that when how and why
British east India company and its rule was able to establish its strong hold in sub-continent during
17th & 18th century on the primary bases and on the secondary bases to shed light upon those
events and developments in Sub-continent which supported East India company to expand its
influence which marked the beginning of British colonial and imperial rule in sub-continent.
KEY DETAILS & FACTS FROM THE PART B:
Key information which is required to answer this chapter is based on understanding:
1. What was British East India company and why it came to India.
2. Establishment of EIC in Sub-continent 1600-1750
3. Annexation of India by EIC during its successes & failures 1750-1850.
4. Reasons behind British successes in Sub-continent during 1750-1850.
What was British East India company and why it came to India
Trade supremacy over each other was considered as a tool to gain world supremacy by the
Europeans during 16th to 18th century especially British empire, French, Portuguese and Spanish
were part of this trade rivalry worldwide. To manage and establish trade and its related affairs in
the world these European nations had their own public/private trading companies which was not
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only assisting these empires in terms of trade with other nations or empires but also helping them
to gain upper hand in spread of their political, cultural, religious and social ideologies. Among
these trading companies the British East India company commonly denoted as EIC which was a
trading company established by British traders, in 1600AD was the most prominent one. It was
formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies, and later with East Asia.
Queen Elizabeth granted EIC the charter of trade to trade in the east of Africa as well during this
phase. The British East India Company came to India as traders in spices, a very important
commodity in Europe back then as it was used to preserve meat. Apart from that, they primarily
traded in silk, cotton, indigo dye, tea and opium. They landed in the Indian subcontinent on August
24, 1608, at the port of Surat in 1612 Prince Khurram allowed E.I.C to trade with India. Arrival of
the EIC and its involvement in Indian politics against Mughals is considered one of the major
reasons for the decline of the empire by 1750. E.I.C after the decline of Mughal empire during the
mid-half of the 18th century EIC gradually captured whole India which marked the beginning of the
British empire in Sub-continent lasted for 200 years in India till 1947. EIC came to sub-continent
during the start of 17th century for attaining various objectives besides trade which were spread
of the Christian believe system, western culture and political system.
Why EIC Came to India: The British landed on the Indian Subcontinent at the port of Surat on
August 24, 1608 to attain the following objectives
 Monopoly over trade against other European nations like France & Dutch
 Spread of Christianity
 Glorification and expansionism of the British empire
 Trade spices, cotton, silk, Salts Sugar and other commodities
India gained popularity in the world as the golden sparrow because of the richness’s it uses to
offer for the traders around the world. It was home to many tangible and non-tangible resources
which attracted traders to India during this phase after voyages of discovery Traders reported
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evidence of immense wealth in the sub-Continent which led to the EIC establishing a trading base
there since they saw a profitable future. It also wanted to establish its influence in the sub-
Continent and to oust the Dutch and Portuguese. The EIC also wanted to establish a strategic
port in the sub-continent that would protect its trading interests there.
British were the advocate of Christian believe system and for the purpose of promoting this religion
they came to sub-continent during 17th century. EIC established the missionary system in sub-
continent for the same reason which played key role in the spread of Christianity during 17 th &
18th century in India many members of Hindu and other minority communities living in India were
converted into Christianity by these missionaries. The popularity of the Christian faith indeed was
one of the major motivational reasons behind this development in world history.
British empire is denoted as one of the largest empires in the world established during the course
of history it had colonies in America, Africa and other parts of the world. In the same manner
British wanted to expand its control over Indian continent as well for the glorification of the British
Crown so their colonial interests and the competition with other Europeans like Dutch, Spanish
and French in the context of colonization of the world pushed British to arrive India during the start
of 17th century. The expansion of the British supremacy and the domination in the world politics
as super power pushed them to establish trade links with India under East India company.
Indian spices, Silk, cotton, indigo and other raw material had a huge market in Europe and were
popular for the unique and better quality in the west. Other European nations under various east
India companies like French east India company and Dutch east India company were getting
benefit from India in this context during 16 th century and were making huge profits in the Europe
which was also an important factor in economic supremacy in the world from the trade so this
also push EIC to reach India by the start of the 17 th century.
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Establishment of EIC in Sub-continent 1600-1750
British EIC came to Sub-continent under Sir Thomas Roy in Sub-continent during start of the 17th
century and in 1612 it got trade agreement from Jahangir and started to establish first trading post
in India. During 1613 EIC built a trading post and started factories in Surat which also became
the first headquarters of the company. In 1615 EIC signed a commercial treaty with Jahangir the
Mughal emperor ruling India during that phase and started trade in different products like raw
cotton, spices, indigo, silk, salt and sugar etc. During that phase various nations were also involve
in trade with sub-continent like French East India Company Dutch East India company and
Portuguese east India company. The first objective and mission of British east India company was
to compete with them and to maintain their trade monopoly in sub-continent.
In 1634 EIC started trade in Bengal later in 1644 by establishing fort George in Madras British
strengthen its domination in the region against the various European trade competitors.
Fort St. George was the first British fortress in India, founded in 1644 at the coastal city of Madras,
the modern city of Chennai. The construction of the fort provided the impetus for further
settlements and trading activity for the British East India company. Because of the fort George
and the trade activities in Madras British declared it as presidency or trading post. The three
major presidencies were the Bombay Presidency, the Madras Presidency, and the Bengal
Presidency which were established by the British East India company to attain its objectives of
trade and competition with the other European nations trading with sub-continent. In 1690 EIC
started trade in Calcutta and to establish its strong hold in the trade during 1696 British established
fort William in Calcutta. It is the same fort which became the important center of the British
annexation scheme of sub-continent during 1757 when Battle of Plassey was fought between the
governor of Calcutta Siraj-ud-Dullah and British Robert Clive. Fort William served the British east
India company to grow its influence in Sub-continent specially in Bengal during the years of
Mughal decline after 1707.
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Fort William became the major factor behind the Battle of Plassey as because of the famous
black hole of Calcutta incident in 1756. EIC fought various wars during 1700-1756 to maintain its
control and monopoly in the trade against the French east India company who was the major
challenge for the EIC in Bengal as well. In 1751 The battle of Arcot was fought in the same context.
The Siege of Arcot (23 September – 14 November 1751) took place at Arcot, India between forces
of the British East India Company led by Robert Clive and forces of Nawab of the Carnatic,
Chanda Sahib, assisted by a small number of troops from the French East India Company under
general duplex of France. The battle as victory for the British east India company under Robert
Clive resulted into growth of influence in the region. Battle of the Arcot was the turning point for
the EIC in India as it was the war through which it was able to overcome the French east India
company in sub-continent.
During 1710 to 1750 the number of troops in different presidencies of British east India company
reached 30000 because of the threats from French east India company and the activities of
Thuggees. Thuggees were mainly Hindus who use to rob British east India companies trade
caravans in the various areas of central India and Bengal on the name of performing sacrifice
Infront of goddess Kali of Hindu believe system. These thugs use to rob highways and railway
lines carrying commodities of the trade for the EIC which provoked British to deploy army along
with east India company in Madras, Bengal and Calcutta. Because of the declining status of
Mughal empire and continuous victory of British east India company under Robert Clive over other
European nations British started to grow its influence in India after 1750 the victory of British in
Battle of Pondicherry against the French marked more confidence for the EIC.
EIC started to take part in local politics and conflicts which was also welcomed by the native
Indians at that stage of history the growing British power and authority in Madras Fort William
pushed Siraj-ud-dullah to attack the fort William in 1756 which became a vital development in
India history as after this event British took a new dimension in Sub-continent they started to shift
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their role from traders to invaders after that and in the first interaction with the native rulers as
invaders of Sub-continent they fought Battle of Plassey in 1757.
Annexation of India by EIC during 1750-1850
The first major success of East India company in Sub-continent was battle of Plassey which was
fought during 1757 and till 1850 most of the important parts of India were under British domination
led by EIC and its administrators. During the 1750-1850 EIC role as an invader in Sub-continent
brought many fruitful results for the British colonial interests in India and they were successful in
attaining the control of various important regions through various wars they fought against the
native rulers of Sub-continent in this context the course of their successes in India is detailed by
narrating various events and developments in history of Sub-continent during 18th and 19th century
such as
British successes in Sub-continent 1750-1850
 Battle of Plassey 1757
 Battle of Buxar 1764
 Annexation of Mysore 1799
 Fall of Delhi 1803
 Battle of Miani 1843
 Battle of Gujrat 1849
Battle of Plassey 1757: The Battle of Plassey was a decisive victory of the British East India
Company over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies on 23 June 1757, under the leadership
of Robert Clive. The victory was made possible by the defection of Mir Jafar, who was Nawab
Siraj-ud-Daulah's commander in chief. Though it was more of a skirmish than a battle, the British
victory under Robert Clive at Plassey in Bengal was a crucial event in the history of India. The
young Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ad-daula, had taken Calcutta from the East India Company with a
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huge army in June 1756, when the notorious Black Hole episode occurred. It was not until August
that the news reached the Company in Madras and not until October that Clive, now 32 years-
old, left for Calcutta at the head of a mixed European-Indian force of some 2,500 men. He drove
Siraj’s army out early in January 1757. Clive decided that the best way to secure the Company’s
interests in Bengal was to replace Siraj with a new and more pliant nawab. He found a candidate
in a discontented elderly general named Mir Jafar. After complicated conspiratorial discussions
and the promise of enormous bribes to all concerned, a secret agreement was smuggled into the
women’s quarters of Mir Jafar’s house, which was being watched by Siraj’s spies, and Mir Jafar
signed it.
Siraj knew or suspected there was a conspiracy against him, despite Clive’s earnest protestations
to the contrary, and moved south to Plassey. On 13 June, Clive moved north with some 2,000
Indian sepoys and 600 British infantry of the Thirty-Ninth of Foot plus close to 200 artillerymen
with ten field pieces and two small howitzers. Ambiguous messages were coming in from Mir
Jafar and Clive was moving into a dangerous situation against heavy odds. He seems to have
had a crisis of confidence and summoned his officers to a council of war on 21 June. The majority,
including Clive, voted against action. At that point, according to his friend Robert Orme, Clive
retired into a grove of trees where he stayed for an hour in meditation. On his return he gave
orders for the army to move on to Plassey. The confrontation came on a cloudy morning north of
the village of Plassey on the bank of the Hughli river. Clive’s army was drawn up in three divisions,
as was the Nawab’s army of perhaps 40,000 men with its war-elephants and more than 50
cannon. One division was commanded by Mir Jafar. After an opening cannonade, a crash of
thunder at noon heralded a torrential downpour of rain that lasted half an hour. The British
artillerymen quickly covered their cannon and ammunition with tarpaulins, but the enemy failed to
do the same and their artillery was put out of action, so that when the Nawab’s army moved
forward, assuming that Clive’s cannon were also out of action, it was met with a withering storm
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of fire. The enemy withdrew and Siraj, who distrusted his generals and had already been warned
of impending defeat by his astrologer (who had possibly been bribed), lost his nerve when Mir
Jafar advised retreat. When Clive’s army attacked again, Siraj fled on a fast camel. His
demoralized army followed suit and when the British entered the enemy camp at about 5pm, they
found it abandoned. According to Clive, he lost 18 men, while he estimated the nawab’s dead as
around 500. Siraj-ad-daula was killed by his own people and Mir Jafar replaced him. Clive, who
was now effectively master of Bengal, skillfully bolstered Mir Jafar’s apparent authority while
keeping him on leading strings. The skirmish at Plassey was critical to the East India Company’s
triumph over its French rivals and, in the longer term, to the establishment of British rule in India.
Battle of Buxar 1764: In 1764 British attained a major success in Bengal when they won battle
of Buxar against combine efforts of three opponents of the EIC under the leadership of Hecter
Munro against French East India company, Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Awadh, Shuja-ud-Daula and
Shah Alam 2. The Battle of Buxar was fought between 22 and 23 October. It was considered a
decisive point in the history of India. Due to this battle, Britishers gained control over Bengal, Bihar
and Orissa and extended its influence in Oudh. The battle resulted in the 1765 Treaty of
Allahabad, in which the Mughal Emperor surrendered sovereignty of Bengal to the British. Lord
Robert Clive, the victor at the Plassey, became the first governor of Bengal.
Annexation of Mysore 1799: Mysore was one of the most well-organized princely state of
Mughal India and even after under its leader Sultan Haider Ali. Mysore was in fact one of the most
advance and progressive state because of its dynamic leader Haider Ali. After the victory in Battle
of Buxar British east India company started focus towards southern India and attacked Mysore in
1767 which marked the beginning of first Anglo Mysore war. Hyder Ali fought bravely to defend
its territory and was able to defeat the EIC army. During second attempt or Second Anglo Mysore
war during 1780-84 son of Haider Ali who was Sultan Fateh Muhammad famously known as Tipu
Sultan fought bravely and defeated the EIC. Yet again in 3rd Anglo Mysore which was fought
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during 1790-92 Tipu Sultan defeated the British again but in 1799 when EIC attacked Mysore for
the 4th time it was victorious as Tipu Sultan had to face a treason by his own general Mir Sadiq in
the war. Mir Sadiq was bribed by the British who assisted EIC army to defeat Tipu Sultan and
expand its control over Mysore or Southern India. The fourth Anglo Mysore war in 1799 was a
major success of the British in the annexation plan of sub-continent.
Fall of Delhi 1803: The Battle of Delhi took place on 11 September 1803 during the Second
Anglo-Maratha War, between British troops under General Lake, and Marathas of Scindia's army
under General Louis Bourquin and Sardar Ravsaheb Wable. Through this war British did not only
gain control of Delhi but also defeated one of the most resistive group in sub-continent Maratha.
The battle of Delhi 1803 was considered a decisive point in the history of India. Due to this battle,
Britishers gained control over center of sub-continent almost 3000 Maratha were killed. This battle
marked a significant success of the EIC in India.
Battle of Miani 1843: Sindh was the first part of the modern-day Pakistan which was captured
by the EIC in its annexation scheme. During 1843 Sindh was ruled by Talpur Amirs who were
Baloch warrior tribes and had a strong hold in various parts of interior Sindh. Charles Napier who
was the British general and administrator of EIC in that area had a treaty of alliance with Talpur
Amirs but when he saw growing influence of Sikh in Southern Punjab and broke the treaty of
alliance with Talpur Amirs and attacked Sindh to gain its control. Battle of Miani was fought
between the EIC under Charles Napier and Talpur Amirs as a result the native rulers of Sindh lost
its control over Sindh and British East India company was able to extend its control in Sindh as
well. This battle ended rule of Talpur Amirs and made EIC the new rulers of India.
Battle of Gujrat 1849: Raja Ranjit Singh as Maharaja of Punjab and Kashmir played a key role
in defending Punjab and Kashmir from EIC. Under Ranjit Singh Sikh empire consolidated itself
and became a progressive community in India. Mughals were given tough resistance in Punjab
as well EIC was not able to establish its strong footholds in Punjab during Raja Ranjit Singh
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presence. British remained unsuccessful to expand its control over Punjab and Kashmir but after
his death in 1839 British fought two major wars with Maharaja of Punjab who was son of Raja
Ranjit Singh, Daleep Singh during 1845-46. Finally in 1849 British under Lord Dalhousie won the
battle of Gujrat and was able to capture Punjab and Kashmir was already annexed by them after
second Anglo-Sikh war in 1846. Daleep Singh was arrested and jailed in Lahore by the British
and the second major part of later to become Pakistan was annexed by the British through this
war along with the Kashmir. EIC signed treaty of Amritsar with Gulab Singh in 1846 and handed
over Kashmir against payment of huge amount of 70 lac during that time to Dogra raj.
British failures in Sub-continent 1750-1850
 Anglo Mysore wars & Haider Ali / Sultan Fateh Muhammad
 Maharaja Ranjit Singh & EIC attempts to Annex Punjab
 Pashtoon tribes & company attempts to annex tribal areas
 Titu Mir & resistance Bengal
Mysore was one of the most well-organized princely state of Mughal India and even after under
its leader Sultan Haider Ali. Mysore was in fact one of the most advance and progressive state
because of its dynamic leader Haider Ali. After the victory in Battle of Buxar 1764 British east
India company started focus towards southern India and attacked Mysore in 1767 which marked
the beginning of first Anglo Mysore war. Hyder Ali fought bravely to defend its territory and was
able to defeat the EIC army. During second attempt or Second Anglo Mysore war during 1780-84
son of Haider Ali who was Sultan Fateh Muhammad famously known as Tipu Sultan fought
bravely and defeated the EIC. Yet again in 3 rd Anglo Mysore which was fought during 1790-92
Tipu Sultan defeated the British again but in 1799. Three attempts done by the EIC faced failure
and it was not able to annex it but when EIC attacked Mysore for the 4 th time it was victorious as
Tipu Sultan had to face a treason by his own general Mir Sadiq in the war. Mir Sadiq was bribed
by the British who assisted EIC army to defeat Tipu Sultan and expand its control over Mysore or
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Southern India. The fourth Anglo Mysore war in 1799 was a major success of the British in the
annexation plan of sub-continent.
Another example of the British failures in expanding their control in Sub-continent was during the
annexation plan of British of tribal areas of sub-continent located in the west and parallel to
Afghanistan. Pashtoon tribes paved a tough resistive in defending their lands against the EIC
control and despite several attempts EIC was not able to annex the Pashtoon areas of Sub-
continent finally after multiple failures EIC declared the NWFP as the excluded area from the
influence of the EIC rule.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh & EIC attempts to Annex Punjab: Raja Ranjit Singh as Maharaja of
Punjab and Kashmir played a key role in defending Punjab and Kashmir from EIC. Under Ranjit
Singh Sikh empire consolidated itself and became a progressive community in India. Mughals
were given tough resistance in Punjab as well EIC was not able to establish its strong footholds
in Punjab during Raja Ranjit Singh presence. British remained unsuccessful to expand its control
over Punjab and Kashmir but after his death in 1839 British fought two major wars with Maharaja
of Punjab who was son of Raja Ranjit Singh, Daleep Singh during 1845-46. Finally in 1849 British
under Lord Dalhousie won the battle of Gujrat and was able to capture Punjab and Kashmir was
already annexed by them after second Anglo-Sikh war in 1846. Daleep Singh was arrested and
jailed in Lahore by the British and the second major part of later to become Pakistan was annexed
by the British through this war along with the Kashmir.
Anglo Mysore wars & Haider Ali / Sultan Fateh Muhammad: Mysore was one of the most well-
organized princely state of Mughal India and even after under its leader Sultan Haider Ali. Mysore
was in fact one of the most advance and progressive state because of its dynamic leader Haider
Ali. After the victory in Battle of Buxar 1764 British east India company started focus towards
southern India and attacked Mysore in 1767 which marked the beginning of first Anglo Mysore
war. Hyder Ali fought bravely to defend its territory and was able to defeat the EIC army. During
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second attempt or Second Anglo Mysore war during 1780-84 son of Haider Ali who was Sultan
Fateh Muhammad famously known as Tipu Sultan fought bravely and defeated the EIC. Yet again
in 3rd Anglo Mysore which was fought during 1790-92 Tipu Sultan defeated the British again but
in 1799. Three attempts done by the EIC faced failure and it was not able to annex it but when
EIC attacked Mysore for the 4th time it was victorious as Tipu Sultan had to face a treason by his
own general Mir Sadiq in the war. Mir Sadiq was bribed by the British who assisted EIC army to
defeat Tipu Sultan and expand its control over Mysore or Southern India. The fourth Anglo Mysore
war in 1799 was a major success of the British in the annexation plan of sub-continent.
Pashtoon tribes & company attempts to annex tribal areas: Another example of the British
failures in expanding their control in Sub-continent was during the annexation plan of British of
tribal areas of sub-continent located in the west and parallel to Afghanistan. Pashtoon tribes
paved a tough resistive in defending their lands against the EIC control and despite several
attempts EIC was not able to annex the Pashtoon areas of Sub-continent finally after multiple
failures EIC declared the NWFP as the excluded area from the influence of the EIC rule.
Titu Mir & resistance Bengal: Syed Mir Nisar Ali better known as Titu mir, was a Bengali freedom
fighter. who developed a strand of Muslim nationalism coupled with agrarian and political
consciousness under the support of Wahabi movement founded to resist British colonialism in
Bengal He is famed for having built a large bamboo fort to resist the British, Titu Mir and his army
of freedom fighters fought bravely against the EIC domination in Sub-continent and on various
places gave tough resistance to the annexation of the British east India company He organized
Muslim farmers against oppressive Hindu land lords in Bengal. He advised farmers to refuse to
pay beard tax. Titu Mir setup his own rule and gathered a small army. Titu Mir was killed by British
in 1831. Titu Mir group was known as Hajjis.
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Reasons behind British successes in Sub-continent during 1750-1850
British east India company shifted its role from traders to invaders in sub-continent during 1750
to 1850 and in this context, British were mainly successes in various parts of India despite few
where native resistance did not let the British to establish their strong hold in those parts of Sub-
continent. The reasons behind the British East India companies’ successes in India were as
followed
 Decline of the Mughal empire
 Industrial revolution in Europe
 Subsidiary alliances of EIC
 British supremacy in weapons and use of technology
 Voyages of discovery
 Age of reason and Enlightenment in Europe
 Victories of Robert Clive and better administrators
Decline of the Mughal empire: The Early Mughals were the possers of a well-organized army
and always focused on the defense of the empire and kept on updating the army and
administration with various ways but during the decline of Mughal empire after Aurangzeb
Mughals started to collapse as rulers of India the foreign invasions led by Nadir Shah and Ahmed
Shah Abdali and the internal revolts of the local communities like Rajput’s and Maratha further
weakened the Mughal empire which made things easy for the British east India company during
1707-1750. The decline of Mughals assisted the British plans of invading India and was one of
the major reasons for the success of the British in its annexation plan.
Industrial revolution in Europe: The Industrial Revolution was the transition from small cottage
industries in which goods were primarily made by hand to new mass-produced goods in factories
using steam and water power. The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain around 1750 and
many of the technological innovations were of British origin which helped the British to grow its
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trade with other parts of the world making British the economic giant of the Europe. The industrial
revolution in Europe facilitated the technological and military advances for the east India company
which helped them to be success in annexation scheme of sub-continent and other parts of the
world. The Industrial production and spread of the British assisted them to become one of the
strongest nations on the earth during 17th and 18th century.
Subsidiary alliances of EIC: The subsidiary Alliance System was an agreement (sanad)
between the British and the local rulers. This development created what came to be called the
Native States, or Princely States. The Subsidiary Alliances system was also introduced by Lord
Wellesley in and after 1798.The British, under the subsidiary alliance system, agreed to protect
the Indian rulers against external threats and internal disorder but, in return, the Indian rulers who
accepted the Subsidiary Alliance system were to agree to the stationing of British contingent for
whose maintenance they would pay a subsidy to the British. The ruler under the system of alliance
could neither enter into alliance with any other power nor fight a war without prior permission from
the British. A British resident was stationed at these ruling states that had the authority to interfere
in state politics. With the help of this system the British were able to maintain large forces without
spending and to increase its influence in the domestic policies. These subsidiary alliances
resulted into formation of various princely states and states like Hyderabad, Cochin. Jaipur
became part of the subsidiary alliance system till 1800. With the support of local nawabs and
Maharajas British remained successful in expanding its control during the years 1750-1850.
British supremacy in weapons and use of technology: The resources of British
Imperialism were limitless. Fortunately for them, the Crimean War and other wars in which
Britishers were participating had ended by 1856, allowing them to return to their homeland.
The British army was excessive in size, having been transported into India in vast numbers from
many parts of the world, and many more men were recruited in India itself to put down the Mutiny.
The British possessed better weapons than the natives. The British possessed sophisticated rifles
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and cannons. The Indians had canons, but they were ancient and scarce in number. They were
usually using swords and spears to combat. The British Navy was superior. The Electric System
railways and telegram services also contributed to the success of the British. The British
Commander-in-Chief in the various wars like Robert Clive General Hudson and Charles Napier
obtained full information about the native armies’ preparations through this mechanism, allowing
them to make appropriate arrangements. The Indians were unable to succeed as a result of
the British's superiority
Victories of Robert Clive and better administrators: The Battles of Plassey and Buxar gave
the British the vast riches of Bengal and favorable trading rights with the local nawabs. This
provided massive new resources which the British could use to consolidate its control. The British
also introduced governors-general into the provinces who administered them on British lines and
provided yet more control. The East India Company army, using its vast local resources. and
superior weapons and skills, was increasingly taking control of more land. The Indian states were
disunited politically and militarily a situation of which the British took full advantage
EXPECTED 4 MARKS QUESTIONS CHECKLIST
1. What was East India Company?
2. Who was Sir Thomas Roy?
3. What was fort William
4. What was fort George
5. What was Battle of Pondicherry?
6. Who were thuggees?
7. Who were Zamindars?
8. What was battle of Plassey 1757?
9. Who was Robert Clive?
10. Who was Siraj-ud-dullah?

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11. What was black hole tragedy 1756?
12. What was battle of Arcot 1751?
13. What was battle of Buxar 1764?
14. Who was Mir Qasim and Shah Alam?
15. What was Battle of Mysore 1799?
16. Who was Mir Jaffar?
17. Who was Mir Sadiq?
18. Who was Sultan Hyder Ali?
19. Who was Sultan Fateh Muhammad or Tipu Sultan?
20. Who were Talpur Amirs?
21. What was Battle of Miani 1843?
22. Who was Charles Napier?
23. What was treaty of Amritsar?
24. What was Battle of Gujrat 1849?
25. Who was Raja Ranjit Singh?
26. Who was Titu Mir?
27. What were subsidiary alliances?
28. Describe battle of Plassey is an important event in history of Sub-continent?
1. Explain why the East India Company became involved in the sub-continent during the
seventeenth century?
2. Explain why Robert Clive was appointed as governor of Bengal during 1757?
3. Explain why the British were so successful in India during 1750-1850.
4. Explain why British built railways in Sub-continent during 18th century.

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1. How successful British were in expanding their control in Sub-continent during 1750-1850?
Explain your answer.
2. How successful was Indian resistance to British attempts to take control of lands in the sub-
continent between 1750 and 1850? Explain your answer.
ANSWERS FOR EXPECTED QUESTIONS FROM CHAPTER
4 MARKS
1. What was East India Company?
British East India company commonly denoted as EIC which was a trading company established
by British traders, in 1600AD was the most prominent one. It was formed to trade in the Indian
Ocean region, initially with the East Indies, and later with East Asia. Queen Elizabeth granted EIC
the charter of trade to trade in the east of Africa as well during this phase. The British East India
Company came to India as traders in spices, a very important commodity in Europe back then as
it was used to preserve meat. Apart from that, they primarily traded in silk, cotton, indigo dye, tea
and opium. They landed in the Indian subcontinent on August 24, 1608, at the port of Surat in
1612 Prince Khurram allowed E.I.C to trade with India. Arrival of the EIC and its involvement in
Indian politics against Mughals is considered one of the major reasons for the decline of the
empire by 1750.
2. Who was Sir Thomas Roy?
Sir Thomas Roy was ambassador and diplomate of the Queen Elizbeth, who represented England
in the Mughal Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Holy Roman Empire. He sat in the House of
Commons at various times between 1614 and 1644.Sir Thomas Roy was the British official of the
East India company who was able to win the trade rights for EIC in 1615 from the Mughals. He is
denoted as the person who was able to establish trade of East India company in Surat which
marked the beginning of arrival of EIC in India.

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3. What was fort William
In 1690 EIC started trade in Calcutta and to establish its strong hold in the trade during 1696
British established fort William in Calcutta. It is the same fort which became the important center
of the British annexation scheme of sub-continent during 1757 when Battle of Plassey was fought
between the governor of Calcutta Siraj-ud-Dullah and British Robert Clive. Fort William served
the British east India company to grow its influence in Sub-continent specially in Bengal during
the years of Mughal decline after 1707. It was the trading post of the EIC in Calcutta Bengal. Fort
William became the major factor behind the Battle of Plassey as because of the famous black
hole of Calcutta incident in 1756.
4. What was fort George?
In 1634 EIC started trade in Bengal later in 1644 by establishing fort George in Madras British
strengthen its domination in the region against the various European trade competitors.
Fort St. George was the first British fortress in India, founded in 1644 at the coastal city of Madras,
the modern city of Chennai. The construction of the fort provided the impetus for further
settlements and trading activity for the British East India company. Because of the fort George
and the trade activities in Madras British declared it as presidency or trading post. The three
major presidencies were the Bombay Presidency, the Madras Presidency, and the Bengal
Presidency which were established by the British East India company to attain its objectives of
trade and competition with the other European nations trading with sub-continent
5. What was Battle of Pondicherry?
The Battle of Pondicher ry was a naval battle between a British squadron under Vice-Admiral
George Pocock and French squadron under Comte d'Aché off the Carnatic coast of India near
Pondicherry during the Seven Years' War. The battle took place on 10 September 1759. The
outcome was indecisive but was a series setback for the French east India company as they lost
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much of its army and arsenal in this against British east India company which strengthened the
EIC control in Sub-continent during 1750-1850.
6. Who were thuggees?
During 1710 to 1750 the number of troops in different presidencies of British east India company
reached 30000 because of the threats from French east India company and the activities of
Thuggees. Thuggees were mainly Hindus who use to rob British east India companies trade
caravans in the various areas of central India and Bengal on the name of performing sacrifice
Infront of goddess Kali of Hindu believe system. These thugs use to rob highways and railway
lines carrying commodities of the trade for the EIC which provoked British to deploy army along
with east India company in Madras, Bengal and Calcutta.
7. Who were Zamindars?
Zamindars were Landlords/tax collectors during Mughal and EIC era in Sub-continent. Wealthy
and influential, some had private armies. After death of Aurangzeb, they were increasingly
unwilling to accept rule of any new emperor or to make payments to government in Delhi. Beard
tax imposed which annoyed Muslims. Muslims were oppressed by zamindars from the 1800’s
onwards, especially in East Bengal. Zamindars played key role in the economic exploitation of
the native communities in Sub-continent.
8. What was battle of Plassey 1757?
The Battle of Plassey was a decisive victory of the British East India Company over the Nawab of
Bengal and his French allies on 23 June 1757, under the leadership of Robert Clive. The victory
was made possible by the defection of Mir Jafar, who was Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah's commander
in chief. Though it was more of a skirmish than a battle, the British victory under Robert Clive at
Plassey in Bengal was a crucial event in the history of India. Battle of Plassey marked rise of EIC
rule in Sub-continent and resulted to downfall of the native rulers of Bengal and supremacy to the
Mughal rule in India by last half of the 18 th century.

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9. Who was Robert Clive?
Robert Clive became a general in EIC armed forces in India, defeated the French, Plassey 1757
showed qualities as a soldier and leader by defeating Nawab of Bengal. Made Governor of Bengal
and enabled British supremacy there, increased power of merchants and established Oudh as a
buffer state between Bengal and the Marathas. Introduced a number of reforms – dual system
government, civil reforms, abolition of private trade system, Society of Trade, military reforms etc.
Made Lord Clive, accused plundering India but found not guilty. Became addicted to opium and
in 1773 committed suicide but his role in the expansionism of EIC rule in sub-continent during last
half of the 18th century.
10. Who was Siraj-ud-dullah?
Siraj-ud-Daula was the last independent Nawab of Bengal who succeeded Alivadi Khan the
Nawab of Calcutta to the throne. He was born in 1733 and died on July 23, 1757. The end of his
reign marks the end of the independent rule in India and beginning of the company’s rule that
continued unabated over the next two hundred years. His father, Zain-ud-Din was the ruler of
Bihar and his mother Amina Begum was the youngest daughter of Alivardi Khan. Alivardi Khan
had no male heir to succeed him after his death. Therefore, he adopted Siraj-ud-Daula and was
brought up like an heir to the throne. He was provided all the necessary training essential for a
ruler of a state. He was very beloved one of Alivardi Khan. He was nominated as the Crown prince
in 1752 and declared that he was to succeed Alivardi as the next Nawab of Bengal. But this
declaration caused fissures in the family and many of the family members turned against him
especially his aunt Ghaseti Begum, Mir Jafar and Shaukat Jung.
11. What was black hole tragedy 1756?
The Black Hole Tragedy is an important incident in the history of India that took place at Fort
William in Calcutta in the year 1756. The Nawab of Bengal- Siraj ud Daula gave the East India
Company certain special rights as traders in Calcutta and allowed them to build a small fort (Fort
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William) and maintain a small army. This event marked start of the Battle of Plassey in 1757 which
ended the Siraj-ud-Dullah control in Calcutta and beginning of the EIC rule.
12. What was battle of Arcot 1751?
The Siege of Arcot (23 September – 14 November 1751) took place at Arcot, India between forces
of the British East India Company led by Robert Clive and forces of Nawab of the Carnatic,
Chanda Sahib, assisted by a small number of troops from the French East India Company. The
victory in the battle of Arcot for Robert Clive weakened the French east India company further in
Sub-continent and marked decline to their trade influence in India. This victory also encouraged
British east India company to expand its influence in sub-continent.
13. What was battle of Buxar 1764?
In 1764 British attained a major success in Bengal when they won battle of Buxar against combine
efforts of three opponents of the EIC under the leadership of Hecter Munro against French East
India company, Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Awadh, Shuja-ud-Daula and Shah Alam 2. The Battle
of Buxar was fought between 22 and 23 October. It was considered a decisive point in the history
of India. Due to this battle, Britishers gained control over Bengal, Bihar and Orissa and extended
its influence in Oudh. The battle resulted in the 1765 Treaty of Allahabad, in which the Mughal
Emperor surrendered sovereignty of Bengal to the British. Lord Robert Clive, the victor at the
Plassey, became the first governor of Bengal.
14. Who was Mir Qasim and Shah Alam?
Mir Qasim was the appointed as the Nawab of Bengal replacing his father-in-law Mir Jafar in
1760. Qasim was ambitious and independence loving and although installed by the British, he
rebelled against them. Shah Alam II, also known by his birth name Ali Gohar, was the seventeenth
Mughal Emperor and the son of Alamgir II. Shah Alam II became the emperor of a crumbling
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Mughal empire. During 1764 the battle of Buxar the combined armies against EIC but were
defeated and lose their territories by the hand of British east indie company.
15. What was Battles of Mysore 1799?
During the annexation of EIC in India British fought various wars to take control of Mysore which
was a Muslim oriented princely state in Mughal and later in British India. After the victory in Battle
of Buxar British east India company started focus towards southern India and attacked Mysore in
1767 which marked the beginning of first Anglo Mysore war. Hyder Ali fought bravely to defend
its territory and was able to defeat the EIC army. During second attempt or Second Anglo Mysore
war during 1780-84 son of Haider Ali who was Sultan Fateh Muhammad famously known as Tipu
Sultan fought bravely and defeated the EIC. Yet again in 3 rd Anglo Mysore which was fought
during 1790-92 Tipu Sultan defeated the British again but in 1799 when EIC attacked Mysore for
16. Who was Sultan Hyder Ali?
Hyder Ali was born in 1720 and died on 7 December 1782. He was the Sultan and de facto ruler
of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Muslim ruler of Mysore princely state and military
commander who played an important part in the wars in southern India in the mid-18th century.
He defeated and defended his princely state against the EIC annexation plan during the first
Anglo-Mysore against his state. Hyder Ali was the father of Tipu Sultan who later on continued
his legacy and became a symbol of resistance against the EIC rule in Sub-continent.
17. Who was Sultan Fateh Muhammad or Tipu Sultan?
Tipu Sultan, also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in
South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery and son of Sultan Hyder Ali. Tipu Sultan is
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remembered as the bravest leader in Sub-continent as he gave tough resistance to the EIC
attempts to annex his territory. After death of his father, he defeated EIC army in two wars but in
the 4th Anglo-Mysore war because of the treachery done by his general Mir Sadiq he was killed
and Mysore was annexed by the EIC in 1799. He is denoted as Monster of Mysore by the British
because of his aggression and resistance in the battle fields.
18. Who was Mir Jaffar?
Mir Jafar was the first Nawab of Bengal under British influence. An Arab by birth, he rose to power
in the Nawab’s army and in the battle of Plassey (1757) he conspired with the British to depose
Siraj-Ud-Dullah to become the Nawab himself. Mir Jaffar was supported by Robert Clive and
bribed by EIC to work against his own people he is remembered as a traitor in Indian history for
his negative role during the events of battle of Plassey. He was betrayed by British later on from
the promise they done with him for wining his support against Siraj-ud-dullah and his son in law
Mir Qasim was defeated in the battle of Buxar 1764.
19. Who was Mir Sadiq?
Mir Sadiq held the post of a minister in the cabinet of Tipu Sultan of Mysore. In the Fourth Anglo-
Mysore War in 1798–99, he allegedly betrayed Tipu Sultan during the Siege of Seringapatam,
paving the way for a British victory. He betrayed Tipu, killing Tipu loyalist Ghazi Khan and later
arranged to have Tipu trapped behind locked doors. Mir Sadiq is remembered as a traitor in Indian
history who did not only help EIC to expand its control in south of India but also made it possible
for the EIC to take control of Mysore in 1799.
20. Who were Talpur Amirs?
During 1843 Sindh was ruled by Talpur Amirs who were Baloch warrior tribes and had a strong
hold in various parts of interior Sindh. Charles Napier who was the British general and
administrator of EIC in that area had a treaty of alliance with Talpur Amirs but when he saw
growing influence of Sikh in Southern Punjab and broke the treaty of alliance with Talpur Amirs
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and attacked Sindh to gain its control. Battle of Miani was fought between the EIC under Charles
Napier and Talpur Amirs as a result the native rulers of Sindh lost its control over Sindh and British
East India company was able to extend its control in Sindh as well. This battle ended rule of Talpur
Amirs and made EIC the new rulers of India.
21. What was Battle of Miani 1843?
Sindh was the first part of the modern-day Pakistan which was captured by the EIC in its
annexation scheme. During 1843 Sindh was ruled by Talpur Amirs who were Baloch warrior tribes
and had a strong hold in various parts of interior Sindh. Charles Napier who was the British
general and administrator of EIC in that area had a treaty of alliance with Talpur Amirs but when
he saw growing influence of Sikh in Southern Punjab and broke the treaty of alliance with Talpur
Amirs and attacked Sindh to gain its control. Battle of Miani was fought between the EIC under
Charles Napier and Talpur Amirs as a result the native rulers of Sindh lost its control over Sindh
and British East India company was able to extend its control in Sindh as well. This battle ended
rule of Talpur Amirs and made EIC the new rulers of India.
22. Who was Charles Napier?
Charles Napier was the British administrator who is famous for his annexation of Sindh during
1843 by defeating Talpur Amirs. He served EIC as governor of Sindh after annexation of it and
remained on the seat of commander in chief of EIC in India. He was one of the most prominent
figures for the EIC who played key role in the annexation scheme of British in sub-continent. He
also served as governor of Bombay presidency. Charles Napier had a treaty of alliance with Talpur
Amirs but when he saw growing influence of Sikh in Southern Punjab and broke the treaty of
alliance with Talpur Amirs and attacked Sindh to gain its control.
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23. What was treaty of Amritsar?
The Treaty of Amritsar was signed on March 16, 1846 to settle a dispute over territory in Kashmir
after the First Sikh War with the EIC. The treaty was signed in the city of Amritsar. As part of the
treaty land was given to Maharaja Gulab Singh Dogra which was previously controlled by son of
Raja Ranjit Singh Daleep Singh. This treaty added a new chapter in the history of Kashmir and
its control as this important state was sold by the EIC to Dogra family.
24. What was Battle of Gujrat 1849?
During 1845-46 British East India company fought two wars with Sikh empire of Punjab and
Kashmir to annex it but remained unsuccessful but in 1849 British under Lord Dalhousie won the
battle of Gujrat and was able to capture Punjab and Kashmir was already annexed by them after
second Anglo-Sikh war in 1846. Daleep Singh was arrested and jailed in Lahore by the British
and the second major part of later to become Pakistan was annexed by the British through this
war along with the Kashmir. EIC signed treaty of Amritsar with Gulab Singh in 1846 and handed
over Kashmir against payment of huge amount of 70 lac during that time to Dogra raj.
25. Who was Raja Ranjit Singh?
Ranjit Singh, popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab or "Lion of Punjab", was the first Maharaja of the
Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century.
Ranjit Singh annexed Punjab, Kashmir and most of Afghanistan. In Sindh he signed a treaty with
Great Britain in 1809. Great Britain worried about Russian expansion into Afghanistan, agreed
with Ranjit Singh, ruler of Punjab, that A should be independent. Wanted a pro Great Britain ruler
there. Ranjit Singh didn’t support Great Britain and they went ahead anyway but in 1841 Great
Britain troops were killed in Afghanistan. Great Britain decided to annex Sindh and later Punjab.
26. Who was Titu Mir?
Syed Mir Nisar Ali commonly known as Titu Mir was a great Bengali freedom fighter and a peasant
leader who resisted the oppression of the local zamindars and European indigo planters on the
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peasantry with ultimate object of liberating the country from British domination. He led the Muslim
religious reform movement Tariqah-i-Muhammadiya in Bengal. Titu Mir built up a 'bamboo
fortress' at Narkelberia village near Barasat which is famous in history as Barasat uprising (1831).
After a valiant fight Titu and his comrades were killed. He became symbol of resistance against
the EIC annexation of Bengal.
25. What were Subsidiary alliances system by EIC.
It was introduced by Lord Wellesley to bring princely states under the control of the British. In this
system, an Indian ruler had to maintain British troops in his state, either by giving some of his
territories or by paying for the maintenance of the troops. They had to maintain a British resident
at their courts. The main principles of this system were An Indian ruler entering into a subsidiary
alliance with the British had to accept British forces within his territory and also agreed to pay for
their maintenance. The ruler would accept a British Resident in his state.
27. Describe battle of Plassey is an important event in history of Sub-continent?
The Battle of Plassey was a decisive victory of the British East India Company over the Nawab of
Bengal and his French allies on 23 June 1757, under the leadership of Robert Clive. The victory
was made possible by the defection of Mir Jafar, who was Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah's commander
in chief. Though it was more of a skirmish than a battle, the British victory under Robert Clive at
Plassey in Bengal was a crucial event in the history of India. Battle of Plassey marked rise of EIC
rule in Sub-continent and resulted to downfall of the native rulers of Bengal and supremacy to the
Mughal rule in India by last half of the 18th century.
7 MARKS
1. Explain why the East India Company became involved in the sub-continent during the
seventeenth century?
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The British landed on the Indian Subcontinent at the port of Surat on August 24, 1608 to attain
various objectives like India gained popularity in the world as the golden sparrow because of the
richness’s it uses to offer for the traders around the world. It was home to many tangible and non-
tangible resources which attracted traders to India during this phase after voyages of discovery
traders reported evidence of immense wealth in the sub-Continent which led to the EIC
establishing a trading base there since they saw a profitable future. It also wanted to establish its
influence in the sub-Continent and to oust the Dutch and Portuguese. The EIC also wanted to
establish a strategic port in the sub-continent that would protect its trading interests there.
Moreover, British were the advocate of Christian believe system and for the purpose of promoting
this religion they came to sub-continent during 17th century. EIC established the missionary
system in sub-continent for the same reason which played key role in the spread of Christianity
during 17th & 18th century in India many members of Hindu and other minority communities living
in India were converted into Christianity by these missionaries. The popularity of the Christian
faith indeed was one of the major motivational reasons behind this development in world history.
Besides that, British empire is denoted as one of the largest empires in the world established
during the course of history it had colonies in America, Africa and other parts of the world. In the
same manner British wanted to expand its control over Indian continent as well for the glorification
of the British Crown so their colonial interests and the competition with other Europeans like
Dutch, Spanish and French in the context of colonization of the world pushed British to arrive
India during the start of 17th century. The expansion of the British supremacy and the domination
in the world politics as super power pushed them to establish trade links with India under East
India company. Indian spices, Silk, cotton, indigo and other raw material had a huge market in
Europe and were popular for the unique and better quality in the west. Other European nations
under various east India companies like French east India company and Dutch east India
company were getting benefit from India in this context during 16th century and were making huge
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profits in the Europe which was also an important factor in economic supremacy in the world from
the trade so this also push EIC to reach India by the start of the 17th century.
2. Explain why Robert Clive was appointed as governor of Bengal during 1757?
Robert Clive who was one of the most important factors in the establishment of EIC rule in Sub-
continent as the leader of EIC army during 1750-1800 who also served as the Governor of Bengal
from 1757-60 and from 1765-67. He was appointed as the governor of Bengal because of multiple
reasons by the EIC like being a military general of EIC he was a huge success in sub-continent
for them as Clive commanded the British army to victory at the battle of Plassey in 1757 and
established relations with Mir Jafar. The battle increased Clive’s reputation and his importance to
the East India Company (EIC) because he became the foremost commander of British forces in
India. The battle was also a success for the EIC because they now controlled the profitable trade
in Bengal. As a reward for being considered responsible for the EIC amassing immense fortunes,
especially in Bengal Clive’s reputation and importance was further enhanced by his success at
the battle of Buxar in 1764 which increased British control of eastern India.
Further, another important reason was his experience with sub-continent as part of EIC trade
activities in sub-continent he traveled India as a merchant before joining the EIC army and had a
well-versed knowledge of Indian culture, customs, traditions and society. So, to manage Bengal
properly by an administrator who is familiar with the ground realities he was appointed as the
governor of Bengal in 1757 after the battle of Plassey.
After Clive’s return in England in 1760, things changed in Bengal. Mir Qasim soon became tired
with British interference in his rulership. His mercenary killed 150 British garrison in Patna and Ali
himself fled to suja-ud-daulah. Allying himself with nawab of Awdh and shah Alam II, he fought
the battle of Buxar (1764), we all know what happened. In the meantime, company got into trouble.
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It became riddled with corruption, demoralized and revenues got vanished. As a reason, court of
proprietors sent him to mend the situation as governor of Bengal.
3. Explain why the British were so successful in India during 1750-1850.
to 1850 and in this context, British were mainly successes in various parts of India because of
various reasons likewise The Industrial Revolution was the transition from small cottage industries
in which goods were primarily made by hand to new mass-produced goods in factories using
steam and water power. The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain around 1750 and many
of the technological innovations were of British origin which helped the British to grow its trade
with other parts of the world making British the economic giant of the Europe. The industrial
revolution in Europe facilitated the technological and military advances for the east India company
which helped them to be success in annexation scheme of sub-continent and other parts of the
world. The Industrial production and spread of the British assisted them to become one of the
strongest nations on the earth during 17 th and 18th century. Moreover the Early Mughals were the
possers of a well-organized army and always focused on the defense of the empire and kept on
updating the army and administration with various ways but during the decline of Mughal empire
after Aurangzeb Mughals started to collapse as rulers of India the foreign invasions led by Nadir
Shah and Ahmed Shah Abdali and the internal revolts of the local communities like Rajput’s and
Maratha further weakened the Mughal empire which made things easy for the British east India
company during 1707-1750. The decline of Mughals assisted the British plans of invading India
and was one of the major reasons for the success of the British in its annexation plan.
Lastly, the Battles of Plassey and Buxar gave the British the vast riches of Bengal and favorable
trading rights with the local nawabs. This provided massive new resources which the British could
use to consolidate its control. The British also introduced governors-general into the provinces
who administered them on British lines and provided yet more control. The East India Company
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army, using its vast local resources. and superior weapons and skills, was increasingly taking
control of more land. The Indian states were disunited politically and militarily a situation of which
the British took full advantage
4. Explain why British built railways in Sub-continent during 18th century.
British started railways in Sub-continent during 1853 for multiple reasons like one of the objectives
of EIC was to use India as drain of wealth through trade and to boost up this process railways
were introduced in sub-continent. Railways transported raw materials easily/cheaply to the ports
for export/ manufactured goods to be sold throughout India, increasing British profits. The goals
of the plan to introduce railways were to lower transport costs and to give English merchants
easier access to raw cotton from India. Also, the railway would simultaneously open the Indian
market to British manufactured products such as cotton textiles.
Besides that, railways carried troops swiftly around India (helping the British to maintain law and
order and extend power). The revolts against the EIC rule were common in various parts of India
and British required a fast transportation system to reach such problems on time and to defuse
them so for that purpose British built railways in sub-continent.
Another reason behind introducing railways to sub-continent was that British could travel the
country and spread their ideas / culture, gaining support / to govern effectively. In times of famine
food could be transported quickly to affected areas. Apart from it railways were mainly brought in
Sub-continent to help the missionaries in spread of Christianity even among the first steam engine
which reached sub-continent were brought by William Carrey a prominent missionary served in
India under British rule. Further to win support of Indians who found them useful for travel as
families were able to travel to visit relatives in other parts of India.
14 MARKS
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1. How successful British were in expanding their control in Sub-continent during 1750-
1850? Explain your answer.
to 1850 and in this context, British were mainly successes in various parts of India like in the case
of Punjab and Kashmir where Ranjit Singh was the Maharaja of Punjab and Kashmir who played
key role in defending Punjab and Kashmir from EIC. Under Ranjit Singh Sikh empire consolidated
itself and became a progressive community in India. Mughals were given tough resistance in
Punjab as well EIC was not able to establish its strong footholds in Punjab during Raja Ranjit
Singh presence. British remained unsuccessful to expand its control over Punjab and Kashmir
but after his death in 1839 British fought two major wars with Maharaja of Punjab who was son of
Raja Ranjit Singh, Daleep Singh during 1845-46. Finally in 1849 British under Lord Dalhousie
won the battle of Gujrat and was able to capture Punjab and Kashmir was already annexed by
them after second Anglo-Sikh war in 1846. Daleep Singh was arrested and jailed in Lahore by
the British and the second major part of later to become Pakistan was annexed by the British
through this war along with the Kashmir. EIC signed treaty of Amritsar with Gulab Singh in 1846
and handed over Kashmir against payment of huge amount of 70 lac during that time to Dogra
family.
Further the Battle of Delhi took place on 11 September 1803 during the Second Anglo-Maratha
War, between British troops under General Lake, and Marathas of Scindia's army under General
Louis Bourquin and Sardar Ravsaheb Wable. Through this war British did not only gain control of
Delhi but also defeated one of the most resistive group in sub-continent Maratha. The battle of
Delhi 1803 was considered a decisive point in the history of India. Due to this battle, Britishers
gained control over center of sub-continent almost 3000 Maratha were killed. This battle marked
a significant success of the EIC in India.
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Besides that, Sindh was the first part of the modern-day Pakistan which was captured by the EIC
in its annexation scheme. During 1843 Sindh was ruled by Talpur Amirs who were Baloch warrior
tribes and had a strong hold in various parts of interior Sindh. Charles Napier who was the British
general and administrator of EIC in that area had a treaty of alliance with Talpur Amirs but when
he saw growing influence of Sikh in Southern Punjab and broke the treaty of alliance with Talpur
Amirs and attacked Sindh to gain its control. Battle of Miani was fought between the EIC under
Charles Napier and Talpur Amirs as a result the native rulers of Sindh lost its control over Sindh
and British East India company was able to extend its control in Sindh as well. This battle ended
rule of Talpur Amirs and made EIC the new rulers of India.
Lastly, in 1764 British attained a major success in Bengal when they won battle of Buxar against
combine efforts of three opponents of the EIC under the leadership of Hecter Munro against
French East India company, Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Awadh, Shuja-ud-Daula and Shah Alam 2.
The Battle of Buxar was fought between 22 and 23 October. It was considered a decisive point in
the history of India. Due to this battle, Britishers gained control over Bengal, Bihar and Orissa and
extended its influence in Oudh. The battle resulted in the 1765 Treaty of Allahabad, in which the
Mughal Emperor surrendered sovereignty of Bengal to the British. Lord Robert Clive, the victor at
the Plassey, became the first governor of Bengal.
Although the British attempts were successful in major areas of Sub-continent towards
expansionism of EIC rule during 1750-1850 but in many of the regions of sub-continent they faced
tough resistance from native Indians and even failed like Mysore was one of the most well-
organized princely state of Mughal India and even after under its leader Sultan Haider Ali. Mysore
was in fact one of the most advance and progressive state because of its dynamic leader Haider
Ali. After the victory in Battle of Buxar 1764 British east India company started focus towards
southern India and attacked Mysore in 1767 which marked the beginning of first Anglo Mysore
war. Hyder Ali fought bravely to defend its territory and was able to defeat the EIC army. During
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second attempt or Second Anglo Mysore war during 1780-84 son of Haider Ali who was Sultan
Fateh Muhammad famously known as Tipu Sultan fought bravely and defeated the EIC. Yet again
in 3rd Anglo Mysore which was fought during 1790-92 Tipu Sultan defeated the British again but
in 1799. Three attempts done by the EIC faced failure and it was not able to annex it but when
EIC attacked Mysore for the 4th time it was victorious as Tipu Sultan had to face a treason by his
own general Mir Sadiq in the war. Mir Sadiq was bribed by the British who assisted EIC army to
defeat Tipu Sultan and expand its control over Mysore or Southern India. The fourth Anglo Mysore
war in 1799 was a major success of the British in the annexation plan of sub-continent.
Arrival of the British East India company marked beginning of new chapter in the history of Sub-
continent which does not only bring religious but also social, political and economic changes in
Sub-continent during 18th and 19th century eventually paving way towards freedom movement of
Pakistan in Sub-continent during the mid-half of the 20th century.
2. How successful was Indian resistance to British attempts to take control of lands in the
sub-continent between 1750 and 1850? Explain your answer.
to 1850 and in this context, they did many attempts to take control of the lands in the sub-continent
but faced resistance in different parts of Sub-continent by native Indian rulers in competition of
their annexation scheme like Mysore was one of the most well-organized princely state of Mughal
India and even after under its leader Sultan Haider Ali. Mysore was in fact one of the most
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advance and progressive state because of its dynamic leader Haider Ali. After the victory in Battle
of Buxar 1764 British east India company started focus towards southern India and attacked
Mysore in 1767 which marked the beginning of first Anglo Mysore war. Hyder Ali fought bravely
to defend its territory and was able to defeat the EIC army. During second attempt or Second
Anglo Mysore war during 1780-84 son of Haider Ali who was Sultan Fateh Muhammad famously
known as Tipu Sultan fought bravely and defeated the EIC. Yet again in 3 rd Anglo Mysore which
was fought during 1790-92 Tipu Sultan defeated the British again but in 1799. Three attempts
done by the EIC faced failure and it was not able to annex it but when EIC attacked Mysore for
Further, Raja Ranjit Singh as Maharaja of Punjab and Kashmir played a key role in defending
Punjab and Kashmir from EIC. Under Ranjit Singh Sikh empire consolidated itself and became a
progressive community in India. Mughals were given tough resistance in Punjab as well EIC was
not able to establish its strong footholds in Punjab during Raja Ranjit Singh presence. British
remained unsuccessful to expand its control over Punjab and Kashmir but after his death in 1839
British fought two major wars with Maharaja of Punjab who was son of Raja Ranjit Singh, Daleep
Singh during 1845-46. Finally in 1849 British under Lord Dalhousie won the battle of Gujrat and
`
80
CHAPTER 1
was able to capture Punjab and Kashmir was already annexed by them after second Anglo-Sikh
war in 1846. Daleep Singh was arrested and jailed in Lahore by the British and the second major
part of later to become Pakistan was annexed by the British through this war along with the
Kashmir.
Although Indian resistance to the British attempts were successful in few areas of Sub-continent
towards expansionism of EIC rule during 1750-1850 but in many of the regions of sub-continent
they were unable to resist the British attempts as in the Battle of Delhi which took place on 11
September 1803 during the Second Anglo-Maratha War, between British troops under General
Lake, and Marathas of Scindia's army under General Louis Bourquin and Sardar Ravsaheb
Wable. Through this war British did not only gain control of Delhi but also defeated one of the
most resistive group in sub-continent Maratha. The battle of Delhi 1803 was considered a decisive
point in the history of India. Due to this battle, Britishers gained control over center of sub-
continent almost 3000 Maratha were killed. This battle marked a significant success of the EIC in
India. Besides that, Sindh was the first part of the modern-day Pakistan which was captured by
the EIC in its annexation scheme. During 1843 Sindh was ruled by Talpur Amirs who were Baloch
warrior tribes and had a strong hold in various parts of interior Sindh. Charles Napier who was
the British general and administrator of EIC in that area had a treaty of alliance with Talpur Amirs
but when he saw growing influence of Sikh in Southern Punjab and broke the treaty of alliance
with Talpur Amirs and attacked Sindh to gain its control. Battle of Miani was fought between the
EIC under Charles Napier and Talpur Amirs as a result the native rulers of Sindh lost its control
over Sindh and British East India company was able to extend its control in Sindh as well. This
battle ended rule of Talpur Amirs and made EIC the new rulers of India.
Arrival of the British East India company marked beginning of new chapter in the history of Sub-
continent which does not only bring religious but also social, political and economic changes in
`
81
CHAPTER 1
Sub-continent during 18th and 19th century eventually paving way towards freedom movement of
Pakistan in Sub-continent during the mid-half of the 20th century
EXAMPLE OF SOURCE BASE QUESTIONS
ARRIVAL OF THE EIC IN SUB-CONTINENT
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MARKING SCHEMES ON CHAPTER
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P1 Chapter 1 Mughal & British Rule in India

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SECTION 1 Mughal & British Raj in India

Pakistan Studies 2059

History & Culture of Pakistan

RISE AND FALL OF MUGHAL EMPIRE & EIC RULE IN SUB-CONTINENT

RISE & FALL OF THE MUGHAL EMPIRE

o TIMELINE FOR PART A

o KEY DETAILS & FACTS

o EXPECTED QUESTIONS CHECKLIST

o EXAMPLE SOURCE BASED QUESTIONS

o MARKING SCHEME FOR PART A

AID TO LEARN BY MR ZUNAIR

712AD – Muslims conquered Sindh under Muhammad Bin Qasim

AID TO LEARN BY MR ZUNAIR

KEY DETAILS & FACTS FROM THE CHAPTER 1:

Key information which is required to answer this chapter is based on understanding:

1. History of Muslim rule in Sub-continent 712AD-1526.

2. Mughal rule in Sub-continent 1526-1750.

3. Early & Later Mughal emperors and their policies 1526-1707.

4. Reasons behind Decline of the Mughal empire 1707-1750.

HISTORY OF MUSLIM RULE IN SUB-CONTINENT 712AD-1526

AID TO LEARN BY MR ZUNAIR

dynasty of Qutub-ud-Aibek from 1206-1290.Slave dynasty of the Muslims in sub-continent were

MUGHALS OF SUB-CONTINENT 1526-1857

AID TO LEARN BY MR ZUNAIR

 Shihab al-din Muhammad (Shah Jahan)

 Muhi al-din Muhammad (Aurangzeb)

o Ahmad Shah Bahadur

AID TO LEARN BY MR ZUNAIR

origin of Mughal rule in Sub-continent.

made a significant contribution to Mughal architecture. He built a few architectural marvels

thought to have achieved their pinnacle.

AID TO LEARN BY MR ZUNAIR

duty to the government.

REASONS BEHIND THE DECLINE OF MUGHAL EMPIRE 1556-1750

AID TO LEARN BY MR ZUNAIR

among them fundamental causes were

AID TO LEARN BY MR ZUNAIR

and challenged the supremacy of Mughals in Sub-continent.

AID TO LEARN BY MR ZUNAIR

eventually resulting into its decline.

Ahmad Shah Abdali took a heavy toll on the imperial treasury.

AID TO LEARN BY MR ZUNAIR

his religious policies.

manipulating Hindu citizens to convert to Islam.

complete Sharia law and Islamic economics.

the festival of Nauroz, as it was considered as Zoroastrian practice favored by

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band) were, however, continued.

Jahangir were destroyed and a mosque; erected in their place.

and take complete control of the Indian subcontinent.

AID TO LEARN BY MR ZUNAIR

during the declining stage.

AID TO LEARN BY MR ZUNAIR

AID TO LEARN BY MR ZUNAIR

EXPECTED 4 MARKS QUESTIONS CHECKLIST

1. Who was Zahir-ud-din Baber?

2. What was Battle of Panipat 1526?

3. Who was Ibrahim Lodhi?

4. Who was Sher Shah Suri?

5. Write a note on mansabdari system?

6. Who were Mughals?

7. Describe what was Jizya?