Who was Babar?
He was the first Mughal emperor and reigned from 1526 to 1530
CH 4 THE MUGAL EMPIRE
Who was Genghis Khan?
He was the ruler of the Mongol tribes, China and Central Asia.
Why was it a difficult task for rulers of the Middle Ages to rule the Indian subcontinent?
It was because people of diverse backgrounds and cultures lived here.
The Mughal Empire left its impact on the different regions of the subcontinent in a variety of ways. Find out if it had any impact in the city, village or region in which you live.
Yes. We have great architectural remains of this period which gives lots of information about construction, material styles, etc. Islam as a religion gave a distinct cultural flavour to the city. Urdu has enriched our literature, music, and art of writing. Mughal remains are great tourist attractions.
Peasants were vital for the economy of the Mughal Empire. Do you think that they are as important today? Has the gap in the income between the rich and the poor in India changed a great deal from the period of the Mughals?
Peasants are as important today as they were during the Mughal Empire. They cultivate land and grow crops without which we cannot survive. They pay land revenue to the government which is used in various development work. We cannot think of a sound economy without them. They are the backbone of the country.
Like the Mughal Empire, India today is also made up of many social and cultural units. Does this pose a challenge to national integration?
No, this does not pose a challenge to national integration because: We have a unified system of government that has the same rules and regulations for all the citizens irrespective of religion, region, etc. We have a constitution guarding the rights of all and specifying their duties. Now we are unified as a nation, not …
Why was it important for the Mughals to recruit mansabdars from diverse backgrounds and not just Turanis and Iranis?
The Mughal Empire expanded to different regions. Hence, it was important for the Mughals to recruit diverse bodies of people in order to make people comfortable with them. Apart from Turanis and Iranis, now there were mansabdars from Indian Muslims, Afghans, Rajputs, Marathas and other groups.
How important was the income from land revenue to the stability of the Mughal Empire?
The income from land revenue is very important to the stability of the Mughal Empire as: It was used for extension of empire, wars, etc. Income is used to pay salaries/wages to army, bureaucrats, artisans and workers. The administrative expenditure is dealt by this income.
Why did the Mughals emphasise their Timurid and not their Mongol descent?
The Mughals were descendants of two great lineages of rulers. From their mother’s side they were descendants of Genghis Khan, ruler of the Mongol tribes. From their father’s side they were the successors of Timur, the ruler of Iran, Iraq and modern-day Turkey. However, the Mughals did not like to be called Mongol because Mongol’s …
Why did the Mughals emphasise their Timurid and not their Mongol descent? Read More »
How were the debates with religious scholars important in the formation of Akbar’s ideas on governance?
In the 1570’s at Fatehpur Sikri Akbar started discussions on religion with people of different faiths. There were ulemas, Brahmanas, Jesuit Catholic priests and Zoroastrians. These discussions took place in Ibadat Khana. These were about social and religious customs. These interactions made him realise that religious scholars are bigots. They emphasize rituals and dogma. Their …