Decline Of The Mughal Empire Flashcards
What happend during the first half of the 18th century
During the first half of the 18th century, the great Mughal empire decayed and disintegrated. The Mughal emperors lost their power and glory and their vast empire finally shrank to a few square miles around Delhi. The unity and stability of the Mughal empire had
already been shaken during Aurangzeb’s long reign of about 50 years. The death of Aurangzeb, the last of the great Mughals, was followed by a war of succession among his three sons. Bahadur Shah eventually ascended the throne in 1707 at the ag
65. He became the first in a line of emperors referred to as the Later Mughals
Name the four groups of nobles where were they from
There were four groups of nobles in the Mughal court-Iranis, Turanis, Afghans and Hindustanis.
The Iranis hailed from Persia, the Turanis from Transoxiana, and the Afghans came from the mountainous border regions across the river Indus.
The Mughal court was a house sharply divided from within.
This resulted in a constant struggle for power among these groups.
Their mutual jealousies and rivalries caused great harm to the Mughal administration and undermined the prestige and authority of the Mughal emperor.
Explain jagiradari crises
In addition to the competition for political power and influence, there was a scramble for the best and most profitable jagirs among rival nobles.
The Mughal officers were given jagirs as payment for their services.
Towards the end of the 17th century, there were very few jagirs left.
To satisfy the demands of the newly recruited officers,
crown lands were converted to jagir lands and given to the nobles.
This led to a loss of revenue for the royal treasury and a further decline in the power of the emperor.
Who started the masabdari system, when did it start to break down
To maintain absolute power and control of the Mughal army, Akbar had reorganized it on the basis of the mansabdari system.
This system, which worked well under Akbar, began to break down towards the end of the 17th century.
What is the mansabdari system?
Under this system, mansabdars had to maintain a fixed number of troops.
They were given jagirs as the payment for doing so.
How did corruption take place in the masabdari system
Later, an increase in the number of mansabs and a shortage of jagirs led to corruption and inefficiency in the system.
The mansabdars did not maintain their quota of troops and adopted corrupt methods. This led to a decline of the military strength of the Mughal empire.
How did a weak army affect the military organisation
The Mughal army also failed to keep pace with the times.
The Mughal rulers did not have a navy and made no efforts to establish one.
Their equipment and techniques of warfare were obsolete and ineffective. Nothing was done to reform, modernize and strengthen
How did the war of succession lead to the decline in the mughal empire
The death of a Mughal ruler was generally followed by wars of succession among rival claimants to the throne.
These civil wars proved very costly and destructive.
They drained the resources of the empire, caused frequent political upheavals and made the empire unstable and weak.
Why did aurungzebs policies fail
Aurangzeb was not very successful as an emperor.
He failed to realize that the progress and stability of such a vast empire depended on a policy of religious tolerance and the support and unity of the people.
His policy of religious intolerance shook the foundations of the empire
What did aurangzebs polices lead to
• The costly, long-drawn and ruinous
Deccan campaign
• Numerous wars with the Sikhs, the Marathas, the Jats and the Rajputs
• Loss of support of the loyal Rajputs who had earlier contributed greatly to the stability of the Mughal empire but now became bitter foes
How did economic bankruptcy lead to the decline of the mughal empire
A major cause of the disintegration of the Mughal empire was its economic bankruptcy.
The enormous sums of money spent by Shah Jahan on magnificent monuments like the Taj Mahal had drained the royal treasury.
How fid foreign invasion lead to the decline of the mughal empire
The invasions of Nadir Shah, the ruler of Persia (Iran), and Ahmad Shah Abdali, the ruler of Afghanistan, shattered the power and prestige of the Mughals.
Nadir Shah looted and plundered Delhi and carried away valuable treasures, including the priceless Kohinoor Diamond and the Peacock Throne.
Ahmad Shah Abdali plundered northern India repeatedly.
How did aurungzebs weak sucsessors lead to a decline in the mughal empire
Aurangzeb ruled over a vast empire which he controlled with an iron hand.
His successors were pleasure-loving weak and inefficient.
They were puppets in the hands of powerful, ambitious nobles who controlled the administration.
The provincial governors took advantage of the weak government at the centre and set up independent kingdoms in the Mughal provinces.
This led to the breakup and collapse of the empire
Why were all the hopes reviving the mughal empire lost after loads of instability
All hopes of the revival of the Mughal empire ended when the British decided to challenge the authority of the Mughals.
They took full advantage of its weaknesses and began to pursue their plan of establishing control over India.
Who was the last ruler of the mughal empire how did he die
Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last of the Mughals, assumed leadership of the rebels in the Revolt of 1857 against the British. He was defeated and exiled to Rangoon where
he died. The Mughal empire came to an inglorious end.
