EIGHTEENTH CENTURY POLITICAL FORMATIONS

Question 1

AURANGZEB DIED IN?

Answer 1

1707.

Question 2

FORT ST DAVID LOCATION?

Answer 2

TAMIL NADU.

Question 3

REASONS FOR THE CRISIS OF THE EMPIRE AND THE LATER MUGHALS?

Answer 3

1. AURANGZEB HAD DEPLETED THE MILITARY AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES OF HIS EMPIRE BY FIGHTING A LONG WAR IN THE DECCAN.
2. LATER MUGHALS COULD NOT KEEP A CHECK ON THEIR POWERFUL MANSABDARS.
3. NOBLES APPOINTED AS GOVERNORS (SUBADARS) OFTEN CONTROLLED THE OFFICES OF REVENUE AND MILITARY ADMINISTRATION (DIWANI AND FAUZDARI) AS WELL GIVING THEM EXTRAORDINARY POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND MILITARY POWERS OVER VAST REGIONS OF THE MUGHAL EMPIRE.
4. PEASANTS AND ZAMIDARI REBELLIONS CAUSED BY PRESSURE OF MOUNTING TAXES ADDED TO THESE PROBLEMS.
5. RULER OF IRAN, NADIR SHAH, SACKED AND PLUNDERED THE CITY OF DELHI IN 1739 AND TOOK IMMENSE AMOUNTS OF WEALTH.
6. AFGHAN RULER AHMAD SHAH ABDALI, INVADED NORTH INDIA FIVE TIMES BETWEEN 1748 AND 1761.
7. EMPIRE WAS FURTHER WEAKENED BY COMPETITION AMONGST GROUP OF NOBLES WHO WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS- IRANIS AND TURANIS.
8. LATER MUGHAL EMPERORS WERE PUPPETS IN THE HANDS OF EITHER ONE OR THE OTHER OF THESE POWERFUL GROUPS.

Question 4

MUGHALS EMPERORS ASSASSINATED BY THEIR NOBLES WERE?

Answer 4

FARRUKH SIYAR (1713-1719) AND ALAMGIR 2 (1754-1759).

Question 5

MUGHALS EMPERORS BLINDED BY THEIR NOBLES WERE?

Answer 5

AHMAD SHAH (1748-1754) AND SHAH ALAM 2 (1759-1816).

Question 6

MUGHAL EMPIRE’S STATES OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY WAS DIVIDED INTO?

Answer 6

THREE OVERLAPPING GROUPS.
1. STATES THAT WERE OLD MUGHAL PROVINCES LIKE AWADH, BENGAL AND HYDERABAD.
- ALTHOUGH EXTREMELY POWERFUL AND QUITE INDEPENDENT, THE RULERS OF THESE STATES DID NOT BREAK THEIR FORMAL TIES WITH THE MUGHAL EMPEROR.
2. STATES THAT HAD ENJOYED CONSIDERABLE INDEPENDENCE UNDER THE MUGHALS AS WATAN JAGIRS.
- THESE INCLUDED SEVERAL RAJPUT PRINCIPALITIES.
3. STATES UNDER THE CONTROL OF MARATHAS, SIKHS AND OTHERS LIKE THE JATS. THEY HAVE SEIZED THEIR INDEPENDENCE FROM THE MUGHALS.

Question 7

ASAF JAH, MURSHID QULI KHAN AND SA’ADAT KHAN HAD ZAT RANK OF?

Answer 7

ASAF JAH AND MURSHID QULI KHAN HELD A ZAT RANK OF 7,000 EACH.
SA’ADAT KHAN’S ZAT WAS 6,000.

Question 8

FOUNDER OF HYDERABAD?

Answer 8

NIZAM-UL-MULK ASAF JAH.

Question 9

NIZAM-UL-MULK ASAF JAH (1724-1748) WAS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL MEMBERS AT THE COURT OF THE MUGHAL EMPEROR_________.

Answer 9

FARRUKH SIYAR.

Question 10

NIZAM-UL-MULK ASAF JAH WAS ENTRUSTED FIRST WITH THE GOVERNORSHIP OF _______, AND LATER GIVEN THE CHARGE OF THE ________.

Answer 10

AWADH.
DECCAN.

Question 11

TRUE/FALSE
1. NIZAM-UL-MULK ASAF JAH APPOINTED MANSABDARS AND GRANTED JAGIRS.
2. HE WAS STILL A SERVANT OF THE MUGHAL EMPEROR.
3. HE COULD NOT RULE INDEPENDENTLY AND HAS TO SEEK DIRECTIONS FROM DELHI.
4. MUGHAL EMPEROR HAD TO CONFIRM THE DECISIONS ALREADY TAKEN BY THE NIZAM-UL-MULK ASAF JAH.

Answer 11

1. TRUE.
2. TRUE.
3. FALSE- HE RULED QUITE INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT SEEKING ANY DIRECTION FROM DELHI OR FACING ANY INTERFERENCE.
4. FALSE- MUGHAL EMPEROR MERELY CONFIRMED THE DECISIONS ALREADY TAKEN BY THE NIZAM-UL-MULK ASAF JAH.

Question 12

WHO WERE NAYAKAS?

Answer 12

INDEPENDENT TELUGU WARRIOR CHIEFS.
THE STATE OF HYDERABAD WAS CONSTANTLY ENGAGED IN A STRUGGLE AGAINST THE MARATHAS TO THE WEST AND WITH INDEPENDENT TELUGU WARRIOR CHIEFS (NAYAKAS) OF THE PLATEAU.

Question 13

THE AMBITIONS OF NIZAM-UL-MULK ASAF JAH TO CONTROL THE RICH TEXTILE PRODUCING AREAS OF THE COROMANDEL COAST IN THE EAST WERE CHECKED BY THE ______ WHO WERE BECOMING INCREASINGLY POWERFUL IN THAT REGION.

Answer 13

BRITISH.

Question 14

________ WAS APPOINTED SUBADAR OF AWADH IN 1722.

Answer 14

BURHAN-UL-MULK SA’ADAT KHAN.

Question 15

BURHAN-UL-MULK ALSO HELD THE COMBINED OFFICES OF ______,________ AND _______.

Answer 15

SUBADARI, DIWANI AND FAUJDARI.

Question 16

TRUE/FALSE
1. BURHAN-UL-MULK TRIED TO DECREASE MUGHAL INFLUENCE IN THE AWADH REGION BY REDUCING THE NUMBER OF OFFICE HOLDERS (JAGIRDARS) APPOINTED BY THE MUGHALS.
2. HE INCREASED THE SIZE OF JAGIRS, AND APPOINTED HIS OWN LOYAL SERVANTS TO VACANT POSITIONS.
3. THE ACCOUNTS OF JAGIRDARS WERE CHECKED TO PREVENT CHEATING AND THE REVENUES OF ALL DISTRICTS WERE REASSESSED BY OFFICIALS APPOINTED BY THE NAWAB’S COURT.
4. HE SEIZED A NUMBER OF RAJPUT ZAMIDARS AND THE AGRICULTURALLY FERTILE LANDS OF THE AFGHANS OF ROHILKHAND.

Answer 16

1. TRUE
2. FASLE- HE ALSO REDUCED THE SIZE OF JAGIRS, AND APPOINTED HIS OWN LOYAL SERVANTS TO VACANT POSITIONS.
3. TRUE
4. TRUE

Question 17

TRUE/FALSE
1. THE STATE (AWADH) DEPENDED ON LOCAL BANKERS AND MAHAJANS FOR LOANS. IT SOLD THE RIGHT TO COLLECT TAX TO THE HIGHEST BIDDERS.
2. THESE “REVENUE FARMERS” (IJARADARS) AGREED TO PAY THE STATE A FIXED SUM OF MONEY.) LOCAL BANKERS GUARANTEED THE PAYMENT OF THIS CONTRACTED AMOUNT TO THE STATE.
3. IN TURN, THE REVENUE FARMERS WERE GIVEN CONSIDERABLE FREEDOM IN THE ASSESSMENT AND COLLECTION OF TAXES.
4. THESE DEVELOPMENTS ALLOWED NEW SOCIAL GROUPS, LIKE MONEYLENDERS AND BANKERS, TO INFLUENCE THE MANAGEMENT OF THE STATE’S REVENUE SYSTEM, SOMETHING WHICH HAD NOT OCCURRED IN THE PAST.

Answer 17

ALL ARE TRUE.

Question 18

MURSHID QULI KHAN WAS APPOINTED AS THE GOVERNOR OF BENGAL BY THE MUGHALS.
TRUE/FALSE.

Answer 18

FALSE. HE WAS APPOINTED AS THE NAIB DEPUTY TO GOVERNOR OF THE PROVINCE.
ALTHOUGH NEVER A FORMAL SUBADAR, HE VERY QUICKLY SEIZED ALL THE POWER THAT WENT WITH THAT OFFICE.

Question 19

LIKE THE RULERS OF HYDERABAD AND AWADH MURSHID QULI KHAN ALSO COMMANDED THE REVENUE ADMINISTRATION OF THE STATE.
TRUE/FALSE.

Answer 19

TRUE.

Question 20

HOW DID MURSHID QULI KHAN TRIED TO REDUCE MUGHAL INFLUENCE IN BENGAL?

Answer 20

HE TRANSFERRED ALL MUGHAL JAGIRDARS TO ORISSA AND ORDERED A MAJOR REASSESSMENT OF THE REVENUES OF BENGAL.

Question 21

THE CLOSE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE STATE AND BANKERS NOTICEABLE IN HYDERABAD AND AWADH AS WELL- WAS EVIDENT IN BENGAL UNDER THE RULE OF__________.

Answer 21

ALIVARDI KHAN (r. 1740-1756).

Question 22

DURING THE REIGN OF ALIVARDI KHAN THE BANKING HOUSE OF ________ BECAME EXTREMELY PROSPEROUS.

Answer 22

JAGAT SETH.

Question 23

THREE COMMON FEATURES AMONG THE STATES OF HYDERABAD, AWADH AND BENGAL UNDER MUGHALS?

Answer 23

1. FIRST, THOUGH MANY OF THE LARGER STATES WERE ESTABLISHED BY ERSTWHILE MUGHAL NOBLES THEY WERE HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS OF SOME OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEMS THAT THEY HAD INHERITED, IN PARTICULAR THE JAGIRDARI SYSTEM.
2. SECOND, THEIR METHOD OF TAX COLLECTION DIFFERED. RATHER THAN RELYING UPON THE OFFICERS OF THE STATE, ALL THREE REGIMES CONTRACTED WITH REVENUE FARMERS FOR THE COLLECTION OF REVENUE. THE PRACTICE OF IJARADARI, THOROUGHLY DISAPPROVED OF BY THE MUGHALS, SPREAD ALL OVER INDIA IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY) THEIR IMPACT ON THE COUNTRYSIDE DIFFERED CONSIDERABLY.
3. THE THIRD COMMON FEATURE IN ALL THESE REGIONAL STATES WAS THEIR EMERGING RELATIONSHIP WITH RICH BANKERS AND MERCHANTS.

Question 24

RAJA AJIT SINGH OF JODHPUR HELD THE GOVERNORSHIP OF__________ AND SAWAI RAJA JAI SINGH OF AMBER WAS THE GOVERNOR OF__________.
THESE OFFICES WERE RENEWED BY EMPEROR _________ IN __________.

Answer 24

1. GUJARAT
2. MALWA
3. JAHANDAR SHAH IN 1713

Question 25

________ WAS CONQUERED AND ANNEXED TO THE HOUSE OF JODHPUR, WHILE AMBER SEIZED LARGE PORTIONS OF ________.

Answer 25

NAGAUR, BUNDI.

Question 26

SAWAI RAJA JAI SINGH FOUNDED HIS NEW CAPITAL AT _______ AND WAS GIVEN THE SUBADARI OF ______ IN 1722.

Answer 26

JAIPUR, AGRA.

Question 27

MEHRANGARH FORT IS IN?

Answer 27

JODHPUR, RAJASTHAN.

Question 28

AFTER GURU GOBIND SINGH IN 1708, THE KHALSA ROSE IN REVOLT AGAINST THE MUGHAL AUTHORITY UNDER BANDA BAHADUR’S LEADERSHIP, DECLARED THEIR SOVEREIGN RULE BY STRIKING COINS IN THE NAME OF _________&__________, AND ESTABLISHED THEIR OWN ADMINISTRATION BETWEEN THE ________ &________.

Answer 28

GURU NANAK AND GURU GOBIND SINGH.
SUTLEJ AND THE JAMUNA.

Question 29

BANDA BAHADUR WAS CAPTURED AND EXECUTED IN?

Answer 29

CAPTURED IN 1715 (DEFEATED BY FARRUKHSIYAR).
EXECUTED IN 1716.

Question 30

WHAT WERE JATHAS AND MISLS?

Answer 30

SIKHS ORGANIZED THEMSELVES INTO A NUMBER OF BANDS CALLED JATHAS, AND LATER ON MISLS.

Question 31

COMBINED FORCES OF SIKHS WERE KNOWN AS?

Answer 31

GRAND ARMY (DAL KHALSA).

Question 32

WHAT ARE GURMATAS?

Answer 32

ENTIRE BODY OF SIKHS USED TO MEET AT AMRITSAR AT THE TIME OF BAISAKHI AND DIWALI TO TAKE COLLECTIVE DECISIONS KNOWN AS “RESOLUTIONS OF THE GURU (GURMATAS)”.

Question 33

SIKHS INTRODUCED A SYSTEM CALLED RAKHI, OFFERING PROTECTION TO CULTIVATORS ON THE PAYMENT OF A TAX OF ______ % OF THE PRODUCE.

Answer 33

20%.

Question 34

1. THE KHALSA DECLARED THEIR SOVEREIGN RULE BY STRIKING THEIR OWN COIN AGAIN IN 1765.
2. SIGNIFICANTLY, THIS COIN BORE THE DIFFERENT INSCRIPTION AS THE ONE ON THE ORDERS ISSUED BY THE KHALSA IN THE TIME OF BANDA BAHADUR.
   TRUE/FALSE.

Answer 34

1. TRUE
2. FALSE, IT BORE THE SAME INSCRIPTIONS

Question 35

SIKH TERRITORIES IN THE LATE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY EXTENDED FROM THE INDUS TO THE JAMUNA BUT THEY WERE DIVIDED UNDER DIFFERENT RULERS.
WHO REUNITED THESE GROUPS?

Answer 35

MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH, REUNITED THESE GROUPS AND ESTABLISHED HIS CAPITAL AT LAHORE IN 1799.

Question 36

WHO WERE DESHMUKHS?

Answer 36

SHIVAJI (1627-1680) MARATHAS CARVED OUT A STABLE KINGDOM WITH THE SUPPORT OF POWERFUL WARRIOR FAMILIES (DESHMUKHS).

Question 37

TERM KUNBIS MEANING?

Answer 37

KUNBIS WERE GROUP OF HIGHLY MOBILE, PEASANT PASTORALISTS WHICH PROVIDED THE BACKBONE OF MARATHA ARMY.

Question 38

AFTER SHIVAJI’S DEATH, EFFECTIVE POWER IN THE MARATHA STATE WAS WIELDED BY A FAMILY OF______ WHO SERVED SHIVAJI’S SUCCESSORS AS PESHWA (OR PRINCIPAL MINISTER).
_________ BECAME THE CAPITAL OF MARATHA KINGDOM.

Answer 38

CHITPAVAN BRAHMANAS.
POONA.

Question 39

TERM CHAUTH MEANS?

Answer 39

CHAUTH WAS 25% OF THE LAND REVENUE CLAIMED BY ZAMIDARS.
IN THE DECCAN THIS WAS COLLECTED BY THE MARATHAS.

Question 40

SARDESHMUKHI MEANING IN MEDIEVAL INDIA?

Answer 40

9-10 % OF THE LAND REVENUE PAID TO THE HEAD REVENUE COLLECTOR IN THE DECCAN.

Question 41

BY THE 1730s, THE MARATHA KING WAS RECOGNIZED AS THE OVERLORD OF THE ENTIRE DECCAN PENINSULA. HE POSSESSED THE RIGHT TO LEVY _______ AND _______ IN THE ENTIRE REGION.

Answer 41

CHAUTH AND SARDESHMUKHI.

Question 42

1. AFTER RAIDING DELHI IN 1737 THE FRONTIERS OF MARATHA DOMINATION EXPANDED RAPIDLY: INTO RAJASTHAN AND THE PUNJAB IN THE NORTH; INTO BENGAL AND ORISSA IN THE EAST; AND INTO KARNATAKA AND THE TAMIL AND TELUGU COUNTRIES IN THE SOUTH.
2. THESE WERE FORMALLY INCLUDED IN THE MARATHA EMPIRE.
   TRUE/FALSE.

Answer 42

1. TRUE
2. FALSE- THESE WERE NOT FORMALLY INCLUDED IN THE MARATHA EMPIRE, BUT WERE MADE TO PAY TRIBUTE AS A WAY OF ACCEPTING MARATHA SOVEREIGNTY.

Question 43

MARATHA CHIEF (SARDARS) LIKE
SINDHIA OF _________
GAEKWAD OF _________
BHONSLE OF _________
HOLKAR OF _________
PESHWA OF _________

Answer 43

SINDHIA OF GWALIOR.
GAEKWAD OF BARODA.
BHONSLE OF NAGPUR.
HOLKAR OF INDORE.
PESHWA OF POONA.

Question 44

UJJAIN EXPANDED UNDER _______ PATRONAGE AND INDORE UNDER_______.

Answer 44

SINDHIA’S
HOLKAR’S

Question 45

THE SILK PRODUCED IN______ REGION NOW FOUND A NEW OUTLET IN POONA, THE MARATHA CAPITAL.
________ WHICH HAD EARLIER PARTICIPATED IN THE TRADE BETWEEN AGRA AND SURAT NOW EXPANDED ITS HINTERLAND TO INCLUDE AGRA AND SURAT IN THE SOUTH AND LUCKNOW AND ALLAHABAD IN THE EAST.

Answer 45

CHANDERI REGION.
BURHANPUR

Question 46

SOME JATS THAT CONSOLIDATED THEIR POWERS DURING THE LATE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES?

Answer 46

1. CHURAMAN- UNDER HIM JATS AQUIRED CONTROL OVER THE TERRITORIES SITUATED TO THE WEST OF THE CITY OF DELHI.
2. SURAJ MAL- UNDER HIM THE KINGDOM OF BHARATPUR EMERGED AS A STRONG STATE. WHEN NADIR SHAH SACKED DELHI IN 1739, MANY OF THE JATS NOTABLES TOOK REFUGE THERE.
3. JAWAHIR SHAH (S/O SURAJ MAL) HAD 30,000 TROOPS OF HIS OWN AND HIRED ANOTHER 20,000 MARATHA AND 15,000 SIKH TROOPS TO FIGHT THE MUGHALS.

Question 47

TERM UMARA MEANS?

Answer 47

A HIGH NOBLE.