Medieval Temp Flashcards
<p>Babur?</p>
<ol><li>He was a descendant of Timur (from the side of his father) and Chengiz Khan (from the side of his mother),</li><li>1526- Defeated Ibrahim Lodi - Battle of Painpat</li><li>1527- Defeated Rana Sanga of Mewar- Battle of Khanwa</li><li>1528- Defeated Medini Rai- Battle of Chanderi</li><li>1529- Defeated Muhammad Lodi- at Ghaghra</li><li>1530- Died at Agra. Tomb at Kabul</li><li>Military innovations- He adopted Tughluma and flanking party system and was the first to use gunpowder and artillery in India.</li><li>wrote Tuzuk-i-Babri in Turkish, i which he gives an excellent account of India<ol><li>translated into Baburnama by Abdul rahim Khanekhana</li><li>translated into English by Madam Bevridge</li></ol></li><li>He compiled two anthologies of poems, Diwan in Turki and Mubaiyan in Persia</li><li>Also wrote Risal-i-Usaz or letters of Babur</li></ol>
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<p>Humayun</p>
<p>1530-40 and 1555-56</p>
<ol><li>His succession was challenged by his brothers Kamran, Hindal and Askari alongwith the Afghans.</li><li>He fought two battles against Sher Shah at Chausa (1539) and at Kannauj/Bilgram (1540) and was completely defeated by him.</li><li>After Sher Shah's death Humayun invaded India in 1555 and defeated his brothers the Afghans. He once again became the ruler of India.</li><li>He died while climbing down the stairs of his library (at Din Panah) in 1556 and was buried in Delhi. British orienatalist Lane Poole remarked on Humayun's misfortune: "Humayun tumbled through life, and he tumbled out of it".</li><li>His sister, Gulbadan Begum, wrote his biography Humayunama.</li><li>- He built Din Panah at Delhi as his second capital.</li><li>His peaceful personality, patience and non-provocative methods of speech earned him the title of Insan-i-Kamil (Perfect Man), among the Mughals</li></ol>
<p>Sur Empire?</p>
<p>1540-55</p>
<ol><li>Sher Shah: 1540-45</li><li>Islam Shah: 1545-54</li><li>Muhammad Adil Shah 1554-55</li></ol>
<p>Sher Shah: becoming emperor and military conquests?</p>
<ol><li>Originally called Farid Khan, He was the son of Hasan Khan, the Jagirdar of Sasaram Ibrahim Lodhi transferred his father's jagir to him.</li><li>In 1527-28, he joined Babur's service and then returned to South Bihar as deputy governor</li><li>Sher Shah usurps throne as Hazarat-i-Ala. He gained Chunar by marrying Lad Malika, the widow of governor of Chunar Fort. (imp: siege of Chunar fort by Humayun)</li><li>Defeated Humayun in decisive battles at Chausa (1539) and Bilgram near Kannauj (1540)</li><li>As an emperor, he conquested Malwa (1542), Ranthambhor (1542), Raisin (1543), Rajputana- annexation of Marwar (1542), Chittor (1544) and Kalinjar (1545). He died in 1545 while conquesting Kalinjar. His empire consisted of the whole of North India except Assam, Nepal, Kashmir and Gujarat.</li></ol>
<p>Sher Shah:Central Administration?</p>
<ol><li>The central government consisted of several departments. The king was assisted by four important ministers<ol><li>Diwan-i-Wazarat: aka Wazir- incharge of revenue and finance</li><li>Diwan i Ariz- in charge of army</li><li>Diwan i Risalat- Foreign min</li><li>Diwan i Insha- Ministr for Comm</li></ol></li><li><a><i>Tarikh-i-Sher Shahi</i></a><span> (</span><i>History of Sher Shah</i><span>), written by Abbas Khan Sarwani, a </span><i>waqia-navis</i><span> under later Mughal Emperor, </span><a>Akbar</a><span> around 1580, provides a detailed documentation about Sher Shah's administration</span></li></ol>
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<p>Sher Shah:Provincial Administration?</p>
<ol><li>Iqta- Province- Haqim and Amin (land revenue)</li><li>Sarkar- District- Shiqdar-i-Shiaqdaran and Munsif-i-Munsifan</li><li>Pargana- Taluka- Shiqdar (law & order and collection of land revenue) and Munsif (judge/measured land for revenue collection); Fotedar (treasurer) and Karkun (accountant)</li><li>Gram - Village- Muqaddam (village headman) and Amil</li></ol>
<p>Sher Shah:Land Revenue system?</p>
<ul><li>As a monarch, he unilatereally decided that the best system of assessment must be based on actual measurement.</li><li>According, the empire was surveyed. In order to ensure the accuracy of measurement and honestry of collection he fixed the wages of the measurers and the collectors.</li><li>The uniform system of measurement in spite of strong opposition from some quarters, was enforced all over the empire, with the exception of Multan where political turmoil could endanger the security of the State.</li><li>the revenue on perishable articles was fixed in cash rates, but for all the principal staple crops, the land was classified into three classes-good, middling and bad. After the average produce of the three was added, one-third of the total was taken as the average produce of each bigha for revenue purposes. It could be paid in cash or in kind though the former mode was preferred.</li><li>In case of cash payments, the state demand was fixed according to the prices prevalent in the near markets and a schedule of crop of crop rates was preserved indicating the method and the rates of assessment.</li><li>The state gave a <strong>patta </strong>to each cultivator, which specified the state demand. The cultivator was also obliged to sign a <strong>qabuliat </strong>(deed of agreement) promising to honour the revenue due from him. Both the documents contained information on the size of the plot.</li><li>Sher Shah was the first ruler who considered the welfare of the people as essential for the interests of the state. He was benign in times of drought and famine. The state, under such circumstances, would lend money and material to the cultivators. He instructed the army not to damage any crops and in any damage, to adquately compensate.</li><li>Sher Shah’s revenue settlement has been unanimously acclaimed. And it has been contended hat it provided the basis for Todar Mal’s bandobust in Akbar’s reign, as also for the Ryotwari system in British India</li></ul>
<p>Sher Shah: coins and currency?</p>
<p>He removed the currency which had debased under the later Turko-Afghan regimes and instead issued well executed coins of gold, Silver and Copper of a uniform standard.</p>
<p><span>The system of tri-metalism which came to characterise Mughal coinage was introduced by Sher Shah. While the term </span><i>rūpya</i><span> had previously been used as a generic term for any silver coin, during his rule the term </span><i>rūpee</i><span> came to be used as the name for a silver coin of a standard weight of 178 grains, which was the precursor of the modern </span><a>rupee</a><span>. </span><a>Gold coins</a><span> called the </span><a><i>Mohur</i></a><span> weighing 169 grains and copper </span><a>coins</a><span> called Paisa were also minted by his government</span></p>
<p><span>Sher Khan had assumed the royal title of Farid al-Din Sher Shah and had coins struck in his own name even before the battle of Chausa</span></p>
<p>Sher Shah:trade facilitation?</p>
<ul><li>He did away with all the internal custom duties with the exception of the two. These two duties were charged at the time of entry of the goods in the kingdom and at the time of the actual sale.</li><li>Foreign goods were permitted to enter Bengal duty free.</li><li>Sher Shah paid special attention to the safety and convenience of the merchants.</li><li>He also improved communications by building several highways.<ul><li>He built the Grand Trunk Road (G.T. Road) that runs from Calcutta to Peshawar.</li><li>4 HWs - Sonargaon-Sind; Agra-Burhanpur; Jodhpur-Chittaur; Lahore-Multan</li><li>Along both sides of these roads, Sher Shah ordered the planting of fruit trees and the sinking of fresh wells.</li><li>built sarais (rest houses). Soon, the Serais functioned as post offices and marketing centres and Sher Shah posted news-readers in the various Serais to keep abreast of the local gossip.</li></ul></li><li>He set up cantonment in various parts of his empire and strong garrison was posted in each cantonments.</li><li>He introduced the principle of local responsibility for local crimes. Muqaddams were punished for failure to find culprits.</li></ul>
<p>Sher Shah: Art and Architecture?</p>
<ol><li><span>Sher Shah built several monuments including </span><a>Rohtas Fort</a><span> (now a </span><a>UNESCO World Heritage Site</a><span> in Pakistan), many structures in the </span><a>Rohtasgarh Fort</a><span> in Bihar, the </span><a>Sher Shah Suri Masjid</a><span> in </span><a>Patna</a><span>, the </span><a>Qila-i-Kuhna</a><span> mosque inside the </span><a>Purana Qila</a><span> complex in Delhi, and the Sher Mandal, an octagonal building also inside the Purana Qila complex, which later served as the library of Humayun</span></li><li>He also built a Mausoleum at Sasaram, which is considered as one of the master pieces of Indian architecture</li><li>Malik Muhammad Jayasi wrote the famous Hindi work Padmavat during his reign</li></ol>
<p>Akbar: about?</p>
<ol><li>1556-1605</li><li>born 1542</li><li>ascended throne at 14, in 1556, at Kalanaur, PJ</li><li>In 2nd battle of Panipat, Bairam Khan (wakil, Khan-i-Khanan) defeated Hemu, the HIndu general of Muhammad Adil Shah, the last remaining Afghan noble.</li><li>ended regency of Bairam Khan in1560</li><li>1560-62 Petticoat govt since under influence of Maham Anga and Adham Khan Junta</li><li>died in 1605; buried at Sikandara near Agra</li></ol>
<p>Akbar: dealings with Rajputs?</p>
<ol><li>married harakha Bai, daughter of Bharmal, Kutchhwaha Rajput ruler of Amer, capital Jaipur, in 1562</li><li>Battle of Haldighati in 1576: Mughal army led by man singh defeated Rana Pratap of Mewar (son of Rana Uday Singh)</li></ol>
<p>Akbar: Din-i-Ilahi?</p>
<ul><li>1581</li><li>H+I+J+C</li><li>did not recognize prophet</li><li>Birbal only HInud to have converrted</li></ul>
<p>Akbar: religious policy?</p>
<ul><li>influences on his religious policy- his early contacts with the sufi saints, the teachings of his tutor Abdul Latif, his marriage with Rajput women, his association with intellectual giants like Shaikh Mubarak and his two illustrious sons – Abul Faizi and Abul Fazl – and his ambition to establish an empire in Hindustan.</li><li>Ban on forcible conversion of war prisoners into slaves- 1562</li><li>abolition of pilgriage tax- 1563</li><li>abolition of jiziya- 1564</li><li>Ibadatkhana-built in 1575</li><li>parliament of Religions in Ibadatkhana - 1578</li><li>Mahzar- 1579<ul><li>Akbar issued a Declaration or Mahzar aka “infallibility decree”.</li><li>He removed the Chief Preacher at Fatehpur Sikri and himself mounted the Pulpit of Jama Masjid, Fatehpur Sikri on June 22, 1579 and read the Khutba in his own names as the prophet and caliphs.</li><li>The Khutba was prepared by Sheikh Mubarak and composed in verse by Faizi.</li><li>Mahzar was signed by all the prominent Muslim theologians and divines of the Mughal empire.</li><li>As instituted under the Mahzar, it was decided that Akbar would have the right to be the supreme arbiter or interpreter of Islamic laws, and he could decide in the matter of differing opinions on all religious questions.</li></ul></li><li>Ilahi Samvat introduced in 1584</li></ul>
<p>Akbar: conquests?</p>
<ol><li>1560-62- Malwa- baz Bahadur</li><li>1561- Chunar- Afghans</li><li>1564- Gondwana (Gadh Katanga)- Rani Durgavati, regent of Bir Narayan and widow of Dalpat Shah</li><li>1568-Chittor- Rana UDay Singh</li><li>1569- Ranthambore- Surjan Hada</li><li>1570-Marwar- Chandrasena, Kalyanmal</li><li>1572- GJ-Bahadur Shah</li><li>1574-76- Bengal-Bihar- Daud Khan Karrani</li><li>1576- Haldighati-Rana Pratap</li><li>1581- Kabul-Mirza Hakim</li><li>1586- Kashmir- Yusuf Khan and Yakub Khan</li><li>1590- Sindh- Jani Beg Mirza</li><li>1591-Khadesh- Ali Khan</li><li>1595- Baluchistan- Yusufzai tribes</li><li>1597-1600- Ahmednagar- Chand Bibi, regent of Bahadur Shah</li></ol>
