Unit 6: The Mughal Empire

Question 1

hinduism

Answer 1

the main religion in India
includes the worship of many gods and goddesses, each having a characteristic of Brahman, the “supreme being”
goal in live to accomplish moksha (united with Brahman), and so stop samsara (endless cycle of life)
to do this, you must follow the dharma (your religious and moral duties), and only do good things (Kharma; past actions, the sum of your past actions)
polytheistic; worship and rituals of/for gods and goddesses

Question 2

Caste system

Answer 2

1. Brahmins (Priests)
2. Kshatriya’s (rulers and warriors)
3. Vashiya’s (pesants and merchants)
4. Shudra’s (laborers)
5. Dalit’s (untouchables)
   - provided social stability
   - created over time a very static stability
   - caste is hereditary, inherited at birth, cannot change

Question 3

Akbar

Answer 3

r. 1556-1605
- religious tolerance
- muslim ruler, but accepted Hindu’s, and allowed them to celebrate their gods, traditions
- abolished jitza in 1564
- recruited Hindu’s for administration
- “universal peace”
- married two hindu princesses
- no forced conversion to Islam
- maintained Hindu Caste system
- religious man yet brutal warrior
- 175; constructed Ibadat Khana– assembled different religious people to discuss their religions
- 1582; Din-i-llahi “Divine Faith”; mixture of religions; he created Ito

Question 4

Jitza

Answer 4

tax imposed on non-muslims

Question 5

Sulahkul

Answer 5

universal tolerance, declared by Akbar

Question 6

Fatehpur-Sikri

Answer 6

built by Akbar, it was the capital city of the Mughal Empire

Question 7

Janhangir

Answer 7

r. 1605-1627
- conquered Bengal
- patron of the arts
- “age of splendour”

Question 8

Shah Jahan

Answer 8

r. 1628-1658
- military achievements
- 1629; new capital city, Delhi; permanent mark, reputation
- “age of splendour”
- most of the population was rural; only the riches lived in Delhi..
- the peacock throne(was used as the imperial throne until 1739)
- Taj Mahal

Question 9

Taj Mahal

Answer 9

• graden tomb
• Shah Jahan built it to express his love to his first and favourite wife
• memorial
• architecture
• extravagant

Question 10

Auragzebl

Answer 10

r. 1658-1708
- defeated his older brother (killed him) and imprisoned his father to get the throne
- intelligent, orthodox muslim ruler and military leader
- re-imposed jitza
- abolished all taxes that were not accepted by muslims
- abolished castration of boys and sati (the burning of the widow on the funeral pyre)
- usd the most Hindu’s in his administration
- destroyed Hindu temples
- followed the islamic beliefs of no drinking, gambling, or drug use
- pushed for the conquest of the south
- his hardest opposition was a hindu military group
- started the collapse of the Mughal Empire
- not very loyal dynasty
- you could become a elbe in the battlefield (bye caste system)
- more feudal after his death

Question 11

Sati

Answer 11

a hindu ritual/custom where a new widow will throw herself (alive) in her husband’s funeral pyre, or commit suicide in another way shortly after the funeral
-abolished by Auragzebl

Question 12

Factory forts

Answer 12

• created by the British when they colonised India
• first used to call a trading post, later used for all European settlements in India
• not an actual factory; a compound that canoeing the residents, officials, and offices of the British East India Company
• warehouse where good were stored before being shipped out
• the company president exercised political authority over all residents
• existed to make profit from the asian-european trade; evolved into centers of profit

Question 13

sepoys

Answer 13

army of native troops used to guard the factory-forts

Question 14

British East India Company

Answer 14

he name that the British used for all their trading in India