Class 8 India in the Eighteenth Century

1.  Why the Mughal Empire faced crisis towards the end of the 17th century?
   a) Later Mughals were very weak.
   b) The governors started controlling the offices of revenue and military administration.
   c) The zamindars rebelled due to heavy taxes.
   d) The Mughal Emperors after Aurangzeb could not hold political and economic authority.
   e) The rulers of Iran and Afghanistan took advantage of this political crisis and invaded India multiple times.
2. How Asaf Jah made his own independent kingdom?
   Asaf Jah, the founder of the Hyderabad state, was appointed the Governor of Awadh. Later, he also took charge of the Deccan. He brought skilled soldiers and administrators from the northern India to rule the southern India. He founded the Asaf Jahi Dynasty and ruled independently without any interference. Later, the British became increasingly powerful in that region.
3. How Burhan-ul-Mulk made his own independent kingdom?
   Burhan-ul-Mulk was appointed the subadar of Awadh in 1722. Awadh was a prosperous region. The decline of the Mughal Empire gave him an opportunity to establish his own authority in the region. To strengthen his position, he adopted the following measures:
   a) He suppressed the rebellious local zamindars.
   b) He restricted the authority of the local zamindars.
   c) He systemized the revenue collection.
   He nominated his son-in-law, Safdar Jang, as Deputy Governor of the province. Even sending of revenues to Delhi became irregular.
4. How Bengal gradually broke away from Mughal control?
   Murshid Quli Khan, who was appointed as the deputy to the governor of the province, very quickly seized all the power. He started controlling the revenue administration of the state. He transferred all Mughal jagirdars to Orissa. Revenue was collected with great strictness from all zamindars.
5. Explain the situation of the Rajputs.
   Many Rajput kings worked under the Mughals with loyalty and respect. In return, the Mughals allowed them to rule their own lands with a lot of freedom. In the 18th century, these Rajput rulers tried to increase their power by capturing nearby areas. They also took part in the politics of the Mughal court. Some powerful Rajput families were given important positions by the Mughals. Later, Emperor Jahandar Shah renewed these posts in 1713. The Rajputs also captured other areas. However, from the 1740s, Marathas attacked Rajasthan and weakened the Rajput rulers and stopped them from expanding further.
6. Explain the rise of Sikhs as a political power.
   During the 17th century, the Sikhs became a strong political community in Punjab. Guru Gobind Singh fought many battles against the Rajputs and Mughals, and in 1699, he created the Khalsa, a community of Sikhs who were ready to defend their faith and fight injustice. After Guru Gobind Singh's death, the Khalsa rose under the leadership of Banda Bahadur. He set up an independent rule but was later captured and executed. The Sikhs then organized themselves into small fighting groups called jathas, which challenged Mughal power. Constant foreign invasions weakened the Mughal hold in Punjab giving the Sikhs a chance to grow stronger. Later in the 18th century, the Sikhs regrouped into 12 regional misls . Slowly, they worked towards building their own state.
7. Tell about what happened in Mysore.
   Mysore emerged as an independent state after the fall of the Vijayanagar Empire. It took advantage of the defeat of the Mughals at the hands of Nadir Shah and declared its independence. Mysore grew in strength under the ruler Haidar Ali and his son Tipu Sultan. Later, Mysore was confronted with East India Company.
8. Why did the East India Company confront with Mysore?
   a) Mysore controlled the profitable trade of the Malabar coast.
   b) Tipu Sultan stopped the export of sandalwood, pepper and cardamom.
   c) Tipu Sultan had established a close relationship with the French which helped him modernize his army.
   d) The Company saw Haidar and Tipu as a threat.
   
9. Explain the rise of Maratha Empire.
   The rise of the Maratha Empire began under the leadership of Shivaji. He fought against the Mughal and Bijapur and established an independent Maratha kingdom. Shivaji captured many forts and extended his territory. After Shivaji's death, the power passed into the hands of the Peshwas, who made Poona their capital. They organized a powerful army and launched several military campaigns against the Mughals. They introduced a system of collecting taxes such as Chauth (1/4 of land revenue) and Sardeshmukhi (1/10 of land revenue), which gave them financial strength.