India in the 18th Century
(Frank Modern Certificate)
A. Fill in the blanks.
1. Bahadur Shah Zafar was dethroned by the British in 1857.
2. Shahu's aunt Tarabai refused to accept him as the Maratha ruler.
3. Brahmin prime ministers of the Maratha kings were called Peshwas.
4. The Third Battle of Panipat inflicted a crushing blow on the Marathas.
5. Murshid Quli Khan is called the first independent Nawab of Bengal.
6. The Sikhs organized themselves into fighting groups called misls.
7. Unlike the Marathas and the Sikhs, the Rajputs failed to carve out a big united empire.
B. Match the following.
1. Later Mughals — (e) Successors of Aurangzeb
2. The last Mughal ruler — (a) Bahadur Shah Zafar
3. Nadir Shah — (b) took away the Peacock Throne
4. Tiger of Mysore — (c) Tipu Sultan
5. Governor of Awadh — (d) Sadat Khan
C. Write True or False
1. The wars of succession created instability in the Mughal empire. — True
2. The Peshwa was not the head of the Maratha confederacy. — False
3. Hyder Ali rose from a soldier to become the Mysore ruler. — True
4. The Marathas and the Nizam supported the British in the Anglo-Mysore wars. — True
5. Murshid Quli Khan renamed his capital city Makhsusabad as Murshidabad. — True
D. Answer the following questions.
1. How did Aurangzeb's battles in the Deccan affect his administration?
= Aurangzeb spent a long period of his reign fighting battles in the Deccan region. These continuous wars required a large amount of money, soldiers and administrative attention. As a result, the resources of the Mughal Empire were exhausted and the administration became weak. The emperor had to remain away from the capital for many years, which made it difficult for him to control the vast empire properly. Because of these long wars, the treasury was drained and the empire’s military strength was weakened. The prolonged conflicts also caused unrest and instability in different parts of the empire. Thus, Aurangzeb’s battles in the Deccan weakened the Mughal administration and played a major role in the gradual decline of the Mughal Empire.
2. Enlist the various causes that led to the decline of the Mughal Empire. Discuss any two.
= The Mughal Empire declined due to several reasons. Some of the important causes were weak successors after Aurangzeb, wars of succession among the nobles, pleasure-seeking rulers, the crisis in the mansabdari system, and invasions by foreign rulers such as Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali.
One important cause was the weak successors of Aurangzeb. The later Mughal rulers were inefficient and pleasure-loving. They lacked administrative and military skills and were unable to control the vast empire effectively.
Another major cause was the foreign invasions. Nadir Shah of Iran invaded India in 1739 and defeated the Mughal army. He looted a huge amount of wealth including Shah Jahan’s Peacock Throne and the Kohinoor diamond. Later, Ahmad Shah Abdali of Afghanistan invaded India several times, which further weakened the Mughal Empire.
These factors together reduced the power and prestige of the Mughal rulers and accelerated the decline of the empire.
3. Mention the names of the kingdoms which became independent after the decline of the Mughal Empire.
= With the decline of the Mughal Empire in the eighteenth century, a political vacuum was created in India. Many provincial governors and regional powers took advantage of the weakening Mughal authority and declared themselves independent rulers.
Several kingdoms emerged as independent powers during this period. The Marathas became a strong power and expanded their influence in many parts of India. The Sikhs organized themselves into warrior groups called misls and later established a powerful kingdom under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The Jats formed their own kingdom at Bharatpur under the leadership of Suraj Mal.
At the same time, many Mughal provinces also became independent states. These included Bengal under Murshid Quli Khan, Awadh under Saadat Khan, Hyderabad under Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah, and Mysore under Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. Thus, the decline of the Mughal Empire led to the rise of several new regional kingdoms in India.
4. List the achievements of Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath.
= Balaji Vishwanath was an important and capable Peshwa of the Maratha kingdom. His leadership played a significant role in strengthening the Maratha power. He served as the Peshwa under the Maratha ruler Shahu and gradually began to exercise the powers of the king.
One of his major achievements was securing important concessions from the Mughal Empire with the help of the Sayyid brothers, who were powerful nobles known as the “kingmakers.” During his tenure, the Marathas recovered the territories that had earlier been captured by Aurangzeb.
Another important achievement was that the Mughals granted the Marathas the right to collect two types of taxes—Chauth and Sardeshmukhi—from the farmers of six Mughal provinces. These rights increased the revenue and strength of the Maratha state. Through his political skill and diplomacy, Balaji Vishwanath laid the foundation for the expansion of the Maratha Empire.
5. Name the Peshwa who created the Maratha confederacy. Which Maratha families were part of this confederacy?
= The Maratha confederacy was created by Peshwa Baji Rao I. He was one of the most capable leaders of the Maratha Empire and played a key role in transforming the Maratha kingdom into a powerful empire.
Baji Rao I strengthened Maratha power by organizing the empire more effectively. He divided the Maratha territories into different regions and placed them under the control of important Maratha chiefs. This system came to be known as the Maratha confederacy.
The different regions of the confederacy were ruled by chiefs belonging to four prominent Maratha families. These families were the Sindhias, the Holkars, the Bhonsles, and the Gaekwads. Each family governed its region autonomously but accepted the authority of the Peshwa. The Peshwa acted as the head of the Maratha confederacy.
6. In the Third Battle of Panipat, which Indian rulers supported the Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Abdali?
= The Third Battle of Panipat was fought in 1761 between the Marathas and the Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Abdali. During this battle, Ahmad Shah Abdali received support from some Indian rulers.
Two important Indian rulers who supported him were Najib-ud-Daula, the ruler of Rohilkhand, and Shuja-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Awadh. Their support strengthened Abdali’s forces and helped him defeat the Marathas.
As a result of this battle, the Marathas suffered a crushing defeat. This defeat halted the rise of the Marathas and weakened their power in northern India.
7. How did Maharaja Ranjit Singh build a large Sikh kingdom?
= Maharaja Ranjit Singh played an important role in building a strong Sikh kingdom in the early nineteenth century. Before his rule, the Sikhs were divided into several fighting groups called misls. Each misl was led by a chief known as a misldar.
Ranjit Singh, who was the leader of the Sukerchakia misl, gradually brought many of these misls under his control. He united the Sikh territories on the western side of the Sutlej River and established a powerful Sikh kingdom. He became the first Sikh Maharaja, and his capital was Lahore.
Ranjit Singh was a brilliant commander and an able statesman. He understood the strength of the British and therefore signed a treaty with them known as the Treaty of Amritsar. This treaty fixed the Sutlej River as the boundary between the Sikh kingdom and British territories. He then expanded his kingdom towards the north and west, creating a large and powerful Sikh state.
8. Why could the Rajputs not establish a large united empire after the decline of the Mughals?
= After the decline of the Mughal Empire, many regional powers tried to establish their authority. Although the Rajput rulers also wanted to break away from Mughal control, they were unable to establish a large united empire.
One of the main reasons was the lack of unity among the Rajput rulers. They often engaged in petty quarrels and conflicts with each other instead of working together. They spent much of their time and energy pursuing their individual ambitions rather than building a strong united state.
Because of these internal divisions, the Rajputs failed to emerge as a powerful force like the Marathas and the Sikhs. Eventually, many Rajput states later became part of the territories controlled by the East India Company.
9. Write a note on the contributions of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan in making Mysore a powerful kingdom.
= Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan played an important role in making Mysore a powerful kingdom in South India during the eighteenth century. Hyder Ali was originally a soldier but rose to become the ruler of Mysore because of his military ability and leadership.
Hyder Ali was a capable administrator and a skilled military commander. He transformed Mysore from a small principality into a powerful state. He strengthened the army and nearly ended the power and presence of the East India Company in the Carnatic region.
After Hyder Ali’s death in 1782, his son Tipu Sultan became the ruler. Tipu Sultan was also a brave and patriotic leader who strongly opposed British expansion in India. He fought several wars against the British known as the Anglo-Mysore Wars. Although he initially succeeded in resisting the British, he was finally defeated and killed in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799.
Both Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan contributed greatly to strengthening Mysore and defending it against foreign domination.
Knowledge in Picture.
1. By which title were the rulers who lived in this palace addressed?
= The rulers who lived in this palace were addressed by the title Nizam.
2. Write the name of this palace.
= The name of the palace is Chowmahalla Palace.
3. Where is this palace located?
= The palace is located in Hyderabad.
4. For how long did the Nizams keep adding new structures to the palace?
= The Nizams kept adding new structures to the palace from 1750 to 1857.
5. Write the name of the Nizam’s throne.
= The name of the Nizam’s throne was Takht-e-Nishan.
Activity
Comparison of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Tipu Sultan (150 words)
Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Tipu Sultan had different relations with the British. Ranjit Singh maintained a friendly relationship with the British. He signed the Treaty of Amritsar with them, which accepted his sovereignty over the Sikh kingdom and fixed the Sutlej River as the boundary between the Sikh kingdom and the British territories. This treaty helped him secure his eastern border and expand his kingdom in other directions.
On the other hand, Tipu Sultan strongly opposed the British. He fought several wars against them known as the Anglo-Mysore Wars. Tipu Sultan believed that the British East India Company was the real enemy and spent his life defending his kingdom from them. Although he fought bravely, he was defeated in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799.
Thus, while Ranjit Singh maintained peace and diplomacy with the British, Tipu Sultan resisted them through continuous warfare.