The Mughals — challenges and cultural impact
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Question
Who was Shivaji?
Answer
Maratha warrior-king (c.1630–1680) who founded an independent Hindu state in the Deccan and crowned himself Chhatrapati in 1674.
Question
What tactics did the Marathas use against the Mughals?
Answer
Guerrilla warfare — fast raids, ambushes, and retreat into hill forts — avoiding large set-piece battles.
Question
Why were the Deccan wars (1681–1707) so damaging to the Mughals?
Answer
Aurangzeb spent 26 years and huge resources fighting the Marathas there without achieving lasting victory, draining the treasury and neglecting the rest of the empire.
Question
What happened to Mughal succession after Aurangzeb's death in 1707?
Answer
A rapid series of weak emperors were crowned, controlled or deposed by powerful nobles, showing the collapse of strong central authority.
Question
What was the significance of Nadir Shah's invasion in 1739?
Answer
The Persian ruler sacked Delhi and took the Peacock Throne, exposing how little real military power the Mughal centre still had.
Question
Define Bhakti.
Answer
A Hindu devotional movement emphasising a personal, emotional relationship with God through songs and poetry, open to all castes.
Question
Define Sufism.
Answer
The mystical branch of Islam, led by Sufi saints (pirs) whose shrines attracted both Muslim and Hindu devotees.
Question
Define syncretism (in the Mughal context).
Answer
The blending of different religious or cultural traditions — e.g. shared Hindu-Muslim shrine visits, Akbar's interfaith Din-i Ilahi, and the emergence of Urdu.
Question
What is the Taj Mahal and who built it?
Answer
A white marble mausoleum in Agra built 1632–1653 by Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, blending Persian, Islamic and Indian styles.
Question
How did Mughal painting change from Akbar to Aurangzeb?
Answer
It flourished under Akbar (inclusive workshops) and Jahangir (naturalistic studies), then declined under Aurangzeb, whose strict piety cut court patronage.
Question
Compare the Deccan wars and the succession crisis as causes of Mughal weakening.
Answer
The Deccan wars drained resources and exposed military limits over decades; the succession crisis after 1707 rapidly converted that weakness into visible collapse — the two causes reinforce each other rather than acting alone.
Question
How did Akbar use religious tolerance politically?
Answer
He abolished the jizya tax on non-Muslims (1564), married into Rajput families, and held interfaith debates, winning Hindu loyalty and strengthening imperial legitimacy.
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Topic 12.2 hub
The Mughal Empire and the British East India Company (1526–1858)
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