NCERT Solutions for Class 7 History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire contains answers to the exercise questions given in the “Our Pasts-II”. All the answers provided here are accurate and simple that will help you understand the concepts easily and continue your studies without a doubt. These solutions will also help you to score higher marks with the help of well-illustrated answers. All the questions and answers are provided here in PDF format.
Class 7 History The Mughal Empire Questions and Answers
Question 1: Match the following:
| Mansab | Marwar |
| Mongol | governor |
| Sisodiya Rajput | Uzbeg |
| Rathor Rajput | Mewar |
| Nur Jahan | Jahangir |
| subedar | rank |
Answer:
| Mansab | rank |
| Mongol | Uzbeg |
| Sisodiya Rajput | Mewar |
| Rathor Rajput | Marwar |
| Nur Jahan | Jahangir |
| subedar | governor |
Question 2: Fill in the blanks:
(a) The capital of Mirza Hakim, Akbar’s half-brother, was _____.
(b) The five Deccan Sultanates were Berar, Khandesh, Ahmadnagar, _____ and _____.
(c) If zat determined a mansabdar’s rank and salary, sawar indicated his ______.
(d) Abul Fazl, Akbar’s friend and counsellor, helped him frame the idea of _______ so that he could govern a society composed of many religions, cultures and castes.
Answer:
(a) The capital of Mirza Hakim, Akbar’s half-brother, was Kabul.
(b) The five Deccan Sultanates were Berar, Khandesh, Ahmadnagar, Bijapur and Golconda.
(c) If zat determined a mansabdar’s rank and salary, sawar indicated his number of cavalrymen.
(d) Abul Fazl, Akbar’s friend and counsellor, helped him frame the idea of sulh-i kul so that he could govern a society composed of many religions, cultures and castes.
Question 3: What were the central provinces under the control of the Mughals?
Answer: The central provinces under the control of the Mughals were Delhi, Kabul, Mewar, Sindh, Marwar, Gujarat, Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Chittor and Deccan.
Question 4: What was the relationship between the mansabdar and the jagir?
Answer: Mansabdars were the patrons who joined Mughal services. They received their salaries as revenue assignments. This was called jagir. Mansabdars did not actually reside in or administer their jagir. They only had rights to the revenue of their assignments. This revenue was collected for them by their servants, while the mansabdars themselves served in some other part of the country
Question 5: What was the role of the zamindar in Mughal administration?
Answer: The role of the zamindar in Mughal administration was to collect the revenues and taxes from the peasants. Thus, they acted as an intermediate between the Mughals and the peasants. In some areas, the zamindars exercised a great deal of power and were considered a part of the rural elite, like the village headman or the chieftains.
Question 6: How were the debates with religious scholars important in the formation of Akbar’s ideas on governance?
Answer: The debates with the religious scholars helped Akbar realise that religious figures were often bigots who obsessed over rituals and dogmas rather than seeking religious harmony. They further assisted him in formulating the concept of ‘sulh-i-kul’ or universal peace. This faith did not prescribe discrimination between citizens and enabled Akbar to formulate guidelines based on a system of ethics, justice, honesty and peace.
Question 7: Why did the Mughals emphasise their Timurid and not their Mongol descent?
Answer: The Mughals emphasized on their Timurid and not their Mongol descent because Ghengiz Khan’s memory was associated with the massacre of innumerable people. They took pride on the fact that Timur had captured Delhi in 1398. Each ruler got a picture made of Timur and himself.
Question 8: How important was the income from land revenue to the stability of the Mughal Empire?
Answer: The income from land revenue was very important to the stability of the Mughal Empire. It strengthened the economic system of the Empire. In fact, the income from land revenue which was the main source of income for the Mughal rulers which they used for building forts and for the welfare of their subjects.
Question 9: Why was it important for the Mughals to recruit mansabdars from diverse backgrounds and not just Turanis and Iranis?
Answer: It was important for the Mughals to recruit mansabdars from diverse backgrounds and not just Turanis and Iranis because the empire had expanded to encompass different regions and provinces. By recruiting mansabdars from diverse backgrounds, the Mughals won the trust of the common people and created a balanced administration.
Question 10: Like the Mughal Empire, India today is also made up of many social and cultural units. Does this pose a challenge to national integration?
Answer: No. This does not pose any challenge to national integration. Unity in diversity is the special feature of India. Indians may belong to different regions, cultures, castes and creed. But this does not mean that they are different people. They are one and are proud of being born in India.
Sometimes social conflicts arise no doubt but they are solved in an amicable way. Whenever there is an external threat, all Indians come together. The Kargil war is worth mentioning here. India fought and won the war in the last. That was the time when everyone was filled with patriotic feelings. There was only one goal, Le. to win the war and that India did with the help of her brave heroes.
Question 11: Peasants were vital for economy of the Mughal Empire. Do you think that they are as important today? Has the gap in the income between the rich and the poor in India changed a great deal from the period of the Mughals?
Answer: Peasants are as important today as they were during the Mughal Empire. They cultivate land and grow crops without which we cannot survive. They pay land revenue to the government which is used in various development work. We cannot think of a sound economy without them. They are the backbone of the country.
Question 12: The Mughal Empire left its impact on the different regions of the subcontinent in a variety of ways. Find out if it had any impact in the city, village or region in which you live.
Answer: I live in Delhi. It was the capital of the Mughal Empire. The Empire changed the face of the city. We see the Red Fort, Chandni Chowk, Jama Masjid, Humayun’s tomb, the Mughal garden etc. in the city. These were the contributions of the Mughal emperors who made the city so rich and colourful.