Knowledge
What were the offices held by Sa'adat Khan?
Sa'adat Khan held the officers of Subadari, diwani,
and faujdari. In other words, he was responsible
for managing the political, financial and military affairs of the province of Awadh.
Why did Marathas wanted to expand their territory beyond Deccan?
The Marathas wanted to expand beyond the Deccan in order to decrease the Mughal infulence.
By the 1720s, they seized Malwa and Gujarat from the Mughals and by the 1730s, the Maratha king was recognised as the overlord of the entire Deccan peninsula
Do you think banking and money lenders are controlling the agriculture I modern India? Yes/ No?
Hint: Ijardari system.
Opinions.
What is Zat rank ?
Zat was a number which represented the rank or status of a Mansabdar in the Army system
Being a servant of the Mughal empire how did Asaf Jah take charge of the Deccan as an Independent ruler?
He was entrusted first with the governorship of Awadh, and later given charge of the Deccan.
Asaf Jah brought skilled soldiers and administrators from northern India who welcomed the new opportunities in the south.
He appointed mansabdars and granted jagirs.
The Mughal emperor merely confirmed the decisions already taken by the Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah. He took advantage of that.
Why only Rajputs were allowed to take their own provinces as Jagirs (Watan Jagirs) under Mughals and not any other rulers?
- Rajputs had matrimonial and political alliances with Mughal.
- They were seen as a threat to Mughal authority, so it was important to appease them.
- Mughals needed ally in the North-western part of India which was considered as region targeted by foreign enemies.
When did the third battle of Panipat took place ?
1761
Subadars not Governors often controlled the offices of revenue and military administration (diwani and faujdari) as well. Agree/ Disagree? Explain.
Disagree. Subadars and Governors are different terms for both means the same.
You are a ruler of an eighteenth century kingdom. Tell us about the steps you would take to make your position strong in your province, and what opposition or problems you might face while doing so.
(i) In order to make my position strong, I would reform military and financial systems of my province.
(ii) I would end corruption in the administration.
(ii) The most expected problem would be the attack be some other kingdom. I would be ready to face any such attack.
How did the Nawabs of Awadh and Bengal try
to do away with the Jagirdari system?
1. By reducing the number of office holders.
2. Appointing his own loyal servants.
3. Transferred all Mughal jagirdars to Orissa and ordered a major reassessment of the revenues of Bengal.
We sacked and plundered Delhi and Northern part of India when Mughal empire was in its downfall to further the problems.
a) Who are we ?
b) When did we do this ?
a) Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali.
b) Nadir Shah, sacked and plundered the city of Delhi in 1739
Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Abdali, who invaded north India five times between 1748 and 1761.
Why did the revenue collected from the Capital during the Mughal rule declined?
As the governors ( Subadar) consolidated their control over the provinces, the periodic remission of revenue to the capital declined.
As a Mughal ruler what steps you would have taken if your spy informed you about the wrong intention of the governors?
Have a check on the Jagirdars appointed by me and take fortnightly reports.
Would have checked the accounts of the jaguars under my control.
How were Sikhs organized in the eighteenth
century?
1. Under a number of able leaders in the eighteenth century, the Sikhs organized themselves into a number of band called jathas and later on misls.
2. Thier combined forces were known as the grand army.
3. The entire body used to meet at the time of Baisakhi and Diwali to take collective decisions.
Q. Which were the new Independent groups that emerged consolidating powers in the subcontinent?
1. States that were old Mughal Provinces like Awadh, Bengal and Hyderabad.
2. Rajput Principalities.
3. The last group included states under the control of Marathas, Sikhs and others like the Jats.
"The peasant reaps a harvest of gold, his lord does not see so much as a wisp of straw"
Explain the statement?
The great lords are helpless and impoverished. Their peasants raise two crops a year, but their lords see nothing of either, as entire administration of political and economic authority shifted into the hands of provincial governors, local chieftains and other groups.
The social unrest amongst the peasant and zamindars caused due to the pressure of mounting taxes was one of the reasons for the decline of Mughals. We have seen this happening during Delhi Sultanate under the rule of Muhammad Bin Tughlaq.
How do you think that this kind of situations and circumstances can create trouble for government in current time?
Now, since we live in a democratic setup, people may not revolt in the same way as they did during late Mughal Empire, but they can follow some other methods of registering their protest and raise their demands such as protesting, campaigning, raising awareness etc. They can also opt to change the government in the upcoming election.
What were the new developments in money and banking sector during the late 18th century?
It sold the right to collect tax to the highest bidders. These “revenue farmers” (ijaradars) agreed to pay the state a fixed sum of money. Local bankers guaranteed the payment of this contracted amount to the state.
These developments allowed new social groups, like moneylenders and bankers, to influence the management of the state’s revenue system, something which had not occurred in the past.