NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Social Science History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire

NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Social Science History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire: Students of class 7 must go through the solutions for Social Science History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire in this article to get a good score in the exam. These solutions help the students understand the question pattern and question type asked in the exam. The Mughal Empire class 7 includes how the Mughals expanded their kingdom from Agra and Delhi, starting from the latter half of the 16th century. By the 17th century, the Mughals had gained control over nearly the entire Indian subcontinent. Mughals imposed structures of administration and ideas of governance, which are still in practice. Those who succeeded the Mughals could not ignore the political legacy which had been left behind by the Mughals. Class 7 History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire deals with the concepts related to the Mughal Empire.

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The Mughal Empire Class 7 NCERT Solutions

Students can go through the questions and solutions prepared for class 7 Social Science History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire below

Question 1. Match the following:

Answer:

Question 2. Fill in the blanks:

(a) The capital of Mirza Hakim, Akbar’s half-brother, was _______.

The capital of Mirza Hakim, Akbar’s half-brother, was Kabul.

(b) The five Deccan Sultanates were Berar, Khandesh, Ahmadnagar, _____ and _____.

The five Deccan Sultanates were Berar, Khandesh, Ahmadnagar, Bijapur and Golconda.

(c) If zat determined a mansabdar’s rank and salary, sawar indicated his ______.

If zat determined a mansabdar’s rank and salary, sawar indicated his specific number of cavalrymen.

(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.

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.

Read More: NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Social Science History Chapter 2

Question 3. What were the central provinces under the control of the Mughals? 

Mughals controlled several central provinces which they called subas. Most subas, total 22, were recorded under the rule of Aurangzeb. They were namely—Kabul, Kashmir, Lahore, Multan, Delhi, Agra, Awadh, Illahabad, Bihar, Bangal, Orissa, Malwa, Ajmer, Gujrat, Golkonda, Berar, Bijapur, Thatta, Khandesh, Aurangabad, Bidar and Sira.

Read More: NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Social Science History Chapter 3

Question 4. What was the relationship between the mansabdar and the jagir? 

• The mansabdari system was administered during the rule of Mughal emperor Akbar.

• The mansabdars were high ranking officials who joined the royal service under the Mughal government.

• The mansabdars received a certain salary for their service from the empire which defined their rank. The rank and salary were also called zat which defined their position in the royal court.

• One of the assignments of the mansabdars is to collect revenues from certain areas. This area is referred to as jagir.

• The mansabdar mostly did not reside in the jagir but sent his men from his service to collect revenues, while they served the king in other parts of the empire.

Question 5. What was the role of the zamindar in Mughal administration? 

• In the Mughal administration, the zamindars were used to collect revenue directly from the peasants. They were the connection between the peasants and the sovereign.

• In rural areas, the zamindars acted as village chieftains in absence of any other official from the Mughal court. Sometimes zamindars and peasants of equal castes together rebelled against the ruler.

Question 6. How were the debates with religious scholars important in the formation of Akbar’s ideas on governance? 

• Akbar, the greatest ruler of the Mughal dynasty, was curious about religious and social customs. To quench his interests, he often used to arrange debates among scholars of different religions.

• Various information learned from those debates helped him to understand that religious texts and leaders of different religions emphasise more on rituals and dogma to give rise to bigotry, which caused divisions and disrupted the harmony of the society.

• Thus, he created the idea of ‘universal peace’ or ‘sulh-i-kul’, which emphasised tolerance, justice, peace throughout the society irrespective of religion or caste.

• Akbar’s minister and writer Abul Fazl helped him in building this vision of governance and was later followed by Akbar’s son Jahangir and grandson Shah Jahan during their rule as well.

Question 7. Why did the Mughals emphasise their Timurid and not their Mongol descent? 

• Ghengis Khan, the great Mongol emperor and his army of Huns left a trail of massacre and destruction behind him over the larger part of central Asia.

• Though Indian history remembers Timur Long similarly, Mughals took great pride in that he seized Delhi in 1398. The Mughal kings wanted to see themselves as Timur.

• Thus, Mughal rulers emphasised more of Timur as their ancestor compared to Mongol king Ghengis Khan.

Question 8. How important was the income from land revenue to the stability of the Mughal Empire? 

• The Mughal empire’s main income source was revenues collected from peasants and from agricultural products. This money was collected by the zamindars and submitted to the Mansabdars. They put the money into the Mughal treasury.

• Salaries of soldiers, government workers, tasks for the welfare of the commoners were paid from those taxes.

• To keep law and order over the empire, land revenue was the most important income source.

Question 9. Why was it important for the Mughals to recruit mansabdars from diverse backgrounds and not just Turanis and Iranis? 

• When the first mansabdari system was introduced by Mughals, they first recruited Turkish noblemen or Turanis and the Persian nobleman or Iranians as mansabdar.

• Later Muslims of Indian descent, Afghans, Rajputs, Marathas, and people from other backgrounds were also recruited as mansabdars.

• The reason behind recruiting mansabdars from diverse communities was to gain the trust of common people and to create a balance of power in the administration.

• This discussion helped the Mughals to expand and solidify their hold over various regions and provinces.

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Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire Class 7 Topic-Wise Discussion

Who were the Mughals?

Descendants of Genghis Khan and Timur, the Mughals avoided the terms “Mughal” or “Mongol” due to negative associations with Genghis Khan’s brutal reputation and conflicts with the Uzbegs. They took pride in their Timurid ancestry, celebrating their great ancestor’s capture of Delhi in 1398.

Mughal Military Campaigns

Babur, the first Mughal emperor, seized Kabul in 1504 and defeated Sultan Ibrahim Lodi at Panipat in 1526, capturing Delhi and Agra. The Mughals had a unique tradition of succession, rejecting primogeniture and following coparcenary inheritance, dividing inheritance among all sons.

Mughal Relations with Other Rulers

Mughal rulers campaigned constantly against rulers who refused to accept their authority. However, as they became powerful many rulers like the Rajputs joined them voluntarily. Many of the Rajputs married their daughters into Mughal families and received high positions. Many resisted as well.

For example, Sisodiya Rajputs of Mewar refused to accept Mughal authority. However, upon defeat, they were honourably treated by the Mughals, given their lands (watan) back as assignments (watan jagir). This careful balance between defeating but not humiliating their opponents enabled the Mughals to extend their influence over many kings and chieftains. However, it was difficult to keep this balance all the time.

A Closer Look: Akbar’s Policies

Akbar’s policies, detailed by Abul Fazl in “Akbar Nama” and “Ain-i Akbari,” structured provinces as subas, each governed by a subadar overseeing political, judicial, and military matters. The administrative roles included a financial officer (diwan), military overseer (Bakshi), and ministers for religious and charitable affairs (sadr) and peacekeeping (faujdars). Nobles, with vast armies and revenue access, ensured efficient empire functioning, although by the late 17th century, their loyalties weakened.

The Mughal Empire in the 17th Century and After

The effective management in both administration and the military resulted in significant economic and trade success. Travellers from around the world depicted it as a legendary land of prosperity. However, alongside great wealth, there were also areas experiencing poverty. The disparities were evident. Records from the 20th year of Shah Jahan’s rule reveal that the highest-ranking officials, known as mansabdars, were only 445 out of 8,000, which is about 5.6%. Surprisingly, they received 61.5% of the total estimated empire revenue as salaries for themselves and their soldiers.

These officials spent a considerable portion of their income on salaries and goods, benefiting artisans and peasants who supplied them. However, the extensive revenue collection left little for investment in the hands of the primary producers, such as peasants and artisans. The poorest struggled to meet their basic needs and couldn’t invest in additional resources to enhance productivity. On the other hand, wealthier peasants, artisans, merchants, and bankers thrived in this economic environment.

The immense wealth and resources controlled by the Mughal Elite made them extremely influential in the late 17th century. As the Mughal Emperor’s authority declined, his servants became powerful centres of influence, establishing new dynasties and governing provinces like Hyderabad and Awadh. Despite this, they continued to acknowledge the Mughal emperor in Delhi as their leader. By the 18th century, the empire’s provinces solidified their independent political identities.

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Class 7 Social Science History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire Summary

Chapter 4 of Class 7 Social Science History is about the Mughal Empire, one of the most famous empires in Indian history. The Mughal Empire was founded in 1526 by Babur, who came from Central Asia and defeated the Sultan of Delhi, Ibrahim Lodi, in the First Battle of Panipat. This victory marked the beginning of Mughal rule in India.

Babur’s grandson, Akbar, is remembered as one of the greatest Mughal emperors. He expanded the empire and established a strong, central government. Akbar was known for his fair rule and efforts to promote harmony among people of different religions. He introduced policies that encouraged tolerance and even married women from various communities to build stronger alliances.

The Mughal Empire reached its peak under Akbar’s successors, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, and Aurangzeb. Jahangir was known for his support of the arts and his love for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan is famous for building the Taj Mahal in her memory. Aurangzeb expanded the empire to its largest size but is often remembered for his strict policies and the decline of the empire’s stability towards the end of his reign.

The Mughal Empire began to weaken after Aurangzeb’s death. Internal conflicts and invasions by other powers led to its gradual decline. Despite this, the Mughal era left a rich legacy in art, architecture, and culture, which continues to influence India today.

Class 7th History Chapter 4 Question Answer FAQs

Q1. Who were the Mughal's class 7 solutions?

Ans. The Mughals were descendants of two great lineages of rulers. From their father’s side  they were the successors of Timur, the ruler of Iran, Iraq and modern-day Turkey. From their mother's side, they were descendants of Genghis Khan, ruler of the Mongol tribes.

Q2. Who was the first Mughal ruler?

Ans. The first Mughal ruler was Babur, who was the father of Humayun and grandfather of Akbar. 

Q3. Who is Aurangzeb?

Ans. Aurangzeb was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire and arguably the wealthiest as well as the most powerful ruler of this day

Q4. What is the name of chapter 4 in class 7 history?

Ans. The name of chapter 4 in class 7 history is The Mughal Empire Start Revision. 

Q5. How many years did Akbar rule?

Ans. Akbar ruled from 1556 to 1605 and extended Mughal power over most of the Indian subcontinent.