NCERT Solutions Class 7 Social Science (History)
The NCERT Solutions in English Language for Class 7 Social Science (History) Chapter – 4 (The Mughal Empire) has been provided here to help the students in solving the questions from this exercise.
Chapter – 4 (The Mughal Empire)
Let’s Recall
1. Match the following:
| Mansab | Marwar |
| Mongol | governor |
| Sisodiya | Rajput Uzbeg |
| Rathor | Rajput Mewar |
| Nur Jahan | rank |
| Subadar | Jahangir |
Answer –
| Mansab | rank |
| Mongol | Uzbeg |
| Sisodiya | Rajput Mewar |
| Rathor | Rajput Marwar |
| Nur Jahan | Jahangir |
| Subadar | governor |
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.
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.
4. What was the relationship between the mansabdar and the jagir?
Answer – A jagir was a revenue assignment for the mansabdars. The mansabdars had the right to collect revenue from a jagir but they could not reside in or administer the jagir.
Let’s Understand
5. What was the role of the zamindar in Mughal administration?
Answer – The Zamindars in the Mughal administration collected revenue from the peasants. They acted as intermediaries between the rulers and the peasants.
6. How were the debates with religious scholars important in the formation of Akbar’s ideas on governance?
Answer – Debates with religious scholars helped Akbar in framing the idea of sulh-i kul of ‘universal peace’. By using such a policy of tolerance Akbar was able to formulate governance guidelines which were based on a system of ethics.
7. Why did the Mughals emphasise their Timurid and not their Mongol descent?
Answer – The Mughals emphasized their Timurid and not their Mongol descent because Ghengiz Khan’s memory was associated with the massacre of innumerable people. They prided themselves on the fact that Timur had captured Delhi in 1398.
Let’s Discuss
8. How important was the income from land revenue to the stability of the Mughal Empire?
Answer – The income from land revenue was the main source of income for the mughal rulers and hence it was very important.
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.
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 a challenge to national integration because:
- We have a unified system of government that has the same rules and regulations for all the citizens irrespective of religion, region, etc.
- We have a constitution guarding the rights of all and specifying their duties.
- Now we are unified as a nation, not as distinct states or regions of different rulers.
11. Peasants were vital for the 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.
Let’s Do
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 – Yes,
- We have great architectural remains of this period which gives lots of information about construction, material styles, etc.
- Islam as a religion gave a distinct cultural flavour to the city.
- Urdu has enriched our literature, music, and art of writing.
- Mughal remains are great tourist attractions.
