Indian History Questions: Mughal Empire 1

1. Babur–namah or Tuzuk –i-Baburi is the Wakai or Memoirs (autobiography) of the first Mughal emperor Babur. In which language was it written?
(a) Arabic
(b) Persian
(c) Turkish or Turki
(d) Pushto

2. Who among the following foreigners was not impressed with the state of public security in Mughal Empire during the reign of Shah Jahan?
(a) Nicholas Withington
(b) Peter Mundy
(c) William Hawkins
(d) William Finch

3. Who among the following foreign traveler was eyewitness to the Dara Sikhoh’s public humiliation in Delhi by his brother Aurangzeb after war of succession?
(a) Travernier
(b) Munucci
(c) Francois Bernier
(d) Dr. Gemelli-Carreri

4. Sir Thomas Roe was sent as accredited ambassador of the King of England, James I to the Mughal court of
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shah Jahan
(d) Aurangzeb

5. In the war of succession Dara Shikoh was finally defeated by Aurangzeb in the battle of
(a) Deorai
(b) Samugarh
(c) Dharmat
(d) Khajwah

6. Which of the following is not a historical work of the reign of Mughal emperor Akbar?
(a) Akbarnamaha of Abul Fazal
(b) Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh of Badauni
(c) Padshahnama of Amin Kazwini
(d) Tabaqat-i-Akbari of Nizam-ud-din Ahmad

7. Which of the following has been described as Aurangzeb’s height of political unwisdom?
(a) Imprisonment of Shivaji at Agra
(b) Waging unnecessary and ruinous wars in the North-west frontier
(c) Execution of the ninth Sikh Guru Teg Bahadur in 1675
(d) Attempt to annex Marwar

8. Which of the following historical works was not written during the reign of Mughal emperor Auranzeb?
(a) Alamgirnamah of Mirza Muhammad Kazim
(b) Khulasat-ut-Tawarikh by Sujan Rai Khatri
(c) Nushka-i-Dilkusha by Bhimsen
(d) Amal-i-Salih by Muhammad Salih

9. Who among the following was the last great royal patron of Mughal school of painting?
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shah Jahan
(d) Aurangzeb

10. Who amog the following Mughal emperors was an accomplished veena player?
(a) Humayun
(b) Akbar
(c) Shah Jahan
(d) Aurangzeb

Answers: 
1-C; Turkish or Turki was Babur’s mother tongue.

2-b; While Flinch came to India during Akbar’s reign, Nicholas Withington and William Hawkins visited India during his son Jahangir’s reign. Peter Mundy, an English merchant-traveller, has also left a detailed account of the horrors of famine that took place in Gujarat and Deccan from 1630-1632 during Shah Jahan’s reign.

3-C; Bernier writes about the disgrace faced by Dara: "The crowd assembled was immense; and everywhere I observed the people weeping, and lamenting the fate of Dara in the most touching language. . . . From every quarter I heard piercing and distressing shrieks . . . men, women and children wailing as if some mighty calamity had happened to themselves.”

4-b: Sir Thomas Roe stayed at Jahangir's court from the end of 1615 till the end of 1618.

5-a; Battle of Dharmat took place on the 15th April, 1658. Dharmat is fourteen miles from Ujjain. Battle of Samugarh took place on 29th May, 1658. Muran, another brother of Aurangzeb aiming for the Mughal throne was defeated by his in the battle of Khajwah, near Allahabad, on the 5th January, 1659. The battle of Deorai was fought for three days( 12th-]4th April, 1659) resulting in the defeat of Dara. Deorai is four miles south of Ajmer.

6-c; Padshahnama of Amin Kazwini was written during the reign of Shah Jahan. Other important works during the reign of Akbar are Tarikh-i-Alfi of Mulla Daud, Akbarnamah of Faizi Sarhindi and Maasir-i-Rahimi of Abdul Baqi.

7-d;

8-d; Other historical works of Aurangzeb’s period are Muntakhab-ul-Lubab of Khafi Khan, Maasir-i-Alamgiri of Muhammad Saqi and Fatuhat-i-Alamgiri of Ishwar Das. Since Aurangzeb was opposed to the idea of writing of histories of his reign, Muntakhab-ul-Lubab was written by Khafi Khan in secrecy.

9-c;

10-d;

Theosophical Society

Theosophical Society was founded in 1875 in New York in the USA by Madame H. P. Blavatsky and Colonel H. S. Olcott. They came to India in January 1879 and set up the headquarters of the society at Adyar, presently a suburb of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. It was however with the joining of the society by Annie Besant in 1888 in England that the movement began to gain momentum. Theosophical society owes its success in India to Annie Besant who arrived in India in 1893 at the age of forty six and made permanent residence in the country.

Fundamental teachings of the Theosophical Society

·         The spiritual hierarchy of God

·         The unity of God and three-fold emanation of God

·         Universal brotherhood

Though Theosophical society had several branches all across India, it exerted a compelling influence on the social and religious life of South India to a good measure. Its role in “the awakening and self-respect of the Indians” has been acknowledged by everyone. However, since its beliefs were a bizarre mixture of religion, philosophy and occult mysticism, they proved to be a deterrent for many who might have supported the movement. 

Theosophical society is remembered for its great work in the field of education. The opening of the Central Hindu College in Varanasi by Annie Besant in 1898 is case in point. 

Efficient Drainage System Of Indus Valley Civilization

Drainage System at Lothal / Image Credit

One of the most striking features of Harappan civilization, also known as Indus valley civilization, is its elaborate drainage system which was a product of careful thought and planning. Furnished with sophisticated sewage system, the main streets of the cities of the Indus valley civilization had sewers below them. The bathrooms of the houses flowed into sewers leading to the soak pits. The drains were covered with large slabs of bricks and stones. However, one defect of the drains during the period was that they were located near the wells.

This unique drainage system of the Indus people indicates the existence of a highly organized municipal organization without which it would not have been possible to maintain such an efficient system of drains.

It can be safely said that no other ancient civilization can come close to the Harappan culture when it comes to drainage system.

The efficient sewage system, characteristic feature of the Indus Valley Civilisation site of Lothal in Gujarat, underscores the importance of cleanliness accorded by the Harappan people. 

Aram Shah (2010-2011): Second Slave Ruler of Delhi Sultanate

After his death at Lahore in early November in 1210, Qutb-ud-din Aibak, the founder of the Slave (Mamluk) dynasty, was succeeded by Aram Bakhsh who ascended the throne of Delhi Sultanate under the title of Sultan Aram Shah. The exact nature of relationship of Aram Bakhsh with Qutb-ud-din is not known. According to one school of thought, he was his son. However, contemporary historian Minhaj –us-Siraj makes no mention of Qutb-ud-din’s son and says that he had only three daughters. According to Abul Fazal, court historian of Mughal Emperor Akbar, Aram Shah was Qutb-ud-din’s brother. 

Sultan Aram Shah proved to be an inexperienced and incapable ruler. The nobles and amirs invited Qutb-ud-din Aibak’s son-in-law Iltutmish, then governor of Badaun, who defeated Aram Shah in the plains of Jud near Delhi. Thus ended the eight month rule of Aram Shah who was not heard of afterwards.  

Chola Dynasty of Sangam Age

Cholas were one of the three major ruling dynasties of the Tamil Country during the Sangam period. They ruled over an area known as Tondaimandalam or Cholamandalam. The most celebrated ruler of this line was Karikalan who made a grand anicut at Kaveri and laid the foundation of the capital of Kaveripattinam, also known as Puhar. Kaveripattinam, now a non-descript fishing village silted up by the river mud, had an artificial harbour which was built by prisoners of war who were obtained by him following his successful raid on Sri Lanka. Uraiyur was the earlier capital of the Chola kingdom.  

Karikalan was the son of Ilanjetcenni who was a valiant and brave ruler.

Karikalan, which means man with a charred leg, was so named because his leg was caught in flames when the prison, in which he was incarcerated after being kidnapped by his enemies, was set on fire. He, however, managed to escape alive. 

A contemporary of Chera king Perunjeral Adan whom he defeated in the Battle of Venni (modern Kovilvenni, 15 miles (24 km) to the east of Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu), Karikalan was an able ruler and great general. Equipped with a powerful army, he made Chola a naval power very early in the historical period as gauged from his victory on the Sri Lankan kingdom. He is said to have founded Kaveripattinam or Puhar, the chief port of the ancient Chola kingdom.

After Karikalan’s death, the Chola kingdom plunged into utter chaos as a result of the internal strife among the royal family. His two sons were ruling from two different capitals Uraiyur and Kaveripumpattinam.

Karikalan’s great grandson Ilagovadigal is credited with the authorship of the greatest Tamil epic Silappadigaram. 

The last great Chola ruler of the Sangam period was Nedunjelian who defeated the rulers of Chera and Pandya dynasties. He was, however, mortally wounded in the war.

After the third century AD decline for Chola kingdom set in due to the frequent attacks by the Cheras and the Pandyas. Pallavas who were now emerging as another power also invaded the Chola territory. 

According to Tamil epic Manimekalai written by Sattan of Madurai, the port town of Kaveripumpattinam was destroyed by the vicious tidal waves of the sea during the reign of later Chola ruler Killivalavan. 

Reference: 

Sastri, K. A. Nilakanta. A History of South India: From Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar. 

Chandragupta Maurya, Founder of Mauryan Empire

                              Maurya Empire, c.250 BCE / Wikimedia Commons

Chandragupta Maurya’s claim to fame rests on the fact that he was the founder of the first and one of the greatest empires that appeared in India. He not only succeeded in overthrowing the unpopular last ruler of the Nandas with their capital at Pataliputra (modern day Patna), also to his credit goes the driving out of the Greeks garrisons from the North-West frontier set up as a result of Alexander’s invasion and unification of a large part of India including the Deccan. In fact, he was the first Indian ruler who sent military expeditions beyond the Vindhyas and brought the area under his influence.

The early life of Chandragupta Maurya

The early life of Chandragupta Maurya and his ascent to the throne is hidden in obscurity. He is described as Sandrocottus in the Greek sources which attest to his meeting with Alexander who is said to have not liked his boldness of speech. 

Chandragupta Maurya is also mentioned as Sandrocottus in the Greek sources. 

According to the Sri Lankan Buddhist chronicle Mahavamsa, Chandragupta Maurya belonged to the Kshatriya clan of the Moriyas of Pipphalivana. The Jaina text Sthaviravali Charita or Parishishtaparvan, written by 12th century Jaina author Hemchandra, states that he was the son of “the chief of the peacock tamers”. 

The sixth century work of Vishakhadatta, Mudrarakshasa (Minister’s Signet Ring), which describes the usurpation of the Nanda throne by Chandragupta, refers to his low origin, which can be gauged by the epithets ‘Vrishala’ and ‘Kulahina’ used by the text for Chandragupta. In the backdrop of conflicting descriptions, Justin’s statement that he was “born in humble life” seems plausible.

Kautilya, also known as Vishnugupta and Chankya, was the minister of Chandragupta Maurya. 

Military Conquests of Chandragupta Maurya

The sources dealing with the military conquests of Chandragupta Maurya are annoyingly scarce. As a matter of fact, it is not clear whether he first overthrew Mahapadma Nanda, the last Nanda ruler, or drove put the Greeks from the North-West part of India. From the inferences from the Jaina and Greek sources, it seems that liberation of Punjab was the first military activity by Chandragupta Maurya who felt emboldened by the confusion in the Greek empire that followed Alexander’s sudden death in 323 BC in Babylon. Justin writes about the prevailing condition of the time, “India, after the death of Alexander, had shaken, as it were, the yoke of servitude from its neck ad put his Governors to death. The architect of this liberation was Sandrocottus.” 

After driving out the Greeks, Chandragupta turned his attention to the overthrow of the Nanda dynasty that was ruling Pataliputra at that time. Again, we are faced with the scarcity of accounts about this conquest. From the Jaina work Parisisthaparvan we come to know that Chankya, the able Brahmin advisor of Chandragupta, aided him in the conquest of Pataliputra by making him allying with a neighbouring king Parvataka. The combined armies of both the powers dealt the body-blow to the Nanda empire. According to Milinda-panho, Nanda army was led by its general Bhaddasala.

After the defeat of the Nanda power, Chandragupta declared himself the ruler of Magadha. He, however, again embarked on a policy of fresh military expeditions thereby bringing different parts of India under his suzerainty.

War with Seleucus

A war with Seleucus Nicator, one of Alexander’s generals, became inevitable for Chandragupta as the former after his master’s death became ruler of Babylon and tried to recover Alexander’s Indian provinces which had become part of the Mauryan empire.  However Seleucus was defeated and entered into an alliance by ceding the Satrapies of Archosia (Kandahar) and the Paropanisade (Kabul), together with portions of Aria (Herat) and Gedrosia (Baluchistan). Under the terms of the alliance, the Mauryan emperor presented 500 elephants to the Greek general. According to Appian, the peace was concluded by a marriage alliance. However, the exact nature of this alliance is not known. Megasthenese was sent as ambassador to the Mauryan court to reside at Pataliputra.

Conquests of Western India and South

That western India was included in the Mauryan empire under Chandragupta can be ascertained from the Saka ruler Rudradaman I's Girnar Rock Inscription of  about 150 AD which refers to his reconstruction of a great dam or reservoir for irrigation which was excavated by Pushyagupta, the provincial governor (rashtriya) of Chandragupta Maurya in the provinces of Anarta and Saurashtra (Gujarat).  Chandragupta further extended his boundaries into the Konkan in Maharashtra where Asoka’s Rock Edict has been found at Sopara. Ashoka, grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, had excavated several edicts and inscriptions throughout the length and breadth of his kingdom. Since Bindusara, who was the son and successor of Chandragupta Maurya, is not known to have made any conquest and Asoka only conquered the Kalinga kingdom of Odisha, it can be said with certainty that Konkan was annexed to the Mauryan empire by Chandragupta.

Same can be said of Chandragupta’s expansion of his territories beyond the Vindhyas. The Rock Edicts II and XIII of Asoka state that the Mauryan empire shares its border with those of the southern kingdoms of the Cholas, Pandyas, Satyaputras and Keralaputras.

Last years of Chandragupta Maurya

Chandragupta Maurya ruled for twenty-four years. His rule ended either in 301-300 BC or 298-97 BC. According to the Jaina text Parishisthaparvan, he embraced Jainism towards the end of his life. He abdicated the throne in favour of his son and retired to Jaina temple and monastery at Sarvanbelgola in Karnataka with his teacher Bhadrabahu. There he starved himself to death.  

Islam Shah Suri: Successor of Sher Shah Suri and Second Sur Ruler

After the death of Sher Shah Suri, the founder of Sur dynasty that almost supplanted the nascent Mughal Empire resulting in the exile of the second Mughal emperor Humayun from India, he was succeeded on the throne by his second son Jalal Khan on 25th May 1545 AD. Sher Shah died on 22nd May from an accidental explosion of gunpowder during his siege of the Hindu fort of Kalinjar in central India. Since it was felt by the nobles of the empire that someone was needed to be raised to the throne as early as possible they forsake his eldest son Adil Khan in favour of Jalal Khan who was in the town of Rewah which was nearer to Kalinjar than Ranthambore where the eldest son was present at the time of Sher Shah’s demise. 

 

Jalal Khan ascended the throne with the title of Islam Shah though he is more popularly known as Salim Shah. The fort he built in Delhi is also known as Salimgarh Fort, lying adjacent to the Red Fort built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, the builder of Taj Mahal. 

A ruined mosque inside Salimgarh Fort / Image Credit

Though Islam Shah Suri tried to be an efficient ruler to some extent but he remained in constant dread of his elder brother Adil Khan who was nominated heir apparent to the Sur Empire. However, he succeeded in defeating Adil Khan who fled the battlefield. Nothing is heard of him after that.

Islam Shah’s reign was marked by intrigues and useless quarrels. He became suspicious of the nobles and thus embarked on a reign of tyranny and brutality. He died in November 1554 in Gwalior and was buried in Sasaram in Bihar near the tomb of his father. He was succeeded by his minor son Firuz Khan, who was twelve years of age at that time. After three days Firuz was murdered by his own maternal uncle Mubariz Khan, son of Nizam Khan Sur, Sher Shah's younger brother. Mubariz Khan was the brother of Firuz Khan's mother, Bibi Bai.  

Mubariz Khan ascended the throne under the title of Muhammad Adil Shah.

Key Points

• Tarikh-i-Sher Shahi is the only historical account on the reign of Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri. It was written by Abbas Khan Sarwani and commissioned by third Mughal ruler Akbar whose father Humayun was defeated by Sher Shah Suri at the battles of Chausa and Kanauj in 1540. 

• Tomb of Sher Shah at Sasaram was completed by Islam Shah Suri. 

• Tomb of Islam Shah Suri is also at Sasaram. It is one km north west of the tomb of Sher Shah's tomb.
• During the rule of Islam Shah Suri, prostration was made before the vacant throne  
• Kamran, brother of Humayun, tried to enlist the support of Islam Shah Sur against his own brother. However, Islam Shah Sur rebuffed his request.  

                     Incomplete Tomb of Islam Khan Tomb at Sasaram / Image Source

Bibliography 

SAA Rizvi: The Wonder that was India