Quick Revision Notes: Class 7 Social Science

Chapter: The Mughals (16th to 17th Century)

1. Introduction

• Who were the Mughals? The Mughals were descendants of two great lineages of rulers. From their mother’s side, they were descendants of Genghis Khan (died 1227), the Mongol ruler. From their father’s side, they were successors of Timur (died 1405), the ruler of Iran, Iraq, and modern-day Turkey.
• However, they preferred to be called Mughal or Mughul, as Genghis Khan's memory was associated with the massacre of innumerable people.

2. Major Mughal Emperors (The Great Mughals)

• Babur (1526–1530): The first Mughal emperor. He captured Delhi in 1526 by defeating Ibrahim Lodi at the Battle of Panipat.
• Humayun (1530–1540, 1555–1556): Lost the empire to Sher Shah Suri, but recovered it in 1555.
• Akbar (1556–1605): Became emperor at the age of 13. Known for his expansionist policies and religious tolerance.
• Jahangir (1605–1627): Continued Akbar's military campaigns and patronized arts and painting.
• Shah Jahan (1628–1658): Known for architectural wonders, especially the Taj Mahal in Agra.
• Aurangzeb (1658–1707): The last of the "Great Mughals." Fought a long war in the Deccan and faced severe rebellions.

3. Important Military Campaigns & Expansion

• Panipat (1526): Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi.
• Khanwa (1527): Babur defeated Rana Sanga of Mewar.
• Chanderi (1528): Babur defeated the Rajput rulers.
• Expansion under Akbar: Campaigns were launched against Malwa, Gujarat, Mewar, Khandesh, and the North-West. The empire reached its greatest territorial extent under later rulers like Aurangzeb.

4. Mughal Administrative Systems

• Mansabdari System: A grading system used by the Mughals to fix rank, salary, and military responsibilities.
  • Rank / Salary: Determined by numerical values called zat.
  • Military Responsibility: Required to maintain a specific number of cavalrymen or sawars.
• Zabt and Revenue System:
  • Revenue from land was the main source of income for the rulers.
  • Zabt: A revenue system introduced by Todar Mall (Akbar’s revenue minister), where crop yields and prices were surveyed over a 10-year period to fix taxes.
• Akbar Nama and Ain-i Akbari:
  • Written by Abul Fazl, Akbar's close friend and courtier.
  • It is a three-volume history of Akbar’s reign. The third volume, Ain-i Akbari, deals with Akbar’s administration, household, army, revenues, and the geography of his empire.

5. Mughal Policies: Akbar to Aurangzeb

• Sulh-i Kul ("Universal Peace"):
  • Akbar promoted this idea of tolerance. It did not discriminate between people of different religions in his realm. It focused on honesty, justice, and peace.
• Religious Discussions at Ibadat Khana:
  • Akbar held discussions with ulema, brahmanas, Jesuit priests, and Zoroastrians. This led him to realize that religious scholars who emphasized dogma and bigotry were often orthodox.

6. Key Terms & Definitions

• Zat: The numerical rank assigned to a Mansabdar that determined his status and salary.
• Sawar: The cavalrymen maintained by the Mansabdars.
• Jagir: A land grant given to Mansabdars for collecting revenue (though they did not reside on them).
• Ulema: A scholar of Islamic learning and law.
• Dogra / Bigot: An individual who is intolerant of another person's religious beliefs or culture.
• Suba: A province in the Mughal Empire, governed by a Subadar.