Welcome dear students! Today we are going to learn about The Ahom Dynasty The Mughuls and the Marathas from Class 9 Social_Science. In this chapter, we will explore the Ahom Dynasty and their achievements, the Mughal rulers, the contributions of the Mughal sultans to literature, art and architecture, and the rise of the Maratha kingdom along with Shivaji’s administration. Let us begin our journey through this fascinating period of Indian history.
The Ahoms were descendants of the Mongolian Shan Tribal community. In the early 13th century, they migrated from Thailand and Myanmar and settled in Assam. Despite their external origin, they quickly adopted Indian culture. The Ahom dynasty was founded by Sukapha in 1228. Their initial capital was Cheroydoy. They successfully repelled invasions by the Khaljis, the Lodhis, and the Bengal sultans. However, Aurangzeb wanted to conquer the Ahom kingdom and launched an attack and conquered it. Bengal advanced towards the Ahom kingdom through the Brahmaputra valley, leading to a war in which the Ahoms lost a significant portion of their territory. Under these circumstances, Jayadwaja Singha of the Ahom dynasty was compelled to sign a treaty.
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After the death of Jayadwaja Singha, Lachit, the great warrior, served under Chakradwaja Singha who became the ruler of the Ahom dynasty. Lachit became the commander-in-chief of the Ahom army. This post was called Borphukhan, so he was called Lachit Borphukhan. He conducted strict training sessions for the army and introduced modernized warfare weapons. By driving away Mughal officers and army, he recaptured Itkuli fort and consolidated his position. He also reconquered Guwahati. In the battle at Alboi, the Ahoms army displayed great courage by defeating the Mughals army. However, this victory came at the cost of many soldiers losing their lives. After the death of Chakradwaja Singha, Udayadithya Singha ascended the throne in 1670. He confronted persistent Mughal attacks, and a significant naval attack took place at Sarai Ghat in 1671, where the Ahoms were most victorious. In the same year, Lachit Borphukhan passed away due to ill health.
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In 1682, under the rule of Gadhadhara Singha, the last battle took place between the Ahoms and the Mughals. Gadhadhara Singha reclaimed lost territories, expelled the Mughal army from the Brahmaputra valley, extended the Ahom kingdom to the Manasa River, and meanwhile conquered Kamarupa and added it to the kingdom. The Ahom kings established 6 capitals in their kingdom at different times. Over the course of 598 years, from 1228 to 1826, the Ahoms defeated the Mughals 17 times, securing their rule over North-East India.
Now let us move on to the Mughals in India, who ruled from 1526 to 1707. Babur, who established the Mughal rule in India, was originally from Turkistan. His father, Umarsheikh Mirza, was the king of a small kingdom called Pharghana in Afghanistan. Due to the death of his father, Babur had to ascend the throne at the very tender age of 11 years. When he lost his kingdom and was wandering aimlessly, he got the inspiration to attack India, and he invaded India 5 times. He defeated the Delhi sultan Ibrahim Lodhi in the battle of Panipat in 1526 and established the Mughal dynasty in India. This battle is known as the first battle of Panipat. Delhi was his capital. Over a period of 4 years, he defeated Rana Sangramsingh of Mewad, the Rajput king Mediniraya of Chanderi, and Ibrahim Lodhi’s brother, Mohammad Lodhi. Babur conquered Panipat, Goghra, and Kanwa. He established Mughal rule over a large area in North India.
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Here is an interesting fact for you. Babarnama, also known as Tuzuk-e-Babari, is Babur’s autobiography written in the Turkish language. In addition to dealing with political events, he also described the natural features, beauty, flora and fauna, and gardens of various areas. Babar was a poet and a talented artist. Abdul Rahim Khan translated Babar’s book into Persian.
Next, we study Humayun, the second Sultan of the Mughal dynasty and the eldest son of Babur. He had to face many tough problems when he came to power. These included an unstable and dispersed kingdom, trouble from the Afghans, enmity of Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, and the hostility of his own brothers. He conquered Kalinjar fort, Daura, Jonpur, Chunar fort, and Mandasar. Humayun was defeated by Sher Shah, sought shelter in Sindh province, and came back to power after the death of Sher Shah.
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Sher Shah originally belonged to the Sur clan of Afghanistan. His original name was Sher Shah Farid, and he was the founder of the Sur dynasty. His childhood was not happy. Deprived of his parents’ love, he wandered for some years. When he was working under Baharkhan Lohani, the king of South Bihar, he killed a tiger single-handed, and thus earned the name Sher Khan. When Babur took over the administration of India, Sher Shah worked under him and played a significant role. Sher Shah defeated Humayun and conquered Punjab, Sindh, Multan, Gwalior, Malwa, Raisindurga, Marwad, and Kalinjar. His kingdom comprised the whole of North India with the exception of Assam, Gujarat, and Kashmir.
Let us look at Sher Shah’s administrative system. Sher Shah was the head of the administrative system. He had an efficient cabinet ministry and complete control over Civil and Military administration. There were nearly about 25,000 infantry, 1,50,000 cavalry, and 500 elephants in his army. The cavalry was very strong. The army was divided into various troops and Commandants had been appointed to supervise them. Sher Shah himself paid attention to the organization of the army, arms and ammunition, and the discipline of the soldiers. If there was damage to crops during the movement of troops, the government compensated the farmers. Sher Shah constructed new forts at Delhi, Rohtas, Kanauj, and Patna. The land in the kingdom had been classified as excellent, average, and bad according to their level of fertility. The farmers gave one-third of their income as land tax to the government. Sher Shah was known for his impartial justice. Hence he had earned the title Sultan of the fair justice. The Sultan was the highest judge in the kingdom. He decided all the final appeals. He conducted his court every Wednesday evening. Sher Shah brought a new coin Daam and Rupiah into circulation. This coin weighed 180 liquorice seeds. All the other Mughal kings continued this practice.
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To look after the administration, there were 4 main departments known as Diwan-e-Insa, Diwan-e-Arij, Diwan-e-Raslat, and Diwan-e-Vajarat, and 2 subdivisions called Diwan-e-Khaja and Barid-e-Mamalik. Sher Shah also developed infrastructure. The 4 main highways were: first, from Sonargaon to the banks of river Indus through Agra, Delhi, and Lahore. This route was called Sadak-e-Azam. Second, from Agra to Burhanpur. Third, from Agra to Chittor. Fourth, from Lahore to Multan. On either side of the highway, shade-giving trees were planted and 1,700 sarais, which were shelters for relaxation of travellers, were constructed.
Now we come to Akbar, the most famous Mughal king. He was born in Amarkot in Sindh province. Humayun was his father. When Akbar assumed power, he was only 14 years old. Since he was a minor, his tutor and guardian Bairam Khan administered on behalf of Akbar. After the death of Humayun, Hemu, the military General of Bengal king Mohammad Shah Abdali, conquered Delhi and Agra. This led to the terrific battle at Panipat in 1556 between Hemu and the Mughals. This is known as the Second Battle of Panipat. Akbar emerged victorious in this battle. His Prime Minister and royal representative, Bairamkhan, came to Akbar’s assistance during the war. With the help of a mighty army, Akbar conquered Malwa, Jaipur, Gondavan, Chittor, Ranathambhor, Kalinjar, Gujarat, and Bengal.
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The Battle of Haldighat is the most significant battle in the history of medieval India. After the death of the Chittor king, Rana Uday Singh, his son Rana Pratapsingh came to power, and a large portion of Mewad came under his control. Akbar sent his powerful army under the leadership of Generals Mansingh and Asaf Khan to fight against Rana Pratap. In the battle at Haldighat, the Mughal army was victorious. The remaining states of Kashmir, Sindh, Orissa, Baluchistan, Khandhar, and Ahmednagar came under Akbar. Thus, for the first time, the Mughal kingdom expanded and laid a solid foundation for Mughal rule.
Akbar in his childhood got inspired by his mother, teachers, and sufi saints and adopted religious harmony. As a result, he assimilated the best aspects of all religions in his life. He established a new religious order named Din-e-Ilahi in 1582. Religious heads of Hindu, Jain, Zorastrian, and Christianity were invited and discussions were held at Ibadat Khana. It resulted in the rise of a new religion called Din-e-Ilahi. This was based on the motto Peace with all, or sal-i-kul. This new religion contained the noble aspects of all religions. Abul Fazal was the high priest of this religion. This religion was an amalgamation of thoughtfulness, concern, and worship of natural forces.
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The Sultan adopted a policy of tolerance towards Hindus. He permitted his Rajput wives to worship their gods in the palace itself. He abolished the Jizya tax on Hindus. He contributed towards the construction and renovation of Hindu temples. He translated the Hindu religious books into Persian language. He showed respect towards qualified Hindus by appointing them to high positions. Raja Todarmal was a famous minister of finance. Bhagavandas, Mansingh, Todarmal, and Raysingh were governors. There were 8 Hindus among the 12 provincial finance ministers. Akbar directed that the festivals of Rakhi, Deepavali, and Shivaratri should be celebrated in his court.
For administrative convenience, Akbar had divided his kingdom into Central government, provincial government, and paraganas. The Mansabdari system was a unique feature of his administration. Akbar was the supreme head of his empire, the commander-in-chief of his army, and head of the executive and judiciary. There were 4 ministers called Vakil, Diwan, Mirbhakshi, and Main Sardar to assist him in the administration. He had divided the kingdom into various provinces. They were called Subhas. Akbar had established many hierarchies in his army. These were called Mansabs and its supervisors were called Mansabdars. There were infantry, cavalry, elephant units, and cannon units in the Mughal army. There was a separate department to stamp the horses known as daag mahali.
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The revenue system was one of the remarkable achievements of Akbar’s administration. He brought the zabti system into practice. Bamboo measuring sticks with iron hooks were used to measure the land. Based on the tilling done on the land, the land had been classified as polaj, parauti, chachar, and banjar. With the exception of banjar, or barren land, based on the fertility of the soil, all the other land was classified as excellent, average, and mediocre. Each farmer was given a patta. The Police system, or kotwal, during Akbar’s time was well organized and capable. The constables assisted in the districts whereas the revenue officials assisted in the paraganas. Their duty was to preserve tight security on the highways of the district. There were police stations in the paraganas. In this manner, for the first time in the medieval age, Akbar had brought in a very efficient administrative system.
There were altogether 15 subhas. Each subha had a Sipaha-Salar, which means governor, a diwan, a bhakshi, a sadar, a priest, a constable, and a vakiya navis. Every district had a faujdar, an amal gujar, and a batikchi. The administration of the paraganas was carried out by shikdar, amil, potdar, and kanungo. Akbar also had 9 jewels, or Nav-Ratnas, in his court. They were Abdul Rahim, Abul Fazal, Bribal, Faizi, Hamid Human, Raj Manshigh, Shaikh Mubarak, Tansen, and Todarmal.
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Akbar encouraged art and architecture too. The important monuments in Fatehpur Sikri are Kwajaha Bhaga, Daftara Khana, Jodhabai palace, Daulat Khana, Panch Mahal, Birbal House, and Kabutar Khana. After Akbar, his elder son Jahangir ruled with good administration. Shahjahan became the king after the death of his father. He constructed the famous, immensely valuable ruby-studded Peacock throne. He appointed his son Aurangzeb as the royal representative of Deccan. In 1636, he defeated the Portuguese and conquered Ahmednagar. He brought into practice measurement and evaluation of land in the Deccan region. Later events led Aurangzeb to become the Sultan. During Shahjahan’s time, trade developed between India and the countries of West Asia and Europe. Shahjahan constructed the famous Taj Mahal in Agra in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz. The Red Fort at Delhi and the buildings in it are the contributions of Shahjahan. Hence, his period is referred to as the Golden Age of Mughal Art and Architecture.
The Mughal king Shahjahan built the Taj Mahal in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal on the banks of the river Yamuna at Agra in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The construction of this monument began around 1632 and was completed around 1653. This is built using white marble stone. It is one of the seven wonders of the world, and is included in the list of UNESCO world heritage sites monuments.
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Aurangzeb received good military training in his childhood and became a capable soldier. He imprisoned his father, Shahjahan, and seized power. In memory of this feat, he earned the title Alamgir, and ascended the throne. Aurangzeb put the principles of Quran into practice. To supervise the implementation of the Quran, he appointed muhtasibs in important cities. He banned the practice of sati, music concerts, gambling, drinking, and cultivation of ganja in his kingdom. The Jats, Satnamis, Bundelas, and the Sikhs in North India rose in rebellion against the despotic rule of Aurangzeb. The ninth Sikh Guru Tej Bahadur was imprisoned, tortured, and killed. Aurangzeb developed hostilities against the powerful Rajput forces which led to the downfall of the Mughal dynasty. Intolerant of the Maratha kingdom, he waged wars against Shivaji perpetually. After Shivaji died, he imprisoned Sambhaji, tortured, and killed him. He fought against the South Indian kingdoms of Adil Shahi of Vijayapura and Nizamshahi of Golconda, defeated them, and merged their kingdoms with his own.
Let us now examine the contributions of the Mughals. The Mughal administration was hereditary, and absolute monarchy was in practice. The kings referred to themselves as Badshahs. There were ministers as well as officials to advise in matters of administration. Persian was the language of administration. In order to achieve efficiency in administration, the kingdom was divided into provinces, districts, and cities. There were administrative officers to supervise them. The Sultan was the head of the judiciary. The Mughal kings had the authority to appoint or dismiss military generals and ministers. The appointment of mansabdars, giving jagirs, and framing laws were the duties of the king. Vakil, Diwan, Mirbakshi, and Mukhya sardar were the important ministers in the central government. The provincial administration was taken care of by the governor, diwan, bakshi, vakiya navis, kotwal, faujdar, amal gujar, and batikchi.
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Agriculture was the main occupation of the majority of the people in the Mughal kingdom. Land tax was collected according to the fertility of the soil. The agricultural land was measured meticulously and only then the tax was fixed. The king, ministers, officials, and other employees enjoyed a dignified status in society. With the exception of Aurangzeb, all the rest used to engage in past-times like music entertainment, drinking of alcohol, and gambling. Raja Todarmal had implemented an efficient practice of measuring the land and classifying it. Since North India had many rivers, fertile land was naturally available. Irrigation encouraged development of agriculture. Establishment of industries led to the growth of international trade and relationship. There were government factories in Lahore, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, and Ahmedabad. The famous textile industries of that period were in Benaras, Patna, Dacca, Chabaspura, Sonar, Lahore, Fatehpur Sikri, and Agra. The weaving of shawls and carpets developed during Akbar’s time. Kashmiri shawls became popular. During the Mughal period, India had trade relations with many countries in Asia and Europe. Raw silk, metals, horses, perfumes, gold, and silver were imported whereas cotton cloth, pepper, saffron, opium, salt petre, and woollen clothes were exported.
During the Mughal period, many books were written in Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Hindi, and Sanskrit languages. Babar and Jehangir were scholars and they wrote their autobiographies Babarnama and Tuzik-e-Jehangir. Abul Fazl who was in Akbar’s court, wrote Ain-E-Akbari and Akbarnama in Persian. Badauni translated the Ramayana, Faizi translated the mathematical work Leelavati, and Raja Todarmal translated the Bhagavat Puran into the Persian language. Great works were written like Ramacharitamanas by Tulsidas, and Sursagar by Surdas.
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The emperors who contributed the most to Mughal art and architecture were Akbar and Shahjahan. The wonderful monuments built by them are in Fatehpur Sikri, Agra, and Delhi. These were the capitals of the Mughals. Shahjahan built Akbari Mahal, Jehangir Mahal, and a fort at Agra. He built forts in Lahore and Allahabad similar to the one at Agra. After constructing the Red Fort, Diwan-e-Khas, Rang Mahal, Mumtaz Mahal, Moti Masjid, Nakkar Khana, Khas Mahal, and other structures were accommodated. In addition to this, the country’s largest mosque, Jamia Masjid, was also built at Delhi during Shahjahan’s period.
During the period of Humayun, the art of painting evolved. With the help of Mir Sayyed Ali and Abdus Samad of Persia, various painted canvases were created. Of the 17 artists in the court of Akbar, 13 artists were Hindus. Famous among them were Daswant, Basavana, Lala, and Mukunda. In Jehangir’s court, Ustad Mansoor and Abdul Hassan were present. These artists mainly produced huge paintings of Mughal kings and their queens.
Now let us turn our attention to The Marathas. The rise of the Maratha kingdom in Deccan during the 17th century was an important development. It spread over the present North India. During the 17th century, Maharashtra was under the control of Nizam Shahi of Ahmednagar and Adil Shahi of Vijayapura. These Sultans employed local Marathas in their armies. Deshpandes and Deshmukhs were the collectors of land tax. Among them, Shahaji Bhonsle was an administrator under Vijayapura Sultan and had been gifted lands. Looking at the map of Shivaji’s ruling areas, we can see his territory covering Chandur, Ellora, Daman, Mumbai, Pune, Rayagada, Daulatabad, Satara, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Golconda, Raichur, Vijayanagar, Koppala, Goa, Karawar, Ballari, Sira, Kolar, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Madhurai, Thanjavur, Nellore, Vellur, Ashani, and Jinji, bordered by the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
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The establishment of the Maratha kingdom opened up a new chapter in Indian history. The Marathas fought with the Mughals to protect the integrity of the nation and to save it from external aggression. Shivaji was the most famous of the Maratha kings. He was successful not only in expanding the kingdom but also in giving a good administration. The teachings of famous saints of Maharashtra influenced the protection of Hindu religion and establishment of the Maratha kingdom. Shivaji was born in Shivaneri of Pune district. His father, Shahaji Bhonsle, was in the service of the Vijayapura Sultan. His mother, Jijabai, was a pious woman who inculcated religious fervor, uprightness, honesty, and sincerity in his son.
Hiding in hills, forests, and shrubs, and attacking the enemies abruptly is called guerilla warfare. Dadaji Kondadeva was Shivaji’s guru and he trained him in armed warfare and the scriptures. Shivaji achieved proficiency in body-building, fencing, horse-riding, and other field events. In his childhood itself, Shivaji had dreamt of establishing an independent kingdom. Therefore, he made Pune as his centre and started the process of expansion of his kingdom. Towards this end, Shivaji assembled an army of the local Mavali youths and trained them in guerilla warfare. Shivaji conquered Torana fort, Purandhar gadh fort, Chakkankot, Simhagadh, and Javali fort from the Vijayapura Sultan. He renamed Hosadurga near Torana fort as Raigadh. He built a new fort called Pratapgad. Since Shivaji fought against Vijayapura Sultans, his father, Shahaji, was captured by the Sultan. On the assurance that he would not attack them again, Shahaji was released.
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Shivaji fought the Mughal sultan, Aurangzeb, for many years. In addition to defeating the Shia kingdoms in South India, Aurangzeb had determined to vanquish the Maratha kingdom completely. To achieve this, he appointed Shahista Khan and Jaisingh. Jaisingh defeated Shivaji and made an agreement in Purandargadh. As per the agreement, Shivaji surrendered 23 of his forts and the land yielding 16 lakhs income annually. He promised to be loyal to the Mughals and sent 5,000 cavalry under the leadership of his son, Sambaji, to Delhi. With an intention to stop Shivaji becoming intimate with Adil Shah of Bijapur and Kutub Shahi of Golconda, Jaisingh called Shivaji to Agra. Aurangzeb did not show proper respect to Shivaji in his court and insulted him. When Shivaji protested against this, Shivaji and his son Sambhaji were kept in prison in Agra. But after a few days, Shivaji, along with his son, escaped from the prison by hiding in a fruit basket, and reached Raigadh. Later he strengthened his army and conquered many of the forts that he had lost. Shivaji’s coronation took place in the year 1674 at Raigadh. There he was given the title Chatrapathi and felicitated.
Shivaji had organized an efficient administrative system in his vast kingdom. He had divided his kingdom into many provinces. They were called Swaraj and Mughal areas. Marathi was the language of administration. There were ministers known as Asthapradhans in the central government to assist the king. In addition to them, there were other officials. Province, district, and village were the administrative units. Shivaji’s system of revenue collection was the Ryotwari system, favorable to farmers. He abolished the jahagir revenue system. The tax was collected in the form of money or material. Chauth, which is one-fourth of the land tax, and sardeshamukhi, which is one-tenth of the land tax, types of land taxation were in practice.
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In Shivaji’s administration, the traditional system of justice was in practice. The village panchayat used to dispense justice in villages. The Brahmin judges used to give decisions based on smritis, or scriptures. The Maratha army had infantry, cavalry, elephant units, and cannon units. There were important forts in Raigadh, Rajgadh, Toranagadh, Pratapgadh, and Simhagadh. The hawaldar, or constable, was the supervisor of the fort. The army was divided into small units. Shivaji’s soldiers were specially trained in guerilla warfare.
After the death of Shivaji, Sambaji by his own strength became the successor of the Maratha kingdom. Instead of protecting his kingdom, he himself became the victim of Aurangzeb’s army. His wife and young son Shahu were captured. Thus, Rajaram, the younger brother of Shambhuji, took over the administration as the royal representative. Rajaram fought against the Mughals again and recaptured Gujarat, Malwa, Khandesh, Berar, and other forts. Since Rajaram died in 1700, his wife, Tarabai Mohite, made her 10-year old son, Shivaji II the king, and ruled over the kingdom on his behalf. She served as the royal representative from 1700 to 1708. She also waged war against Aurangzeb. Although initially, the Mughals were victorious, later on the Marathas recaptured their lost territory. Aurangzeb’s successor, Bahadur Shah I released Sambhaji’s son Shahu from prison and permitted him to collect chauth and sardeshmukhi taxes from Mughal lands in the South. This led to internal strife between Tarabai and Shahu, and Tarabai gave up. But Shahu was not competent enough. He handed over the administration to his Peshwa, or Prime Minister. In this manner, the Peshwa rule began in the Maratha kingdom.
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Balaji Vishwanath was nominated as Peshwa for his efficient and loyal service as a commander of Shah. He played a decisive role in successfully getting Sahu and his mother free from the captivity of the Mughals. He gained the friendship of Sayyed brothers of the Mughal dynasty and under the employment of Shivaji, earned the responsibility of collecting land taxes on the areas captured by the Mughals during their administration. He was able to bring together the members of the Maratha Union: Bhonsle, Gaikwad, Holkar, Scindhia, and the Peshwas. Thus he established the fame of the Marathas.
After the death of Balaji Vishwanath, his eldest son, Baji Rao I, got appointed as Peshwa. Although he was only 19 years old, he was an unparalleled warrior. With the intention of expanding the Maratha kingdom in North India, he conquered Gujarat, Malwa, and gained the authority to collect chauth and sardeshmukhi taxes. He invaded Chitradurga and Srirangapatna of Karnataka. When Baji Rao declared war against the Mughals, Nizam-ul-Mulk, with the intention of assisting the Mughals, tried to march towards Delhi. But he lost to the Marathas in a battle near Bhopal. Due to this, the vast stretch of land between the Narmada and Chambal rivers and 50 lakh rupees came to Baji Rao as war compensation. In addition to this, he conquered Salcet and Basin from the Portuguese and Janjira from the Siddhis. Pune became his administrative centre. At this juncture, the members of the Maratha union, Scindhia of Gwalior, Holkar of Indore, Bhonsle of Nagpur, and Gaikwad of Baroda decided together to become independent. Baji Rao I not only ruled with efficiency but also re-established the glory of the Maratha empire. Hence he was called Shivaji II.
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Since he came to power at the age of 20 years, Balaji Baji Rao appointed his close relative, Sadashiv Bavu, to guide him in the administration. He aspired to enhance the image of the Marathas. He took measures to improve the economic state of the kingdom. To establish the empire of Bundelkhand, he travelled with the armies of Holkar and Scindhia in the year 1742. Ahmed Shah Abdali of Afghanistan attacked Mughal areas and captured Lahore, Multan, and Kashmir. Then the Mughal king, Safdarjung, entered into an agreement with the Marathas. This agreement related to internal and external invasions. As expected, Ahmed Shah Abdali invaded India. Balaji Baji Rao fought with his army in Panipat in 1761 and got defeated.
Madhav Rao I was the second son of Balaji Baji Rao and became the Peshwa after the death of his father. Since he was a minor, he appointed his uncle as the royal representative. After the defeat in the Third Battle of Panipat, he recovered in an astonishing manner, and established his kingdom in South and North India. When the Nizam attempted to benefit from the defeat of Panipat, Madhav Rao I defeated him in the battle near Ahmednagar. He defeated Hyder Ali of Mysore also. He not only waged war against Mysore a second time, defeating Shrirangapatna and acquiring all the area earlier occupied by Hyder Ali, but he also received a huge amount of money as war compensation. He overthrew the Rajputs, Jats, and Rohils of North India. He helped the Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam II, who had been banished as a traitor, to regain his throne at Delhi. In this manner, Madhav Rao re-established the lost glory of the Marathas in a very short period. After the British routed the Marathas in the Third Anglo-Maratha War, Maratha rule came to an end.
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Now let us review the exercises to ensure you are fully prepared for your exams. For the first section, fill in the blanks with suitable words. The founder of the Ahom dynasty was Sukapha. The founder of the Mughal dynasty was Babur. The most famous emperor among the Mughals was Akbar. The king who built the Taj Mahal at Agra was Shahjahan. The Mughal emperor who established the new religion Din-e-Ilahi was Akbar. Shivaji’s mother was Jijabai.
Moving to the second section, let us answer the questions thoroughly. The important achievements of the Ahom dynasty include successfully repelling invasions by the Khaljis, Lodhis, and Bengal sultans, establishing 6 capitals, and defeating the Mughals 17 times over 598 years to secure their rule over North-East India. The military achievements of Babar include invading India 5 times, defeating Ibrahim Lodhi at the first battle of Panipat in 1526, and conquering Panipat, Goghra, and Kanwa while defeating Rana Sangramsingh of Mewad, Mediniraya of Chanderi, and Mohammad Lodhi over 4 years to establish Mughal rule in North India. Comparing the present-day administrative system with Sher Shah’s, we note that Sher Shah had a centralized system with an efficient cabinet, complete control over civil and military administration, a classified land revenue system where farmers paid one-third of their income, impartial justice with the Sultan as the highest judge, and a well-organized highway network with 1,700 sarais. Today’s administration is democratic, decentralized, constitutionally bound, and relies on modern technology, whereas Sher Shah’s was monarchical and autocratic.
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The areas won by Akbar include Malwa, Jaipur, Gondavan, Chittor, Ranathambhor, Kalinjar, Gujarat, Bengal, Kashmir, Sindh, Orissa, Baluchistan, Khandhar, and Ahmednagar. The period of Shahjahan is called the Golden Era of art and architecture of the Mughals because he constructed the ruby-studded Peacock throne, the Taj Mahal in memory of Mumtaz, the Red Fort at Delhi with structures like Diwan-e-Khas, Rang Mahal, Moti Masjid, and Nakkar Khana, and the country’s largest mosque, Jamia Masjid, while also building forts in Lahore and Allahabad. Shivaji’s system of administration divided the kingdom into Swaraj and Mughal areas with Marathi as the administrative language, used Asthapradhans as central ministers, organized provinces, districts, and villages, implemented the Ryotwari revenue system, abolished the jahagir system, collected Chauth and sardeshamukhi taxes, used traditional village panchayat justice guided by Brahmin judges and smritis, and maintained an army of infantry, cavalry, elephants, and cannons supervised by hawaldars at important forts. The achievements of Baji Rao I include conquering Gujarat and Malwa, gaining authority to collect chauth and sardeshmukhi taxes, invading Chitradurga and Srirangapatna in Karnataka, defeating Nizam-ul-Mulk near Bhopal to gain land between the Narmada and Chambal rivers plus 50 lakh rupees, conquering Salcet and Basin from the Portuguese and Janjira from the Siddhis, making Pune his administrative centre, and re-establishing the glory of the Maratha empire.
For the activities, you should mark on a map of India the areas conquered by Akbar, which include Malwa, Jaipur, Gondavan, Chittor, Ranathambhor, Kalinjar, Gujarat, Bengal, Kashmir, Sindh, Orissa, Baluchistan, Khandhar, and Ahmednagar. You should write an essay on how Shivaji’s mother Jijabai was successful in inculcating patriotism in Shivaji by highlighting her pious nature, her role in teaching him religious fervor, uprightness, honesty, and sincerity, and how these values shaped his dream of an independent kingdom and his dedication to protecting Hindu religion and national integrity. You should also mark on a map of India the Ahom Kingdom and its places, focusing on Assam, the Brahmaputra valley, Cheroydoy, Itkuli fort, Guwahati, and the Manasa River. For the project, write a report on the administrative system in your area by observing local governance structures, revenue collection methods, judicial processes, and public service delivery, comparing them with historical systems studied in this chapter.
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Thank you for listening! Keep revising and practicing. Goodbye! [CHAPTER_COMPLETE]