Causes for the Decline of the Mughals & British Expansion in India PDF
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The document provides insights into the decline of the Mughal Empire, detailing factors such as religious reforms, wars, and the rise of lazy successors. It also discusses the British expansion in India, outlining events like the Battles of Plassey and Buxar. Keywords include Mughal decline, British expansion, and Indian history.
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Grade VIII – History Causes for the decline of the Mughals urangzeb’s religious reforms: A Aurangzeb reinstituted the Jizya tax on non-Muslims / Destroyed Hindu temples, causing widespread unrest / Enforced strict Islamic laws and banned Hindu practices like Suttee /...
Grade VIII – History Causes for the decline of the Mughals urangzeb’s religious reforms: A Aurangzeb reinstituted the Jizya tax on non-Muslims / Destroyed Hindu temples, causing widespread unrest / Enforced strict Islamic laws and banned Hindu practices like Suttee / These measures alienated Hindus, who formed a significant part of the population / The religious policies led to agitation and resistance across India. Outcome: Religious policies created divisions in society / Contributed to long-term instability in the empire. urangzeb’s wars: A He fought a war against the Rajputs and launched campaigns in NWFP against Pathans / Faced multiple rebellions from Sikhs, Satnamis, and Jatts / The Maratha war proved to be the costliest and most draining / Heavy taxes were imposed to fund these wars, burdening the population / Continuous wars left the treasury empty and weakened the empire. Outcome: Wars caused severe economic misery / Mughal military strength and control diminished over time. urangzeb’s love for luxury: A Aurangzeb spent large sums on personal projects like building palaces / Constructed the Pearl Mosque in Delhi for his private prayers / Excessive spending made him unpopular among the people / Contributed to the financial decline of the empire / The empire’s resources were misused, furthering its economic downfall. Outcome: His lifestyle alienated the public / Drained resources that could have been used for administration or military improvements. I ndefinite law of succession: Dead emperors’ sons fought for power, leading to chaos / Aurangzeb tried dividing the empire among his four sons, which failed / After Muezzin’s death, succession wars led to instability / In 10 years, 12 claimants contested the throne / These wars weakened the economy and divided the empire, causing immense loss of life. Outcome: Succession struggles left the empire politically fragmented / Frequent conflicts drained resources and leadership capacity. L azy successors: Later Mughal emperors were lazy and incompetent / They handed governance to mansabdars, nobles who sought personal gains / These corrupt nobles grew powerful, assassinating some rulers like Farukhsiyar / This created an imbalance of power and weakened the central government / No emperor could effectively rule amidst internal strife. Outcome: Power shifted to corrupt nobles / Central authority collapsed, making the empire vulnerable. NOTES O Levels Pakistan Studies 2059/1 ilitary inefficiency: M Mughal armies, once disciplined and powerful, became complacent / They stopped adopting modern warfare advancements / The army lacked discipline, cohesion, and innovation / Composed of diverse groups like Persians and Afghans, it had internal divisions / Despite numerous ports, the empire lacked a naval fleet. Outcome: The military could no longer defend the empire effectively / Weakness in warfare left the empire open to external invasions. ast empire: V The empire stretched thousands of miles, making communication and control difficult / Rebellion news took months to reach the emperor, delaying responses / The mansabdari system, weak and corrupt, failed to counter this / Regions like Bihar, Bengal, and the Deccan declared independence at times / Central control eroded in distant parts of the empire. Outcome: Vastness and poor administration caused decentralization / Regional rulers gained independence, further weakening the empire. I nvaders: Nadir Shah invaded in 1739, defeated Muhammad Shah at Karnal, and sacked Delhi / He left after two months with immense wealth, including the Peacock Throne / Ahmed Shah Durrani attacked in 1747, capturing Kabul, Peshawar, and Lahore / By 1756, he controlled Punjab, Kashmir, and Multan / These invasions drained resources and humiliated the empire. Outcome: Invaders weakened the Mughal hold over key territories / The empire lost wealth and prestige, accelerating its decline. ritish: B The British, better equipped and trained, took advantage of Mughal weaknesses / They employed local sepoys and gained military experience from combating European rivals / Decisive victories at Plassey and Buxar marked their dominance / Betrayals like Mir Jafar’s aided British expansion / Captured lands were exploited for profit, leading to Mughal decline. Outcome: The British effectively ended Mughal rule / They established themselves as colonial masters of India. NOTES O Levels Pakistan Studies 2059/1 British Expansion in India Factor 1: Battle of Plassey - 1757 awab Siraj-ud-Daulah attacked Calcutta, prompting British reinforcements / Colonel Robert Clive N recaptured Calcutta / The French East India Company supported Siraj-ud-Daulah with a small contingent / Mir Jafar, Siraj-ud-Daulah’s army chief, conspired with the British / Siraj-ud-Daulah was defeated by 3,000 British soldiers. utcome: The British gained control of Bengal and immense revenue concessions / They used this O wealth to strengthen their military and push out other European colonial powers. Factor 2: Battle of Buxar - 1764 ir Qasim alliedwithShuja-ud-DaulahandShahAlamII/TheircombinedforcesfoughttheBritish M atBuxar/BritishgeneralHectorMunroledtheforcestovictory/TheBritishtookthefortressesof Chunar and Allahabad / Shah Alam II joined the British camp to negotiate terms. utcome: The British secured trading rights in Oudh and increased influence in Bengal / Indian O resistance failed, and British control expanded further. Factor 3: Mysore Wars - 1799 ritish allied with Nizam of Hyderabad and the Marathas against Haider Ali / Haider Ali initially B defeated the British and dictated peace / Tipu Sultan continued resistance after Haider Ali’s death in 1781 / Tipu Sultan achieved victories but faced conspiracies / He was betrayed by Mir Sadiq and killed in the 4th Mysore War at Seringapatam. utcome: Mysore came under British control after Tipu Sultan’s death / South India became a key O region under British domination. Factor 4: British Enter Delhi - 1803 T he British feared French influence through MarathasandShahAlamII/Britishforcesdefeated Maratha troops near Delhi/TheyenteredDelhiandplacedShahAlamIIunderprotection/The Mughal emperor had no real power to resist / British began overseeing Delhi’s administration. utcome: The British controlled Delhi but avoided declaring full rule due to fear of rebellions / O They gradually began managing India’s administrative affairs. Factor 5: Defeat of Marathas - 1818 ritish forces, allied with Hyderabad, attacked the Marathas in Deccan / The Marathas were B unable to match British military strength / British used superior weaponry and resources in the conflict / The war ended with British dominance in southern India / Marathas’ defeat ensured British control over the region. utcome: Southern India, including the Deccan, came under British control / The British faced little O organized resistance in the region afterward. NOTES O Levels Pakistan Studies 2059/1 Factor 6: Annexation of Sindh - 1843 ritish aimed to restore pride after failure in Afghanistan / Sir Charles Napier took advantage of B internal conflicts in Sindh / The British destroyed the fortress of Imamgarh, provoking war / At the Battle of Miani, Napier defeated a 20,000-strong Sindhi force / Sindh, except Khairpur, was annexed by the British. utcome: Sindh became part of British-controlled territories / The British established strong O governance in the southwestern subcontinent. Factor 7: Annexation of Punjab and NWFP - 1846-1849 unjab’s administration weakened after Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s death / British exploited the P disorder to enter Lahore / Dilip Singh, a young and inexperienced ruler, replaced Kharak Singh / British consolidated control with minimal resistance / By 1849, Punjab and NWFP were formally annexed. utcome: Western India came under British control without significant resistance / The O annexation marked the completion of British dominance in the region. Factor 8: Doctrine of Lapse - 1852 L ord Dalhousie introduced the Doctrine of Lapse to annex states without direct heirs / States like Jhansi, Nagpur, and Oudh were targeted / British declared rulers incompetent to justify annexation / This undermined the traditional rights of Indian rulers / Many princely states were annexed into British territory. utcome: British control expanded over many princely states / The doctrine created resentment O and resistance among Indian rulers. British Reforms/Rule > India was very wealthy, but this wealth was heavily exploited by the British, with all this wealth going over to the British. >In 1829, they banned Suttee (A common Hindu tradition) > Replaced Persian with English as the government language … Indians could no longer get government jobs. > Indians had to send their children to co-ed schools with westernized Educations. They disliked this as it went against their culture and religion. > Christian Missionaries came and set up schools, and seemed to try and convert the local populace to Christianity. This was resented by the Indians. > British brought in the railway system, which is also annoyed the Indians as they felt that the British were trying to intervene in India too much. > British sold cotton in India (thanks to Industrial Revolution) and collapsed the Indian Textile Industry, leaving millions jobless and poor. NOTES O Levels Pakistan Studies 2059/1 The Causes of the War of Independence Political Causes: T he British introduced the Doctrine of Lapse, which allowed them to confiscate the territories of rulers without a direct male heir / This angered Indian landlords who lost their lands and rebelled / By 1857, the Mughal Emperor, though powerless, remained a significant symbolic figure / The British moved the royal family from the Red Fort of Delhi to Qutub Sahi, which Indians saw as disrespectful / Resentment also grew at the lack of opportunities for Indians in the Civil Service, as their rights were disregarded. utcome: Indian rulers and commoners felt alienated by British policies / Discontent among O political leaders strengthened the call for rebellion. Military Causes: T he Greased Cartridge Incident angered Indian sepoys, as it showed British disregard for their religious beliefs / The Indian army consisted mainly of sepoys, but British officers held all leadership roles, creating feelings of inequality / Indian troops were sent to Afghanistan, which Hindus disliked for taking them away from their land, while Muslims resisted fighting fellow Muslims / British military policies failed to respect Indian traditions, leading to widespread disapproval / Indian soldiers, treated as inferior, began questioning their loyalty to the British. utcome: Alienation of Indian soldiers created unrest in the military / This military dissatisfaction O contributed directly to the uprising. Religious Causes: umors of forced religious conversion to Christianity angered Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh soldiers, R who felt their faiths were under threat / The British abolished Hindu practices like suttee and encouraged widow remarriage, which many Indians saw as interference / The tradition of pardha as ridiculed by the British, deepening cultural resentment / Christian missionaries established w schools to teach Christianity and incentivized conversions, offending local traditions / Regular actions by the British were seen as disrespectful to Indian religions and cultures. utcome: Religious interference united Indians across faiths against the British / The belief that O their traditions were under attack fueled rebellion. Social Causes: T he British considered Indians inferior, spreading their own culture while neglecting Indian traditions / Indians were rarely given high-ranking positions, leaving them disempowered in their own country / British individuals were tried in special courts with leniency, while Indians faced ordinary courts with harsh punishments / Judicial bias against Indians created significant social resentment / This unfair treatment further alienated Indian society, uniting different classes in opposition to British rule. utcome: Social discrimination and inequality deepened hatred toward British rule / Widespread O resentment among Indians bridged social and economic divides. NOTES O Levels Pakistan Studies 2059/1 The Reasons for the failure of the War Lack of Unity Among Rebels T he rebels lacked a common purpose, with many fighting for personal gain and refusing to act unless directly affected / Some princely states, like Kashmir, supported the British for their own benefit, weakening the rebellion / Lord Canning offered concessions, leading many leaders to abandon the fight / Vandalism by rebels alienated locals, who sided with the British for law and order. utcome: The rebels' lack of unity and local support weakened the rebellion / Divisions among O leaders and the population’s disapproval led to failure. Superior British Organization T he British had already secured Punjab and Sindh, reducing support for the rebels / Bahadur Shah II's weak leadership left the rebels disorganized / The British had advanced weaponry, while rebels used outdated arms / British troops were well-trained and led by experienced generals. utcome: The British's superior organization and leadership made them more effective / Poor O leadership and outdated methods hurt the rebel forces. Technological and Strategic Advantage T he British had advanced weapons and better training, while rebels used traditional arms / British soldiers were highly motivated and loyal, unlike the indecisive rebels / British used railways and telegraphs for better communication and supply lines. utcome: The British's technological and logistical advantages ensured their victory / The rebels O couldn't compete with British strategies and resources. PRACTICE QUESTIONS 04 Mark Questions 1. Explain the role of the British in the decline of the Mughal Empire. 2. How did Aurangzeb’s wars contribute to the Mughal decline? 3. What were the main social causes of the War of Independence in 1857? 4. What was the Doctrine of Lapse? 5. State the inefficiencies that weakened the Mughal Empire. 07 Mark Questions 1. Explain the reasons that led to the outbreak of the War of Independence. 2. Analyze the reasons for the failure of the War of Independence in 1857. . How did the British reforms in India contribute to the resentment that led to the War of 3 Independence? NOTES O Levels Pakistan Studies 2059/1
