Ch 6 Rise of Autonomous Kingdoms PDF

Ch 6 The Rise of Autonomous Regional Kingdoms II. Answer these questions in brief- 1. What reforms did Murshid Quli Khan carry out in Bengal? Ans- The decline of the Mughal power gave Murshid Quli Khan, the governor of Bengal, an opportunity to assume authority in Bengal...

Ch 6 The Rise of Autonomous Regional Kingdoms II. Answer these questions in brief- 1. What reforms did Murshid Quli Khan carry out in Bengal? Ans- The decline of the Mughal power gave Murshid Quli Khan, the governor of Bengal, an opportunity to assume authority in Bengal. He was an efficient ruler. He reorganised the revenue department and appointed both Hindus and Muslims in his administration. He also promoted trade and established law and order in his kingdom. 2.Why were the Rajputs an easy prey for the British? Ans- The Rajput states of Mewar, Jaipur and Marwar became autonomous after the decline of the Mughal Empire. However, these states never attempted to unite and constantly fought among themselves. They also had problems within their own kingdoms. This enabled the British to dominate them easily. 3. Why did the Nawabs of Bengal fail to curb the growing power of the British in their region? (similar answer to Q III Q 5) Ans- The Nawabs of Bengal were not able to understand the actual intention of the Company. They thought that it was a trading company that was not interested in gaining political power and will not be able to challenge their authority. There were a lot of corrupt nobles and officials. This meant that Bengal became a prey to the Company’s growing ambitions. 4. Who signed the Treaty of Amritsar? What were the terms of this treaty? Ans-  In 1809, Maharaja Ranjit Singh signed the Treaty of Amritsar with Lord Minto, the Governor General of the English East India Company. The terms of the treaty included the acceptance of River Sutlej as the boundary between the Sikh and the British Empire and a policy of non- interference in the internal affairs of the empire by the British. 5. Do you agree that the Third Battle of Panipat shattered the Maratha dream of replacing the Mughals as the rulers of India? Give reasons for your answer. Ans- Yes, the Third Battle of Panipat shattered the Maratha dream of taking up the mantle from the Mughals as they were decisively defeated by Ahmad Shah Abdali. This defeat made it impossible for them to replace the Mughals. 6. Which factors facilitated the rise of autonomous regional kingdoms in the Indian subcontinent? Ans- The decline of the Mughal Empire in the eighteenth century was the most important factor that led to the rise of autonomous regional kingdoms in the Indian subcontinent. When the Mughal Empire collapsed, there was a lot of political chaos all around. Several strong and crucial nobles emerged to create their own independent kingdoms. III. Answer these questions in detail- 1. What was the role of the three Peshwas in the rise of the Maratha power? Ans-The three Peshwas played a very important role in the rise of the Maratha power after the fall of the Mughal Empire. BALAJI VISHWANATH Balaji Vishwanath took advantage of the declining power of the Mughal Empire and consolidated the Maratha power. He restored all the territories of the Marathas that had been captured by the Mughals after the death of Shivaji. This made the Marathas more powerful and more prestigious. He was able to secure the right to impose chauth and sardeshmukhi from the six provinces in the Deccan, which were previously held by the Mughals. He also went up to Delhi and helped the Sayyid brothers win their battle against Mughal Emperor Farrukhsiyar.  He also laid the foundation of the Peshwa rule. BAJI RAO Baji Rao I was a great military statesman. He led a number of successful campaigns against the Mughals. It was due to his efforts that the Maratha kingdom became a huge empire. It was during Baji Rao’s reign that the Maratha families— the Holkars of Indore, the Scindhias of Gwalior, the Bhonsles of Nagpur, and the Gaekwads of Baroda—became prominent. The Marathas were able to own the territories previously held by the Mughals. The Marathas also became a confederacy that was headed by the Peshwa. BALAJI BAJI RAO Balaji Baji Rao made Poona the capital of the Maratha Empire. He also expanded the Maratha territories to include Punjab and Delhi in the north, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in the south, and Bengal and Odisha in the east. During this period, the Marathas had complete control over the Mughal throne. 2. Who founded the kingdom of Mysore? What reforms were undertaken by his successor? Ans- Hyder Ali founded the kingdom of Mysore. His son Tipu Sultan succeeded him. Tipu Sultan made several reforms like modernising his administration and army. He also promoted trade and commerce and encouraged agriculture in order to improve his kingdom’s economic condition. He posed a major challenge to the British as well as to the other regional kingdoms. 3. Discuss the reforms carried out by the Nizam of Hyderabad. Ans- The Nizam of Hyderabad, Asaf Jah, was an efficient administrator and employed capable officers and soldiers from up north. He awarded jagirs and appointed mansabdars. He made the revenue department free of corruption and also fostered trade.  Asaf Jah was also able to protect Hyderabad from internal and external threats. 4. Why did Lucknow emerge as an important city of Awadh? Ans- Lucknow became an important city when it became the capital of Awadh. The rulers of Awadh were great patrons of various forms of art, such as music and dance. The culture of Lucknow, which is known for being a highly refined one, gained popularity under these nawabs. They have left a rich heritage comprising language, exquisite monuments, dressing style, food, and a graceful way of living. 5. Why was the English East India Company successful in establishing its dominant control over Bengal? Ans-The English East India Company was successful in establishing its dominant control over Bengal because of the following reasons. The Nawabs of Bengal were not able to understand the actual intention of the Company. They thought that it was a trading company that was not interested in gaining political power and will not be able to challenge their authority. There were a lot of corrupt nobles and officials. This meant that Bengal became a prey to the Company’s growing ambitions. IV. Write short notes- 1. Peshwas of Marathas: The effective control of the Maratha kingdom fell into the hands of the Peshwas, owing to the weakness and fun-loving nature of the Maratha ruler Sahu. The Maratha ruler was soon reduced to a figurehead. Thus, began the rule of the Peshwas. The Maratha confederacy gained new heights of power under the Peshwas. The most prominent Peshwas were Balaji Vishwanath, Baji Rao I and Balaji Baji Rao. 2. Carnatic suba: Carnatic was one of the provinces in the Deccan and was ruled by the Nizam of Hyderabad.  The Nawab of Carnatic soon declared independence from the Nizam’s rule. This was followed by lack of political stability, and very soon a war of succession started in the area. The Europeans made most of the situation and meddled in the kingdom’s internal affairs. They also made a lot of economic and territorial profit from the condition in the Carnatic suba. 3. Asaf Jah: Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah served as the Mughal Governor of the Deccan provinces between 1713 and 1715. He established the state of Hyderabad in 1724. He was practically independent, but he still recognised the Mughal emperor as his supreme monarch. Asaf Jah was an able administrator, and he recruited capable soldiers and officials from northern India. He also appointed mansabdars and gave them jagirs. He also did away with corruption in the revenue department and encouraged trade. He was able to save his kingdom from dangers within and outside the kingdom. After his death, there was a war of succession, and soon, the British interfered in the same. 4. Rulers of Awadh: The major rulers of Awadh were Saadat Khan and Safdar Jung. Saadat Khan carried out several reforms that made the state economically and politically strong. He rearranged the revenue department and made the army stronger. Safdar Jung succeeded Saadat Khan. Safdar Jung fought against the Rohillas, Jats, and Marathas and increased the territory under his control. His son Shuja-ud-Daulah succeeded him.