9th Standard, Social, History, CHAPTER – 17
THE AHOM DYNASTY, THE Mughals AND THE MARATHAS
EXERCISES
I. Fill in the blanks with suitable words.
1. The founder of Ahom dynasty Sukapha.
2. The founder of the Mughal dynasty was Babur.
3. The most famous emperor among the Mughals was Akbar.
4. The king who built the Taj Mahal at Agra was Shahjahan.
5. The Mughal emperor who established the new religion Din-e-Ilahi was Akbar.
6. Shivaji’s mother was Jijabai.
II. Answer the following questions by discussing with your group.
7. Write briefly important achievements of Ahom dynasty.
Answer: Ahoms were migrated from Thailand and Myanmar, settled in Assam. Despite of their external origin, they quickly adopted Indian culture. Lachith became the commander-in-chief of Ahom army. This post was called as ‘Borphukhan’. So, he was called as ‘Lachith Borphukhan’. He conducted strict training sessions for the army and introduced modernized warfare weapons. By driving away Moghal officers and army, he recaptured Itkuli fort and consolidated his position. He also reconquered Guwahati. In the battle at Alboi, Ahoms displayed great courage, by defeating the Mughals. 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, the Ahoms were most victorious. In the same year Lachith Borphukhan passed away due to ill health. The Ahom kings established six capitals in their kingdom at different times. Over the course of 598 (1228-1826) years, the Ahoms defeated Moghals 17 times securing their rule over North-East India.
8. Describe the military achievements of Babar.
Answer: 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 five 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 four 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.
9. Compare and contrast the present-day administrative system with that of Sher Shah.
Answer: Sher Shah’s was the head of the administrative system. He had an efficient cabinet ministry, he had complete control over Civil and Military administration. There were 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, aver-age and bad according to their level of fertility. The farmers gave 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.
10. What are the areas won by Akbar?
Answer: 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 II 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 mighty army, Akbar conquered Malwa, Jaipur, Gondavan, Chittor, Ranathambhor, Kalinjar, Gujarat and Bengal. The Battle of Haldighat is the most significant battle in the history of medieval India. In the battle
at Haldighat, the Mughal army was v i c t o r i o u s . T h e remaining states of Kashmir, Sindh, Orissa, Baluchistan, K h a n d h a r a n d Ahmednagar came under Akbar. Thus, for the first time, the Mughal kingdom expanded and laid solid foundation for Mughal rule.
11. Describe the contributions of Shahjahan to art and architecture.
Answer: 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 as the ‘Golden Age of Mughal Art and Architecture’
12. Describe Shivaji’s system of administration.
Answer: 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 Ryotwari system, favorable to farmers. He abolished the jahagir revenue system. In Shivaji’s administration, traditional system of justice was in practice. The village panchayat used to dispense justice in villages. The Maratha army had infantry, cavalry, elephant units and cannon units.
13. Explain the achievements of Bajirao I.
Answer: Baji Rao I, got appointed as Peshwa when 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.
III. Activities:
Write an essay on how Shivaji’s mother Jijabai was successful in inculcating patriotism in Shivaji.
Answer: Shivaji’s mother, Jijabai, was a pious woman who inculcated religious fervor, uprightness, honesty and sincerity in her son. Jijabai used stories from ancient epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata, as well as the lives of great warriors such as Maharana Pratap, to impart values of courage, justice, and duty towards the land and people. These narratives provided Shivaji with ideals and inspiration for his future endeavors. She instilled a strong sense of duty and a deep commitment to protecting the motherland and the dignity of her people, emphasizing the importance of fighting for freedom and self-rule. Her resilience in the face of adversity provided a powerful example for Shivaji to develop similar qualities of courage and determination. Jijabai ensured Shivaji received a thorough education in Hindu scriptures and traditions, fostering a strong sense of identity and pride in his Maratha heritage. She recognized the importance of physical strength and skill in warfare, encouraging rigorous training in martial arts to equip Shivaji with the tools to defend his people. Beyond her maternal love, Jijabai was a mentor who provided wise counsel and unwavering support, fostering the leadership qualities necessary to navigate complex political and military landscapes.
