Topic: Decline of the Mughal Empire

S.no Questions Past Papers

Important seven (7) Mark Questions
1 Explain why the Mughal Empire declined following the reign of June 2012
Aurangzeb. Nov 2010
2 How did the successors of Aurangzeb contribute to the downfall Nov 2013
of the Mughal Empire?
3 Why were the Marathas defeated after the decline of the Nov 2017
Mughal Empire?

Challenging Questions [Not in Past papers]

1 Explain how the foreign invasions weaken the Mughal Empire.

Important Fourteen (14) Marks Questions

1 ‘The spread of Marathan power/policies of Aurangzeb was the
main reason for the decline of the Mughal Empire.’ Do you agree June 2011, 2017,
or disagree? Give reasons for your answer. 2020

Were the invasions by the Persians and Afghans the main reason Nov 2009, 2015,
for the decline of the Mughal 2018, 2021
Empire? Explain your answer.

Was British expansion in India the most important reason for the
decline of the Mughal Empire? Explain your answer.

Were the policies of Aurangzeb the main reason for the decline
of the Mughal Empire? Explain your answer.
Important seven (7) Mark Questions and Answers

1- Explain why the Mughal Empire declined following the reign of Aurangzeb.
[Candidates may write any other three relevant reasons with explanation]

The Mughal Empire declined because the successors of Aurangzeb were not efficient and
united. There was no law of accession due to which there were continuous wars for the throne.
This emptied the royal treasury and made them disunited. Moreover, the successors were not
competent and did not know how to rule. They were indulged in luxurious life style and had no
interest in the affairs of the empire. Due to this nobles and courtiers had grown stronger and
the empire started to disintegrate. Ordinary people had also lost their faith and became
demoralized.

Moreover, Aurangzeb had fought many wars during his reign against rebelled forces such as
Sikhs and Marathas. This increased his enemies against him. After Aurangzeb’s death these
forces became stronger and spread their control in many parts of India. Maratha’s for example
got the control till Delhi without much resistance. The Mughal army had become so weak that
they could not stop internal and external forces from invading India. Hence, the Mughals lost
their control.

Lastly, the British East India Company (EIC) that had arrived in India in 1600s, seeing the
weaknesses of the Mughals, planned to extend their control over India. It captured trade and
Indian market which helped them in their Industrial revolution. The EIC got wealthier and had a
strong army which Mughals could not match. After the success of Plessey the EIC paved the
way for British Government in India. Eventually, the British defeated the Indians in 1857 and
ended the Mughals rule in India.

2- How did the successors of Aurangzeb contribute to the downfall of the Mughal Empire?

Aurangzeb's successors fought for succession to the throne, which seriously undermined the
military and financial strengths of the empire. Aurangzeb’s son Moazzam defeated and killed
his brothers to come to the throne. Like this many important personalities who were capable of
running the affairs of the state lost their lives in these wars. Others like Jahander Shah, were so
incompetent that they heavily relied on their courtiers who became more powerful than Kings.
This had a very devastating effect on the Mughal Empire.
The successors of Aurangzeb were pleasure loving and did not take serious interests in the
affairs of the empire. They gave all the powers to their ministers and Nawabs who governed the
state according to their own interests and wishes. They were extravagant in spite of poor
economic conditions. They spent a lot of money on finest dresses, jewelry, and foods. They
used to serve a number of dishes in official invitations. Due to this, their respects soon faded
among the common people.

They gave no attention to the development of modern warfare tools, military training, and
naval technology. Due to their weak military position, they could not defend the empire against
external invasions and internal rebellions such as Nadir Shah from Persia or Marathas from
south India. This gave a chance to the East India Company to take advantage which started
expanding its control without much resistance. Hence, the Mughal Empire came to an end and
Aurangzeb’s successors failed to save it.

3- Why were the Marathas defeated after the decline of the Mughal Empire?

Reasons for the decline of Maratha’s Power in India

[Select any three reasons for 7 marks according to the question requirement.]

1- After the death of Aurangzeb, Maratha power grew in India. By 1760 they invaded Delhi
after defeating Mughal forces. So they became the first one to suffer in case of any invasion.
Likewise Mughals, Marathas also found it difficult to control and administer such vast lands.
Their weak control further showed that they were not able to defend their large empire
from enemies which encouraged invaders such as Ahmed Shah Abdali to invade them.

2- Maratha’s administration was thoroughly autocratic. The character and personality of the
ruler determined the efficiency of rule and administration. They were not able to develop
strong administrative system which was needed with their expansion. Therefore, weak
rulers led to weak administration and could not bring reforms. Moreover, after the battle of
Panipat there was no capable general left. [Bajirao II had spent his childhood in prison for
longtime he didn't know art of governing nor was he soldier.]

3- Defeat of Marathas in 1761 in the Battle of Panipat by the Afghan leader Ahmed Shah
Abdali [Durrani] was a huge blow for the expanding Maratha’s empire. They were heavily
outnumbered by the combined forces of Abdali. Due to his improved war material and
tactics, Marathas were eventually thrown out of Delhi. They suffered huge loss as
thousands of soldiers and important administrators were killed in this battle. Their actual
decline started from this event.
4- Maratha families began to show more loyalty to local rulers rather than Maratha leaders in
the capital of Pune. After the conquest of Panipat their leaders sold independence of
Peshwaship to the British just to remain in power. Their mutual rivalry and hostility made
them weak. Their successors started conspiring which led to bloody wars among Marathas
families. Due to this they lost their prestige and control completely and paved way for the
British to finally replace them.

5- Another important reason for their decline was their military weakness. Marathas’ army
mainly depended on the strong leadership. At first they were badly defeated in the battle of
Panipat due to their weak war tactics and leadership. Later, they lost three wars to the
British because their outdated weapons and ammunition could not match the scientific and
updated British forces. Moreover, there was lack of determination and patriotism seen in
their army. Thus they easily surrendered before the British.

Answer- 14 Mark Question

1 - The spread of Marathan power/policies of Aurangzeb was the main reason for the
decline of the Mughal Empire.’ Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer.

Points to be discussed

1. Aurangzeb’s policies
2. Succession disputes / absence of any law of accession
3. Size of the empire / administrative problems/ disintegration of empire
4. Weak military / internal rebellions /
5. Pleasure seeking attitude / degeneration
6. Maratha influence
7. Invasion from Nadir shah ad Ahmed Shah Abdali
8. British invasion

*It is suggested to start the answer with the reason asked in the question. Candidates may
change the sequence of the paragraphs and select any five [5] for a 10 or 14 mark question.
The Mughal Empire started to disintegrate during the time of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb
but it came to its eventual fall in 1857. There were number of reasons due to which the empire
declined.

Aurangzeb’s repressive policies have been considered as the root cause of decline of the
Mughal Empire. He banned the consumption of Alcohol, stopped singing and dancing in courts
and even determined length for beards. Due to this he lost the support of his own people as
many people did not like his orthodox policies. He got the largest empire to control and further
extended it by fighting long costly wars. So he had to impose heavy taxes which caused
hardship to his people. He also had to stay away from his capital and due to this his control over
the empire weakened. By the end of his rule Mughal administration had become inefficient and
corrupt. He also re-imposed Jizya tax which angered Hindus. This proves that the empire
started getting weaker during his time.

There was no law of succession . When the emperor died his successors usually fought for the
throne. Aurangzeb came to the throne after defeating his brothers and after his death
Moazzam also fought with his brothers for the throne and this continued. Due to these
succession disputes emperors could not pay attention to the needs of the empire. This also led
to bloodshed and disunity among the Mughal family which badly damaged their prestige.

Aurangzeb left a huge empire for his successors but it became harder to keep an eye on each
and every part of the empire. In some towns and villages Zamindars had become so powerful
that they raised their army and refused to accept the rule of any new emperor. Local princes
rebelled and declared independence. Provincial governors of Owadh and Bengal also broke
away from the Mughal Empire. The emperors could not do much about it as they were
powerless. Thus, the huge empire started to disintegrate.

With the decline of the Mughal power their military expertise also declined. Due to wars of
accession, rebellions and external invasions army had always been in the state of war and was
exhausted. The military had not only become inefficient but also lacked in training, discipline
and cohesion. The army had out-dated equipment. The Mughals had no navy and only
maintained small ships that were no match for the well-equipped ships of the foreign traders.
Due to their weak military position, they could not defend the empire against external invasions
and internal rebellions which led to their decline.

The wealth of the Mughals had made them extravagant. They used to spend huge sum of
money on frivolous stuff like silk robes, jewelry, monuments etc. Wealthy Mughal families and
emperors were so involved in their pleasures that they paid no heed to the problems of the
empire. Jahandar Shah has been described as frivolous and drunken fool and Shah Jahan II died
only after three months due to physical and mental debility[weakness]. People were not
impressed with this behavior and soon the respect for Mughals declined. Their luxurious life
style also emptied the royal treasury.

Another important reason was Maratha factor. Aurangzeb had fought long inclusive wars with
Marathas. After Aurangzeb’s death Marathas spread their influence. In 1737 they defeated the
Mughal army outside Delhi. In 1760 they even occupied Delhi. Mughals were completely
unsuccessful in stopping them. However, in 1761 Ahmed shah Durrani finally defeated them.
But their expansion proved that Mughals had no power left.

The Mughals found it difficult to defeat foreign invaders. In 1738, the Persian leader Nadir Shah
invaded India, captured Delhi and looted all jewels, gold and empire’s wealth including famous
peacock throne. Another invasion was launched by the Afghan leader Ahmed Shah Durrani who
captured many parts of India and also defeated the Marathas. These invasions show how
vulnerable the Mughal Empire was.

Taking advantages of these chaotic situations, East India Company that arrived in early
seventeenth century began strengthening its military capabilities. The Battle of Plessey of
1757 was considered a major breakthrough for the British in the Sub-continent. It paved the
way for the company's rule in Bengal. Industrial revolution in Britain had further increased the
British greed for colonization. Following the fall of Bengal, British government entered India and
in 1857 the powerful British army was able to crush the Indian mutiny. This ended the Mughal
rule in the sub- continent.

So it can be concluded that the major reason for the decline of the Mughal Empire was the
British who took advantage of weak position of the Mughals and gradually took over .

Four Mark Past Paper Questions

[Note: Following answers are directly taken from Mark Scheme. However, students are always
advised to write their own answers referring to the Mark scheme]

Reward each correct statement with 1 mark. Allow a second mark for a developed statement.
No evidence submitted or response does not address the question will be rewarded NO marks

1. Who was Nana Sahib? Nov 2016

During the War of Independence at Kanpur he led the revolt that killed British officers and
other Europeans. He had a personal grievance against the British for stopping his pension. A
British force surrendered to him and his force, having been given a promise of safe passage out
of the area. Nana Sahib fired on the British on barges killing 300 women and children and the
soldiers. He escaped and was never captured.
2. Who were Zamindars? June 2017

Landlords/tax collectors.
Wealthy and influential, some had private armies.
After death of Aurangzeb they were increasingly unwilling to accept rule of any new emperor or
to make payments to government in Delhi.
Beard tax imposed which annoyed Muslims. Muslims were oppressed by zamindars from the
1800’s onwards, especially in East Bengal.

3. Who was Ahmed Shah Abdali? June 2019

Known also as Ahmad Shah Abdali, an Afghan leader, a military genius who had excellent
tactical skills.
Led 10 invasions into northern India
He beat the Marathas at the battle of Panipat in 1761, which ended the ambitions of the
Marathas.
Durrani was unable to make the most of his victory; as his followers mutinied he gave up his
idea of an Indian empire and returned to Kabul.

4. What was the Jizya Tax?

Introduced in 1679 [1] by the Mughals [1]

a tax on non-Muslims
an alternative to joining the Muslim army
used as a tax for protection or defence
Akbar abolished the tax
Aurangzeb re-introduced the tax
people protested against the tax
Aurangzeb ignored the protests and persevered with the tax

More Four Mark Questions [Do it yourself ]

1. Who was Aurangzeb? What kind of a man was Aurangzeb?
2. How did invasions weaken the Mughal Empire?
This section is about the Decline of the Mughal Empire

Source A

After Nadir Shah’s accession to the throne he abandoned his conquests of Turks and Russians
and got interested in Mughal provinces of Qandahar and Kabul. On 24th of March 1738 he
recovered Qandahar, and then he advanced towards Ghazni and Kabul. Muhammad Shah was
ruling Delhi when Nadir shah started advancing towards India; Mughal administration was very
meager and languid at that time. Another event which compelled Nadir Shah to invade India
was that emperor of India refused to return the fugitives who took refuge in Mughal Empire. All
of these things were considered as insults so in order to take revenge from Mughal authorities
first of all he attacked Lahore by crossing Indus River at point of Attock. After capturing Lahore
he started to advance towards Delhi which was the centre of Mughal power at that time.

Source A

A Painting showing the Anglo Maratha war

1 Study the sources [above] carefully and then answer the questions which follow.

a) What does Source A tell us about Nadir Shah’s Invasions of India? [3]
b) According to source B, what were the reasons for Marathas defeat in Anglo Maratha’s
wars. [5]