3/17/22, 5:56 PM Solutions for The Trail Akbar

 The Trail

 Akbar

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Q1. What role did Bairam Khan play when Akbar ascended the throne?
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Bairam Khan was a faithful general of Humayun. When Akbar ascended g s l
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throne, he became his regent. He took care of the administration
of the government on Akbar's behalf. He also conquered Gwalior, Ajmer and
Jaipur.

Q2. What is the significance of the Second Battle of Panipat (1556 CE)?
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In the Second Battle of Panipat fought in 1556 CE the Afghan forces s l a t e . c Adil
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Shah's general Hemu were defeated by the Mughal forces under
This victory of Mughals ended the threat of Afghan power to the throne of
Akbar.

Q3. Why did Akbar follow a policy of friendship with the Rajputs?
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Akbar followed a policy of friendship with the Rajputs because he s l a t e that
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Delhi and Agra would never be safe and stable if the Rajputs were not
subdued. Also, friendship with them would be helpful in strengthening and
expanding the Mughal empire.

Q4. Why is the memory of Rana Pratap Singh still honoured in Rajasthan?
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The memory of Rana Pratap Singh is still honoured in Rajasthan .for
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courage, bravery and lifelong struggle to free Mewar from Mughal

Q5. What do you understand by the term 'Mansab'?

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The word 'Mansab' means office or rank. sla te.c
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Q6. Who had the power to appoint and dismiss the mansabdars?
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The emperor had the power to appoint or dismiss the mansabdars.i g s l a t e
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Q7. Mention any one tax abolished by Akbar as a part of his policy of religious
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One tax abolished by Akbar as a part of his policy of religious was
jaziya.

Q8. What power did Akbar gain through the Mahzar?

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Through Mahzar, Akbar had the power to choose between different i g s late
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interpretations of Islamic law. This helped him consolidate his powers with
respect to the ulemas.

Q9. Why did Akbar encourage the study of secular subjects?

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Akbar encouraged the study of secular subjects such as astronomy, i g s late
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mathematics, agriculture, history and logic to promote religious
to bring about educational reforms.

Q10. Why was Akbar's position unstable and insecure when he ascended the
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Akbar's position was unstable and insecure when he ascended throne
because of the following reasons:

1) The nephew of Sher Shah Suri, Adil Shah wanted to recapture Delhi and
reestablish Afghan rule.

2) The Rajputs became powerful and were aiming to expel the Mughals from
the country.

3) Akbar's half brother had the control over Kabul and was ruling as an
independent ruler.

Q11. Rana Udai Singh of Mewar rejected Akbar's offer of friendship and refused
to submit to him. In this context, discuss: .com
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a. Subjugation of Rana Udai Singh
b. Conflict with Rana Pratap Singh

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3/17/22, 5:56 PM Solutions for The Trail Akbar

a. Subjugation of Rana Udai Singh: Akbar realized that Delhi and Agra
could never be safe until the Rajputs were subdued. He also realized that
the friendship and support of the Rajputs would be great help in
strengthening and expanding the mughal empire. Having understood the
advantages of a friendly relationship with the Rajputs, Akbar entered into
matrimonial alliances with them. He married the daughter of Raja of
Jaipur (Amber) and decided to marry the daughter of Udai Singh, the
Rana of Mewar.

b. Conflict with Rana Pratap Singh: The Rajput of Mewar, however,

refused to submit. Having lost Chittor, their capital city, they rallied
around Rana Pratap, the valiant son of Udai Singh. After his escape to the
hills, Udai Singh had built a new capital called Udaipur.

After Udai Singh's death, Rana Pratap carried on the struggle against the
Mughlas. With a great deal of difficulty, Rana Pratap organized an army
and clashed with the Mughal forces in the Battle of Haldighati in 1576 CE.

The Mughal forces were led by the Rajput chief, Raja Man Singh of Amber.
The rajputs were outnumbered and defeated by the Mughal army. Rana
Pratap took shelter in a mountain fortress and continued his efforts to
recover Chittor. He was able to recover parts of his territories before his
death, but not Chittor.

Q12. Discuss the power and position of the emperor in the central
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The emperor in the central administration held an extremelyw powerful position.
He had supreme and final authority over military, political, administrative and
judicial matters. His words were the law of the land. The emperor was assisted
by a team of ministers and other officers and he had the sole right of
appointing, promoting and dismissing them.

Q13. Who assisted the emperor in the administration of the empire? What were
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their responsibilities and functions?
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A council of ministers assisted the emperor in the administration
empire. The various ministers had the following responsibilities and functions:

1. Wazir or Diwan: His duty was to head the revenue department and
oversee revenue assessment and collection.

2 Mir Bakshi: The military department was placed under him and he was the
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2. Mir Bakshi: The military department was placed under him and he was the
paymaster of all mansabdars.

3. Chief Sadr or the Qazi: He performed the duty of a chief judge and
imparted justice.

4. Mir Saman: He was the incharge of the royal household and supervised
matters relating to it.

5. Vakil or the Prime Minister: His work was to provide the emperor with
advice. He did not exercise any effective authority and was just a
ceremonial head.

Q14. Explain any five main features of the 'mansabdari system' introduced by
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Akbar.
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Five features of the mansabdari system introduced by Akbarwwere:

i. Every official was given a rank or mansab depending on the nature and
importance of the job.

ii. The mansabdars were appointed, promoted and dismissed by the emperor.

iii. A mansab or rank was not hereditary.

iv. The mansabdars did not have any authority or responsibility of

administering the jagirs.

v. Their salary was given in accordance with their rank. Later, they were
paid in the form of jagirs. A fixed amount of revenue from the jagir was
paid as salary for themselves and their troops.

Q15. What measures did Akbar adopt to reorganize and strengthen the army?
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The measures adopted by Akbar to reorganise and strengthen the i s
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i. The system of mansabdari was introduced in military administration of the

country.

ii A fixed amount of revenue from the jagirs was used to pay salary to the
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3/17/22, 5:56 PM Solutions for The Trail Akbar
ii. A fixed amount of revenue from the jagirs was used to pay salary to the
troops.

iii. The system of branding horses and maintaining a descriptive roll of the
soldiers was adopted.

iv. The troops were mainly supplied by mansabdars.

v. The emperor also maintained a battalion of trusted and loyal soldiers who
he himself recruited.

vi. A corps of royal bodyguards, armed palace guards, war elephants and a
well organised artillery were also maintained.

Q16. Explain the important features of the land revenue system introduced by
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Todar Mal.
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The important features of the land revenue system introduced by Todar Mal
were:

i. The land was measured with a bamboo jarib joined together by iron rings.

ii. Land was divided into 4 categories on the basis of regular and occasional
cultivation. It was further classified into good, middling and bad types.

iii. The revenue was calculated on the basis of average produce and average
price over the last ten years. One third of the average produce was given
to the king.

iv. Loans that were payable in easy instalments were granted to the peasants
to buy seeds, cattle and implements.

v. In case of crop failure, remission of revenue was granted to the peasants.

Q17. What policies did Akbar follow to transform the Islamic state into a
secular one and unite the diverse races in the country into a single com
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The steps taken by Akbar to transform the Islamic Mughal state into a secular

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one and to unite the diverse races in India into one nation based on equality
were:

i. Jaziya and pilgrim tax were abolished.

ii. Hindus were allowed to construct temples, celebrate festivals and worship
freely.

iii. Many of the higher posts were given to Hindu officials such a Todar Mal,
Birbal and Raja Bhagwan Das.

iv. People belonging to all religions were given land grants.

v. Ibadat Khana had scholars and priests from all religions.

vi. He formed a new religious order called Din-i-Ilahi which was a

combination of major religions in order to be acceptable to people of
different faiths.

Q18. Briefly explain the features and objectives of the Din-i-llahi.

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Features of Din-i-Ilahi sla te.c
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1. Belief in one God and recognition of the emperor to be the representative

of God on earth.

2. It was more or less a code of moral conduct.

3. There were no sacred books, no priestly classes, no places of worship and

no rituals.

Objectives of Din-i-Ilahi

Din-i-Ilahi was established by Akbar with the objective of establishing a

religious order that would be acceptable to Hindus, Muslims and other
communities and to promote universal brotherhood and national unity.

Q19. Mention the important features of Akbar's Rajput policy. Why did he adopt
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this policy and what were its results?
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The important features of Akbar's Rajput policy were: www

i. The Rajputs were treated with honour and equality.

ii. Akbar made matrimonial alliances with the Rajputs in order to strengthen
his ties with them.

iii. Rajputs were appointed at high posts of trust and responsibility in order
to win their friendship, cooperation and loyalty.

iv. When Akbar defeated Rajput rulers, he did not annex their kingdom. He
let them have their territories if they recognise Akbar as their overlord
and paid regular tributes.

He adopted these policies in order to have Rajput support so as to ensure

peace and stability. As a result of these policies the Mughal emperor gained
the support and loyalty of Rajputs.

Q20. Mention any two important social reforms introduced by Akbar.

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Two important social reforms introduced by Akbar were: . bigs
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1) The practice of sati was abolished and widow remarriage was legalised.

2) Akbar discouraged child marriage. He raised the age of marriage to 14

years for girls and 16 years for boys.

Q21. Give an account of Akbar's cultural achievements with reference to:

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b) Architecture

Akbar's achievements in literature

Although Akbar was illiterate, he had immense hunger for knowledge. His
library consisted of 24, 000 books especially written for him. His court had
renowned literary scholars such as Faizi, Abul Fazl and Raja Birbal. During his
reign exemplary work of literature such as Akbarnama and Ramcharitamanas
was written.

Akbar's architectural achievements

Architectural style during his rule was initially persian which gradually became

more Indian. Fatehpur Sikri had splendid Rajput style buildings made of
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sandstone. The Diwan-i-Khas, Panch Mahal, Jodha Bai's Palace and Buland
Darwaza and Agra Fort are some of the best examples of architecture in his
time. Square pillars, balconies and delicate stone screens were common
features of the architectural designs.

Q22. A mughal emperor held discussions on religious matters in the Ibadat

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a) Identify the emperor.
b) Which religious communities participated in the discussions?
c) Why did the emperor organize these assemblies?

a. Akbar was the emperor who held discussions on religious matters in the
Ibadat Khana.

b. The religious communities that participated in the discussions were Hindu,

Muslim, Buddhist, Jain, Christian, and Parsi.

c. The emperor organised these assemblies so that members of various

religious communities could explain the principles and teachings of their
respective religions.

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