LIWA

Foundation of Mughal Empire

ICSE Class 7 · History & Civics · Chapter 7

What this chapter covers

Key definitions

The Mughal Empire is the empire founded in India by Babur in 1526 CE and ruled by his descendants until 1857 CE.

A dynasty is a line of rulers who all belong to the same family, with power passing from one generation to the next.

Padshah is a Persian title meaning a great king or emperor, one who owes obedience to no higher ruler.

Artillery is the part of an army that uses large guns, such as cannons, to fire at the enemy from a distance.

Tulughma is a battle tactic in which small groups of fast horsemen ride around both sides of the enemy army and attack it from the sides and the rear.

A sarkar is a district made up of several parganas, run by two senior officers who kept order and watched over the lower officials.

A pargana is a smaller unit of government made up of a group of villages.

A patta is a document given by the government to a peasant that shows the area of his land and the amount of revenue he has to pay.

Dagh is the practice of branding horses with the government's mark so that a soldier could not bring a poor horse to a muster or show the same horse twice.

Key points

Questions answered

Why did the people of India call Babur's family "Mughals"? What did the family prefer to call themselves?
The name comes from "Mongol", because Babur was descended from Genghis Khan on his mother's side. The family preferred to be called Timurids, after their ancestor Timur.
Give two differences between the Mughals and the rulers of the Delhi Sultanate.
Any two of: the Mughals claimed royal blood, while many Sultans rose from slaves or soldiers; the Mughals used the title Padshah and did not seek the Caliph's approval; the Mughal Empire stayed with one family, while the Sultanate had five dynasties.
State three factors that led Babur to invade India.
Any three of: he could not win back Samarkand; India was rich and Kabul was poor; he claimed the Punjab as Timur's conquest; north India was divided; Daulat Khan Lodi invited him; he had a modern army with guns.
What was tulughma? How did it help Babur at Panipat?
Tulughma was a tactic in which horsemen rode round both sides of the enemy and attacked from the sides and rear. At Panipat it trapped Ibrahim's army between the guns in front and archers on the flanks.
Give four reasons for the defeat of Ibrahim Lodi in 1526 CE.
Any four of: Babur's artillery; the tulughma tactic; the line of carts and trenches; panicking elephants; discontented Afghan nobles; Ibrahim's poor generalship; the experience of Babur's soldiers.
Why was the Battle of Khanwa important?
It broke the Rajput alliance under Rana Sanga, the strongest threat to Babur, and fixed the centre of Mughal power in India rather than Kabul.
List three difficulties Humayun faced when he became emperor.
Any three of: disloyal brothers, especially Kamran; the rising Afghan power under Sher Khan; Bahadur Shah of Gujarat; an empty treasury; an unsettled kingdom; his own over-generous nature.
Name the two battles in which Sher Khan defeated Humayun, with their years.
Chausa in 1539 CE and Kannauj in 1540 CE.