Eighteenth Century political formations

By 1700, the Mughal Empire covered a vast area of the Indian subcontinent. India was a rich country and was known as the golden sparrow. But by 1765, the Mughal Empire had declined so much that the British successfully captured many parts of eastern India. When did Aurangzeb, the last powerful Mughal emperor, die?

• 1507

• 1607

• 1707

• 1807

Mughal kings after Aurangzeb were unable to stop provincial governors, local chieftains, and other groups from becoming more politically and economically powerful. In the midst of these crises, the ruler of Iran attacked and looted Delhi in 1739. Who was this invader?

• Nadir Shah

• Firoz Shah

• Muhammad Tughlaq

• Firoz Shah Kotla

Sa'adat Khan, Murshid Quli Khan, and Asaf Jah occupied high mansabdari positions and enjoyed the trust and confidence of their Mughal emperors. And in the 18th century, their states became very powerful. Which were the states under the mansabdari of these officials?

• Delhi, Chennai, and Mumbai, respectively

• Awadh, Ahmadabad, and Delhi, respectively

• Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, respectively

• Awadh, Bengal, and Hyderabad, respectively

What were the people, who agreed to pay the state a fixed sum of money in return for the right to collect land tax revenue, known as?

• Subedar

• Fauzdar

• Collectors

• Revenue Farmers

The tax revenue system implemented under the subadari of Burhan-ul-Mulk Sa‘adat Khan in Awadh influenced new social groups. The state sold rights to collect taxes to the highest bidders, known as 'revenue farmers', who agreed to pay a fixed sum of money to the state. Which social groups profited the most by this system?

• moneylenders and bankers

• farmers and peasants

• farmers and jamindars

• traders and artists

Which Mughal noble controlled the state of Bengal?

• Shaukat Ali Khan

• Irfan Khan

• Murshid Quli Khan

• Muhammad Khan

What did Murshid Quli Khan do to reduce Mughal influence in Bengal?

• He transferred all Mughal jagirdars to Orissa and ordered a major reassessment of the revenues of Bengal.

• He transferred all British officials to Orissa and ordered a major reassessment of the revenues of Bengal from Mughal jagirdars.

• He transferred all Mughal jagirdars to Canada and hired some British officials for reassessment of revenue of Orissa.

• He removed all Mughal jagirdars and hired some British officials to reassess the revenues of Orissa.

One group were states such as Awadh, Bengal, and Hyderabad who did not break their formal ties with the Mughal emperor. Another group was of states known as 'watan jagirs', which were groups of several Rajputs who had a lot of independence under the Mughals. Which was the third group?

• states under the control of Rajputs, Sikhs, and Mundas

• states under the control of Marathas, Sikhs, and Jats

• states under the control of Marathas, Gujarati, and Tamils

• states under the control of the British, the Adivasi, and the Mongolians