icse syllabus for class 7 history

ICSE Solutions for Class 7 History and Civics – Akbar the Great

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Important Words

• Jauhar was the self immolation or burning of queens and female royals of the Rajput kingdoms when facing defeat at the hands an enemy.
• The wazir or the diwan was the head of the revenue department.
• The mir bakshi was the head of the military department and paymaster of all mansabdars.
• The chief sadr or the qazi was the chief judge.
• The mir saman was the supervisor of the royal household.
• The vakil was the prime minister whose position was reduced to that of an advisory, ceremonial head during Akbar’s reign.
• The Diwan-i-khas was the private hall where Akbar held regular meetings with his senior officers.
• The Diwan-i-Aam was the common audience hall where Akbar would receive petitions, listen to problems and solve many cases.
• Subas were the provinces into which Akbar’s empire was divided. Each province was governed by a subedar.
• Mansab means office or rank of dignity. A mansabdar was the holder of rank in the administration.
• Todar Mai’s Bandobast was the land revenue system introduced by Raja Todar Mai who was one of the nine gems in Akbar’s court.
• Pilgrim tax was the tax imposed on Hindus visiting places of pilgrimage.
• Sulh-i-Kul means universal peace and harmony.
• Din-i-Ilahi was the new religious order introduced by Akbar. It was a combination of all major religions-lslam, Hinduism, Jainism and Christianity.

Time To Learn
I. Fill in the blanks:

1. Bairam Khan was the guardian of Akbar.
2. Akbar adopted a liberal religious policy.
3. In the year 1576 Akbar defeated Rana Pratap in the Battle of Haldighati.
4. Buland darwaza was built to celebrate Akbar’s victory over Gujarat.

II. Match Column A with Columb B:

Answer:


III. State whether the following statements are True or False:

1. Bairam Khan was a faithful general, who served both Humayun and Akbar loyally.
   True.
2. Raja Todar Mai was the Revenue Minister of Akbar.
   True.
3. Akbar allowed religious freedom to the Rajputs only.
   False.Akbar allowed religious freedom to all.
4. Akbar reimposed Jazia on the non-Muslim subjects.
   False.Akbar abolished Jazia on the non-Muslim subjects.

IV. Answer the following questions briefly:

Question 1.
When and between whom was the Second Battle of Panipat fought? What were its results?
Answer:
Akbar and Hemu, met on the historic battlefield of Panipat in 1556. Hemus was defeated and killed. This was a decisive battle as it destroyed the Afghan power and thus consolidated the Mughal empire.

Question 2.
Write briefly about the following :
(a) Akbar’s northern conquests
(b) Akbar’s southern conquests.
Answer:
(a) Akbar’s northern conqests:
Akbar made many conquests after his victory at Panipat. Akbar thought of bringing peace and order in the country by extending his empire.

1. In AD 1561, Akbar sent a huge force under Adham Khan, to conquer Malwa.
2. In AD 1564, Mughal forces led by Asaf Khan attacked and later on annexed Garh Katanga.
3. Akbar captured Chittor in AD 1568. The Rana of Mewar had refused to submit to Akbar. Akbar marched up to Chittor and captured. Then he conquered kalinjar (1569), Ranthambhor, Gujarat (1573). By AD 1570, all Rajput princes had accepted his suzerainty.
4. Rana Pratap continued the struggle against the Mughals after his father’s death. He was defeated in the battle of Haldighati in 1576 but he did not submit and later reoccupied the lost territory, except the city of Chittor.
5. In AD 1576, Akbar sent his army to fight against Daud Khan, the Sultan of Bengal. The Sultan was defeated and killed in the battle.
6. Akbar’s army conquered Kabul in 1581, Kashmir in 1586, Sind in 1591 and Baluchistan in 1595. By doing so Akbar was able to secure the north-west frontiers.
7. Akbar annexed Orissa in 1592.

(b) Akbar’s southern conquests: From AD 1598 to 1601, the Mughal forces remained busy in the Deccan. Ahmadnagar was taken from Chand Bibi in AD 1600. She was killed by her own army. The Mughals then captured Asirgarh, a very strong for of Khandesh in AD 1601. Akbar annexed three provinces in the Deccan, i.e., Berar, Ahmadnagar and Khandesh.

1. One third of the average produce was the king’s share. It could be paid in cash or kind, though cash was preferred.
2. The revenue officers were instructed to treat the peasants well.
   Loans which could be paid back in easy instalments were advanced to the peasants to Berar, Ahmadnagar and Khandesh

Question 3.
What was the extent of Akbar’s kingdom? How was administration carried out during Akbar’s time? Explain with reference to the Central and Provincial administration.
Answer:
Akbar’s empire extended from Bengal in the east to Afganistan in the west and from the Himalayas in the north to the Godavari river in the south. His vast empire was divided into fifteen provinces. They were Kabul, Lahore, Multan, Delhi, Agra, Allahabad, Oudh, Gujarat, Ajmer, Malwa, Bihar, Bengal, Khandesh, Berar, Ahmednagar. The Akbar administration was divided into Central and Provincial administration.

Central Administration
The emperor was assisted by a team of ministers and officials for proper administration of the empire. Their names and functions are as follows:

1. Wazir Dewan: He was the head of the revenue department.
2. Mir Bakshi: He was the head of the military department and the paymaster of all mansabdars.
3. The Qazi: He was the chief judge.
4. Chief Sadr: He was the supervisor of the royal household.
5.  Vakil: He was the head of the advisory board.

Provinical Administration
Akbar’s empire was divided into fifteen provinces or Subas, which-were further subdivided into Sarkars and these in turn into parganas. Each pargana comprised a number of villages. Each province was under the charge of a subedar, who had full civil and military powers. The Subehdar was assisted by a number of officials like provincial Diwan, Bakshi, Qazi, kotwal and a number of other officials

Question 4.
What were the main sources of revenue for the Mughal government? How did Akbar improve the collection of revenue?
Answer:
Todar Mai introduced a land revenue system known as Todar Mai’s Bandobast.

1.  Land was surveyed and measured with a bamboo .jarib joined together with iron rings instead of the hemp rope used earlier.
2. The land was grouped into four categories depending on whether it was regularly or occasionally cultivated. It was classified further into good, middling and bad categories.
3. The average produce and the average price over the past 10 years were calculated. The revenue was calculated on the basis of these buy seeds, cattle and implements.
4. If the crops failed due to drought or flood, the state granted remission of revenue.

Question 5.
What do you think about Akbar’s attempts to bring about religious, cultural and social unification in his empire?
Answer:
Akbar took following steps to transform the Islamic state into a secular one and unite the diverse races in the country into a single nation based on equality:

1. He abolished the Jaziya tax which was imposed by earlier Muslim rulers on all non-Muslim subjects and pilgrim tax imposed on Hindus visiting places of pilgrimage.
2. He allowed Hindus to build temples, celebrate festivals and worship freely. He even allowed his Hindu wives to celebrate festivals like Holi and Diwali.
3. He gave high posts to talented and competent Hindus in his court, examples are: Todar Mai, Birbal and Raja Bhagwan Das.
4. He married Rajput princesses and allowed them freedom of worship.
5. He granted land to all persons irrespective of their religious faith.

Question 6.
What do you understand by the term Din-i-Ilahi? Write a brief note on it.
Answer:
Akbar formed a new religious order which was called Din-i- Ilahi or divine faith. The main features of this religion were belief in one God and recognition of the emperor as God’s representative on earth. Din-i-Ilahi was more like a code of conduct and there was no sacred books, no priestly classes, no places of worship and no rituals in it.
The main objective of establishing it was to provide a religious order which would be acceptable to the Hindu, Muslims and other communities and to promote universal brotherhood and national unity.

Question 7.
Do you think architecture flourished during Akbar’s reign? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
Initially, the style of architecture was Persian, for instance, Humayun’s Tomb. However, with the passage of time, Akbar’s architectural style became more and more Indian. Inspired by the palaces of Hindu rajas, Akbar’s later buildings reflect Rajput traditions.
Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar’s new capital city, contains many interesting Rajput-style buildings made of sandstone. It is referred to as a dream in stone. Among the many fine buildings are the Diwan-i-Khas, Panch Mahal, Jodha Bai’s Palace and the Buland Darwaza.

V. Give reasons why.

Question 1.
Land was classified and measured before revenue was fixed.
Answer:

1.  Land was surveyed and measured with a bamboo jarib joined together with iron rings instead of the hemp rope used earlier.
2. The land was grouped into four categories depending on whether it was regularly or occasionally cultivated. It was classified further into good, middling and bad categories.
3. The average produce and the average price over the past 10 years were calculated. The revenue was calculated on the basis of these averages. One third of the average produce was the king’s share. It could be paid in cash or kind, though cash was preferred.

Question 2.
Akbar followed a liberal policy towards the Rajputs.
Answer:
Akbar realized that the support of the Rajputs was necessary to build a powerful empire. For this he adopted the liberal policy towards the Rajput.

1. Akbar treated the Rajputs with honour and equality and won their respect and loyalty.
2. He married Rajput princesses to strengthen his ties with Rajputs.
3. He appointed Rajputs on High posts in his court to win their friendship, loyalty and cooperation.
4. He abolished the Jaziya and pilgrim tax levied on Hindus.
5. Akbar did not annexed the kingdoms of the Rajput rulers but only asked them to recognize him as their overlord and pay him regular tribute. The result of adopting this policy was that Akbar won the loyalty and support of the Rajputs, Who formed the backbone of a strong and stable empire.

Question 3.
Akbar is referred to as ‘Akbar the Great’.
Answer:
Akbar made many reforms to the empire because of which he was called Akbar the Great.
Some of the reforms were:

1. He expanded the Mughal Empire to almost twice its size
2. He was tolerant to other religions
3. He made many administrative reforms which were even used by the British
4. He was a very fair ruler
   Akbar was the greatest Mughal emperor because rather than ruining India he did many things for it’s welfare. He opposed the discrimination between Hindus and Muslims, abolished the tax on Hindu pilgrims. So he was called great.

VI. Picture study:

1. Name this building.
Ans. Buland Darwaza.

2. Where is it located?
Ans. Fathepur Sikri.

3. Why and when was it built?
Ans. It was built to commemorate Akbar’s conquest of Gujarat.

4. Name the emperor who got it built. Write about his religious policies.
Ans. Akbar built the Buland Darwaza.
The religious policies of Akbar were:

1. He abolished ‘jaziya and ‘pilgram tax’.
2. He was an emperor who not only let Hindus build their temples but also gave grants to build them.
3. He stopped the practise of forcible conversion to Islam.
4. He got religious books of Hindus translated to Persian.

Additional Questions
(Akbar The Great)

A. Fill in the blanks:

1. In the Second Battle of Panipat which took place in November 1556, the Mughal army under the leadership of Bairam Khan defeated General Hemu.
2. Akbar held regular meetings with his senior officers in the Diwan-i-Khas and he met his subjects in the Diwan-i-Aam.
3. The Mughal empire was divided into fifteen provinces and subas which were further subdivided into districts or Sarkars.
4. The land revenue system introduced by Akbar was known as the Toda Mai’s Bandobast system.
5. The minimum age of marriage was raised to fourteen years for girls and sixteen years for boys.
6. Two great poets patronized by Akbar were Faizi and Raja Birbal.

B. Match the following:

Answer:

C. Choose the correct answer:

1. Akbar was 13/15/17 years old when he was proclaimed emperor.
   Ans. Akbar was 13 years old when he was proclaimed emperor.
2. Ran a Udai Singh/Jai Mal/Rana Pratap Singh was defeated by the Mughal forces in the Battle of Haldighati.
   Ans. Rana Pratap Singh was defeated by the Mughal forces in the Battle of Haldighati.
3. In 1575 ce, Akbar built the Ibadat Khana in his new capital for discussions on politics/religious/warfare.
   Ans. In 1575 ce, Akbar built the Ibadat Khana in his new capital for discussions on religious.
4. Akbar founded a new religious order which he called Din-i-Ilahi/Mahzar/Sulh-i-kul.
   Ans. Akbar founded a new religious order which he called Din- i-Ilahi.
5. The court language used in Akbar’s court was Turkish/ Persian/Sanskrit.
   Ans. The court language used in Akbar’s court was Persian.

D. State whether the following are true or false:

1. Akbar assumed absolute power and authority at the age of 21.
   False. Correct: Akbar assumed absolute power and authority at the age of 18.
2. Akbar held regular meetings with the senior officers in the Diwan-i-Khas.
   True.
3. In each suba, the diwan kept records of the land revenue.
    True.
4. Din-i-Ilahi was adopted by all the people in Akbar’s empire.
    False. Correct: Din-i-Ilahi was introduced by all the people in Akbar’s empire.
5. Akbar was illiterate but he had a passion for books.
   True.

E. Answer the following questions in one or two words/ sentences:

1.What role did Bairam Khan play when Akbar ascended the throne?
Ans. Bairam Khan managed the affairs of the state on behalf of Akbar.

2.What is the significance of the Second Battle of Panipat (1556 ce)?
Ans. In the second battle of Panipat, Akbar’s army under the leadership of Bairam Khan defeated and skilled Hemu, the general of Adil Shah who had occupied the city of Delhi. Due to this battle, the Afghan power was crushed and Akbar’s throne became safe from enemies.

3.Why did Akbar embark on a policy of conquest and annexation?
Ans. Akbar embarked on a policy of conquest and annexation. His aim was to bring the entire country under his control.

4.Why did Akbar follow a policy of friendship with the Rajput?
Ans. 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 of great help in strengthening and expanding the Mughal empire.

5.Why is the memory of Rana Pratap Singh still honoured in Rajasthan?
Ans. People in Rajasthan still honour the memory of Rana Pratap Singh because his whole life he fought for throwing the Mughal’s out of their territory.

6.What do you understand by the term ‘mansab’?
Ans. The term ‘mansab’ means office or rank.

7.Who had the power to appoint and dismiss the mansabdars?
Ans. The mansabdars were appointed, promoted or dismissed by the emperor.

8.Mention any one tax abolished by Akbar as a part of his policy of religious tolerance.
Ans. Akbar abolished the jaziya (poll) tax and the pilgrim tax.

9.What power did Akbar gain through the Mahzar?
Ans. Akbar issued a declaration called Mahzar, which gave him the power to choose between different interpretations of Islamic law.

10.Why did Akbar encourage the study of secular subjects?
Ans. Akbar encourage the study of secular subjects like Mathematics, Agriculture, Logic, History and Astronomy to increase the knowledge of people and to promote religious harmony.

F. Answer the following questions briefly:

Question 1.
Why was Akbar’s position unstable and insecure when he ascended the throne of Delhi?
Answer:
Akbar’s position was unstable and insecure, when he ascended the throne of Delhi because his empire was surrounded by enemies on all the sides. Adil Shah who was the nephew of Sher Shah was determined to capture Delhi and re-establish the Afghan rule. Even the Rajputs were waiting for suitable opportunity to throw the Mughals out of India.

Question 2.
Rana Udai Singh of Mewar rejected Akbar’s offer of friendship and refused to submit to him. In this context, discuss: (a) Subjugation of Rana Udai Singh (b) Conflict with Rana Pratap Singh
Answer:
(a)
The Rana of Mewar was considered to be the head of the Rajput clans. He refused to submit to Akbar and rejected his proposal of a matrimonial alliance. Akbar marched against Chittor, the capital city of Mewar. Udai Singh escaped to the hills, leaving the defence of Chittor to Jai Mai, the commander of the Rajput forces. For 4 months, the Mughal army tried in vain to capture the fort of Chittor.
Resistance collapsed when Jai Mai was killed. All the Rajput women performed jauhar. The heroic Rajputs rushed out in a desperate bid to destroy the enemy. They perished fighting.
The capture of Chittor was followed by the fall of Ranthambore. By 1570 ce, practically all the Rajput princes had accepted Akbar as their overlord.
(b)
The Rajputs 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 Mughals. With a great deal of difficulty, Rana Pratap organized and 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.

Question 3.
Discuss the power and position of the emperor in the central administration.
Answer:

1. The emperor was an extremely powerful figure. His decisions on all matter-military, political, administrative and judicial-were final. His word was law. He was the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and the supreme judge on all matters of justice.
2. He was assisted by a team of ministers and officials. The appointment, promotion and dismissal of all officials, including commanders of the army, was the sole right of the emperor. The success of this system depended largely on the personality of the emperor and his wisdom to choose the right person for the right job.

Question 4.
Who assisted the emperor in the administration of the empire? What were their responsibilities and functions?
Answer:
The emperor was assisted by a team of ministers and officials for proper administration of the empire. Their names and functions are as follows:

1. Wazir Dewan: He was the head of the revenue department.
2. Mir Bakshi: He was the head of the military department and the paymaster of all mansabdars
3. The Qazi: He was the chief judge.
4. Chief Sadr: He was the supervisor of the royal household.
5. Vakil: He was the head of the at’¹‘ , i. board

Question 5.
Explain any five main features of the mansabdari system introduced by Akbar.
Answer:
Under this system, every official was given a rank or a mansab. The rank depended on the nature and importance of the job. The lowest rank was that of an officer in charge of ten horsemen, while the highest mansab was that of an officer maintaining 7,000 horseman. The mansab’s were given salary in accordance with their rank. They were usually paid in the form of jagirs.

Question 6.
What measures did Akbar adopt to reorganize and strengthen the army?
Answer:

1. Every official in the imperial service was given a rank or a mansab. The rank depended on the nature and importance of the job. The lowest rank was that of an officer in charge of ten horsemen, while the highest mansab was that of an officer maintaining 7,000 horseman. The higher mansabs were reserved for the members of the royal family.
2. The mansabdars were appointed, promoted or dismissed by the emperor.
3.  They were given a salary in accordance with their rank. Later, they began to be paid in the form of jagirs. They were entitled to a fixed amount of revenue from the jagir as salary for themselves arid their troops.
4.  A mansab or rank was not hereditary. After the death of the mansabdar, the jagir reverted to the king, who granted it to someone else.
5. The mansabdars did not have any authority or responsibility of administering the jagir.
6. The system of branding horses and maintaining a descriptive roll of the soldiers was adopted by Akbar.
7. Akbar also maintained a standing army. The cavalry was the most important branch of the Mughal army. The troops were mainly supplied by the mansabdars. The emperor also directly recruited and maintained a battalion of loyal and trusted soldiers. He maintained a corps of royal bodyguards and armed palace guards, a large number of war elephants and a well-organized artillery.

Question 7.
Explain the important features of the land revenue system introduced by Todar Mai.
Answer:
Todar Mai introduced a land revenue system known as Todar Mai’s Bandobast.

1. Land was surveyed and measured with a bamboo jarib joined together with iron rings instead of the hemp rope used earlier.
2. The land was grouped into four categories depending on whether it was regularly or occasionally cultivated. It was classified further into good, middling and bad categories.
3. The average produce and the average price over the past 10 years were calculated. The revenue was calculated on the basis of these averages. One third of the average produce was the king’s share. It could be paid in cash or kind, though cash was preferred.
4. The revenue officers were instructed to treat the peasants well.
5. Loans which could be paid back in easy instalments were advanced to the peasants to buy seeds, cattle and implements.
6. If the crops failed due to drought or flood, the state granted remission of revenue.

Question 8.
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 nation based on equality?
Answer:
Akbar took following steps to transform the Islamic state into a secular one and unite the diverse races in the country into a single nation based on equality:

1. He abolished the Jaziya tax which was imposed by earlier Muslim rulers on all non-Muslim subjects and pilgrim tax imposed on Hindus visiting places of pilgrimage.
2. He allowed Hindus to build temples, celebrate festivals and worship freely. He even allowed his Hindu wives to celebrate festivals like Holi and Diwali.
3. He gave high posts to talented and competent Hindus in his court, examples are: Todar Mai, Birbal and Raja Bhagwan Das.
4. He married Rajput princesses and allowed them freedom of worship.
5. He granted land to all persons irrespective of their religious Mh.

Question 9.
Briefly explain the features and objectives of the Din- i-Ilahi?
Answer:
Akbar formed a new religious order which was called Din- i-Ilahi or divine faith. The main features of this religion were belief in one God and recognition of the emperor as God’s representative on earth. Din-i-Ilahi was more like a code of conduct and there was no sacred books, no priestly classes, no places of worship and no rituals in it.
The main objective of establishing it was to provide a religious order which would be acceptable to the Hindu, Muslims and other communities and to promote universal brotherhood and national unity.

Question 10.
Mention the important features of Akbar’s Rajput policy. Why did he adopt this policy and what were its results?
Answer:
Akbar realized that the support of the Rajputs was necessary to build a powerful empire.
For this he adopted the following policy:

1. Akbar treated the Rajputs with honour and equality and won their respect and loyalty.
2. He married Rajput princesses to strengthen his ties with Rajputs.
3. He appointed Rajputs on High posts in his court to win their friendship, loyalty and cooperation.
4. He abolished the Jaziya and pilgrim tax levied on Hindus.
5. Akbar did not annexed the kingdoms of the Rajput rulers but only asked them to recognize him as their overlord and pay him regular tribute. The result of adopting this policy was that Akbar won the loyalty and support of the Rajputs, Who formed the backbone of a strong and stable empire.

Question 11.
Mention any two important social reforms introduced by Akbar?
Answer:
Akbar introduced a number of sociai reforms to rid Indian society from some cruel practices like:

1. He abolished the sati pratha and legalized remarriage of widows.
2. He discouraged child marriage. He raised the minimum age of marriage of girls to fourteen years and of boys to sixteen years.

Question 12.
Give an account of Akbar’s cultural achievements with reference to: (a) Literature (b) Architecture
Answer:
(a)
Abul Fazl was Akbar’s court historian. He wrote the Akbarnama, which is an excellent historical work in Persian. Hindi was also used in the Mughal court. Raja Birbal was made the Hindi Kavi Raj or poet laureate in Akbar’s court. The Ramacharitamanas was written by Tulsidas, the greatest Hindi author in those times.
(b)
Initially, the style of architecture was Persian, for instance, Humayun’s Tomb. However, with the passage of time, Akbar’s architectural style became more and more Indian. Inspired by the palaces of Hindu rajas, Akbar’s later buildings reflect Rajput traditions.Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar’s new capital city, contains many interesting Rajput-style buildings made of sandstone. It is referred to as a dream in stone. Among the many fine buildings are the Diwan-i-Khas, Panch Mahal, Jodha Bai’s Palace and the Buland Darwaza.

G Picture study:

The picture depicts a Mughal emperor holding discussions on religious matters in the Ibadat Khana.

Question 1.
Identify the emperor.
Answer:
Akbar.

Question 2.
Which religious communities participated in the discussions?
Answer:
Muslim clerics, Hindu scholars, Buddhist and Jain monks, Parsi priests, Christian missionaries, etc. assembled in the Ibadat Khanna.

Question 3.
Why did the emperor organize these assemblies?
Answer:
The Emperor organize these assemblies to explain the principles and teachings of all the religion.