The Mughal Empire — Practice Questions
UPSC Prelims-pattern practice questions on the Mughals with full explanations — Panipat, Sher Shah, land classes, foreign visitors and Dara Shikoh.
Questions
These are original UPSC-pattern practice questions. Attempt each one before revealing the answer.
In the Second Battle of Panipat (1556), the Mughal forces defeated
Solution
In 1556 Akbar’s forces, led by Bairam Khan, defeated Hemu. Ibrahim Lodi lost the First Battle of Panipat (1526); Rana Sanga lost at Khanwa (1527); Sher Shah was never defeated by the Mughals — he defeated Humayun.
Answer: B
Consider the following statements about Sher Shah Suri:
- He issued the silver coin called rupiya.
- He built the Rohtas Fort, now in Pakistan.
- He introduced the zat and sawar ranks of the mansabdari system.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Solution
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong: the mansabdari system with zat and sawar ranks developed under Akbar.
Answer: A
Consider the following pairs:
| Land category (Akbar) | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. Polaj | Cultivated every year |
| 2. Parauti | Left fallow for a short time |
| 3. Chachar | Left fallow for three or four years |
| 4. Banjar | Left fallow for five years or more |
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Solution
All four are correct. The classification let revenue officials assess land according to how regularly it was cultivated.
Answer: D
Consider the following pairs of foreign visitor and the Mughal emperor in whose reign he came:
- Sir Thomas Roe — Jahangir
- Francois Bernier — Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb
- William Hawkins — Akbar
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
Solution
Pairs 1 and 2 are correct. Sir Thomas Roe was James I’s ambassador to Jahangir (1615–1619). The French physician Bernier arrived at the end of Shah Jahan’s reign and stayed on under Aurangzeb. Pair 3 is wrong: Captain William Hawkins came to Jahangir’s court.
Answer: B
Majma-ul-Bahrain, a work comparing Sufi and Vedantic ideas, was written by
Solution
Dara Shikoh, eldest son of Shah Jahan, wrote Majma-ul-Bahrain (“The Mingling of Two Oceans”) and translated the Upanishads into Persian as Sirr-i-Akbar (1657). Abul Fazl wrote the Akbarnama; Badauni the Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh; Faizi was a poet and translator.
Answer: C
Mughal painting reached its zenith under Jahangir. Discuss.
Solution
Introduction: Mughal painting began when Humayun brought the Persian masters Mir Sayyid Ali and Abdus Samad to India; under Akbar it became an imperial workshop. Under Jahangir it reached its highest refinement.
Body:
- Akbar’s foundation: large studio; Indian painters such as Daswanth and Basawan; narrative manuscripts (Hamzanama, Razmnama, Akbarnama); blend of Persian and Indian styles.
- Jahangir’s contribution: shift from crowded narratives to single, detailed studies; naturalism in birds, animals and flowers (Ustad Mansur); portraiture (Bishandas, Abul Hasan); the halo and allegorical portraits of the emperor; Jahangir’s personal connoisseurship — he claimed to recognise each painter’s hand.
- European influence: perspective and shading absorbed from European prints.
- After Jahangir: formal elegance under Shah Jahan; decline of court patronage under Aurangzeb; artists moved to Rajput and Pahari courts.
Conclusion: Jahangir’s patronage turned Mughal painting into a refined art of observation; its techniques lived on in the Rajasthani and Pahari schools.