Important Questions Class 7 Social Science Our Pasts 2 Chapter 10
History may be viewed as a great narrative filled with enduring characters and motivational tales of triumph over adversity. Every generation adds a new chapter to history while also editing and gaining new knowledge from earlier ones. Eighteenth-Century Political Formations is the tenth chapter of Class 7 Social Science Our Pasts 2. It might be claimed that the 18th century changed the course of Indian history. These were the days when the Mughals started to loosen their firm control over the country, which encouraged the development of autonomous kingdoms. The English reinforced their foothold in India throughout this century as well. This chapter allowed the students to examine every development in the 18th century. Chapter 10 Class 7 Social Science Our Pasts 2 Important Questions provides an overview of the political formations of the eighteenth century.
Extramarks professionals have developed Social Science Our Pasts 2 Class 7 Chapter 10 Important Questions using the NCERT Textbook, other reference books, past exam papers, and several other sources. History experts have compiled a list of step-by-step solutions to assist students in understanding each chapter. Students can register with Extramarks and access Class 7 Social Science Our Pasts 2 Chapter 10 Important Questions.
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Important Questions Class 7 Social Science Our Pasts 2 Chapter 10- with Solutions
The Social Science faculty of Extramarks has developed an entire list of Important Questions Class 7 Social Science Our Pasts 2 Chapter 10 using many different sources. One may argue that Indian history shifted in the 18th century. During these times, the Mughals began to relax their strict rule over the nation, which helped in the rise of independent kingdoms. Over this century, the English strengthened their position in India. In this chapter, students can study each change that happened in the 18th century. These questions and solutions help students better comprehend eighteenth-century political formations.
Mentioned below are a few Important Questions Class 7 Social Science Our Pasts 2 Chapter 10 and their solutions:
Question 1. What were the policies adopted by Asaf Jah to strengthen his position?
Answer 1. Nizam-ul-Mulk One of the most influential officials at the court of the Mughal Emperor Farrukh Siyar was Asaf Jah, the founder of the kingdom of Hyderabad (1724–1748). He then amassed strength and assumed control of that region by taking advantage of the unrest in the Deccan and the rivalry among the royal nobility. Asaf Jah brought competent troops and administrators from northern India who appreciated the new chances in the south. He awarded jagirs and appointed mansabdars. Even though he was still the Mughal emperor’s servant, he used his authority without any interference or request for advice from Delhi.
Question 2. Explain the following terms:
Answer 2. You can define sardeshmukhi as follows:
- In the Deccan Plateau region, nine to ten per cent of the additional land revenue paid to the head of the revenue collectors was referred to as “sardeshmukhi.”
- During Shivaji’s time as Maratha ruler, they implemented a new method of income collection.
The Rakhi system is as follows:
- The Rakhi system was developed by the Sikhs in the seventeenth century and offered peasants protection or insurance against foreign assault in exchange for a levy equal to 20% of the harvest.
- It resembled an insurance plan exactly.
Question 3. What were the positions held by Sa’adat Khan?
Answer 3. Sa’adat Khan held the positions of subadari, faujdari, and diwani.
Question 4. In Awadh, how did bankers and moneylenders rise to prominence? Explain.
Answer 4. In Awadh, moneylenders and bankers rose to powerful positions in the following ways:
- The local bankers and “Mahajan” were the only sources of loans for the whole state of Awadh.
- They sold the right to collect taxes to the best bidders, such as revenue farmers who agreed to provide the state with a set amount of money in exchange.
- Local bankers had a role to play in this. They committed to paying the state this agreed-upon sum. In this way, the bankers acted as sureties for the revenue farmers and the state of Awadh.
- It was agreed that the revenue-farmers were to be granted a great deal of autonomy in the tax assessment and collection in exchange.
- Awadh saw the emergence of a new, powerful community of bankers and moneylenders because of this system.
Question 5. Why did the Marathas want to expand beyond the Deccan?
Answer 5. The Marathas wanted to spread outside the Deccan to lessen the Mughal dominance. The Maratha empire grew between 1720 and 1761. The Maratha ruler was recognised as the ruler of the whole Deccan peninsula by the 1730s after they had taken Malwa and Gujarat from the Mughals in the 1720s.
Question 6. What caused the Mughal Empire to fall so drastically?
Answer 6. The following factors contributed to the decline of the Mughal empire:
- Aurangzeb, the Mughal emperor, conducted a battle in the Deccan that cost him a lot of resources and drained his treasury.
- The huge empire of Aurangzeb was too much for his successors to manage. The governors who were hired rose to political and economic prominence. As a result, it became challenging for them to monitor the governors. As the governors consolidated their power over the provinces, the systematic, recurring income remittance to the capital drastically decreased.
- Revolt against excessive taxes significantly escalated under the rule of the final Mughal rulers.
- Strong chieftains have often instigated rebellions to establish their domains.
- Meanwhile, Nadir Shah conquered Delhi, pillaged the Mughals’ wealth, and weakened them.
- Conflicts arose between the two noble families that used the previous Mughal kings as puppets. The last four Mughal emperors were either assassinated or rendered blind by them, which brought about their final demise.
Question 7. Why did the Nawabs of Awadh and Bengal try to do away with the jagirdari system?
Answer 7. The Nawabs of Awadh and Bengal attempted to abolish the jagirdari system by limiting the number of officeholders (jagirdars) appointed by the Mughals to lessen Mughal influence in the provinces. Additionally, they decreased the size of jagirs and filled open posts with their own trusted employees. Officials chosen by the Nawab’s court reviewed the income of all districts and scrutinised the jagirdars’ accounts to avoid fraud. Murshid Quli Khan ordered a thorough reevaluation of Bengal’s income to lessen the Mughal power there. He also relocated all Mughal jagirdars to Orissa. With extreme rigour, all zamindars were required to pay in cash for all the revenue. Many zamindars were forced to borrow money from banks and moneylenders.
Question 8. List the three characteristics Bengal, Awadh, and Hyderabad have in common.
Answer 8. The following three characteristics tie the states mentioned above together:
- These nations regarded the Mughals’ rule as the “jagirdari system” with contempt.
- Based on a written contract, these three states relied on the “revenue farmers” for tax collection.
- These three states had excellent connections with traders and bankers. They used to lend money to farmers who produced revenue, and they continued to collect taxes with the help of their agents.
Question 9. How were the Sikhs organised in the eighteenth century?
Answer 9. In Punjab, the development of a regional state was aided by the Sikhs’ organisation as a political group during the seventeenth century. Guru Gobind Singh engaged in several conflicts with the Rajput and Mughal emperors before and after the Khalsa was established in 1699. The Sikhs formed several bands called ‘jathas’ and subsequently ‘misls’ in the eighteenth century under the guidance of several capable leaders. The vast army was the name given to their united forces (dal Khalsa). The Khalsa were motivated by Guru Gobind Singh’s idea that they would one day reign over the land (raj Karega Khalsa). Because of their tight-knit organisation, they could initially successfully oppose the Mughal rulers and Ahmad Shah Abdali. He had taken control of Sirhind and Punjab, two wealthy Mughal provinces. From the Indus to the Jamuna, the Sikh domains stretched in the late eighteenth century, yet they were split between many kings. One of them, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, brought these tribes together and made Lahore his capital in 1799.
Question 10. Describe how the Maratha Empire evolved.
Answer 10. The Maratha empire’s growth may be summarised as follows:
- The great Shivaji founded the Maratha Empire. In the Indian peninsula, he confronted the Mughals with the help of his formidable standing army. The Marathas hacked away at and destroyed the Mughals.
- When he passed away, the Peshwas gained control. They allowed Marathas to grow militarily extremely strongly. They were able to attack cities by avoiding the Mughals’ defences.
- The Marathas took Malwa and Gujarat from the Mughals in 1720.
- The Marathas eventually acknowledged the Mughals’ dominance in the Deccan peninsula after engaging them in fierce combat and defeating them in several battles.
- After 1737, the Maratha dominance quickly grew in Punjab, Bengal, Orissa, and Karnataka. Although these states were indirectly excluded from the Maratha empire, they were nonetheless required to provide a fair amount of taxes and tributes to acknowledge Marathas’ dominance.
The Marathas destroyed and gradually weakened the Mughals by ruthlessly expanding their kingdom from 1720 to 1761.
Question 11. What effects did Nadir Shah’s attack have in Delhi?
Answer 11. Iran’s Nadir Shah attacked Delhi in 1739, plundered the city, and stole money. The following statements describe the effects of this attack:
- The Mughals’ riches and valuables, including cash, gold coins, and jewellery, were destroyed.
- Delhi became completely abandoned.
- The affluent were reduced to begging.
- Basic amenities like dwellings to live in and clothing to wear were lacking.
In brief, after Nadir Shah’s invasion, Delhi was engulfed in a wave of poverty.
Question 12. How were bankers and Awadh connected?
Answer 12. The following links existed between the bankers and the state of Awadh:
- The local bankers and “Mahajan” were the only sources of loans for the whole state of Awadh.
- The state sold the right to collect taxes to the best bidders, such as revenue farmers who agreed to provide the state with a set amount of money in exchange.
- Local bankers had a role in this. They committed to paying the state this agreed-upon sum. It was agreed that the revenue-farmers would be granted a great deal of autonomy in the tax assessment and collection in exchange.
Awadh saw the emergence of a new community of bankers and moneylenders because of this arrangement. And the state as a whole began connecting with them.
Question 13. What did Burhan-ul-Mulk do that made the Mughal dominance in the Awadh area disappear?
Answer 13. To eliminate Mughal power in the Awadh area, Burhan-ul-Mulk conducted the following actions:
- He reduced the number of officeholders (jagirdars) that the Mughal emperors hired.
- He replaced several of the jagirs fired with his devoted employees.
- To prevent fraud, Burhan-ul-Mulk carefully examined the finances of the jagirdars. Furthermore, the officials hired by the Nawab’s court revised the earnings of every district.
Question 14. Describe Shivaji’s administration’s policy on religion.
Answer 14. Although Shivaji was a devout Hindu, he regarded Islam and the Quran highly and hired a sizable number of Muslims in his army. He also gave funding for mosque buildings. His approach to religion was therefore secure.
Shivaji was a courageous and wise fighter. His kingdom was split into two halves:
- The territory was known as Swarajya, which was ruled directly.
- The regions are known as Mughlai, which bordered Mughal territory.
The two forms of taxes collected by the Shivaji empire were Chauth and sardeshmukhi. The empire’s provinces were divided into Parganas, each of which had several villages. Patel was a title for village chiefs. As a result, Shivaji’s administrative structure worked effectively regarding tax collection and kingdom-wide control.
In the section given above of Important Questions Class 7 Social Science Our Pasts 2 Chapter 10, all the essential topics of the chapter are covered.
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