Question

1) what were the reasons responsible for the decline of the mughal empire in india. Discuss.(250 words)

Answer 1

Causes of the decline of the Mughal Empire:

1. Wars of Succession:

The Mughals did not follow any law of succession like the law of primogeniture. Consequently, each time a ruler died, a war of succession between the brothers for the throne started. This weakened the Mughal Empire, especially after Aurangzeb. The nobles, by siding with one contender or the other, increased their own power.

2. Aurangzeb’s Policies:

Aurangzeb failed to realise that the vast Mughal Empire depended on the willing support of the people. He lost the support of the Rajputs who had contributed greatly to the strength of the Empire. They had acted as pillars of support, but Aurangzeb’s policy turned them to bitter foes. The wars with the Sikhs, the Marathas, the Jats and the Rajputs had drained the resources of the Mughal Empire.

3. Weak Successors of Aurangzeb:

The successors of Aurangzeb were weak and became victims of the intrigues and conspiracies of the faction-ridden nobles. They were inefficient generals and incapable of suppressing revolts. The absence of a strong ruler, an efficient bureaucracy and a capable army had made the Mughal Empire weak.

 Invasions:

Foreign invasions sapped the remaining strength of the Mughals and hastened the process of disintegration. The invasions of Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali resulted in further drainage of wealth. These invasions shook the very stability of the empire.

Answer 2

Answer:

# The successive rulers after Aurangzeb were weak, unworthy and lacked the character, motivation and commitment to rule the empire strongly.

# Aurangzeb’s policies made enemies of the Rajputs, Sikhs, Jats and the Marathas.

# His frequent wars depleted the treasury.

# The raids by Nadir Shah, and repeated invasions of Ahmad Shah Abdali, resulted in further weakening of the empire.

# The already weakened empire faced further encroachment by the British and the French. The British and French, who had initially come as traders, took full advantage of the weakening empire and soon became masters of the whole of India.