Mughal Empire — Set 9

Correct Answer: C. Jahangir

• **Jahangir** is associated with the **'Golden Bell'** — same as the **Zanjir-i-Adil** (Chain of Justice). • Installed at **Agra Fort**, it had **60 bells**; pulling it alerted the Emperor for direct justice. • This practice reflects Jahangir's personal emphasis on **justice over court bureaucracy**. • 💡 Shah Jahan = architecture patron; Aurangzeb = strict law, no such bell; Akbar = Jharokha Darshan for public — Jahangir = Chain/Golden Bell of Justice.

Correct Answer: C. Nur Jahan

• **Nur Jahan** held the title **'Badshah Begum'** and was effectively the **de facto ruler** in Jahangir's later years. • She was the **only Mughal empress to have coins struck in her name** — an extraordinary political power. • She led a 'Junta' with her father Itimad-ud-Daulah and brother Asaf Khan — controlling the empire. • 💡 Mumtaz Mahal = Shah Jahan's wife, no coins; Roshanara = Aurangzeb's sister, no coins; Jahanara = Dara's supporter — only Nur Jahan issued coins.

Correct Answer: B. Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb

• **Battle of Samugarh (1658)** — **Dara Shikoh** was defeated by **Aurangzeb + Murad** near Agra. • This decisive battle during the **war of succession** paved Aurangzeb's path to the Delhi throne. • Dara fled, was later captured in Sindh and executed in **1659** as an apostate. • 💡 Humayun vs Sher Shah = different era; Babur vs Rana Sanga = Khanwa **1527**; Akbar vs Hemu = 2nd Panipat **1556** — Samugarh = Shah Jahan's sons' war.

Correct Answer: C. Lord Dalhousie

• After the **Revolt of 1857**, **Bahadur Shah Zafar** was exiled to Rangoon — ending Mughal emperorship. • **Lord Canning** as GG exiled him; **Dalhousie** had earlier applied Doctrine of Lapse to weaken rulers. • The formal abolition came with the **Government of India Act 1858** — British Crown took direct control. • 💡 Lord Hastings = refused to acknowledge Mughal suzerainty earlier; Lord Cornwallis = 18th century; Lord Wellesley = subsidiary alliances — Canning's era saw formal end.

Correct Answer: B. Sayyid Brothers

• **Sayyid Brothers** (Abdullah Khan + Hussain Ali Khan) were called **'King Makers'** of later Mughals. • They placed **4 emperors on the throne** (1713–1720) and controlled the empire as power-brokers. • Eventually overthrown by **Muhammad Shah 'Rangeela'** in 1720 with Nizam-ul-Mulk's help. • 💡 Saadat Khan = Awadh nawab, separate; Nizam-ul-Mulk = helped overthrow them; Zulfiqar Khan = earlier Mughal noble — Sayyid Brothers alone = 'King Makers'.

Correct Answer: A. Guru Gobind Singh

• **Hazur Sahib Gurudwara** in **Nanded (Maharashtra)** marks where **Guru Gobind Singh** passed away. • He was the **10th and last human Sikh Guru** — died in **1708** during **Bahadur Shah I's** reign. • Before dying, he declared the **Guru Granth Sahib** as the eternal Guru — no more human Gurus. • 💡 Guru Tegh Bahadur = 9th Guru, executed Delhi **1675**; Guru Arjan Dev = 5th Guru, executed Lahore **1606**; Guru Nanak = 1st Guru — Guru Gobind Singh = 10th, died Nanded.

Correct Answer: A. Malik Muhammad Jayasi

• **Malik Muhammad Jayasi** wrote the epic poem **'Padmavat'** in the **Awadhi** language around **1540**. • It narrates the story of **Rani Padmavati of Chittor** and **Alauddin Khilji's** siege of the fort. • Written during Sher Shah Suri's time; Jayasi lived near **Rae Bareli** (Uttar Pradesh). • 💡 Amir Khusrau = Delhi Sultanate era poet; Abul Fazl = Akbarnama author; Kabir = earlier Bhakti saint — Jayasi alone wrote Padmavat.

Correct Answer: A. Sher Shah Suri

• **Purana Qila** (Old Fort) in Delhi was primarily built by **Sher Shah Suri** on Humayun's Dinpanah site. • The **Qila-i-Kuhna Mosque** inside (1541) was also built by Sher Shah — an Afghan architectural gem. • It is one of Delhi's **oldest existing forts**; some scholars link its site to mythological **Indraprastha**. • 💡 Babur = no major fort in Delhi; Akbar = built Agra Fort; Aurangzeb = Bibi ka Maqbara Aurangabad — Sher Shah built Purana Qila.

Correct Answer: B. Babur and Jahangir

• **Both Babur and Jahangir** are known for writing their own **memoirs/diaries** — unique in Mughal history. • **Babur** wrote **Baburnama** (Chaghatai Turkic); **Jahangir** wrote **Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri** (Persian). • These first-hand accounts are primary historical sources of great literary and historical value. • 💡 Humayun = not known for memoirs; Akbar = illiterate, didn't write; Shah Jahan/Aurangzeb = no personal diaries — only Babur and Jahangir wrote memoirs.

Correct Answer: A. Mullah Shah Badakhshi

• **Mullah Shah Badakhshi** was the **spiritual guide and Sufi tutor** of **Dara Shikoh**. • He belonged to the **Qadiri Sufi order** — which emphasized mystical love for God. • Dara's deep Sufi influence led him to translate Upanishads and write 'Majma-ul-Bahrain'. • 💡 Nizamuddin Auliya = 14th century saint, centuries before Dara; Salim Chishti = Akbar's saint; Khwaja Baqi Billah = Aurangzeb's Naqshbandi guide — Mullah Shah = Dara's tutor.