9th social science 17th chapter

CHAPTER – 17: THE AHOM DYNASTY, THE MUGHALS AND THE MARATHAS

I. Fill in the blanks with suitable words.

1. The founder of the Ahom dynasty was Sukapha.

2. The founder of the Mughal dynasty was Babar.

3. The most famous emperor among the Mughals was Akbar.

4. The king who built the Taj Mahal at Agra was Shahjahan.

5. The Mughal emperor who established the new religion Din-e-Ilahi was Akbar.

6. Shivaji’s mother was Jijabai.

II. Answer the following questions.

7. Write briefly about the important achievements of the Ahom dynasty.

• The Ahom dynasty was established by Sukapha in 1228.
• Cheroydoy served as their initial capital city.
• They successfully defended their kingdom against invasions from the Khaljis, the Lodhis, and the Bengal sultans.
• The Ahoms displayed exceptional bravery by defeating the Mughals in the battle at Alboi.
• In 1682, the final battle between the Ahoms and the Mughals took place during the reign of Gadhadhara Singha.
• Gadhadhara Singha recovered lost territories and forced the Mughal army out of the Brahmaputra valley.
• He expanded the Ahom kingdom up to the Manasa River and annexed Kamarupa to his territory.

8. Describe the military achievements of Babar.

• Babar defeated the Delhi Sultan, Ibrahim Lodhi, in the First Battle of Panipat in 1526, thereby establishing the Mughal dynasty in India.
• Delhi was established as his capital city.
• Over the course of four years, he defeated several key opponents, including Rana Sangram Singh of Mewad, the Rajput king Medini Raya of Chanderi, and Mohammad Lodhi, the brother of Ibrahim Lodhi.
• Babur successfully conquered areas including Panipat, Gogra, and Kanwa.
• He effectively consolidated Mughal rule over a vast portion of North India.

9. Compare and contrast the present-day administrative system with that of Sher Shah.

• Sher Shah held the ultimate authority as the head of the administrative system.
• He operated with an efficient cabinet ministry and maintained absolute control over both civil and military administration.
• His military strength included 25,000 infantry, 1,50,000 cavalry, and 500 elephants, with a particularly strong cavalry division.
• The army was well-organized into various troops, each supervised by appointed commandants.
• Sher Shah maintained strict discipline and personally oversaw the organization of the military, including the procurement of arms and ammunition.

10. What are the areas won by Akbar?

Answer :- Akbar conquered several regions, including Malwa, Jaipur, Godawan, Chittor, Ranthambhore, Kalinjar, Gujarat, and Bengal.

11. Describe the contributions of Shahjahan to art and architecture.

• He commissioned the creation of the famous and immensely valuable ruby-studded Peacock Throne.
• Shahjahan built the iconic Taj Mahal in Agra as a memorial to his beloved wife, Mumtaz.
• The Red Fort in Delhi and the structures within it are significant contributions from his reign.
• Because of these architectural marvels, his period is widely recognized as the ‘Golden Age of Mughal Art and Architecture’.

12. Describe Shivaji’s system of administration.

• Shivaji established a highly efficient administrative structure within his vast empire.
• The kingdom was divided into various provinces, categorized into Swaraj and Mughal areas.
• Marathi was adopted as the official language of administration.
• The central government was assisted by a council of ministers known as the ‘Asthapradhans’.
• The administrative hierarchy included provinces, districts, and villages, managed by various designated officials.

13. Explain the achievements of Bajirao I.

• Following the passing of Balaji Vishwanath, his eldest son, Baji Rao I, was appointed as Peshwa at the young age of 19.
• He was a brilliant warrior with the vision to expand the Maratha empire throughout North India.
• He conquered Gujarat and Malwa, securing the rights to collect taxes like Chauth and Sardeshmukhi.
• His military campaigns extended to the invasion of Chitradurga and Srirangapattana in Karnataka.
• He defeated Nizam-ul-Mulk in a battle near Bhopal, forcing him to pay war compensation, which included a vast stretch of land between the Narmada and Chambal rivers along with 50 lakh rupees.
• He captured Salcet and Basin from the Portuguese and Janjira from the Siddhis.
• Pune was established as his primary administrative center.
• Under his leadership, the Maratha union members—including Sindhia of Gwalior, Holkar of Indore, Bhonsle of Nagpur, and Gaikwad of Baroda—prospered, and he successfully restored the former glory of the Maratha Empire.