Skip to content
CNMS ICSE - 7 Std
Share
Explore

Answer key

Prepared by: learnloophq@gmail.com

Chapter: 10. Jahangir Shah Jahan And Aurangzeb

⁠

SECTION A: OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS

I. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

(b) Prince Khurram (He managed to recapture the fort of Ahmadnagar and was honored with the title of Shah Jahan)
© Sir Thomas Roe (He was granted trading rights by Jahangir, paving the way for the British East India Company)
(d) Moti Masjid (It is considered to be the most perfect of Shah Jahan’s buildings—simple, elegant, and made of the finest marble)
(b) 1639 CE (He shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi in this year and built Shahjahanabad)
(a) Tarabai (After Rajaram’s death, the leadership of the Maratha resistance passed to his brave widow, Tarabai)
⁠

II. Fill in the Blanks

Mehrunnisa
Engineer King
jizya
1687 CE
Nadir Shah
⁠

III. True or False

True
False. Correction: The ceiling of the Diwan-i-Khas inside the Red Fort is made of silver, not gold.
False. Correction: Aurangzeb spent the first 24 years of his reign in the north dealing with north Indian affairs, and the second half (last 26 years) in the Deccan fighting the Marathas.
True
True
⁠

IV. Complete the Series

Prince Khurram (These are the original/birth names of the emperors)
Red Sandstone (These are the primary materials used to build these structures)
Shah Jahan ascends the throne (This marks the year the respective emperor began his rule)
Tarabai or Sambhaji / Rajaram (These are the prominent leaders who headed the regional resistance against the Mughals)
Lord of the World (These are the literal meanings of their titles)
⁠

SECTION B: CONCEPTUAL & SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

V. Explanation of Terms

Chain of Justice: A chain made of pure gold with 60 bells attached to it, installed by Jahangir between his palace and the banks of the river Yamuna. It allowed any aggrieved person to ring the bell to personally seek justice from the emperor.
Shahjahanabad: A new capital city built by Shah Jahan in 1639 CE when he shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi. Today, it is known as Old Delhi.
Peacock Throne: Shah Jahan’s magnificent golden throne placed at the centre of the Diwan-i-Aam in the Red Fort. It featured a canopy supported by 12 emerald pillars, with each pillar bearing two gem-studded peacock figures.
Virtual Ruler: A term referring to Nur Jahan’s status during Jahangir’s later reign, where Jahangir left the actual administrative power and decision-making entirely in her hands while spending his time in leisure.
⁠

VI. Differentiate Between Concepts

Early Reign vs. Later Reign of Aurangzeb:
Geographical Focus: During his early reign (first 24 years), Aurangzeb lived in the north, focusing directly on north Indian affairs. During his later reign (last 26 years), he marched to the Deccan and stayed there permanently, never returning to the north.
Major Challenges: In his early reign, his authority was challenged in the north by the Jats, Bundelas, Satnamis, Sikhs, Rajputs, the Ahom ruler of Assam, and Afghan tribes. In his later reign, his focus was entirely on annexing the sultanates of Bijapur and Golconda and suppressing the fierce resistance of the Marathas.
⁠

VII. Short Answer Questions

Jahangir did not face major problems because he inherited a highly prosperous, stable, and well-organized empire. The administrative foundations laid by his father, Akbar, were exceptionally strong.
Malik Ambar was the chief minister of Ahmadnagar. During Jahangir’s reign, he recovered all the territories in the Deccan that Akbar had previously conquered from Ahmadnagar.
The annexation of Bijapur and Golconda made the Mughal Empire too vast, unwieldy, and difficult to administer. It also brought the Mughals into direct, continuous conflict with the Marathas, draining their treasury.
Two reasons for the decline of the Mughal Empire are:
Aurangzeb’s weak, inefficient, and pleasure-loving successors who acted as puppets of ambitious nobles.
Provincial governors taking advantage of the weak central government to break away and set up independent kingdoms.
⁠

SECTION C: SOURCE & OBSERVATION-BASED QUESTIONS

VIII. Diagram-Based Question

The monument is the Red Fort (Lal Qila) and it is located in Delhi (Old Delhi).
It was built by Emperor Shah Jahan, and the capital city he established was Shahjahanabad.
Two impressive buildings inside the Red Fort are the Diwan-i-Khas (which had a silver ceiling) and the Diwan-i-Aam (which housed the Peacock Throne).
⁠

IX. Source-Based Question

Aurangzeb feels he has not been a true guardian because his long military campaigns and policies destabilized the empire, causing extensive rebellion, financial ruin, and administrative collapse. He realizes that his time in power left behind only sorrow and was passed in vain.
His prolonged 26-year Deccan campaigns against the Marathas and the annexation of Bijapur and Golconda drained the empire’s economic and military resources. Additionally, his reversal of Akbar’s religious policies (reimposing jizya and pilgrimage taxes) sparked revolts.
He is expressing deep regret, sorrow, and remorse over his failures as a ruler.
⁠

X. Values and Life Skills (Observation Question)

Actions against offenders: Antisocial elements who deface monuments should be heavily fined, penalized under heritage protection laws, and made to clean or pay for restoration work. Active security surveillance (like CCTV cameras and guards) must be deployed to catch them.
Preventive measures:
Education & Awareness: Schools can organize field trips, historical walks, and awareness campaigns highlighting the value of national monuments to foster a sense of pride and ownership.
Community Adoption Programs: Local communities and students can participate in “Adopt a Monument” volunteer drives to keep monument premises clean and report acts of vandalism.
⁠

SECTION D: LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

XI. Long Answer Questions

The Influence of Nur Jahan:
Rise to Power: Married to Jahangir in 1611 CE, Mehrunnisa was given the title Nur Jahan (‘light of the world’). She was exceptionally beautiful, highly educated, courageous, and intelligent. Recognizing her talents, Jahangir gradually left the administration in her hands.
Administrative Influence: She became the virtual ruler and the power behind the throne. Coins were issued jointly in her name and Jahangir’s. She used her influence to appoint her father, brother, and other relatives to key positions. Her niece, Mumtaz Mahal, was married to Prince Khurram (Shah Jahan).
Cultural & Fashion Influence: She wrote Persian poetry, designed new varieties of silk and cotton fabrics, carpets, and jewellery, thereby starting new fashion trends in the Mughal court.
The Golden Age of Mughal Architecture: Shah Jahan’s reign is known as the “Engineer King’s” era because of his massive patronage of splendid marble structures.
The Taj Mahal: Built in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, it took over 20 years to build and cost 3 to 4 crore rupees. Made of pure white marble, it is decorated with semi-precious stones (pietra dura) and intricate lace-like screens. It is octagonal with a splendid central dome and four slender minarets, set in a formal garden. It remains one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
The Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque): Located inside Agra Fort, it is considered the most perfect of his buildings. It stands out for its simplicity, elegance, and construction using the finest quality white marble.
The Deccan Ulcer:
Failure to Crush Marathas: Although Aurangzeb captured and executed Shivaji’s son Sambhaji in 1689 CE and imprisoned his family, the Marathas did not submit. Under Rajaram, and later his widow Tarabai, independent Maratha chiefs carried out a highly successful guerrilla resistance, plundering Mughal territories and demoralizing their forces.
Consequences of the Campaign:
It completely drained the massive treasury of the Mughals and ruined the Deccan economy.
Aurangzeb’s 26-year physical absence from the north led to a severe collapse of administration, causing rampant corruption, lawlessness, and disorder in northern India.
Nobles in the north became rebellious, regional groups like Jats and Sikhs strengthened their positions, and the tired Mughal soldiers in the Deccan eventually mutinied.
The Rise of Regional Powers: Aurangzeb’s administrative changes, particularly his reversal of Akbar’s religious policies (such as the reimposition of jizya), alienated many communities and gave rise to powerful regional resistance:
The Marathas: Under Sambhaji, Rajaram, and Tarabai, they fought a relentless war of attrition in the Deccan, defeating Mughal forces and establishing a rival political power center.
The Rajputs: The fall of Mewar under Jahangir had established peace, but Aurangzeb’s rigid policies alienated the Rajputs, turning them into hostile adversaries.
The Sikhs & Others: In the north, the Sikhs, the Jats of the Delhi-Agra region, the Bundelas of Bundelkhand, and the Satnamis organized armed revolts. The continuous fighting against these freedom-loving and rebellious forces drained Mughal resources, permanently fracturing the unity of the empire and leading to its collapse by 1707 CE.
Gallery
 
Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.
Try clicking the ··· in the right corner or using a keyboard shortcut (
CtrlP
) instead.