Name: ______Date: ______Period:____
BBC – The Mughal Empire
1. What two countries did the Mughal Empire rule most of in the 16th and 17th century?
India and Pakistan
2. In addition to Muslim faith, what else did the Mughal Empire spread? Muslin and particularly Persian arts and culture
3. What religion were the majority of people that were part of the Mughal Empire? Hindu
4. In what two ways did the Mughal Empire change the government in India?
Centralized government
Delegated government with respect for human rights
5. Name 3 other major changes the Mughal Empire brought to India.
1. Persian art and culture
2. Periods of great religious tolerance
3. Brought a style of architecture ie. Taj Mahal
4. A system of education that took account of pupil’s needs and culture.
6. The Mughal Empire grew out of the descendents of what other Empire? Mongol Empire who were living in Turkestan in the 15th century.
7. What kind of Empire did Babur, the first Mughal Emperor, found? A sophisticated civilization based on religious tolerance.
8. What 3 cultures was the Mughal Empire a mixture of? Islamic, Persian and Europe.
9. Where was trade especially encouraged? Especially Persia
10. What happened to the importance of slavery under Babur? It diminished
11. After conquering Delhi, what was Babur’s first act? Fobid the killing of cows.
12. Briefly summarize the rule of Babur’s son, Humayun, over the Mughal Empire?
No a barbarian, instead had great ideas about civilization, architecture and administration.
13. At what age did Abu Akbar succeed the throne? 13
14. What territory did Akbar rule over by the time of his death in 1605? Most of north, central and western India
15. What did Akbar believe about religions? What was a popular move he made that showed this? Believed that all religions should be tolerated and that a ruler’s duty was to treat all believers equally.
16. What was an innovation Akbar introduced into the Mughal Empire? Provide an example of this. Amount of autonomy he allowed to the provinces. Example: Non-Muslims were not forced to obey Islamic Law and Hindus were allowed to regulate themselves through their own law and institutions
17. What building project did Jahan commission? What did this building mark?
Taj Mahal – marked the apex of the Mughal Empire. – it symbolizes stability, power and confidence.
18. What was the reason behind the construction of this building? A mausoleum built for Jahan’s wife, Mumtaz
19. How did Aurangzeb, the Mughal Empire’s last great emperor, come to power? He imprisoned his father and had his older brother killed.
20. Name 3 ways that Aurangzeb ended the religious tolerance of Hinduism in the Mughal Empire?
1. No longer Allowed Hindu community to live under their own laws and customs
2. Imposed Sharia Law
3. Thousands of Hindu temples and shrines were torn down and a punitive tax on Hindu subjects was re-imposed.
21. What was the main reason that rule became unstable in the Mughal Empire?
Hostility that Arangazeb’s intolerance and taxation , also the empire had simply become to big to be successfully governed.
22. Which 2 countries supported the Hindu kingdoms during their revolts against the Mughal Empire? French & British
23. Who gained control of the city of Calcutta in 1689? East India Company
24. What did Aurangzeb’s extremism cause? Mughal territory and creativity to dry up and the Empire went into decline.
25. What did future Mughal Emperors effectively become? When was the last Emperor deposed? British & French puppets - by the British in 1858.