How were the Sikhs organised in the eighteenth century?
During the 17th century the Sikhs got organised into a political community. This led to the regional state-building in Punjab. Guru Gobind Singh fought many battles against the Rajputs as well as Mughal rulers, both before and after the institution of the Khalsa in 1699. After the death of Guru Gobind Singh in 1708, the Khalsa revolted against the Mughal authority under the leadership of Banda Bahadur and declared their sovereign rule. Banda Bahadur was captured in 1715 and executed in 1716. In the 18th century, the Sikhs organised themselves into a number of bands called jathas and later on rrdsls. Their well-knit organisation enabled them to put up successful resistance to the Mughal governors first and then to Ahamd Shah Abdali. Who had seized the rich province of the Punjab and the Sarkar of Sirhind from the Mughals.
Did any of the Kingdoms mentioned in this chapter develop in your state? If so, in what ways do you think life in the state would have been different in the eighteenth century from what, it is in the twenty-first century?
Do you think merchants and bankers today have the kind of influence they had in the eighteenth century?
Name the new social groups that developed in Awadh to influence the management of the state's revenue system ?
State whether true or false:
(a) Nadir Shah invaded Bengal.
(b) Sawai Raja Jai Singh was the ruler of Indore.
(c) Guru Gobind Singh was the tenth Guru of the Sikhs.
(d) Poona became the capital of the Marathas in the eighteenth century.
Fill in the blanks:
(a) Aurangzeb fought a protracted war in the …………………
(b) Umaraand jagirdarsconstituted powerful sections of the Mughal
(c) Asaf Jah founded the Hyderabad state in ………………….
(d) The founder of the Awadh state was ………………..
Name the three states that were carved out of the old Mughal provinces in the 18th century. [Imp.]
How did moneylenders and bakers achieve influential position in the state of Awadh? [V. Imp.]
Or
Describe the close connection between the state of Awadh and bankers.
Match the following
subadar – a revenue farmer
faujdar – a high noble
ijaradar – provincial governor
misl – Maratha peasant warriors
chauth – a Mughal military commander
kunbis – A band of Sikh warriors
umara – tax levied by the Marathas
Describe the three common features of the states like Awadh, Bengal and Hyderabad.
Or
What common features were shared by these three states—Awadh, Bengal and Hyderabad? [V. Imp.]
The Mughal Empire had to face a variety of crises towards the closing years of the 17th century. What were the causes behind it?
Or
What were the causes of the fad of the Mughal Empire? [V. Imp.]