CLASS- 8 SUBJECT – HISTORY & CIVICS CHAPTER – 3 . INDIA IN THE 18TH CENTURY HIGHLIGHTS 1. Decline of the Mughal Empire 2. Successors of Aurangzeb 3. Causes of Downfall of Mughal Empire 4. Rise of the Independent States 5. The Marathas 6. Decline of Maratha Power Decline of the Mughal Empire:- The Mughal Empire founded by Babar led to decline as a result of Aurangzeb’s faulty policies. Aurangzeb was the last Great Mughal emperor and after his death in 1707 started the process of disintegration of this vast empire. After his death there was a war between his three sons and his eldest son Muazzam emerged Victorious and ascended the throne in 1707 with the title of ‘Bahadur shah’. Successors of Aurangzeb:- After the death of Aurangzeb, there were Eleven Mughal rulers who ruled after 1707, five were murdered, three became prisoners, of east India Company, and three ruled in name only. Some of the rulers were Badhadur Shah 1st (1707-1712), Jalandhar Shah (1712-1713), Farukhsiyar (1713- 1719). All these rulers were very weak and were puppets of their powerful wazirs. Causes of Downfall of Mughal Empire: 1. Weakness of the Kings: Most of the later Mughal Emperors lacked administrative qualities and were blindly dependent upon their nobles and wazirs. They were puppets in their hands. 2. War of Succession: There were constant wars between various aspirants to the throne. This severely weakened the empire. 3. Weakness of Mughal Army: The Army was not modernized and the soldiers were indisciplined and lacked courage. 4. Invasions of Nadir shah and Ahmad Shah Abdabli: The invasions weakened the strength of Mughals. 5. Rise of New Powers: The Sikhs, Marathas, Rajputs, Jats and Rohillas challenged the authority of Mughals. 6. Other Causes: Widespread Corruption, Intolerant religions policies, financial Bankruptcy. Rise of the Independent States: Many rulers or governors of provinces declared their independence from Mughal Empire.Some are given as under. 1. Hyderabad: Nizamul – Mulk Asaf jah also known as chin Qilich Khan was the founder of independent state of Hyderabad. He had served under different Mughal Emperors and was given title of Khan-e Khana.By the time of his death in 1748 he established an efficient administrative and revenue setup. 2. Bengal: Murshid Quli Khan was appointed the Subehdar of Bengal in 1717 untill his death in 1717. His successors Shuja-ud-Din Khan (1727 – 1739) and Alivardi Khan (1740-1756) made Bengal powerful and independent from Mughal Empire. 3. Punjab: Due to the invasions of Nadir shah and Ahmad shah the Mughal Empire weakened considerably. This gave the Sikhs an opportunity to rise again. They organized themselves into 12 Misls. A misl was a political unit under a chief and its members remained loyal to him. Ranjit Singh was an able administrator and commander who united the diverse and scattered elements in Punjab. The death of Ranjit Singh was an opportunity for the British who ultimately annexed Punjab. 4. Mysore: It was an independent power under a Hindu king which gained prominence under Haider Ali after overthrowing Nanjaraj, Haider Ali established his Authority there. He fought many battles against the Marathas, Nizams and the British. Even though he was illiterate he was a very able administrator. He was succeeded by his son tips Sultan who was also a capable general. The English looked upon him as the most dangerous enemy. 5. The Jats: Suraj Mal (1756-1763) made the Jats a very strong power. He was a very able administrator and a wise statesman. He has been described as the ‘Plato of Jat tribe’. After Surajmal death the Jat Power began to decline. 6. The Rajputs: After the death of Akbar, the rise of Marathas and Sikhs greatly demoralized Rajputs. The Rajput kingdoms started declaring their independence from the Central Authority. One such state was Amber under Sawai Raja Jai Singh (1688 – 1743). He founded the city of Jaipur according to a well laid plan. He was a great Statesman, Social reformer and a man of science. He established Astronomical observatories at Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, Varansi and Mathura. Under him the state made remarkable progress. The Marathas: After the death of Shivaji in 1680, the Marathas had become weak for sometime. But under Balaji vishwanath (1714-1720) the Marathas regained their position. He got back all those territories which belonged to shivaji after his death in 1720. He was succeeded by his son Baji Rao 1st who consolidated ‘Maratha confederacy’. The Maratha power reached its zenith under him. His son Balaji Baji Rao also extended the Maratha Empire in the north and south. Decline of Maratha Power: Ahmad Shah Abdali defeated the Marathas on January 14, 1761 in the third Battle of Panipat which was a great blow to the Marathas. However ,Madhav Rao 1st restored some lost fortunes of the Marathas. Since his successors were very weak the power was completely crushed after the third Anglo- Marathas war of 1818. Peshwaship was also abolished. Activity: Identify the image (Mughal Emperor) given below and Discuss about his Contribution in Architecture. Questions and Answers: 1. State three important causes of the decline of the Mughal Empire? 2. Write a brief note on the battle of Plassey? 3. How did Sikhs rise again into prominence after Banda Bahadur’s death? 4. What do you mean by Sikh misls? 5. Who was Balaji Vishwanath? State one of his important achievements? 6. Why could the Rajputs not rise to power after the disintegration of Mughal Empire? 7. Write a note on the rise of Punjab under Ranjit Singh? 8. Who was Haider Ali? How did he come to Power? Answers: 1. The three reasons that led to the decline of Mughal empire are: i. Weakness of the Kings: Most of the later Mughal Emperors lacked administrative qualities and were blindly dependent upon their nobles and wazirs. They were puppets in their hands. ii. War of Succession: There were constant wars between various aspirants to the throne. This severely weakened the empire. iii. Weakness of Mughal Army: The Army was not modernized and the soldiers were indisciplined and lacked courage. 2. The battle of Plassey took place in 1757, where Siraj – ud- Daulah was defeated and Killed. The power and hold of British increased in Bengal. Eventually their victory in the battle of Buxar in 1764 made them virtual masters of Bengal. 3. After Banda Bahadurs Death, Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah, the afghan invaders made several raids on India after 1715. This weakened the Mughal Empire and gave the Sikhs an opportunity to rise again. They organized themselves into 12 misls .Besides Punjab these misls brought Jammu and Kashmir under their control. 4. A misl was a political unit under a chief and its members remained loyal to him. 5. Balaji Vishwanath was a Brahmin Minister who rendered valuable service to Shahu in times of crisis. Since Shahu was not very competent, all the powers were centralized in the hands of Peshwa, Balaji Vishwanath and his Son Baji Rao. His greatest achievement was treaty with Mughals in 1714 in which he got back all those territories which once belonged to Shiva ji. 6. The revival of the Rajputs under Sawai Raja Jai Singh (1688-1743) proved only temporary as most of the Rajputana continued to be divided as before. As a result the Rajput kingdom too fell to the British later. 7. Ranjit Singh was a very able administrator and commander who established an efficient system of administration. He extended his rule across river Satluj and established a Sikh Kingdom. Not only he was able to unite some misls under his control but also he reorganized his army and united the scattered elements in Punjab. 8. Mysore was an independent power under a Hindu king which gained prominence under Haider Ali after overthrowing Nanjaraj, Haider Ali established his Authority there. He fought many battles against the Marathas, Nizams and the British. Even though he was illiterate he was a very able administrator. He was succeeded by his son tips Sultan who was also a capable general. The English looked upon him as the most dangerous enemy. Questions: 1. What happened to the Maratha Power after the death of Shahu in 1749? 2. Who tried to restore the lost fortunes of the Marathas after the defeat in the third battle of Panipat? 3. Write in brief about three independent states that rose as a result of the decline of Mughal power? 4. Who were Peshwas? How did they consolidate the Maratha Power?.