📘 Mughal Empire GK: Babur to Aurangzeb – 100 Questions & Answers

🔹 Babur (1526–1530)

  1. Q: Who founded the Mughal Empire in India?
    👉 Babur
    Explanation: He established the Mughal Empire after defeating Ibrahim Lodi in 1526.

  2. Q: Which battle marked the beginning of the Mughal Empire?
    👉 First Battle of Panipat (1526)

  3. Q: Who defeated Ibrahim Lodi at Panipat?
    👉 Babur

  4. Q: Which battle did Babur fight against Rana Sanga of Mewar?
    👉 Battle of Khanwa (1527)

  5. Q: Which new warfare method did Babur introduce in India?
    👉 Use of gunpowder, artillery, and Tulughma system

  6. Q: Which battle established Mughal supremacy in India?
    👉 Battle of Khanwa (1527)

  7. Q: Which battle did Babur fight against the Afghans of Bihar and Bengal?
    👉 Battle of Ghaghra (1529)

  8. Q: Which autobiography did Babur write?
    👉 Baburnama (in Turkish/Chagatai language)

  9. Q: Babur was the descendant of which two great rulers?
    👉 Timur (paternal side) and Genghis Khan (maternal side)

  10. Q: Where was Babur buried?
    👉 Kabul (though initially buried at Agra)

🔹 Humayun (1530–1556)

  1. Q: Who succeeded Babur?
    👉 Humayun

  2. Q: Which ruler defeated Humayun at the Battle of Chausa (1539)?
    👉 Sher Shah Suri

  3. Q: In which battle was Humayun defeated by Sher Shah (1540)?
    👉 Battle of Kannauj (Bilgram)

  4. Q: Where did Humayun take refuge after defeat?
    👉 Persia (at the court of Shah Tahmasp I)

  5. Q: Who helped Humayun regain the Delhi throne?
    👉 Persian forces (1555)

  6. Q: When did Humayun recapture Delhi?
    👉 1555 (Battle of Sirhind)

  7. Q: How did Humayun die?
    👉 He slipped from the stairs of his library (Sher Mandal, Delhi)

  8. Q: Who succeeded Humayun?
    👉 Akbar

🔹 Akbar (1556–1605)

  1. Q: Who was the regent of Akbar in his early years?
    👉 Bairam Khan

  2. Q: Which battle did Akbar win against Hemu in 1556?
    👉 Second Battle of Panipat

  3. Q: What was Akbar’s revenue system called?
    👉 Todar Mal’s Zabti or Dahsala system

  4. Q: What was Akbar’s religious policy called?
    👉 Sulh-i-Kul (universal peace)

  5. Q: Who founded Din-i-Ilahi?
    👉 Akbar

  6. Q: Who was Akbar’s famous Rajput wife?
    👉 Harka Bai (Jodha Bai, princess of Amber)

  7. Q: Which city did Akbar build as his capital?
    👉 Fatehpur Sikri

  8. Q: Who were Navratnas of Akbar?
    👉 Nine gems of his court – including Birbal, Tansen, Abul Fazl, Todar Mal

  9. Q: Who wrote Ain-i-Akbari and Akbarnama?
    👉 Abul Fazl

  10. Q: Which court musician of Akbar was called the ‘Sangeet Samrat’?
    👉 Tansen

🔹 Jahangir (1605–1627)

  1. Q: Who succeeded Akbar?
    👉 Jahangir

  2. Q: What was Jahangir’s real name?
    👉 Nur-ud-din Muhammad Salim

  3. Q: Which title did Jahangir assume?
    👉 Nuruddin (Light of Faith)

  4. Q: Who was Jahangir’s famous queen?
    👉 Nur Jahan (Meher-un-Nisa)

  5. Q: Who visited Jahangir’s court as an English ambassador?
    👉 Sir Thomas Roe (1615)

  6. Q: Which Sikh Guru was executed by Jahangir?
    👉 Guru Arjan Dev

  7. Q: Which memoir did Jahangir write?
    👉 Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri

  8. Q: Who was the Mughal painter patronized most under Jahangir?
    👉 Mansur (famous for naturalistic paintings)

🔹 Shah Jahan (1628–1658)

  1. Q: Who succeeded Jahangir?
    👉 Shah Jahan

  2. Q: What was Shah Jahan’s reign famous for?
    👉 Golden Age of Mughal architecture

  3. Q: Which monument did Shah Jahan build in memory of Mumtaz Mahal?
    👉 Taj Mahal (1632–1653)

  4. Q: Which capital city did Shah Jahan build?
    👉 Shahjahanabad (present-day Old Delhi)

  5. Q: Which mosque was built by Shah Jahan in Delhi?
    👉 Jama Masjid

  6. Q: Which Peacock Throne was built during his reign?
    👉 Takht-e-Taus (Peacock Throne)

  7. Q: Where was Shah Jahan imprisoned by Aurangzeb?
    👉 Agra Fort

  8. Q: Where is Shah Jahan buried?
    👉 In the Taj Mahal, alongside Mumtaz Mahal

🔹 Aurangzeb (1658–1707)

  1. Q: Who succeeded Shah Jahan after the war of succession?
    👉 Aurangzeb (Alamgir)

  2. Q: What title did Aurangzeb assume?
    👉 Alamgir (World Conqueror)

  3. Q: Which religious policy was followed by Aurangzeb?
    👉 Orthodox Sunni Islam, reimposition of Jizya tax

  4. Q: Who was the Maratha leader that fought against Aurangzeb?
    👉 Shivaji Maharaj

  5. Q: Which treaty was signed between Shivaji and Aurangzeb’s general Jai Singh?
    👉 Treaty of Purandar (1665)

  6. Q: Which Sikh Guru was executed by Aurangzeb?
    👉 Guru Tegh Bahadur (1675)

  7. Q: Which rebellion weakened Aurangzeb’s empire?
    👉 Maratha, Jat, Sikh, and Rajput revolts

  8. Q: Where did Aurangzeb die?
    👉 Ahmednagar (1707)

  9. Q: How long did Aurangzeb rule?
    👉 49 years (longest Mughal reign)

🔹 Mughal Administration, Economy & Culture

  1. Q: What was the official language of Mughal administration?
    👉 Persian

  2. Q: What revenue system did Mughals use?
    👉 Zabti system (land measurement and revenue collection)

  3. Q: Who was the chief finance minister under Akbar?
    👉 Raja Todar Mal

  4. Q: What was Mansabdari system?
    👉 A military-administrative system introduced by Akbar, giving ranks to nobles

  5. Q: What was the Mughal navy’s weakness?
    👉 It was poorly developed compared to European powers

  6. Q: Who built the Red Fort in Delhi?
    👉 Shah Jahan

  7. Q: Which Mughal ruler banned music in his court?
    👉 Aurangzeb

  8. Q: Which Mughal ruler built the Moti Masjid in Agra?
    👉 Shah Jahan

  9. Q: Which Mughal ruler encouraged translations of Sanskrit texts into Persian?
    👉 Akbar

  10. Q: Who was the author of Ain-i-Akbari?
    👉 Abul Fazl

  11. Q: Who compiled the official Mughal chronicle Akbarnama?
    👉 Abul Fazl

  12. 🔹 Mughal Architecture & Monuments

    1. Q: Which Mughal ruler built Humayun’s Tomb?
      👉 Humayun’s Tomb was built by his widow, Hamida Banu Begum, during Akbar’s reign.

    2. Q: Which Mughal ruler built the Buland Darwaza?
      👉 Akbar, at Fatehpur Sikri to commemorate victory over Gujarat.

    3. Q: Where is the Panch Mahal located?
      👉 Fatehpur Sikri (built by Akbar).

    4. Q: Which Mughal emperor built the Shalimar Bagh in Kashmir?
      👉 Jahangir.

    5. Q: Which Mughal ruler built the Pearl Mosque (Moti Masjid) in Agra Fort?
      👉 Shah Jahan.

    6. Q: The Diwan-i-Khas and Diwan-i-Aam in Red Fort were built by?
      👉 Shah Jahan.

    7. Q: Who commissioned the construction of Bibi ka Maqbara?
      👉 Aurangzeb (built by his son Azam Shah in memory of his mother).

    8. Q: Which Mughal structure is known as the ‘Dream in Marble’?
      👉 Taj Mahal.

    🔹 Mughal Literature & Culture

    1. Q: Who was the author of ‘Ain-i-Akbari’ and ‘Akbarnama’?
      👉 Abul Fazl.

    2. Q: Who translated the Mahabharata into Persian?
      👉 Abul Fazl, called it Razmnama.

    3. Q: Which famous poet was known as the ‘Poet Laureate’ of Akbar’s court?
      👉 Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana.

    4. Q: Who wrote Padmavat (popular during Akbar’s time)?
      👉 Malik Muhammad Jayasi.

    5. Q: Which Mughal emperor patronized painter Ustad Mansur?
      👉 Jahangir.

    6. Q: Which Mughal emperor was most interested in paintings of flora & fauna?
      👉 Jahangir.

    7. Q: Which Mughal ruler patronized Persian and Urdu literature?
      👉 Akbar and Jahangir.

    8. Q: The Mughal miniature paintings flourished most under which emperor?
      👉 Akbar and Jahangir.

    🔹 Economy & Administration

    1. Q: What was the land revenue system of Akbar called?
      👉 Zabti/Dahsala system (introduced by Todar Mal).

    2. Q: What was the currency introduced by Sher Shah but continued by Mughals?
      👉 Silver ‘Rupiya’.

    3. Q: What was the primary source of Mughal revenue?
      👉 Land tax (agriculture).

    4. Q: Which Mughal ruler abolished Pilgrimage Tax?
      👉 Akbar.

    5. Q: Which Mughal ruler reimposed Jizya tax on Hindus?
      👉 Aurangzeb (1679).

    6. Q: What was the Mansabdari system?
      👉 A system of ranking military officers introduced by Akbar.

    7. Q: What was the Jagirdari system?
      👉 Revenue assignments given to nobles in lieu of salary.

    8. Q: Which Mughal ruler introduced ‘branding of horses’ (Dagh system)?
      👉 Alauddin Khilji introduced it, but Mughals continued it under Akbar.

    🔹 Relations with Foreign Powers

    1. Q: Who was the first European ambassador to the Mughal court?
      👉 Sir Thomas Roe (1615, at Jahangir’s court).

    2. Q: Which Mughal emperor allowed the English East India Company to trade in India?
      👉 Jahangir.

    3. Q: Which Mughal emperor faced growing European interference in India?
      👉 Aurangzeb.

    4. Q: Who was the French traveler to Aurangzeb’s court?
      👉 Francois Bernier.

    5. Q: Who was the Italian traveler who visited Akbar’s court?
      👉 Niccolao Manucci.

    6. Q: Who wrote Travels in the Mughal Empire describing Aurangzeb’s reign?
      👉 François Bernier.

    7. Q: Who wrote Storia do Mogor giving an account of the Mughal Empire?
      👉 Niccolao Manucci.

    🔹 Decline of the Mughal Empire

    1. Q: Which Mughal ruler’s death marked the beginning of the decline?
      👉 Aurangzeb (1707).

    2. Q: Which foreign invader plundered Delhi in 1739, weakening the Mughal Empire?
      👉 Nadir Shah of Persia.

    3. Q: Which Afghan ruler defeated the Mughals at Panipat in 1761?
      👉 Ahmad Shah Abdali.

    4. Q: Who was the last Mughal emperor?
      👉 Bahadur Shah II (Bahadur Shah Zafar).

    5. Q: After which revolt was the Mughal dynasty officially abolished?
      👉 Revolt of 1857 (Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled to Rangoon).

    ✅ Conclusion

    The Mughal Empire (1526–1707) shaped India’s political, cultural, and architectural history. From Babur’s victories, Akbar’s tolerance, Jahangir’s diplomacy, Shah Jahan’s architecture, to Aurangzeb’s conquests, the empire flourished before gradually declining.

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