Mughal Empire: Society, Governance, and the Non-Cooperation Movement

Akbar’s Respect for Interfaith Debates

Why did Akbar show high respect towards interfaith debates?

1. Abdur Razzaq, a Persian ambassador, mentioned seven lines of forts. These encircled not only the city but also its agricultural hinterland and forests.
2. The outermost wall linked the hills surrounding the city. The massive masonry construction was slightly tapered.
3. No mortar or cementing agent was employed in the construction. The stone blocks were wedge-shaped, which held them in place, and the inner portion of the walls was of earth packed with rubble.
4. Between the first, second, and third walls, there were cultivated fields, gardens, and houses.

Abu’l Fazl and the Reign of Akbar

Abu’l Fazl shaped and articulated the ideas associated with the reign of Akbar. Substantiate this statement in the context of the Mughal court.

Ans: Mughal Court

1. The physical arrangement of the court, focused on the sovereign, mirrored his status as the heart of society.
2. The throne gave physical form to the function of the sovereign as axis mundi.
3. The canopy was believed to separate the radiance of the sun from that of the sovereign.
4. In court, status was determined by spatial proximity to the king.
5. The place accorded to a courtier by the ruler was a sign of his importance in the eyes of the emperor.

Lord Dalhousie’s Policy Towards Awadh (1850s)

Critically evaluate Governor-General Lord Dalhousie’s policy towards Awadh during the 1850s.

Ans: Dalhousie’s Policy Towards Awadh

1. He referred to Awadh as “a cherry that will drop into our mouth one day.”
2. A subsidiary system was imposed on it.
3. He wanted it due to its soil fertility and market potential.
4. He followed a policy of territorial annexation.
5. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was dethroned on the pretext of misgovernance.

Forest Dwellers in Mughal Agrarian Society

Analyze the condition of forest dwellers in Mughal agrarian society.

Ans: Forest Dwellers in the Mughal Agrarian Society

1. An average of 40 percent of the Mughal Empire was covered by forests.
2. Their livelihood came from gathering forest produce, hunting, and shifting agriculture.
3. The collection of livelihood was largely season-specific: spring for collecting forest produce, summer for fishing, the monsoon months for cultivation, and autumn and winter for hunting.
4. For the state, the forest was a place of rebels and troublemakers.
5. The state required elephants for the army. Elephants were captured from the forest and sold.
6. Rulers went on regular hunting expeditions, which enabled the emperor to travel across the extensive territories of his empire and personally attend to the grievances of its inhabitants.
7. The spread of commercial agriculture was an important external factor that impinged on the lives of those who lived in the forests.
8. Forest products like honey, beeswax, and gum lac were in great demand. Some, such as gum lac, became major items of overseas export from India in the seventeenth century.

The Non-Cooperation Movement and Gandhi

“Non-cooperation became an epoch in the life of India and of Gandhiji.” Justify this statement with examples.

Ans: Gandhiji and the Non-Cooperation Movement

1. The repressive attitude of the British government led Mahatma Gandhi to launch the Non-Cooperation Movement against it.
2. He knitted together a popular movement.
3. He served notice to the Viceroy on July 1st that, since the issues of Khilafat and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre had not been satisfactorily solved, he would resort to the Non-Cooperation Movement.
4. The Non-Cooperation Movement included Swadeshi as its prime move.
5. It introduced 20 lakhs of Charkhas (spinning wheels) into Indian families.
6. The program of the Non-Cooperation Movement was multidimensional.
7. It included the surrender of all titles and government posts.
8. Boycott of government schools and colleges.
9. Boycott of all functions of the British government.
10. Boycott of law courts, non-cooperation with the Act of 1919, and boycott of all foreign articles.
11. Development of communal harmony.