The Mughal Empire ICSE Class 9: Babur, Akbar and the Mansabdari System

What The Mughal Empire is about

Weightage: CISCE publishes no chapter weightage and no question-paper layout for ICSE Class 9 History and Civics. Class IX is examined by your school: one 80-mark paper of 2 hours plus 20 marks of internal assessment. The Mughal Empire is History topic 7(c), Medieval India, of the 2028 syllabus.Source: CISCE ICSE 2028 History and Civics syllabus, Class IX

Key concepts

Sources: Ain-i-Akbari and Mughal buildings

Ain-i-Akbari: written in Persian by Abul Fazl, a learned courtier of Akbar, as the third part of his history of Akbar's reign, the Akbarnama. It is a detailed account of Akbar's administration: the imperial household, the army and mansabdari, the revenue system, the provinces, statistics of produce and prices, and the customs, learning and religions of the people. It is valuable for detail but, written by an admirer of Akbar, presents him favourably.

Taj Mahal (Agra): a white marble tomb built by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, on the bank of the Yamuna; built mainly in the 1630s and 1640s. Features: a raised platform, a great central dome, four minarets, a charbagh (four-part) garden, inlay work of semi-precious stones (pietra dura) and calligraphy. It shows the wealth of the empire and the peak of Mughal architecture.

Jama Masjid (Delhi): a great congregational mosque built by Shah Jahan of red sandstone and white marble, with three domes, two tall minarets and a large courtyard.

Red Fort (Delhi): the palace-fortress of Shah Jahan's new city, Shahjahanabad, built of red sandstone. It contains the Diwan-i-Am (hall of public audience) and the Diwan-i-Khas (hall of private audience). It shows the splendour and organisation of the Mughal court. The Taj Mahal and the Red Fort Complex are UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Worked example

(3 marks) Who wrote the Ain-i-Akbari? State two things it tells us, and one limitation as a source.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Abul Fazl, courtier of Akbar; part of the Akbarnama - 1 mark.
2. It describes Akbar's administration, mansabdari and revenue, with statistics on provinces and produce - 1 mark.
3. Limitation: written by an admirer, it presents Akbar favourably - 1 mark.

Answer: Abul Fazl wrote it as the third part of the Akbarnama. It describes Akbar's administration, mansabdari, revenue system and provinces, with statistics on crops and prices. Since Abul Fazl admired Akbar, it tends to present him in the best light.

Mughal kings in chronological order

1. Babur (1526-1530): founded the empire.
2. Humayun (1530-1540 and 1555-1556): lost his kingdom to the Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri, spent years in exile and regained Delhi shortly before his death.
3. Akbar (1556-1605): became emperor at about 13; the Second Battle of Panipat (1556) secured his throne; built the empire's institutions.
4. Jahangir (1605-1627).
5. Shah Jahan (1628-1658): great builder: Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Jama Masjid.
6. Aurangzeb (1658-1707): the empire reached its greatest extent, but faced revolts and long wars in the Deccan.
After 1707 the empire declined under weaker rulers; the last emperor, Bahadur Shah II (Zafar), was deposed by the British after the revolt of 1857.

Worked example

(2 marks) Arrange in order: Shah Jahan, Humayun, Aurangzeb, Akbar, Jahangir, Babur.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Babur → Humayun → Akbar - 1 mark.
2. → Jahangir → Shah Jahan → Aurangzeb - 1 mark.

Answer: Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb.

Babur's three battles

1. First Battle of Panipat (1526): against Ibrahim Lodi, the Sultan of Delhi. Babur's smaller army won through field artillery, a defensive line of carts (araba) tied together with guns between them, and the tulughma tactic of attacking the enemy's flanks and rear. Result: the end of the Delhi Sultanate and the capture of Delhi and Agra.
2. Battle of Khanwa (1527): against Rana Sanga of Mewar, who led a confederacy of Rajput chiefs and some Afghans. Babur roused his soldiers by calling the war a holy war and took the title Ghazi after victory. Result: the Rajput challenge to Mughal power in north India was broken.
3. Battle of Ghaghra (1529): against the Afghans of the east, led by Mahmud Lodi, together with the ruler of Bengal, Nusrat Shah. Result: Afghan resistance in the east was checked and Babur's empire was secured from the Indus to Bihar.
(Babur also captured the fort of Chanderi from Medini Rai in 1528.)

Worked example

(4 marks) Name the three battles Babur fought to consolidate his empire, his opponents, and one result of the first.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. First Battle of Panipat, 1526, against Ibrahim Lodi - 1 mark.
2. Battle of Khanwa, 1527, against Rana Sanga - 1 mark.
3. Battle of Ghaghra, 1529, against the Afghans (Mahmud Lodi) and Nusrat Shah of Bengal - 1 mark.
4. Result of Panipat: end of the Delhi Sultanate; Delhi and Agra captured - 1 mark.

Answer: Panipat (1526) against Ibrahim Lodi, Khanwa (1527) against Rana Sanga of Mewar, and Ghaghra (1529) against the Afghans under Mahmud Lodi and Nusrat Shah of Bengal. Panipat ended the Delhi Sultanate and gave Babur Delhi and Agra.

Akbar's Rajput policy

Akbar realised that the Rajputs were brave, powerful and rooted in the land; their friendship would strengthen the empire, while their hostility would keep it in war.

Measures:

• Matrimonial alliances: he married a daughter of Raja Bharmal of Amber (1562) and later formed other marriage alliances with Rajput families; the brides kept their religion.
• High offices: Rajput rulers were given high mansabs and important commands and governorships; Raja Man Singh of Amber became one of his most trusted generals.
• Autonomy: Rajput rulers who accepted his overlordship kept their kingdoms as hereditary holdings (watan jagirs), with internal freedom.
• Religious respect: Rajputs were free to follow their faith; abolition of the pilgrim tax and jizya also benefited them.
• Firmness against resistance: those who refused to submit, such as Rana Pratap of Mewar, were opposed by force (Battle of Haldighati, 1576).

Results: most Rajput states became loyal allies; Rajputs served the empire in war and administration; the empire gained stability and a broader base of support.

Worked example

(4 marks) Describe four features of Akbar's Rajput policy.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Matrimonial alliances (Raja Bharmal of Amber, 1562) - 1 mark.
2. High mansabs and posts to Rajputs, e.g. Raja Man Singh - 1 mark.
3. Rajput rulers kept their kingdoms (watan jagirs) and religious freedom - 1 mark.
4. Force against those who resisted, e.g. Rana Pratap (Haldighati, 1576) - 1 mark.

Answer: (1) He formed marriage alliances with Rajput families, beginning with Raja Bharmal of Amber in 1562. (2) He gave Rajputs high mansabs and commands; Raja Man Singh became a leading general. (3) Rulers who submitted kept their kingdoms as watan jagirs and their religious freedom. (4) He used force against those who resisted, such as Rana Pratap of Mewar at Haldighati in 1576.

Steps towards integration and Akbar's reforms

Steps towards integration (to unite a diverse people under one empire):

• abolished the pilgrim tax (1563) and the jizya, the tax on non-Muslims (1564);
• policy of sulh-i-kul (peace with all): equal treatment of all faiths in matters of state;
• built the Ibadat Khana (house of worship) at Fatehpur Sikri, where scholars of different faiths debated;
• appointed able men to high posts regardless of religion, e.g. Raja Todar Mal (revenue) and Birbal;
• had Sanskrit works such as the Mahabharata (Razmnama) and Ramayana translated into Persian;
• introduced Din-i-Ilahi (1582), a set of ethical principles for a small circle of followers, not imposed on anyone;
• uniform administration, a common system of coinage, weights and measures, and Persian as the court language.

Social reforms: forbade child marriage (fixed minimum marriage ages of 16 for boys and 14 for girls); encouraged widow remarriage; forbade forced sati; stopped the enslavement of prisoners of war (1562); controlled the sale of liquor.

Educational reforms: set up schools and colleges; broadened the curriculum to include ethics, arithmetic, agriculture, geometry, astronomy, history and other practical subjects alongside religious learning; established a translation department; built up a great imperial library.

Worked example

(4 marks) Describe four steps Akbar took towards the integration of his empire.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Abolished the pilgrim tax and jizya - 1 mark.
2. Sulh-i-kul and the Ibadat Khana debates - 1 mark.
3. Appointed people of all faiths to high posts (Todar Mal, Man Singh) - 1 mark.
4. Translation of Sanskrit works into Persian / uniform administration / Din-i-Ilahi - 1 mark.

Answer: (1) He abolished the pilgrim tax and the jizya. (2) He followed sulh-i-kul and held debates among scholars of all faiths in the Ibadat Khana. (3) He appointed able men of different faiths, such as Todar Mal and Man Singh, to high posts. (4) He had the Mahabharata and Ramayana translated into Persian and gave the empire uniform administration, coinage and weights.

The mansabdari system

Mansab means rank. Under Akbar, every officer of the state, civil or military, was given a mansab, and was called a mansabdar.

• Ranks ranged from 10 to 10,000; under Akbar, ranks above 5,000 were generally reserved for the royal princes.
• From the 1590s each mansab had two numbers: zat, the personal rank fixing status and salary, and sawar, the number of cavalrymen and horses the officer had to maintain.
• Mansabdars were appointed, promoted, transferred and dismissed by the emperor alone; the post was not hereditary.
• They were paid either in cash or by the assignment of revenue from land (jagir), the jagir being transferable.
• To prevent fraud, horses were branded (dagh) and a descriptive roll of soldiers (chehra) was kept; regular musters were held.

Merits: a single, graded service for civil and military work; appointments by merit and loyalty; the emperor controlled the army and nobility; the system included nobles of many backgrounds. Demerits: costly; later, the shortage of jagirs and the nobles' greed weakened it.

Worked example

(4 marks) Explain the mansabdari system of Akbar.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Every officer held a mansab (rank) from 10 to 10,000 - 1 mark.
2. Zat: personal rank and salary; sawar: number of horsemen to maintain - 1 mark.
3. Appointed, promoted and dismissed by the emperor; not hereditary - 1 mark.
4. Paid in cash or jagirs; dagh and chehra to prevent fraud - 1 mark.

Answer: Every state officer received a mansab, a rank between 10 and 10,000. Each rank had a zat (personal rank and pay) and a sawar (cavalry to be maintained). Mansabdars were appointed, promoted and removed by the emperor, and the rank was not hereditary. They were paid in cash or by jagirs, and branding of horses (dagh) and descriptive rolls (chehra) checked fraud.

The Mughal Empire in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Topics in this chapter

• Akbar's Rajput Policy, Integration Measures and the Mansabdari System

The Mughal Empire: key facts

First Battle of Panipat

1526: Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi

Artillery, araba, tulughma.

Khanwa and Ghaghra

1527: Rana Sanga; 1529: Afghans and Nusrat Shah of Bengal

Chanderi 1528: Medini Rai.

Kings

1. 1.Babur
2. 2.Humayun
3. 3.Akbar
4. 4.Jahangir
5. 5.Shah Jahan
6. 6.Aurangzeb

Akbar 1556-1605.

Akbar's key dates

1562 Amber alliance; 1563 pilgrim tax ended; 1564 jizya ended; 1576 Haldighati; 1582 Din-i-Ilahi

Mansab

10 to 10,000; zat (personal) + sawar (cavalry)

Paid in cash or jagir; not hereditary.

Shah Jahan's buildings

Taj Mahal (Agra), Red Fort and Jama Masjid (Delhi)

How the school exam asks The Mughal Empire

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Tricks to remember The Mughal Empire

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

• Bad Habits Always Jam Shiny Armour

  Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb.

  Use it when: Order of kings.

• P-K-G: 26, 27, 29

  Panipat 1526, Khanwa 1527, Ghaghra 1529.

  Use it when: Babur's battles.

• Zat = 'that's me'

  Zat is the officer himself; sawar are his riders.

  Use it when: Two parts of a mansab.

The Mughal Empire: exam-level solved questions

Ordered from exam level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Case-study practice (Section B style)

Read the situation, then answer every part. In a school exam set on the board pattern this is a 10-mark question split into 3 + 3 + 4 marks.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is split into step marks. Show every step: a right final answer alone rarely earns full marks.

Where students lose marks in The Mughal Empire

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

• ✗Mistake: Confusing zat and sawar

  Both are numbers.

  ✓Do this: Zat = personal rank and salary; sawar = cavalry to maintain.

  Usually costs: 1-2 marks.

• ✗Mistake: Attributing the Taj Mahal or Red Fort to Akbar

  Akbar is the best-known Mughal.

  ✓Do this: Shah Jahan built the Taj, Red Fort and Jama Masjid; Akbar built Fatehpur Sikri.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

• ✗Mistake: Describing Din-i-Ilahi as a religion imposed on all

  Popular misconception.

  ✓Do this: A small, voluntary order of ethical principles.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

• ✗Mistake: Mixing up Babur's opponents

  Similar dates.

  ✓Do this: P-K-G: Panipat-Lodi, Khanwa-Sanga, Ghaghra-Afghans/Bengal.

  Usually costs: 1 mark each.

Practice questions on The Mughal Empire

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQExam level

   The Battle of Khanwa (1527) was fought between Babur and:
   (a) Ibrahim Lodi
   (b) Rana Sanga
   (c) Medini Rai
   (d) Nusrat Shah

   Hint

   Ruler of Mewar.

   Answer

   (b) Rana Sanga.

2. Q2 · 1 mark · MCQHarder exam level

   In the mansabdari system, 'sawar' indicated:
   (a) the personal rank and salary
   (b) the number of cavalrymen to be maintained
   (c) the land revenue of a jagir
   (d) the province of posting

   Hint

   Horsemen.

   Answer

   (b) the number of cavalrymen to be maintained.

3. Q3 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level

   Which Mughal emperor built the Red Fort in Delhi?

   Hint

   Also built the Taj.

   Answer

   Shah Jahan.

4. Q4 · 2 marks · Very short answerExam level

   What was the Ibadat Khana?

   Hint

   Fatehpur Sikri.

   Answer

   A hall built by Akbar at Fatehpur Sikri where scholars of different religions met to discuss and debate their beliefs in his presence.

5. Q5 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder exam level

   What was the tulughma tactic?

   Hint

   Flanks.

   Answer

   A battle tactic in which the army was divided so that flanking units swept round and attacked the enemy from the sides and rear while the centre held, used by Babur at Panipat.

6. Q6 · 2 marks · Very short answerExam level

   Mention two educational reforms of Akbar.

   Hint

   Curriculum and translation.

   Answer

   (1) He widened the curriculum to include ethics, arithmetic, agriculture, geometry, astronomy and history. (2) He set up a translation department that translated Sanskrit and other works into Persian (also opened schools and built a library).

7. Q7 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder exam level

   Why did Akbar abolish the jizya and the pilgrim tax?

   Hint

   Integration.

   Answer

   To treat all subjects equally and win the goodwill of the non-Muslim majority, which helped integrate and stabilise the empire.

8. Q8 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

   Why did Rana Pratap resist Akbar when most Rajput rulers became his allies? What does this show about the limits of Akbar's Rajput policy?

   Hint

   Independence of Mewar.

   Answer

   Rana Pratap was determined to keep Mewar fully independent and refused to accept Mughal overlordship. This shows that the policy depended on Rajputs accepting Akbar's supremacy; where they refused, Akbar used force, as at Haldighati in 1576.

9. Q9 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

   Explain the importance of the Ain-i-Akbari, the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort as sources for Mughal history.

   Hint

   Administration; wealth; court.

   Answer

   The Ain-i-Akbari gives detailed information on Akbar's administration, revenue and mansabdari. The Taj Mahal shows the empire's wealth and the high standard of Mughal architecture and craftsmanship. The Red Fort shows the organisation and splendour of the court through its audience halls.

10. Q10 · 4 marks · Long answerHarder exam level

    State two merits and two demerits of the mansabdari system.

    Hint

    Control vs cost.

    Answer

    Merits: (1) the emperor directly controlled officers and army, preventing hereditary power; (2) officers were chosen on merit and loyalty, from many backgrounds. Demerits: (1) it was costly to the treasury; (2) later, nobles kept fewer troops than required and competition for jagirs weakened the system.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1. 1.Who founded the Mughal Empire?Show answer

   Babur, in 1526.

2. 2.Who wrote the Ain-i-Akbari?Show answer

   Abul Fazl.

3. 3.When did Akbar abolish the jizya?Show answer

   1564.

4. 4.Which Rajput ruler first formed a marriage alliance with Akbar?Show answer

   Raja Bharmal of Amber (1562).

5. 5.What does mansab mean?Show answer

   Rank.

6. 6.In whose memory was the Taj Mahal built?Show answer

   Mumtaz Mahal.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

• ☐Ain-i-Akbari: Abul Fazl; administration, revenue, mansabdari; favours Akbar.
• ☐Taj Mahal (Agra), Red Fort and Jama Masjid (Delhi): Shah Jahan.
• ☐Kings: Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb.
• ☐Battles: Panipat 1526 (Ibrahim Lodi), Khanwa 1527 (Rana Sanga), Ghaghra 1529 (Afghans, Nusrat Shah).
• ☐Rajput policy: marriages (Amber 1562), high mansabs (Man Singh), watan jagirs, religious freedom; force against Mewar.
• ☐Integration: pilgrim tax (1563) and jizya (1564) abolished, sulh-i-kul, Ibadat Khana, translations, Din-i-Ilahi.
• ☐Reforms: no child marriage, widow remarriage, no forced sati, no enslaving prisoners; wider curriculum.
• ☐Mansabdari: 10-10,000, zat + sawar, appointed by emperor, cash or jagir, dagh and chehra.

The Mughal Empire: frequently asked questions