OxfordAQA IGCSE Pakistan Studies: The Mughal Empire — Revision Notes

These notes condense optional topic 3.1.4 of OxfordAQA International GCSE Pakistan Studies 9236, The Mughal Empire (c1526–c1850s), examined in Paper 1 Section C. Learn the rulers in order with their main achievements, the key features of Aurangzeb’s reign, and a clear list of reasons for the empire’s decline that you can use in extended answers.

Syllabus coverage

9236 topic 3.1.4 (Version 1.9)

• 3.1.4.1 Early 16th-century context; Babur; Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan; political, military, economic, social and cultural developments to 1658
• 3.1.4.2 Aurangzeb’s rise, administration, reforms and expansion; the empire’s condition in 1707
• 3.1.4.3 Successors’ problems; Nadir Shah, Karnal and the sack of Delhi (1739); East India Company and Plassey (1757); Sikhs and Marathas; British expansion to the 1850s

Key terms

Term	Meaning
Mansabdar	Noble or official holding a rank (mansab) that fixed pay and troop numbers
Jagir	Assignment of land revenue to a noble in place of salary
Zabt	Akbar’s system of assessing land revenue on measured land and average yields
Jizya	Tax on non-Muslims, abolished by Akbar, reimposed by Aurangzeb (1679)
Fatawa-e-Alamgiri	Collection of Hanafi legal rulings compiled under Aurangzeb
Muhtasib	Official who supervised public morality and markets
Diwani	Right to collect revenue, granted to the East India Company in Bengal (1765)

Emperors at a glance

Ruler	Reign	Remember
Babur	1526–30	Panipat 1526 (Ibrahim Lodi); Khanwa 1527 (Rana Sanga); Baburnama
Humayun	1530–40, 1555–56	Lost to Sher Shah Suri; exile in Persia; regained Delhi 1555
Akbar	1556–1605	Panipat 1556; Rajput alliances; mansabdari; Todar Mal’s revenue system; jizya abolished; Ibadat Khana; Fatehpur Sikri
Jahangir	1605–27	Nur Jahan; painting; Sir Thomas Roe and English trade
Shah Jahan	1628–58	Taj Mahal; Red Fort and Jama Masjid, Delhi; Shalimar Gardens, Lahore
Aurangzeb	1658–1707	Sharia-based rule; Fatawa-e-Alamgiri; jizya 1679; Badshahi Mosque; Bijapur 1686 and Golconda 1687; Deccan wars
Muhammad Shah	1719–48	Nadir Shah’s invasion; Karnal and sack of Delhi 1739
Bahadur Shah Zafar	1837–57	Last emperor; exiled by the British in 1858

Achievements to 1658

• Political and military: artillery at Panipat; Akbar’s conquests and Rajput alliances; centralised provinces (subas) under governors.
• Economic: stable silver rupee; land revenue reform; roads and secure routes; textile exports; European trading companies.
• Social and cultural: Persian literature and histories; Mughal miniature painting; music at court; Indo-Persian architecture; madrasas.

Buildings and places to name

• Fatehpur Sikri (Akbar): planned city with the Buland Darwaza.
• Lahore Fort (rebuilt under Akbar, extended by later emperors).
• Wazir Khan Mosque, Lahore (built under Shah Jahan, completed 1641).
• Taj Mahal, Agra (Shah Jahan, tomb of Mumtaz Mahal).
• Red Fort and Jama Masjid, Delhi (Shah Jahan).
• Shalimar Gardens, Lahore (Shah Jahan).
• Badshahi Mosque, Lahore (Aurangzeb, 1673).

Aurangzeb’s empire in 1707

Strengths	Weaknesses
Greatest territorial extent	Treasury drained by Deccan wars
Functioning administration and army	Maratha resistance unbroken
Reputation for personal piety and justice	Rajput, Jat and Sikh revolts
Sharia-based legal system	Shortage of jagirs for nobles; no succession rule

Causes of decline after 1707

1. Weak successors and wars of succession; nobles such as the Sayyid brothers as king-makers.
2. Financial crisis: shrinking revenue and jagir shortage.
3. Nadir Shah (1739): Karnal, sack of Delhi, loss of treasure and prestige.
4. Marathas expanding across central and western India.
5. Sikhs taking Punjab; Ranjit Singh’s kingdom at Lahore.
6. East India Company: Plassey (1757), Bengal revenue (1765).
7. British annexations: Sindh 1843, Punjab 1849, Awadh 1856; end of the dynasty after 1857.

Worked example

Question: Explain why the Battle of Plassey was important. [4]

Model answer: Robert Clive’s victory over Siraj-ud-Daula in 1757 put a Company-backed ruler, Mir Jafar, in charge of Bengal [1]. This gave the East India Company control of India’s richest province and its trade [1]. Bengal’s wealth paid for the Company’s army and further wars [1]. In 1765 the Company gained the right to collect Bengal’s revenue, the first step towards British rule over the subcontinent [1].

Common mistakes and exam traps

• Muddling the two battles of Panipat. 1526 = Babur against Ibrahim Lodi; 1556 = Akbar’s forces against Hemu. (The third, 1761, belongs to the Abdali–Maratha story.)
• Attributing the Badshahi Mosque to Shah Jahan. Aurangzeb built it; Shah Jahan built the Shalimar Gardens.
• Blaming decline on one cause. Extended answers need several linked factors and a judgement.
• Forgetting the dates for Karnal (1739) and Plassey (1757).

How is this topic examined?

This topic is examined in OxfordAQA 9236 Paper 1, Section C, worth 21 of the paper’s 77 marks; each paper lasts 1 hour 30 minutes. The section mixes short and extended response questions on this optional topic. Short items reward precise named facts, so learn the dates, places and people in the tables above; the extended responses reward a clear line of argument, two or three developed points with evidence, and a judgement that answers the question.

Frequently asked questions

Why did Akbar build alliances with the Rajputs? To secure the loyalty of powerful warrior kingdoms, add their soldiers to his army and stabilise north India.

How did Nadir Shah weaken the Mughals? His 1739 victory and sack of Delhi emptied the treasury, showed the empire could be defeated, and encouraged provincial governors to act independently.

Why did the Marathas weaken the Mughals? Their long resistance in the Deccan drained Aurangzeb’s treasury, and after 1707 they expanded north, collecting revenue from former Mughal lands.

Related pages

• Mughal Empire study guide
• Islam in the Subcontinent revision notes
• Paper 1 practice questions

Source: OxfordAQA, International GCSE Pakistan Studies (9236) specification, Version 1.9, topic 3.1.4.