1. Which Mughal emperor’s policies led to the expansion of the empire but also caused financial strain?
   A) Akbar
   B) Jahangir
   C) Shah Jahan
   D) Aurangzeb
   
2. What was one of the major causes of the Mughal Empire’s decline in the late 17th and early 18th centuries?
   A) European invasions
   B) Weak administration and financial crisis
   C) Lack of trade with foreign nations
   D) Complete peace in the empire
   
3. Which region’s long and costly wars weakened Aurangzeb’s empire?
   A) Punjab
   B) Deccan
   C) Bengal
   D) Gujarat
   
4. Which European traveler described India as a land of great wealth and poverty?
   A) Ibn Battuta
   B) Marco Polo
   C) François Bernier
   D) Megasthenes
   
5. Which of the following statements about Mughal mansabdars in the 17th century is true?
   A) They received salaries in the form of land grants
   B) They had full control over the provinces they governed
   C) They could keep all the revenue collected from their territories
   D) They could pass their titles and ranks to their sons
   
6. What was a key economic problem during the late Mughal period?
   A) Decline in trade routes
   B) Unequal distribution of wealth among officials and farmers
   C) Heavy dependence on foreign imports
   D) Lack of agricultural production
   
7. What was a major effect of the weakening of Mughal central authority?
   A) Provincial governors and local rulers became independent
   B) The Mughal empire expanded further into South India
   C) The Mughal emperors retained full control over their empire
   D) Farmers became richer and had more political power
   
8. Which of the following rulers invaded Delhi in 1739 and took away immense wealth?
   A) Nadir Shah
   B) Ahmad Shah Abdali
   C) Robert Clive
   D) Shivaji
   
9. What was the impact of Aurangzeb’s religious policies?
   A) Strengthened relations with the Rajputs
   B) Led to rebellions among Sikhs, Rajputs, and Marathas
   C) Increased unity among different communities
   D) Encouraged Hindu rulers to remain loyal to the Mughal Empire
   
10. Which battle in 1761 marked the final blow to Mughal power in India?
    A) First Battle of Panipat
    B) Battle of Plassey
    C) Third Battle of Panipat
    D) Battle of Buxar
    

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Answers and Explanations

1. D) Aurangzeb
   Aurangzeb expanded the empire but his long military campaigns drained the Mughal treasury.
   
2. B) Weak administration and financial crisis
   By the 18th century, Mughal rulers struggled to manage finances and control the growing influence of local rulers.
   
3. B) Deccan
   Aurangzeb’s long and costly campaigns in the Deccan led to the depletion of the empire’s resources.
   
4. C) François Bernier
   The European traveler François Bernier observed the vast wealth and stark inequalities in the Mughal Empire.
   
5. A) They received salaries in the form of land grants
   Mansabdars were assigned jagirs (land revenue assignments) instead of direct cash payments.
   
6. B) Unequal distribution of wealth among officials and farmers
   While the Mughal elite controlled massive wealth, the peasantry and artisans struggled with high taxation.
   
7. A) Provincial governors and local rulers became independent
   With a weak Mughal center, governors and local rulers asserted their independence.
   
8. A) Nadir Shah
   In 1739, Nadir Shah of Persia invaded Delhi, looting immense wealth, including the famous Peacock Throne.
   
9. B) Led to rebellions among Sikhs, Rajputs, and Marathas
   Aurangzeb’s religious policies alienated many communities, leading to widespread uprisings.
   

C) Third Battle of Panipat
The Third Battle of Panipat (1761) between the Marathas and Ahmad Shah Abdali significantly weakened Mughal influence in India.