Which one of the following statements about the religious policies of the Mughal kings is NOT correct ?
- A.The tax on pilgrimage was abolished in 1563, and the jizya tax on non-Muslim Subjects was abolished in 1564
- B.Akbar issues instructions to his officers to follow the policy of religious toleration
- C.Not all Mughal emperors gave grants for the building and maintenance of places of worship
- D.Grants were issued for the repair of a number of temples in the reigns of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, after they had been destroyed during war
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C. In fact all the Mughal emperors gave grants for building and maintaining places of worship, so saying that not all of them did is incorrect.
Mughal religious policy, especially under Akbar, rested on the ideal of sulh-i kul, or absolute peace. Akbar abolished the tax on pilgrimage in 1563 and the jizya on non-Muslim subjects in 1564, both of which were tied to religious discrimination. He instructed his officers to follow the policy of tolerance in their administration. The practice of giving land and money grants for building and maintaining places of worship continued under all the Mughal emperors. Even under Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, grants were issued to repair a number of temples that had been damaged during war, though Aurangzeb later brought the jizya back in 1679.
A is wrong as an answer because the dates of abolishing the pilgrim tax and the jizya are correct. B is wrong as an answer because Akbar did tell his officers to follow tolerance. D is wrong as an answer because such repair grants were issued under Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb.
Exam tip: Akbar ended the pilgrim tax in 1563 and the jizya in 1564; Aurangzeb reimposed the jizya in 1679.
Practice Questions
View allEconomically, one of the results of the British rule in India in the 19th century was the
- A.increase in the export of Indian handicrafts
- B.growth in the number of Indian owned factories
- C.commercialization of Indian agriculture
- D.rapid increase in the urban population
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British rule pushed Indian farmers to grow crops for sale and export rather than for their own food. Heavy land revenue had to be paid in cash, so peasants turned to cash crops such as indigo, cotton, jute, opium, tea and sugarcane, which fed British industry and trade.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following freedom fighters:
1. Barindra Kumar Ghosh
2. Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee
3. Rash Behari Bose
Who of the above was/were actively associated with the Ghadar Party?
- A.1 and 2
- B.2 only
- C.1 and 3
- D.3 only
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Of the three, only Rash Behari Bose worked actively with the Ghadar Party. The Ghadar Party was founded in 1913 at San Francisco by Indians in North America, with Lala Har Dayal and Sohan Singh Bhakna among its leaders.
Read the full explanation →Subsequent to which one of the following events, Gandhiji, who consistently opposed untouchability and appealed for its eradication from all spheres, decided to include the upliftment of 'Harijans' in his political and social programme?
- A.The Poona Pact
- B.The Gandhi-Irwin Agreement (Delhi Pact)
- C.Arrest of Congress leadership at the time of the Quit India Movement
- D.Promulgation of the Government of India Act, 1935
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After the Poona Pact of September 1932, Gandhi made the upliftment of the Harijans a central part of his work.
Read the full explanation →In medieval India, the term "Fanam" referred to:
- A.Clothing
- B.Coins
- C.Ornaments
- D.Weapons
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The fanam was a small gold (and later silver) coin used widely in South India in medieval times. The word comes from the Tamil 'panam', meaning money.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following pairs:
(Party : Its Leader)
1. Bharatiya Jana Sangh : Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
2. Socialist Party : C. Rajagopalachari
3. Congress for Democracy : Jagjivan Ram
4. Swatantra Party : Acharya Narendra Dev
How many of the above are correctly matched?
- A.Only one
- B.Only two
- C.Only three
- D.All four
Show answer
Pairs 1 and 3 are correct; the leaders in pairs 2 and 4 have been swapped. Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951.
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