Topic: Decline of Mughal authority
Q1. What political and administrative factors weakened Mughal authority after Aurangzeb? How did this decline facilitate the emergence of regional powers? (10 M)
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: InsightsIAS
Why the question
To assess understanding of the weakening of Mughal authority and the resulting regionalisation of political power during the eighteenth century.
Key demand of the question
Identify the major political and administrative factors responsible for weakening Mughal authority after Aurangzeb. Establish how this decline created conditions for the emergence of autonomous regional powers.
Structure of the answer
Introduction
Briefly mention the contrast between the Mughal Empire’s territorial expansion under Aurangzeb and the erosion of central authority after his death in 1707.
Body
- Political and administrative decline: Cover weak successors, succession conflicts, court factionalism and the deterioration of the mansabdari-jagirdari system.
- Emergence of regional powers: Explain how declining imperial control enabled successor states and other regional powers to acquire political, military and fiscal autonomy.
Conclusion
Conclude that Mughal decline produced a regional redistribution of power rather than an immediate political vacuum, eventually creating opportunities for colonial expansion.
