Later Mughals and Early Modern India: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Modern History)
1 previous year UPSC Prelims question on Later Mughals and Early Modern India (Modern History). Choose an option to see the answer and explanation.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
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UPSC 2010Modern History · Later Mughals and Early Modern India
Q1. What was the immediate reason for Ahmad Shah Abdali to invade India and fight the third battle of Panipat?
Explanation
Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded India because the Marathas had expelled his son, Timur Shah, from Lahore in 1758. Timur Shah was Abdali’s viceroy in Punjab, and his removal by the Marathas was seen as a direct challenge to Abdali’s authority. This greatly angered him, and he decided to take revenge. In 1760, he marched towards India to reclaim Punjab and restore his influence. This was the main reason behind the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761.
Option (b) is incorrect: Adina Beg Khan was a Mughal officer who played an important role in Punjab’s politics. However, he did not invite Abdali to invade India. In fact, he had earlier invited the Marathas to fight against Abdali’s influence in Punjab.
Option (c) is incorrect: Abdali had financial interests in India, and he did demand revenue from Mughal territories. However, this was not the main reason for his invasion. By 1760, the Mughal administration had already weakened, and the real power in North India was shifting towards the Marathas and other regional powers. Abdali’s main enemy at this time was not the Mughals but the Marathas, who had taken over Punjab. His invasion was more about reclaiming lost territory than collecting revenue.
Option (d) is incorrect: Punjab was strategically important, and Abdali did want to maintain control over it. However, his primary goal was not permanent annexation but restoring his authority after the Marathas had removed his son from Lahore.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
1
2010
(a) He wanted to avenge the expulsion by Marathas of his viceroy Timur Shah from Lahore.
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on Later Mughals and Early Modern India?
This page covers 1 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Later Mughals and Early Modern India (Modern History), asked from 2007 to 2010. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
How should I use previous year UPSC questions for Prelims?
Attempt each question first, then open the answer and read the explanation for every option. Repeat by chapter, and track which statements UPSC reuses across years. Previous year questions show the exam pattern and difficulty level.
Which years are covered for Later Mughals and Early Modern India?
Questions on Later Mughals and Early Modern India (Modern History) are available for 2 years, from 2007 to 2010. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
