Category 3 · Modern History
India on the Eve of British Conquest
10 micro topics in Modern History for UPSC Prelims, in book order: External Challenges to the Mughal Empire: Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali; Weak Rulers After Aurangzeb and the Internal Challenges; and 8 more.
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3.1
External Challenges to the Mughal Empire: Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali
Nadir Shah of Persia defeated the Mughals at Karnal on 13 February 1739 and sacked Delhi. Ahmad Shah Abdali then invaded India repeatedly between 1748 and 1767 and defeated the Marathas at Panipat in 1761. These…
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3.2
Weak Rulers After Aurangzeb and the Internal Challenges
Aurangzeb died in 1707, and the Mughal throne passed through many weak rulers. Wars of succession, kingmaking nobles such as the Sayyid brothers and incompetent emperors like Muhammad Shah let the empire shrink to a name…
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3.3
Causes of the Decline of the Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire declined because of weak rulers, wars of succession, quarrelling nobles, a failing army, a vast and unwieldy empire, Aurangzeb's religious and Deccan policies, foreign invasions and an economic and jagir crisis. Historians differ…
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3.4
Jagirdari Crisis and the Shifting Allegiance of Zamindars
The Mughal Empire rested on two classes, zamindars and nobles. As the number of nobles grew faster than the land to assign as jagirs, a jagirdari crisis arose. Zamindars and nobles then turned to regional loyalties…
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3.5
Successor States: Bengal, Awadh and Hyderabad
Successor states were Mughal provinces that became virtually independent and hereditary under their governors: Hyderabad (Nizam-ul-Mulk), Awadh (Saadat Khan) and Bengal (Murshid Quli Khan). They did not challenge the emperor's nominal sovereignty.
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3.6
Independent Kingdoms: Mysore, Kerala and the Rajputs, Jats and Rohillas
Alongside the successor states, the eighteenth century saw independent kingdoms (Mysore, Kerala, the Rajput states) and new states built by rebels (the Jats, Sikhs, and the Afghan states of Rohilkhand and Farrukhabad).
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3.7
Rise of the Marathas and the Third Battle of Panipat
The Marathas rose under the Peshwas, built a confederacy of five great families and reached Lahore by the mid-eighteenth century. Ahmad Shah Abdali defeated them at Panipat on 14 January 1761, which ended their claim to…
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3.8
Nature and Limitations of the Regional States
The regional states kept ties with the Mughal emperor, ruled with the support of zamindars, merchants and local chiefs, and were strong enough to challenge Mughal power. But none built sound finances, administration or armies, and…
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3.9
Agriculture, Trade and Industry in Eighteenth-Century India
Eighteenth-century India had backward but hard-worked agriculture, a strong export trade in cotton textiles and spices balanced by imports of gold and silver, famous textile centres and a shipbuilding industry. Peasants paid heavily to the state…
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3.10
Society, Education, Art and Culture on the Eve of British Rule
Eighteenth-century Indian society was marked by caste divisions, a patriarchal family, social evils such as sati and child marriage, and traditional education without science. Yet new state courts supported architecture, painting, Urdu poetry and regional literatures.
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Frequently asked questions
Which topics are in India on the Eve of British Conquest?
India on the Eve of British Conquest has 10 micro topics in Modern History: External Challenges to the Mughal Empire: Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali; Weak Rulers After Aurangzeb and the Internal Challenges; Causes of the Decline of the Mughal Empire; Jagirdari Crisis and the Shifting Allegiance of Zamindars; Successor States: Bengal, Awadh and Hyderabad; Independent Kingdoms: Mysore, Kerala and the Rajputs, Jats and Rohillas; Rise of the Marathas and the Third Battle of Panipat; Nature and Limitations of the Regional States; Agriculture, Trade and Industry in Eighteenth-Century India; Society, Education, Art and Culture on the Eve of British Rule.
Is India on the Eve of British Conquest important for UPSC Prelims?
India on the Eve of British Conquest is a part of the UPSC Prelims Modern History syllabus map on MaargX UPSC. Each of its 10 published topics has key terms, a Mains angle and practice questions.