Chapter: 13 Social and Economic Condition of Punjab under the Mughals
1)
When did the Mughals rule over the Punjab?
1526 AD to 1752 AD
2)
Under the Mughals, Punjab was divided into which two main social classes?
The Muslims and the Hindus
3)
How many categories of Muslims were there during the Mughal period?
3 (Higher Class, Middle Class and
Lower Class)
4) What were the four main castes of Hindus during the Mughal period?
Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishyas, Shudras
5)
What was the condition of women during Mughal period?
Pitiable
6)
Where were the Hindu students taught during Mughal period?
In temples
7)
Where were the Muslim students taught during Mughal rule?
In Madrassas
8)
What was the main occupation of the people during the Mughal period?
Agriculture
9)
When was the Zabti system introduced in Punjab?
In 1581 AD
10)
In how many types the land was divided under the Zabti system?
4
11)
On what basis was the land catagorized under the Zabti system?
On the basis of fertility
12)
Name the types of land according to the Zabti system.
Polaz, Parauti, Chhachhr, Banzar
13)
What was the maximum part of production that the Government collected as land
revenue?
One third
14)
What were the main crops of Punjab?
Wheat, Rice, Sugarcane, Gram, Maize,
Barley etc.
15)
What was the most important industry of Punjab?
Cotton Textile
16)
Which city was famous for making rugs, sheets and carpets?
Multan
17)
The cloth manufactured in which city was in much demand in England?
Samana
18)
Which famous textile fabric was manufactured in Sri Amritsar Sahib and Lahore?
Gulbadan and Dariyai
{Long Answer Type Questions}
What
was the social condition of Punjab under the Mughals?
Ans. The society of Punjab during the
Mughal period was divided into two parts Hindus and Muslims. The Sikhs were
still considered a part of the Hindus.
1. Three classes of Muslims:
I. Upper-class: The upper class of the Muslims
considered of big Mansabdars, Subedars, landlords, army generals and affluent
persons. The people of this class led a life of comfort and luxury. They lived
in beautiful houses. Their costumes were very costly. Wine and women were their
chief sources of entertainment.
II. Middle class: This class consisted of traders,
farmers, soldiers, and government officials of the lower rank. Though their
standered of living was lower than the upper class, yet they led a prosperous
life.
III. Lower class: It was the largest class. This class
comprised Smiths, carpenters, weavers, craftsmen, petty shop- keepers,
labourers and slaves. Their condition was miserable. Being poor, they could
hardly make both ends meet. They lived in slum areas. Their condition was also
very pitiable. They could be sold and purchased in the markets.
2. Caste System of the Hindus: The Hindus constituted the majority
strata of the society of the Punjab. Their society was dived not only in four
main castes, Brahamans, Kshatriys, Vaish and Shudras, but also in many other
castes and sub-castes. The people belonging to one caste looked down upon the people
of other castes. The people belonging to the lower castes were not allowed to
mix with the people of high castes, to recite the Vedas, to visit temples and
to draw water from wells and ponds of common use. Untouchability was wide
spread in the society. Everybody worked according to his caste
3. Female Infanticide: In the Hindu society of that time the birth of a girl was considered an
ill-women. According to the prevailing social customs a huge amount of money
had to be spent on the marriage of a girl, but majority strata of the society,
who belonged to the poor class and could not incur such a heavy expenditure.
So, they had to face many hardships to find a suitable match for their
daughters.
4. Condition of Women: In the society of Mughals Punjab, the condition of woman was very
pitiable. They were deprived of those rights which were enjoyed by men. In the
society, women were considered no better than man’s shoe. They remained
confined to the four walls of the house.
5. Child Marriage: According to the prevalent social customs the girls were married off at a
very early age like within 4-5 years after their birth. As a result no
attentions were paid to their education and health.
6. Sati System: The most horrifying of all the evils prevalent in the Punjab of Mughal
period was the Sati System. According to this inhuman practice, if the husband
of an unfortunate woman died, she was forcibly burnt alive on the pyre of her
husband.
7. No permission for Widow marriage: Those women, who survived the Sati had
to live a widow’s life. Widow marriage was strongly prohibited in the society.
A widow had to suffer much. Her hair was cut off. She was given shabby clothes
to wear. The use of makeup was prohibited. She was not permitted to participate
in domestic festivals etc.
8. Polygamy: Polygamy was prevalent among Muslims and upper class of Hindus. According
to Islam, a Muslim could marry four times. Divorce was also in vogue among the
Muslims.
9. Diet: The diet of the people of upper class was very rich. They ate delicious
food. The Muslims were fond of meat. A variety of meat was cooked in their
Jashans (Celebrations). The people of upper class were fond of Puree and Halwa.
They made arich use of fresh and dry fruits. The Hindus were mostly vegetarian.
The food of the poor was very simple. They ate their meals with onion and pickle.
During summer cold Sharbat was greatly used. Drinking was common practice among
the Muslims and the Hindus.
10. Means of Entertainment: The people of the Punjab during the
Mughals period entertained themselves by different means. The people of high
caste entertained themselves by hunting, taking part in chariot races, playing
polo, holding pigeon flights, watching elephant and cock fights, swimming,
playing chess and taking part in the parties. The common people entrained
themselves by music, dancing, Bhangra, wrestling, races, watching juggler etc.
11. Education: (n the Mughal period, it was not responsibility of the state to impart
education to the people. The Hindus received their education from temples and
the Muslims received their education from Mosque.
What
was the religious condition of Punjab under the Mughals?
Ans. During the Mughal period in
Punjab, Besides Hinduism and Islam, Sikhism too had gained ascendance. By this
time, Buddism had almost disappeared and Jainism was limited only to the
trading community. Christianity was also gaining a foothole in Punjab. Most of
the people lacked the real spirit of religion. The Sikh Gurus did laudable work
in showing the people the true path of religion.
1. Hinduism: Hinduism is the most ancient of the Indian religions. The followers of
this religion worshiped Lord Rama, Vishnu, Krishna, Shiva, Hanuman, Durga, Kali,
Laxmi and other gods and goddesses which formed the Hindus pantheon. To
venerate these deities beautiful temples were raised in their honour. Attractive
idols were installed in them. The Vedas, The Ramayana and The Bhagvatgita
occupied a venerable position among the Hindus holy books. Aurangzeb was a staunch
Sunni ruler. He did not consider any religion other than Islam sanctimonious.
He forced the Hindus to embrace the Islam. He demolished many Hindus temples.
He put many restrictions on the Hindus. He re-imposed Jaziya tax on the Hindus
in 1679 A. D. It made the Hindus the sworn enemy of the Mughal Empire.
2. Islam: Islam found a very fertile soil in Punjab. The Muslim invaders had first
settled in Punjab. The followers of Islam believed in one Allah. They
considered Prophet Mohammad as the messenger of Allah. They offered Namaz five
times a day. They fasted during the month of Ramzan. They considered Haz Obligatory.
They paid Zakat (Charity). They were against idol worship. As the Delhi Sultans
and the Mughal Emperors were Muslims, it provided an enabling environment for
Islam to spread like bush-fire. Aurangzeb forced the Hindus to embrace the
Islam. He demolished many Hindus temples. He put many restrictions on the
Hindus. He re-imposed Jaziya tax on the Hindus.
3. Sufism: Sufism was a part of islam. The followers of this sect believed in the
principle of religious tolerance. Their chief message was the brotherhood of
mankind. They believed in the service of mankind. They believed in the power of
music. They started the song genre, known as Qawwali. The Sufi saints raised
voice against the socio-religious ills of the society. During the Mughal
period, Chisti, Suharewardi, Qadari and Naqshbandi Sufi Silsilas were renowned
in Punjab. Since the Sufis loved people of all castes and creeds.
4. Sikhism: Sikhism was founded during the Mughal period. This religion was founded
by Guru Nanak dev Ji in 15th century. Guru Nanak dev Ji condemned
the prevailing social evils of the times. He preached the worship of one God
and delivered the message of universal brotherhood of mankind. He founded
Sangat and Pangat Institutions. The doors of his religion were open to the
people who were groping in the darkness. His nine successors carried forward
his messages. The Sikhs were incited due to the martyrdom of Guru Arjun dev ji
in 1606 A.D. and Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji in 1675 A.D. To confront the cruelties of
the Mughals, Guru Gobind Singh Ji founded Khalsa Panth in 1699 A.D. The Sikhs taught
a bitter lesson that they had to leave Punjab lock, Stock and barrel in 1752
A.D.
5. Other Religion: Besides the above mentions religions, Buddhism and Jainism also prevalent
in Punjab but their followers were less in numbers. Christianity also started
during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar.
