Year 8 - History
The Mughal empire in the 17th century
The Mughal Empire: how important was violence to the Mughal conquests in India?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils learn about the foundation of the Mughal Empire, early Mughal rule and the way in which this had developed by the late 17th century. They end the unit by reflecting on the role played by violence during the expansion of Mughal rule in India.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain the development of the Mughal Empire during the 17th century.
Key Notes
- Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb ruled the Mughal Empire for most of the 17th century.
- Shah Jahan contributed significantly to Mughal architecture.
- The Mughal Empire reached its maximum extent during the reign of Aurangzeb.
- Expansion and conflict made the empire increasingly costly to maintain.
- Rebellions increasingly destabilised the Mughal Empire by the late 17th century.
Vocabulary To Learn
- destabilised: a government or country is destabilised when it begins to lose power and control
- guru: a guru is a religious leader in the Sikh religion
- discrimination: discrimination involves treating a person or particular group of people in a worse way from the way in which you treat other people, because of characteristics like their race or religion
- martyr: a martyr is a person who suffers very much or is killed because of their religious or political beliefs; they are often admired because of this suffering
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Expansion of an empire always means that is growing stronger.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.
Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb ruled the Mughal Empire for most of the 17th century. Shah Jahan contributed significantly to Mughal architecture.
2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'destabilised'
a government or country is destabilised when it begins to lose power and control.
3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.
Mistake: Expansion of an empire always means that is growing stronger. Correction: As the Mughal Empire expanded, the costs of maintaining its rule across India also increased and new tensions were created with groups who lost out from extended Mughal control.
More Lessons In This Unit
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