Later Mughals and Regional Powers PYQs – Medieval History, SSC & Railway

Topic: Third Battle of Panipat (1761)
Fought between Maratha Empire and Ahmad Shah Abdali (Afghan King).
Maratha forces led by Sadashivrao Bhau were defeated.
One of the largest and bloodiest battles of 18th century.
Marked decline of Maratha expansion in North India.
Answer: Option 2 → Third Battle of Panipat

Correct Answer: Tipu Sultan — Option (a)
Tipu Sultan, the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in the late 18th century, was popularly called 'Sher-e-Mysore' (Tiger of Mysore) or 'Tipu Sultan.' He was the son of Hyder Ali and fought bravely against the British East India Company. He introduced military innovations, used rockets in warfare, and was killed in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War at the Battle of Seringapatam in 1799.
Option (b) Hyder Ali — Incorrect: Hyder Ali was Tipu Sultan's father and also a fierce opponent of the British, but the title 'Sher-e-Mysore' belongs to Tipu Sultan, not Hyder Ali.
Option (c) Alivardi Khan — Incorrect: Alivardi Khan was the Nawab of Bengal; he is not associated with the title 'Tiger of Mysore.'
Option (d) Mahadji Shinde — Incorrect: Mahadji Shinde (Scindia) was a Maratha chieftain; the Tiger of Mysore title is not associated with him.

Correct Answer: Saadat Ali Khan — Option (b)
Saadat Ali Khan was NEVER the Nawab of Bengal — he was the Nawab of Awadh (Oudh), not Bengal. Saadat Ali Khan (reigned as Nawab of Awadh from 1798-1814) was from an entirely different dynasty ruling a different territory. The Nawabs of Bengal and their distinction: Alivardi Khan — Was a Nawab of Bengal (1740-1756); he was the grandfather of Sirajuddaulah ; Sirajuddaulah — Was the last independent Nawab of Bengal (1756-1757); he was defeated by the British at the Battle of Plassey (1757); Mir Qasim — Was a Nawab of Bengal (1760-1763); he was appointed by the British but later fought against them in the Battle of Buxar (1764); Nawab of Awadh vs. Bengal: The Nawabs of Bengal (Murshidabad) and the Nawabs of Awadh (Lucknow) were entirely separate dynasties ruling different regions; Saadat Ali Khan belonged to the Nawab of Awadh lineage, not Bengal.
Option (a) Alivardi Khan — Incorrect: Alivardi Khan WAS a Nawab of Bengal (1740-1756); he successfully defended Bengal from Maratha incursions ( Bargis ) and was a powerful ruler; the question asks who was NEVER the Nawab of Bengal, so Alivardi Khan cannot be the answer.
Option (c) Mir Qasim — Incorrect: Mir Qasim WAS a Nawab of Bengal (1760-1763); he was installed by the British and later fought them at the Battle of Buxar (1764); the question asks who was NEVER the Nawab of Bengal, so Mir Qasim cannot be the answer. The candidate incorrectly selected this option.
Option (d) Sirajuddaulah — Incorrect: Sirajuddaulah WAS the Nawab of Bengal (1756-1757); he is famous for the Black Hole of Calcutta incident and his defeat at the Battle of Plassey (1757) by Robert Clive; the question asks who was NEVER the Nawab of Bengal, so Sirajuddaulah cannot be the answer.

Correct Answer: Malabar — Option (d)
The Kingdom of Mysore, under Hyder Ali and particularly his son Tipu Sultan, controlled the profitable trade of the Malabar Coast (present-day Kerala coast). This was a major source of conflict with the British East India Company, leading to the Anglo-Mysore Wars (1767-1799). Why Malabar was important: The Malabar Coast was famous for its lucrative trade in spices (especially black pepper, cardamom, and ginger), coconut products, and timber; Tipu Sultan sought to monopolize this trade and expand his influence on the coast; The control of Malabar gave Mysore direct access to overseas trade routes and the ability to import weapons from French and other European traders; The British East India Company coveted the Malabar trade and ultimately defeated Tipu Sultan in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799), after which the Malabar region came under British control.
Option (a) Bombay — Incorrect: Bombay (Mumbai) was a British East India Company's presidency and trading hub; it was not controlled by the Mysore kingdom. Mysore's dominance was on the Malabar Coast (southwest India).
Option (b) Hooghly — Incorrect: Hooghly is a river and region in Bengal (eastern India); it was under British control (Bengal Presidency) and had no connection to Mysore's trade control.
Option (c) Coromandel — Incorrect: The Coromandel Coast is the southeastern coast of India (Tamil Nadu); while Mysore had some interactions with this region, its primary and most profitable coastal trade control was over the Malabar Coast, not the Coromandel Coast.

Correct Answer: 1716 (Option 3)
Banda Singh Bahadur (Banda Bahadur) was a Sikh military commander who led significant campaigns against the Mughals in Punjab. He was captured by the Mughal forces under Farrukhsiyar in 1715 and was executed on June 9, 1716, in Delhi.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – 1708 was the year Guru Gobind Singh Ji passed away; Banda Bahadur continued fighting after this.
Option 2 – 1711 was still during Banda Bahadur's active military campaigns.
Option 4 – 1720 is after his execution in 1716.

The correct answer is option 4.
Alamgir II (Aziz-ud-din) ruled the Mughal Empire from 1754 to 1759. He was the son of Jahandar Shah and was placed on the throne by the Maratha-influenced court. He was later murdered by his wazir Imad-ul-Mulk in 1759.
Option 1 is incorrect: Ahmad Shah ruled from 1748 to 1754 — the period just before Alamgir II.
Option 2 is incorrect: Farrukhsiyar ruled from 1713 to 1719 — much earlier.
Option 3 is incorrect: Shah Alam II ruled from 1759 to 1806 — the period after Alamgir II.

Correct Answer: 1761-1782 (Option 3)
Haider Ali (also spelled Hyder Ali) was a military commander who rose to power and became the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He effectively ruled from 1761 and continued until his death in December 1782. He was succeeded by his son Tipu Sultan.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 – 1741-1759 does not correspond to Haider Ali's rule.
Option 2 – 1798-1815 was after Tipu Sultan's rule; Tipu died in 1799.
Option 4 – 1726-1749 is also an incorrect period for Haider Ali.

The correct answer is option 1.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the founder and ruler of the Sikh Empire, died on June 27, 1839. His death marked the beginning of the decline of the Sikh Empire, as conflicts and instability followed, eventually leading to its annexation by the British after the Anglo-Sikh Wars.
Option 2 is incorrect: 1842 was after Ranjit Singh's death; it was a period of instability in the Sikh Empire.
Option 3 is incorrect: 1845 was the year the First Anglo-Sikh War began, six years after Ranjit Singh's death.
Option 4 is incorrect: 1851 was long after Ranjit Singh's death and after the Sikh Empire had already been annexed by the British (1849).

Maharaja Ranjit Singh established his capital at Lahore after reuniting the Sikh territories and founding the Sikh Empire in 1799. Lahore became the political and cultural centre of his empire. Amritsar is the religious centre of Sikhism; Delhi and Patiala were not his capitals.

Ahmad Shah Abdali (Durrani) seized Punjab from the Mughal Empire during his repeated invasions of India (1748–1767). He did not seize Awadh; Awadh remained under the control of its Nawabs, who were nominally under the Mughals and later the British.
Why other options are incorrect:
- Only II: Awadh was not seized by Abdali.
- Both I and II: Abdali did not take Awadh.
- Neither I nor II: Punjab was indeed seized by Abdali.

Correct Answer: Option 2 – Seringapatam
Seringapatam (now Srirangapatna , in Mandya district of Karnataka) was the capital of Tipu Sultan's Kingdom of Mysore. It was here that the famous Battle of Seringapatam (1799) was fought, in which Tipu Sultan was defeated and killed by the British East India Company forces.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (Erode): Erode is in Tamil Nadu and was not Tipu Sultan's capital.
Option 3 (Sira): Sira is in Karnataka but was not the capital of Tipu Sultan's kingdom.
Option 4 ( Chitradurga ): Chitradurga is known for the Chitradurga Fort, but it was not Tipu Sultan's capital.

Dal Khalsa was the name given to the combined Sikh army formed by merging various Jathas (armed groups) and Misls (confederacies) in the eighteenth century. It was formally constituted in 1748 under Nawab Kapur Singh.
Sangats were Sikh congregational bodies for collective prayer.
Mansabdars were rank-holders in the Mughal administrative system.
Nihangs are a distinct order of Sikh warriors known for their blue robes and orthodox practices.

Tipu Sultan (Sultan of Mysore, 1782–1799) established close diplomatic and military relations with the French. He sought French military assistance to modernize his army against British expansion, and French officers trained his troops. He also sent an embassy to France.
Mahadji Shinde did employ French officers but is less closely associated; Ali Wardi Khan was Nawab of Bengal known for resisting Maratha raids; Shah Alam II was a Mughal emperor with no notable French connection. Hence, Tipu Sultan is correct.

During the late Mughal period, Nagaur (in present-day Rajasthan) was conquered and annexed by the Jodhpur (Marwar) house of Rajputs . The Rathore rulers of Jodhpur expanded their territories significantly as Mughal central authority declined.
Mewar (Udaipur), Amber (Jaipur), and Bikaner are other Rajput houses but did not annex Nagaur during this period. Hence, Jodhpur is correct.

Correct Answer: 1782 (Option 1)
Tipu Sultan became the ruler of Mysore in 1782 after the death of his father Hyder Ali. He is known for his fierce resistance against British expansion and for introducing several administrative and military innovations. He was killed in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799.
Why others are wrong:
Option 2 - 1788: Incorrect; Tipu had already been ruling for 6 years by 1788.
Option 3 - 1795: Incorrect year for his accession.
Option 4 - 1799: This is the year of Tipu Sultan's death at the Battle of Seringapatam, not his accession.

Correct Answer: Third Battle of Panipat (Option 1)
The Third Battle of Panipat was fought on 14 January 1761 between the Maratha Empire and Ahmad Shah Durrani (of the Afghan Durrani Empire). The Marathas suffered a decisive defeat, which halted their northward expansion. This battle is considered one of the largest and most decisive battles of the 18th century in India.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 2 - First Battle of Panipat: Fought in 1526 between Babur and Ibrahim Lodi; it laid the foundation of the Mughal Empire.
Option 3 - Second Battle of Tarain : Fought in 1192 between Muhammad of Ghor and Prithviraj Chauhan.
Option 4 - First Battle of Tarain : Fought in 1191 between Muhammad of Ghor and Prithviraj Chauhan (Prithviraj won).

Sirajuddaulah succeeded his grandfather Alivardi Khan as the Nawab of Bengal in April 1756. He was the last independent Nawab of Bengal, famous for the Battle of Plassey (1757) against the British East India Company.
Mir Jafar became Nawab after betraying Sirajuddaulah; Mir Qasim succeeded Mir Jafar; Murshid Quli Khan was an earlier Nawab who predated Alivardi Khan.

Shuja- ud -Daula ( Shujauddaulah ) was the Nawab of Awadh (also called Oudh), ruling from 1754 to 1775. He was involved in the Battle of Buxar (1764) against the British East India Company along with Mir Qasim (Nawab of Bengal) and Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II. After losing the battle, he signed the Treaty of Allahabad (1765) with the British. Why other options are wrong: Option 1 - Amber: Amber was ruled by the Kachwaha Rajput rulers of Rajputana, not by Shuja- ud -Daula. Option 3 - Mysore: Mysore was ruled by Hyder Ali and later Tipu Sultan, not Shuja- ud -Daula. Option 4 - Hyderabad: Hyderabad was ruled by the Nizams; Shuja- ud -Daula was Nawab of Awadh.

Farrukh Siyar was the Mughal Emperor who ruled from 1713 to 1719. He is notable for granting the ' farman ' to the British East India Company in 1717, giving them trading privileges. Ahmad Shah ruled from 1748 to 1754, Shah Alam II from 1759 to 1806, and Alamgir II from 1754 to 1759. Hence option 2 is correct.

Correct Answer: Banda Bahadur (Option 2)
After the death of Guru Gobind Singh in 1708, Banda Singh Bahadur (Banda Bahadur) led the Khalsa Sikhs in a revolt against Mughal rule. He was a military commander who captured Sirhind in 1710 and established a brief Sikh state in Punjab.
Why others are wrong:
Option 1 - Chattar Singh Attriwal: He was a Sikh chieftain from the 19th century, unrelated to this revolt.
Option 3 - Duleep Singh: He was the last Sikh Maharaja who lived in the 19th century; he was a child when the Sikh empire fell.
Option 4 - Udai Singh: He was a Rajput king of Mewar, not associated with the Khalsa revolt.

Correct Answer: 1739
Nadir Shah, the ruler of Persia (Iran), invaded India and sacked and plundered Delhi in 1739 CE. He defeated the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah at the Battle of Karnal (February 1739). He looted enormous wealth from Delhi including the Peacock Throne (Takht-e- Tavus ) and the Koh-i-Noor diamond. The massacre of Delhi's citizens by Nadir Shah's forces is known as the ' Qatl -e-Aam.'
Why other options are wrong:
- 1707: Year of Aurangzeb's death; Nadir Shah had not yet invaded.
- 1728: Nadir Shah had not yet risen to prominence; he became Shah of Persia in 1736.
- 1751: After Nadir Shah's death (1747); the Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded around this time.

Correct Answer: Jaipur
Sawai Raja Jai Singh II of Amber founded the city of Jaipur in 1727 CE. He shifted his capital from Amber (Amer) to the newly planned city of Jaipur. The city was designed by the architect Vidyadhar Bhattacharya on the principles of Vastu Shastra and ancient Hindu town planning. Jaipur is often called the 'Pink City' of India and is now the capital of Rajasthan.
Why other options are wrong:
- Udaipur: Founded by Maharana Udai Singh II of the Sisodiya clan in 1559; not by Jai Singh of Amber.
- Jodhpur: Founded by Rao Jodha of the Rathore clan in 1459; not by Jai Singh.
- Ajmer: An ancient city; not founded by Jai Singh of Amber.

Correct Answer: 1740s
The Maratha campaigns into Rajasthan began in earnest from the 1740s CE. Under the Peshwas (particularly Peshwa Baji Rao I and later Maratha chiefs), the Marathas expanded aggressively into northern India including Rajasthan. From the 1740s onwards, Maratha campaigns put severe pressure on Rajput principalities like Mewar, Marwar, and Jaipur, demanding tribute and checking their political expansion.
Why other options are wrong:
- 1560s: During Akbar's reign; Marathas were not yet a major power in Rajasthan.
- 1620s: During the later Mughal period; Marathas under Shivaji had not yet fully emerged.
- 1680s: Shivaji's successors were fighting the Mughals in the Deccan; Rajasthan campaigns came later.

Correct Answer: Amritsar (Option 2)
In the eighteenth century, during the period of the Sikh Misls (confederacies), the Sikh community used to gather at the Akal Takht in Amritsar during the festivals of Baisakhi and Diwali. During these gatherings, the entire Sikh community (Sarbat Khalsa) took collective decisions called ' Gurmatas ' (resolutions approved in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib). These decisions were binding on all Sikhs.
Nagpur, Patna Sahib, and Bhopal were not the venues for these Sikh Sarbat Khalsa gatherings.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh established his capital at Lahore in 1799, when he captured the city from the Afghan Bhangi Misl chiefs. This marked the beginning of the Sikh Empire with Lahore as its political and administrative capital. Why others are wrong: - 1829: By 1829, Ranjit Singh had already been ruling from Lahore for three decades. - 1821: Not the year Lahore was made his capital. - 1801: In 1801, Ranjit Singh was proclaimed Maharaja of Punjab, but Lahore had already been his capital since 1799.

In 1722, Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah appointed Sawai Raja Jai Singh II (founder of Jaipur) as the governor (Subedar) of Agra. He was known for his great interest in astronomy and built the famous Jantar Mantar observatories. Why others are wrong: - Bengal: Was governed by different Nawabs; Jai Singh was not given Bengal. - Awadh: Was under the Nawabs of Awadh; Jai Singh did not govern it. - Odisha: Was not assigned to Sawai Jai Singh.

Both Farrukh Siyar and Alamgir II were assassinated by their nobles. Farrukh Siyar (r. 1713–1719) was blinded and murdered by the Sayyid Brothers who were powerful nobles and kingmakers. Alamgir II (r. 1754–1759) was stabbed to death on the orders of his wazir Imad-ul-Mulk (Ghazi ud -Din). Therefore, Both I and II is the correct answer.

Correct Answer: Both I and II
Both Farrukh Siyar and Alamgir II were Mughal Emperors who were assassinated by their own nobles:
- Farrukh Siyar (r. 1713?1719): Deposed and killed by the Sayyid Brothers (Abdullah Khan and Husain Ali Khan), who wielded real power at the Mughal court.
- Alamgir II (r. 1754?1759): Murdered by Imad-ul-Mulk (Ghazi- ud -Din Khan), the Wazir, who was the real power behind the throne.
Why 'Only I' is wrong: Alamgir II was also assassinated.
Why 'Only II' is wrong: Farrukh Siyar was also assassinated.
Why 'Neither' is wrong: Both were indeed assassinated.

Correct Answer: Malwa
Sawai Raja Jai Singh II of Amer (later founder of Jaipur) was appointed Governor of Malwa around 1713 by the Mughal Emperor Farrukhsiyar. Jai Singh II was a distinguished astronomer, mathematician, and statesman who later founded the city of Jaipur in 1727 and built the famous Jantar Mantar observatories.
Why other options are wrong:
- Bengal: Was governed by different Mughal nobles; Jai Singh was not appointed governor of Bengal.
- Lahore: Was a separate Mughal province governed by others.
- Agra: Was not the region assigned to Jai Singh around 1713.