Decline of Mughals Top 100 MCQs With Answer and Explanation

1. The decline of the Mughal Empire began after the reign of___________.
A) Akbar
B) Jahangir
C) Shah Jahan
D) Aurangzeb

2. The most important factor behind Mughal decline was___________.
A) Weak successors
B) Financial crisis
C) Religious policies of Aurangzeb
D) All of the above

3. Aurangzeb’s Deccan campaigns weakened the empire because___________.
A) They drained the treasury
B) They alienated Marathas
C) They caused administrative neglect in north
D) All of the above

4. One major cause of decline of Mughals was___________.
A) Growing European trading power
B) Weak army
C) Loss of central authority
D) All of the above

5. The Mughal jagirdari crisis meant___________.
A) Shortage of land for jagirdars
B) Excess land for peasants
C) Mughal loss of Delhi
D) Rise of Marathas

6. The decline of Mughals was hastened by constant revolts from___________.
A) Jats
B) Sikhs
C) Marathas
D) All of the above

7. Which foreign invasions further weakened the Mughals?
A) Nadir Shah
B) Ahmad Shah Abdali
C) Persian and Afghan invasions
D) All of the above

8. The Mughal mansabdari system declined because___________.
A) Corruption
B) Lack of resources
C) Increase in mansabdars without jagirs
D) All of the above

9. Aurangzeb’s religious policies contributed to decline because___________.
A) Imposition of Jaziya
B) Destruction of temples
C) Alienation of Rajputs
D) All of the above

10. Which group was the biggest challenge to Mughals in the 18th century?
A) Marathas
B) Portuguese
C) Jats
D) Sikhs

11. The Mughal nobility became weak because___________.
A) Division into factions (Iranis, Turanis, Hindustanis)
B) Lack of loyalty to emperors
C) Court intrigues
D) All of the above

12. Which economic factor accelerated Mughal decline?
A) Increasing corruption in revenue system
B) Peasant revolts
C) Jagirdari crisis
D) All of the above

13. After Aurangzeb, which emperor’s reign marked the beginning of rapid decline?
A) Bahadur Shah I
B) Farrukhsiyar
C) Muhammad Shah
D) Shah Alam II

14. The Sayyid Brothers were also known as___________.
A) Badshah-makers
B) Mughal conquerors
C) Afghan invaders
D) Persian governors

15. The Peacock Throne was looted by___________.
A) Nadir Shah (1739)
B) Ahmad Shah Abdali (1761)
C) Shah Alam II
D) Marathas

16. The invasion of Nadir Shah was significant because___________.
A) It shattered Mughal prestige
B) It looted enormous wealth
C) It encouraged other invaders
D) All of the above

17. Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded India how many times?
A) 3
B) 5
C) 7
D) 9

18. Which battle ended Maratha power and gave temporary relief to Mughals?
A) Battle of Karnal
B) Battle of Buxar
C) Third Battle of Panipat
D) Battle of Plassey

19. Mughal military weakness was due to___________.
A) Outdated artillery
B) Lack of discipline
C) Corruption among commanders
D) All of the above

20. Which Mughal ruler tried to revive the empire but failed?
A) Bahadur Shah I
B) Muhammad Shah
C) Shah Alam II
D) Aurangzeb

21. The empire became only a symbolic power under___________.
A) Farrukhsiyar
B) Muhammad Shah
C) Shah Alam II
D) Bahadur Shah II

22. The Mughal capital Delhi was sacked in 1739 by___________.
A) Abdali
B) Nadir Shah
C) Marathas
D) Jats

23. The most important internal cause of Mughal decline was___________.
A) Religious intolerance
B) Weak successors
C) Mansabdari-jagirdari crisis
D) European invasion

24. The later Mughals lost power because___________.
A) They were puppets in hands of nobles
B) They lost revenue base
C) They lost military strength
D) All of the above

25. Which European power benefitted most from Mughal decline?
A) Portuguese
B) Dutch
C) French
D) British

26. The first Mughal emperor after Aurangzeb was___________.
A) Jahandar Shah
B) Bahadur Shah I
C) Farrukhsiyar
D) Muhammad Shah

27. Bahadur Shah I tried to conciliate which groups?
A) Sikhs
B) Marathas
C) Rajputs
D) All of the above

28. The reign of Jahandar Shah (1712–1713) is remembered for___________.
A) Alliance with Zulfikar Khan
B) Religious tolerance
C) Expansion of empire
D) Administrative reforms

29. Jahandar Shah was defeated by___________.
A) Farrukhsiyar with Sayyid Brothers’ support
B) Marathas
C) Nadir Shah
D) Bahadur Shah I

30. The Sayyid Brothers were known as___________.
A) Empire builders
B) Kingmakers
C) Foreign invaders
D) Rajput allies

31. Farrukhsiyar (1713–1719) granted important farmans to___________.
A) Portuguese
B) French
C) English East India Company
D) Dutch

32. Farrukhsiyar was killed by___________.
A) Marathas
B) Sayyid Brothers
C) Abdali
D) Nizam of Hyderabad

33. Which Mughal emperor was installed by the Sayyid Brothers after Farrukhsiyar?
A) Rafi-ud-Darajat
B) Muhammad Shah
C) Shah Alam II
D) Bahadur Shah II

34. Muhammad Shah (1719–1748) is popularly known as___________.
A) Rangeela
B) Alamgir II
C) Shah Alam I
D) Shuja

35. The Mughal Empire saw which major invasion during Muhammad Shah’s reign?
A) Nadir Shah’s invasion (1739)
B) Abdali’s invasion
C) Portuguese attack
D) British at Buxar

36. The Battle of Karnal (1739) was fought between___________.
A) Mughal and Marathas
B) Mughal and British
C) Mughal and Nadir Shah
D) Mughal and Abdali

37. Which Mughal emperor was killed by his wazir Imad-ul-Mulk?
A) Farrukhsiyar
B) Alamgir II
C) Muhammad Shah
D) Shah Alam II

38. Who succeeded Alamgir II?
A) Shah Alam II
B) Akbar Shah II
C) Jahandar Shah
D) Bahadur Shah II

39. Shah Alam II fought the British in___________.
A) Battle of Plassey (1757)
B) Battle of Buxar (1764)
C) Third Battle of Panipat (1761)
D) Battle of Wandiwash (1760)

40. After Buxar, Shah Alam II lived under British protection in___________.
A) Bengal
B) Delhi
C) Allahabad
D) Agra

41. Who granted the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa to the British in 1765?
A) Muhammad Shah
B) Alamgir II
C) Shah Alam II
D) Bahadur Shah II

42. Which Mughal ruler issued the firman allowing the British duty-free trade in Bengal?
A) Jahandar Shah
B) Farrukhsiyar
C) Shah Alam II
D) Bahadur Shah I

43. Akbar Shah II (1806–1837) is remembered for___________.
A) Expanding Mughal empire
B) Recognizing Rammohan Roy as “Raja”
C) British Resident’s control over Delhi
D) Both b & c

44. The last Mughal emperor was___________.
A) Shah Alam II
B) Bahadur Shah I
C) Bahadur Shah II (Zafar)
D) Akbar Shah II

45. Bahadur Shah II (Zafar) was deported to___________.
A) Karachi
B) Rangoon (Burma)
C) Calcutta
D) Mauritius

46. The real authority during the reign of later Mughals was held by___________.
A) Mughal emperors
B) Nobles and wazirs
C) Rajputs
D) Marathas

47. Who was known as the “last effective Mughal emperor”?
A) Aurangzeb
B) Bahadur Shah I
C) Muhammad Shah Rangeela
D) Shah Alam II

48. The weak rulers after Aurangzeb were collectively called___________.
A) Rangeela rulers
B) Later Mughals
C) Puppet emperors
D) Court emperors

49. Who abolished Jaziya among the Later Mughals?
A) Bahadur Shah I
B) Jahandar Shah
C) Farrukhsiyar
D) Muhammad Shah

50. By the end of the 18th century, Mughal emperors survived on___________.
A) Maratha pensions
B) British pensions
C) Both a & b
D) Independent treasury

51. The invasion of Nadir Shah in 1739 occurred during the reign of___________.
A) Bahadur Shah I
B) Farrukhsiyar
C) Muhammad Shah Rangeela
D) Shah Alam II

52. The Battle of Karnal (1739) ended with___________.
A) British victory over French
B) Mughal defeat by Nadir Shah
C) Mughal alliance with Marathas
D) Abdali’s invasion

53. Which Mughal emperor witnessed the plunder of Delhi by Nadir Shah?
A) Farrukhsiyar
B) Muhammad Shah Rangeela
C) Shah Alam II
D) Alamgir II

54. Nadir Shah carried away which famous Mughal treasures?
A) Peacock Throne
B) Koh-i-Noor Diamond
C) Both a & b
D) Takht-i-Taus only

55. The invasions of Ahmad Shah Abdali occurred between___________.
A) 1738–1742
B) 1748–1767
C) 1750–1765
D) 1761–1780

56. Ahmad Shah Abdali defeated the Mughals in the___________.
A) Battle of Karnal
B) Battle of Plassey
C) Battle of Manupur (1748)
D) Third Battle of Panipat

57. The Third Battle of Panipat (1761) was fought between___________.
A) Abdali and Mughals
B) Marathas and Abdali
C) British and French
D) Mughals and Marathas

58. Which Mughal ruler allied with Shuja-ud-Daulah and Mir Qasim against the British?
A) Muhammad Shah
B) Shah Alam II
C) Alamgir II
D) Bahadur Shah II

59. The Battle of Buxar (1764) resulted in___________.
A) British defeat
B) Mughal revival
C) British gaining Diwani rights of Bengal, Bihar, Orissa
D) Abdali’s victory

60. The decline of Mughal Empire led to the rise of which successor states?
A) Bengal
B) Awadh
C) Hyderabad
D) All of the above

61. Who founded the independent state of Hyderabad in 1724?
A) Chin Qilich Khan (Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah)
B) Murshid Quli Khan
C) Saadat Khan
D) Shuja-ud-Daulah

62. Who founded the state of Bengal as a virtually independent kingdom?
A) Murshid Quli Khan
B) Alivardi Khan
C) Siraj-ud-Daulah
D) Shuja-ud-Daulah

63. Who founded the state of Awadh?
A) Saadat Khan Burhan-ul-Mulk
B) Shuja-ud-Daulah
C) Asaf-ud-Daula
D) Ghazi-ud-Din

64. The Rohillas rose in which region during Mughal decline?
A) Bengal
B) Awadh
C) Rohilkhand (U.P.)
D) Punjab

65. The Jats became powerful under___________.
A) Suraj Mal
B) Banda Bahadur
C) Shuja-ud-Daulah
D) Jai Singh

66. The Sikhs rose under___________.
A) Guru Gobind Singh
B) Banda Singh Bahadur
C) Ranjit Singh
D) All of the above

67. The decline of Mughal authority in Punjab allowed rise of___________.
A) Marathas
B) Sikhs
C) Jats
D) Rohillas

68. The Marathas filled the power vacuum after___________.
A) Nadir Shah’s invasion
B) Abdali’s invasions
C) Death of Aurangzeb
D) All of the above

69. The Mughal decline coincided with rise of Europeans because___________.
A) Mughals gave farmans
B) British gained Bengal (Plassey, 1757)
C) French lost wars to British
D) All of the above

70. The Treaty of Allahabad (1765) was signed between___________.
A) Shah Alam II and British
B) Muhammad Shah and British
C) Abdali and Marathas
D) British and French

71. The main impact of Abdali’s invasions was___________.
A) Weakened Mughal power in Punjab
B) Destroyed Maratha power at Panipat
C) Encouraged regional states’ independence
D) All of the above

72. Which successor state became the richest province after Mughal decline?
A) Awadh
B) Bengal
C) Hyderabad
D) Punjab

73. The Mughal decline made Delhi politically insignificant after___________.
A) 1739 Nadir Shah’s sack of Delhi
B) 1761 Panipat
C) 1764 Buxar
D) 1857 Revolt

74. Who effectively controlled Delhi in late 18th century before the British?
A) Marathas
B) Sikhs
C) Rohillas
D) Afghans

75. Which European power captured Delhi in 1803, reducing Mughal emperors to pensioners?
A) French
B) Dutch
C) British
D) Portuguese

76. The decline of the Mughal Empire after 1707 is often described as___________.
A) Sudden collapse
B) Gradual decentralization of power
C) Complete destruction in one battle
D) Revival under later rulers

77. The invasion of Nadir Shah in 1739 is considered a turning point because___________.
A) It destroyed Mughal prestige
B) It looted Delhi’s wealth
C) It encouraged Abdali’s invasions
D) All of the above

78. Which of the following was a long-term cause of Mughal decline?
A) Religious intolerance
B) Jagirdari crisis
C) Weak successors
D) All of the above

79. The Marathas were regarded as the main challenge to Mughals because___________.
A) They used guerrilla warfare
B) They filled the power vacuum in Deccan
C) They expanded into North India
D) All of the above

80. The Treaty of Allahabad (1765) is significant in Mughal decline because___________.
A) Mughals lost Bengal’s revenue
B) British gained Diwani rights
C) Shah Alam II became dependent on British
D) All of the above

81. Which of the following reflects the decline of Mughal military power?
A) Defeat at Karnal (1739)
B) Defeat at Buxar (1764)
C) Dependence on Marathas for protection
D) All of the above

82. Which later Mughal ruler spent most of his reign as a British pensioner?
A) Farrukhsiyar
B) Muhammad Shah
C) Shah Alam II
D) Bahadur Shah I

83. Which emperor’s reign saw the effective end of Mughal real authority?
A) Muhammad Shah Rangeela
B) Shah Alam II
C) Akbar Shah II
D) Bahadur Shah II

84. By the early 19th century, Mughal emperors were dependent on___________.
A) Marathas
B) British
C) Sikhs
D) Rohillas

85. The real rulers of Delhi between 1750–1800 were___________.
A) Mughal emperors
B) Marathas
C) Afghans
D) British

86. The Mughal decline created conditions for rise of___________.
A) Regional states
B) European trading companies
C) New social groups (bankers, zamindars)
D) All of the above

87. Which Mughal emperor’s farman gave the English Company free trade rights in Bengal?
A) Bahadur Shah I
B) Farrukhsiyar
C) Shah Alam II
D) Bahadur Shah II

88. The Third Battle of Panipat (1761) indirectly benefitted the___________.
A) Mughals
B) British
C) Sikhs
D) Portuguese

89. The Mughal decline was accelerated by the___________.
A) Rise of powerful nobles
B) Weak center and strong provinces
C) Court intrigues and factionalism
D) All of the above

90. The Mughal emperor during the Battle of Plassey (1757) was___________.
A) Shah Alam II
B) Alamgir II
C) Muhammad Shah
D) Bahadur Shah I

91. Who described the later Mughals as “kings in name only”?
A) Abul Fazl
B) Niccolao Manucci
C) European travelers of 18th century
D) James Mill

92. The last Mughal emperor to exercise real power over provinces was___________.
A) Bahadur Shah I
B) Farrukhsiyar
C) Muhammad Shah
D) Shah Alam II

93. The Mughal decline was most beneficial to___________.
A) Marathas
B) British
C) Sikhs
D) Jats

94. The main cause why Mughals could not modernize their army like Europeans was___________.
A) Lack of funds
B) Over-dependence on cavalry
C) Conservatism and weak leadership
D) All of the above

95. Who protected the Mughal emperor in Delhi before the British takeover in 1803?
A) Rohillas
B) Jats
C) Marathas
D) Sikhs

96. The Mughal emperor during the Revolt of 1857 was___________.
A) Akbar Shah II
B) Shah Alam II
C) Bahadur Shah II (Zafar)
D) Alamgir II

97. After 1857, Bahadur Shah II was exiled to___________.
A) Mauritius
B) Rangoon
C) Lahore
D) Bombay

98. The decline of Mughals paved the way for___________.
A) British colonial empire
B) Rise of new regional states
C) End of centralized empire in India
D) All of the above

99. Which statement best describes Mughal decline?
A) Military defeat by British alone ended the empire
B) A combination of internal decay and external invasions weakened it
C) Religious policy was the only cause
D) It was sudden after 1707

100. The Mughal decline is significant in Indian history because___________.
A) It allowed British to rise
B) It ended centralized Mughal polity
C) It fragmented India into regional states
D) All of the above