Social Science History Notes for Chapter 8 Eighteenth-Century Political Formations Class 7 - FREE PDF Download
Vedantu provides CBSE Class 7 History Revision Notes for the chapter Eighteenth-Century Political Formations. This chapter focuses on the key political changes in India during the 18th century, highlighting the decline of the Mughal Empire, the rise of regional powers, and the formation of new political structures. These notes will help students grasp the important events and shifts that shaped this period, making it easier to prepare for exams.
Table of Content
By referring to the CBSE Class 7 Social Science Syllabus, students can ensure they cover all the important topics included in this chapter. The Revision Notes for Class 7 History by Vedantu are designed to simplify complex ideas, provide clear summaries, and help students with quick and effective revisions.
FAQs on Eighteenth-Century Political Formations Class 7 Social Science History Chapter 8 CBSE Notes - 2025-26
1. What were the key reasons for the decline of the Mughal Empire in the 18th century?
The decline of the Mughal Empire was caused by several factors. Emperor Aurangzeb's long and costly wars in the Deccan drained the empire's financial and military resources. His successors were weak and inefficient, which led to intense power struggles among the nobility. Furthermore, invasions by foreign powers like Nadir Shah (1739) and Ahmad Shah Abdali (repeatedly between 1748 and 1761) shattered the empire's prestige and power, allowing regional governors to assert their independence. You can find a summary of this period in the CBSE Class 7 History Notes.
2. Which three main groups of states emerged during the 18th century after the Mughal decline?
The states that emerged in the 18th century can be summarised into three main categories for a quick revision:
Old Mughal Provinces: These were states like Awadh, Bengal, and Hyderabad, founded by powerful Mughal governors who became semi-independent but did not formally break ties with the emperor.
Watan Jagirs: These were territories held by Rajput rulers who had served the Mughals. As the empire weakened, they sought greater autonomy and expanded their influence from these homelands.
Independent Kingdoms: These were states established by groups that had rebelled against the Mughals and created their own sovereign rule, most notably the Marathas, Sikhs, and Jats.
3. What steps did Asaf Jah take to establish Hyderabad as a powerful independent state?
Asaf Jah, a powerful noble at the Mughal court, consolidated his control over the Deccan province. He brought skilled soldiers and administrators from northern India to strengthen his administration. He appointed mansabdars and granted them jagirs, building a loyal base of nobles. Although he never formally declared independence, he ruled without much interference from Delhi, and the Mughal emperor merely confirmed the decisions he had already taken, establishing de facto independence for Hyderabad.
4. How did the rulers of Awadh and Bengal try to reduce Mughal influence in their provinces?
The rulers of Awadh and Bengal, Sa‘adat Khan and Murshid Quli Khan respectively, took several similar steps to consolidate their power. They reduced the number of Mughal-appointed office holders (jagirdars) to curb external influence. Crucially, they seized control of the financial administration, reassessing revenues and managing tax collection through their own appointed officials. This gave them financial independence from the central empire, which was a key step towards autonomy. To learn more about Bengal's history, see this topic on A Closer Look - Bengal.
5. What were the *chauth* and *sardeshmukhi* systems introduced by the Marathas?
Chauth and sardeshmukhi were two major taxes that became the foundation of the Maratha administration and economic power. For a quick revision:
Chauth: This was a tax amounting to 25% of the land revenue, which the Marathas levied on neighbouring lands. In return, these lands were protected from Maratha raids.
Sardeshmukhi: This was an additional 10% tax levied on the land. It was based on the claim that the Maratha king was the chief headman (*sardeshmukh*) of the entire Deccan region.
6. Why is the 18th century considered a period of both crisis and opportunity in Indian history?
The 18th century was a period of crisis because the powerful, centralised Mughal Empire was collapsing. This led to political instability, constant warfare, and devastating foreign invasions that disrupted trade and administration. However, this crisis created an opportunity for ambitious regional leaders. Governors of large provinces, Rajput chiefs, and groups like the Marathas, Sikhs, and Jats were able to carve out their own independent or semi-independent kingdoms, leading to a new, decentralised political map of India.
7. How were the Sikhs organised into a political force in the 18th century?
The political organisation of the Sikhs was a gradual process. It began when Guru Gobind Singh instituted the Khalsa in 1699, creating a community of warrior-saints. After his death, Banda Bahadur led a fierce revolt against the Mughals. Later in the century, the Sikhs organised themselves into bands called jathas and then larger confederacies called misls. Their combined forces, the *dal khalsa*, successfully resisted Mughal governors and Ahmad Shah Abdali, eventually establishing sovereign Sikh rule in Punjab.
8. Beyond rulers and armies, what was the role of merchants and bankers in the newly formed 18th-century states?
Merchants and bankers were vital to the new political formations of the 18th century. They provided loans to rulers and state officials, which were essential for funding armies and administration. They also managed revenue collection systems through ijaradars (revenue farmers). In some states, their influence was immense. For instance, the banking house of Jagat Seth in Bengal became so wealthy and powerful that it could influence the policies of the Nawab.
9. Compare the state-building efforts of the Jats with those of the Sikhs.
Both the Jats and Sikhs successfully carved out kingdoms by challenging Mughal authority. A key similarity was that both were agrarian communities that became militarised to establish regional power. However, a key difference lay in their foundational structure. The Jat state, consolidated under leaders like Churaman and Suraj Mal, was primarily a secular consolidation of peasant-warrior clans. In contrast, the Sikh state was forged by the religious and social identity of the Khalsa, a religio-military brotherhood that united different clans under one banner.
10. What were *watan jagirs* and how did Rajput rulers use them to expand their influence?
In the Mughal system, *watan jagirs* were the ancestral homelands of Rajput rulers. They were allowed to govern these territories with considerable autonomy in return for their loyal service to the empire. As Mughal power declined in the 18th century, prominent Rajput rulers, such as those of Amber and Jodhpur, used their secure *watan jagirs* as a base to expand their influence. They began to annex adjacent, fertile Mughal territories, effectively building larger, more independent kingdoms from their original homelands.
