The Mughal Empire - Quiz

Sher Shah Suri (1486-22 May 1545) was the founder of the Sur Empire in North India, with its capital at Delhi. An ethnic Pashtun, Sher Shah took control of the Mughal Empire in 1540. After his accidental death in 1545, his son Islam Shah became his successor. He first served as a private before rising to become a commander in the Mughal army under Babur and then the governor of Bihar. In 1537, when Babur's son Humayun was elsewhere on an expedition, Sher Shah overran the state of Bengal and established the Sur dynasty. A brilliant strategist, Sher Shah proved himself as a gifted administrator as well as a capable general. His reorganization of the empire laid the foundations for the later Mughal emperors, notably Akbar, son of Humayun.

During his five-year rule from 1540 to 1545, he set up a new civic and military administration, issued the first Rupiya and re-organized the postal system of India. He further developed Humayun's Dina-Panah city and named it Shergarh and revived the historical city of Pataliputra, which had been in decline since the 7th century CE, as Patna. He constructed the Grand Trunk Road from Chittagong in the frontiers of the province of Bengal in northeast India to Kabul in Afghanistan in the far northwest of the country.

Mirza Nur-ud-din Beig Mohammad Khan Salim, known by his imperial name Jahangir (Persian for "conqueror of the world" (31 August 1569 - 28 October 1627)), was the fourth Mughal Emperor who ruled from 1605 until his death in 1627. Much romance has gathered around his name (Jahangir means 'conqueror of the world', 'world-conqueror' or 'world-seizer'; Jahan = world, gir the root of the Persian verb gereftan, gireftan = to seize, to grab), and the tale of his relationship with the Mughal courtesan, Anarkali, has been widely adapted into the literature, art and cinema of India.

Jahangir was the eldest surviving son of Mughal Emperor Akbar. Impatient for power, he revolted in 1599 while Akbar was engaged in the Deccan. Jahangir was defeated but ultimately succeeded his father as Emperor in 1605 because of the immense support and efforts of his step-mothers, Empress Ruqaiya Sultan Begum, Salima Sultan Begum and his grandmother, Hamida Banu Begum. These women wielded considerable influence over Akbar and favoured Jahangir as his successor. The first year of Jahangir's reign saw a rebellion organized by his eldest son Khusrau. The rebellion was soon put down; Khusrau was brought before his father in chains. After subduing and executing nearly 2000 members of the rebellion, Jahangir blinded his renegade son.

Jahangir built on his father's foundations of administration and his reign was characterized by political stability, a strong economy, and cultural achievements. The imperial frontiers continued to move forward-in Bengal, Mewar, Ahmadnagar and the Deccan. Later during his rule, Jahangir was battling his rebellious son Khurram in Hindustan. The rebellion of Khurram absorbed Jahangir's attention, so in the spring of 1623 he negotiated a diplomatic end to the conflict. Much of India was politically pacified; Jahangir's dealings with the Hindu rulers of Rajputana were particularly successful, and he settled the conflicts inherited from his father. The Hindu rulers all accepted Mughal supremacy and in return were given high ranks in the Mughal aristocracy.

Man Bai (died 16 May 1605) was the first wife of Shahzada Nur-ud-din Mohammad Salim, future Mughal emperor Jahangir and the mother of Prince Khusrau Mirza. She received the title of Shah Begum after giving birth to her son.

Man Bai was the daughter of Raja Bhagwant Das of Amber and married her first-cousin, Salim, when he was 15 years-old in 1585. She was a bad choice as a wife for Salim as both she and her father were mentally unstable. While Bhagwant Das had once attempted suicide, Man Bai died by her own hand.

She was a neurotic woman, quick to take offence over imagined insults, for which there was plenty of scope for the Rajput princess in Jahangir's polygamous and predominantly Muslim household. "The lady [Man Bai] was ever ambitious of an ascendancy over the other inmates of the harem, and grew violent at the slightest opposition of her will" said Inayatullah. "From time to time her mind wandered, and her father and brothers all agreed in telling me she was insane," writes Jahangir.

Man Bai committed suicide on 16 May 1605 by an overdose of drugs (opium) due to her unhappiness over her son's surliness towards her husband. But Muhibb Ali gives a different reason for her suicide: "As Prince Salim always behaved improperly to her, her mind became jealous and she killed herself by taking opium." Her tomb is in Khusrau Bagh in Allahabad.

Jagat Gosaini (d. 1619) was a wife of the Mughal emperor Jahangir and the mother of his successor, the fifth Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. She is also known as Jodh Bai, Manmati, and was given the posthumous title of Bilqis Makani.

By birth, she was a Rajput princess of Marwar (present-day Jodhpur) and was a daughter of Raja Udai Singh (popularly known as Mota Raja), the Rathore ruler of Marwar.

In 1605, the emperor Akbar died. Akbar had been deeply disappointed with Khusrau's father Jahangir. Perhaps due to this background, Khusrau rebelled against his father in 1606 to secure the throne for himself.

Khusrau left Agra on April 6, 1606 with 350 horsemen on the pretext of visiting the tomb of Akbar at nearby Sikandra. In Mathura, he was joined by Hussain Beg with about 3000 horsemen. In Panipat, he was joined by Abdur Rahim, the provincial dewan (administrator) of Lahore. When Khusrau reached Taran Taran near Amritsar, he received the blessings of Guru Arjan Dev.

Khusrau laid siege on Lahore, defended by Dilawar Khan. Jahangir soon reached Lahore with a large army and Khusrau was defeated in the battle of Bhairowal. He and his followers tried to flee towards Kabul but they were captured by Jahangir's army while crossing the Chenab.

Khusrau was first brought to Delhi, where a novel punishment was meted out to him. He was seated in grand style on an elephant and paraded down Chandni Chowk, while on both sides of the narrow street, the noblemen and barons who had supported him were held at knife-point on raised platforms. As the elephant approached each such platform, the luckless supporter was impaled on a stake (through his bowels), while Khusrau was compelled to watch the grisly sight and listen to the screams and pleas of those who had supported him. This was repeated numerous times through the entire length of Chandni Chowk.

Khusrau was then blinded (in 1607) and imprisoned in Agra. However, his eyesight was never completely lost. In 1616, he was handed over to Asaf Khan, the brother of his step-mother Nur Jehan. In 1620, he was handed over to his younger brother Prince Khurram (later known as emperor Shah Jahan), who incidentally was Asaf Khan's son-in-law. In 1622, Khusrau was killed on the orders of his Prince Khurram.

Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram was born on 5 January 1592 in Lahore, Pakistan, and was the third son of Prince Salim (later known as 'Jahangir' upon his accession). His mother was a Rajput princess from Marwar called Princess Jagat Gosaini (her official name in Mughal chronicles was Bilqis Makani). The name "Khurram" (joyous) was chosen for the young prince by his grandfather, Emperor Akbar, with whom the young prince shared a close relationship.

The Sur Empire was founded by Sher Shah Suri, who ruled from 1540 to 1545. The Sur Empire briefly interrupted Mughal rule in India.

The base of the Mughal Empire's collective wealth was agricultural taxes, instituted by the third Mughal emperor, Akbar.

Fathullah Shirazi was a Persian polymath and mechanical engineer who worked for Akbar, and he developed an early multi-gun shot during the Mughal era in India.

Sake Dean Mahomed learned much of Mughal chemistry and understood the techniques used to produce various alkali and soaps to produce shampoo.