Why are Indian Rupees dipping vis-a-vis USD?

 Why is it in the news? 

1.The Indian rupee slumped to 49 paise to breach the 87 mark against the US dollar on the last Monday. This downward value of rupee was on account of the meltdown of currencies of the most emerging market currencies and stock markets across Asia and Europe when President Donald Trump imposed higher tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China. He also talked about reciprocal tariffs. This led to the adverse market sentiments all over the world. 

2.It should be noted that in November 2024, the value of rupee was 84.36 rupees vis-a-vis one USD. Within a short span of three months Indian rupees further slid to 87.12 rupees per USD. 

[Source: The Hindu] 

Causes of falling of Indian Rupees vis-a-vis USD

1. Dollar index has been high over the last couple of months. The dollar is appreciating. Dollar index is pretty high against all currencies not only of emerging markets but even with the developed countries. The dollar index has picked up again and is above 109. The dollar index is a measure of the value of the US dollar relative to a basket of 6 major foreign currencies. These major currencies are Euro, Japanese Yen, British Pound, Canadian dollar, Swedish Krona and Swiss Franc. When the dollar index rises, it means the USD is strengthening against these currencies. A strong dollar makes imports cheaper for the US market but can hurt emerging markets like India and imports become more expensive. Thus, a rising dollar index often leads to rupee depreciation. The strengthening of the US dollar has been due to high interest rates which attracts global investors. Rising US treasury yields attract investors to prefer US bonds over emerging market assets, leading to the capital outflow from India. 

2.Secondly, rising prices of crude oil has increased the demand for USD, thereby putting pressure on the Indian rupee. It should be noted that India is dependent on foreign countries for 88% of its energy needs. Since, trade in crude oil and LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) is done in USD, any increase in the prices of these commodities put pressure on Indian rupees and raise the demands for more USD. 

3.Thirdly, geo-political tensions like Ukraine-Russia War, Israel-Hamas War in the Middle East, protectionist policies adopted by developed countries and slow global trade reduced the confidence of investors in the emerging markets like India. 

4.Apart from global factors, there are domestic factors which cause weakening of rupees vis-a-vis the American dollar. These are -

• Trade deficit - India imports more than exports. This leads to an increase in demand for USD and weakening of rupees. Export in merchandise trade reached USD 284.31 billion and service trade reached USD 215.98 billion between April to October 2024. While imports of merchandise goods stood at USD 486.73 billion and import of services reached USD 114.57 billion between April to October 2024 [Source : PIB]. Thus, there is a trade deficit of USD 101.01 billion in the above period. 

• High inflation in India reduces purchasing power of rupees and thus, weakens confidence of the investors. 

• Slow down in FDI and remittances further decreases the supply of USD.

• Outflow of foreign portfolios further weakens rupees and increases demand for buying USD. In 2024, foreign portfolio investors withdrew approximately $9 billion from Indian equities.  

• Fiscal deficit and government borrowings - a high deficit often leads to higher borrowings which increase inflationary trend in the economy leading to the weakening of Rupees. That’s why the government has set the target of achieving a 4.4% fiscal deficit of the GDP in the current budget of 2025-26. 

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What should India do to arrest the slump of rupees ?

1. India needs to strengthen its exports by diversifying its trade agreements with emerging markets of the world. 

2. RBI should intervene whenever there is volatility in the market to arrest the fall of rupees vis-a-vis the US dollar. 

3. More emphasis should be given on foreign direct investment because it entails long term investment rather than on Foreign Portfolio Investment which is only for short term investment. 

4. Domestic institutional investments should be given more priority over FPI and FDI so that DIIs can offset the loss of money on account of outflows of FPI. 

5. There is a need to raise vocal for local so that indigenous production of goods and services gets priority over foreign goods and services. Moreover, India needs to become a manufacturing hub like China so that its dependency on imports is drastically reduced. More emphasis should be given on renewables so that rising import bills on crude oils and LNG are reduced. 

6. Fiscal deficit should be reduced so that inflationary trend in the economy is checked. This is why the current budget of 2025-26 aims at keeping the fiscal deficit at 4.4% of GDP. 

Conclusion 

India should seek alternative methods in international trading. Instead of depending upon USD, it should explore ways and means to trade in local currencies as it had done with Russia so that its dependency upon USD is further reduced. Moreover, India should strive for self-reliance in production of machinery, electronics, IT ,pharmaceuticals and renewables.

Why did Sultan Mohammad Tughlaq fail miserably as a ruler?

 

1. Sultan Mohammad Tughlaq was a widely read person. He was well- versed in History, Theology, Mathematics and Persian. No Sultan before and after him was so educated as he was. But he was impatient and acted in haste. He did not give enough time to his project to be implemented efficiently, with the result that most of his experiments/projects failed. These failures sapped the vitality of the Sultanate. The final nail in the coffin of the Sultanate was struck by Taimur Lang in 1398. Taimur looted and plundered Delhi, massacred its people and took away thousands of cattle, artisans, valuable goods with him to his capital,Samarkand. 

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2. The Sultan annexed the entire South India. But it could not be administered properly from Delhi for want of proper communication in those days. In 1327, he made Devgiri as his second capital to control South India. A road was built to connect Delhi with Devgiri, renamed Daulatabad. Trees were planted on either side of the road. Sarais or halting places were constructed every two miles (1 mile = 1.6 km).  Nobles, Sufi Saints and people from Delhi were exhorted to shift to Daulatabad. They were provided lands and residential places. But the experiment failed miserably. It came out that as South India could not be controlled from Delhi, so North India could not be controlled and administered from Daulatabad, a town situated 1500 km away from Delhi. Thus, the experiment was shelved in 1333, after a gap of six years. But, the experiment caused heavy casualties of people and loss of wealth. A large number of people died of exhaustion because the experiment was carried on in the summer season. Secondly, those nobles or landed gentry settled at Daulatabad got homesick. They did not like the surroundings of Daulatabad. Moreover, the locals resisted them. So, some of the nobles returned to Delhi while others perished enroute. Although the experiment failed miserably, it led to the commingling of Hindu and Islamic cultures.  Islam hitherto restricted to North India, penetrated into Deccan and South India. The exodus of muslim theologians, sufi saints, military officers, nobles and landed gentry to Deccan led to the establishment of Bahmani Kingdom in 1347. Secondly, the commingling of Persian and Hindavi gave rise to a new language called Urdu. While Hindavi provided sub structure (base), the Persian provided super structure (Persian Vocabulary) to Urdu. In later years, Urdu proliferated to North India. And it is now the lingua franca of Pakistan. While in the states of UP,Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi and Telangana, it is the additional official language. 

3. Introduction of token currency - The Sultan introduced token currency in the sultanate. Thus, the face value of a copper coin was put at par with a silver coin. In modern times, almost all countries have adopted token currency. But in those days it was very new for the people in the sultanate. It is suggested that the Sultan took this measure because there was paucity of silver metal. Earlier, the Chinese emperors and Kublai Khan had also experimented with token currency. But the token currency in India introduced by Mohammad Tughlaq failed miserably because the Sultanate did not take sufficient measures to check the counterfeiting of coins. The administration failed to stop the imitation of token currency. People started hoarding gold and silver and paying taxes in counterfeiting currency. This led to the decline of trade and commerce and the overall economy of the sultanate. The sultan was forced to withdraw token currency. He ordered the genuine token currency of copper to be exchanged by silver coins. This experiment further put a heavy burden upon the exchequer of the sultanate.

4. The sultan tried to curb the power and influence of Ulema who had controlled the religious and judiciary department. He ordered that the monopoly of Ulema must be dismantled and all those people who were meritorious should get access to the judiciary, religious and ecclesiastical department. This infuriated the Ulema, theologians and orthodox elements in the Sultanate and therefore, started lobbying against the Sultan. But when the sultanate witnessed a series of revolts in the second half of his reign, the sultan was forced to make compromises with the orthodox elements of the sultanate. He invited Giasuddin, a distant relative of Khalifa and bestowed upon him respect and huge gifts. Similarly, most of the Ulemas and their descendants were restored to their original positions in the judiciary, religious, educational and ecclesiastical department. 

5.Similarly, the Sultan expanded the base of nobility by recruiting not only foreign Muslims but also native Muslims. Hindus were also recruited in the nobility. Thus, instead of hereditary, the merit found utmost importance. The liberality of the Sultan was very much detested by the orthodox elements and foreign Muslims. The cohesiveness of the nobility was completely torn asunder. 

6.The Sultan embarked upon agrarian reforms in Doab. An agricultural department called Diwan-e-Kohi was established to help farmers with Taqavi loans, seeds and implements. But because of the sudden outbreak of famine in Doab, the agrarian reform failed miserably. Moreover, the land was not measured before fixing the land revenue as was done by Allauddin Khilji. The land revenue was fixed as high as half of the produce. The outcome was that most of the farmers abandoned farming and fled to the jungles. 

7. The Sultan recruited 3 lakh 70 thousand soldiers and paid them a salary of one year in advance. The purpose was to capture Khurasan in central Asia. But on account of the changing scenario in central Asia, the project was shelved. This caused a heavy economic burden on the exchequer. Similarly, the expedition to Qarajal, situated in the foothills of Himalayas, proved a disaster. Almost all 10,000 soldiers perished in the hilly terrain.

8. The Sultan failed to check on revolt one after another revolt in his vast sultanate. Thus, Bengal liberated itself from the sultanate. In South India, Harihar and Bukka established Vijay Nagar kingdom in 1336. In Deccan, Hasan Gangu, a foreign Muslim, established independent Bahamani Kingdom in 1347. In Rajputana, Hamir Dev declared independence and defeated the sultanate army at Sugoli in 1336. Thus, in the second half of his reign, the Sultan kept on quelling one revolt after another revolt and died at Thatta in 1351 while subduing the revolt in Sindh. 

9. To conclude, several historians like Elphinstone and  V A Smith accused Mohammad Tughlaq of insanity or a mixture of opposites but this is not true. Most of his experiments were ahead of his time. Moreover, they lacked the force of proper implementation. The Sultan was in haste and was hot headed. He left most of his experiments in the middle without going for a final conclusion. Moreover, he lacked a sense of proportion so much so that he could not discriminate between the serious and trivial crime and so awarded harsh punishment disproportionate to the gravity of the crime. The nobility, the Ulema, the regional warlords, the foreign Muslims were always in the lookout to undermine the position of Sultan. These were the reasons for the failure of Sultan Mohammad Tughlaq.  However, the credit goes to the Sultan that he valiantly fought against Mongols and defeated them. In spite of so many revolts, the sultanate was saved from crumbling. 

Achievements in Science and Technology in Ancient India

Why is it in the news?

1.The noted historian William Dalrymple wrote the “Golden Road : How Ancient India Transformed the World?”. The book was published earlier this year, which gives the complete idea as to how India was everything that happened in the ancient world right up to the early stages of the rise of Islam. 

2.According to him, India, not China, was at the heart of ancient commerce. It was the bristling maritime trade between India and the rest of the world which boosted international trade. That India was indeed a maritime power touching Egyptian ports to the West and Indonesia and the rest of SouthEast Asia to its East. The outcome of this association was the construction  of the largest Hindu Temple complex at Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Borobudur, the world’s largest Buddhist shrine in Indonesia. 

3. Through the ages scholars, kings, caliph, emperors across the world from China to Western and Central Asia admired India as the principal knowledge hub even after the advent of Islam. India’s rich mathematical and astronomical tradition continued to dazzle the world. The Chinese emperors gave shelter to Indian mathematicians, astronomers, and scholars in their courts. 

4.The Historian William Dalrymple, brought out how ancient India was as great and as dynamic civilisation as China was at a time when the west was hardly in reckoning. According to him, Indians made astonishing advances in science and technology in ancient India. 

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Achievements in Science and Technology in ancient India

1.Ancient Indians made three important contributions. These are the notation system, the decimal system and the use of zero. The notational system was adopted by the Arab who spread it to the western world. The decimal system was borrowed by the Chinese from Buddhist missionaries. Similarly, Indians invented Algebra which was acquired by Arabs and spread to the western Europe. Brahmagupta and Bhaskaracharya further contributed in the development of Algebra and trigonometry. 

2. Zero was discovered by Indians in about the 2nd century BC. It was considered a separate numeral. The Arabs learnt the use of zero and then spread it to Europe. 

3. Aryabhatt calculated the positions of the planets. He discovered the cause of the solar and lunar eclipses. He measured the circumference of the Earth. He said that the Earth rotates around the Sun rather than vice-versa. He wrote Aryabhatiya. 

4. In the book Brihat Samhita, Varahmihir said that the Moon rotated around the Earth and Earth rotated around the Sun. 

5. In the field of medicine, Sushruta and Charak were prominent surgeons and physicians respectively. While Sushruta in his book Sushruta Samhita gives detailed description about the method of operating cataract, stoned diseases and many implements to be used for surgery, the Charak Samhita discusses various types of diseases and prescribes medicines for their cure. 

6. The drainage system and town planning adopted by the Harappans clearly show that they had knowledge of measurement and geometry. Sulba Sutras provides early examples of geometry. It provides precise methods to construct altars. Aryabhatt formulated a method for calculating the area of a triangle which led to the origin of trigonometry. The ancient Indians developed temple building engineering. The marvellous Ellora temples and Kailashnath temple which have been carved out from the single rock is an example of extraordinary engineering feat. 

7. The Lokayat philosophy provided by the Charvak argued that what is not experienced by man through his sensory organ does not really exist. Thus, he repudiated the existence of god. Similarly, philosophy of Sankhya was propounded by Kapil Muni. According to him, the soul can get liberation only through real knowledge which can be acquired through perception, inference and hearing. 

8. Indians developed the art of dyeing, the lasting colour is found in the paintings of Ajanta. 

9.Indians developed great expertise in the art of making steel. The iron pillar at Mehrauli (Delhi) did not rust even after the lapse of 1600 years. 

10.Kanad Rishi devises the atomic theory. He speculated about the existence of small indestructible particles much like an atom. He further held that atoms of the same substance combined with each other in a specific and synchronous manner  produced dviyanuka (diatomic molecules) and tryanuka (Triatomic molecules). 

11. India was the first to smelt zinc by the distillation process. This led to the making of bronze alloy by the mixing of tin with zinc. 

Decline of Science and Technology in India 

The science and technology declined after the onset of Muslim rule in India. The Sultanate period and thereafter, the Mughal period saw the growth of orthodox elements in the society. The Muslim religious leaders like Ulema, Mullah and Maulavi increased religiosity in the society. Among Hindus, the Bhakti movement took its root. The religious leaders like Ramanuja, Madhavacharya, Vallabhacharya, Nanak, Kabir, Tulsidas, Surdas, Mirabai spread the Bhakti cult in India. Thus, the ecosystem of science and technology was relegated to the background. Religious orthodoxy took precedence over logic and scientific temper. Moreover, the progressive and learned Brahamanas were denied privileges like land grants during the Muslim rule and so their creativity was stifled. The status of education further deteriorated during the period. And thus, India lagged behind in science and technology in the mediaeval period.  It was only after the second half of the British rule that science and scientific studies were given importance. Thus, the scientists like J C Bose, C V Raman, Homi Jehangir Bhabha,  Srinivasa Ramanujan, Vikram Sarabhai, Satyendra Nath Bose and Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar were produced in India who made marks in the field of science and technology. 

Powers and Functions of the Speaker of Lok Sabha.

 

Why is it in the news ?

1.After the general election, there is a provision to elect a member of Lok Sabha as the Speaker from amongst its members. The election of the Speaker is scheduled on 26th June 2024. Before the election of the Speaker, Bhartruhari Mehtab was appointed as pro-tem speaker by the President of India.  His function would be to administer oath/ affirmation to the newly elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha and to conduct the election of new Speaker. 

2.Although there is no provision of the pro-tem Speaker in the constitution, the handbook on the working on Parliamentary affairs mentions appointment and swearing-in of pro-tem Speaker. By convention, it is the senior most MP who has served maximum terms in the Lok Sabha should be appointed as the pro-tem Speaker. Congress objected to the appointment of Mr. Mehtab who is the seven time member of Lok Sabha. While K. Suresh from the Congress is the eighth time member of Lok Sabha.  Congress alleges that the convention of appointing MP with maximum terms in Lok Sabha has been thus broken. 

Election of the Speaker - 

1.According to article 93, Lok Sabha chooses Speaker and Deputy Speaker from among its members. All the Speakers in the independent India have been elected unopposed. 

2.The Speaker is elected by the members of the Lok Sabha by simple majority. He can be removed by the effective majority of members of the Lok Sabha, present and voting. This means that according to article 92 of the constitution, the Speaker can be removed by an effective majority +1. Effective majority means total strength minus vacancies. For example, if the Lok Sabha has a total strength of 550 members and if there are 7 vacancies, the effective strength would be 543 members. In order to remove the Speaker 271+1 = 272 members must vote against him. But prior to moving the resolution for the removal of the Speaker, a 14 days advance notice must be issued to him to this effect. Normally, a ruling party member is elected as Speaker. But during the period of coalition government, a member from other parties can also be elected as the Speaker. 

3.The Speaker can also be removed on being disqualified from being a Lok Sabha member under section 7 and 8 of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951. 

4.He can also tender his resignation on his own to the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha. 

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Power and Functions of the Speaker-

1.He enforces discipline and decorum in the House. 

2.He decides the agenda for Parliamentary meetings.

3.He permits motions such as adjournments, no confidence and censure. 

4.He ensures quorum (the presence of 1/10th members of the House) of the House. If quorum is not available, he adjourns the House.

5.He has the power to punish members who indulge in unruly behaviours. 

6.He constitutes several committees like business advisory committee, rules committee and general purpose committee and these committees work under his supervision. 

7.He is the guardian of the rights and privileges of the House, its committees and members. It is his sole privilege to refer a question of the breach of privilege to the Committee of Privilege for proper inquiry and report. 

8.The Speaker is the head of the Lok Sabha Secretariat. He manages the administrative and security arrangements of the Parliament complex. 

9. He is the sole authority to decide whether a bill is a money bill or not. 

10.In case of deadlock between two Houses in respect of ordinary bills, he is empowered to preside over the joint sitting of Parliament under article 108 of our constitution. 

11.In the case of Kihoto Hollohan vs Zachilhu, 1993, the Supreme Court of India held that the decision of the presiding officer is not final and is subject to judicial review on the basis of malafide and perversity. 

12.In Nabam Rabia vs Deputy Speaker case,2016, the Supreme Court of India held that the Speaker will be disabled from deciding disqualification petition under anti defection law, if notice for his removal is pending. 

13. Similarly, in 2023, the Supreme Court in Subhash Desai vs Principal Secretary, Governor of Maharashtra case, 2023, directed the Maharashtra assembly Speaker to set a timeline for the disqualification of the MLAs. 

14. Similarly, in 1994, the Supreme Court of India held that a majority can be tested only on the floor of assembly and not otherwise. 

Speakers of Lok Sabha 1.G V Mavlankar - 15 May 1952 to 27th February 1956. 2.M A Ayyangar - 8th March 1956 to 10th May 1957, 11th May 1957 to 16th April 1962. 3.Sardar Hukam Singh - 17th April 1962 to 16th March 1967 4.Neelam Sanjiv Reddy - 17th March 1967 to 19th  July 1969 5.Gurdayal Singh Dhillon - 8th August 1969 to 19th March 1971, 22nd March 1971 to 1st December 1975. 6.Baliram Bhagat - 15th January 1976 to 25th March 1977. 7.Neelam Sanjiva Reddy - 26th March 1977 to 13th July 1977. 8. K S Hegde - 21st July 1977 to 21st January 1980. 9.Balram Jakhar - 22nd January 1980 to 15th January 1985, 16th January 1985 to 18th December 1989. 10.Ravi Rai - 19th December 1989 to 9th July 1991. 11.Shivraj Patil - 10th July 1991 to 22nd May 1996. 12.P A Sangma - 23rd May 1996 to 23rd March 1998. 13.GMC Balayogi - 18th March 1998 to 19th October 1999, 22nd October 1999 to 3rd March 2002. 14.Manohar Joshi - 10th May 2002 to 2nd June 2004. 15.Somnath Chatterji - 4th June 2004 to 30th May 2009.  16. Mira Kumar - 30th May 2009 to 4th June 2014. 17. Sumitra Mahajan - 6th June 2014 to 16th June 2019. 18.Om Birla - 18th June 2019 to till date.

Important issues associated with the office of the Speaker  -

1.It is alleged that the Speaker favours his party men in Lok Sabha. 

2.He misuses discretionary powers while deciding money bills and political defections.

3.He is also criticised for restricting debates and discussions to favour the ruling party. 

4.He is also charged with putting party interest above national interest. 

5.He is also accused of adopting the tactics of gerrymandering to favour  the ruling party by putting bills on vote without discussion in the Parliament. 

6.He is also accused of putting a bill on vote without sending it to the select committee for proper discussion and deliberation by the opposition parties. For example, three farm laws were passed by the Lok Sabha in hurry and when the farmers agitated for one year long, the Government had to withdraw the bill. 

The Independence and impartiality of the Speaker -

1.Our constitution has secured the independence and impartiality of the Speaker by giving him a security of tenure. This means that the resolution for his removal can be moved in the Lok Sabha only after the support of 50 members and a 14 days advance notice to this effect. 

2.Secondly, his salaries and allowances are charged upon the consolidated fund of India and are therefore, non votable in the Parliament. 

3.His powers to regulate the procedure of conducting business in the Lok Sabha cannot be subject to judicial review. 

4.He cannot vote in the Lok Sabha but in case of tie, he has the right to cast his vote. 

5.In the order of precedence, he is placed at the sixth rank along with the chief justice of India and is thus above cabinet ministers except the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister.

Way Forward

1.The Speaker is a bridge between the government and the opposition. He is duty bound to uphold democratic process by ensuring adequate space both to the ruling party and the opposition parties. Once elected as the Speaker, he should resign his parent party and should work as neutral referee in the House like the Speaker of the House of the commons in Britain. In matters relating to disqualification of a member from the House under the anti-defection law (under tenth schedule) and in deciding a particular bill as a money bill, he should show non- partisanship. 

2.It is his primary duty that bills introduced by the Government must be adequately discussed in the House so that there should not be any lacunae left. And therefore, the bills should be referred to the select committee for proper deliberation. But this trend has been reversed in the previous Lok Sabha. The numbers of referred bills to select committees have declined from 71% during 2009-14 to 16% during 2019-24. 

3.The Speaker should also refrain from suspending large scale MPs. In the 17th Lok Sabha, the Speaker suspended more than 150 MPs. This is not a good sign of healthy democracy. After all, democracy is a government of deliberations and discussions. 

Conclusion

1.Parliamentary debates and deliberations are guided by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. 

2.He should set the highest standard in public life by working in a non-partisan way. 

3. Since he is one of the pillars of parliamentary democracy in India, he should be above party politics and should strengthen the democratic process in India.  

Social Changes in Mughal Period (1526-1740 AD)

 

Introduction

1. Babur established the Mughal dynasty in 1526 AD by defeating Ibrahim Lodhi in the first battle of Panipat and also defeated Rana Sangha, Medini Rai, and Afghans.

2. The Mughal dynasty continued till 1857 but its effectiveness declined after 1740 AD.

3. During the Mughal period almost all parts of India up to Hindu Kush mountain was integrated.

4. The growth of Political integration was paralleled by cultural integration. 

5. Indian society developed a more or less unified culture despite differences in race, religion, and language. 

6. The period was also marked by economic development and growth. Trade and manufacturing expanded. There was expansion and improvement in cultivation. 

7. The 17th century witnessed great strides in Gujarat, Coromandel coast and Bengal.

Mutual harmony and toleration

1. During this period because of the Bhakti and Sufi movement, gradual understanding of fundamental tenets of Hinduism and Islam developed.

2. Bhakti saints laid emphasis on true faith rather than to formal observance. 

3. There was a setback to the growth of rational sciences. Similarly, India lagged behind in the development of the navy. Watch Full Video In Hindi On Youtube By Clicking On The Icon🔻

Social changes 

1. Caste continued to dominate. 

2. The Bhakti movement and Nath Panthi yogis could hardly make a dent in it.

3. Brahmins continued to claim privileged positions for themselves including the exclusive right to preach and educate.

4. Brahmins acquiesced in the advocacy of path of devotion as a way of salvation of all castes specially for Shudras.

5. Position of women worsened. 

6. There was no right to Hindu women for remarriage or share in their father’s property while muslim women could inherit property of their father. The Hindu women could claim only stree dhan (wedding gifts) from their parents. 

7. The ruling class remained strongly aristocratic in character.

8. There was less opportunities for people of lower classes to go on the higher scale. 

9. Because of the less opportunities of war, now the Rajput caste started giving primacy over descent instead of military achievement. The open ended Rajput caste became closed. 

10. During this period, a large number of tribals were Hinduised. 

An unequal society

1. Almost all foreign accounts tell us that India was rich and wealthy. Its ruling class led an ostentatious lifestyle while the ordinary people like peasants, artisans and labourers were suffering from acute poverty.

2. Peasants and lower classes had no sufficient clothes to cover their bodies,

3. Common People went on bare footed.

4. The ruling class consisted of the emperor and his scions, kings, nobility  and zamindars. They were a privileged class. 

5. Mughal nobles were drawn from central Asia, Iran, Khurasan and Afghanistan

6. During the period of Akbar, Hindu nobility formed 16% while during the period of Aurangzeb, Hindus nobility constituted 33%. 

7. Muslim and Hindu nobles kept a large number of women in their Harem. 

8. Polygamy became common among nobility and zamindars. 

9. The Mughal nobility constituted a composite ruling class representing different regions and religions. There were two kinds of nobles in the Mughal court - foreigners and indigenous.  Among the foreign nobles they were divided into Irani who were drawn from Iran and Turani who were drawn from central Asia. Among Hindu nobles, Rajputs of northern India and Marathas of Deccan constituted two important powerful groups in the Mughal court. 

10. Rapid growth in the number of nobility during the 17th century led to the crisis of the jagirdari system. 

11. The rural areas were dominated by zamindars. 

12. In addition to their own zamindari, they had the right to collect land revenue and the commission for collecting taxes  went up to 25%.

13. Peasants had hereditary rights in land and they could not be dispossessed from land as long as they paid the land revenue. 

14. So, peasants and zamindars had their own hereditary rights in lands. 

15. There were also numerous Rajas or kings who had accepted the sovereignty of Mughals in lieu of a fixed amount of annual homage to the Mughal emperor .

16. These Rajas or kings collected land revenue in their areas and had sufficient internal autonomy.

Middle class 

1. Because of the relative peace during the Mughal period, India had large number of rich traders and merchants. 

2. In addition, small Mansabdars, shop keepers, professionals like Hakim, musicians, artists, historians, scholars, Qazis, theologians, government officers formed the middle class.

3. The religious divines, scholars were granted small tracts of land for their maintenance and these grants were called Madad-e-mass. These land grants were often hereditary while the government officers were paid in cash.

Policy of Akbar

1. Mughal period saw harmonisation of relationship between Hindus and Muslims. 

2. Akbar abolished Jizya, pilgrimage tax, ban on prisoners of war to convert into Islam.

3. The Sati system was abolished by Akbar but with little success. 

4. Ban on child marriages but with no tangible results.

5. The policy of Sulah-Kul (conciliation to all) proved beneficial to the Hindu-Muslim unity.

6. Rajput policy further strengthened the harmony between Hindu and Muslim.

7. Rajput leaders became the solid rock behind the Mughal empire.

Policy of Aurangzeb

1. He re-imposed Jizya, toll tax, converted prisoners of wars into Islam  and destroyed many temples.

2. He gave rebates to Muslim traders in custom duties. While the Muslim traders were charged only 2.5 % custom duties, the Hindu traders were charged 5% on merchandise.

3. He annexed the Shia state of Bijapur and Golconda. 

4. He fought against Shivaji and was reluctant to give Marathas the local autonomy or watan (homeland).

5. He got killed Sambhaji, which led to the recurrent revolts among Marathas against Mughals. 

6. He suppressed Jat and Satnami revolts.  

7. He got killed Guru Teg Bahadur and four sons of Guru Govind Singh, and thereby alienated Sikhs from Mughals.

8. He Reversed the Rajput Policy of Akbar. And this was one of the reasons for the alienation of Hindus from the Mughals. 

Conclusion

1. The Mughal period saw harmony among Hindus and Muslims. But during the reign of Aurangzeb, this harmony was disrupted. 

2. India was the biggest economy of the world in 1700 AD but the society was very much unequal .

3. While the zamindars and nobles led the life of luxuries, common people eked out their livelihood with great difficulties.

4. In most of the cases, they could not earn more than Rs.5 per month. 

5. Overall, the society was peaceful and harmonious. 

6. Mughals did not face large scale revolts like during the sultanate period before the reign of Aurangzeb.

7. The reign of Aurangzeb saw large number of revolts by Marathas, Rajputs, Sikhs, Afghans, Satnamis. 

8. The disharmony created by fanatic Aurangzeb led to the downfall of the Mughal empire and in 1739 by the attack of Nadir Shah, the Mughals were exposed to the world.

9. While the trade and manufactures continued to expand during the 18th century, in spite of the downfall of the Mughal Empire, it remained backward not only in the field of science and the technology but in size also. The craftsmen used simple tools and therefore. their efficiency remained low. Because of the concentration of wealth among zamindars, nobles and the emperors, the artisans and craftsmen could not become entrepreneurs like in Europe. The domestic market was limited and artisans and craftsmen had to be dependent upon merchants and traders.  Secondly, the skill of Indian artisans and availability in abundance inhibited efforts to develop and apply machine power to productive enterprises.  This resulted in low productivity. 

10. The Mughal period heralded cultural integration in India. They developed a unified culture despite differences in race, religion, ethnicity and language. This unified culture was reflected in an outburst of creative activity. However, this integrated culture came under pressure on account of attacks from the orthodox elements of Hinduism and Islam. On the whole, this cultural unity between Hindus and Muslims continued till the 19th century when people of both religious groups fought against British rule in the 1857 Revolt.