Police
According to NCERT, instead of primogeniture, the Mughals followed which custom of inheritance, by which the inheritance was divided among all the sons?
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option D — Coparcenary inheritance
Detailed Solution
The Mughals followed the custom of coparcenary inheritance, under which the inheritance (property, territory or claim to rule) was divided among all the sons, rather than going only to the eldest son.
NCERT on Mughal succession:
- NCERT notes that the Mughals did not believe in the rule of primogeniture, where the eldest son inherited his father's estate.
- Instead, they followed the Mughal and Timurid custom of coparcenary inheritance, or a division of the inheritance amongst all the sons.
What this meant in practice:
- All the sons of an emperor could claim a share of the empire or the throne.
- Since the empire could not be divided indefinitely, this often led to conflicts and wars of succession among the princes.
Examples:
- After Babur's death, his territories were shared among his sons, with Humayun as emperor.
- Jahangir faced the rebellion of his son Khusrau, and later of Prince Khurram.
- Shah Jahan's sons fought a long war of succession (1657-1659), which Aurangzeb won.
- After Aurangzeb's death, his sons again fought for the throne.
Other terms:
- "Primogeniture": the right of the eldest son to inherit everything; it was followed by the British monarchy and many European states.
- "Ultimogeniture": the right of the youngest son to inherit.
- "Matrilineal inheritance": inheritance through the female line, found among some communities in India, such as the Nairs of Kerala (marumakkattayam) and the Khasis and Garos of Meghalaya.
"Coparcenary" in Hindu law:
- In Hindu law (Mitakshara), a "coparcenary" is a group of persons who have a joint right by birth in family property.
- The Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005, gave daughters the same rights as sons as coparceners.
Effects on the Mughal empire:
- The lack of a fixed rule of succession often led to instability, wars and the weakening of the empire.
- However, it also meant that the most capable prince often became emperor.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Primogeniture was not followed by the Mughals.
- ✗Ultimogeniture and matrilineal inheritance were not their custom.
Quick tip
Remember: Mughals = coparcenary inheritance (division among all sons; NCERT), not primogeniture; this led to wars of succession (e.g., 1657-1659).
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Mughal Empire Questions
View all ›- Q1.The Mansabdari system was introduced by:
- Q2.The Red Fort (Lal Qila) and the Jama Masjid in Delhi were built by:
- Q3.The Second Battle of Panipat between Akbar and Hemu was fought in:
- Q4.The British established their first factory in India at Surat in 1613 with the permission of:
- Q5.Who was the last Mughal emperor of India?
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
Mughal Empire — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Mughal Empire, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
The Mughal Empire was founded by Babur in 1526 and reached its height under Akbar. This topic covers the Mughal emperors from Babur to Aurangzeb and the later Mughals, the Sur interlude under Sher Shah Suri, Mughal administration (the mansabdari and jagirdari systems), revenue systems, architecture, painting and literature. Common questions ask about important battles (Panipat, Khanwa, Haldighati), Akbar's policies such as Din-i-Ilahi and the abolition of the jizya, Sher Shah's reforms such as the rupiya coin and the Grand Trunk Road, and the builders of famous monuments. For example, Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort in Delhi. Practise the Mughal Empire questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.