Which of the following statements about the Mughal Empire are correct?
(A) The name Mughal derives from Mongol.
(B) Mughals referred to themselves as Timurids, as they were the descendants of Timur.
(C) However, Babur was related to Ghenghiz Khan from his father's side.
(D) The name Mowgli in Rudyard Kipling's jungle book is also derived from the term Mughal.
(E) Sher Shah Suri defeated Babur and drove him out of India.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → (A), (B), (D) Only
(A) The name Mughal derives from Mongol. Correct. The name Mughal derives from Mongol, though it was not the name the rulers of the dynasty chose for themselves.
(B) Mughals referred to themselves as Timurids, as they were the descendants of Timur. Correct. They called themselves Timurids, as descendants of the Turkish ruler Timur on the paternal side.
(C) However, Babur was related to Ghenghiz Khan from his father’s side. Incorrect. Babur was related to Ghenghiz Khan from his mother’s side; it was Timur to whom the family traced its descent on the father’s side.
(D) The name Mowgli in Rudyard Kipling’s jungle book is also derived from the term Mughal. Correct. Over the centuries the word Mughal has been used often – even the name Mowgli, the young hero of Kipling’s Jungle Book, is derived from it.
(E) Sher Shah Suri defeated Babur and drove him out of India. Incorrect. Babur founded the empire and was not driven out. It was his successor, Humayun, who lost the empire to the Afghan leader Sher Shah Sur, who drove him into exile; Humayun took refuge at the court of the Safavid ruler of Iran.
Note: This question is taken from the chapter ‘Kings and Chronicles’ which was there in the pre-rationalised NCERT and has been deleted from subsequent editions of NCERT, including the NCERT book (2026-27).
NCERT (Pre-rationalised): “1. The Mughals and Their Empire … The name Mughal derives from Mongol. Though today the term evokes the grandeur of an empire, it was not the name the rulers of the dynasty chose for themselves. They referred to themselves as Timurids, as descendants of the Turkish ruler Timur on the paternal side. Babur, the first Mughal ruler, was related to Ghenghiz Khan from his mother’s side. He spoke Turkish and referred derisively to the Mongols as barbaric hordes. During the sixteenth century, Europeans used the term Mughal to describe the Indian rulers of this branch of the family. Over the past centuries the word has been frequently used – even the name Mowgli, the young hero of Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book, is derived from it.… 1. The Mughals and Their Empire … His successor, Nasiruddin Humayun (1530-40, 1555-56) expanded the frontiers of the empire, but lost it to the Afghan leader Sher Shah Sur, who drove him into exile. Humayun took refuge in the court of the Safavid ruler of Iran.…” |