Some historians suggest that one group played a major role in the slow acceptance of Islam among agricultural communities emerging in newly colonised places in Mughal India. Identify this group.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Sufi saints (pirs)
Option (1) Ulama at the imperial court — Incorrect. The ulama were scholars of Islamic law, mostly attached to courts and cities. The slow spread of Islam in newly colonised places is linked to the sufi saints.
Option (2) Qazis appointed by the state — Incorrect. Qazis were judges appointed by the state to settle disputes. They gave legal rulings and did not carry new cultural influences into forest areas.
Option (3) Sufi saints (pirs) — Correct. Historians link the slow acceptance of Islam among farming communities in newly colonised places to the sufi saints (pirs). They brought new cultural influences into forested zones.
Option (4) Mansabdars posted to frontier areas — Incorrect. Mansabdars were nobles holding ranks in Mughal service. They carried the power of the state into new areas.
NCERT (2026-27): “4.2 Inroads into forests … |