The name 'Mowgli' in Rudyard Kipling's 'Jungle Book' is derived from which term?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Mughal
The name Mowgli, the young hero of Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book, is derived from the word Mughal, which Europeans used from the sixteenth century for the Indian rulers of this dynasty.
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.…” |