UPSC Prelims 2021 Q48: Arcot, Mysore, Rohilkhand Origins — Explained
With reference to Indian history, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. The Nizamat of Arcot emerged out of Hyderabad State.
2. The Mysore Kingdom emerged out of Vijayanagara Empire.
3. Rohilkhand Kingdom was formed out of the territories occupied by Ahmad Shah Durrani.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- 1 and 2
- 2 only
- 2 and 3
- 3 only
Answer: (b) 2 only
Statement-wise explanation
- 1: incorrect — Aurangzeb created the Carnatic post in 1692, when he made Zulfiqar Khan the first Mughal subahdar of the Carnatic. Around 1710 Saadatullah Khan moved the seat from Gingee to Arcot. Nizam-ul-Mulk set up Hyderabad as an autonomous state only in 1724, so the Arcot office is older than Hyderabad State. The Nizam claimed authority over the Carnatic, but his control was weak and the nawabship became hereditary. Arcot did not emerge out of Hyderabad.
- 2: correct — The Wadiyars ruled the Mysore area from 1399 and were feudatories of the Vijayanagara Empire. After Vijayanagara declined, Raja Wadiyar took Srirangapatna from the Vijayanagara viceroy in 1610 and made Mysore an independent kingdom. Mysore is a standard example of a kingdom that grew out of Vijayanagara.
- 3: incorrect — Rohilkhand (earlier called Katehr) was set up by Afghan Rohillas under Ali Muhammad Khan, inside Mughal territory, during Mughal decline. Emperor Muhammad Shah recognised him as governor around 1740. Ahmad Shah Durrani's first invasion of 1748 only gave Ali Muhammad the chance to return and rule almost independently. The kingdom was carved out of Mughal lands, not out of territory Durrani had occupied.
How to eliminate
Statement 2 is basic knowledge: the Wadiyars of Mysore were Vijayanagara feudatories. Every option except (d) includes it, so (d) is unlikely. To choose between '2 only', '1 and 2' and '2 and 3', you need two dates or facts. First, the Carnatic office dates from 1692, under Aurangzeb, which is older than Hyderabad State (1724). Second, the Rohillas were Afghans who carved Rohilkhand out of Mughal territory, and Durrani's 1748 invasion only helped them. A useful check: Durrani raided northern India but never held or handed out land as far east as the Rohilla country. Learn the founding dates of the 18th-century successor states. Most traps in this question type rest on putting events in the wrong order.
Know more
Successor states of the 18th century
After Aurangzeb died in 1707, Mughal power weakened. Three kinds of regional state followed.
- Successor states. Mughal governors who became hereditary rulers but still nominally obeyed the emperor: Hyderabad, Bengal, Awadh, and Arcot (Carnatic).
- Rebel or independent states. Groups that rose against the Mughals: Marathas, Sikhs, Jats, and the Afghan Rohillas.
- Older kingdoms that became independent. Rulers who were vassals of an earlier empire: Mysore under Vijayanagara, and the Rajput states under the Mughals.
| State | Founder / key figure | Origin | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyderabad | Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah | Mughal Deccan subahdar becomes autonomous | 1724 |
| Carnatic (Arcot) | Zulfiqar Khan; Saadatullah Khan | Mughal Carnatic office; nominally under the Deccan subah | 1692; c.1710 |
| Bengal | Murshid Quli Khan | Mughal diwan/subahdar | 1717 |
| Awadh | Saadat Khan Burhan-ul-Mulk | Mughal subahdar | 1722 |
| Mysore | Wadiyars; later Haidar Ali | Vijayanagara feudatory | 1399; independent from 1610 |
| Rohilkhand | Ali Muhammad Khan | Afghan settlers in Katehr, under Mughal decline | 1740s |
Later events to link:
- Arcot: the Arcot nawabship was at the centre of the Anglo-French Carnatic Wars (1746–63).
- Mysore: under Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan, Mysore fought four Anglo-Mysore Wars (1767–99). After Tipu fell in 1799, the British restored the Wadiyars.
- Rohilkhand: the Nawab of Awadh, helped by East India Company troops under Warren Hastings, defeated the Rohillas in the Rohilla War of 1774. The war later became one of the charges in Hastings's impeachment.
NCERT Concepts to Revise
- Carnatic wars: The Arcot nawabship fought over in these wars is the state Statement 1 asks about; its origin decides that statement.
- Anglo-Mysore wars: These wars involved the Mysore kingdom of Statement 2, after Haidar Ali took power from the Wadiyars.
- Subah: Carnatic, Deccan and Rohilkhand all began as Mughal provinces; knowing what a subah was helps place each state's origin.