Q. Which of the following statements is correct regarding the assertion of independence by Burhan-ul-Mulk Sa’adat Khan, the founder of the autonomous kingdom of Awadh?

[A] He was originally a prominent Maratha Sardar who was granted the S뻚r post of Awadh by Peshwa Baji Rao I.

[B] He stabilized the Awadh administration by suppressing the local Chieftains and Zamindars and introducing a new revenue system known as the Ijaradari (revenue farming).

[C] He entered into a defensive alliance with the Mughal Emperor to resist the invasion of Nadir Shah.

[D] He shifted the capital of Awadh from Lucknow to Faizabad.

Answer: B
Notes:

Explanation:

  • (b) Correct. Sa’adat Khan (Burhan-ul-Mulk) faced immediate resistance from the local chieftains and Zamindars in Awadh. He adopted a firm policy to subdue them and implemented the Ijaradari system (revenue farming), often giving contracts to the highest bidders, which, though lucrative, exploited the peasantry.
  • (a) Incorrect. He was a Mughal noble of Persian origin.
  • (c) Incorrect. Sa’adat Khan was summoned to Delhi to help counter Nadir Shah but ultimately committed suicide after being humiliated by Nadir Shah.
  • (d) Incorrect. Faizabad was developed by Sa’adat Khan, but the eventual capital shift to Lucknow was done by subsequent Nawabs like Asaf-ud-Daula.
Blog
Academy
Community