BHIC-109 Question Paper December 2025, IGNOU History of India-V (c. 1550-1605 C.E.)

BHIC 109 Question Paper December 2025 is the sharpest practice set for History of India-V. It shows how IGNOU frames the Mughal theory of sovereignty, the Mansab system, land revenue administration and life under Akbar. If your exam is in 2026, this is where your preparation should start.

What is the BHIC-109 December 2025 Question Paper?

The BHIC 109 December 2025 question paper is the official IGNOU Term-End Examination paper for History of India-V, covering the Mughal period c. 1550 to 1605 under Akbar. It is set for 100 marks across a 3 hour duration.

The paper holds eight questions split over two sections. You attempt any five, taking at least two from each section, with every question worth 20 marks. The range runs from the Mughal theory of sovereignty and the Mansab system to land revenue administration, the political economy of Nayaka rule, the village community and urban life under the Mughals.

About IGNOU BHIC-109 History of India-V

BHIC-109 is the Mughal-period course in the IGNOU Bachelor of Arts Honours History (BAHIH) programme. It studies the empire under Akbar between roughly 1550 and 1605, opening with the sources, including Indic literary traditions, used to understand the period, and the empire's diplomatic ties such as Mughal relations with Persia.

From there it builds the structures of the state. You cover the Mughal theory of sovereignty, the evolution and working of the Mansab system, and land revenue administration. The agrarian and social side is equally weighted: the village community and the various categories of peasants, the political economy and cultural developments under Nayaka rule, and urban life under the Mughals.

This page was prepared by Prateek Talwar and reviewed by the Unnati Educations academic team with history and social-science content reviewers. It is anchored to the IGNOU Term-End Examination, December 2025. Last updated June 2026.

BHIC-109 Question Paper December 2025 Exam Pattern and Marks

All Questions in the BHIC-109 December 2025 Paper

Topics Covered in the BHIC-109 Paper

• The importance of Indic literary traditions for understanding India under Akbar.
• Mughal diplomatic relations with Persia.
• The political economy and cultural developments under Nayaka rule.
• The Mughal theory of sovereignty.
• The evolution and working of the Mansab system.
• Land revenue administration under the Mughals.
• The village community under Mughal rule.
• The various categories of peasants.
• Urban life under the Mughals.

How to Use BHIC 109 Question Paper to Score in the 2026 Exam

Plan your spread before you write a word. The rule that at least two answers must come from each section is where careless students lose marks, so confirm you have two solid options in Section A (sovereignty, Persia, Nayaka, literary traditions) and two in Section B (Mansab, land revenue, peasants, urban life) before committing.

Mughal administration questions reward precision, not adjectives. For the Mansab system, name the dual ranks of zat and sawar and explain how they fixed status and military obligation. For land revenue, cite the zabt system and Todar Mal's reforms, and lean on a contemporary source like the Ain-i-Akbari for concrete weight. Most students notice that dated, institutional detail scores far better than generalities.

Across recent IGNOU December TEE papers, the Mansab system, land revenue and the theory of sovereignty recur often, so weight those three when time is tight.

Sample Answer Approach of BHIC 109 Question Paper (not a full answer)

Take Q5, the evolution and working of the Mansab system. Here is the shape of a 20-mark answer, not the answer itself.

Context: Open by placing the Mansab system at the core of Akbar's military and administrative organisation.

Points to cover: the origins and introduction of mansabs, the dual ranks of zat and sawar, the obligation to maintain a fixed contingent, the link between mansab and salary or jagir, and the later modifications and abuses.

Worked example: use the rank structure recorded in the Ain-i-Akbari as your concrete evidence.

Conclusion: a short line on how the system bound the nobility to the emperor.

Four or five institutional points with one source-based example is what earns the full twenty.

Frequently Asked Questions about the BHIC-109 Question Paper December 2025

Unnati Educations is an independent IGNOU study-resource platform that prepares previous-year papers, solved assignments and guess papers for student practice.

Disclaimer: Unnati Educations is an independent academic support service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or associated with the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). The original question paper is the property of IGNOU and is provided here only as a reference for student practice.

To revise more widely, browse the IGNOU previous year question papers archive for further Mughal-era sets, pair this with the matching BHIC-109 solved assignment to write the same themes out in full, and add the IGNOU guess paper set to anticipate likely 2026 questions. For the solved version or any quick doubt, message us on WhatsApp at 9899436384.