BHIC 109 key facts: June 2026
- Course code: BHIC 109
- Subject: History of India-V (c. 1550-1605)
- Programme: Bachelor of Arts (Honours) History (BAHIH), Semester IV core course; also BA FYUP History Major (BAFHI)
- Credits: 6
- Themes and units: 6 themes, 18 units
- Maximum marks: 100 (term-end exam 70 per cent, assignments 30 per cent)
- Duration: 3 hours
- Questions in the June 2026 paper: 8 printed questions, 14 answerable items (6 essays + 8 short-note options); attempt any 5, at least 2 from each section
- Expected length: about 400 words per essay, 200 words per short note
- Samples shown on this page: 2 (Q2 and Q5); all 14 answers in the paid file
BHIC 109 Solved Question Paper June 2026 gives you exam-ready answers to the official IGNOU paper on Mughal India between 1550 and 1605, from land revenue and the mansab system to Akbar's religious policy and the Nayaka kingdoms. Two answers are open on this page; the full file comes on WhatsApp.
1. What the June 2026 Solved Paper Covers
BHIC 109 History of India-V is a six-credit core course of IGNOU's BA (Honours) History that studies how Akbar's empire was built, run and imagined.
The June 2026 paper tests that whole span. Section A asks about provincial and local administration, the Mughal land revenue system and agrarian relations in the medieval Deccan, plus short notes on Persian literary traditions, the Sur Interregnum, the mansab system and the Ibadat Khana.
Section B moves to ideas and culture: the historiographical perspectives on Akbar's religious policy, patronage of Indic literary traditions and the growth of urban centres, with short notes on Mughal mints, segmentary state theory, Timurid antecedents and the decline of the Nayaka kingdoms.
Our solved file answers all 14 items. If you also want to practise with older sessions, our IGNOU Previous Year Question Paper collection holds the earlier BHIC 109 papers we used for the repeat analysis below.
2. Two Answers Solved in Full, Twelve Held Back
Below are 2 complete answers from the June 2026 paper, Q2 from Section A and Q5 from Section B.
We picked one economic and one historiographical question so you can see both kinds of writing the paper demands. Question numbers and wording are exactly as printed on the official paper.
The Mughal land revenue system
Question 2: Describe the Mughal land revenue system. (20)
Land revenue (mal) was the largest source of income for the Mughal state. It paid for the army, the court and the nobles, so the way it was fixed and collected shaped relations between the emperor, the zamindars and the peasants. The system took its classic form under Akbar between the 1560s and 1580.
- Early experiments. Akbar first used Sher Shah's rai, a schedule of crop rates fixing the state's share at one-third of average produce, converted into cash at court prices. One price list suited no region, so fresh revenue estimates (jama) were made in the late 1560s under Muzaffar Khan Turbati and Raja Todar Mal. In 1574-75 officers called karoris were placed over the crown lands to record actual yields.
- Zabt and the dahsala of 1580. In the 24th regnal year (1580) the ain-i-dahsala was introduced. Officials worked out the average produce and average prices of each crop for the previous ten years and fixed a cash rate per bigha for every crop, recorded in the dastur-ul-amal. Parganas of similar fertility were grouped into assessment circles called dasturs, each with its own rates. Land was measured with the gaz-i-Ilahi and a tanab of bamboo joined by iron rings, which did not shrink like the old hemp rope. Zabt applied mainly in the core northern provinces from Lahore to Allahabad and in Malwa.
- Classification of land. The Ain-i-Akbari divides land into four classes. Polaj was cultivated every year and paid full revenue. Parauti was left fallow for a year or two and paid when cropped. Chachar lay fallow for three or four years and banjar for five years or more; both paid concessional rates that rose year by year, which encouraged the extension of cultivation.
- Other methods of assessment. Crop sharing (ghalla-bakhshi or batai) divided the actual harvest, either on the standing crop (khet batai), on the cut crop (lang batai) or after threshing (rasi batai). Under kankut the yield was estimated from a measured or paced field. Nasaq fixed the demand on the basis of past assessments of a village or a cultivator.
- Officials and collection. The provincial diwan supervised revenue. Locally the amalguzar collected the demand, helped by the bitikchi (accounts) and the khazanadar (treasury). The qanungo kept pargana records, while the muqaddam (headman) and patwari (village accountant) dealt with cultivators. Zamindars who helped in collection received an allowance called nankar.
- Concern for the peasant. Revenue officers were told to issue a written deed (patta) to the peasant and take his acceptance (qabuliyat), to advance taqavi loans for seed and cattle, and to grant remission when crops failed. Revenue was usually paid in cash, which tied peasants closely to the grain market.
Conclusion. Akbar's system joined careful measurement, local price data and a clear chain of officials. It gave the state a predictable income and the peasant a known demand, though the share stayed heavy. Zabt guided Mughal revenue practice well into the 17th century.
Historiographical perspectives on Akbar's religious policy
Question 5: Examine the different historiographical perspectives on the religious policy of Akbar. (20)
Akbar's religious policy, from the remission of the pilgrim tax (1563) and the end of jizya (1564) to the mahzar of 1579 and the Tauhid-i-Ilahi of 1582, has been read in very different ways. Each school of historians brought its own sources and concerns, so the debate tells us as much about historians as about Akbar.
- Contemporary Mughal accounts. Abul Fazl's Akbarnama and Ain-i-Akbari present Akbar as a ruler lit by divine light (farr-i-izadi) and as the perfect man who stood above sects. For him sulh-i-kul, or peace with all, was the natural policy of a just king who protected every community. Abd al-Qadir Badauni, in the Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh, wrote as an orthodox critic and blamed courtiers such as Abul Fazl and Faizi for leading Akbar away from Islam. The Jesuits of the first mission of 1580, including Antonio Monserrate, at first hoped Akbar would convert and later described him as curious but unwilling to commit.
- Colonial interpretation. Vincent Smith, in Akbar the Great Mogul (1917), leaned heavily on Badauni and the Jesuit letters. He read Akbar's experiments as personal vanity and dismissed the Tauhid-i-Ilahi (Din-i-Ilahi) as a failed attempt to found a new religion.
- Nationalist and liberal writing. Indian historians of the early 20th century presented Akbar as a national king whose tolerance united Hindus and Muslims. Sri Ram Sharma's The Religious Policy of the Mughal Emperors (1940) praised his liberal outlook, and Makhanlal Roy Choudhury's The Din-i-Ilahi (1941) argued that it was a circle of personal discipleship, not a new faith.
- The orthodox critique. Historians such as I.H. Qureshi, in Ulema in Politics, saw the policy as a departure that weakened Islam and the ulema in India. This reading echoed Badauni and linked Akbar's reign to the later revivalist reaction associated with the Naqshbandi order.
- The Aligarh approach. Iqtidar Alam Khan tied the policy to politics. After the Uzbek and Mirza revolts of the 1560s, Akbar widened the ruling class by drawing in Iranis, Rajputs and Indian Muslims, and a broad religious outlook made this mixed nobility workable. M. Athar Ali and Irfan Habib treated sulh-i-kul as a considered ideology of the state, rational in outlook rather than a personal whim.
- Recent cultural readings. Muzaffar Alam traced sulh-i-kul to Persian ethical (akhlaq) writing on just rule. A. Azfar Moin, in The Millennial Sovereign (2012), placed Akbar's claims within Sufi ideas of sainthood and astrological hopes around the Islamic millennium of 1591-92, the same mood that produced the Tarikh-i-Alfi.
Conclusion. Taken together, these perspectives show a shift from judging Akbar's private faith to explaining his policy through politics, ideology and court culture. Most historians now treat sulh-i-kul as a principle of governance that held a diverse empire together, though they still differ on how far it came from belief and how far from statecraft.
3. Questions Answered Only in the Full File
These 12 items are printed below exactly as they appear in the June 2026 paper. Their answers are in the full file only.
Section A
Question 1: Discuss the nature of provincial and local administration under the Mughals. (20)
Question 3: Explain the agrarian relations in the medieval Deccan. (20)
Question 4: Write short notes on any two of the following in about 200 words each. (10 + 10)
(a) Persian literary traditions
(b) Sur Interregnum
(c) Mansab system
(d) Ibadat Khana
Section B
Question 6: How did the Indic literary traditions receive patronage during the 16th century? (20)
Question 7: Discuss the growth of urban centres in Mughal India. (20)
Question 8: Write short notes on any two of the following in about 200 words each. (10 + 10)
(a) Mughal mints
(b) Segmentary state theory
(c) Timurid antecedents of the Mughal Empire
(d) Decline of the Nayaka kingdoms
Each of these carries the same depth as the samples above, with dates, technical terms and named historians where the question calls for them.
4. Theme and Unit Syllabus
BHIC 109 is organised into six themes and 18 units, running from sources and historiography to literature and translations.
The official unit texts are open on the eGyanKosh BHIC 109 course page. The table shows what each unit covers so you can link every exam question to its unit.
| Theme | Unit | Key topics |
|---|---|---|
| Theme I: Sources and Historiography | Unit 1: Indo-Persian Histories and Persian Literary Traditions | Akbarnama, Tabaqat-i-Akbari and Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh as court and critical chronicles; growth of Persian prose and poetry |
| Theme I: Sources and Historiography | Unit 2: Indic Literary Traditions and European Sources | Sanskrit and Brajbhasha texts as historical evidence; Jesuit letters and European travellers' accounts |
| Theme II: Indian Political System | Unit 3: Regional and Local Polities | Rajput chieftaincies and regional sultanates; local power holders on the eve of Mughal expansion |
| Theme II: Indian Political System | Unit 4: Timurid Antecedents | Timurid and Chingizid traditions of rule; Babur's Central Asian background and appanage practice |
| Theme II: Indian Political System | Unit 5: Afghan Polity | Lodi kingship and tribal nobility; Sher Shah's reforms and the Sur interregnum |
| Theme II: Indian Political System | Unit 6: Mughal Conquests: Warfare and Alliances | Second battle of Panipat (1556) and expansion; Rajput alliances; role of cavalry and artillery |
| Theme II: Indian Political System | Unit 7: The Nayaks | Nayankara grants under Vijayanagara; Madurai, Thanjavur and Gingee Nayakas; kingship in the Rayavachakamu |
| Theme III: Consolidation of Mughal Rule | Unit 8: Historiography on State | Centralised bureaucratic view of the Mughal state; patrimonial-bureaucratic model; gunpowder-empire thesis |
| Theme III: Consolidation of Mughal Rule | Unit 9: Ideas on Kingship | Abul Fazl's farr-i-izadi; the mahzar of 1579; Timurid and Persian ideals of the just king |
| Theme III: Consolidation of Mughal Rule | Unit 10: Administrative Structure | Wakil, diwan, mir bakhshi and sadr at the centre; subas created in 1580; sarkar and pargana officials |
| Theme III: Consolidation of Mughal Rule | Unit 11: Administrative Institutions: Mansab and Jagir | Zat and sawar ranks; dagh and chehra branding rules; transfer of jagirs |
| Theme III: Consolidation of Mughal Rule | Unit 12: Composition of Nobility | Turani and Irani nobles; entry of Rajputs and Shaikhzadas; changing balance after the 1560s revolts |
| Theme III: Consolidation of Mughal Rule | Unit 13: Fiscal System | Zabt and the dahsala; batai, kankut and nasaq; amalguzar, qanungo and patwari |
| Theme IV: Economic Processes | Unit 14: Agrarian Economy and Agrarian Relations | Zamindars and peasant categories; village community; watan and land rights in the Deccan |
| Theme IV: Economic Processes | Unit 15: Exchange Economy: Money and Currency | Silver rupee and copper dam; working of imperial mints; hundis and credit |
| Theme IV: Economic Processes | Unit 16: Towns, Cities and Growth of Urban Centres | Agra, Lahore and Fatehpur Sikri as imperial cities; ports such as Surat; merchants and artisans in towns |
| Theme V: Imagining the Sacred | Unit 17: State and Religion | Sulh-i-kul; debates at Fatehpur Sikri; Tauhid-i-Ilahi and relations with the ulema |
| Theme VI: Literature and Translations | Unit 18: Patronage of Literary Culture | Maktab Khana translations such as the Razmnama; Brajbhasha court poets; regional and sub-imperial patrons |
Pair this map with our BHIC 109 Study Material notes if you want shorter unit summaries for last-week revision.
5. Question Paper Pattern and Marks
The June 2026 paper carries 100 marks in 3 hours: you answer any five of eight questions, with at least two from each section.
| Part of paper | What it asks | Marks and length |
|---|---|---|
| Section A, Q1 to Q3 | Essay questions on provincial administration, land revenue and Deccan agrarian relations | 20 each, about 400 words |
| Section A, Q4 | Short notes: any two of Persian literary traditions, Sur Interregnum, mansab system, Ibadat Khana | 10 + 10, about 200 words each |
| Section B, Q5 to Q7 | Essay questions on Akbar's religious policy, Indic literary patronage and urban centres | 20 each, about 400 words |
| Section B, Q8 | Short notes: any two of Mughal mints, segmentary state theory, Timurid antecedents, Nayaka decline | 10 + 10, about 200 words each |
| Choice rule | Attempt any five questions, with at least two from each section | 5 × 20 = 100 marks in 3 hours |
Q4 and Q8 each count as one question for the choice rule, though you write two notes inside them. Many students pick one short-note set to save time, since 200-word notes on familiar terms are quicker than a full essay.
The same two-section format runs through recent sessions, which you can compare with any other BAHIH Question Paper on our site.
6. Most Repeated Topics Across Seven Papers
Across seven official BHIC 109 papers from June 2022 to June 2026, Nayaka kingdoms and Indic literary patronage appeared every time, and Deccan land rights in six.
We counted topics from the official IGNOU papers for June 2022, June 2023, June 2024, December 2024, June 2025, December 2025 and June 2026. A topic counts once per paper, whether it came as an essay or a short note.
| Topic | Sessions where it appeared | Count (of 7) | In June 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indic and vernacular literary traditions and their patrons | All seven sessions | 7 | Q6 |
| Nayaka kingdoms: rise, kingship and decline | All seven sessions | 7 | Q8(d) |
| Land rights, watan and agrarian relations in the Deccan and South India | Jun 22, Jun 23, Jun 24, Dec 24, Jun 25, Jun 26 | 6 | Q3 |
| Afghan polity, Sur rule and politics on the eve of Babur | Jun 22, Jun 23, Jun 24, Dec 24, Jun 25, Jun 26 | 6 | Q4(b) |
| Akbar's religious policy, sulh-i-kul and Tauhid-i-Ilahi | Jun 22, Jun 23, Jun 24, Dec 24, Jun 26 | 5 | Q5 (Sample 2) and Q4(d) |
| Land revenue assessment, including ijara | Jun 22, Jun 23, Jun 24, Dec 25, Jun 26 | 5 | Q2 (Sample 1) |
| Mansab system and types of jagir | Jun 24, Dec 24, Dec 25, Jun 26 | 4 | Q4(c) |
| Nature of the Mughal state and theory of sovereignty | Jun 24, Dec 24, Jun 25, Dec 25 | 4 | — |
| Persian literature, Abul Fazl and the Maktab Khana | Jun 22, Jun 24, Jun 25, Jun 26 | 4 | Q4(a) |
| Mughal mints and the minting system | Jun 22, Jun 23, Jun 24, Jun 26 | 4 | Q8(a) |
| Provincial and local administration | Jun 22, Jun 23, Dec 24, Jun 26 | 4 | Q1 |
| Zamindars, peasants, crops and the extent of cultivation | Jun 23, Jun 24, Dec 24, Dec 25 | 4 | — |
| Composition of the Mughal nobility | Jun 22, Jun 23, Jun 25 | 3 | — |
| Timurid, Mongol and Central Asian legacy | Jun 22, Dec 24, Jun 26 | 3 | Q8(c) |
| Towns and urban life under the Mughals | Dec 25, Jun 26 | 2 | Q7 |
The December 2021, December 2022 and December 2023 papers were not available on IGNOU's official archive when we checked, so they are not counted. The June 2025 and December 2025 papers had eight full essay questions and no short-note sets, which is worth knowing when you plan your five.
For predicted questions built on this kind of frequency check, see our IGNOU Solved Guess Paper collection.
7. How Our Answers Are Written and Checked
Each BHIC 109 answer is written from the IGNOU unit it belongs to, cross-checked against the primary sources that unit cites, and reviewed before it goes into the file.
- Unit mapping. Every question is first tied to its unit, for example Q2 to Unit 13 on the fiscal system and Q7 to Unit 16 on towns and cities. This keeps the content inside what IGNOU examiners expect.
- Sources and terms. Answers use the vocabulary of the period, such as zabt, dastur, nankar, mahzar and sulh-i-kul, and cite texts like the Ain-i-Akbari, Akbarnama, Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh and the Jesuit letters where they fit.
- Historiography. Questions on debates name the historians involved, from Abul Fazl and Badauni to Vincent Smith, Iqtidar Alam Khan and Azfar Moin, instead of a vague "some historians say".
- Length and review. Essays are trimmed to about 400 words and notes to about 200, and every date, name and spelling is checked before release.
8. Solved File Index for All 14 Answers
The file holds 14 answers in paper order: 2 are open on this page and 12 are in the full file only.
| Item | Topic | Section and marks | Unit | Where the answer is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Provincial and local administration | A, 20 | Unit 10 | Full file |
| Q2 | Mughal land revenue system | A, 20 | Unit 13 | Sample 1 above |
| Q3 | Agrarian relations in the medieval Deccan | A, 20 | Unit 14 | Full file |
| Q4(a) | Persian literary traditions | A, 10 | Unit 1 | Full file |
| Q4(b) | Sur Interregnum | A, 10 | Unit 5 | Full file |
| Q4(c) | Mansab system | A, 10 | Unit 11 | Full file |
| Q4(d) | Ibadat Khana | A, 10 | Unit 17 | Full file |
| Q5 | Historiography on Akbar's religious policy | B, 20 | Unit 17 | Sample 2 above |
| Q6 | Patronage of Indic literary traditions | B, 20 | Unit 18 | Full file |
| Q7 | Growth of urban centres | B, 20 | Unit 16 | Full file |
| Q8(a) | Mughal mints | B, 10 | Unit 15 | Full file |
| Q8(b) | Segmentary state theory | B, 10 | Unit 7 | Full file |
| Q8(c) | Timurid antecedents | B, 10 | Unit 4 | Full file |
| Q8(d) | Decline of the Nayaka kingdoms | B, 10 | Unit 7 | Full file |
BHIC 109 is a theory-only course with no practical or record work, so this solved file index replaces a practical file index.
9. Programmes That Study BHIC 109
BHIC 109 History of India-V is studied in IGNOU's BA (Honours) History (BAHIH) and the four-year BA History Major (BAFHI).
In the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) History programme, eGyanKosh places BHIC 109 in Semester IV, after BHIC 107 on c. 1206-1550 and before BHIC 112 on c. 1605-1750. It is a six-credit core course with three tutor-marked assignments.
The IGNOU assignment booklet names both BAHIH and BAFHI, so FYUP History Major students sit the same BHIC 109 term-end paper and can use the same solved file.
10. How to Get the Full Solved Question Paper
Message WhatsApp 9899436384 with "BHIC 109 June 2026" to get the complete file with all 14 answers as a PDF.
The file contains the 2 answers shown above plus the 12 answers listed as full file only, including all four short-note options in Q4 and Q8, so you are covered whichever two you choose in the exam.
Many BAHIH students also ask for the BHIC 109 solved paper of earlier sessions; mention the session in your message and our team will tell you what is ready.
11. BHIC 109 History of India-V FAQs
Quick answers to the questions BHIC 109 students ask us most about the June 2026 solved paper.
What does the Solved Question Paper June 2026 contain?
It contains complete answers to all 14 answerable items of the June 2026 BHIC 109 paper: six essay questions and all eight short-note options from Q4 and Q8. Essays run to about 400 words and short notes to about 200 words. Each answer names its unit, so you can go back to the right part of the IGNOU study material when revising.
How do I get the full file on WhatsApp?
Send a message to WhatsApp 9899436384 with the code BHIC 109 and the June 2026 session. Our team replies with the price and sends the complete solved file as a PDF. It holds all 14 answers: the 2 shown on this page (Q2 and Q5) and the 12 answers that appear only in the full file, including every short-note option.
Which answers can I read on this page?
Two complete answers are on this page. Q2 explains the Mughal land revenue system, from Sher Shah's rai to the dahsala of 1580, land classes, assessment methods and revenue officials. Q5 compares the historiographical perspectives on Akbar's religious policy, from Abul Fazl and Badauni to Vincent Smith, the Aligarh historians and Azfar Moin. Read both to judge the quality of the full file.
How many questions must I attempt in the BHIC 109 exam?
You must attempt five questions, with at least two from Section A and two from Section B. Each question carries 20 marks, so the paper totals 100 marks in 3 hours. Essay questions expect about 400 words, while Q4 and Q8 ask for two short notes of about 200 words each, worth 10 marks apiece.
Which BHIC 109 topics repeat most often?
Across the seven official papers we checked, from June 2022 to June 2026, two topics appeared in every session: Indic and vernacular literary traditions, and the Nayaka kingdoms of South India. Deccan land rights and Afghan polity appeared in six papers, while Akbar's religious policy and land revenue appeared in five. These areas deserve your most careful revision before the exam.
Which IGNOU programmes include BHIC 109?
BHIC 109 History of India-V (c. 1550-1605) is a six-credit core course of the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) History programme, BAHIH, where eGyanKosh lists it in Semester IV. IGNOU's assignment booklet also names the four-year undergraduate History Major, BAFHI. Students of both programmes sit the same term-end paper, so this solved file serves both groups equally.
Are the answers written to IGNOU word limits?
Yes. Every essay answer in the file is planned for about 400 words, and every short note for about 200 words, the limits printed on the June 2026 paper. Answers open with a clear introduction, move through numbered points with dates, terms and historians, and close with a short conclusion. This structure helps examiners find the key points quickly when marking your script.
Is this file an official IGNOU publication?
No. Unnati Educations is a private academic support platform and is not affiliated with IGNOU. The question text is taken from the official June 2026 paper, while the answers are written by our own team for revision. Use the file alongside the official IGNOU study material on eGyanKosh, which remains the main source for the syllabus and examination.
12. Who Wrote and Checked the BHIC 109 Answers
The BHIC 109 answers were written by Prateek Talwar and reviewed by Sheetal Kirola.
Prateek Talwar, founder of Unnati Educations, leads the IGNOU solved-paper series and prepares answers from the course units and the official term-end paper. Sheetal Kirola, Academic Head (M.Ed.), checks every date, Persian term, text title and historian's position before release.