Unlock Elite Access: Level Up Your Preparation with Exclusive Content

History Optional PYQ Master Pack · Model answer

“The Afghan invasions in the Eighteenth Century not only signified the military irrelevance of the Mughal Empire but also hastened its decline”. Explain.

  • UPSC 2018
  • The Eighteenth Century

The repeated invasions of Ahmad Shah Abdali (Durrani) between 1748 and 1767 exposed a Mughal military machine that could no longer defend its own core territories, and in doing so accelerated processes of decline already underway.

You are reading the opening of the model answer. The full answer is part of the History Optional PYQ Master Pack.

What the full answer covers

  • Military Irrelevance Made Visible
  • Hastening Internal Fragmentation
  • Economic and Social Consequences
  • Created the Scope for British Ascendancy
  • Necessary Qualifications

Unlock this answer and 1,350+ more

  • 1,350+ solved UPSC History Optional PYQs from 1985 to 2025, Paper-1 and Paper-2
  • Topic-wise across Ancient, Medieval, Modern, Post-Independence and World History
  • Model answers with a clear structure and historian citations
  • Map section solutions included, at no extra cost
  • Read online on lotusarise.com, plus PDF download

₹1,499₹2,50040% off

Get History Optional PYQ Master Pack @ ₹1,499 →

One-time payment · No subscription · Instant access · UPI, cards, RuPay

See every The Eighteenth Century question (44 solved) →Already enrolled? Log in