U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2012

Mughal Administration

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

Court Language during Mughal period was-

Solution & Analysis

Answer: C

Concept The choice of an official language (officialese) was a deliberate tool for administrative unity and cultural prestige in the Mughal Empire.

Explanation Persian (Farsi) was the official language of the court, diplomacy, and administration from the time of Akbar until the mid-19th century.

Logical Breakup
Option C is Correct: Persian was favored over the ancestral Turkish (Chaghatai) to integrate with existing administrative traditions and the regional elite.
Logic: The use of Persian facilitated a 'Persianisation' process across India, influencing law, literature, and art.

Active Recall

Question

Why didn't the Mughals continue using Turkish as their primary language?

Answer

Turkish was a minority language in India; Persian provided a more established, sophisticated, and widely understood medium for governing a diverse population.

Core Insight

Persian remained the link-language of the Indian elite for centuries, transcending religious boundaries until it was replaced by English.