Practice Question – Moonsoons play an important role not only today but also had a significant impact on the historical events in medieval and modern India. Discuss. – 150 words.

How moonsoons impacted history of the Indian subcontinent:

• Deficient rainfall led to the collapse of the Mansabdari system, started by Mughal emperor Akbar, in the late 17th century.
• Similarly, drought interspersed with violent monsoon rains sounded the death knell for the Khmer empire of south-east Asia in the 15th century.
• A recent study by researchers at Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT-KGP) has revealed that abrupt changes in the Indian monsoon in the last 900 years decided the course of human history in the subcontinent.
• Decline of Indian dynasties was linked to weak monsoon and reduced food production.
• Several dynasties, such as the Sena in Bengal, Solanki in Gujarat in the mid-13th century and Paramara and Yadav in the early to mid-14th century – all of which flourished during abundant rainfall — declined during the dry phases of Indian summer monsoon (ISM), suggesting role of the climate in the socio-political crisis, the study revealed.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/monsoon-decided-history-of-indian-subcontinent/article30371856.ece