Medieval Indian History MCQs

Notes:
Muhammad Ghori is known to have adopted the seated goddess Lakshmi type of the coins of Gahadavalas/ Rajputs for circulation in the Gahadavala territories. He got stamped the figure of Goddess Lakshmi on his coins and had his name inscribed in Nagari Characters.

Notes:
Ashta Pradhan was a council of eight ministers that administered the Maratha empire. The council was formed in 1674 by founding Emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji.The term Ashta Pradhan literally translates to “the Prime Eight”, from the Sanskrit ashta (“eight”) and pradhan (“prime”). The body discharged the functions of a modern council of ministers; this is regarded as one of the first successful instances of ministerial delegation in India. The council is credited with having implemented good governance practices in the Maratha heartland, as well as for the success of the military campaigns against the Mughal Empire.

Notes:
Ashta Pradhan Pantpradhan or Peshwa – Prime Minister, general administration of the Empire. Amatya – Finance Minister, managing accounts of the Empire. Sacheev – Secretary, preparing royal edicts. Mantri – Interior Minister, managing internal affairs especially intelligence and espionage. Senapati – Commander-in-Chief, managing the forces and defense of the Empire. Sumant – Foreign Minister, to manage relationships with other sovereigns. Nyayadhish – Chief Justice, dispensing justice on civil and criminal matters. Panditrao – High Priest, managing internal religious matters.

Notes:
Nasir-ud-Din Muḥammad (6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), is known by his name, Humayun was the second emperor of the Mughal Empire, who ruled over territory in what is now Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northern India, and Bangladesh from 1530–1540 and again from 1555–1556. Like his father, Babur, he lost his kingdom early but regained it with the aid of the Safavid dynasty of Persia, with additional territory. At the time of his death in 1556, the Mughal Empire spanned almost one million square kilometres.

Notes:
Bairam Khan played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Mughal empire in India in the late 16th century. His most significant contribution was marked by his victory at the Second Battle of Panipat. After the death of Humayun, Bairam Khan was appointed as a guardian to the young Akbar. He was also the de facto ruler of the Mughal Empire during Akbar’s minority.

Notes:
In 1308, Malik Kafur had defeated the Yadavas, the neighbours of the Kakatiyas, and the Yadava king Ramachandra had become a vassal of Alauddin. According to the Delhi courtier Amir Khusrau, Alauddin ordered Malik Kafur to invade the Kakatiya kingdom on 31 October 1309.

Notes:
Iltutmish made Delhi the capital in place of Lahore. Iltutmish succeeded Qutb-ud-din Aibak as the ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, and during his reign in the early 13th century, he moved the capital from Lahore to Delhi. This transition further solidified Delhi’s importance as the center of power for the Sultanate.

Notes:
The Battle of Talikota (Rakkasagi–Tangadagi) on 23 January 1565 pitted the Vijayanagara Empire against an alliance of Deccan sultanates: Ahmadnagar (Hussain Nizam Shah I), Bijapur (Ali Adil Shah I), Bidar (Ali Barid Shah I), and Golconda (Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah). Berar did not join this coalition; its forces separately attacked Krishna Ford earlier but were repelled. This led to Vijayanagara’s defeat.

Notes:
Ibn Batuta – Sultanate Period during the reign of Muhammad Bin Tughlaq

Notes:
In the Shivaji’s Ashtapradhan ( or Council of Eight Ministers), Surnavis (or Sachiv) was in-charge of royal secretariat and King’s correspondence.