Medieval Indian History MCQs
Multiple choice questions on Medieval Indian History for General Studies and GK preparation of SSC, NDA, CDS, UPSC, UPPSC and State PSC Examinations.
11. Which Hindu ruler gave shelter to Humayun after defeat in the Battle of Kannauj ?
[A] Rana Virsala
[B] Maharaja Gulab Singh
[C] Raja Man Singh
[D] Baj Bahadur
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Rana Virsala]
Notes:
In the battle of Kannauj, Humayun again defeated by Sher Shah Suri in 1540 AD. This time Rana Virsala, a Hindu Rajput ruler of Amarkot, gave shelter to Humayun where Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar was born. Previously, he was defeated by Sher Shah Suri at Chausa in 1539 AD and he had to take refuge in the court of Shah Tasham of Persia.
12. Famous painter Ustad Mansur was patronized by which Mughal emperor?
[A] Akbar
[B] Jahangir
[C] Shah Jahan
[D] Shah Alam
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Jahangir]
Notes:
Mughal Emperor Jahangir was a great patron of painting from the days of his Viceroyalty. He patronised many great painters of the time including Ustad Mansur. Mughal painting remained confined to the Mughal court and did not reach the people. Jahangir had a very discriminating eye of Mughal painting.
13. Who among the following wrote ‘Akbarnama’?
[A] Abdul Qadir
[B] Abdur Rahim
[C] Faizi
[D] Abul Fazal
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Abul Fazal]
Notes:
The Akbarnama which translates to Book of Akbar, is the official chronicle of the reign of Akbar, commissioned by Akbar himself by his court historian and biographer, Abul-Fazl ibn Mubarak who was one of the nine jewels in Akbar’s court. It was written in Persian, the literary language of the Mughals.
14. Who among the following introduced the Mansabdari system? (UPSC Prelims 1989)
[A] Akbar
[B] Jehangir
[C] Sher Shah
[D] Balban
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Akbar]
Notes:
The Mansabdari system was the administrative system of the Mughal Empire introduced by Akbar. The word mansab is of Arabic origin meaning rank or position. The system, hence, determined the rank of a government official.
15. Which one of the following statements is NOT correct? (UPSC Prelims 2003)
[A] Ali Mardan Khan introduced the system of revenue farming in Bengal
[B] Maharaja Ranjit Singh set up modern foundries to manufacture cannons at Lahore
[C] Sawai Jai Singh of Amber had Euedil’s ‘Elements of Coometry’ translated into Sanskrit
[D] Sultan Tipu of Mysore gave money for the construction of the idol of Goddess Sarda in the Shringeri temple
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ali Mardan Khan introduced the system of revenue farming in Bengal]
Notes:
The flow of income started declining. So, the system called ‘revenue farming’ was introduced in Bengal in the reign of Farukhsiyer. Under this system, the revenue farmer paid the Government nine-tenth of the whole collection and kept the rest as his collection charges.
16. Which of the following books has been written as an account of India during Mahmud’s destruction of Somnath temple?
[A] Rajatrangini
[B] Fatwa-i-Jahandari
[C] Tabaqat-i-Nasiri
[D] Tahqiq-i-Hind
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Tahqiq-i-Hind]
Notes:
Muhammad Ibn Ahmed Alberuni’s Book Tahqiq-i-Hind (the reality of Hindustan or Hindus) gives a graphic description of India as he had seen it. In this work, he describes the religious, literary, and scientific traditions of India. Alberuni was one of the great Muslim scholars and experts of the medieval period. He came to India with Mohammad Ghaznavi in 1017 and wrote about the conditions and society of India in his account namely Tahqiq-i-Hind.
17. Baburnama is written in Babur’s mother tongue, which is?
[A] Persian
[B] Farsi
[C] Turkic
[D] Arabic
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Turkic]
Notes:
Chaghatai Turkic was Babur’s mother tongue. He wrote the autobiographical Baburnama or Tuzuk-i-Babri. His recollections are broadly divided into three parts. The last part gives a detailed account of India.
18. What was function of Khwajas appointed by Balban?
[A] For religious matters
[B] For estimation of income and expenditure
[C] For regulation of army
[D] For judicial purpose
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [For estimation of income and expenditure]
Notes:
In order to examine the actual collection and expenditure of the Iqta lands , Balban appointed a new category of officials called Khwajas to estimate the income of the Iqta holders as well as the expanses they incurred in maintaining their troops .
19. Which of the following period saw the emergence of trading castes known as the Garvares?
[A] Chera
[B] Chola
[C] Pandyas
[D] Pallavas
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Chola]
Notes:
The society during the Chola administration was divided on caste lines. The Chola period also saw the emergence of trading castes known as the Garvares. They were the northern merchants who had migrated southwards in the 10th?11th centuries.
20. Which of the following kings is credited with building a university at Ghazni?
[A] Alaptagin
[B] Subuktagin
[C] Mahmud
[D] Masud II
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Mahmud]
Notes:
Mahmud enhanced the image of Ghazni as a centre of civilization that rose from the shackles of lawlessness into a cultured city. He is also credited with building a university at Ghazni and equipping it with a library, museum and salaried teachers.
