Medieval Indian History MCQs

Notes:
The literal meaning of word Mansab is “official appointment of rank and emoluments”. Every important officer of Akbar held a Mansab or a rank in the imperial cadre and his rank was measured on how many horsemen he commanded. Thus, it was a military rank also. These Mansabdars were paid in Zat and Sawar. Zat was a fixed personal salary while sawar was paid as per their rank or number of horsemen to be controlled by them.
Akbar classified the office holders into total 33 grades ranging from mansabs of 10 to 10 thousand. However, these all were broadly categorized into three types as follows:

• Those who commanded 10 to 400 horsemen were commonly called mansabdars(officers).
• Those who commanded 500 to 2500 horsemen were amirs (nobles)
• Those in higher ranks belonged to the category of umara-i-kabiror umara-i-azim (grandees).

The highest amir in the third category was honored with the title of amir-ul-umara.

Notes:
• Ab’ul Hasan Yamin ud-Din Khusrau is better known as Amir Khusrow Dehlavi. He was a Sufi musician, poet and scholar from India.
• Kabir was a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint, whose writings, according to some scholars, influenced Hinduism’s Bhakti movement.
• Shaikh Abu al-Fazal ibn Mubarak is also known as Abul Fazal. It was the Grand vizier of the Mughal emperor Akbar and author of the Akbarnama.
• Tukaram is also referred to as Sant Tukaram. He was a 17th-century Hindu poet and sant of the Bhakti movement in Maharashtra.

Notes:
Firoz Shah Tughlaq built and repaired a large number of canals. Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq was a Turkic Muslim ruler of the Tughlaq Dynasty, who reigned over the Sultanate of Delhi from 1351 to 1388. His father’s name was Rajab who had the title Sipahsalar.

Notes:
Muhammad Bin Tughlaq’s rule is significant for the introduction of token currency. He understood the importance of currency as a medium of commercial exchange and that is why he took keen interest to circulate gold and silver coins. He enlarged the gold dinar from 172 grains to 202 grains. He introduced a silver coin, the adlis, which was discontinued after seven years due to lack of popularity and acceptance among his subjects.

Notes:
Battle of Chach was fought in 1008 AD between Mahmud of Ghazni and a confederacy of Hindu Kingdoms led by Hindu Shahi army of Anandapala. Forces of Anandpala were joined by Ajmer, Kalingar, Kanauj etc. Anandpala lost the battle mainly because the army was not well organized and his elephant took flight in battle.

Notes:
Al Biruni was made court astrologer in Ghazni and he accompanied with Mahmud on his invasions on India. He lived for several years here and is considered to be first Indologist.

Notes:
The Bara Balutedar system, also known as the Twelve Balutedar system, was a hereditary system of village servants prevalent in villages of medieval Maharashtra. The Balutedars were paid through a barter system using village produce. This system included groups like goldsmiths, temple servants, barbers, washers, potters, carpenters, blacksmiths, cobblers, cattle ornament makers, water carriers, chougula, and mang. It bore similarities with the jajmani system of North India at that time. In the year 1958, an act was passed freeing village servants from this work.

Notes:
In the Maratha administration, a Mamlatdar was the head of each province (Sarkar).  The Mamlatdar was responsible for every branch of district administration. The Mamlatdar carried out a variety of land and revenue related tasks, including:

1. Revenue administration
2. Revenue collection
3. Coordinating with other departments

The Maratha kingdom was divided into provinces, districts, parganas, and villages. The king appointed officers to manage these divisions.

Notes:
Balban had created his political ideology inspired from the popular heroes of Persia. The king was considered the God’s representative on earth – Niyamat – i – Khudai . According to him , he is only after the prophet in the pride and prejudice. He also gave the concept of Jille Allah or Jilleilahi which means that the king is a reflection of god.

Notes:
Wilayat was the territory governed by the governor or higher nobility called Wali , Muqti , Amir . Tarf denotes a subdivision of a wilayat . During the reign of Qutubuddin Aibak , Tarf was used to designate provinces.