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. Purana Qila was constructed during the reign of which of the following?
[A] Akbar
[B] Humayun
[C] Sher Shah
[D] Jahangir
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [ Sher Shah ]
Notes:
The founder of the Suri Dynasty, Sher Shah Suri, defeated Humayun in 1540, naming the fort Shergarh; he added several more structures in the complex during his five-year reign. Purana Qila and its environs flourished as the “sixth city of Delhi”.
12. Mahmud Gawan was the Prime Minister in which of the following kingdoms? (UPSC Prelims 1989)
[A] Gujarat kingdom
[B] Kingdom of Kashmir
[C] Bahmani kingdom
[D] Kingdom of Mysore
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Bahmani kingdom]
Notes:
Mahmud Gawan (1411, Iran – 1481) was a Prime Minister in the Bahamani Sultanate of Deccan.
13. Which one of the following pairs of kings of ancient and medieval periods of Indian history and the works authored by them is correctly matched? (UPSC Prelims 1993)
[A] Somesvara: Samaranganasutradhara
[B] Mahendravarman : Mattavilasaprahasana
[C] Mahendravarman : Mattavilasaprahasana
[D] Krishnadevaraya: Amuktamalayada
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Krishnadevaraya: Amuktamalayada]
Notes:
Sri Krishnadevaraya wrote the Amuktamalyada in Telugu, in which he beautifully describes the pangs of separation suffered by Andal (one of the twelve bhakti era alwars) for her lover Lord Vishnu.
14. Which of the following was the motive behind Shahjahan’s Balkh campaign? (UPSC Prelims 2002)
[A] secure a friendly ruler in Balkh and Badakshan which bordered Kabul
[B] conquer Samarqand and Farghana, the Mughal homelands
[C] fix the Mughal frontier on the ‘scientific line’, the Amu Daria
[D] expand the Mughal Empire beyond the sub-continent
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [secure a friendly ruler in Balkh and Badakshan which bordered Kabul]
Notes:
The motive behind Shah Jahan’s Balkh and Badakshan campaign in central Asia was to secure the defence of North-West India. That’s why the statement ‘a’ is correct.
15. 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.
16. Which book, written in 1316, retells the story of the passionate love and marriage of Alauddin’s eldest son prince Khizr Khan and Dewal Rani, daughter of Raja Karan of Gujarat?
[A] Karan Ghelo
[B] Ashiqa
[C] Qiran us-Sadain
[D] Vaghela Manas
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Ashiqa]
Notes:
Ashiqa, written by Amir Khusro, describes a tragedy about the marriage of princess Dewal Rani to Ala ud-Din Khalji’s son Khizr Khan. Khusro pays a glowing tribute to the Hindi language and speaks of its rich qualities. It is a masnavi that describes the tragedy of Dewal Devi. The story has been backed by Isaami.
17. Who wrote the Shahjan-Nama that covers Shah Jahan’s entire reign?
[A] Inayat Khan
[B] Muhammad Sadiq Khan
[C] Abul Hamid Lahori
[D] Muhammad Waris
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Muhammad Sadiq Khan]
Notes:
Other than Inayat Khan, another Shahjahan-Nama was written by Muhammad Sadiq Khan, who was a waqia-navis at the Mughal court. Sadiq was a selfless freelance writer who undertook the work just for the love of it and recorded the events of Shah Jahan’s reign from the death of Jahangir to the accession of Aurangzeb in an intelligent and impartial manner.
18. The credit of establishing the Muslim rule in India goes to__?
[A] Arabs
[B] Turks
[C] Mongols
[D] Perseans
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Turks]
Notes:
The credit of establishing the Muslim rule in India goes to the Turks. The reason for their conquest of India lies in following
• They had assuming the leadership of Islam through conversion with more fanatical in their religious zeal
• Their sense of superiority of their race
• They had determination to propagate Islam
• They had believe in strength of their arms The Turks conquered a large part of western Asia and moving towards the east penetrated into India with Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni was the first to penetrate deep into India.
19. Who of the following was the only official authority of the Maratha empire who could address the rights of the villagers to higher officials?
[A] Patel
[B] Munsif
[C] Mamlatdar
[D] Sarsubedar
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Patel]
Notes:
During the time of the Maratha empire under Peshwa, Patels was only authorized to address the rights of the villagers to higher officials. The cultivators were deprived of addressing any grievance in case their right is under threat.
20. During Delhi Sultanate era, which department was headed Sadr–us–Sadr ?
[A] Diwan – i – Mazalim
[B] Diwan – i – Risalat
[C] Diwan – i – Riyasat
[D] Diwan – i – Insha
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Diwan – i – Risalat ]
Notes:
Diwan – i – Risalat was headed by Sadr – us – Sadr who was also the Qadi -i- mumalik and was responsible for administration of justice and also looked after the religious matters as Sadr – us – Sadr.
