Medieval Indian History MCQs

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Nicolo de Conti was an Italian merchant, explorer, and writer. He traveled to India and Southeast Asia, and possibly to Southern China, during the early 15th century. Nicolo Conti refers to the prevalence of slavery  in the Vijayanagar kingdom.

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Taj-ud-din Firoz Shah was well acquainted with the religious sciences such as commentaries on the Quran, jurisprudence, and natural sciences such as botany, geometry, logic, etc. He encouraged the pursuit of astronomy and built an observatory near Daultabad.

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The Bahmani Kingdom’s architectural development began in 1347 CE with Alauddin I’s Gulbarga Fort, showcasing Indo-Islamic style and housing the unique Jami Masjid. The fort features a sophisticated water management system and reflects the rulers’ patronage of art and military strategy.

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In the later part of the twelfth and early thirteenth centuries, the great Andalusian Sufi, Ibn ai-Arabi,, spoke about the doctrine of wahdat al-wujud or the unity of being that had a profound influence on Sufi thought worldwide.

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Ziyarat refers to the practice of visiting tombs. Ziyarat emerged as an important form of ritual pilgrimage in Sufism. Most of the Sufis also believed in the performance of miracles.

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In c.1585 CE, the followers of the Krishna cult founded the Radha Ballabhi. The sect was founded under Hari Vamsa. Vallabacharya, a popular bhakti saint popularised the Krishna bhakti cult in the early 16th century.

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Muhibbullah Allahabadi, a Sufi saint of the Sabiri branch of the Chisti order, was titled Shaikh-i-Kabir for his mastery in metaphysics. He contributed to Sufi literature, exploring the divine-human relationship. A contemporary of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, he influenced both common people and elites.

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In 1561 CE, Malwa ruler Baz Bahadur was defeated by Adham Khan and fled to Burhanpur. He surrendered to Akbar, becoming a Mughal mansabdar, marking the end of Malwa’s independence and its integration into the Mughal Empire.

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Afghans dominated Bihar, Bengal, and Orissa during Akbar’s early rule, killing Orissa’s ruler. Daud Khan Karrani resisted Mughal expansion. Akbar captured Hajipur, Patna, and Gaur. The 1575 Battle of Tukaroi led to the Treaty of Katak, temporarily halting hostilities. Akbar integrated Afghan nobles into his administration.

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Akbar, the third Mughal emperor (1556-1605 CE), established workshops for arts, blending Persian, Indian, and European styles. He popularized colors like peacock blue and Indian red, introduced lapis lazuli and indigo, and supported miniature paintings and naturalistic documentation in Mughal art.