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.
1. Who among the following Sultans of Delhi assumed the title Sikandar-i-Sani?
[A] Balban
[B] Alauddin Khalji
[C] Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq
[D] Sikandar Lodi
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Alauddin Khalji]
Notes:
Alauddin Khilji was a militarist and imperialist to the core. He was very ambitious. Alauddin, whose original name was Ali Gurshap, assumed the title Sikandar-i-Sani (Alexander the Second) and proclaimed Delhi as Dar-ul-Khilafa (Seat of the Caliphate).
2. Which of the following regions was known as Jejakabhukti in early Medieval India?
[A] Rohelkhand
[B] Bundelkhand
[C] Deccan
[D] Saurastra
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Bundelkhand]
Notes:
Jejakabhukti corresponds broadly to Bundelkhand. It was ruled by the Chandelas, whose major centres included Khajuraho, Mahoba and Kalinjar.
3. Who are the only two emperors of the Mughal Empire to have written their own autobiographies?
[A] Humayun and Akbar
[B] Babur and Jahangir
[C] Akbar and Shah Jahan
[D] Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Babur and Jahangir]
Notes:
Babur and Jahangir were the only two Mughal emperors who penned their own autobiography. Babur created “Baburnama”, his memoirs recounted in a vivid and extremely rich prose. Jahangir, on the other hand, wrote his autobiography “Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri”, which is widely recognized for its unique storytelling and meticulous details covering his life and administration.
4. Hazi Ibrahim Sarhindi is known to be a Persian Writer during the reign of Akbar was translated the following Sanskrit work in Persian?
[A] Ramayana
[B] Mahabharata
[C] Atharva Veda
[D] Rigveda
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Atharva Veda]
Notes:
Haji Ibrahim Sirhindi translated the Atharva Veda into Persian during Akbar’s reign. Akbar’s translation programme also produced Persian versions of other Sanskrit works.
5. During the reign of Jalaluddin Khalji, Ali Gurshasp secretly raided the capital of which kingdom in 1296?
[A] Bhilsa
[B] Devagiri
[C] Chanderi
[D] Ranthambore
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Devagiri]
Notes:
In 1296, Ali Gurshasp, later known as Alauddin Khalji, led a secret expedition against Devagiri, the capital of the Yadava kingdom in the Deccan. At the time, he was governor of Kara under Sultan Jalaluddin Khalji. The raid brought Alauddin substantial wealth, which strengthened his position in the struggle for the Delhi throne. Chanderi was associated with the route and the misleading account of his expedition, while Bhilsa had been raided earlier.
6. The battle of Khanwa took place in the year:
[A] 1527 AD.
[B] 1528 AD.
[C] 1529 AD.
[D] 1526 AD.
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [1527 AD.]
Notes:
The battle of Khanwa was fought between Rana of Mewar, Sangram Singh (Rana Sanga ) and Babur on the bank of river Pilikhar in 1527 AD. In this battle, Babur defeated Rana Sanga and this decisive victory consolidated Mughal power in India.
7. Which among the following Persian festival introduced by Balban in India?
[A] Navroj
[B] Mehregan
[C] Shab e Cheleh
[D] Jashn E sadeh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Navroj]
Notes:
Balban introduced the famous Persian festival of Navroj in India to impress the nobles and people with his wealth and power. The festival is a New Year celebration of Spring Equinox.
8. Which among the following dynasty was the fourth dynasty of Sultanate rule ?
[A] Sayyid
[B] Lodhi
[C] Tughlaq
[D] Khilji
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Sayyid]
Notes:
The Sayyid dynasty was the fourth dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate ruled between 1414 to 1451 AD. They succeeded the Tughlaq dynasty and ruled the sultanate until they were displaced by the Lodi dynasty.
9. During the early medieval era, in which among the following present states of India a Mason’s guild was working?
[A] Rajasthan
[B] Gujarat
[C] Karnataka
[D] Tamil Nadu
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Gujarat]
Notes:
The Gujarat Style was a judicious mix of Islamic and Indian traditions of architecture. The most notable point is that the mason’s guilds worked here and these guilds were able to retain the high techniques of stone architecture and sculpture that had greatly developed in Gujarat before the Muslim invasion. This was a significant departure from the Sultanate monuments of Delhi, where the style used was relatively archaic. However, in Ahamadabad also, false domes and archs were used such as in Rani Sipri Mausoleum.
10. Who among the following is said to have witnessed the reigns of eight Delhi Sultans? (UPSC Prelims 1994)
[A] Ziauddin Barani
[B] Shams-i-Siraj Afif
[C] Minhaj-us-Siraj
[D] Amir Khusrau
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Amir Khusrau]
Notes:
Amir Khusrau was an iconic figure in the cultural history of the Indian subcontinent. He is said to have witnessed the reigns of eight Delhi Sultans from ‘Ghiyasuddin Balban to Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq’.
