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. Which among the following is the correct meaning of a word “Manigramam” used in medieval India?
[A] Association of Villages
[B] Complex of various markets
[C] Association of Merchants
[D] Unit of administration in a small village
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Association of Merchants]
Notes:
Manigramam guild was a localized merchant body which first appeared along the Kerala coast in the ninth century A.D. According to Herman Gundert, Manigramam people were descendants of Syrian Christian merchants who were converted to Saivism by Tamil Saivite poet Manikkavasagar. They gradually flourished in Tamil Nadu in the Pallava and Chola periods and then became supra-regional in character by being active in South-east Asia.
2. Which Sultan had forbidden the Nobles to hold banquets & Festivities, and make marriage alliances without his permission?
[A] Iltutmish
[B] Alauddin Khilji
[C] Balban
[D] Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Alauddin Khilji]
Notes:
Alauddin Khilji lavishly distributed money and gold among his people, noble and ministers so that they might forget the murders he committed. He adopted a conciliatory policy towards Nobles and held banquets & Festivities.
3. Who among the following is considered to be the teacher of Amir Khusro?
[A] Moinuddin Chishti
[B] Baba Farid
[C] Nizamuddin Auliya
[D] Bakhtiyar Kaki
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Nizamuddin Auliya]
Notes:
Amir Khusrau was an influential poet who embraced Sufism under the guidance of Nizamuddin Auliya in 1310 during reign of Alauddin Khilji. In his prolific career, he wrote several significant works. One of them was Nuh Sipihr, a masnavi about the reign of Sultan Qutb ud-Din Mubarak Shah Khalji. Another noteworthy work was Duval Rani – Khizr Khan, a love saga about the alliance between Vaghela princess Duval Rani and Khizr Khan, the progeny of Sultan Ala ud-Din Khalji.
4. Faujdar and Amalguzar were the chief officials of the ‘Sarkars’ (administrative divisions) in Mughal Period. Amalguzar was related to which of the following operations?
[A] Law & Order
[B] Revenue
[C] Defence
[D] Audit and Accounts
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Revenue]
Notes:
During the Akbar’s reign the Amalguzar was assigned to exercise a general supervision over all types of lands for the purpose of imperial rules and regulations and the assessment and collection of land revenue uniformly.
5. Shershah Suri introduced the coins made of _____?
[A] Silver & Copper Only
[B] Gold & Silver Only
[C] Gold, Silver & Copper
[D] Gold & Copper
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Gold, Silver & Copper]
Notes:
The coin was first introduced by Sher Shah Suri during his rule of India between 1540 and 1545. He introduced Gold,silver and copper coins.
6. Which among the following place is the birth place of Humayun?
[A] Agra
[B] Kabul
[C] Badakhashan
[D] Sasaram
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Kabul]
Notes:
Nasir-ud-Din Muḥammad (6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), is known by his name, Humayun was the second emperor of the Mughal Empire, who ruled over territory in what is now Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northern India, and Bangladesh from 1530–1540 and again from 1555–1556. Like his father, Babur, he lost his kingdom early but regained it with the aid of the Safavid dynasty of Persia, with additional territory. At the time of his death in 1556, the Mughal Empire spanned almost one million square kilometres.
7. Who among the following scholars of Akbar’s Court translated Atharva veda into Persian?
[A] Haji Ibrahim Sarhindi
[B] Abdul Qadir Badayuni
[C] Naqib khan
[D] None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Haji Ibrahim Sarhindi]
Notes:
Akbar had a committee of scholars with cross lingual expertise. Some of them were Naqeeb Khan, Mulla Abdul Qadir Badayuni, Mulla Sheri and Sultan Haji Thanesari. In that era Mahabharat was translated into Persian and was renamed as Razm Namah (Saga of the Battlefield). Atharva Veda was translated by Haji Ibrahim Sirhindi.
8. Who among the following was considered as the “mixture of opposites”.?
[A] Firuz Tughlaq
[B] Mohammed bin Tughlaq
[C] Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
[D] Kaiqubad
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Mohammed bin Tughlaq]
Notes:
Muhammad Bin Tughlaq was known as a mixture of opposites as he made his decisions at the wrong time and changed them when it was too late. He took wrong decisions in wrong time. He is way ahead of his time.
9. Which among the following was prevalent in the Indian Society before the Muslim conquest?
[A] Purdah System
[B] Child Marriage
[C] Sati System
[D] Slavery
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Slavery]
Notes:
Comparing to the other options, some sort of slavery was prevalent before Muslim conquests. The Purdah was a gift of Muslim invasions, and same applies to Child marries which came into practice to avoid the new danger of lifting Hindu girls by Muslims as an holy act of Jihad, Sati & Jauhar also got established as the wives of the invaded used to kill themselves before their husbands went on the last battle.
Slavery became more prevalent because it was a fashion and a status symbol among the Muslims at that time. As we read Aladdin had 84000 slaves and Firuz Tughlaq had 2 lakhs, all of them were maintained at the state cost.
10. Who among the following is the Persian mathematician and poet composer of the world famous Rubbayat?
[A] Omar Khayyám
[B] Muhammad Iqbal
[C] Sultan Bahu
[D] Mirza Ghalib
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Omar Khayyám]
Notes:
Rubbayat is written by Omar Khayyam. It is collection ruba i.e .persian poems.