Medieval Indian History MCQs

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Mansabdar implies the generic term for the military-kind grading of all royal functionaries of the Mughal Empire. The Mansabdari system introduced by Akbar was borrowed from the system followed in Mongolia.

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Yusuf Adil Shah, born in 1450, founded the Bijapur Sultanate in 1490. Coming from an Ottoman background, he established an independent state after the disintegration of the Bahmani kingdom. As a ruler, he implemented a system of efficient governance and constructed numerous architectural marvels in the city. His reign initiated the peak of Indo-Saracenic architecture, which was a blend of Islamic and Hindu styles.

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Ashta Pradhan was a council of eight ministers that administered the Maratha empire. The council was formed in 1674 by founding Emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji.The term Ashta Pradhan literally translates to “the Prime Eight”, from the Sanskrit ashta (“eight”) and pradhan (“prime”). The body discharged the functions of a modern council of ministers; this is regarded as one of the first successful instances of ministerial delegation in India. The council is credited with having implemented good governance practices in the Maratha heartland, as well as for the success of the military campaigns against the Mughal Empire.

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Alp-Tegin, was a Turkic slave commander of the Samanid Empire, who would later become the semi-independent governor of Ghazna from 962 until his death in 963. He founded th principality of Ghazani in AD 962.

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Rihla was written by Ibn Battuta. The book is also known as The Travels. It’s a travelogue that documents Battuta’s 29-year journey across Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. Battuta traveled over 120,000 kilometers, visiting countries including Morocco, Egypt, India, China, and Mali.  The book’s formal title is A Masterpiece to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Traveling. It provides insights into the cultures, societies, and historical events of the places Battuta visited. The book also includes his interactions with rulers, scholars, and ordinary people.  Battuta’s travels lasted from 1304 to 1369. He returned home to Tangier in 1349. The book is an important historical document that offers a unique perspective on the medieval world.

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The Chishti Order is a Sufi order which arose from Chisht, a small town near Herat, in western Afghanistan. It was founded by Abu Ishaq Shami in about 930 CE. Before returning to western Asia he trained and deputed the son of local emir, Abu Ahmad Abdal, under whose leadership the Chishtiyya flourished as a regional mystical order. Moinuddin Chishti is credited with laying its foundations in India. Other famous saints of the Chishti Order are Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, Fariduddin Ganjshakar, Nizamuddin Auliya and Alauddin Ali Ahmed Sabir Kalyari.

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The battle of Raichur fought between Sri Krishnadevaraya, King of Vijayanagar empire and Ismail Adil Shah, the king of Bijapur.

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Allauddin Khilji built Hauz Khas, Mahal Hazaar Satoon and Jamait Khana Mosque in Delhi.

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In 1664 AD, Chhatrapati Shivaji attacked and sacked Surat , a wealthy Mughal trading centre, for the first time.

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The foreign explorers who visited court of Emperor Shahjahan are Jean-Baptise Tavernier (France), Manucci (Italy) and Bernier(France).