Medieval History Full Test

MEDIEVAL INDIA

1. Which of the following pairs is or are not correctly matched?

    Name of Dynasty: Meaning

1. Pratihara               : Protector

2. Pala                        : Door Keeper

3. Rashtrakutas     : Chief of a divison or kingdom

Code:

a) Only 1

b) Only 1 and 2

c) Only 1 and 3

d) All of the above

2. Which of the following dynasty had converted the Bay of Bengal into the lake?

a) Chola

b) Suluva

c) Tuluva

d) Sangam

3. Which of the following is or are correctly matched?

1. Jean-Baptiste Tavernier: Itlay

2. François Bernier: Germany

Code:

a) Only 1

b) Only 2

c) Both

d) None

4. Who among the following is known as ‘Ashoka of South’?

a) Rajendera Chola

b) Krishnadev Raya

c) Amoghvarsha

d) SriSatkarni

5. Which of the following dynasties is or are known as ‘Mamluks’?

1. Slaves

2. Khilzis

3. Tughlaqs

4. Syeds

Code:

a) Only 1

b) Only 1 and 2

c) Only 1, 2 and 3

d) All of the above

6. Which of the following statements is or are correct about Caliph?

1. Caliph is derived from the Arabic word ‘Khalifa’ which means ‘deputy’. This is a title given to the rulers who succeeded Prophet Muhammad.

2. The task of providing religious and political leadership to the Muslims passed on to the Caliphs, after the death of Prophet (AD 632).

3. During the time of later Abbasids, the Caliphs began to loose political control and independent Muslim Rulers (Sultans) emerged in several regions.

Code:

a) Only 1 and 2

b) Only 1 and 3

c) Only 2 and 3

d) All of the above

7. Which of the following pairs is or are incorrectly matched?

     Place of Battle   : State

1. Tarain                    : Punjab

2. Talikota                 : Andhara Pradesh

3. Takkolam               : Tamil Nadu

Code:

a) Only 1

b) Only 2

c) Only 3

d) Only 1 and 2

8. Which of the following books is or are related with Mughal Period?

1. Taj-ul-Masasir

2. Padmavat

3. Padshahnama

4. Alamgirnama

Code:

a) Only 1 and 2

b) Only 2 and 3

c) Only 3 and 4

d) Only 1 and 3

9. Which of the following book is autobiography of Mughal’s rulers?

1. Baburnama

2. Humayunama

3. Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri

4. Akabarnama

Code:

a) Only 1 and 2

b) Only 1 and 3

c) Only 2 and 3

d) Only 1, 2 and 3

10. Which of the following pairs is or are correctly matched?

1. Rani Didda                        : Lohara Dynasty

2. Rani Karnavati     : Marvar Dynasty

3. Rani Durgavati     : Gond Dynasty

Code:

a) Only 1 and 2

b) Only 1 and 3

c) Only 2 and 3

d) All of the above

11. Which of the following pairs is or are not correctly matched?

1. Banaras of South: Hampi

2. Siraj of East: Allahabad

Code:

a) Only 1

b) Only 2

c) Both

d) None

12. Which of the following statement or features is or are incorrect about Feudalism?

a) Weakening of the localized aristocracies

b) Village self-sufficiency undermined commerce

c) Gold and Silver money tended to contract over most of India

d) High rates of interest

13. Which of the following statement is or are correct about the book ‘Lilavati’?

1. It was written by Bhaskar II on Mathematics in 1150 C.E in Sanskrit.

2. It was written for his daughter, Lilavati.

3. It was translated into Persian by Abdul Faizi in 1587 C.E.

Code:

a) Only 1 and 2

b) Only 1 and 3

c) Only 2 and 3

d) All of the above

14. Which of the following statements is or are correct about Cholas?

1. The economic strength of Chola was rested partly on the role south India played in the Indian Ocean Trade.

2. The Royal monopoly of horses imported from Iran gave added strength on land to Chola.

Code:

a) Only 1

b) Only 2

c) Both

d) None

15. Which of the following features is related with Sabha and Mahajan?

1. Corporations of Lordship

2. Bodies of Peasants

3. Bodies of Owners or Tax-Rent Claimants

4. Established in ordinary villages (Ur)

Code:

a) Only 1 and 2

b) Only 1 and 3

c) Only 2 and 4

d) All of the above

16. Which of the following is or are correct about Sati System?

1. Widow-burning or Sati was practiced among higher castes only.

2. It had become fairly widespread all over India, including extreme south India.

Code:

a) Only 1

b) Only 2

c) Both

d) None

17. Which of the following statements is or are correct about Dravida architecture?

1. The Dravidian style of temple architecture began with the Chola rule.

2. The Chola introduced the art of excavating temples from the rock.

Code:

a) Only 1

b) Only 2

c) Both

d) None

18. ‘Valangai and Idangai’ mean

a) Two major divisions among the castes

b) Village official and Town Official

c) Two major divisions among the religious sects

d) Two major divisions among the Tamil literature

19. Who among the following travellers did visit Vijayanagar during the reign of Krishna Deva Raya?

1. Marco Polo

2. Duarte Barbosa

3. Dominigo Paes

4. Fernao Nuniz

a) Only 1 and 2

b) Only 2 and 3

c) Only 3 and 4

d) All of the above

20. Which of the following philosophy is followed by ISKCON?

a) Achintya Bhedābheda

b) Dvaitādvaita

c) Shuddhādvaita

d) Purnādvaita

21. Which of the following is statement is or are correct about the differences between the Hinduism and Buddhism?

1. Hinduism believes in the existence of Atman, while Buddhism denies Atman.

2. Nirvana is the liberating realization and acceptance that there is no Self (anatman), While Moksha is liberating realization and acceptance of self and Universal Soul.

Code:

a) Only 1

b) Only 2

c) Both

d) None

22. Which of the following pairs is or are correctly matched?

     Types of Land: Feature

1. Polaj           : Regularly cultivated

2. Chachar     : Lain fallow for 3 or 4 years

Code:

a) Only 1

b) Only 2

c) Both

d) None

23. Which of the following is statement is or are not correct about the Raskhan?

1. He is widely acknowledged as a great poet, having dedicated most of his creations to Lord Krishna.

2. Raskhan Rachnavali creations describe the beauty of not only Lord Krishna but also his relations with his beloved Radha.

Code:

a) Only 1

b) Only 2

c) Both

d) None

24. Which of the following pairs is or are correctly matched?

1. Kanqah: Sufi Lodging

2. Tankah: Silver Coin

3. Ummah: Muslim Believers

4. Wilayat: Spiritual territory of a Sufi

Code:

a) All of the above

b) Only 1, 2 and 3

c) Only 2, 3 and 4

d) Only 1, 3 and 4

25. Which of the following pairs is or are not correctly matched?

Name of Department/Ministry: Related With

1. Diwan-i-Arz: Royal Correspondence

2. Diwan-i-Insha: Religious Affairs

3. Diwan-i-Risalat: Military Affairs

4. Diwan-i-Wizarat: Finanace

Code:

a) Only 1, 2 and 3

b)  Only 1 and 2

c) Only 1 and 4

d) Only 4

26. Which of the following buildings is known as “Baby Taj”?

a) Humayun Tomb

b) Ittimaddaulah Tomb

c) Bibi ka Makbara

d) Moti Maszid

27. Which of the following is statement is or are not correct about the Mughal Paintings?

1. Mughal paintings reached its climax during the reign of Akbar.

2. Many Indian fables became the mural paintings in the Art Studio established by Akbar.

3. Apart from painting the scenes of hunting, battles and royal courts, progress was made in portrait painting and paintings of animals.

Code:

a) Only 1

b) Only 1 and 2

c) Only 1 and 3

d) Only 2 and 3

28. Which of the following is statement is or arecorrect about the Mughal literature?

1. The translation of Mahabharata into the Persian language was done by Abul Fazal.

2. Faizi translated Bhaskaracharya’s celebrated Sanskrit work on mathematics, Lilavati, into Persian.

3. Dara Shikoh translated the Bhagavat Gita and Upanishads into the Persian language.

Code:

a) Only 1 and 2

b) Only 1 and 3

c) Only 2 and 3

d) All of the above

29. Whichof the following is statement is or arecorrect about theMansabdari System?

1. It was the administrative system of the Mughal Empire introduced by Akbar in 1572 C.E.

2. Only military officer was given a ‘mansab’ and different numbers which could be divided by ten and were used for ranking officers.

3. It was also meant for fixing the salaries and allowances of officers.

4. The mansab rank was not hereditary. All appointments and promotions as well as dismissals were directly made by the emperor.

Code:

a) Only 1, 2 and 3

b) Only 1, 3 and 4

c) Only 2, 3 and 4

d) All of the above

30. Which of the following statements is or are correct about Hemu?

1. Hemu had conquered Delhi by defeating the Mughals led by Tardi Beg Khan at the Battle of Delhi and proclaimed himself Raja Vikramaditya.

2. The Second Battle of Panipat was fought on November 5, 1556, between the forces of Hemu, the Hindu general and Chief Minister of Adil Shah Suri, and the army of the Mughal emperor, Akbar.

Code:

a) Only 1

b) Only 2

c) Both

d) None

31. Which of the following statements is or are correct about the land revenue system of Akbar?

1. Akbar made some experiments in the land revenue administration with the help of Raja Todar Mal.

2. The land revenue system of Akbar was called Zabti or Bandobast system also known as Dahsala System.

3. He introduced a uniform system of land measurement and revenue was fixed on the average yield of land assessed on                              the basis of past ten years.

4. Payment of revenue was made generally in cash.

Code:

a) Only 1, 2 and 3

b) Only 2, 3 and 4

c) Only 1, 3 and 4

d) All of the above

32. Which of the following statements is or are correct?

1. Sher Shah borrowed many ideas like the ‘Daag’ and ‘Chehra’ from Alauddin Khalji.

2. Akbar set about reforming the administration of his Empire’s land revenue by adopting a system that had been used by Sher Shah Sur.

Code:

a) Only 1

b) Only 2

c) Both

d) None

33. Which of the following statements is or are correct?

1. Qila-i-Kuhna mosque was built by Sher Shah in 1541 at Purana Qila, Delhi.

2. Moti Masjid was built by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Red Fort, Delhi.

Code:

a) Only 1

b) Only 2

c) Both

d) None

34. Which of the following statements is or are correct about agriculture during seventeen century C.E.?

1. A large variety of crops such as barley, gram, pulses, rice, and wheat were cultivated.

2. Commercial crops such as indigo, oil-seeds, cotton and sugarcane were also cultivated.

3. During the seventeenth century two new crops, viz., tobacco and maize were added.

4. No new agricultural technique was introduced during this period.

5. India was able to export food items like rice and sugar to the neighboring countries.

Code:

a) Only 1, 2, 3 and 4

b) Only 1, 3, 4 and 5

c) Only 2, 3, 4 and 5

d) All of the above

35. Who among the following communities are related with Trade?

1. Bohra

2. Chettis

3. Marwaris

4. Maheshwaris

Code:

a) Only 1, 2 and 3

b) Only 2, 3 and 4

c) Only 1, 3 and 4

d) All of the above

36. Which of the following highways were laid by Sher Shah Suri to improve the communications?

1. Sonargaon to Sind

2. Agra to Burhampur

3. Jodhpur to Chittor

4. Lahore to Multan

a) Only 1, 2 and 3

b) Only 2, 3 and 4

c) Only 1, 3 and 4

d) All of the above

37. Which of the folloiwng monuments is or are the part of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram?

1. The Seven Pagodas

2. The Shore Temple

3. The Pancha Rathas

Code:

a) Only 1 and 2

b) Only 2 and 3

c) Only 1 and 3

d) All of the above

38. Which of the following dynasties is called ‘Guarding the Gates of India’?

a) Hindu Shahi

b) Chauhans

c) Rathod

d) Cholas

39. Which of the following statements is or are correct about the ‘Shahnameh’?

1. The meaning of Shahnameh is “The Book of Kings”.

2. It was written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi.

3. It is the national epic of Greater India.

Code:

a) Only 1 and 2

b) Only 2 and 3

c) Only 1 and 3

d) All of the above

40. Which of the following statements is or are correct about the Mughal’s Architecture?

1. The Mughals were fond of laying gardens with running water.

2. Large scale construction of buildings started with the dawn of Shahjahan.

3. Taj Mahal is considered as jewel of the builder’s art.

4. Many features of Mughal tradition can be seen in the Golden Temple at Amritsar.

Code:

a) Only 1, 2 and 3

b) Only 2, 3 and 4

c) Only 1, 3 and 4

d) All of the above

41. Which of the following pairs is or are correctly matched?

     Incharge              : Area

1. Shiqdar                  : Military officer

2. Amin                       : land revenue

3. Fotedar                  : Treasurer

4. Karkuns                 : Accountants

Code:

a)  Only 1, 2 and 3

b) Only 1, 3 and 4

c) Only 2, 3 and 4

d) All of the above

42. Which of the following statements is or are correct about the Sher Shah Suri’s Revenue administration?

1. The state gave a patta to each cultivator, which specified the state demand. The cultivator was also obliged to sign a qabuliat (deed of agreement) promising to honour the revenue due from him. Both the documents contained information on the size of the plot.

2. Sher Shah’s revenue settlement has been unanimously acclaimed. And it has been contended that it provided the basis for Todar Mal’s bandobust in Akbar’s reign, as also for the Ryotwari system in British India.

3. According to the schedule of Sher Shah’s assessment rates the revenue on perishable articles was fixed in cash rates, but for all the principal staple crops, the land was classified into three classes-good, middling and bad.

Code:

a) Only 1 and 2

b) Only 2 and 3

c) Only 1 and 3

d) All of the above

43. Which of the following statements is or are correct about the Sher Shah Suri?

1. The Indian rupee was re-introduced in medieval times, issued and termed as rupiya, the silver coin, by Sher Shah Suri, continued by the Mughal rulers.

2. He also built a Mausoleum at Sasaram, which is considered as one of the master pieces of Indian architecture.

3. Malik Muhammad Jayasi wrote the famous Hindi work Padmavat during his reign.

Code:

a) Only 1 and 2

b) Only 2 and 3

c) Only 1 and 3

d) All of the above

44. Which of the following pairs is or are correctly matched?

             Ruler              :       Death by

1. Qutub-din-Aibek: Wounded as a result of the explosion

2. Humayun: Tumbled down from the staircase of his library

3. Shershah Suri: Falling from a horse while playing polo

Code:

a) Only 1

b) Only 2

c) Only 1 and 2

d) Only 2 and 3

45. Which of the following statements is or are correct about the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque?

1. It was built by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, founder of the Mamluk or Slave dynasty.

2. It was the first mosque built in Delhi after the Islamic conquest of India

3. It was the oldest surviving example of Ghurids architecture in Indian subcontinent.

4. It was built by the parts taken by destruction of twenty-seven Hindu and Jain temples.

Code:

a) Only 1, 2 and 3

b) Only 2, 3 and 4

c) Only 1, 3 and 4

d) All of the above

46. Which of the following statements is or are correct about the Qutb Minar?

1. It is a minaret that forms part of the Qutab complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Mehrauli area of Delhi, India.

2. Its design is thought to have been based on the Minaret of Jam, in western Afghanistan.

3. The minar’s topmost storey was damaged by lightning in 1369 and was rebuilt by Firuz Shah Tughlaq, who added another storey.

4. An earthquake damaged Qutub Minar and it was repaired by Sikander Lodi in 1505.

Code:

a) Only 1, 2 and 3

b) Only 2, 3 and 4

c) Only 1, 3 and 4

d) All of the above

47. Which of the following tax is or are not allowed by Shariyat but imposed by Feroz Shah Tughlaq?

1. Kharaj

2. Khums

3. Sharaf

4. Abwafs

Code:

a) Only 1 and 2

b) Only 3 and 4

c) Only 1, 2 and 3

d) All of the above

48. Which of the following statements is or are correct about the coinage of medieval India?

1. The coins of Akbar were the first to the hindu symbols or goddess.

2. The coins of Ala-ud-din Khalji are the first to bear dates.

3. Muhammad binTughluq has been called the Prince of moneyers.

Code:

a) Only 1 and 2

b) Only 2 and 3

c) Only 1 and 3

d) All of the above

49. Which of the following statements is or are correct about Qutbuddin Aibak?

1. He was founder of the Slave dynasty as well as the Delhi Sultanate.

2. He made Lahore as his capital.

3. He started the construction of Qutb Minar in memory of sufi saint Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki which was completed by his successor, Aram Baksh.

Code:

a) Only 1 and 2

b) Only 2 and 3

c) Only 1 and 3

d) All of the above

50. Which of the following statements is or are not correct about the Iltutmish?

1. He introduced the silver tanka and the copper jital-the two basic coins of the Sultanate period.

2. He had disintegrated a new class of ruling elite of forty powerful military leaders -Turkan-i-Chahalgani or Chalisa or Forty.

3. He gave the shelter to Jalaluddin Mangabarni (also known as Khwarizm Shah), whom Chengiz was chasing.

Code:

a) Only 1

b) Only 2

c) Only 1 and 2

d) Only 2 and 3

51. Which of the following statements is or are correct about the Amir Khusrow?

1. He was a Sufi mystic and a spiritual disciple of Chirag Dehalvi.

2. He is regarded as the “father of qawwali”.

3. He was the originator of the khayal and tarana styles of music.

4. He has been called the “father of Urdu literature.

5. He gave important contribution to the development of the ghazal.

Code:

a) Only 1, 2, 3 and 4

b) Only 2, 3, 4 and 5

c) Only 1, 3, 4 and 5

d) All of the above

52. Who among the following Bhakti Saints was part of the egalitarian, personalized Varkari devotionalism tradition?

a) Ramananda

b) Kabir

c) Mirabai

d) Tukaram

53. Which Bhakti Saints venerated in Sikhism, as well as Hindu warrior-ascetic traditions such as the Dadupanthis and the Niranjani Sampraday that emerged in north India during the Islamic rule?

a) Ramananda

b) Eknath

c) Mirabai

d) Namdeva

54. Which of the following statements is or are correct about the Bhakti Movement in India?

1. It was confined to only some parts of North & Central India.

2. Its doctrine is the foundation of modern Vaishnavite Hinduism.

3. It was a spontaneous movement.

Code:

a) 1 and 2 

b) 2 and 3

c) 1 and 3

d) All the above

55. Which of the following statements is or are correct about the Sufism?

1. Sufism derives is inspiration from Islam.

2. Sufi saints preached only in Arabic and Persian.

3. Sufism does not believe in caste system.

4. Sufism emphasizes upon leading a simple life.

5. Sufism believes in inner purity.

Code:

a) All of the above

b) 1, 2, 3 and 4

c) 2, 3, 4 and 5

d) 1, 3, 4 and 5

56. Which of the following pairs is or are correctly matched?

    Sufi Saint: Centre

1. Moin-ud-Din Chisti:Ajmer

2. Baba Farid: Lahore

3. Nizam-ud-Din Aulia: Delhi

Code:

a) Only 1 and 2

b) Only 1 and 3

c)  Only 2 and 3

d) All of the above

57. Starting from earliest, select the correct order in which these foreign travelers visited India.

1. Marco Polo, Fa Hien, Ibn Battuta, Hiuen Tsang
2. Fa Hien, Hiuen Tsang, Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta
3. Marco Polo, Hiuen Tsang, Fa Hien, Ibn Battuta
4. Ibn Battuta, Hiuen Tsang, Fa Hien, Marco Polo

58. Which among the following is/are the features of Sufi movement?

1. One does not need spiritual guru for union with God.

2. Belief in performance of miracles

3. Communication with God through ascetic practices

4. Service to the poorer and downtrodden sections of society

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1. 1, 2 and 3 only
2. 2, 3 and 4 only
3. 1 and 2 only
4. 3 and 4 only

59. With reference to the economic history of medieval India, the term hatta, hattika and pattana refers to :

1. Bonded labor
   1. Land grants made to officers
   1. Periodic market and trade centers
   1. Village headmen

60. Consider the following pairs:

    Work:                   Scholar

1. SiddhantaShiromani: Brahmagupta

2. Sulvasutra : Baudhayana

3. Ganit Sara Sangraha: Mahaviracharya

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

1. 1 and 2 only
   1. 2 and 3 only
   1. 1 only
   1. 1, 2 and 3

61. Consider the following statements regarding the Deccan policy of Mughals:

1. Akbar started the policy of expansion of Mughal empire in Deccan.

2. Jahangir had peaceful relations with the Deccan rulers.

3. Aurangzeb’s policy towards the Deccan had political as well as religious purpose.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
   1. 1 and 3 only
   1. 2 and 3 only
   1. 1, 2 and 3

62. Consider the following pairs:

Texts related to performing arts Author

1. Natyashastra : Bharata

2. Gita Govinda : Jayadeva

3. Kitabe Navras : Ibrahim Adil Shah II

Which of the pairs given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
   1. 1 and 3 only
   1. 2 and 3 only
   1. 1, 2 and 3

63. In the context of ancient Indian history, ‘Tamizhakam’ refers to:

1. A new culture that developed as a result of contacts between Arabs & people of South India around 1st century AD.
   1. Is another name for megalithic structures built around burials.
   1. Is a name of migrant tribes from north to south during 1st century BC.
   1. Cultural & economic contacts between the north & south as a result of trade between people which became important from 4th century BC.

64. In the South Indian medieval history, there is a lot more known and recorded about Cholas than their predecessor. Which of the following reasons is most appropriately attributed to it?

1. Chola courts housed several poets and authors who wrote about the kings and the kingdom.
   1. Temples built by Chola kings have long inscriptions written on their wall about the victories.
   1. Sangam litreature gives detailed account of historical narratives of the king and the society of the time.
   1. Travellers and traders visiting Chola empire have written extensive literature about the kingdom.

65. Which of the following statements regarding the Mongols in the 13th century is/are correct?

1. The Mongol emperor Changez Khan did not cross the Indus due to the fear of Balban’s army.

2. Mongol king Abdullah was defeated by Jalaluddin Khalji in Bhatinda.

3. Mongol invasion during Alauddin Khalji’s rule laid the foundations of a strong Sultanate army.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1. 1 only
   1. 1 and 3 only
   1. 2 and 3 only
   1. 1, 2 and 3

66. Koh-I-Noor diamond was taken away from India to Persia during the rule of which Mughal ruler?

(a) Aurangzeb

(b) Muhammad Shah

(c) Farrukhsiyar

(d) Shah Alam

67. With reference to Al Beruni, consider the following statements:

1. He was a Moroccan traveler.

2. His travel records about India is found in the book Rihla.

3. He suggested that four social categories of society are not unique to India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
   1. 3 only
   1. 1 and 3 only
   1. 1, 2 and 3

68. Consider the following pairs:

Medieval cities: States

1. Kalinga : Orissa

2. Manyakheta : Karnataka

3. Anarta : Madhya Pradesh

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

1. 1 only
   1. 1 and 2 only
   1. 2 and 3 only
   1. 1, 2 and 3

69. With reference to the Vijayanagar kingdom, consider the following statements:

1. It was established by Krishnadeva Raya.

2. The Vijayanagara kings claimed to rule on behalf of the god Virupaksha.

3. The kingdom declined after the Mughal army sacked the city of Hampi.

Which of the statements given above is/are not correct?

1. 1 only
   1. 2 and 3 only
   1. 1 and 3 only
   1. 1, 2 and 3

70. “He preferred the pursuit of religion and literature to war. He was himself an author and is credited with writing the first Kannada book on poetic. He was great builder, and is said to have built the capital city so as to excel the city of Indra”..

The above passage describes which of the following famous Rashtrakuta King?

1. Dantidurga
   1. Amoghavarsha
   1. Govinda III
   1. Indra III

71. With respect to Indo – Islamic architecture, the ‘Sarais’ are:

1. Tunnels connecting major forts of the town.
   1. Commemorative gateways of the city.
   1. Ringed cities built to provide temporary accommodation for people.
   1. Region demarcated by the ruler for local markets.

72. With reference to the Tripartite struggle of medieval history, which of the statements given below is/are correct?

1. It was fought between Pratihara, Rashstrakuta and Pala dynasty.

2. It was fought for the city of Patliputra in the Ganga valley.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

73. Akbar followed the policy of sulh-i-kul during his rule. consider the following statements in this context:

1. It was the idea of tolerance which did not discriminate between people of different religions in his realm.

2. It focused on a system of ethics that was universally applicable.

3. This principle of governance was not followed by Jahangir and Shah Jahan.

Which of the statement given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
   1. 1 and 2 only
   1. 2 and 3 only
   1. 1, 2 and 3

74. Consider the following pairs:

    Traveler:  Kingdom they visited

1. Marco Polo : Mughal empire

2. Ibn Battuta : Delhi Sultanate

3. Abd al-Razzaq : Vijayanagar kingdom

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

1. 1 only
   1. 2 and 3 only
   1. 1 and 3 only
   1. 1, 2 and 3

75. In the context of the history of Chola empire, consider the following pairs:

Term:  Description

1. Ur: Settlement of peasants

2. Nadu: Educational institutes patronaged by the King

3. Brahmadeya: Military commanders

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

1. 1 only
   1. 2 and 3 only
   1. 1 and 3 only
   1. 1, 2 and 3

76. Consider the following pairs:

Place:  Bank of river

1. Hampi: Godavari

2. Ujjain: Shipra

3. Puri: Mahanadi

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

1. 1 only
   1. 3 only
   1. 2 and 3 only
   1. 1, 2 and 3

77. With reference to Medieval India, consider the following about Hundis.

1. It was a note recording a deposit made by a person which could be claimed back in another place by presenting the record of the deposit.
2. There is evidence to show that Hundis were honoured outside

Indian markets also. Which of the above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
   1. 2 only
   1. Both 1 and 2
   1. None

78. Amir Khusrau, a renowned poet in Medieval India, made which of the following observations about India?

1. A different language could be found in every region of India.
2. Training centres in Sanskrit language have done an excellent work at promoting Sanskrit to the common folks of India.

Which of the above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. None

79. If you happen to read Ain-i-Akbari, information about which of the following can be obtained from it?

1. Revenues and geography of Akbar’s empire
   1. Administration of Akbar
   1. Traditions and culture of the people living in India
   1. All of the above

80. The inscriptions of the Cholas who ruled in Tamil Nadu refer to many different kinds of taxes. Out of them Vetti and Kadamai taxes were levied respectively on

1. Forced labour and land
   1. Thatching the house and succession to family property
   1. Road services and security
   1. Performance of arts and house building

81. During the Medieval period, which of the following technologies made their appearance in India?

1. Persian wheel in irrigation
2. Spinning wheel in weaving
3. Firearms in combat

Select the correct answer using the codes below.

1. 1 only
   1. 1, 2 and 3
   1. 2 and 3 only
   1. 1 and 3 only

82. Aurang was a term used in Medieval India for

1. Tanti weavers of Bengal
2. Specialist block printers
3. Warehouse where goods were collected
4. Imported Cotton prints

83. The Taj-i-Izzat invented by Humayun was

a) A burqa for subject women

b) A royal headdress

c) A set of religious instructions targeting the moral decline in the empire

d) A code for conduct for female courtesans

84. Consider the following about the practice of Ijaradari.

1. Under the system the right to revenue collection was auctioned to the highest bidders.

2. The Mughals developed this system further which later came to be known as Faujdari.

Which of the above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
   1. 2 only
   1. Both 1 and 2
   1. None

85. Consider the following about the works of Ziyauddin Barani.

1. His work Fatwa-i-Jahandari contains the political ideals to be pursued by a Muslim ruler.

2. The Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi was an interpretation of the history of the Mughal rule.

Which of the above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
   1. 2 only
   1. Both 1 and 2
   1. None

86. In Medieval India, Zabita and Biswa were terms used in the context of

1. Agricultural productivity of fields
   1. Size of treasury
   1. Criminal Justice system
   1. None of the above

87. These tribes were largely brought to India as slaves by Arabs around 7th Century. Originally known as Habshish, these tribes living in Karnataka are descendants of Bantu people of East Africa. They are

1. Siddis
   1. Mophlas
   1. Bhil
   1. Chechu

88. Consider the following with reference to the views of the French traveller, Bernier about India.

1. He wrote that Sanskrit was closest to European languages and sponsored several works of inter-translation of texts.

2. He denounced the system of crown ownership of land.

3. He was associated with the Mughal court as an economic and social advisor.

Select the correct answer using the codes below.

1. 1 and 2 only
   1. 2 and 3 only
   1. 2 only
   1. 1 and 3 only

89. The term “Navaratna” is generally used for which of the following?

1. Group of scholars in the Imperial Court of King Vikramaditya and Akbar

2. Select group of Public Sector Enterprises (PSUs)

3. Profit making Central departmental enterprises (CDEs)

4. Group of Kingdoms that occupied the North-Western province of India before the invasion of Ghazni

Select the correct answer using the codes below.

a) 2 only

b) 3 and 4 only

c) 1, 2 and 4 only

d) 1 and 2 only

90.  Which of the following monuments is or are related with Shahjahan?

1. Panchmahal

2. Bulanda Darwaja

3. Redfort

4. Jama Maszid

5. Tajmahal

Code:

a) Only 1, 2, 3 and 4

b) Only 3, 4 and 5

c) Only 1, 3 and 5

d) 2, 3, 4 and 5

91. Which of the following pairs is or are correctly matched?

1. Sakaracharya: He had brought Bhakti Movement from South India to North India.

2. Gesu Daraj: He had brought Sufi Movement from North India to South India.

Code:

a) Only 1

b) Only 2

c) Both

d) None

92. Which of the following pairs is or are correctly matched?

1. Chola Period: The Golden Age of Tamil Literature

2. Rashtrakuta Period: The Golden Age of Kannada Literature

3. Vijaynagar Period: The Golden Age of Telagu Literature

Code:

a) Only 1 and 2

b) Only 1 and 3

c) Only 2 and 3

d) All of the above

93. Which of the following pairs is or are correctly matched?

1. Jahangir: Paintings

2. Shahjahan: Architecture

3. Aurangzeb: Empire Building

4. Md. Shah Rangeela: Music

Code:

a) Only 1, 2 and 3

b) Only 1, 3 and 4

c) Only 2, 3 and 4

d) All of the above

94. Which of the following monastery or Mahavihara is or are not located in India?

1. Odantpuri

2. Vikramshila

3. Somapura

4. Jagaddala

Code:

a) Only 1 and 2

b) Only 2 and 3

c) Only 3 and 4

d) Only 1 and 4

95. Which of the following statements is or are correct?

1. The Pala king, Mahipala, appointed Aatish Dipankar as Chancellor of Vikramashila Mahavihara in Bhagalpur, Bihar.

2. KingBhoja was a devotee of Vishnu and adopted the title of Adivaraha.

3. The famous Kailashnath Temple at Ellora (Maharashtra) was built by Krishna I?

Code:

a) Only 1 and 2

b) Only 1 and 3

c) Only 2 and 3

d) All of the above

96. Which of the following monuments is or are related with Solanki or Chalukya dynasties?

1. Rani ki Vav

2. Somnath Temple

3. Dilwara Temple

4. Konark Temple

Code:

a) 1, 2 and 3

b) 2, 3 and 4

c) 1, 3 and 4

d) All of the above

97. Which of the following statements is or are correct about the Khajuraho Temples?

1. The Khajuraho Group of Monuments is a group of Hindu and Jain temples in Uttar Pradesh.

2. The Khajuraho temples were built by Chandela dynasty.

3. The temples are famous for their Nagara-style architectural symbolism and their erotic sculptures.

4. The art work symbolically highlights the four goals of life considered necessary and proper in Hinduism – dharma, kama, artha and moksha.

Code:

a) Only 1 and 2

b) Only 2 and 3

c) Only 2, 3 and 4

d) All of the above

98. Which of the following pairs is or are not correctly matched?

1. Parantaka Chola: Maduraikonda

2. Rajendra Chola I: Gangaikondachola

Code:

a) Only 1

b) Only 2

c) Both

d) None

99. Which of the following dynasties was or were patron of the religion of Shaivism?

1. Sangam Dynasty

2. Chola Dynasty

3. Suluva Dynasty

Code:

a) Only 1 and 2

b) Only 1 and 3

c) Only 2 and 3

d) All of the above

100. Which of the following statements is or are correct about the Chola dynasty?

1. Kulotthunga literally means the “upraiser of fame of the (two) families”.

2. Raja Raja Chola I was also known as Pandit Chola.

Code:

a) Only 1

b) Only 2

c) Both

d) None

---

 

MEDIEVAL INDIA – ANSWER & EXPLANATION

 

1. Ans: b

Exp:. Pratihara: Door Keeper

2. Pala: Protector
3. Rashtrakutas: Chief of a divison or kingdom
4. Ans: a

Exp: The Chola navy was strongest in the area for some time and the Bay of Bengal was converted into a ‘Chola Lake’.

3. Ans: d

Exp: François Bernier (25 September 1620 – 22 September 1688) was a French physician and traveller. He was born at Joué-Etiau in Anjou. He was briefly personal physician to Mughal prince Dara Shikoh (28 October 1615 – 30 August 1659), the eldest son of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, and after Dara Shikoh’s demise, was attached to the court of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb (14 October 1618 – 20 February 1707), for around 12 years during his stay in India.

Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605 – 1689) was a 17th-century French gem merchant and traveller.Tavernier, a private individual and merchant traveling at his own expense, covered, by his own account, 60,000 leagues (120,000 miles[clarification needed]) in making six voyages to Persia and India between the years 1630 and 1668. In 1675, Tavernier, at the behest of his patron Louis XIV, published Les Six Voyages de Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (Six Voyages, 1676).

4. Ans:c

Exp:  Rajendera Chola is known as ‘Napolean of South India’.

Krishnadev Raya is known as ‘Andhra Bhoja’

SriSatkarni is known as ‘Lord of South India’.

5. Ans: a

Exp: During this period of around three hundred years five different dynasties ruled Delhi. These were the Mamluks (AD 1206–AD 1290) (popularly known as slave dynasty), the Khaljis (AD 1290–AD 1320), the Tughlaqs (AD 1320–AD 1412), the Sayyids (AD 1412–AD 1451) and the Lodis (AD 1451– AD 1526). All these dynasties are collectively referred as the Delhi Sultanate.

6. Ans: d

Exp: Between 632–1258 AD, there were four pious Caliphs, all close companions of the Prophet. The Umayyad Caliphate (AD 661–750) succeeded the pious Caliphs. Umayyad dynasty gave stability and prosperity to the Caliphate. Umayyad dynasty was followed by the Abbasid Caliphate (AD 750–1258).

7. Ans: d

Exp: The Battle of Takkolam was a military engagement between Rajaditya, son of the Chola king Parantaka I and a confederacy of Western Gangas, Banas and Vaidumbas led by the Rashtrakuta king Krishna III at Takkolam in the present-day Vellore District of Tamil Nadu, India. The battle fought in 949 A.D resulted in the defeat of the Cholas and the death of Rajaditya on the battlefield.

The Battles of Tarain, also known as the Battles of Taraori, were fought in 1191 and 1192 near the town of Tarain (Taraori), near Thanesar in present-day Haryana, approximately 150 kilometres north of Delhi, India, between a Ghurid force led by Mu’izz al-Din and a Chauhan Rajput army led by Prithviraj Chauhan.

The Battle of Talikota (23 January 1565) was a watershed battle fought between the Vijayanagara Empire and the Deccan sultanates. The battle took place at Talikota, today a town in northern Karnataka, about 80 kilometres (50 mi) to the southeast from the city of Bijapur. The treacherous defeat of Vijayanagara Empire, followed subsequent destruction and looting which became short lived before the successors of Rama Raya.

8. Ans: c

Exp:

Hasan Nizami was a Persian language poet and historian, who lived in the 12th and 13th centuries. He migrated from Nishapur to Delhi in India, where he wrote Tajul-Ma’asir, the first official history of the Delhi Sultanate.

Padmavat (or Padmawat) is an epic poem written in 1540 by Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi, who wrote it in the Hindustani language of Awadhi, and originally in the Persian Nastaʿlīq script. It is the oldest extant text among the important works in Awadhi. A famous piece of Sufi literature from the period, it relates an allegorical fictional story about the Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khalji’s desire for the titular Padmavati, the Queen of Chittor. Alauddin Khalji and Padmavati’s husband Ratan Sen are historical figures, whereas Padmavati is a fictional character.

The Padshahnama (Chronicle of the Emperor) is a genre of works written as the official visual history of Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan’s reign. Most significant work of this genre was written by Abdul Hamid Lahori in two volumes.

Alamgirnamah the court history of Emperor aurangzeb (1658-1707) written by Mirza Muhammad Kazim. Following the tradition of the Mughal emperors from the time of akbar, Aurangzeb ordered his court historian Mirza Muhammad Kazim to record and compile the history of his reign. Mirza Kazim wrote the history up to the tenth year of the reign of Aurangzeb (1668), but the emperor forbade him to continue the work after this period. The history was a voluminous work consisting of 1107 printed pages (published by the Calcutta asiatic society of Bengal in 1868).

Saqi Mustad Khan, the author of Maasir-i-Alamgiri, written after the Aurangzeb’s death, says that the cause of the prohibition of the writing of Alamgirnamah was that the emperor preferred spiritual things to displaying material life and, as such, did not like to represent worldly power and pomp and grandeur. Other modern scholars believe that the real reason was that after the 10th year of his reign, Aurangzeb had started to curtail his state expenditure and thus closed the costly department of prolix official annals.

9. Ans: b

Exp:

Bāburnāma (Chagatai/Persian: “Book of Babur” or “Letters of Babur”; alternatively known as Tuzk-e Babri) is the name given to the memoirs of Ẓahīr-ud-Dīn Muhammad Bābur (1483–1530), founder of the Mughal Empire and a great-great-great-grandson of Timur. It is an autobiographical work, written in the Chagatai language, known to Babur as “Turki” (meaning Turkic), the spoken language of the Andijan-Timurids. According to historian Stephen Frederic Dale, Babur’s prose is highly Persianized in its sentence structure, morphology, and vocabulary, and also contains many phrases and smaller poems in Persian. During Emperor Akbar’s reign, the work was completely translated to Persian by a Mughal courtier, Abdul Rahīm, in AH 998 (1589–90).

Gulbadan Begum (c. 1523 – 7 February 1603) was a Mughal princess and the youngest daughter of Emperor Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire and the first Mughal emperor. She is best known as the author of Humayun-Nama, the account of the life of her half-brother, Emperor Humayun, which she wrote on the request of her nephew, Emperor Akbar.

Tuzuk-e-Jahangiri or Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri (Persian) is the autobiography of Mughal Emperor Nur-ud-din Muhammad Jahangir (1569-1627). Also referred to as Jahangirnama Tuzk-e-Jahangiri is written in Persian, and follows the tradition of his great-grandfather, Babur (1487-1530), who had written the Baburnama; though Jahangir went a step further and besides the history of his reign, he includes details like his reflections on art, politics, and also information about his family.

The Akbarnama which translates to Book of Akbar, is the official chronicle of the reign of Akbar, the third Mughal Emperor (r. 1556–1605), commissioned by Akbar himself by his court historian and biographer, Abu’l-Fazl ibn Mubarak who was one of the nine jewels in Akbar’s court. It was written in Persian, the literary language of the Mughals, and includes vivid and detailed descriptions of his life and times.

• The first volume of Akbarnama deals with the birth of Akbar, the history of Timur’s family and the reigns of Babur and Humayun and the Suri sultans of Delhi. Volume one of Akbarnama encompasses Akbar’s birth and his upbringings.
• The second volume describes the detailed history of the reign of Akbar till 1602, and records the events during Akbar’s reign. It also deals with that how Bairam Khan and Akbar won the battle of Panipat against Hemu an Indian warrior.
• The third volume is named Ā’īn-i-Akbarī, and details the administrative system of the Empire as well as containing the famous “Account of the Hindu Sciences”. It also deals with Akbar’s household, army, the revenues and the geography of the empire. It also produces rich details about the traditions and culture of the people living in India. It is famous for its rich statistical details about things as diverse as crop yields, prices, wages and revenues.

10 .Ans: b

Exp: Didda (floruit 1003 CE), was the ruler of Kashmir from 958 CE to 1003 CE, first as a Regent for her son and various grandsons, and from 980 as sole ruler and monarch. Most knowledge relating to her is obtained from the Rajatarangini, a work written by Kalhana in the twelfth century. Didda was a daughter of Simharāja, the king of Lohara, and a granddaughter on her maternal side of Bhima Shahi, one of the Hindu Shahi of Kabul. Lohara lay in the Pir Panjal range of mountains, on a trade route between western Punjab and Kashmir.

Rani Karnavati also known as Rani Karmavati (died 8 March 1535), was a princess and temporary ruler from Bundi, India. She was married to Rana Sanga of Chittorgarh, the capital of Mewar Kingdom. She was the mother of the next two Ranas, Rana Vikramaditya and Rana Uday Singh, and grandmother of the legendary Maharana Pratap. She served as regent during the minority of her son, from 1527 until 1533.

Rani Durgavati (October 5, 1524 – June 24, 1564) was a ruling Queen of Gondwana from 1550 until 1564. She was born in the family of Chandel king Keerat Rai. She was born at the fort of Kalinjar (Banda, Uttar Pradesh). In 1542, she was married to Dalpat Shah, the eldest son of king Sangram Shah of Gond Dynasty. The Chandel and Rajgond dynasties were allied because of this marriage. This resulted in Keerat Rai gaining the help of the Gonds at the time of Muslim invasion of Sher Shah Suri. She gave birth to a son in 1545 A.D. who was named Vir Narayan. Dalpat Shah died in 1550 and due to young age of Vir Narayan, Durgavati took the reins of the Gond kingdom. Rani’s contemporary was a Mughal General, Khwaja Abdul Majid Asaf Khan, an ambitious man who vanquished Ramchandra, the ruler of Rewa. Prosperity of Rani Durgavati’s state lured him and he invaded Rani’s state after taking permission from Mughal emperor Akbar. This plan of Mughal invasion was the result of expansionism and imperialism of Akbar. Her mahout advised her to leave the battlefield but she refused and took out her dagger and killed herself on June 24, 1564. Her martyrdom day (24 June 1564) is even today commemorated as “Balidan Diwas”.

11. Ans: b

Exp: Banaras of South: Bijapur

Siraj of East: Jaunpur

12. Ans: a

Exp: Kosambi thought that by a process of craft-diffusion among villages, there came about a breakdown of the previous dependence of the village on town and, thereby, the emergence of village isolation. This is to him, formed the bedrock of the ‘feudal’ order, seen in the weakening of the centralized state and the rise of localized aristocracies.

13. Ans: d

Exp: Lilavati is the first volume of his main work, the Siddantha Siromani alongside the Bijaganita, the Grahaganita and the Goladhyaya.

A Persian translation of the Lilavati was commissioned by Emperor Akbar.

14. Ans: c
15. Ans: b

Exp: One should, however, remember that in essence such assemblies (Sabha, Mahajan) were lordship corporation, not bodies of peasants, but of owners or tax-rent claimants. It is not established at all that ordinary villages (Ur) had such assemblies, except possibly for distribution of tax-obligation among peasants.

16. Ans: a

Exp: In the seventh century C.E., it was criticised by the famous poet Banabhatt; but by the 11th century it had become fairly widespread all over the India (except the extreme south).

17. Ans: d

Exp: The Pallavas introduced the art of excavating temples from the rock. The Dravidian style of temple architecture began with the Pallava rule.

Mahendravarman I introduced the rock-cut temples. This style of Pallava temples are seen at places like Mandagappattu, Mahendravadi, Mamandur, Dalavanur, Tiruchirappalli, Vallam, Siyamangalam and Tirukalukkunram.

The second stage of Pallava architecture is represented by the monolithic rathas and Mandapas found at Mamallapuram. Narasimhavarman I took the credit for these wonderful architectural monuments. The five rathas, popularly called as the Panchapanadava rathas, signifies five different styles of temple architecture.

18. Ans: a

Exp: Caste system was widely prevalent during the Chola period. Brahmins and Kshatriyas enjoyed special privileges. The inscriptions of the later period of the Chola rule mention about two major divisions among the castes – Valangai and Idangai castes. However, there was cooperation among various castes and sub-castes in social and religious life.

19. Ans: b

Exp:

List of Foreign Travellers visited Vijayanagar Kingdom

Name   of Travellers	Place they came from	Reign of Indian King	Notable Things
Abu Abdullah/lbn Batuta	Morocco	Harihara I	A Muslim Moroccan scholar
Nicolo de Conti	Italy	Dev Raya II	An Italian merchant
Abdur Razzaq	Persia	Dev Raya II	A Persian Timurid chronicler
*Athanasius Nikitin	Russia	Muhammad III (Bahamani Ruler)	First Russian traveller and merchant who visited India
Ludvico de Vorthema	Italy	Vira Narasimha Raya	An Italian merchant and he was the first Christian to make the holy pilgrimage to Mecca.
Duarte Barbosa	Portugal	Krishna Deva Raya	A Portuguese Writer, scrivener and explorer
Dominigo Paes	Portugal	Krishna Deva Raya	A Portuguese merchant and writer
Fernao Nuniz	Portugal	Achyutaraya	A Portuguese chronicler and horse trader
*Marco Polo	Republic of Venice	Queen Rudrama Devi	A merchant and chronicler

20. Ans: a

Exp: The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement or Hare Krishnas, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava Hindu religious organisation. ISKCON was founded in 1966 in New York City by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada known to his followers as Guru and spiritual master. Its core beliefs are said to be based on select Hindu scriptures, particularly the Bhagavad Gita and the Bhagavata Purana, and the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, which has had adherents in India since the late 15th century and American and European converts since the early 1900s in North America.ISKCON was formed to spread the practice of Bhakti yoga, in which those involved (bhaktas) dedicate their thoughts and actions towards pleasing, Krishna, their Supreme Lord.

• Achintya Bhedābheda: The proponent of Achintya Bhedābheda was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was a follower of the Dvaita vedanta of Sri Madhwacharya. The doctrine of Achintya Bhedābheda or inconceivable and simultaneous one-ness and difference states that the soul or energy of God is both distinct and non-distinct from God and he can be experienced through a process of long devotion. It identified God in Krishna. This Philosophy is followed by ISKCON.
• Advaita: Its proponent was Adi Sahnakara and his Guru Gaudapada. The essence of this Vedanta is that “Brahman is the only reality, and the world, as it appears, is illusory.”
• Dvaita: The proponent of the Dvaita was Madhwāchārya. This theory is also known as Tatvavādā – The Philosophy of Reality. It identifies God in the Brahman (Universe) and its incarnations such as Vishnu and Krishna. It says that all individual souls (jīvātmans) and matter as eternal are mutually separate entities.
• Vishishtadvaita: Its proponent was Rāmānuja. The basic theory is that “jīvātman is a part of Brahman, and hence is similar, but not identical. Brahman,matter and the individual souls are distinct but mutually inseparable entities”. Vishishtadvaita advocates Bhakti to attain God.
• Dvaitādvaita: The theory of Dvaitādvaita was given by Nimbarka. It is based upon the early school of Bhedābheda of Bhaskara. It says that jīvātman is at once the same as yet different from Brahman. The jiva relation may be regarded as dvaita from one point of view and advaita from another. This school identifies God in Krishna.
• Shuddhādvaita: The proponent of Shuddhādvaita was Vallabha. It says that World is Leela of God that is Krishna and he is Sat-Chid-Aananda. It identifies Bhakti as the only means of liberation. Vallabha was also a famous saint of Pushti Marg. He won the famous debate of Brahmavad over Shankars.
• Purnādvaita or Integral Advaita: The proponent of Purnādvaita was Shri Arubindo. He propounded this doctrine in his “The Life Divine”. Synthesized all the exant schools of Vedanta and gave a comprehensive resolution integrating cues from the Western metaphysics and modern science. Sri Arubindo is known to be one, who restored the umbilical cord of the Vedantic exegesis with the Vedas.
• Modern Vedānta: The proponent of Modern Vedānta was Swami Vivekananda. His phislosophy says that the conditions of abject poverty should be removed; only then will people be able to turn their minds toward God.

21. Ans: c

Exp:

• According to Shankara, a major difference between Advaita and Mahayana Buddhism are their views on Atman and Brahman. According to Shankara, Hinduism believes in the existence of Atman, while Buddhism denies this.
• There are also differences in the understanding of what “liberation” means. Nirvana, a term more often used in Buddhism, is the liberating realization and acceptance that there is no Self (anatman). Moksha, a term more common in Hinduism, is liberating realization and acceptance of Self and Universal Soul, the consciousness of one’s Oneness with all existence and understanding the whole universe as the Self.
• Despite Adi Shankara’s criticism of certain schools of Mahayana Buddhism, Shankara’s philosophy shows strong similarities with the Mahayana Buddhist philosophy which he attacks. According to S.N. Dasgupta,
• Shankara and his followers borrowed much of their dialectic form of criticism from the Buddhists. His Brahman was very much like the sunya of Nagarjuna. The debts of Shankara to the self-luminosity of the Vijnanavada Buddhism can hardly be overestimated. There seems to be much truth in the accusations against Shankara by Vijnana Bhiksu and others that he was a hidden Buddhist himself. I am led to think that Shankara’s philosophy is largely a compound of Vijnanavada and Sunyavada Buddhism with the Upanisad notion of the permanence of self superadded.
• According to Mudgal, Shankara’s Advaita and the Buddhist Madhyamaka view of ultimate reality is compatible because they are transcendental, indescribable, non-dual and only arrived at through a via negativa (neti neti). Mudgal concludes therefore that the difference between Sunyavada (Mahayana) philosophy of Buddhism and Advaita philosophy of Hinduism may be a matter of emphasis, not of kind.

22. Ans: c

Exp: According to Ain-i-Akbari land was classified as –

1. Polaj – It was land which is annually cultivated for each crop in succession and is never allowed to lie fallow.
2. Parauti – land left out of cultivation for a time that it may recover its strength.
3. Chachar – land that has lain fallow for three or four years.
4. Banjar – land uncultivated for five years and more.

Of the first two kinds of land, there are three classes, good, middling, and bad. Third of this represents the medium produce, one-third part of which is exacted as the Royal dues.

23. Ans: d

Exp:

• He is widely acknowledged as a great poet, having dedicated most of his creations to Lord Krishna. His poetry is in the form of Doha, Padawali and Savayya. Sujan Raskhan and Prem Vatika are some of his available creations. Raskhan Rachnavali is the collection of Raskhan’s poetry. His creations describe the beauty of not only Lord Krishna but also his relations with his beloved Radha.
• Syed Ibrahim Ras Khan (born 1548 A.D.) was a Muslim poet of Pathan origins, who was a devotee of Lord Krishna. He is known to have lived in Amroha, India.
• Raskhan was his pen name in Hindi. In his early years, he became a follower of Lord Krishna and learned the religion from Goswami Vitthalnath and began living in Vrindavan and spent his whole life there.
• According to him lord Krishna was the most powerful and the greatest and was willing to give the greatest of the riches to have anything touched or belonging to Lord Krishna or be in his presence.
• Raskhan spoke both Hindi and Persian; he translated “Bhagavata Purana” into Persian.
• The poetry of Raskhan focuses on Lord Krishna. “Lilas” of Lord Krishna, such as Bal Lila, Chir Haran Lila, Kunj Lila, Ras Lila, Panghat Lila, and Dan Lila, were his favorite subjects. Apart from Lilas, Raskhan has also created poems on Lord Shankar, Goddess Ganga, and the Holi festival.
• He was contemporary of Akbar and Jahangir.
• He died in 1628 A.D. His samadhi is at Mahaban which is situated about six miles east of Mathura.

24. Ans: a

Exp:

25.Ans: a

Exp: Name of Department/Ministry: Related With

1. Diwan-i-Arz: Military Affairs
2. Diwan-i-Insha: Royal Correspondence
3. Diwan-i-Risalat: Religious Affairs
4. Diwan-i-Wizarat: Finanace
5. Ans: b

Exp: Ittimaddaulah Tomb is a Mughal mausoleum in the city of Agra in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Often described as a “jewel box”, sometimes called the “Baby Taj”, the tomb of I’timad-ud-Daulah is often regarded as a draft of the Taj Mahal.

27. Ans: b

Exp:  Many Indian fables became the miniature paintings in the Art Studio established by Akbar.

Mughal paintings reached its climax during the reign of Jahangir.

Apart from painting the scenes of hunting, battles and royal courts, progress was made in portrait painting and paintings of animals.

28. Ans: b

Exp: The translation of Mahabharata into the Persian language was done under the supervision of Abul Fazal.

The Razmnāma (Book of War) is a Persian translation of the Mahabharata. In Persian, “Razm” means “war” and “nama” means “tale” or “epic”; the name Razmnamah, therefore, means a tale of war. In 1574 Akbar started a Ibadat Khana or a house of translation works in Fatehpur Sikri. He endorsed the work to a few officials to make translations of the Sanskrit books Rajatarangini, Ramayana and Mahabharata into the Persian language.

29. Ans: b

Exp:

• The word mansab is of Arabic origin meaning rank or position. The system, hence, determined the rank of a government official.
• Every civil and military officer was given a ‘mansab’ and different numbers which could be divided by ten and were used for ranking officers.
• The lowest rank was 10 and the highest was 5000 for the nobles. Princes of royal blood received even higher ranks. The ranks were divided into two – zat and sawar.
• Zat means personal and it fixed the personal status of a person. Sawar rank indicated the number of cavalrymen of a person who was required to maintain. Every sawar had to maintain at least two horses.

30. Ans: c

Exp:

The Second Battle of Panipat was fought on November 5, 1556, between the forces of Hemu, the Hindu general and Chief Minister of Adil Shah Suri, and the army of the Mughal emperor, Akbar. Hemu had conquered Delhi a month earlier by defeating the Mughals led by Tardi Beg Khan at the Battle of Delhi and proclaimed himself Raja Vikramaditya. Akbar and his guardian, Bairam Khan, had immediately

marched to Delhi to reclaim the city. The two armies clashed at Panipat not far from the site of the First Battle of Panipat of 1526.

Although Hemu had lost his artillery to the Mughals before the battle, his forces held the numerical superiority. However, Hemu was wounded by a chance arrow in the middle of the battle and fell unconscious. Seeing their leader going down, his army panicked and dispersed. Hemu was captured and subsequently beheaded. The battle ended in a decisive victory for Akbar.

31. Ans: d

Exp: The land was also divided into four categories – Polaj (cultivated every year), Parauti (once in two years), Chachar (once in three or four years) and Banjar (once in five or more years).

Other local methods of assessment continued in some areas. Land which was fallow or uncultivated was charged at concessional rates. Zamindars of every area were required to provide loans and agricultural implements in times of need, to encourage farmers to plough as much land as possible and to sow seeds of superior quality. Revenue officials were guaranteed only three-quarters of their salary, with theremaining quarter dependent on their full realisation of the revenue assessed.

32. Ans: c

Exp: Sher Shah was linked between the administration of Allahuddin Khilzi and Akbar.

33. Ans: c

Exp: The Moti Masjid is a white marble mosque inside the Red Fort complex in Delhi, India. The name translates into English as “Pearl Mosque” located to the west of the Hammam and close to the Diwan-e-Khas, it was built by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb for his second wife Nawab Bai from 1659-1660.

34. Ans: d
35. Ans: d

Exp: The Indian trading classes spread across the country and were in large numbers.

Seth and Bohra – Long distance traders

Banik – Local traders

Banjaras – Another class of traders specialized in carrying bulk goods, they also moved long distances with their goods on the back of oxen.

Bulk goods were also taken through rivers on boats.

The Gujarati merchants included the Hindus, Jains and Muslims.

In Rajasthan, Oswals, Maheshwaris, and Agarwals came to be called the Marwaris.

The most important trading communities in south India

The Chettis on the Coramandal coast

the Muslim merchants of Malabar

Bengal – Exported sugar, rice as well as delicate muslin and silk.

Gujarat – Was an entry point of foreign goods from where fine textiles and silk were taken to north India.

The major imports into India were certain metals such as tin and copper war horses and luxury items such as ivory.

36. Ans: d

Exp: Sher Shah had also improved the communications by laying four important highways. They were:

1. Sonargaon to Sind
2. Agra to Burhampur
3. Jodhpur to Chittor
4. Lahore to Multan.

Rest houses were built on the highways for the convenience of the travelers. Police was efficiently reorganized and crime was less during his regime. The military administration was also efficiently reorganized and Sher Shah borrowed many ideas like the branding of horses from Alauddin Khalji.

37. Ans: d

Exp:

• “Seven Pagodas” has served as a nickname for the south Indian city of Mahabalipuram, also called Mamallapuram, since the first European explorers reached it. The phrase “Seven Pagodas” refers to a myth that has circulated in India, Europe, and other parts of the world for over eleven centuries. The group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, including the Shore Temple built in the 8th century under the reign of Narasimhavarman II, stand at the shore of the Bay of Bengal. Legend has it that six other temples once stood with it.
• Pancha Rathas (also known as Five Rathas or Pandava Rathas) is a monument complex at Mahabalipuram, on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, in the Kancheepuram district of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Pancha Rathas is an example of monolithic Indian rock-cut architecture. The complex was carved during the reign of King Narasimhavarman I (630–668 AD): the idea of realising monolithic buildings, an innovation in Indian architecture, is attributed to this ruler. The complex is under the auspices of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site inscribed by UNESCO as Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram.The structures are named after the Pancha Pandavas and their common wife Draupadi, of epic Mahabharata fame. In order of their size, they include the Dharmaraja Ratha, Bhima Ratha, Arjuna Ratha, Nakula Sahadeva Ratha, and Draupadi Ratha.
• The Shore Temple (built in 700–728 AD) is so named because it overlooks the shore of the Bay of Bengal. It is a structural temple, built with blocks of granite, dating from the 8th century AD. At the time of its creation, the site was a busy port during the reign of Narasimhavarman II of the Pallava dynasty. As one of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, it has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984. It is one of the oldest structural (versus rock-cut) stone temples of South India.

38. Ans: a

Exp: Hindu Shahi kingdom was guarding the gates of India against foreign invaders. Mahmud destroyed it and thus India’s frontiers became defenseless.

39. Ans: a

Exp: The Shahnameh  “The Book of Kings”, also transliterated Shahnama) is a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between c. 977 and 1010 CE and is the national epic of Greater Iran. Consisting of some 50,000 “distichs” or couplets (two-line verses), the Shahnameh is the world’s longest epic poem written by a single poet. He was court poet of Mehmood Gaznavi.

According to legend, Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni offered Ferdowsi a gold piece for every couplet of the Shahnameh he wrote. The poet agreed to receive the money as a lump sum when he had completed the epic. He planned to use it to rebuild the dykes in his native Tus. After thirty years of work, Ferdowsi finished his masterpiece.

The sultan prepared to give him 60,000 gold pieces, one for every couplet, as agreed. However, the courtier whom Mahmud had entrusted with the money despised Ferdowsi, regarding him as a heretic, and he replaced the gold coins with silver. Ferdowsi was in the bath house when he received the reward. Finding it was silver and not gold, he gave the money away to the bathkeeper, a refreshment seller, and the slave who had carried the coins. When the courtier told the sultan about Ferdowsi’s behaviour, he was furious and threatened to execute him.

Ferdowsi fled Khorasan, having first written a satire on Mahmud, and spent most of the remainder of his life in exile. Mahmud eventually learned the truth about the courtier’s deception and had him either banished or executed. By this time, the aged Ferdowsi had returned to Tus. The sultan sent him a new gift of 60,000 gold pieces, but just as the caravan bearing the money entered the gates of Tus, a funeral procession exited the gates on the opposite side: the poet had died from a heart attack

40. Ans: c

Exp: Large scale construction of buildings started with the dawn of Akbar.

• Akbar also built a palacecum-fort complex at Fatehpur Sikri (City of Victory).
• Many buildings in Guajarati and Bengali styles are also found in this complex.
• Guajarati style buildings were probably built for his Rajput wives.
• The most magnificent building in it is the Jama Masjid and the gateway to it called Buland Darwaza or the Lofty Gate.
• The height of the gateway is 176 feet. It was built to commemorate Akbar’s victory over Gujarat.
• Other important buildings at Fatehpur Sikri are Jodha Bai’s palace and Panch Mahal with five storeys.
• During Akbar’s reign, the Humayun’s tomb was built at Delhi and it had a massive dome of marble.
• It may be considered the precursor of the Taj Mahal.
• Akbar’s tomb at Sikandara near Agra was completed by Jahangir.

 

41. Ans: d

Exp: Sher Shah’s empire was divided into forty seven sarkars.

• Chief Shiqdar (law and order) and Chief Munsif (judge) were the two officers in charge of the administration in each sarkar.
• Each sarkar was divided into several parganas. Shiqdar (military officer), Amin (land revenue), Fotedar (treasurer) Karkuns (accountants) were in charge of the administration of each pargana.
• There were also many administrative units called iqtas.

42. Ans: d

Exp:

43. Ans: d
44. Ans: b

Exp: Aibak died of injuries received during an accidental fall from a horse while playing polo in 1210 AD. He was buried in Lahore near Anarkali Bazaar.

Sher Shah was killed on 22 May 1545 during the siege of the Kalinjar fort of Rajputs. When all tactics to subdue this fort failed, Sher Shah ordered the walls of the fort to be blown up with gunpowder, but he himself was seriously wounded as a result of the explosion of a mine. He was succeeded by his son, Jalal Khan, who took the title of Islam Shah Suri. His mausoleum, the Sher Shah Suri Tomb (122 ft high), stands in the middle of an artificial lake at Sasaram, a town on the Grand Trunk Road.

On 24 January 1556, Humayun, with his arms full of books, was descending the staircase from his library when the muezzin announced the Azaan (the call to prayer). It was his habit, wherever he heard the summons, to bow his knee in holy reverence. Trying to kneel, he caught his foot in his robe, tumbled down several steps and hit his temple on a rugged stone edge. He died three days later.

45. Ans: d

Exp: Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque (Might of Islam) (also known as the Qutub Mosque or the Great Mosque of Delhi) was built by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, founder of the Mamluk or Slave dynasty. It was built by the parts taken by destruction of twenty-seven Hindu and Jain temples built previously during the reigns of the Tomaras and Prithviraj Chauhan.

46. Ans: d

Exp: Qutub Minar is a 73-metre (239.5 feet) tall tapering tower of five storeys, with a 14.3 metres (47 feet) base diameter, reducing to 2.7 metres (9 feet) at the top of the peak. It contains a spiral staircase of 379 steps. Its design is thought to have been based on the Minaret of Jam, in western Afghanistan.

Qutab-Ud-Din-Aibak, founder of the Delhi Sultanate, started construction of the Qutub Minar’s first storey around 1192. In 1220, Aibak’s successor and son-in-law Shamsuddin Iltutmish completed a further three storeys.

47. Ans: b

Exp: Only four different sources of revenue were sanctioned by the Quran – Kharaj, Khams, Jaziya and Zakat, but the Sultanate of Delhi charged about two dozen extra taxes. Following were the few important taxes:

• Zakat: The religious taxes were collectively known as the Zakat. This was realized from well to do Muslims amounting at the rate of 1/40th of one’s property.
• Jizya: It was levied on non-Muslims in return for the protection of life and property and exemption from military services. Women, children, indigent and the Brahmanas were exempted from it.
• Kharaj: It was the land tax realized from non-Muslims.
• Khums: It was the tax on mines, treasure trove and share in war booty.
• Sharaf: It was the irrigation tax charged at the rate of 1/10th of the produce. This was imposed by FiruzTughlaq.
• Abwafs: It was the extra taxes like housing tax, grazing tax, etc.

48. Ans: b

Exp:

The gold coins which Muhammad of Ghur struck in imitation of the issues of the Hindu kings of Kanauj, with the goddess Lakshmi on the obverse, are without a parallel in Islamic History.

Muhammad bin Tughlaq had not only experimented token currency but also issued several types of gold and silver coins. They were minted at eight different places. At least twenty five varieties of gold coins were issued by him.

49. Ans: a

Exp:

He started the construction of Qutb Minar in memory of sufi saint Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki which was completed by his successor, Iltutmish.

50. Ans: d

Exp:

Iltutmish had created a new class of ruling elite of forty powerful military leaders -Turkan-i-Chahalgani or Chalisa or Forty. He refused to shelter Jalaluddin Mangabarni (also known as Khwarizm Shah), whom Chengiz was chasing.

51. Ans: b

Exp: Khusrow is sometimes referred to as the “voice of India” (Tuti-e-Hind), and has been called the “father of Urdu literature.

He was a Sufi mystic and a spiritual disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya.

After Khusrow’s grandfather’s death, Khusrow  joined the army of Malik Chajju, a nephew of the reigning Sultan, Ghiyas ud din Balban. This brought his poetry to the attention of the Assembly of the Royal Court where he was honored.

Nasir ud-Din Bughra Khan, the second son of Balban, was invited to listen to Khusrow. He was impressed and became Khusrow’s patron in 1276. In 1277 Bughra Khan was then appointed ruler of Bengal, and Khusrow visited him in 1279 while writing his second divan, Wast ul-Hayat (The Middle of Life).

52. Ans: d

Exp: Tukaram, also referred to as Sant Tukaram, Bhakta Tukaram, Tukaram Maharaj, Tukoba and Tukobaraya, was a 17th-century Hindu poet and sant of the Bhakti movement in Maharashtra, India. He was part of the egalitarian, personalized Varkari devotionalism tradition.Tukaram is best known for his devotional poetry called Abhanga and community-oriented worship with spiritual songs known as kirtans.His poetry was devoted to Vitthala or Vithoba, an avatar of Hindu god Vishnu.

Varkari or Warkari(meaning “a pilgrim”) is a sampradaya (religious movement) within the bhakti spiritual tradition of Vaishnavism part of Hinduism, geographically associated with the Indian state of Maharashtra. Varkaris worship Vitthal (also known as Vithoba), the presiding deity of Pandharpur, regarded as a form of Krishna. Saints and gurus of the bhakti movement associated with the Varkaris include Jñāneśvar, Namdev, Chokhamela, Eknath, and Tukaram, all of whom are accorded the title of Sant.

53. Ans: d

Exp: Namdev, also transliterated as Nam Dayv, Namdeo,Namadeva, (1270 – c. 1350) was a poet and a saint from Maharashtra, India who is significant to the Varkari sect of Hinduism. Bhagat Namdev’s writings were also recognized by the “Gurus” of Sikhism and are included in the holy book of Sikhism, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Namdev worship lord Vitthal that is one of the name of lord Vishnu. Also other Hindu warrior-ascetic traditions such as the Dadupanthis and the Niranjani Sampraday that emerged in north India during the Islamic rule.

54. Ans: b

Exp: The Bhakti Movement actually originated from South India and expanded all over India.

It was spontaneous and not preplanned.

The doctrine of Bhakti Movement is the foundation of modern Vaishnavite Hinduism. Unlike in the south, where devotion was centered on both Shiva and Vishnu (in all his forms), the northern devotional movement was centered on Rama and Krishna, both of whom are considered incarnations of Vishnu.

It was initially considered unorthodox, as it rebelled against caste distinctions and disregarded Brahmanic rituals, which according to Bhakti saints were not necessary for salvation. In the course of time, however, owing to its immense popularity among the masses (and even royal patronage) it became ‘orthodox’ and continues to be one of the most important modes of religious expression in modern India.

55. Ans: d

Exp: The Sufis think that love and devotion are the only means of reaching God. Devotion is more important than fast (Roza) or prayer (Namaz)

According to Sufi saints, God is the beloved of the lover (‘Mashook”) i.e. the devotee and the devotee is eager to meet his beloved (God).

Along with Prophet Muhammad, they also attach great importance to their ‘Murshid’ or ‘Pir’ (Guru).

Sufi saints preached in Arabic, Persian and Urdu etc. Several Sufi saints composed literary works in vernacular languages.

56. Ans: b

Exp: Baba Farid-ud-Din Ganj-i-Shakar (13th century): His outlook was broad and humane. Some of his devotional verses are found in ‘Adi-Granth’ of the Sikhs. Thousands of his devotees visit his tomb at Faridkot in the Punjab.

Khawja Moin-ud-Din Chisti (1143-1234 A.D.): He came to India towards the close of the 12th century. Initially he stayed at Lahore. Then he moved to Delhi and finally settled at Ajmer. On account of his pious and simple life, people of different faiths looked upon him as their spiritual teacher. He mixed freely with the lower classes of both Hindus and Muslims. He used to hold devotional musical gatherings. On account of his virtues of renunciation, meditation and selfless service, people from different parts of India came to his place at Ajmer.His ‘dargah’ (tomb) at Ajmer (Ajmer Sharif) has become a place of pilgrimage for the Muslims as well as the Hindus. His devotees believe that by offering prayer at his tomb, their wishes (‘minit’) are fulfilled.

Nizam-ud-Din Aulia (14th century): He laid great stress on love as a means of the realization of God. He said, “O Muslims! I swear by God that he holds dear those who love Him for the sake of human beings and also those who love human beings for the sake of Him. This is the only way to love and adore Him.” During his life time he was held in great esteem by several Sultans of Delhi as well as the general public. He also used Hindi in his teachings. His tomb at Nizam-ud-Din in Delhi has become a place of pilgrimage for both Muslims and Hindus.

57. Ans. b

Exp:

• Fa hien (399-412 A.D.) visited India during Chandragupta II Vikramaditya. His accounts give an overview of the administration of Chandragupta Vikramaditya. The prosperity of the empire has been testified by the account of Fa-Hien. The main objective of Fahien’s mission to India was to secure copies of Buddhist manuscripts.
• Hiuen Tsang (629-645 A.D) visited the court of Harshavardhana. His accounts give a detailed view of the political, social, economic and religious conditions in India during his reign He records Nalanda University as a post graduate university for advanced study and research.
• Marco Polo (1254-d.1324) – Visited the Kakatiya state under Rudrmadevi. His accounts refers to the polygamy of the kings, the prevalence of Sati, merchants of Gujarat, economic conditions in South India etc.
• Ibn Battuta (1304-77) was a part of the court of Muhammad Bin Tughluq. He wrote the book Rihla where he explained the dynasty of Muhammad-bin-Tughluk and also the economical, social and geographical status of his time.

58. Ans. b

Exp:

• Fundamental to Sufism is God, Man and the relation between them that is Love. They believe that from man emerged the theories of ruh (soul), qurbat (divine proximity) and hulul (infusion of the divine spirit) and that from relation between God and Man ideas such as Ishq (divine love) and Fana (self-annihilation) come into being. The Sufis were regarded as people who kept their heart pure; they sought to communicate with God though their ascetic practices and doctrine of divine love and union with God. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
• The murid (disciple) passes through maqamat (various stages) in this process of experiencing communication with the divine. The Sufis believed that for union with God one needs a spiritual guru or Pir. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• Most of the Sufis believed in the performance of miracles. Hence, statement 2 is correct. Almost all pirs were associated with the miracles performed by them.
• A notable contribution of the Sufis was their service to the poorer and downtrodden sections of society. While the Sultan and ulema often remained aloof from the day to day problems of the people, the Sufi saints maintained close contact with the common people. Hence, statement 4 is correct.

59. Ans. c

Exp: In medieval India, the term hatta, hattika and pattana refers to periodic markets and trade centres. Local centres of exchange that constituted an intermediate level between the small, periodic markets (hatta, hattika), larger trade centres (pattana). They were Nodes of various exchanges of cash crops and edible staples, also for collection of commercial tolls and duties. They can be considered analogous to oenthas in Deccan and Nagarams further south.

60. Ans. b

Exp: Siddhanta Shiromani : Bhaskaracharya

Sulvasutra : Baudhayana

Ganit Sara Sangraha : Mahaviracharya

Bhaskaracharya was the leading light of 12th Century. He was born at Bijapur, Karnataka. He is famous for his book Siddanta Shiromani. It is divided into four sections: Lilavati (Arithmetic), Beejaganit (Algebra), Goladhyaya (Sphere) and Grahaganit (mathematics of planets). Bhaskara introduced Chakrawat Method or the Cyclic Method to solve algebraic equations. This method was rediscovered six centuries later by European mathematicians, who called it inverse cycle. In the nineteenth century, an English man, James Taylor, translated Lilavati and made this great work known to the world.

Mahaviracharya: There is an elaborate description of mathematics in Jain literature (500 B.C -100 B.C). Jain gurus knew how to solve quadratic equations. They have also described fractions, algebraic equations, series, set theory, logarithms and exponents in a very interesting manner. Jain Guru Mahaviracharya wrote Ganit Sara Sangraha in 850A.D., which is the first textbook on arithmetic in present day form. The current method of solving Least common Multiple (LCM) of given numbers was also described by him. Thus, long before John Napier introduced it to the world, it was already known to Indians.

Baudhayan was the first one ever to arrive at several concepts in Mathematics, which were later rediscovered by the western world. The value of pi was calculated by him.

61. Ans. b

Exp: Deccan policy of the Mughal dynasty was weak during the reign of Babur and Humayun. When Babur attacked India there were six Muslim states, viz Khandesh, Berar, Ahmednagar, Bijapur, Golconda and Bidar and one Hindu state Vijayanagara in the south.Babur could pay no attention towards the south. During the reign of Humayun there was no planned policy towards the Deccan. Akbar was the first among the Mughal emperors who planned to conquer the Deccan after completing his conquest in the north. By the time, Akbar interfered in the politics of the Deccan the political situation had changed there.

In January 1565 A.D. the combined forces of Bijapur, Golconda, Bidar and Ahmednagar defeated the army of Vijayanagara in the battle at Talikota and completely ruined the power of Vijayanagara. Akbar began to extend his empire towards the south and the rest of the Mughal emperors till Aurangzeb followed his policy.Hence, statement 1 is correct.

Jahangir continued the policy of his father towards the Deccan. He attempted to annex Ahmednagar and force the rulers of Bijapur and Golconda to accept his suzerainty. Hence, statement 2 is not correct. Aurangzeb’s policy towards the Deccan had political as well as religious purpose. The extension of the empire was one purpose of Aurangzeb. Probably it is believed that extinction of the states of Bijapur and Golconda was a prior necessity for the destruction of the power of the Marathas in the Deccan. Besides this political motive, he desired to annex these states because their rulers were Shias. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

62. Ans. D

Exp: All the given pairs are correctly matched.

1. Bharata’s Natyashashtra is the earliest text dealing exclusively with performing arts. It was compiledm between second century BC and second century AD.
2. In the twelfth century, Jayadeva of Orissa produced the most brilliant raga kavya, the Gita Govinda, each song of which was set in a raga and was composed on the theme of love of Radha and Krishna.
3. Kitabe Navras written by Ibrahim Adil Shah II during the seventeenth century is a collection of songs in praise of Hindu deities as well as Muslim saints.

 

63. Ans. D

Exp: ‘Tamizhakham’ refers to the cultural & economic contacts established between the north & south as a result of trade between people which became important from 4th century BC.

64. Ans. B

Exp: The Chola rulers adopted the practice of having long inscriptions written on the walls of the temples they built, giving a historical narrative of their victories. That is why we know a great deal more about the Cholas than there predecessors. Rajarajeshwara Temple at Tanjore, which was built by Rajaraja and Rajendra I is one famous example.

65. Ans. C

Exp: Statement 1 is not correct as Changez Khan reached Indus during the reign of Iltutmish in 1221 AD, chasing the Khwarizmi prince Jalaluddin. Statement 2 is correct as Abdullah the grandson of Mongol ruler Halaku marched towards Delhi with 1.5 lakh horses.He was defeated by Jalaluddin Khalji at Bhatinda.

Statement 3 is correct as Alauddin Khalji had faced a 2 lakh strong Mongol froce near Delhi under Qutlugh Khwaja.This forced him to raise a strong army.

66. Ans. B

Exp: Nadir Shah was a Persian ruler who came to India in 1739. The Mughal empire had been weakened by ruinous wars of succession in the three decades following the death of Aurangzeb, the Hindu Marathas of the Maratha Empire had captured vast swathes of territory in Central and Northern India, whilst many of the Mughal nobles had asserted their independence and founded small states.

At the Battle of Karnal on 24 February 1739, Nadir led his army to victory over the Mughals, Muhammad Shah surrendered and both entered Delhi together. Nadir shah took to Persia the Peacock Throne, Kohinoor diamond (mountain of light) and dariya-I- Noor (sea of light) diamond.

67. Ans. B

Exp: Al-Biruni was a traveller from Uzbekistan who visited in 11th century in Punjab and Northern part of India.

He translated the works of Euclid, a Greek mathematician into Sanskrit.

In his book Kitab-Ul-Hind, he adopted a distinctive structure in his book to describe India. He started each chapter with a question, following up with a description based on Sanskritic traditions, and concluding with a comparison with other cultures.

He noted that the four social categories of society was not unique to India, however, criticized the notion of pollution in social strata.

Ibn Battuta was a Moroccon traveller who visited India when Muhammad bin Tughlaq was the Sultan of Delhi. He wrote his travelogue known as Rihla.

68. Ans. B

Exp: Kalinga was an early kingdom in central East India that comprised almost whole Odisha and also some parts of Andhra Pradesh and Chattisgarh.The region was scene of the Kalinga War fought by Ashoka of the Maurya Empire approximately 265 BCE.

Anarta corresponds to the present day North Kathiawar region of Gujarat.

Manyakheta rose to prominence when the capital of Rashtrakutas was moved from Mayurkhandi in Bidar district to Manyakheta during the rule of Amoghavarsha I. After the fall of the Rashtrakutas, it remained the capital of their successors, the Kalyani Chalukyas or Western Chalukyas till about 1050 CE.

69. Ans. C

Exp: Statement 1 is not correct: It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of Sangama Dynasty. Krishnadeva Raya is considered as the greatest emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire who reigned from 1509-1530.

Statement 2 is correct: The very choice of the site of Vijayanagara was inspired by the existence of the shrines of Virupaksha and Pampadevi. In fact, the Vijayanagara kings claimed to rule on behalf of the god Virupaksha. All royal orders were signed “Shri Virupaksha”, usually in the Kannada script.

Statement 3 is not correct: In 1565 Rama Raya, the chief minister of Vijayanagara, led the army into battle at Rakshasi-Tangadi (also known as Talikota), where his forces were routed by the combined armies of Bijapur, Ahmadnagar and Golconda. The victorious armies sacked the city of Hampi. The city was totally abandoned within a few years.

Hence C is the correct answer.

70. Ans: b

Exp: Amoghavarsha ruled for 68 years but by temperament he preferred the pursuit of religion and literature to war.He was himself an author and is credited with writing the first Kannada book on poetic.He was great builder,and is said to have built the capital city Manyakhet so as to excel the city of Indra.

71. Ans: c

Exp: Sarais are the interesting features of Medieval India they are the ringed cities built largely on simple square or rectangular plan and were meant to provide temporary accommodation to Indian and foreign travelers, pilgrims, merchants, traders etc.

72. Ans: a

Exp: The Tripartite Struggle for control of northern India took place in the ninth century. The struggle was between the Pratihara Empire, the Pala Empire and the Rashtrakuta Empire. (Statement 1 is correct) It was fought for the city of Kanuaj in the Ganga valley (Statement 2 is not correct).

This tripartite struggle for Kannauj lingered for almost two centuries and ultimately ended in favour of the Gurjara-Pratihara ruler Nagabhata II who made the city the capital of the Gurjara-Pratihara state, which ruled for nearly three centuries.

73. Ans: b

Exp: Akbar followed the policy of sulh-i-kul or “universal peace”. This idea of tolerance did not discriminate between people of different religions in his realm. Instead it focused on a system of ethics – honesty, justice, peace – that was universally applicable. Hence statement 1 and 2 are correct.

Abul Fazl helped Akbar in framing a vision of governance around this idea of sulh-i-kul. This principle of governance was followed by Jahangir and Shah Jahan as well. Hence statement 3 is incorrect.

74. Ans: b

Exp: Marco Polo (1292-1294 AD):

• Marco Polo was a Foreign Envoy and Venetian traveler
• In 1294 A.D. he visited South India.
• Marco Polo visited Rudramadevi’s Kakatiya dynasty.
• He wrote his experiences in his book ‘The Book of Sir Marco Polo’.
• This book explains the economic history of India.

Ibn Batuta (1333-1347 AD):

• Ibn Batuta was A Morracan traveller, he wrote the book ‘Rihla’ (The Travelogue).
• In his book he explained the dynasty of Muhammad-bin-Thuglak and also the economical, social and geographical status of his time.

Abdur Razzaq (1442 – 1445 AD)

• Ambassador of Shahrukh of Timrud Dynasty
• Came during the rule of Devaraya II of Vijaynagar empire
• Known for his description of Vijayanagar empire.

75. Ans: a

Exp: During Chola administration, settlements of peasants, known as ur, became prosperous with the spread of irrigation agriculture. Groups of such villages formed larger units called nadu.

The village council and the nadu had several administrative functions including dispensing justice and collecting taxes. Brahmanas often received land grants or brahmadeya. As a result, a large number of Brahmana settlements emerged in the Kaveri valley as in other parts of south India.

76. Ans: c

Exp: Shipra is a river in Madhya Pradesh state of central India. The river rises in the ujjaini situated in Indore district, and flows north across the Malwa Plateau to join the Chambal River at the MP-Rajasthan boundary in Mandsaur district. It is one of the sacred rivers in Hinduism. The holy city of Ujjain is situated on its east bank.

The Mahanadi is one of the largest Indian peninsular rivers that drains into the Bay of Bengal. The 857 km long river originates in Raipur district of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and flows through the eastern state of Orissa before meeting the sea. The famous city of Puri is located on its banks.

Tungabhadra is a major river in the south Indian peninsula. Hampi is located on the south bank of this river.

77. Ans: c

Exp: Statement 1: Hundi is a note recording a deposit made by a person.

The amount deposited can be claimed in another place by presenting the record of the deposit.

Statement 2: The Kathiawad seths or mahajans (moneychangers) had huge banking houses at Surat.

It is noteworthy that the Surat hundis were honoured in the far-off markets of Cairo in Egypt, Basra in Iraq and Antwerp in Belgium.

78. Ans: a

Exp: Statement 1: In 1318 the poet Amir Khusrau noted that there was a different language in every region of this land: Sindhi, Lahori, Kashmiri, Dvarsamudri (in southern Karnataka), Telangani (in Andhra Pradesh) etc.

Statement 2: Amir Khusrau went on to explain that in contrast to these languages there was Sanskrit which did not belong to any region.

It was an old language and “common people do not know it, only the Brahmanas do”. So, 2 is incorrect.

79. Ans: d

Exp: Akbar ordered one of his close friends and courtiers, Abul Fazl, to write a history of his reign. Abul Fazl wrote a three volume of the history of Akbar’s reign.

The first volume dealt with Akbar’s ancestors and the second volume recorded the events of Akbar’s reign.

The third volume is the Ain-i-Akbari. It deals with Akbar’s administration, household, army, the revenues and geography of his empire.

It also provides rich details about the traditions and culture of the people living in India. The most interesting aspect about the Ain-i Akbari is its rich statistical details about things as diverse as crops, yields, prices, wages and revenues.

80. Ans: a

Exp: There were more than 400 taxes imposed by the Cholas.

The most frequently mentioned tax is vetti, taken not in cash but in the form of forced labour, and kadamai, or land revenue.

There were also taxes on thatching the house, the use of a ladder to climb palm trees, a cess on succession to family property, etc.

81. Ans: b

Exp: At different moments in this period new technologies made their way in India— like the Persian wheel in irrigation (Araghatta), the spinning wheel in weaving, and firearms in combat.

Even, new foods and beverages arrived in the subcontinent: potatoes, corn, chilies, tea and coffee.

The medieval period was thus a major phase of technological and cultural changes in India.

82. Ans: c

Exp: It was a Persian term for a warehouse – a place where goods are collected before being sold. The term also refers to a workshop.

Option A: Weavers often belonged to communities that specialised in weaving. Their skills were passed on from one generation to the next. The tanti weavers of Bengal, the julahas or momin weavers of north

India, sale and kaikollar and devangs of south India are some of the communities famous for weaving

Option B: For coloured textiles, the thread was dyed by the dyer, known as rangrez. For printed cloth the weavers needed the help of specialist block printers known as chhipigars.

83. Ans: b

Exp: In Humayun’s period, in terms of the accounts of his reign, there are references to garments like qaba, pirahan, jilucha, jiba, kasaba etc.

• These references suggest a strong link with their homeland. Humayun is said to have invented the Taji-izzat, a headdress

composed of a cap (kulah) and a wrapping– cloth (asabah).

• The cap had an opening in front, thus forming a figure ‘V’. As it had two divisions, each of these when folded upwards, produced the same figure. Thus 77 was formed (in the Arab Alphabet 77 is written as VV), which was equal to the word “zz” in numerical value.
• This may mean the crown of honour, but also the crown of 77, for the numerical value of the letter i is 70 and of the letter Z is seven.
• Humayun named it Taj-i-izzat.

84. Ans: a

Exp: Justification: Statement 1: The state depended on local bankers and mahajans for loans. It sold the right to collect tax to the highest bidders. These “revenue farmers” (ijaradars) agreed to pay the state a fixed sum of money.

Statement 2: Many of the larger states were established by erstwhile Mughal nobles they were highly suspicious of some of the administrative systems that they had inherited, in particular the jagirdari system. So, their method of tax collection differed.

Rather than relying upon the officers of the state, all three regimes contracted with revenue-farmers for the collection of revenue. This practice of ijaradari, though thoroughly disapproved by the Mughals, spread all over India in the eighteenth century. So, 2 is incorrect.

85. Ans: a

Exp: He was a Muslim political thinker of the Delhi Sultanate

Statement 1: These were the ideals to be followed if the ruler wanted to earn religious merit and the gratitude of his subjects. The work delves into aspects of religion and government and the meeting of those two, as well as political philosophy. It also details the caste system among Muslims in South Asia.

Statement 2: It was an interpretation of the history of the Delhi Sultanate up to the then-present Firuz Shah Tughlaq. Then interpretation noted that the sultans who followed the rules of Barani had succeeded in their endeavors while those that did not, or those who had sinned, met the Nemesis (end).

86. Ans: d

Exp: Khilji’s first revenue regulation (zabita) related to the measurement of cultivable land as the principle for determining and revenue; biswa (1/20th of a bigha) was declared to be the standard unit of measurement.

• The state demand was fixed as half of the produce per hiswa and assessment was done on the basis of paimash (measurement).
• Bhaga (land-revenue), Bhoga (cesses) and Kar (taxes) became the basis for the assignment of land to the nobles.
• The Sultan deprived the village chiefs and Hindu revenue collectors, such as khuts maqaddams, and chaudhuris of their privileges.
• They were forced to pay land revenue and other cesses at the same rate at which other peasants were taxed.
• Besides the land revenue, house tax ( ghari) and pasture tax (chari) were also imposed on the agrarian population.

87. Ans: a

Exp: Siddis are mostly confined to small pockets of villages in the Indian states of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat, and the city of Hyderabad (there’s also a sizable population in Pakistan).

• They were brought as slaves to India by Arabs as early as the 7^th Century, followed by the Portuguese and the British later on.
• Others were free people who came to India as merchants, sailors and mercenaries before the Portuguese slave trade went into overdrive.
• When slavery was abolished in the 18th and 19th Centuries, Siddis fled into the country’s thick jungles, fearing recapture and torture.
• These African slaves were originally known as Habshis, which is Persian for Abyssinian (the former name of Ethiopia was Abyssinia). But those who rose through the ranks of royal retinue were honoured with the title Siddi.

88. Ans: c

Exp: Statement 1: This was Al-Biruni’s view who visited India much earlier. Bernier visited India in the 17th Century.

Statement 2: As per Bernier, one of the fundamental differences between Mughal India and Europe was the lack of private property in land and crown ownership of land as being harmful for both the state and its people.

• He thought that in the Mughal Empire the emperor owned all the land and distributed it among his nobles, and nobles to the peasants.
• Owing to crown ownership of land, landholders could not pass on their land to their children. So they were averse to any long-term investment in the sustenance and expansion of production.

Statement 3: He was a doctor, political philosopher and historian. He came to the Mughal Empire in search of opportunities. He was closely associated with the Mughal court, as a physician to Prince Dara Shukoh, the eldest son of Emperor Shah Jahan, and later as an intellectual and scientist, with Danishmand Khan, an Armenian noble at the Mughal court.

Learning: Bernier travelled to several parts of the country, and wrote accounts of what he saw, frequently comparing what he saw in India with the situation in Europe. He found Bengal as prosperous as Egypt and found it a major exporter of many agricultural commodities.

89. Ans: d

Exp: In 1996, in order to improve efficiency, infuse professionalism and enable them to compete more effectively in the liberalised global environment, the government chose nine PSUs and declared them as navaratnas.

• They were given greater managerial and operational autonomy, in taking various decisions to run the company efficiently and thus increase their profits.
• Greater operational, financial and managerial autonomy had also been granted to 97 other profit-making enterprises referred to as mini ratnas.
• Nine gems during the reign of Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II) of the Gupta Empire were: Kalidasa, Vetala Bhatta, Varahamihira, Vararuchi, Amarasimha, Dhanvantari, Kahapanak, Shanku, Harisena .
• Nine courtiers of Emperor Akbar or Navratnas were: Birbal, Faizi, Todar Mal, Man Singh I, Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana, Fakir Aziao- Din, Tansen, Mulla Do-Piyaza, Abu’l-Fazl ibn Mubarak.

90. Ans: b

Exp: Panch Mahal was built by Akbar in Fatehpur Sikri.

Buland Darwaza is also known as the Gate of Magnificence and was built by Akbar in 1576 A.D at Fatehpur Sikri. Akbar built the Buland Darwaza to commemorate his victory over Gujarat and the Deccan.

91. Ans: b

Exp: Ramananda had brought Bhakti Movement from South India to North India.

92. Ans: d
93. Ans: d
94. Ans: c

Odantpuri: Bihar

Vikramshila: Bihar

Somapura: Bangladesh

Jagaddala: Bangladesh

95. Ans: d
96. Ans: a

Exp: Konark Temple is attributed to King Narsingha Deva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty about 1250 CE.

97. Ans: c

Exp: The Khajuraho Group of Monuments is a group of Hindu and Jain temples in Madhya Pradesh (Chhatarpur District); they are one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India.

98. Ans: d

Exp: Parantaka Chola I was the first imperial Chola. He defeated the Pandyans and Sri Lankans initially. He snatched Madurai from Pandyas and got the title of ‘Maduraikonda’.

Rajender Chola I launched on expedition to Orissa and maintained matrimonial relations with the Ganga dynasty of Orissa. He then reached Bengal upto Ganga River in 1022 AD and defeated dynasty of Orissa. He then reached Bengal Ganga River in 1022 AD and defeated the Pala ruler of Bengal, Mahipala. Rajendra I then assumed the title of Gangaikonda and founded a capital by the name Gangaikondacholapuram (or ‘the city of the Chola conqueror of the Ganga’) on the near of the mouth of Kaveri and called it Gangaikondacholapuram.

99. Ans: a

Exp: Suluva and Tuluva dynasties gave the patron to Vaishvanism.

100. Ans: a

Exp: DIFFERENT TITLES OF RAJENDRA CHOLA

1. Pandit Chola & Mundigunda Chola (He was scholar)
2. Gangaikonda Chola (He conquered plains of Ganga)
3. Kadaram Kondan (He who took Kedah in Malaysia)
4. Mummudi Cholan (Chola with three crowns) from his father with Mummudi, a title used by Tamil kings who ruled the three kingdoms of Cholas, Pandyas and Cheras.
5. Napoleon of South India (due to his military campaign)
6. Samudra Gupta of South India

 

Medieval History Full Test

Medieval History Full Test

Medieval History Full Test

Medieval History Full Test