Medieval Indian History MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Medieval Indian History - Download Free PDF

Following the footsteps of Chandragupta II of the Gupta Period, Akbar maintained a court of nine distinguished persons who were known as nine jewels (navaratnas)

Important Points

Nine Jewels of Akbar's Court are as follows:

• Abdul Rahim was conferred with the title of Khan-e-Khana by Akbar.
  • He was a celebrated Hindi scholar.
  • He is remembered for Rahim Satsai (a collection of dohas).
  • He translated Baburnama into Persian language.
• Abul Fazl was a profound thinker and writer.
  • He is well known for his books, Akbarnama and Ain-i-Akbari.
• Birbal is known for his gift of humour and wits.
  • His original name was Mahesh Dass.
  • He was in charge of administration of justice at the royal court.
  • He died fighting with the Yousufzai tribe on the north-west frontier of India.
• Faizi was a poet laureate of Akbar's court.
  • He is credited with the translation of Leelawati into Persian.
• Hamim Humam was a very close friend of Akbar.
  • He was the chief of royal school (pathasiila).
• Raja Man Singh was a great Rajput general of Akbar.
  • He is credited with defeating Maharana Pratap, in the battle of Haldighati, and the Afghans.
• Mulla Do-Piyaza was the brain behind Akbar's Mahzarnama.
  • ​Akbar issued Mahzarnama (or Infallibility Decree) to take all the religious matters into his own hands.
  • This made him supreme in the religious matters.
  • He issued Mahzarnama to restrict the dominance of Ulema. 
• Tansen was a court singer of Akbar.
  • He was known as Sangeet Samrat.
• Todarmal is known for his expertise in land revenue matters.
  • Starting his career under Sher Shah, he evolved a land revenue system that was followed not only by Sher Shah and Akbar but also by the Marathas.

From the above, we can conclude that Khusrau was not the Nine Jewels(Navaratna) of Akbar's Court.

Additional Information

Khusrau was the son of Jahangir.

• He revolted in AD 1606 but was defeated and imprisoned.
• Guru Arjun Dev (5th Guru of the Sikhs), was one of the Khusrau's well-wisher was beheaded. 

The correct answer is May 29, 1658.
Key Points

• Battle of Samugarh, (May 29, 1658), was a decisive struggle in a contest for the throne between the sons of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.
• The battle of Samugarh was fought between Aurangzeb and Dara Shukoh.
• It was a decisive battle in the struggle for the throne during the Mughal war of succession.
• In this battle, Dara was finally defeated by Aurangzeb. After that, Aurangzeb went on to rule the Mughal empire. 
• Dara Shikoh was the son of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and brother of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. 

Additional Information

• At the Battle of Samugarh on May 29, 1658, Dara Shukoh was defeated by his brothers Aurangzeb and Murad.
• Aurangzeb then deposed his father and assumed power.
• After a defeat in the Battle of Dhramatpur, Dara sent a magnificent army which counted 1 lakh horses against the Aurangzeb.
• But the news of Jaswant Singh’s defeat had already demoralized the royal army.
• The two armies met at Samugarh, some 13 kilometres from Agra.

• The Isa Khan tomb complex is a walled area adjacent to Humayun’s Tomb and is the resting place of Isa Khan Niyazi, a noble of influence at the court of Sher Shan Suri. It is the last example of the use of Tughlaq batter.
• A mosque and an octagonal tomb built in the Sur style are enclosed in Isa Khan’s walled complex. An inscription on a sandstone slab over the mihrab inside the tomb dates the construction to the Hijra year 954 (A.D. 1547-1548). 
• The complex is the first historic structure encountered by visitors on entering the World Heritage Site complex of Humayun’s Tomb

The correct answer is Allauddin Khilji

Key Points

• He created a new department viz Diwan-i-Mustakhraj to enquire into the revenue arrears and to collect them.
• He reorganized the spy system and prohibited it from using wine in Delhi.
• He confiscated the properties of Nobles classes and even they were not allowed to intermarry without permission.
• He was the first sultan to have permanent army-paid soldiers in cash, imported horse.

​Additional Information

• Shihabuddin Omar was the third Sultan of the Khilji Dynasty and the 13th Sultan of Delhi. 
• He ascended the throne as a minor with the death of his father Alauddin Khilji in January 1316.
• He became Sultan with the help of Malik Kafur, the Military Commander and after the assassination of Kafur, his brother Qutb-ud-din Mubarak became Sultan.​

The correct answer is ​Lahore.

Key Points

• Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1799 established his capital in Lahore.
• Maharaja Ranjit Singh was also known as Ranjit Singh.
• He was the founder and Maharaja of the Sikh kingdom in Punjab.
• He is also known as the Lion of Punjab.
• His kingdom extended from Khyber pass in the northwest and in the east towards the Sutlej River.
• The Thar Desert in the south and Kashmir region in the north also included in his kingdom.
• He had not believed in religious bigotry.
• Maharaja Ranjit was not educated and was blind with one eye.

The correct answer is 1240.

Key Points

• Razia Sultan (1236 AD-1240 AD):
  • She belonged to the Slave Dynasty.
  • She was the first and last Muslim woman ruler of Medieval India.
  • She appointed Jamaluddin Yakoot as the highest officer of cavalry.
  • She abandoned Pardah and appeared before the public in male dress.
  • She saved the empire from Mongol invasion.
  • She died in the year 1240 AD.​

Additional Information

• Delhi Sultanate (1206 AD-1526 AD)
  • The First Muslim invasion was done by Mohammad Bin Qasim (712 AD).
  • The First Turkish Invasion was done by Mahmud Ghaznavi (998 AD-1030 AD):
    • In 1025, he attacked and raided the most celebrated Hindu temple of Somnath.
  • Dynasties of Delhi Sultanate:
    • The Slave dynasty (1206–1290)
    • The Khalji dynasty (1290–1320)
    • The Tughlaq dynasty (1320–1414)
    • The Sayyid dynasty (1414–1451)
    • Lodi dynasty (1451–1526)

The correct answer is 1761.

Key Points

• The Third Battle of Panipat took place on 14 January 1761 at Panipat between the Maratha Empire and the invading Afghan army (of Ahmad Shah Durrani), supported by four Indian allies.
• The Rohillas under the command of Najib-ud-daulah, Afghans of the Doab region, the Amb, Suba Khan and and the Nawab of Awadh, Shuja-ud-Daula.
• The Maratha army was led by Sadashivrao Bhau who was third in authority after the Chhatrapati (Maratha King) and the Peshwa (Maratha Prime Minister).
• The main Maratha army was stationed in Deccan with the Peshwa. 

Additional Information

Some important Battles: 

• First Battle of Terrain - 1191
• First Battle of Panipat - 1526
• Battle of Khanwa - 1527
• Battle of Chausa - 1539
• Battle of Kannauj - 1540
• Second Battle of Panipat - 1556

The correct answer is Diwan-i-insha.

Key Points

• Diwan-i-Insha was the department of correspondence.
• Delhi Sultanate's administration was segregated into various parts – Central, Provincial, Judicial, Local, etc.
• There were many departments and officials who helped the Sultan in administration. 

Important Points

• Administration under the Sultanate:
• It was also influenced by the Iranian system of administration.
• The situation in India and Indian traditions was kept in mind during these systems.
• Organs of the Government:
  • Diwan-i-Wizarat: Department of revenue and finance headed by the Wazir.
  • Diwan-i-Arz: Department of Military headed by Ariz-i-Mamalik.
  • Diwan-i-Insha: Department of royal correspondence headed by Dabir-i-lnsha.
  • Diwan-i-Risalat: Department of foreign affairs 
  • Diwan-i-bandagan: ​Diwan-i-bandagan (department of slaves).
  • Diwan-i-Khairat: (charity department) was created by Firuz Shah Tughlaq.
  • Diwan-i-mustakhraj: Diwan-i-mustakhraj (to realize arrears) was created by Alauddin Khiiji.
  • Diwan- i-kohi: Diwan- i-kohi (department of agriculture) was created by Muhammad bin Tughluq.

The correct answer is Akbar.

• Buland Darwaza was built by Akbar.

Important Points

• Buland Darwaza
  • It was built in 1575.
  • The Time taken for its construction was 12 Years.
  • It is located at Fatehpur Sikri, Agra District, Uttar Pradesh, India
  • A mixture of Hindu and Persian styles of architecture is the architectural style.​

Additional Information

• Other masterpieces of Akbar are as follows.
  • Fatehpur Sikri
  • Allahabad Fort
  • Agra Fort

The correct answer is Wodeyars.

Key Points 

• The Mysore Palace is also known as Mysuru Palace.
• It is a historical place and the Royal Residence at Mysore in the Indian state of Karnataka.
• It was established in 1912 although started built-in 1897.

Important Points 

•  It was the residence of Wodeyars rulers who ruled Mysore for seven centuries.
•  Its architectural style of domes is Indo Saracenic with blends of Hindu, Mughal, Gothic, and Rajput style.

Additional Information 

• Palas 
  • It was an imperial power during the post-classical period which originated in the region of Bengal and ruled in Bihar too.
  • They flourished between 500-1300 AD.
• Chandelas
  • It was a dynasty in Central India, most of the region of Bundelkhand.
  • Ruled between the 9th-13th centuries.
• Bundelas
  • It was a clan of Rajputs who founded different states of the area in our country like now Bundelkhand.

The correct answer is Ibrahim Lodi.

Key Points

• Ibrahim Lodi was the last ruler of the Lodi dynasty who was defeated and killed by Babur in the Battle of Panipat in 1526.
• The Tomb Of Ibrahim Lodi is situated in Panipat in Haryana.

Additional Information

• The Lodi dynasty was founded by Bahlul Khan Lodi.
  • The Lodi dynasty was an Afghan dynasty.
  • The Lodi dynasty was the last dynasty in Delhi Sultanate, ruled from 1451 to 1526.
  • Sikandar Lodi was the son of Bahlul founded Agra in 1504.
  • Ibrahim Lodi was the son of Sikandar Lodi and he was the last Lodi Sultan of Delhi.

The correct answer is Chandela.

• Rani Durgawati was a Chandel princess. 

Key Points

• She was the daughter of the king of Chandel Keerat Rai. 
• She was married to Dalpat Shah, the eldest son of the king of Gondwana kingdom, Sangram Shah in 1542.
• Dalpat Shah died in 1550. She was the ruling Queen of Gondwana from 1550  to 1564.
• Durgawati moved the capital of Gondwana from Singorgarh fort to Chauragarh.
• She killed herself on the battlefield on 24 June 1564.
• Her martyrdom day (24 June 1564) is commemorated as "Balidan Diwas".

The correct answer is 1761.

Key Points

• The third battle of Panipat was fought in the year 1761.
  • The Third Battle of Panipat took place on 14 January 1761, at Panipat, about 60 miles (95.5 km) north of Delhi between a northern expeditionary force of the Maratha Empire and a coalition of the King of Afghanistan Ahmad Shah Durrani with two Indian Muslim allies—the Rohilla Afghans of the Doab and Shuja-ud-Daula, 
  • The battle of Panipat was fought to protect India from the raids that began with Nadir Shah in 1739 and to protect the effete Mughal dynasty.
  • Bhau declared Shah Alam as the absentee Mughal Emperor and Shujauddaulah as the Wazir.

Additional Information

• The Battle of Ghaghra was fought in the year 1529.
  • The Battle of Ghaghra, fought in 1529, was a major battle for the conquest of India by the Mughal Empire.
  • It followed the first Battle of Panipat in 1526 and the Battle of Khanwa in 1527.
  • The forces of now Emperor Zahir ud-Din Muhammad Babur of the emerging Mughal Empire were joined by Indian allies in the battle against the Eastern Afghan Confederates under Sultan Mahmud Lodi and Sultanate of Bengal under Sultan Nusrat Shah.
• Battle of Khatauli
  • The Battle of Khatoli was fought in 1518 between the Lodi dynasty under Ibrahim Lodi and the Kingdom of Mewar under Rana Sanga, during which Mewar emerged victoriously.
• Battle of Gagron
  • The Battle of Gagron was fought in 1519 between Sultan Mahmud Khalji II of Malwa and Rana Sanga of Mewar.
  • The conflict took place in Gagron and resulted in Sanga's victory, with him taking Mahmud captive and annexing significant territory.
• Battle of Bayana
  • The Battle of Bayana (1526) was a rare setback for Babur after his victory at Panipat on 21 April 1526.
  • Although this victory gave Babur control of Delhi and Agra, many other fortified places refused to accede to his authority.

• Tughlaq Nama (Book of the Tughlaqs), was written in the year 1320 by Amir Khusrau.
• It is a historic masnavi (an extensive poem) of the reign of the Tughlaq dynasty that describes the tragedy of Deval Devi.
• Deval Devi was a Vaghela dynasty Yadava princess who was married to Khizr Khan, the eldest son of Alauddin Khilji in 1308.
• Eight years later, Khizr Khan was executed by his brother Qutb ud din Mubarak Shah(1316–20), and Deval was taken to his harem.
• In 1320, Mubarak in turn was stabbed and beheaded by Khusro khan (the last ruler of the Khalji dynasty), and his followers. Deval was then married to Khusro Khan.
• Her story, of a cultured and high-born Hindu Yadav princess being passed from hand to hand amongst a series of ambitious, power-hungry men.

• Amir Khusrau was a prolific classical poet associated with the royal courts of more than seven rulers of the Delhi Sultanate.
• He wrote many playful riddles, songs, and legends that have become a part of popular culture in South Asia. His riddles are one of the most popular forms of Hindavi poetry today.
• Amir was the one who introduced the Ghazal style of singing in the Indian subcontinent. 
• The parrot of India was the title given to Amir Khusro.
• Amir Khusro saw the rule of 7 Sultans (Balban, Muhammad, Cakubad, Jalaluddin Khilji, Alauddin Khilji, Mubarak Shah Khaliji, Gaisuddin Tughlaq)

Lodhi Dynasty

1. Founder - Bahlol Lodhi (1451-88 AD)
2. Last king - Ibrahim Lodhi (1517-26 AD)
3. The city of Agra was founded by Sikandar Lodhi (1489-1517)
4. Daulat Khan Lodhi was the governor of Punjab who invited the Babur.

Note:

The duration of other dynasties in Sultani period and their chronology: