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WBCHSE HS History study materials
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WBCHSE HS History practice questions

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Question 1Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

Which archaeological site in the Indian subcontinent yielded the earliest known evidence of a Mesolithic rock shelter with paintings of animals and hunting scenes?

  1. Inamgaon
  2. Mehrgarh
  3. Hallur
  4. Bhimbetka Correct answer.

Explanation

The Bhimbetka rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh contain paintings in natural pigments depicting animals, hunting and dancing, and belong to the Mesolithic and later phases. Mehrgarh is a Neolithic settlement, while Inamgaon and Hallur are Chalcolithic and Iron Age sites respectively.

Question 2Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

The first metal to be smelted and widely used in the Indian subcontinent during the Chalcolithic phase was:

  1. Iron
  2. Gold
  3. Tin
  4. Copper Correct answer.

Explanation

Chalcolithic literally means the copper-stone age, and copper was the earliest metal smelted in the subcontinent, as seen at sites such as Ahar, Jorwe and Ganeshwar. Iron appears much later, in the early historic period, and tin was used mainly as an alloying element for bronze.

Question 3Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

The Indus Valley script is best described as:

  1. An undeciphered script of short seal inscriptions Correct answer.
  2. A deciphered Brahmi-derived script
  3. A fully deciphered alphabetic script
  4. A deciphered syllabary of Dravidian origin

Explanation

The Indus script survives mainly on seals, sealings and small objects, usually in very short strings of signs, and remains undeciphered. Because no bilingual text or long inscription has been found, claims about its language remain speculative.

Question 4Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

Which Harappan site is famous for its large dockyard-like water tank and is located on the Gulf of Khambhat coast?

  1. Banawali
  2. Lothal Correct answer.
  3. Ropar
  4. Kalibangan

Explanation

Lothal in Gujarat has a large trapezoidal basin interpreted as a dockyard, along with a bead-making workshop and warehouse, indicating maritime trade. Kalibangan is in Rajasthan, Banawali in Haryana and Ropar in Punjab, all inland sites.

Question 5Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

The Rigvedic term 'sabha' most plausibly refers to:

  1. A tax collected by the king
  2. A type of sacrificial altar
  3. A unit of land measurement
  4. A clan assembly for deliberation Correct answer.

Explanation

In the Rigveda, sabha and samiti denote assemblies in which clan affairs, disputes and decisions were discussed, alongside the king. They are political and social bodies, not fiscal or ritual units.

Question 6Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

The term 'gavishthi' in Vedic literature, often translated as 'search for cows', is significant because it points to:

  1. A ritual gift given to priests
  2. A tax paid in cattle to the raja
  3. A method of measuring cultivated land
  4. Pastoral cattle raids and competition for resources Correct answer.

Explanation

Gavishthi literally means the desire for or pursuit of cows, and scholars read it as evidence of cattle raids and inter-clan conflict over herds and pasture in the Rigvedic economy. It reflects a pastoral, cattle-centred society rather than a fiscal or agrarian mechanism.

Question 7Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

Which of the following Mahajanapadas was a republic (gana-sangha) rather than a hereditary monarchy?

  1. Vajji Correct answer.
  2. Kosala
  3. Magadha
  4. Avanti

Explanation

The Vajji confederacy, with its centre at Vaishali, is the best-known gana-sangha among the sixteen Mahajanapadas, governed by an assembly of clan heads. Magadha, Kosala and Avanti were all monarchical states.

Question 8Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon, known as the Dhammachakkapavattana, at:

  1. Rajagriha
  2. Sarnath Correct answer.
  3. Bodh Gaya
  4. Kushinagar

Explanation

After enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, the Buddha preached his first sermon at the deer park at Sarnath near Varanasi, setting the Wheel of Law in motion. Kushinagar is where he died and Rajagriha was a major centre of his later activity.

Question 9Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

The Arthashastra's discussion of 'shadgunya' relates to:

  1. Six measures of foreign policy such as sandhi and vigraha Correct answer.
  2. Six types of judicial punishment
  3. Six stages of the life of a householder
  4. Six categories of land revenue

Explanation

Shadgunya means the six-fold policy of a state towards other states, including sandhi (treaty), vigraha (hostility), asana (neutrality) and related strategies. It belongs to Kautilyan statecraft and diplomacy.

Question 10Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

Ashoka's Dhamma edicts use the term 'dhamma' primarily to mean:

  1. A system of land taxation
  2. A code of moral conduct and social responsibility Correct answer.
  3. A military conscription law
  4. A form of Vedic sacrifice

Explanation

In Ashoka's inscriptions, dhamma denotes moral conduct such as respect for parents and elders, tolerance among sects, and humane treatment of servants and animals, propagated through officials called dhamma-mahamattas. It is an ethical programme, not a fiscal or military one.

Question 11Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

Megasthenes' account of Mauryan India is preserved mainly through quotations in later authors because the original work, the Indica:

  1. Was never written and is a later forgery
  2. Was composed in Sanskrit and translated into Greek
  3. Survives complete in a single manuscript
  4. Survives only in fragments cited by writers such as Strabo and Arrian Correct answer.

Explanation

Megasthenes, the Seleucid envoy at Chandragupta Maurya's court, wrote the Indica, which survives only as fragments quoted by later Greek and Roman writers including Strabo, Arrian and Diodorus. No complete manuscript exists.

Question 12Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

The Besnagar pillar inscription of Heliodorus records that he was an envoy of the Indo-Greek king:

  1. Eukratides
  2. Menander
  3. Antialkidas Correct answer.
  4. Demetrios

Explanation

The Garuda pillar at Besnagar near Vidisha records Heliodorus, a Bhagavata, as the ambassador of Antialkidas to the court of a Shunga ruler, probably Bhagabhadra. It is a key source for Indo-Greek diplomacy and religious patronage in post-Mauryan India.

Question 13Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

Kanishka's reign is important for the development of Mahayana Buddhism chiefly because:

  1. He banned Buddhist monastic orders
  2. He composed the Pali canon himself
  3. He convened a council and patronised Buddhist scholars and art Correct answer.
  4. He made Buddhism the sole state religion of the Kushanas

Explanation

Kanishka is credited with convening a Buddhist council, probably in Kashmir, and with patronising scholars such as Ashvaghosha and Vasumitra, contributing to Mahayana's spread and to Gandhara art. The Pali canon was already transmitted orally, and no evidence shows that he banned monastic orders.

Question 14Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

The Satavahana ruler Gautamiputra Satakarni is best remembered in inscriptions for:

  1. Defeating the Shakas and claiming the title of destroyer of Shakas Correct answer.
  2. Founding the city of Pataliputra
  3. Conquering Sri Lanka
  4. Renouncing his throne to become a Buddhist monk

Explanation

The Nasik prashasti of his mother Gautami Balashri praises Gautamiputra Satakarni for overthrowing the Kshaharata Shaka ruler Nahapana and for his patronage of Brahmanism and Buddhism alike. It is a key source for Satavahana political history.

Question 15Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

The Allahabad pillar inscription of Samudragupta is valuable mainly because it:

  1. Records the donation of land to a brahmana
  2. Contains the first use of the Gupta script
  3. Lists the kings and frontier peoples he conquered or subjugated Correct answer.
  4. Describes the construction of a dam

Explanation

Composed by Harishena, the prashasti on the Allahabad pillar enumerates Samudragupta's campaigns against Aryavarta kings and frontier and tributary states, making it a central source for Gupta military history. It is a eulogy of conquest, not a land grant or engineering record.

Question 16Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

The Gupta period is often called the classical age of Indian art because:

  1. Coins ceased to carry royal portraits
  2. Painting was limited to palm-leaf manuscripts
  3. Rock-cut architecture was abandoned entirely
  4. Sculpture and temple architecture attained a refined, balanced style seen at sites like Udayagiri Correct answer.

Explanation

Gupta art is noted for the serene, balanced sculpture of Mathura and Sarnath, the temples at Deogarh and Bhitargaon, and the paintings at Ajanta in this period, earning the label classical. Rock-cut work continued, and Gupta coins are famous for their variety of royal portraits.

Question 17Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

The Chinese pilgrim Fa-Hsien visited India during the reign of:

  1. Ashoka
  2. Harshavardhana
  3. Chandragupta II Correct answer.
  4. Kanishka

Explanation

Fa-Hsien travelled in India in the early fifth century CE, during the reign of Chandragupta II, and described Gupta administration, society and Buddhist institutions. Harshavardhana's visitor was Xuanzang, and Kanishka and Ashoka belong to much earlier periods.

Question 18Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

The term 'land-grant charters' in early medieval India is historically important because it:

  1. Documents the transfer of revenue and administrative rights to donees Correct answer.
  2. Records only religious donations to Buddhist monasteries
  3. Shows that coins were no longer used
  4. Proves that all land was owned by the king

Explanation

Copper-plate charters record grants of villages or fields with rights over revenue, produce and sometimes judicial authority, indicating the growth of landed intermediaries. They are not proof of universal royal ownership, and they were issued to brahmanas and temples of various faiths.

Question 19Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

Which of the following was a major political power in early medieval eastern India, ruling from Bengal and Bihar?

  1. The Chalukyas of Kalyani
  2. The Cholas
  3. The Palas Correct answer.
  4. The Rashtrakutas

Explanation

The Pala dynasty, founded by Gopala and strengthened by Dharmapala and Devapala, ruled Bengal and Bihar and patronised Buddhist institutions such as Nalanda and Vikramashila. The Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas and Cholas were powers of the Deccan and the south.

Question 20Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

The Rashtrakuta ruler Amoghavarsha I is remembered in tradition for:

  1. Writing the Kannada work Kavirajamarga and patronising learning Correct answer.
  2. Leading a naval expedition to Srivijaya
  3. Founding the city of Mahabalipuram
  4. Building the Kailasa temple at Ellora

Explanation

Amoghavarsha I, also called Nripatunga, is credited with the Kavirajamarga, an early work on Kannada poetics, and with broad patronage of scholarship. The Kailasa temple at Ellora is attributed to Krishna I, and the naval expedition to Srivijaya was a Chola achievement.

Question 21Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

The tripartite struggle of the early medieval period refers to the contest among three powers for control of:

  1. Kanauj and the Ganga valley Correct answer.
  2. Bengal and Assam
  3. The Deccan plateau
  4. The Malabar coast

Explanation

The Gurjara-Pratiharas, Rashtrakutas and Palas fought repeatedly for control of Kanauj and the middle Ganga valley, a contest historians call the tripartite struggle. The Deccan, Bengal and the Malabar coast were theatres of other regional conflicts.

Question 22Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

The Harappan site of Dholavira is distinctive chiefly for:

  1. A single unfortified mound with no water storage
  2. The earliest evidence of iron smelting
  3. A sophisticated three-part town plan with elaborate water reservoirs Correct answer.
  4. The largest known Harappan cemetery

Explanation

Dholavira in Kachchh shows a three-fold division into citadel, middle town and lower town, linked by a network of stone reservoirs for water conservation in an arid zone. Iron smelting is not a Harappan feature, and the site is heavily fortified.

Question 23Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

The Vedic term 'shudra' in the later Vedic period referred to:

  1. A warrior elite entitled to perform sacrifices
  2. A merchant class controlling long-distance trade
  3. A priestly group specialising in the Sama Veda
  4. A servile class excluded from Vedic ritual and often associated with manual labour Correct answer.

Explanation

In the later Vedic varna scheme, the shudra stood at the bottom, excluded from the sacred thread and Vedic sacrifice, and associated with service and manual work. The warrior and priestly groups were the kshatriya and brahmana, while traders belonged to the vaishya category.

Question 24Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

The Ashokan policy of 'dhamma-vijaya' is best understood as:

  1. A tax levied on conquered territories
  2. Conquest through moral persuasion rather than armed force Correct answer.
  3. A campaign of territorial annexation by the army
  4. A treaty of alliance with the Seleucids

Explanation

Ashoka contrasted dhamma-vijaya, victory through the propagation of moral law, with the earlier conquest by arms described in his own edicts. He sent missions to spread dhamma to neighbouring kingdoms and frontier peoples, presenting this as a superior form of conquest.

Question 25Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

The Gandhara school of sculpture is distinguished by:

  1. Exclusive use of red sandstone from Mathura
  2. Strong Graeco-Roman influence in drapery and facial features Correct answer.
  3. Absence of any human depiction of the Buddha
  4. Purely abstract geometric ornament with no figures

Explanation

Gandhara art, centred in the north-west, shows clear Hellenistic and Roman influence in the naturalistic modelling of faces, wavy hair and heavy drapery, often using grey schist. The Mathura school, by contrast, used spotted red sandstone.

Question 26Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

The Neolithic site of Mehrgarh is significant in the prehistory of the subcontinent mainly because it provides evidence of:

  1. the earliest rock-cut Buddhist monasteries in the Deccan
  2. the earliest iron-smelting furnaces in the subcontinent
  3. the first fortified Harappan city with a citadel and lower town
  4. the earliest known farming and herding community in the north-west Correct answer.

Explanation

Mehrgarh, on the Bolan plain in Baluchistan, has yielded some of the earliest evidence in the subcontinent for domesticated wheat and barley, sheep and goats, and mud-brick houses, dating from around 7000 BCE. This makes it central to the debate on how food production spread into South Asia before the rise of the Harappan cities.

Question 27Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

In the Harappan drainage system, the small covered channels that carried waste water from houses into the larger street drains are best described as:

  1. soak-pits dug inside courtyards
  2. stepwells used for storing drinking water
  3. chutes or terracotta pipes connecting household outlets to street drains Correct answer.
  4. ring-wells lined with wedge-shaped bricks

Explanation

Harappan houses opened onto the street through small outlets, often fitted with terracotta pipes or chutes, which emptied into the brick-lined drains running along the streets. Soak-pits and ring-wells were separate features used for absorbing or drawing water, not for the household-to-street flow.

Question 28Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

A student comparing the Rigvedic and later Vedic periods notes that the sabha and samiti lose prominence while royal power grows. Which development best explains this change?

  1. the disappearance of the varna order and the emergence of a classless society
  2. the spread of iron tools and the rise of larger territorial kingdoms with standing pressure from rival chiefs Correct answer.
  3. the decline of pastoralism and the abandonment of cattle as a measure of wealth
  4. the introduction of coinage by the Harappans before the Vedic settlements

Explanation

In the later Vedic period, iron technology, clearance of the Ganga-Yamuna doab and the growth of territorial units strengthened the position of the raja, who relied on priests and officials rather than on the old tribal assemblies. The sabha and samiti survived as terms but lost their earlier decision-making role.

Question 29Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

The Mauryan administrative network described in the Arthashastra and Ashokan inscriptions depended heavily on officials such as the rajukas. Their principal responsibility was to:

  1. command the imperial cavalry and elephant corps in battle
  2. conduct diplomatic correspondence with Hellenistic courts
  3. maintain the royal treasury and audit provincial accounts
  4. administer justice and promote welfare in rural areas Correct answer.

Explanation

The rajukas appear in Ashokan edicts as officials entrusted with the welfare and moral guidance of the countryside, including the settlement of disputes and the implementation of dhamma. Their rural and judicial role distinguishes them from purely military or fiscal officers.

Question 30Ancient Indian History (prehistoric cultures, Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, post-Mauryan states, Guptas, early medieval India)

An early medieval land-grant charter records the transfer of a village together with its fields, tanks, pastures and inhabitants to a brahmana. Historians treat such charters as evidence primarily for:

  1. the decline of Sanskrit as a language of administration
  2. the growth of localised landed authority and the weakening of central control over rural resources Correct answer.
  3. the expansion of long-distance maritime trade under the Guptas
  4. the introduction of the varna system into the subcontinent

Explanation

Land-grant charters, usually inscribed on copper plates, transferred rights over land and its produce, and often over the labour of cultivators, to donees who thereby acquired local authority. Historians read the cumulative effect of such grants as a shift towards decentralised, landed power in early medieval India.

Question 31Medieval Indian History (Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms, Mughal Empire, regional powers, Bhakti and Sufi movements)

Who founded the Delhi Sultanate's Mamluk (Slave) dynasty in 1206 after Muhammad of Ghor's death?

  1. Razia Sultan
  2. Qutb-ud-din Aibak Correct answer.
  3. Iltutmish
  4. Balban

Explanation

Qutb-ud-din Aibak, a former slave-general of Muhammad of Ghor, assumed authority in Lahore in 1206 and is conventionally treated as the founder of the Mamluk dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. Iltutmish, his successor, consolidated the Sultanate but came later.

Question 32Medieval Indian History (Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms, Mughal Empire, regional powers, Bhakti and Sufi movements)

The famous Qutb Minar in Delhi was begun by Qutb-ud-din Aibak and later completed and extended mainly under which ruler?

  1. Iltutmish Correct answer.
  2. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
  3. Alauddin Khalji
  4. Sikandar Lodi

Explanation

The Qutb Minar was started by Aibak and substantially completed by Iltutmish, who added further storeys. Later rulers added and repaired portions, but the principal completion is associated with Iltutmish.

Question 33Medieval Indian History (Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms, Mughal Empire, regional powers, Bhakti and Sufi movements)

Which Mongol threat did Sultan Alauddin Khalji successfully repel through his frontier and market reforms?

  1. The Chagatai conquest of Bengal
  2. The invasion of Timur
  3. The raids of Mahmud of Ghazni
  4. The repeated Mongol incursions of the early fourteenth century Correct answer.

Explanation

Alauddin Khalji faced repeated Mongol incursions into the Delhi Sultanate and countered them with fortified frontiers, a large standing army, and revenue and market controls. Timur's invasion came in 1398, long after Alauddin's reign.

Question 34Medieval Indian History (Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms, Mughal Empire, regional powers, Bhakti and Sufi movements)

Muhammad bin Tughlaq's decision to shift the capital from Delhi to which city proved a costly failure?

  1. Fatehpur Sikri
  2. Daulatabad Correct answer.
  3. Jaunpur
  4. Agra

Explanation

Muhammad bin Tughlaq shifted his capital to Daulatabad (Devagiri) in the Deccan, but the move caused great hardship and was reversed. Agra and Fatehpur Sikri are associated with the Mughals, and Jaunpur with the Sharqi dynasty.

Question 35Medieval Indian History (Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms, Mughal Empire, regional powers, Bhakti and Sufi movements)

The Vijayanagara Empire was founded in 1336 by Harihara and Bukka with the guidance of which religious figure?

  1. Vidyaranya Correct answer.
  2. Madhvacharya
  3. Ramanuja
  4. Basava

Explanation

Harihara and Bukka, the founders of Vijayanagara, are traditionally said to have acted under the guidance of the sage Vidyaranya of the Sringeri tradition. Ramanuja and Madhvacharya were earlier or contemporary philosophers, and Basava was a twelfth-century Virashaiva leader.

Question 36Medieval Indian History (Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms, Mughal Empire, regional powers, Bhakti and Sufi movements)

Which Vijayanagara ruler is credited with building the Vitthala temple complex and the famous stone chariot at Hampi?

  1. Krishnadevaraya Correct answer.
  2. Achyuta Raya
  3. Devaraya II
  4. Rama Raya

Explanation

Krishnadevaraya, the most celebrated ruler of Vijayanagara, patronised major temple construction at Hampi, including work associated with the Vitthala complex and its stone chariot. Devaraya II preceded him, while Achyuta Raya and Rama Raya came later.

Question 37Medieval Indian History (Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms, Mughal Empire, regional powers, Bhakti and Sufi movements)

The Bahmani kingdom was founded in 1347 by Hasan Gangu, who took which royal title?

  1. Muhammad Shah
  2. Firuz Shah
  3. Ala-ud-din Bahman Shah Correct answer.
  4. Mahmud Gawan

Explanation

Hasan Gangu, also known as Zafar Khan, founded the Bahmani kingdom and assumed the title Ala-ud-din Bahman Shah. Mahmud Gawan was a later minister, not the founder, and the other titles belong to different rulers.

Question 38Medieval Indian History (Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms, Mughal Empire, regional powers, Bhakti and Sufi movements)

The Bahmani prime minister Mahmud Gawan is best remembered for which achievement?

  1. Introducing the Persian wheel to the Deccan
  2. Leading the conquest of Vijayanagara
  3. Reforming the administration and founding a celebrated madrasa at Bidar Correct answer.
  4. Founding the Adil Shahi dynasty

Explanation

Mahmud Gawan reorganised Bahmani administration, dividing the kingdom into provinces, and founded a famous madrasa at Bidar. He did not conquer Vijayanagara, and the Adil Shahi dynasty emerged after the Bahmani breakup.

Question 39Medieval Indian History (Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms, Mughal Empire, regional powers, Bhakti and Sufi movements)

The battle of Talikota in 1565 resulted in the defeat of Vijayanagara by which combination of Deccan sultanates?

  1. Ahmadnagar and Berar alone
  2. Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Golconda and Bidar Correct answer.
  3. Golconda and Khandesh alone
  4. Bijapur and Golconda alone

Explanation

At Talikota (Rakshasa-Tangadi) in 1565 the allied forces of Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Golconda and Bidar defeated Vijayanagara, after which the empire declined. The other options list incomplete or incorrect coalitions.

Question 40Medieval Indian History (Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms, Mughal Empire, regional powers, Bhakti and Sufi movements)

Babur's victory at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526 was decisively aided by which military technology?

  1. Mounted archers using the longbow
  2. War elephants
  3. Field artillery and matchlock firearms Correct answer.
  4. Siege towers

Explanation

Babur's effective use of field artillery and firearms, combined with the tulughma flanking tactic, overcame Ibrahim Lodi's larger army at Panipat. Elephants were used by the Lodi side, not as Babur's decisive advantage.

Question 41Medieval Indian History (Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms, Mughal Empire, regional powers, Bhakti and Sufi movements)

The Second Battle of Panipat in 1556 secured the Mughal throne for Akbar by defeating which adversary?

  1. Sher Shah Suri
  2. Hemu Vikramaditya of the Sur dynasty Correct answer.
  3. Rana Sanga
  4. Ibrahim Lodi

Explanation

At the Second Battle of Panipat, Akbar's forces under Bairam Khan defeated Hemu, the general and minister of the Sur dynasty. Sher Shah had died earlier, Ibrahim Lodi fell in 1526, and Rana Sanga was defeated at Khanwa.

Question 42Medieval Indian History (Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms, Mughal Empire, regional powers, Bhakti and Sufi movements)

Akbar's policy of sulh-i kul, or universal peace, is best understood as which approach to governance?

  1. Strict enforcement of sharia in all provinces
  2. Forced conversion of conquered populations
  3. Religious tolerance and inclusion of diverse groups in the imperial service Correct answer.
  4. Exclusion of Rajputs from military command

Explanation

Sulh-i kul was Akbar's principle of religious tolerance, expressed in policies such as the abolition of the jizya and the inclusion of Rajputs and others in the mansabdari system. It was not an imposition of sharia or forced conversion.

Question 43Medieval Indian History (Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms, Mughal Empire, regional powers, Bhakti and Sufi movements)

Under the Mughal mansabdari system, the term zat referred to which aspect of a noble's rank?

  1. The revenue assignment granted
  2. Personal status and salary scale Correct answer.
  3. The ceremonial title awarded at court
  4. The number of cavalrymen to be maintained

Explanation

In the mansabdari system, zat denoted a noble's personal rank and determined his salary and status. The number of troops maintained was indicated by sawar, and a revenue assignment was a jagir.

Question 44Medieval Indian History (Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms, Mughal Empire, regional powers, Bhakti and Sufi movements)

Which Mughal emperor's reign saw the construction of the Taj Mahal at Agra?

  1. Shah Jahan Correct answer.
  2. Humayun
  3. Jahangir
  4. Aurangzeb

Explanation

The Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Jahangir and Aurangzeb ruled at other times, and Humayun's tomb in Delhi is a different monument.

Question 45Medieval Indian History (Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms, Mughal Empire, regional powers, Bhakti and Sufi movements)

Aurangzeb's reimposition of the jizya in 1679 is significant because it

  1. abolished the mansabdari system
  2. ended Mughal rule in the Deccan
  3. reversed Akbar's policy of religious tolerance toward non-Muslims Correct answer.
  4. transferred the capital from Delhi to Aurangabad

Explanation

Aurangzeb's reimposition of the jizya, a tax on non-Muslims, marked a departure from the inclusive policies associated with Akbar. It did not abolish the mansabdari system or end Mughal authority in the Deccan.

Question 46Medieval Indian History (Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms, Mughal Empire, regional powers, Bhakti and Sufi movements)

The Maratha leader Shivaji was formally crowned Chhatrapati in 1674 at which fort?

  1. Raigad Correct answer.
  2. Pratapgarh
  3. Sinhagad
  4. Panhala

Explanation

Shivaji's coronation as Chhatrapati took place at Raigad in 1674, marking the assertion of sovereign Maratha authority. The other forts are associated with his campaigns but not with the coronation.

Question 47Medieval Indian History (Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms, Mughal Empire, regional powers, Bhakti and Sufi movements)

The Bhakti saint Kabir is best known for which characteristic of his teaching?

  1. Critique of both Hindu and Muslim ritualism in favour of a formless divine Correct answer.
  2. Defence of caste hierarchy in devotional practice
  3. Promotion of Sanskrit as the sole language of devotion
  4. Advocacy of temple worship above all other forms

Explanation

Kabir's verses, preserved in the Bijak and the Sikh Adi Granth, criticise ritualism and caste pride in both Hindu and Muslim traditions while emphasising a formless divine. He composed in vernacular language rather than Sanskrit.

Question 48Medieval Indian History (Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms, Mughal Empire, regional powers, Bhakti and Sufi movements)

Which woman Bhakti poet is associated with the Krishna devotion of Vrindavan and composed in Braj?

  1. Mirabai Correct answer.
  2. Andal
  3. Lal Ded
  4. Akka Mahadevi

Explanation

Mirabai, a Rajput princess, is celebrated for her Krishna bhakti and Braj-language songs. Andal was a Tamil Alvar saint, Akka Mahadevi a Kannada Virashaiva poet, and Lal Ded a Kashmiri mystic.

Question 49Medieval Indian History (Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms, Mughal Empire, regional powers, Bhakti and Sufi movements)

The Sufi concept of wahdat al-wujud, associated with Ibn Arabi, refers to which idea?

  1. The division of religious law into schools
  2. The unity of being Correct answer.
  3. The finality of prophethood
  4. The obligation of pilgrimage

Explanation

Wahdat al-wujud, or the unity of being, holds that all existence is a manifestation of the one divine reality. It became influential in Indian Sufi thought, especially in Chishti circles, and is distinct from legal or doctrinal questions.

Question 50Medieval Indian History (Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms, Mughal Empire, regional powers, Bhakti and Sufi movements)

The Chishti Sufi order in India is especially associated with which practice?

  1. Armed resistance to the Delhi Sultanate
  2. Strict vegetarianism and isolation in mountain caves
  3. Renunciation of political involvement and emphasis on sama, or mystical music Correct answer.
  4. Close association with the sultan's court and state office

Explanation

The Chishti order, represented by figures such as Nizamuddin Auliya, generally avoided close ties with rulers and valued sama, the audition of mystical music. Other orders and groups had different attitudes to politics and asceticism.