Pariksha SaathiGeneral Studies
Ancient and Medieval Indian History: Practice Questions with Answers
233 practice questions on Ancient and Medieval Indian History, with answers; most also have an explanation or a worked solution. Try each one before you open its answer.
Read the lesson on this topic →
← Previous Page 2 / 5 Next →
-
Q.51
In Gupta administration, the empire was divided into provinces known by which name?
- A Vishaya
- B Bhukti
- C Vithi
- D Grama
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Bhukti
Provinces were called bhuktis and were governed by officers called uparikas. Each bhukti was divided into vishayas (districts) under vishayapatis, and the village (grama) was the smallest unit.
-
Q.52
Microliths, very small stone tools such as tiny blades and points that were fixed onto wooden or bone handles, are characteristic of which age?
- A Lower Palaeolithic
- B Neolithic
- C Chalcolithic
- D Mesolithic
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Mesolithic
Microliths are the typical tools of the Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age), when people were hunter-gatherers who had begun to domesticate animals. The Neolithic is marked by polished stone tools and farming, and the Chalcolithic by the first use of copper alongside stone.
-
Q.53
Devagiri, which Muhammad bin Tughlaq renamed Daulatabad, was earlier the capital of which dynasty?
- A Kakatiyas
- B Yadavas (Seunas)
- C Hoysalas
- D Pandyas
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Yadavas (Seunas)
Devagiri was the capital of the Yadavas, whose king Ramachandra was first attacked by Alauddin Khalji in 1296. The Kakatiyas ruled from Warangal and the Pandyas from Madurai.
-
Q.54
Arrange the following events in chronological order:
1. Timur's sack of Delhi
2. Arab conquest of Sindh
3. Second Battle of Tarain
4. Mahmud of Ghazni's raid on Somnath
- A 4, 2, 3, 1
- B 2, 3, 4, 1
- C 4, 2, 1, 3
- D 2, 4, 3, 1
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) 2, 4, 3, 1
The Arab conquest of Sindh came in 712, Mahmud's raid on Somnath in 1025-26, the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192 and Timur's sack of Delhi in 1398.
-
Q.55
In the administration of the Delhi Sultanate, what was 'khalisa' land?
- A Land whose revenue went directly to the Sultan's treasury
- B Land assigned to military commanders as iqtas
- C Revenue-free land granted to scholars and holy men
- D Common grazing land of a village
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Land whose revenue went directly to the Sultan's treasury
Khalisa was crown land administered directly by the central government, with its revenue going to the royal treasury, unlike iqtas assigned to commanders. Revenue-free grants to the learned and pious formed a separate category.
-
Q.56
Consider the following statements about Alauddin Khalji:
1. He raised the land revenue in the region around Delhi to half of the produce.
2. He paid his soldiers their salaries in cash.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A Only 1
- B Only 2
- C Both 1 and 2
- D Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Both 1 and 2
Barani records that Alauddin fixed land revenue at half the produce, assessed by measurement, and paid his large standing army in cash. Low fixed prices in Delhi's markets made these cash salaries workable.
-
Q.57
Which of the following Harappan sites is NOT located in present-day India?
- A Banawali
- B Surkotada
- C Alamgirpur
- D Kot Diji
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Kot Diji
Kot Diji lies in Khairpur district of Sindh, Pakistan, and is known for its pre-Harappan fortified settlement. Banawali is in Haryana, Surkotada in Kutch (Gujarat) and Alamgirpur in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh.
-
Q.58
The court ceremonies of sijda (prostration) and paibos (kissing the Sultan's feet), along with the theory of kingship as Zil-i-Ilahi (shadow of God), were introduced by which Sultan?
- A Balban
- B Iltutmish
- C Alauddin Khalji
- D Razia
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Balban
Ghiyasuddin Balban introduced sijda and paibos, created the Diwan-i-Arz (military department) and crushed the Turkan-i-Chihalgani to strengthen the Sultan's prestige.
-
Q.59
Which of the following is NOT a part of the Buddha's Eightfold Path (Ashtangika Marga)?
- A Right speech
- B Right austerity
- C Right livelihood
- D Right concentration
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Right austerity
The Eightfold Path consists of right view, resolve, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration. The Buddha rejected severe austerity as an extreme and taught the Middle Path.
-
Q.60
Which of the following pairs of school of sculpture and the stone it chiefly used is correctly matched?
- A Gandhara - white marble
- B Amaravati - grey schist
- C Mathura - spotted red sandstone
- D Gandhara - spotted red sandstone
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Mathura - spotted red sandstone
Mathura sculptors worked in the spotted red sandstone of the region. The Gandhara school used grey-blue schist and stucco, and the Amaravati school white marble-like limestone.
-
Q.61
Rakhigarhi, one of the largest Harappan sites in the subcontinent, is located in which state?
- A Punjab
- B Rajasthan
- C Haryana
- D Gujarat
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Haryana
Rakhigarhi lies in Hisar district of Haryana, in the plains of the Ghaggar river system. Other Harappan sites in Haryana include Banawali and Bhirrana.
-
Q.62
In Sangam poetry, the landscape (tinai) called Neytal refers to which kind of region?
- A Hilly region
- B Pastoral forest
- C Agricultural plain
- D Coastal region
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Coastal region
Sangam poets described five tinais: Kurinji (hills), Mullai (pastoral forest), Marutam (farmland), Neytal (seashore) and Palai (arid land). Each landscape had its own people, occupations and moods of love.
-
Q.63
Which of the following pairs of foreign traveller and the kingdom he visited is correctly matched?
- A Abdur Razzaq - Kakatiya kingdom
- B Francois Bernier - Vijayanagara empire
- C Niccolo de Conti - Delhi Sultanate under Balban
- D Afanasy Nikitin - Bahmani kingdom
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Afanasy Nikitin - Bahmani kingdom
The Russian merchant Afanasy Nikitin stayed in the Bahmani kingdom, mainly at Bidar, around 1469-72. Abdur Razzaq and Conti visited Vijayanagara, while Bernier travelled in the Mughal empire.
-
Q.64
Which Huna ruler, remembered in Indian and Chinese sources as a persecutor of Buddhists, was defeated by Yashodharman of Malwa in the sixth century AD?
- A Toramana
- B Kidara
- C Mihirakula
- D Kujula Kadphises
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Mihirakula
Mihirakula, son of Toramana, was defeated by Yashodharman, whose Mandasor inscription records the victory. Xuanzang's account describes Mihirakula's cruelty towards Buddhists.
-
Q.65
Ghazi Malik, who founded the Tughlaq dynasty in 1320, ascended the throne of Delhi under which name?
- A Muhammad bin Tughlaq
- B Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
- C Firoz Shah Tughlaq
- D Nasiruddin Khusrau Shah
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
Ghazi Malik, governor of Dipalpur in Punjab, overthrew Khusrau Khan (who had taken the title Nasiruddin Khusrau Shah) and became Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq. His son Jauna Khan succeeded him as Muhammad bin Tughlaq.
-
Q.66
Timur invaded India and sacked Delhi in 1398 during the reign of which Sultan?
- A Firoz Shah Tughlaq
- B Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah Tughlaq
- C Khizr Khan
- D Bahlol Lodi
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah Tughlaq
Timur's invasion came during the weak reign of Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah, one of the last Tughlaq Sultans; Firoz Shah Tughlaq had died ten years earlier, in 1388. The invasion hastened the break-up of the Sultanate.
-
Q.67
Ibn Battuta, the Moroccan traveller whom Muhammad bin Tughlaq appointed qazi (judge) of Delhi, wrote his travel account in Arabic. What is it called?
- A Kitab-ul-Hind
- B Tarikh-i-Firozshahi
- C Rihla
- D Tabaqat-i-Nasiri
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Rihla
Ibn Battuta's Rihla describes Delhi and the court of Muhammad bin Tughlaq in detail. Kitab-ul-Hind is Al-Biruni's work on India, and Tabaqat-i-Nasiri is Minhaj-us-Siraj's history.
-
Q.68
Under the Delhi Sultanate, what was the holder of an iqta, a territory assigned to a military commander in place of a cash salary, called?
- A Amil
- B Khut
- C Shiqdar
- D Muqti
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Muqti
The iqta holders, called muqtis or iqtadars, collected revenue from their iqtas, paid their soldiers from it and kept order. Khuts and muqaddams were village headmen.
-
Q.69
Evidence of a ploughed field and fire altars has been found at which Harappan site in Rajasthan?
- A Kalibangan
- B Lothal
- C Ropar
- D Surkotada
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Kalibangan
Kalibangan on the dry bed of the Ghaggar in Rajasthan shows a pre-Harappan ploughed field with furrows and fire altars. Lothal is in Gujarat and Ropar in Punjab.
-
Q.70
Bagor in Rajasthan and Adamgarh in Madhya Pradesh are Mesolithic sites known for providing early evidence of which development?
- A Domestication of animals
- B Iron smelting
- C Rice cultivation
- D Use of the potter's wheel
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Domestication of animals
Animal bones from Bagor and Adamgarh show that Mesolithic people had begun to domesticate animals such as sheep and goats. Iron came into use in India much later, in the Iron Age.
-
Q.71
Which general of Alauddin Khalji led the campaigns against Devagiri, Warangal, Dwarasamudra and Madurai between about 1307 and 1311?
- A Malik Kafur
- B Ulugh Khan
- C Zafar Khan
- D Nusrat Khan
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Malik Kafur
Malik Kafur, a slave who rose to high command, led these southern campaigns and brought back huge treasure. Ulugh Khan and Nusrat Khan had led the conquest of Gujarat in 1299.
-
Q.72
Qutbuddin Aibak began the Qutb Minar in Delhi but completed only its first storey. Who added the next three storeys?
- A Balban
- B Iltutmish
- C Alauddin Khalji
- D Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Iltutmish
Aibak's successor Iltutmish added three storeys to the Qutb Minar. Much later Firoz Shah Tughlaq repaired the damaged top and built the fifth storey.
-
Q.73
Which of the following statements about the Harappan civilisation is NOT correct?
- A They used burnt bricks for construction
- B Their script has not yet been deciphered
- C They made extensive use of iron tools
- D Their cities had grid-planned streets
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) They made extensive use of iron tools
The Harappans were a Bronze Age people who used copper and bronze; iron was unknown to them. Burnt bricks, grid planning and an undeciphered script are all genuine features.
-
Q.74
Shivaji was born at which hill fort near Junnar in present-day Pune district?
- A Raigad
- B Torna
- C Purandar
- D Shivneri
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Shivneri
Shivaji was born at Shivneri to Shahaji Bhonsle and Jijabai. Torna was among the first forts he captured, and Purandar gave its name to the treaty of 1665.
-
Q.75
In 326 BC Alexander fought the Battle of the Hydaspes, on the Jhelum, against which Indian king?
- A Porus
- B Ambhi
- C Dhana Nanda
- D Chandragupta Maurya
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Porus
Porus (Puru), who ruled the land between the Jhelum and the Chenab, fought Alexander at the Hydaspes and was defeated but reinstated. Ambhi, the ruler of Taxila, had submitted to Alexander without a fight.
-
Q.76
The Tevaram, a collection of Tamil devotional hymns, was composed by which group of saints?
- A Alvars
- B Nayanars
- C Virashaivas
- D Varkaris
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Nayanars
The Tevaram contains the hymns of the Shaiva Nayanars Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar. The hymns of the Vaishnava Alvars were compiled in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham.
-
Q.77
The Great Bath, a large brick-lined public tank, was discovered at which Harappan site?
- A Harappa
- B Mohenjo-daro
- C Lothal
- D Kalibangan
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Mohenjo-daro
The Great Bath is the most famous structure of Mohenjo-daro in Sindh. Mohenjo-daro also yielded the Pashupati seal and the bronze Dancing Girl.
-
Q.78
Which Sultan of Delhi introduced the silver tanka and the copper jital, the standard coins of the Sultanate?
- A Qutbuddin Aibak
- B Balban
- C Alauddin Khalji
- D Iltutmish
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Iltutmish
Iltutmish introduced the tanka and jital, organised the iqta system and the Turkan-i-Chihalgani (the Forty), and received a letter of investiture from the Caliph in 1229.
-
Q.79
Who founded the Kanva dynasty after the last Shunga ruler, Devabhuti, was killed?
- A Agnimitra
- B Vasudeva
- C Simuka
- D Susharman
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Vasudeva
Vasudeva, a Brahmin minister of Devabhuti, founded the Kanva dynasty, which ruled Magadha for about 45 years; Susharman was its last ruler. Agnimitra, son of Pushyamitra, was a Shunga king and the hero of Kalidasa's Malavikagnimitram.
-
Q.80
The Tripitaka, the canon of Theravada Buddhism, is written in which language?
- A Sanskrit
- B Pali
- C Ardhamagadhi
- D Tamil
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Pali
The Theravada canon is preserved in Pali, a Prakrit close to the speech of the Buddha's time. The Jain Agamas are in Ardhamagadhi Prakrit.
-
Q.81
Sirr-i-Akbar (the Great Secret), a Persian translation of fifty Upanishads completed in 1657, was prepared under which Mughal prince?
- A Prince Salim
- B Dara Shikoh
- C Shah Shuja
- D Murad Bakhsh
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Dara Shikoh
Dara Shikoh, Shah Jahan's eldest son, had the Upanishads translated as Sirr-i-Akbar and also wrote Majma-ul-Bahrain on the meeting of Sufi and Vedantic thought.
-
Q.82
Which early Chola king is credited in Sangam tradition with founding the port of Puhar (Kaveripattinam) and building embankments along the Kaveri?
- A Senguttuvan
- B Nedunjeliyan
- C Rajaraja I
- D Karikala
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Karikala
Karikala, the best-known early Chola, is credited with Puhar and with flood embankments on the Kaveri, and the Kallanai (Grand Anicut) is traditionally attributed to him. Senguttuvan was a Chera king and Nedunjeliyan a Pandya.
-
Q.83
The practices of dagh (branding of horses) and chehra (descriptive roll of soldiers) were first introduced in the Sultanate army by which ruler?
- A Alauddin Khalji
- B Balban
- C Firoz Tughlaq
- D Sher Shah
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Alauddin Khalji
Alauddin Khalji introduced dagh and chehra to stop fraud in the army and paid soldiers in cash. Sher Shah Suri later revived the same practices, which is why he is a common distractor.
-
Q.84
Mehrgarh, a Neolithic site that has yielded early evidence of wheat and barley cultivation and the herding of cattle, sheep and goats in South Asia, is located in which present-day country?
- A India
- B Afghanistan
- C Iran
- D Pakistan
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Pakistan
Mehrgarh lies on the Kachi plain of Balochistan in Pakistan, near the Bolan Pass. Its earliest farming levels go back to about 7000 BC, long before the Harappan cities.
-
Q.85
Amir Khusrau, the poet called 'Tuti-i-Hind' (parrot of India), was a disciple of which Sufi saint?
- A Moinuddin Chishti
- B Baba Farid
- C Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki
- D Nizamuddin Auliya
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Nizamuddin Auliya
Amir Khusrau was the devoted disciple of the Chishti saint Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi and is buried near his dargah. He served several Sultans of Delhi, notably Alauddin Khalji.
-
Q.86
The Khajuraho group of temples in Madhya Pradesh was built mainly by which dynasty?
- A Chandelas
- B Paramaras
- C Chauhans
- D Kalachuris
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Chandelas
The Chandela rulers built the Hindu and Jain temples of Khajuraho, mostly between about 950 and 1050; the group is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Chauhans ruled from Ajmer (Shakambhari).
-
Q.87
Most Harappan seals, usually square and carved with an animal and a line of script, were made of which material?
- A Steatite
- B Terracotta
- C Copper
- D Ivory
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Steatite
Harappan seals were usually cut from steatite, a soft stone. They were probably used to stamp bags and packages of goods in trade.
-
Q.88
The Hathigumpha inscription, which records the achievements of King Kharavela of Kalinga, is found in the Udayagiri hills near which city?
- A Bhubaneswar
- B Cuttack
- C Puri
- D Vidisha
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Bhubaneswar
The Hathigumpha ('elephant cave') inscription lies in the Udayagiri hills near Bhubaneswar; Kharavela of the Mahameghavahana (Chedi) dynasty was a patron of Jainism. The Udayagiri caves near Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh are Gupta-period monuments.
-
Q.89
The gold coins issued in large numbers by the Gupta rulers were called what?
- A Dinara
- B Karshapana
- C Nishka
- D Tanka
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Dinara
Gupta gold coins were called dinaras, a name derived from the Roman denarius; their silver coins were called rupakas. The tanka was a silver coin of the Delhi Sultanate.
-
Q.90
Which of the following works was NOT written by Kalidasa?
- A Meghadutam
- B Mrichchhakatikam
- C Raghuvamsham
- D Kumarasambhavam
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Mrichchhakatikam
Mrichchhakatikam (The Little Clay Cart) was written by Shudraka. Kalidasa's works include Abhijnanashakuntalam, Meghadutam, Raghuvamsham, Kumarasambhavam, Malavikagnimitram and Ritusamhara.
-
Q.91
The Ibadat Khana, where Akbar held religious discussions with scholars of different faiths from 1575, was built at which place?
- A Agra
- B Delhi
- C Lahore
- D Fatehpur Sikri
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Fatehpur Sikri
The Ibadat Khana was built at Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar's new capital. The discussions there led to the Mahzar of 1579 and the Din-i-Ilahi (Tauhid-i-Ilahi) of 1582.
-
Q.92
In the Mauryan administration described in Kautilya's Arthashastra, the Samaharta was chiefly responsible for what?
- A Custody of the treasury and storehouses
- B Collection of revenue
- C Command of the army
- D Administration of justice
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Collection of revenue
The Samaharta was the chief collector of revenue from all sources. The custody of the treasury and storehouses was the job of the Sannidhata.
-
Q.93
Harshavardhana of the Pushyabhuti dynasty moved his capital from Thanesar to which city?
- A Pataliputra
- B Kannauj
- C Ujjayini
- D Prayag
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Kannauj
After the Maukhari king Grahavarman, husband of Harsha's sister Rajyashri, was killed, Harsha took over the Maukhari kingdom and made Kannauj his capital in place of Thanesar (Sthanvishvara).
-
Q.94
Francois Bernier, the physician who spent about twelve years in Mughal India in the mid-17th century and wrote 'Travels in the Mogul Empire', came from which country?
- A Italy
- B Portugal
- C England
- D France
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) France
The Frenchman Bernier served as physician to Prince Dara Shikoh and later lived with the noble Danishmand Khan; his account compared Mughal India unfavourably with Europe. His contemporary Niccolao Manucci was Italian.
-
Q.95
Who was appointed Peshwa by Shahu in 1713, after which the office became hereditary in his family?
- A Balaji Vishwanath
- B Baji Rao I
- C Balaji Baji Rao
- D Madhav Rao I
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Balaji Vishwanath
Balaji Vishwanath helped Shahu secure his throne and in 1719 obtained Mughal recognition of Maratha claims to chauth and sardeshmukhi in the Deccan. His son Baji Rao I succeeded him in 1720.
-
Q.96
The Lodis were the first Afghan dynasty to rule from Delhi. Who founded the Lodi dynasty in 1451?
- A Sikandar Lodi
- B Ibrahim Lodi
- C Bahlol Lodi
- D Daulat Khan Lodi
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Bahlol Lodi
Bahlol Lodi, earlier governor of Lahore and Sirhind, took Delhi in 1451; his son Sikandar and grandson Ibrahim followed him. Daulat Khan Lodi was the governor of Punjab who invited Babur.
-
Q.97
Which Mughal emperor, as described in his own memoirs, set up a 'chain of justice' with bells at the Agra fort so that people with grievances could appeal to him directly?
- A Jahangir
- B Akbar
- C Shah Jahan
- D Humayun
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Jahangir
Jahangir describes the zanjir-i-adl (chain of justice) in his memoirs, the Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri. It became a symbol of the Mughal claim to dispense justice to all.
-
Q.98
Shivaji was crowned Chhatrapati in 1674 at which fort, which then became the Maratha capital?
- A Pratapgad
- B Raigad
- C Sinhagad
- D Rajgad
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Raigad
Shivaji's coronation at Raigad in 1674 was conducted by Gaga Bhatt of Varanasi. Pratapgad is where he killed the Bijapur general Afzal Khan in 1659, and Rajgad was his earlier seat.
-
Q.99
The silver coin called the rupiya, the ancestor of the modern rupee, was introduced by which ruler?
- A Akbar
- B Alauddin Khalji
- C Sher Shah Suri
- D Iltutmish
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Sher Shah Suri
Sher Shah Suri (1540-1545) issued the silver rupiya of about 178 grains, and also built the Grand Trunk Road and sarais. Iltutmish's silver coin was the tanka.
-
Q.100
Which of the following pairs of Bhakti saint and the region of his activity is NOT correctly matched?
- A Srimanta Sankardev - Assam
- B Chaitanya Mahaprabhu - Bengal
- C Purandara Dasa - Karnataka
- D Narsinh Mehta - Maharashtra
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Narsinh Mehta - Maharashtra
Narsinh Mehta, the saint-poet who wrote the hymn 'Vaishnava Jana To', belonged to Gujarat. Sankardev preached Ekasarana Dharma in Assam, Chaitanya led Krishna kirtan in Bengal and Purandara Dasa sang in Kannada in the Vijayanagara period.
← Previous Page 2 / 5 Next →
How these questions were made
Authored by an AI assistant (Claude) from its own general knowledge of stable, well-established facts (no live lookup) - not reviewed by a subject-matter expert; verify against an official source before relying on any fact.