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

The correct answer is The process of cultivating crops for commercial purposes that brought in higher revenue.

Key Points

• Jins-i-Kamil refers to crops that were cultivated for their high commercial value and revenue-generating potential during the Mughal period.
• These crops included items like sugarcane, cotton, indigo, and certain fruits, which were in demand both domestically and internationally.
• Farmers prioritized the production of Jins-i-Kamil crops to maximize profits and contribute to the agricultural economy under Mughal rule.
• The term highlights the commercialization of agriculture during the Mughal era, reflecting the state’s emphasis on revenue generation through agrarian practices.
• Jins-i-Kamil crops were often subjected to higher taxation due to their profitability, which contributed significantly to the Mughal treasury.

Additional Information

• Agrarian System of Mughals: The Mughal administration relied heavily on agricultural revenue, with land tax being a primary source of income.
• Zamindari System: Land was managed by zamindars, who acted as intermediaries between farmers and the state, collecting taxes and ensuring compliance.
• : Mughal agrarian society classified crops into various categories based on their utility and revenue potential, such as food crops, cash crops, and Jins-i-Kamil.
• Revenue Assessment: The state assessed land revenue based on crop type, productivity, and market value, with commercial crops like Jins-i-Kamil often taxed higher.
• Indigo Cultivation: Indigo was one of the highly valued Jins-i-Kamil crops, widely used for dyeing textiles and exported to Europe during the Mughal period.

The correct answer is Abu'l Hasan al Hujwiri.

Key Points

• Abu'l Hasan al Hujwiri, also known as Data Ganj Bakhsh, was a renowned Sufi saint and scholar of the 11th century.
• He authored the Persian work Kashful-Mahjub (Unveiling of the Veiled), which is considered the earliest comprehensive text on Sufism.
• He was captured by the Turkish army from Afghanistan in 1039 and later settled in Lahore, which became a center of his teachings.
• His tomb, known as Data Darbar, is located in Lahore and is a significant pilgrimage site for Sufi devotees.
• He is remembered for his contributions to spreading the message of tasawwuf (Islamic mysticism) and spiritual enlightenment in the region.

Additional Information

• Kashful-Mahjub: The book explains various aspects of Sufism, including its principles, practices, and the lives of prominent Sufi saints. It is widely studied in Islamic mysticism.
• Data Darbar: One of the largest and most famous Sufi shrines in South Asia, attracting millions of pilgrims annually, especially during his Urs (death anniversary).
• Tasawwuf (Sufism): A mystical Islamic belief system focusing on the inner, spiritual path to divine love and self-purification.
• Historical Context: Abu'l Hasan al Hujwiri lived during the Ghaznavid dynasty, a period marked by the spread of Islam and Sufism in the Indian subcontinent.
• Legacy: His teachings and writings have influenced generations of Sufi scholars and devotees, making him a pivotal figure in the history of Islamic mysticism.

The Correct Answer is Virupaksha.

Key Points

• The Empire of Vijayanagara was centered in South India, in the Deccan Plateau region.
• It was founded in 1336 by the Sangama Dynasty brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I, members of a cowherd pastoralist group claiming Yadava lineage.
• The founders of the kingdom, the Sangama brothers (Harihara I and Bukka Raya I) came from a pastoral history of cowherds (people of the Kuruba) claiming descent of Yadava.
• They were dedicated Shaivas (worshippers of Shiva) but made grants to Sringeri's Vaishnava order with Vidyaranya as their patron saint, and named Varaha (the boar, a Vishnu Avatar) as their symbol.
• The later Saluva and Tuluva kings were Vaishnava by faith but worshipped at the feet of Lord Virupaksha (Shiva) at Hampi as well as Lord Venkateshwara (Vishnu) at Tirupati.

The correct answer is Somnath Temple, Gujarat.Key Points

• Mahmud of Ghazni in 1025 AD attacked and looted the Somnath Mandir located in Prabhas Patan near Veraval in Saurashtra on the western coast of Gujarat.
• Mahmud of Ghazni was the ruler of Afghanistan.
• The plundered Somnath Mandir was rebuilt by the Paramara king Bhoja of Malwa and the Solanki king Bhimdev I of Anhilwara between 1026 and 1042 AD.
• Mahmud of Ghazni was a Turkish conqueror who attacked India 17 times between 1000 to 1027 AD.
• The biggest invasion of Mahmud of Ghazni was in 1025 AD wherein he invaded the Somnath temple in Gujarat.
• In all his 17 invasions, a number of dynasties were conquered by him.

Additional Information

The correct answer is Jahangir.

​​Key Points

• ​​Tukaram was born in 1608 and died in 1649, while Jahangir ruled from 1605 to 1627.
• This means that Tukaram was alive and active during the reign of Jahangir.
• Tukaram was a Marathi Bhakti poet and devotee of Lord Krishna.
• He is considered one of the most important figures in the Bhakti movement, which was a Hindu religious reform movement that emphasized the importance of personal devotion to God.
• Tukaram's teachings and poetry were very popular, and they helped to spread the message of the Bhakti movement throughout Maharashtra.
• Jahangir was the fourth Mughal emperor.
• He was known for his interest in art, literature, and music.
• He was also a tolerant ruler, and he allowed Hindus to practice their religion freely.
• This made him a popular figure among the Hindus of Maharashtra, and it is likely that he was aware of Tukaram's teachings.
• It is possible that Tukaram and Jahangir may have met at some point.
• However, there is no historical record of this meeting.

• Nevertheless, the fact that Tukaram was a contemporary of Jahangir is significant, as it shows that the Bhakti movement was flourishing during the Mughal period.

​So the correct answer is Jahangir.

The correct answer is Akbar.

Key Points

• Fatehpur Sikri town was built by the Mughal Emperor, Akbar.
• He had planned this city as his capital but the shortage of water compelled him to abandon the city.
• After this within 20 years, the capital of Mughals was shifted to Lahore.
• Fatehpur Sikri was built between 1571 and 1585. 

Additional Information

• The Mughal Dynasty was founded by Babur in 1526.
• The First Battle of Panipat was fought between Babur and Ibrahim Lodhi in 1526.
• Battle of Khanwa between Babur and Rana Sanga in 1527.
• Battle of Chanderi between Babur and Medni Rai in 1528.
• Battle of Ghaggara between Babur and Mehmood Lodhi in 1529.

The correct answer is Iltutmish​.

Key Points

• Iltutmish (1211-1236):
  • He succeeded to the throne after Qutub-ud-din-Aibak.
  • He was the third ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, belonging to the Mamluk dynasty.
  • He constituted corp of forty loyal slave Amirs known as Turkan-i-Chihalgani also called Chalisa.
  • He introduced the silver coin (tanka) and cooper coin (jittal).
  • He made Delhi the capital in place of Lahore.​

Additional Information

• Firoz Shah Tughlaq:
  • He was the third ruler of Tughlaq dynasty that ruled over Delhi from 1351 to 1388 AD.
  • He established the Diwan-i-Khairat - office for charity
  • He established the Diwan-i-Bundagan -- department of slave
  • He is known to establish four new towns, Firozabad, Fatehabad, Jaunpur and Hissar.
  • He appointed Khan-i-Jahan Maqbal, a Telugu Brahmin convert as wazir (prime minister). 
    • The wazir helped the Sultan in his administration and maintained the prestige of the Sultanate during this period.
• Mohammad bin Tughlaq (1325-1351):
  • He shifted his capital from Delhi to Deogir and renamed it as Daulatabad.
  • Daulatabad is situated in Maharashtra. 
  • He built a road from Delhi to Deogir and also set up rest houses for the people.
  • He introduced bronze coins of the same value as Silver coins.
  • He established a new department of agriculture known as “Diwan-i-Kohi".
  • He also provided agricultural loan “Takavi” to the farmers.
• Muhammed Quli Qutub Shah (1580-1612):
  • He was the fifth sultan of the Qutub Shahi dynasty of Golkonda
  • He founded the city of Hyderabad, in South-central India and built its architectural centrepiece, the Charminar. 
  • He founded the city of Hyderabad and named it as Bhagyanagar after his Hindu mistress Bhagamati.​

The correct answer is Khilji.

Important Points

•  Hence the Khilji Dynasty ruled for the shortest.

Additional Information

• Lodhi dynasty from 1451 to 1526 AD (75 Year).
• Longest duration-Tughlaq Dynasty.
• Shortest duration-Khilji Dynasty.

The correct option is Humayun and Sher Shah Suri.

Key Points:

• The Battle of Chausa was fought between Humayun and Sher Shah Suri.
• Sher Shah defeated Humayun in the battle of Chausa in 1539.
• The tomb of Sher Shah Suri is located in Sasaram, Bihar.

Important battles in history:

The correct answer is Francois Bernier.

Key Points

• Francois Bernier (1656-1668)
  • He was a French physician and traveller.
  • He was in India from 1656-1668
  • He visited India during the reign of Shah Jahan.
  • He was physician to Prince Dara Shikoh and later was attached to the court of Aurangzeb
  • ‘Travels in the Mughal Empire’ was written by Francois Bernier.
  • The book mainly talks about the rules of Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb.

Additional Information

• Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605 – 1689) was a 17th-century French gem merchant and traveller. He visited India during the reign of Shahjahan. Travels in India by Jean Baptiste Tavernier, clearly states that Tavernier identified the diamond mining sites in India very clearly.
• Nicolo Conti was an Italian merchant. He visited India during the reign of Deva Raya I of Vijayanagar.
• Marco Polo was a European traveller. He visited Southern India during the reign of Rudramma Devi of the Kakatiyas.

The correct answer is Rupiya.

Important Points

• Sher Shah Suri was the founder of the Suri dynasty.
• The silver coin introduced by Sher Shah Suri was called Rupiya.
• Sher Shah Suri issued the Rupiya coin and fixed standard weights and measures all over the empire.
• This coin introduced by Sher Shah Suri weighed 178 grains and was the precursor of the modern rupee.
• Sher Shah Suri defeated Humayun in the battle of Chausa and assumed the title of Farid al-Din Sher Shah as emperor in 1539.
• He again defeated the Humayun in the battle of Kannauj and annexed Kannauj in 1540.
• The grand trunk road that turns from Calcutta to Peshawar was built by Sher Shah Suri.

Additional Information

• The silver Tankah coin was introduced by Iltutmish.
• The mohur coin was introduced by Sher Shah Suri.
• Gold coins called Dinar was introduced by Muhammad bin Tughluq.

The correct answer is Guru Gobind Singh.Key Points

• Khalsa tradition was initiated in 1699 by the Tenth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh.
• Its formation was a key event in the history of Sikhism.
• The founding of Khalsa is celebrated by Sikhs during the festival of Vaisakhi.

Additional Information

The correct answer is Humayun.

About Humayun:

• There is a Small Mosque built by him known as the Humayun mosque in the city of Fatehabad. The reason behind the Mosque was built by the 2nd Mughal Emperor Humayun, who in his fight after his defeat at the hands of Sher Shah Suri happened to pass through the city of Fatehabad.
• Humayun was born on 6th March 1508 in Kabul (Afghanistan). His real name was Nasir-ud-Din Muḥammad popularly known as Humayun.
• He was the second (2) Emperor of the Mughal Empire, who ruled over territory in what is now Pakistan, Northern India, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh from 1530–1540, and again he ruled in the 2nd term from 1555–1556.
• In the year 1530, He succeeded his father Babur founder of the Mughal Empire to the throne of Delhi as second (2nd) ruler of the Mughal territories in the Indian subcontinent.
• Humayun lost the Mughal territories to Sher Shah Suri but regained them after 15 years 1555-56 with the help of the Safavid dynasty of Persia.
• On 24 January 1556, Humayun, who died in the Library with his arms full of books, was descending the staircase from his library and he lost the balance fallen down from the staircase, and died.
• In his memoir, his (sister Gulbadan begum) wrote his autobiography named "Humayunama" which was written in the Persian language.

Notes:

• The founder of the Mughal Empire was Babur, who defeated the Lodhi dynasty's last ruler Ibrahim Lodhi at the Batlle of Panipat in 1526 to establish the Mughal rule.

​

Mughals:

• The Mughals were descendants of two great lineages of rulers.
• From their mother’s side, they were descendants of Genghis Khan (died 1227), the Mongol ruler who ruled over parts of China and Central Asia.
• From their father’s side, they were the successors of Timur (died 1404), the ruler of Iran, Iraq and modern-day Turkey.
• However, the Mughals did not like to be called Mughal or Mongol. This was because Genghis Khan’s memory was associated with the massacre of innumerable people.
• It was also linked with the Uzbeks, their Mongol competitors.
• On the other hand, the Mughals were proud of their Timurid ancestry, not least of all because their great ancestor had captured Delhi in 1398. 

The correct answer is Babur.

• The First Battle of Panipat was fought in the year 1526 between the forces of Babur and Ibrahim Lodhi in which Lodhi was defeated and Mughal rule was established in India.

Additional Information

The correct answer is 1526.

Key Points

• Babur(1526-1530):
  • He declared himself as Badshah.
  • He was the founder of the Mughal Empire in India in 1526.
  • He defeated Ibrahim Lodhi in 1526 at the first battle of Panipat, and thereby established the Mughal empire.
  • Baburnama, also known as Tuzk-e Babri is the autobiography of Babur.
  • Babur assumed the title of Ghazi after the victory in the battle of Khanwa.

Additional Information

• Babur was the first mughal emeror in India.
• Babur was born in 1483 in Fargana (Uzbekistan).
• The first battle of Panipat was fought between the forces of Babur and Ibrahim Lodhi.
• The Battle was fought on April 21, 1526.
• He wrote Tuzuk-i-Baburi (Autobiography of Babur) in the Turkish language.
• According to Tuzuki-i-Baburi, Babur Died in 1530 and was buried at Aram Bagh (Agra). Later his body was taken to Afghanistan (Kabul).