Mughal empire MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Mughal empire - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is 'Nur Jahan'

Key Points

• Nur Jahan:
  • Mehrunnisa, better known as Nur Jahan, was the wife of Mughal Emperor Jahangir and one of the most influential women in Indian history.
  • She was born in 1577 and married Jahangir in 1611, becoming his twentieth and most favored wife.
  • Nur Jahan wielded significant political power during Jahangir's reign, often acting as his confidante and advisor.
  • She issued royal orders, minted coins in her name, and played an active role in the administration of the empire.
  • Nur Jahan was known for her intelligence, political acumen, and contributions to art and architecture, including the design of several Mughal gardens.
  • Her influence extended to diplomacy, trade, and even military campaigns, making her one of the most powerful women in Mughal history.

Additional Information

• Mumtaz Mahal:
  • Mumtaz Mahal was the wife of Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal emperor, and is best known for being the inspiration behind the construction of the Taj Mahal.
  • While she held a special place in Shah Jahan's life, she did not wield the kind of political power or influence Nur Jahan did during Jahangir's reign.
  • Her legacy lies primarily in her association with the Taj Mahal, a symbol of eternal love, rather than political achievements.
• Hamida Banu Begum:
  • Hamida Banu Begum was the wife of Emperor Humayun and the mother of Akbar, the greatest Mughal ruler.
  • She played an important role in Humayun's life, particularly during his exile, but she did not exercise political authority or influence akin to Nur Jahan.
  • Her contributions are primarily familial rather than administrative or political.
• Jodha Bai:
  • Jodha Bai, also known as Mariam-uz-Zamani, was the wife of Emperor Akbar and a Hindu Rajput princess.
  • While she was an important figure in fostering religious tolerance during Akbar's reign, she did not hold direct political power like Nur Jahan.
  • Her influence was more cultural and social, focusing on harmony between Hindu and Muslim communities.

Important Points

• Nur Jahan's rise to power was unusual in the patriarchal Mughal court, and her political and administrative abilities were unmatched among Mughal queens.
• She was deeply involved in state affairs, including trade and commerce, and introduced several reforms to enhance the efficiency of the empire.
• Nur Jahan's contributions to the arts include promoting Persian culture and Mughal architecture, leaving a lasting legacy in Indian history.
• Her coins, inscribed with her name, are rare and symbolize her unprecedented authority in the Mughal Empire.

The correct answer is option 1.

Key Points

• Medini Shah, a ruler of the Garhwal kingdom, was indeed appointed as a Mansabdar in the Mughal court. Hence, option 1 is correct.
• This appointment was part of the Mughal policy of incorporating regional rulers into the imperial administrative structure to maintain political stability and ensure loyalty.
• Being a Mansabdar meant Medini Shah was assigned a rank and military responsibility, recognizing his authority and granting him a formal position within the Mughal hierarchy.

Additional Information

• The Mansabdari system, established by Akbar, was used to rank nobles based on their military capacity and administrative responsibilities.
• By including local kings like Medini Shah, the Mughal Empire extended its influence into the Himalayan and frontier regions such as Garhwal.

The correct answer is option 1.

Key Points

• Mughal Emperor Akbar who sent a survey team to the Garhwal region to explore the source of the Ganga River. Hence, option 1 is correct.
• Akbar's court maintained a strong interest in geographical and cultural knowledge, and exploring the origin of sacred rivers like the Ganga was part of his broader administrative and spiritual curiosity.
• The mission was led by officials and scholars of the Mughal court to document the source and course of the river, contributing to Mughal geographical understanding.

Additional Information

• The Gangotri Glacier is traditionally recognized as the source of the Ganga.
• The Mughal Empire, under Akbar, was expanding into the northwestern Himalayan regions, and such explorations also had strategic and symbolic significance.

The correct answer is option 2.

Key PointsThe correct Chronological Order:

• First Battle of Panipat (1526)
• Battle of Khanwa (1527)
• Battle of Chanderi (1528)
• Battle of Ghaghra (1529)

Additional Information

• First Battle of Panipat (1526)
  • Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi, marking the beginning of the Mughal Empire in India.
• Battle of Khanwa (1527)
  • Fought against Rana Sanga of Mewar; Babur used superior artillery and tactics to win.
• Battle of Chanderi (1528)
  • Fought against Medini Rai, an ally of Rana Sanga; Babur captured the fort of Chanderi.
• Battle of Ghaghra (1529)
  • Fought against the Afghan forces and Mahmud Lodi, Ibrahim Lodi's brother, consolidating Mughal power in eastern India.
• Final Answer:
  II → IV → III → I

The correct answer is option 1.

Key Points

• Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Emperor Shahjahan, was given the title "Shah Iqbal", meaning "King of Fortune" or "Fortunate King". Hence, option 1 is correct.
• He was Shahjahan’s favourite son and was designated as the heir apparent (Wali-Ahad) to the Mughal throne.
• Dara was known for his liberal religious views, scholarship, and interest in Hindu philosophy, especially his translation of Upanishads into Persian.

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 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 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 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.

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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 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). 

The correct answer is Aurangzeb.

Key PointsAurangzeb:

• He crowned himself with the title of "Alamgir".
• He was called Zinda peer.
• The Mughal area was the largest during the time of Aurangzeb.
• He forbade:
  • Singing and dancing in his court
  • Sati system and Jharokha darshan.
  • Kalma written coin.
  • Astrology and Palm reading.
  • Tuladan practice.
• Selling and drinking Alcohol and Bhang were prohibited in a public place during his time.
• Aurangzeb used to play "Veena".
• He started the Jaziya tax in 1679.
• He gave permission to the French for setting up a factory at Surat in 1667.
• Monuments:
  • Bibi ka Makabara: Aurangabad, Maharastra.
  • Moti Masjid: Delhi
  • Badshahi Masjid: Lahore.

Additional InformationHumayun: 

• He was defeated by Sher Shah Suri in the battle of Chausa in 1539.
• He was again defeated by Sher Shah Suri in the battle of Kannauj in 1540. 
• Humayunama was written by his half sister "Gulbadan Begum".
• Humayun's tomb was built by his widow Haji Begum (Bega Begum) in Delhi. 
• He died in 1556 due to falling from his Library stairs in Purana Quila, Delhi.

Akbar:

• He was born in 1542 at Amrakot, Sindh.
• He was son of Humayun and Hameeda Bano Begum.
• He was crowned by Bairam Khan at  Kalanaur, Punjab.
• He established Matrimonial Alliance between Mughal and Rajputs.
• He introduced the Mansabdari system in 1574.
• Monuments:
  • Ibadat Khana: Fatehpur Sikri, Agra.
  • Buland darwaza: Fatehpur Sikri, Agra.

Jahangir:

• In 1605, Prince Salim succeeded with the title Jahangir (Conqueror of World) when he assumed the throne after the death of Akbar.
• He established Zanjir-i-Adil (chain of justice) at Agra for the seekers of royal justice.
• He is the eldest son of Akbar was born at Fatehpur Sikri near Agra in 1569.
• In 1611, he married Mehr-un-Nisa whom he gave the title of Nur Jahan (light of the world).
• Nurjahan exercised tremendous influence over state affairs. She was made the official Badshah Begum. 
• Jahangir issued coins jointly in Nurjahan's name and his own.
• Jahangir also married Manbai in 1585 AD and Jodhbai (Jagat Gosain, daughter of Mota Raja Udai Singh) in 1587 AD.
• He defeated and imprisoned his son, Khusrau Mirza.
•  He also beheaded Guru Arjun, the 5th Sikh Guru and one of the supporters of Khusrau Mirza.
• Captain Hawkins (1608-1611) and Sir Thomas Roe (1615-1616) visited Jahangir's court.
• Production of Tobacco started in his reign.
• He wrote his autobiography Tuzuk-i-Jahangir.
• He was buried in Lahore in 1627.

The correct answer is Shah Jahan.

Important Points

• The Moti Masjid in Agra was built by Mughal ruler Shah Jahan.
  • It is located in Agra in Uttar Pradesh.
  • Shah Jahan constructed the Moti Masjid for his members of the royal court.
• Shah Jahan was the fifth Mughal emperor who reigned the dynasty from 1628 to 1658.
  • The historical structures built during the reign of Shah Jahan are:
    • Taj Mahal.
    • Red Fort.
    • Jama Masjid.
    • Shalimar Garden in Lahore.
  • French traveller Bernier and Tavernier visited India during the reign of Shah Jahan.
  • The Afghan noble Khan Jahan Lodi rebelled and was defeated by Shah Jahan.
  • Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb in 1658 in Agra.

Mistake Points

• The Moti Masjid inside the Red Fort complex in Delhi was built by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
• The Moti Masjid in Lahore Fort was built by Mughal emperor Jahangir.

Additional Information

• The historical structures built during the reign of Akbar are:
  • Agra Fort.
  • Lahore Fort.
  • Fathepur Sikri.
  • Allahabad Fort.
  • Buland Darwaza.
• Humayun fought two battles against Sher Shah at Chausa(1539) and Kannauj(1540).

Important Points

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 Persian.

Key Points

• The Mughal court chronicles were written in Persian.
• ​Mughal chronicles such as the Akbar Nama were written in Persian, while others, like Babur's memoirs, were translated from Turkish into the Persian Babur Nama.
• Urdu came from the amalgamation of Persian with Hindavi. 
• Chronicles commissioned by the Mughal emperors are an important source for studying the empire and its court.
• The authors of Mughal chronicles were mostly courtiers.
• The Mughals were Chaghtai Turks by origin.
• Turkish was their mother tongue hence the first ruler Babur wrote poetry and his memoirs in this language.

The correct answer is 1564.

Key Points

• Jizyah Tax was a per capita yearly tax historically implied on non-Muslim subjects, called the “dhimma” exempting women, children, elders, handicapped, the ill, the insane, monks, hermits etc.
• Jizya was levied on Hindus on the ground that it was not mentioned in Sharia.
• Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq established Sharia across his realm. He imposed Jizya upon the Brahmins and made it a separate tax.
• It was abolished by “the third Mughal emperor Akbar”, in 1564.

Additional Information

• Akbar (1556 to 1605)
  • Akbar was the third Mughal emperor (1556 to 1605) and son of  Humayun.
  • Akbar succeeds in the throne at just 13 years old due to the death of Humayun.
  • The kingdom Akbar inherited was little more than a collection of frail fiefs, under the regency of  Bairam Khan.
  • Akbar introduced the Mansabdari system.
  • The Navratnas of Akbar were as follows: Raja Birbal, Tansen, Abul Fazal, Faizi, Raja Man Singh, Raja Todar Mal, Mullah Do Piaza, Fakir Aziao-Din, Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana.
  • Abul Fazl started the writing of Akbarnama in 1589.
  • It is the most detailed history of the reign of Akbar.

The correct answer is option 2:

• Sir Thomas Roe visited the court of Emperor Jahangir in 1615 as an ambassador of King James I.
• He was able to get permission for trade and establish factories at Agra, Ahmedabad and Broach.