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MUGHAL PERIOD
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Who was the founder of Mughal dynasty?

(a) Babur
(b) Humayun
(c) Akbar
(d) Shahjahan
Before which of his important battles in India did
Babur declare the abolition of Tamgha tax ?
(a) Panipat
(b) Khanwa
(c) Chanderi
(d) None of these
Who was favoured by Prime Minister Mir Khalifa
as Baburs successor instead of Humayun?
(a) Mirza Suleiman (b) Mirza Kamran
(c) Mirza Askari
(d) Mehdi Khwaja
Who was the infamous Qazi Fazihat or Qazi Fazilat
during the reign of Sher Shah?
(a) Governor of Bengal
(b) Qazi-i-Lashkar
(c) Qazi-ul-Qazzat
(d) Qazi of Bengal
Which of the following works shows Humayuns
interest in astronomy and astrology?
(a) Tarikh-i-Salatin-i-Afghana
(b) Tarikh-i-Rashidi
(c) Qanun-i-Humayuni
(d) Tazkirat-ul-Waqiat
Who was proclaimed as Mughal emperor by Asaf
Khan on Jahangirs death to ensure Khurrams
(Shahjahans) enthronement?
(a) Shahryar
(b) Dawar Baksh
(c) Tahmurs
(d) Hoshang

7.

Which two sons did Khurram send to Jahangirs

court in compliance with the terms of surrender
after his revolt?
(a) Murad and Aurangzeb
(b) Murad and Shah Shuja
(c) Shah Shuja and Aurangzeb
(d) Dara and Aurangzeb
8. Who like Dara Shikoh considered Vedas as the
revealed book?
(a) Sheikh Abdul Haqq (Qadiriya)
(b) Mirza Mazhar Jan-i-Jahan (Naqshbandiya)
(c) Sheikh Kalimuddin (Chistiya)
(d) None of these
9. Who among the following was the rst Mughal
ruler to adopt the custom of Tuladan?
(a) Humayun
(b) Akbar
(c) Jahangir
(d) Shahjahan
10. Who among the following was a noted Jehangiri
painter?
(a) Mir Sayyad Ali (b) Abdus Samad
(c) Daswant
(d) Abul Hasan
11. Who among the following invitees of Akbar to
the Ibadat Khana was not a Jain Monk?
(a) Hari Vijay Suri (b) Meher Ji Rana
(c) Jin Chandra Suri (d) Shanti Chandra
12. Month scale in the Mansabdari system was
introduced by
(a) Jahangir
(b) Shahjahan
(c) Aurangzeb
(d) None of these

2
13. Who among the following Englishmen was
well versed in the Turkish language, received a
Mansab of 400 and the title of English Khan or
Firangi Khan?
(a) Fitch
(b) Mildenhall
(c) Hawkins
(d) Sir Thomas Roe
14. In which language did Babar wrote his
Autobiography?
(a) Farsee
(b) Arabi
(c) Turki
(d) None of these
15. When was the famous Treaty of Chittor signed
during the reign of Jahangir?
(a) 1605 AD
(b) 1610 AD
(c) 1615 AD
(d) 1620 AD
16. Which Mughal emperor wrote a will and
instructed his sons, that they continue Asad Khan
as the Vazir?
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb
17. What was Jihat in the Mughal land revenue
administrative terminology?
(a) Access over xed rates
(b) A religious tax
(c) A toll tax
(d) None of these
18. What was the percentage (of the total revenue
charged) of the extra tax charged by Sher Shah
for the use of general welfare in calamities and
emergencies?
(a) 7.5%
(b) 5.0%
(c) 2.5%
(d) 1.5%
19. Who among the following had joined Akbars
Din-i-Ilahi?
(a) Birbal
(b) Bhagwan Das
(c) Man Singh
(d) Surjan Rai
20. Which one of the following of cers was the
superintendent of port under the Mughals?
(a) Mir-i-Bahar
(b) Tahvildar
(c) Mushrif
(d) Mutsaddi
21. Who was the member of Ulema, who issued the
Fatwa against Akbar from Jaunpur?
(a) Mirza Hakim
(b) Mullayazdi
(c) Abdun Nabi
(d) Abdullah Sultanpuri

22. On whom emperor, Akbar conferred the title of

Jagat Guru ?
(a) Purushottam
(b) Dastur Meherji Rana
(c) Hari Vijay Suri
(d) Devi
23. Which Queen of Jahangir had committed suicide
by consuming poison?
(a) Harkhabai
(b) Manmati
(c) Jodhpuri Begam (d) Zebunnisa
24. What does the term Elchi or Sa r denote in
the sixteenth century Mughal administrative
vocabulary?
(a) Ambassadors
(b) Rebels
(c) Spies
(d) Governors
25. Who among the foreign travellers describes how
the Ganga water was carried in copper vessels for
Mughal emperors to drink?
(a) Thomas Coryat (b) Edward Terry
(c) Ralph Fitch
(d) Sir Thomas Roe
26. Which year of Akbars reign has been regarded
by the historian Vicent A. Smith as the most
critical time?
(a) 1556 AD
(b) 1561 AD
(c) 1571 AD
(d) 1581 AD
27. Which one of the following had bestowed the
title of Jagat Seth to Fatehchand?
(a) Alivardi Khan
(b) Sirajuddaula
(c) Mir Zafar
(d) Muhammad Shah
28. During the Mughal period, what was Narnal or
light artillery?
(a) One carried on elephant back
(b) One carried on camel back
(c) One carried by man
(d) None of these
29. Who was the author of Humayun-nama?
(a) Humayun
(b) Gulbadan Begam
(c) Badauni
(d) Ahmad Yadgar
30. Mansabdari system of the Mughals had its origin
in
(a) Persia
(b) Arabia
(c) Central Asia
(d) India

31. Mahzar of 1579 was drafted by

(a) Sheikh Mubarak (b) Abdun Nabi
(c) Abul Fazal
(d) Faizi
32. Who among the following painters was appointed
Diwan of Multan by Akbar?
(a) Abdul Samad
(b) Abul Hasan
(c) Mir Syed Ali
(d) Daswant
33. Among the following, which Mughal emperor
introduced the policy of Sulah-i-Kul?
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Humayun
(d) Aurangzeb
34. How many total Subas did Akbar have in his
Empire?
(a) Ten
(b) Eighteen
(c) Sixteen
(d) Fifteen
35. Which among the following became an integral
part of Shahjahans empire ?
(a) Golkunda
(b) Ahmednagar
(c) Bijapur
(d) None of these
36. Who among the following rulers gave court
protection to Urdu?
(a) Shahjahan
(b) Jahangir
(c) Aurangzeb
(d) Muhammad Shah
37. Which company was authorized by Jahangir to
set up a factory in Surat?
(a) The English East India Company
(b) The French East India Company
(c) The United East India Company
(d) The Portuguese East India Company
38. Peasants who were brought from other villages
for tilling were called
(a) Khud Kasht
(b) Pai or Pahi
(c) Girast
(d) Gharuhala
39. The land which was kept reserved for the
assignment of land revenue was known as
(a) Mahal-i-Jagir
(b) Mahal-i-Khalsa
(c) Mahal-i-Paibaqi (d) None of these
40. Which one of the following Mughal Generals
was not sent by Shahjahan against the Bundelas?
(a) Aurangzeb
(b) Dara Shikoh
(c) Mahabat Khan (d) Abdullah Khan

3
41. As a Subedar of Deccan, for his second term,
whose assistance did Aurangzeb take in
implementing Todarmals revenue reforms in this
region?
(a) Murshid Quli Khan
(b) Shahnawaz Khan
(c) Malik Amber
(d) Asad Khan
42. Who among the following has written that Babur
died of poisoning?
(a) Abul Fazal
(b) Nizamuddin Ahmad
(c) Gulbadan Begum (d) Abbas Khan Sarwani
43. Who among the following emperors had the
highest number of Deccani in his army?
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb
44. Which of the following was the court language
during the reign of Akbar?
(a) Hindi
(b) Urdu
(c) Persian
(d) Arabic
45. Which of the following commodities constituted
the main item of exports in Mughal India?
(a) Opium and Indigo
(b) Cotton and silk fabrics
(c) Bullion and horses
(d) Sugar and Saltpetre
46. Which of the following tombs is placed in the
centre of a large garden and resembles as a
prototype of the Taj Mahal?
(a) Akbars tomb at Sikandara
(b) Itmaduddaulas tomb at Agra
(c) Shershahs tomb at Sasaram
(d) Humayuns tomb at Delhi
47. The largest number of Hindu Mansabdars were in
the period of
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb
48. Where is Baburs tomb situated?
(a) Kabul
(b) Lahore
(c) Delhi
(d) Ayodhya

4
49. Which one of the following contemporary sources
depicts Humayuns passion for astronomy and
astrology?
(a) Tarikh-i-Rashidi (b) Tuzuk-i-Babri
(c) Humayun Namah (d) Qanun-i-Humayuni
50. On whose silver coins, Zodiac was depicted?
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Humayun
(d) Shahjahan
51. In the Mughal land revenue administration, we
come across a term Mahsul. What do you mean
by it?
(a) Expected revenue
(b) Actual revenue
(c) Revenue arrears
(d) Revenue from Khalsa lands
52. Which Mughal emperor abolished the old custom
of Sizda?
(a) Akbar
(b) Shahjahan
(c) Aurangzeb
(d) Bahadurshah
53. The of cer called Diwan-i-Bayutat under Akbar
was concerned with
(a) Examination of expenditure of the Royal
Karkhanas
(b) Maintenance of revenue records
(c) Administration of Justice
(d) Supervision of Royal mints
54. Which one of the following tombs of the Mughal
emperors does not have a middle dome?
(a) Akbars tomb
(b) Jahangirs tomb
(c) Shahjahan tomb (d) Aurangzebs tomb
55. The Delhi Madarasa known as Khairul Manazil
was built by
(a) Hamida Bano Begum
(b) Gulbadan Begum
(c) Maham Angah
(d) Shah Begum
56. What was the name of the rectangular silver coin
during Akbars reign?
(a) Rupiyah
(b) Mohur
(c) Dinar
(d) Jalali

57. Both Agra and Fatehpur Sikri are bigger than

London. This statement was made by
(a) Bernier
(b) Manueci
(c) Ralph Fitch
(d) Hawkins
58. The greatest painter of birds at Jahangirs court
was
(a) Basawan
(b) Mansur
(c) Syed Ali Tabrizi (d) Khwaja Abdus Samad
59. Who among the following prohibited the use of
Tobacco?
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb
60. The noble who introduced important reforms in
the land revenue administration of Mughals in
Deccan during the reign of Shahjahan, was
(a) Murshid Quli Khan
(b) Asaf Khan
(c) Mahabat Khan
(d) Khan-i-Zama
61. Who among the following led a deputation of
Banaras Pandits to the Mughal emperor to seek
abolition of the Banaras and Allahabad?
(a) Harnath
(b) Jagannath
(c) Kavi Hariram
(d) Kavindracharya
62. Who among the following was the rst English
man to visit western India ?
(a) Captain Hawkins (b) John Mildenhall
(c) Ralph Fitch
(d) Thomas Stephens
63. Who among the following was the of cial
historian of Aurangzebs reign?
(a) Ishwardas Nagar (b) Bhimsen Kayastha
(c) Kha Khan
(d) Mohammad Kazim
64. Din-i-Ilahi was a movement of Akbars folly,
not of his wisdom. Who made this statement?
(a) A.L. Srivastava (b) R.P. Tripathi
(c) V.A. Smith
(d) S.R. Sharma
65. Who among the following Su s is known as
Mujaddid or reformer?
(a) Dara Shikoh
(b) Khwaja Baqi Billah
(c) Shah Waliullah (d) Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi

66. Who among the following painters committed

suicide?
(a) Basawan
(b) Lal
(c) Daswant
(d) Mahesh
67. The offsprings of which Mughal emperor were
born in a Su s Khanqah instead of the Mughal
haram?
(a) Humayun
(b) Akbar
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb
68. Historian Abul Fazal was killed by
(a) Hemu
(b) Bairam Khan
(c) Udai Singh
(d) Vir Singh Deo Bundela
69. Which among the following Hindu Painters was
sent by Jahangir to portrait Shah Abbas-I of Persia?
(a) Basawan
(b) Bishan Das
(c) Dasrath
(d) Manohar
70. Which one of the following Mughal emperors
is described in a Sanskrit text entitled.
Sarvadeshavrittanta Sangraha?
(a) Humayun
(b) Akbar
(c) Jahangir
(d) Shahjahan
71. During whose reign did Khan-Jahan Lodi revolt?
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb
72. Who among the following poets was given the
title of Malik-ush-Shoara by Akbar?
(a) Ashki
(b) Qudsi
(c) Faizi
(d) Farebi
73. Jahandar Shah ascended the throne after the death
of
(a) Azam Shah
(b) Bahadur Shah I
(c) Farrukh Siyar
(d) Muhammad Shah
74. Which one of the following was not among the
12 Ordinances of Jahangir?
(a) Prohibition of Wine
(b) Amnesty to Prisoners
(c) Abolition of Tamgha and Mir Bahri
(d) Con scation of Madad-i-Mash lands
75. Kalanaur is known as a place of
(a) Akbars birth place
(b) Proclaimation of Akbar as the emperor
(c) Marriage ceremony of Humayun
(d) None of the above

76.

77.

78.

79.

80.

81.

82.

83.

84.

85.

86.

5
What term was used for the advance money given
by the merchants to artisans for the required
goods?
(a) Taqavi
(b) Dasturi
(c) Dadni
(d) None of these
Who among the following Mughal kings had sent
Raja Ram Mohan Roy as his envoy to London?
(a) Alamgir II
(b) Shah Alam II
(c) Akbar II
(d) Bahadur Shah II
Who among the following ladies was a poetess?
(a) Gulbadan Begum (b) Jahanara
(c) Roshanara
(d) Asmat Begum
One of the greatest painters of Akbars court
whom he employed as mint of cer was
(a) Basawan
(b) Keshav
(c) Mukund
(d) Daswant
Which one of the following scholars was given
the title of Amir-i-Akhbar by Humayun?
(a) Jauhar
(b) Mirza Haidar Daughalat
(c) Abdul Wahid
(d) Khwandmir
The famous Jama-Masjid of Delhi was built by
(a) Humayun
(b) Akbar
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb
Which among the following was also known as
Bandobast system?
(a) Zabti
(b) Dahsala
(c) Nasaq
(d) Kankut
Who among the following Mughal ministers was
the paymaster general as well?
(a) Diwan
(b) Mir Bakshi
(c) Khan-i-Saman
(d) Vakil
A Mansabdar who was paid in cash was called
(a) Naqdi
(b) Jagirdar
(c) Amir
(d) Mirza
Who among the following was the Diwan of
Akbar?
(a) Asad Khan
(b) Sadulla Khan
(c) Muzaffar Khan (d) Mahabat Khan
Who of the following built the Agra Fort?
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Sikandar Lodi
(d) Shah Jahan

6
87. Which one of the following states of Rajputana
did not willingly accept Akbars sovereignty?
(a) Amer
(b) Mewar
(c) Marwar
(d) Bikaner
88. The Upanishads were translated into Persian by
Dara Sikoh under the title
(a) Al-Fihrist
(b) Kitab-ul-Bayan
(c) Majm-ul-Bahrain (d) Sirr-i-Akbar
89. The building known as Purana Qila at Delhi were
built by
(a) Babur
(b) Firoz Tughlaq
(c) Sher Shah
(d) Shahjahan
90. What was the district called during the Mughal
period?
(a) Iqta
(b) Sarkar
(c) Tarf
(d) Subah
91. Mal is Mughal administrative terminology
represents
(a) Land revenue
(b) Salary
(c) Allowances
(d) None of these
92. In whose reign was the Treaty of Chittor signed
between Mughal and the Rana of Mewar?
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb
93. Who translated Ramayana into Persian in
accordance with the wishes of Akbar?
(a) Abul Fazl
(b) Abdul Rahim Khan-Khana
(c) Faizi
(d) Thomas Roe
94. The famous historical book Travels of the
Mughal Empire was written by
(a) Ibn-e-Battuta
(b) Francois Bernier
(c) Al Baruni
(d) Thomas Roe
95. Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri was built by
Akbar to commemorate his victory over which
province?
(a) Sindh
(b) Punjab
(c) Gujarat
(d) Mewar
96. Which of the following are the hereditary Jagirs?
(a) Watan Jagirs
(b) Tankhwah Jagirs
(c) Tamgha Jagirs
(d) None of the above

97. Who among the following was illiterate?

(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb
98. The Battle of Khanwa in 1527 was fought
between
(a) Ibrahim Lodi and Rana Sanga
(b) Babur and Ibrahim Lodi
(c) Babur and Rana Sanga
(d) Humayun and Sher Shah
99. At the time, when Nadir Shah attacked Delhi, the
Mughal emperor was
(a) Ahmad Shah
(b) Bahadur Shah
(c) Shah Alam II
(d) Muhammad Shah
100. With whose permission, did the English set up
their rst factory at Surat?
(a) Akbar
(b) Humayun
(c) Jahangir
(d) Shahjahan
101. Painting reached its highest level of development
during the reign of
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb
102. The original name of Mumtaj Mahal was
(a) Arjumand Banu Begum
(b) Mehrunnisa
(c) Roshan Ara
(d) Ladli Begum
103. What were the Ahdis of Akbars time?
(a) Village level money lenders
(b) Village guards
(c) Cashiers working in Diwani
(d) Foot soldiers in the army
104. Which one of the following emperors was known
as Alamgir?
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb
105. Who built the Ibadatkhana at Fatehpur Sikri?
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb
106. In the Mughal administration, Muhatsib was
(a) Military of cer
(b) O cer of foreign affair
(c) An of cer in charge of public morals
(d) O ce of correspondence department

107. Who among the following was defeated by Babur

in the First Battle of Panipat?
(a) Bahlol Lodi
(b) Ibrahim Lodi
(c) Sikandar Lodi
(d) Dawlat Khan Lodi
108. Who among the following Indian rulers was a
contemporary of Akbar?
(a) Rani Durgawati (b) Ahilya Bai
(c) Martand Verma (d) Swai Jai Singh
109. Where did Babur die?
(a) Delhi
(b) Agra
(c) Lahore
(d) Kabul
110. Who was the author of Ain-i-Akbari?
(a) Abdul Qadir Badauni
(b) Gulbadan Begum
(c) Faizi
(d) Abul Fazl
111. Who was defeated at Kannauj in the hands of
Sher Shah in 1540?
(a) Humayun
(b) Akbar
(c) Babar
(d) Jahangir
112. Who among the following built the tomb of her
husband?
(a) Shah Begum
(b) Haji Begum
(c) Ladli Begum
(d) Noorjahan Begum
113. Who among the following deserves the credit for
construction of Lal Quila?
(a) Humayun
(b) Sher Shah
(c) Akbar
(d) Shahjahan
114. Kabuliyat and Patta was introduced by
(a) Sher Shah
(b) Akbar
(c) Jahangir
(d) Aurangzeb
115. Who wrote Akbarnama?
(a) Abdul Qadir Badauni
(b) Abdur Rahim Khanekhana
(c) Abul Fazl
(d) Faizi
116. Which historical monument in Delhi is a synthesis
of Persian and Indian styles of architectures?
(a) Qutub Minar
(b) Lodis tomb
(c) Humayuns tomb (d) Red Fort
117. Aurangzeb was an expert musician of which
instrument?
(a) Flute
(b) Tabla
(c) Veena
(d) Sitar

7
118. A Mughal Begum whose name was written to all
the mughal Firmans and inscribed on the coins,
was
(a) Maham Anaga (b) Nur Jahan
(c) Mumtaz Mahal (d) Mariam Makani
119. Dara Shikoh nally lost the war of succession to
Aurangzeb in the battle of
(a) Dharmat
(b) Samugarh
(c) Deorai
(d) Khanua
120. In the Mughal administration, Madad-i-Mash
indicates
(a) Toll tax
(b) Revenue free land given to learned person
(c) Pension to army persons
(d) Cultivation tax
121. Tulsidas composed his Ramcharitamanasa in the
reign of
(a) Babur
(b) Akbar
(c) Aurangzeb
(d) Bahadur Shah
122. Itimad-ud-Daulas tomb at Agra was built by
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Nur Jahan
123. Who was called Zinda Pir in Mughal time?
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Aurangzeb
(d) Shahjahan
124. Who was the Sikh Guru to be slaughtered by
Aurangzeb?
(a) Ramdas
(b) Arjundev
(c) Teg Bahadur
(d) Govind Singh
125. Who of the following Mughal emperors was
coronated twice?
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb
126. Upanishads were translated into Persian during
the reign of
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb
127. Who of the following was the emperor of India
when British East India company was formed in
London?
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Humayun

8
128. The Mughal rulers of medieval India were in fact
(a) Persians (Iranians) (b) Afghans
(c) Chagtai Turks
(d) None of these
129. Which Mughal emperor abolished the Persian
court custom of Sijda?
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb
130. Todar Mal was associated to
(a) Law
(b) Land revenue reforms
(c) Literature
(d) Music
131. Court language during Mughal period was
(a) Arabic
(b) Turki
(c) Persian
(d) Urdu
132. Mausoleum (Dargah) of which Chisti saint was
most visited by Akbar?
(a) Moinuddin Chisti
(b) Sheikh Nasimuddin Chirag Dehalvi
(c) Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Qaki
(d) Sheikh Farid Ganja-i-Shakar
133. Mughal style of painting was started by
(a) Jahangir
(b) Akbar
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Humayun
134. The educational centre at Delhi called Madrasahi-Begam was established by
(a) Gulbadan Begam (b) Maham Anaga
(c) Zia-un-Nisa
(d) Zinat-un-Nisa
135. During which one of the following battles, did
Babur declare Jehad?
(a) Battle of Panipat (b) Battle of Khanwa
(c) Battle of Chanderi (d) None of these
136. Who among the following emperors may be
called an enlightened despot?
(a) Babur
(b) Humayun
(c) Akbar
(d) Aurangzeb
137. Who among the following was appointed as a
physician in the Mughal service?
(a) Bernier
(b) Coreri
(c) Manuchi
(d) Tavernier

138. Who among the following shifted the capital of

the empire from Agra to Delhi?
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb
139. With which medieval ruler, would you associate
the statement I would have lost the empire just
for a handful of Millet?
(a) Babur
(b) Akbar
(c) Sher Shah
(d) Aurangzeb
140. Thomas Roe was received in audience by
Jahangir at
(a) Agra
(b) Ajmer
(c) Delhi
(d) Fatehpur Sikri
141. Which son of Aurangzeb revolted against his
father, weakening the latters position against the
Rajputs?
(a) Azam
(b) Muazzam
(c) Akbar II
(d) Kam Baksh
142. Revenue system during Akbars reign was in the
hands of
(a) Bairam Khan
(b) Asad Khan
(c) Man Singh
(d) Todar Mal
143. During the Mughal period, the copper coin was
known as
(a) Rupee
(b) Dam
(c) Tanka
(d) Shamsi
144. Jaziya was reimposed during the reign of
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Aurangzeb
(d) Shahjahan
145. Two of the following states which Aurangzeb had
conquered in Deccan, were
(a) Ahmednagar and Bijapur
(b) Bidar and Bijapur
(c) Bijapur and Golconda
(d) Golconda and Ahmednagar
146. Where is the mausoleum of Sher Shah?
(a) Sasaram
(b) Delhi
(c) Kalinjar
(d) Sonargaon

147. Who did illustrate Datan-i-Amir Hamza?

(a) Abdus Samad
(b) Mansor
(c) Mir Sayyed Ali (d) Abul Hasan
148. Who among the following was the daughter of
Emperor Aurangzeb?
(a) Jahan Ara
(b) Roshan Ara
(c) Gauhar Ara
(d) Zebunnisa
149. The Mughal emperor who prohibited the use of
Tobacco was
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb
150. Which one is not situated at Fatepur Sikri?
(a) The Panch Mahal
(b) Moti Masjid
(c) Tomb of Salim Chisti
(d) The Mariam Palace
151. Who was the founder of Maratha dynasty?
(a) Shahu
(b) Shivaji
(c) Rajaram
(d) Balaji Vishwanath
152. Who among the following Maratha Chieftains
helped the Syed brothers in dethroning the
emperor Farrukhsiyer?
(a) Balaji Vishwanath (b) Baji Rao I
(c) Raghunath Rao (d) Raja Ram
153. Who was the Maratha Chieftain who captured
Lahore and brought Punjab under Maratha
Supremacy for a short period?
(a) Vishwas Rao
(b) Balaji Vishwanath
(c) Sadashiv Rao Bhau
(d) Raghunath Rao
154. Which one of the following wives of Shivaji
became Sati?
(a) Soyrabai
(b) Sakawarbai
(c) Puttabai
(d) None of these
155. What was Paga in the Maratha administration?
(a) Independent soldiers
(b) State dependent soldiers
(c) Professional soldiers
(d) Soldiers of other country

9
156. Which of the following Rajput states was taken
under direct control by Aurangzeb?
(a) Amber
(b) Jaisalmer
(c) Marwar
(d) Mewar
157. Which of the following was the last battle of Sher
Shah which proved most fatal to him?
(a) Gaur
(b) Kannauj
(c) Kalinjar
(d) Raisen
158. The English ambassador who had attended the
coronation of Shivaji with presents from East
India Company at Raigarh, was
(a) Captain Gray
(b) Oxenden
(c) Humphery Cooke (d) Sir Gervase Lucas
159. Who among the following was the rst Peshwa of
Shahu?
(a) Balaji Vishwanath (b) Baji Rao
(c) Balaji Baji Rao (d) Madhava Rao
160. In the Cavalry of Shivaji, a Jumla commanded
(a) 9 Havaldars
(b) 10 Havaldars
(c) 15 Havaldars
(d) 5 Havaldars
161. Which Fort ceded by Shivaji to the Mughals by
the terms of the Treaty of Purandar (1665 AD)
could not be won back by Shivaji?
(a) Purandhar
(b) Mahuli
(c) Lohagadh
(d) Shivneri
162. Raushaniya movement in India during the 16th
century was started by
(a) Akhund Darwiza
(b) Miyan Bayazid Ansari
(c) Miyan-Mustafa Gujarati
(d) None of these
163. Mahdawi movement in India was started by
(a) Saiyid Muhammad Jaunpuri
(b) Abdullah Sultanpuri
(c) Shaikh Alai
(d) Abdullah Niyazi
164. Guru Granth Sahib in its present form was
compiled by
(a) Guru Nanak Dev (b) Guru Ramdas
(c) Guru Arjun Dev (d) Guru Gobind Singh
165. What was Bargir in Maratha army?
(a) Infantry
(b) Front liner
(c) Cavalry
(d) Water carrier

10
166. Who among the following was the lowest in rank
in the Maratha infantry?
(a) Nayak
(b) Hawaldar
(c) Zumaldar
(d) Hazari
167. In the third battle of Panipat, Marathas were
defeated by
(a) Mughals
(b) Rohillas
(c) Britishers
(d) Afghans
168. Roshan Akhtar was another name of
(a) Ahmed Shah
(b) Muhammad Shah
(c) Jahandar Shah
(d) Shah Alam
169. What was the original name of Afzal Khan?
(a) Abdullah Bhatari (b) Samsuddin
(c) Sabar
(d) Muhammad Khan
170. Who among the following Maratha of cers
looked after the revenue department?
(a) Peshwa
(b) Amatya
(c) Sachiva
(d) Sumant
171. One of the observatories established by Sawai Jai
Singh was at
(a) Agra
(b) Indore
(c) Ujjain
(d) Jodhpur
172. What was the stake in the agricultural production
in the land revenue system of Shivaji?
(a) 16%
(b) 25%
(c) 35%
(d) 40%
173. The Maratha artillery was mainly organised by
(a) Mir Habib
(b) Kanhoji
(c) Ibrahim Khan Gardi
(d) Khande Rao Dabhade
174. The Maratha power reached its zenith during the
Peshwaship of
(a) Balaji Vishwanath (b) Balaji II
(c) Baji Rao I
(d) Madhav Rao
175. The largest number of Hindu mansabdars were in
the period of
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb
176. This chief pays his spies liberally which has
greatly helped his conquests by the correct

177.

178.

179.

180.

181.

182.

183.

184.

information they give. Who gave this account of

Shivaji?
(a) Ka Khan
(b) Peter Mundi
(c) Abbe Carre
(d) Massieur Germain
Name the Hindu ruler of the 18th century who
distinguished himself by performing Asvamedha
sacri ce twice
(a) Shivaji
(b) Abhaya Singh of Marwar
(c) Rana Jagat Singh of Mewar
(d) Sawai Jai Singh of Amber
On which aspect of medieval Indian history have
Havell, Furgusson and Percy Brown written?
(a) Literature
(b) Art and architecture
(c) Administration
(d) Socio-economic history
Who led the Marathas at the third battle of
Panipat?
(a) Baji Rao II
(b) Jaswant Rao Holkar
(c) Mahadji Sindhia (d) Sadashiva Rao Bhau
The treaty of Purandra between Shivaji and Raja
Jai Singh took place in
(a) 1665
(b) 1664
(c) 1666
(d) 1669
Khan-i-Jahan Lodi rebelled during the reign of
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb
The rst Mughal emperor who incorporated the
Marathas in the class of Umara was
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb
Who among the following was given the title of
Shekh-ul-Hind?
(a) Baba Fariduddin
(b) Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti
(c) Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki
(d) Sheikh Salim Chisti
Who among the following Maratha Peshwas
followed the ideal of Hindu Pada Padshahi?
(a) Balaji Vishwanath (b) Baji Rao I
(c) Madhav Rao
(d) Narayana Rao

185. Who among the following Maratha women led

struggles against of Mughal empire from 1700
AD onwards?
(a) Ahalya Bai
(b) Mukta Bai
(c) Tara Bai
(d) Rukmini Bai
186. In Shivajis Council of Ministers, the Prime
Minister was called
(a) Peshwa
(b) Mantri
(c) Sachiv
(d) Sumanta
187. Shivaji died in the year
(a) 1676
(b) 1677
(c) 1678
(d) 1680
188. Who was called Chankya of Maratha politics?
(a) Mahadji Sindhia (b) Nana Pharnabis
(c) Balaji Viswanath (d) Baji Rao II
189. During the reign of which of the following
Mughal emperors, was the Sikh leader Banda
Bahadur captured and executed?
(a) Aurangzeb
(b) Bahadur Shah
(c) Jahandar Shah
(d) Farrukhsiyar
190. The Sikh Khalsa was founded by
(a) Guru Nanak
(b) Guru Hargobind
(c) Guru Teg Bahadur (d) Guru Govind Singh
191. The Maratha kingdom was founded by Shivaji
during the reign of
(a) Muhammad bin Tughlaq
(b) Akbar
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb
192. Who is considered the father of Sitar?
(a) Mian Tansen
(b) Baiju Bawara
(c) Khushro Khan
(d) Bade Ghulam Ali Khan
193. The medieval Indian writer, who refers to the
discovery of America was
(a) Malik Mohammad Jayasi
(b) Amir Khusrow
(c) Abul Fazal
(d) Raskhan

11
194. The Kirti-Stambha at Chittor was built by
(a) Rana Kumbha
(b) Rana Sanga
(c) Rana Pratap
(d) Rana Uday Singh
195. Who among the following rulers issued some
coins with gures of Rama and Sita and
Devanagari legend Rama-Siya?
(a) Bhoja
(b) Akbar
(c) Zain-ul-Abidin (d) Jai Singh
196. Which of the following was the birth place of
Guru Nanak?
(a) Amritsar
(b) Nabha
(c) Nankana
(d) Nander
197. Who among the following was killed by Shivaji?
(a) Shaista Khan
(b) Afzal Khan
(c) Jai Singh
(d) Najib Khan
198. Who was the envoy of British king James I at the
court of Jahangir?
(a) William Finch
(b) Pietra Della Vella
(c) Edward Terry
(d) William Hawkins
199. The famous Kohinour diamond was produced
from one of the mines in
(a) Orissa
(b) Chhotanagpur
(c) Bijapur
(d) Golconda
200. Who of the following Sikh Guru was started
Gurumukhi script?
(a) Guru Nanak
(b) Guru Angad
(c) Guru Arjundev
(d) Guru Govind Singh

12

ANSWER KEY
1.

(a)

26.

(d)

51.

(a)

76.

(c)

101.

(b)

126.

(c)

2.

(b)

27.

(d)

52.

(b)

77.

(c)

102.

(a)

127.

(a)

151.
152.
153.
154.
155.
156.
157.
158.
159.
160.
161.
162.
163.

176.

(c)

177.

(d)

18.

(c)

43.

(d)

68.

(d)

93.

(d)

118.

(b)

143.

(b)

168.

19.

(a)

44.

(c)

69.

(b)

94.

(b)

119.

(b)

144.

(c)

169.

(b)
(a)
(d)
(c)
(b)
(c)
(c)
(b)
(a)
(d)
(d)
(b)
(a)
(c)
(c)
(a)
(d)
(b)
(a)

20.

(d)

45.

(b)

70.

(b)

95.

(c)

120.

(b)

145.

(c)

170.

(b)

195.

(b)

21.

(b)

46.

(d)

71.

(c)

96.

(a)

121.

(b)

146.

(a)

171.

(c)

196.

(c)

3.

(d)

28.

(c)

53.

(a)

78.

(b)

103.

(d)

128.

(c)

4.

(a)

29.

(b)

54.

(a)

79.

(d)

104.

(d)

129.

(c)

5.

(c)

30.

(c)

55.

(c)

80.

(d)

105.

(a)

130.

(b)

6.

(b)

31.

(a)

56.

(d)

81.

(c)

106.

(c)

131.

(c)

7.

(d)

32.

(a)

57.

(c)

82.

(b)

107.

(b)

132.

(a)

8.

(b)

33.

(a)

58.

(b)

83.

(a)

108.

(a)

133.

(d)

9.

(a)

34.

(d)

59.

(b)

84.

(a)

109.

(b)

134.

(b)

10.

(d)

35.

(b)

60.

(a)

85.

(c)

110.

(d)

135.

(b)

11.

(b)

36.

(d)

61.

(d)

86.

(a)

111.

(a)

136.

(c)

12.

(b)

37.

(a)

62.

(d)

87.

(b)

112.

(b)

137.

(c)

13.

(c)

38.

(b)

63.

(d)

88.

(d)

113.

(d)

138.

(c)

14.

(c)

39.

(c)

64.

(c)

89.

(c)

114.

(a)

139.

(c)

164.

15.

(c)

40.

(b)

65.

(d)

90.

(b)

115.

(c)

140.

(b)

165.

16.

(d)

41.

(a)

66.

(c)

91.

(a)

116.

(c)

141.

(c)

166.

17.

(a)

42.

(c)

67.

(b)

92.

(b)

117.

(c)

142.

(d)

167.

178.

(b)

179.

(d)

180.

(a)

181.

(c)

182.

(b)

183.

(d)

184.

(b)

185.

(c)

186.

(a)

187.

(d)

188.

(b)

189.

(d)

190.

(d)

191.

(d)

192.

(c)

193.

(c)

194.

(a)

22.

(c)

47.

(d)

72.

(b)

97.

(a)

122.

(d)

147.

(a)

172.

(d)

197.

(b)

23.

(b)

48.

(a)

73.

(b)

98.

(c)

123.

(c)

148.

(d)

173.

(c)

198.

(d)

24.

(a)

49.

(d)

74.

(d)

99.

(d)

124.

(c)

149.

(b)

174.

(b)

199.

(d)

25.

(b)

50.

(b)

75.

(b)

100.

(c)

125.

(d)

150.

(b)

175.

(d)

200.

(b)

Hints & Solutions

1.

3.

(a) Babur was the founder of Mughal dynasty.

Born on February 14, 1483 at Andizhan Babur was
the eldest of the three sons of Umar Sheikh Mirza.
The Mughal emperor Babur is described as a military
genius and a skillful warrior.
(d) Mehndi Khwaja favoured by prime minister Mir
Khalifa as Baburs successor instead of Humayun.
Baburs prime minister Mir Khalifa had doubts about

4.

6.

Humayuns abilities and tried to raise Mehdi Khwaja,

Baburs brother-in-law to the throne.
(a) Governor of Bengal was the infamous Qazi
Fazihat or Qazi Fazilat during the reign of Shar
Shah.
(b) Dawar Baksh was proclaimed as Mughal
emperor by Asaf Khan on Jahangirs death to ensure
Khurrams (Shahjahans) enthronement. Upon the

13

7.

8.
10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

19.

death of Jahangir, in order to secure the accession

of Shahjahan, Asaf Khan, the brother of Nur Jahan,
brought Dawar Baksh out of con nement, declared
him king and sent him to Lahore.
(d) Khurram sent Dara and Aurangzeb to Jahangirs
court in compliance with the terms of surrender after
his revolt.
(b) Mirra Marhar Jan-i-Jahan (Naqshbandiya) like
Dara Shikoh considered Vedas as the revealed book.
(d) Abul Hasan was a noted Jahangiri painter. Abu
al-Hasan was the son of Aqa Reza of Herat in western
Afghanistan, a city with an artistic tradition. Aqa Reza
had taken up employment with Jahangir before the
latters accession to the throne of the Mughal empire.
(b) Mehar Ji Rana was the invitees of Akbar to the
Ibadat Khana was not a Jain monk. The rst Dastur
Meher Ji Rana was the undisputed spiritual leader
of the Parsi community in India during the sixteenth
century.
(b) Month scale in the Mansabdari system was
introduced by Shahjahan. Under Shah Jahan we
have new scales of pay, monthly rations and new
regulations prescribing the sizes of contingents under
various Sawar ranks.
(c) Hawkins was well versed in the Turkish
language, received a Mansab of 400 and the title of
English Khan or Firangi Khan.
(c) Babur wrote his autobiography in Turki
language. It is an autobiographical work, written
in the Chagatai language, known to Babur as
Turki (meaning Turkic), the spoken language
of the Andijan-Timurids. Baburs prose is highly
Persianized in its sentence structure, morphology,
and vocabulary, and also contains many phrases and
smaller poems in Persian.
(c) In 1615 AD, the famous treaty of Chittor signed
during the reign of Jahangir. In pursuance of his
fathers policy of imperialism, Jahangir aimed at the
conquest of the entire country. In 1605, he sent his
second son to reduce Rana Amar Singh, a Hindu ruler,
to submission. It was not easy to conquer the great fort
of Chittor. In 1608, the emperor sent another force.
Eventually, a treaty of peace was signed in 1615.
(a) Birbal had joined Akbars Din-i-Ilahi. Akbar
had started a religion called Din-i-Ilahi, which

22.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

acknowledges Akbar as Gods representative on earth

and had a combination of Hindu and Muslim beliefs.
In the Ain-i-Akbari (The Institutes of Akbar), it is
mentioned that Birbal was one of the few people other
than Akbar who were its followers, besides being the
only Hindu.
(c) Emperor Akbar conferred the title of Jagat Guru
on Harivijay Suri. 15261595 C.E: Muni Hiravijayji
Suri was the supreme pontiff of Tapa Gachcha order
of Jain Svetambara tradition. He is famous for
propounding the Jain philosophy to emperor Akbar
and turning him towards vegetarianism. Akbar was so
impressed with Hiravijaya Suri that he bestowed on
him the title of Jagat Guru. Akbar almost denounced
meat eating and almost turned to vegetarianism due
to inspiration from him.
(b) Edward Terry, the foreign traveller, describes
how the Ganga water was carried in copper vessels
for Mughal emperors to drink.
(d) The year 1581 AD of Akbars reign has been
regarded by the historian Vicent A. Smith as the most
critical time.
(d) Muhammad Shah had bestowed the title of Jagat
Seth to Fatehchand. Fatehchand was adopted son of
Manik Chand. He obtained the title of Seth from the
Emperor Farrakhsiyar. Muhammad Shah bestowed
him with the title of Jagat Seth.
(c) There were several types of Mughal light
artillery. If carried on the back of a man, they were
called Narnal; if carried on backs of elephants Gajal,
if on backs of camels Shutrnal.
(b) Gulbadan Begam was the author of Humayunnama. The Imperial Princess Gulbadan Begum (1523
1603) was a Perso-Turkic Princess, the daughter
of emperor Babur of India, she is most known as the
author of Humayunnama, the account of the life of
her half-brother, Humayun.
(c) The Mansabdari system introduced by Akbar
was a unique feature of the administrative system
of the Mughal empire. The term Mansab (i.e. of ce,
position or rank) in the Mughal administration
indicated the rank of its holder (Mansabdar) in the
of cial hierarchy. The Mansabdari system was of
central Asian origin. According to one view, Babur
brought it to north India.

14
33.

46.

48.

50.

56.

(a) Akbar introduced the policy Sulah-i-Kul. By

Akbars time, many of the traditional dif culties had
been removed, and he was able to take full advantage
of the changes in outlook on both sides. One example
of this was his enunciation of the principle of Sulah-i
Kul, or universal tolerance, by which he accepted
responsibility for all sections of the population,
irrespective of their religion.
(d) Humayuns tomb at Delhi is placed in the centre
of a large garden and resembles as a prototype of the
Taj Mahal. Fourteen years after Humayuns death,
Hamida Banu Begam also known as Haji Begam
commenced the construction of his tomb. It is the
rst proper example of the Mughal style in uenced
by Persian architecture. Mirak Mirza Ghiyath, a
Persian architect was employed for this job. It is
now a UNESCO World heritage site. The tombs
centre piece is the tomb. This is believed to be the
predecessor or prototype of Agras Taj Mahal.
(a) The Bagh-e-Babur garden is the nal resting
place of the rst Mughal emperor, Babur. Although
present-day Afghanistan was not Baburs original
homeland (he was born in Ferghana in present-day
Uzbekistan), he felt suf ciently enamoured of Kabul
that he desired to be buried here. When Babur died
in 1530, he was initially buried in Agra against his
wishes. Between 1539 and 1544, Sher Shah Suri, a
rival of Baburs son Humayun, ful lled his wishes
and interred him at Baburs Garden. The headstone
placed on his grave read If there is a paradise on
earth, it is this, it is this, it is this.
(b) Zodiac was depicted on the silver coins of
Jahangir. Mughal coins depicted images and zodiac
signs against Islams belief. The reading of the
Mughal coins opens up a whole new world. Each
Mughal coin has the full name of the respective
emperor and the years of his rule. Jahangirs coins
depicted him holding a glass of wine, with a halo.
He believed in zodiac signs. However, Shahjahan
melted the zodiac coins under pressure from religious
leaders.
(d) The mints during Akbars time issued gold,
silver and copper coins. The silver coin during the
Mughal rule of Akbar, known as rupee was round in
shape. The weight of the silver coins of Akbar was
172 grains. Akbar also issued a square-shaped rupee
coins, called Jalali. The rupee had its one-half, onefourth, one-eighth, one-sixteenth and one-twentieth
pieces.

58.

63.

65.

68.

69.

71.

73.

(b) The greatest painter of birds at Jahangirs

court was Mansur. Mansur was the leading nature
painter at the court of the Mughal emperor Jahangir.
Mansur was extraordinarily talented for scienti c
documentation. His detailed careful depictions of
plants and animals avoided all personal expression
and are extremely valuable for their scientific
accuracy as well as their artistic perfection. Some of
his studies are unsurpassed today.
(d) Mohammad Kazim was the of cial historian of
Aurangzebs reign. During the reign of Aurangzeb,
the man picked to write the AlamgirNamah was
Mirza Muhammad Kazim Shirazi. He successfully
compiled facts about the rst 10 years of Aurangzebs
rule. After this, Aurangzeb forbade Kazim Shirazi
to continue any further probably because of the
extravagant expenditure involved in this work.
(d) Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi is known as Mujaddid
or reformer. He is described as Mujaddid Alf Thani
meaning the reviver of the second millennium,
for his work in rejuvenating Islam and opposing the
heterodoxies prevalent in the time of Mughal emperor
Akbar.
(d) Historian Abul Fazal was killed by Vir Singh
Deo Bundela. Vir Singh Deo was an ally of Jahangir
in the latters struggles against his father, Akbar.
Vir Singh killed Abul-Fazal Mubarak, an adviser of
Akbar in 1602.
(b) Bishandas was a 17th century portrait painter at
the court of the Mughal emperor Jahangir. Jahangir
praised him as unrivalled in the art of portraiture.
Though little is known of Bishandas life, his name
can indicate that he was a Hindu. In 1613, he was
sent on a diplomatic mission to Persia, to paint the
Shahs portrait. Here he was so successful that he
remained until 1620, when he returned with the gift
of an elephant.
(c) Khan-Jahan Lodis revolt during the reign of
Shahjahan. In 1628, Shahjahan faced a major revolt
by Khan Jahan Lodi. He had united with the ruler of
Ahmednagar and came out in open rebellion against
the emperor. The aggression by Khan Jahan came to
an end by the year 1660, when he surrendered and
died near the fort of Kalinjar.
(b) Jahandar Shah ascended the throne after the
death of Bahadur Shah I. The death of Bahadur

15

75.

76.

77.

78.

81.

82.

84.

Shah was followed by the usual struggle among his

four sons for the throne. Jahandar Shah, the eldest
son of Bahadur Shah, killed his two brothers in the
battle which was fought on March 27 to 28, 1712 AD
ultimately, Jahandar Shah ascended the throne on
March 29, 1712 AD.
(b) Kalanaur is known as a place of proclamation
of Akbar as the emperor. In Kalanaur, Punjab, the
13-year-old Akbar was enthroned by Bairam Khan
on a newly constructed platform, which still stands.
He was proclaimed Shahanshah (Persian for King
of Kings). Bairam Khan ruled on his behalf until he
came of age.
(c) Dadni was used for the advance money given
by the merchants to artisans for the required goods.
Dadni system was the chief mode of business
activities of the European merchants. In this system,
long before the advent of season for a particular
commodity, the merchants used to reach the actual
cultivator or manufacturer through the local small
agents or Paikars and advanced money to them so
as to obtain right for the purchase of a particular
commodity.
(c) Akbar II had sent Raja Ram Mohan Roy as his
envoy to London. Akbar had little de-facto power
due to the increasing British control of India through
the East India Company. Shortly before his death, he
sent Ram Mohan Roy as an ambassador to Britain.
(b) Among the given ladies, Jahanara was a poetess.
She was highly educated and well versed in Persian
and Arabic, as well as a writer, painter and poet.
(c) The largest mosque in India, Jama Masjid in
Delhi, was built by Mughal emperor, Shahjahan in
1656 AD. The mosque in Old Delhi, displaying both
Hindu and Islamic styles of architecture, was built to
replicate Moti Masjid at Red Fort in Agra.
(b) Dahsala was also known as Bandobast system.
In 1580, Akbar instituted a new system called the
Dahsala or the Bandobast Arazi or the Zabti system.
Under this, the average produce of different crops
as well as the average prices prevailing over the last
ten years was calculated. One-third of the average
produce was the state share, which was, however,
stated in cash.
(a) A Mansabdar who was paid in cash was called
Naqdi. All those holding ranks below 1,000 began to
be called Mansabdars. The Mansabdars who received

86.

88.

89.

90.

96.

97.

pay in cash were known as Naqdi and those paid

through assignment of Jagirs were called Jagirdars.
(a) Akbar built the Agra Fort. The fort is built
alongside the Yamuna river and stretches almost 2.5
km. It consists of a wall built in red sandstone and
several buildings inside. The wall has 2 gates, the
Delhi Gate and the Amar Singh Gate. You can only
enter the fort via the Amar Singh Gate.
(d) Dara Shikohs spiritual quest for monotheistic
strands in Hindu philosophy was a continuous
process. This led him to study the Upanishads
and with the help of some scholars of Banaras, he
translated 50 Upanishads from Sanskrit to Persian.
The text he prepared, the Sirr-i-Akbar, the Great
Secret was completed in 1657. He was of the rm
opinion that the Great Secret of the Upanishads is
the monotheistic message, which is identical to that
on which the Quran is based.
(c) The building known as Purana Qila at Delhi was
built by Sher Shah. Three main gates on the north,
south and west are part of the forti cations of the
Purana Qila, the sixth city of Delhi, built by Sher Shah
Suri (153845). Sher Shah Suri raised his citadel after
demolishing Dinpanah, the city built byHumayun.
The forti cations of the Qila extended to a boundary
of 2 km (1.2 mi) on an irregularly oblong plan.
(b) During the Mughal period, district was called
Sarkar. In the 16th century, the Mughal emperor
Akbar organised the empire into Subahs, which
were further subdivided into Sarkars, roughly the
equivalent of districts, which were themselves
organised into Parganas. In the Mughal system,
Parganas served as the local administrative units of
a Sarkar
(a) Watan Jagirs are the hereditary Jagirs. Watan
jagirs were assigned to local Zamindars or Rajas and
were hereditary and non-transferable in nature. Many
Rajput princes were also the recipients of such Jagirs
from the Mughals.
(a) Akbar spent his childhood in the rough terrain of
Afghanistan. His early years were spent learning how
to hunt, ght and mature into a skilful warrior. He did
not nd time to read and write and was illiterate. But
his illiteracy did not hamper his quest for knowledge
and desire to know about new things. Akbar had
a huge library and a vast collection of books and
scriptures.

16
98.

99.

101.

102.

105.

107.

(c) The battle of Khanwa in 1527 was fought

between Babur and Rana Sanga. The Rajput forces
of Rana Sanga, supplemented by the contingents
of Hasan Khan Mewati and the Afghan, Mehmud
Lodi and Raja Medini Rai of Alwar, met Baburs
army at Khanwa near Fatehpur Sikri in 1527. The
battle, which lasted for not more than 10 hours, was
bitterly contested and became an exceedingly brutal
affair. At a critical moment of battle, the defection of
Silhadi and his contingent caused a split in the Rajput
forces. Rana Sanga while trying to rebuild his front
was wounded and fell unconscious from his horse.
The Rajput army thought their leader was dead and
ed in disorder, thus allowing the Mughals to win
the day.
(d) At the time of Muhammad Shah, Nadir Shah
attacked Delhi. In the year 1739, Nadir Shah invaded
the Mughal empire and defeated the Mughal emperor
Muhammad Shah during the battle of Karnal, then
occupied and looted Delhi and much of the northern
regions of the Mughal empire.
(b) Painting reached its highest level of development
during the reign of Jahangir. He showed a leaning
towards painting and had an atelier of his own. His
interest in portraiture led to much development in this
artform. The art of Mughal painting reached great
heights under Jahangirs reign, combining technical
mastery with spiritual understanding of personalities
depicted in its portraits. Jahangirs expertise in the
arts is documented in his diary.
(a) Arjumand Banu Begum (also called Mumtaz
Mahal) was the third wife of Shahjahan, the Mughal
emperor. Mumtaz Mahal (meaning Jewel of the
palace) was the nickname her husband gave to her.
(a) Akbar built the Ibadatkhana at Fatehpur Sikri.
Ibadatkhana (House of Worship) was a meeting house
built in 1575 CE by the Mughal emperor Akbar,
where the foundations of a new Syncretistic faith,
Din-e-Ilahi were laid by Akbar.
(b) Ibrahim Lodi was defeated by Babur in the rst
battle of Panipat. The rst battle of Panipat was fought
on 21 April 1526 between Ibrahim Lodi, Sultan of
Delhi, and the Timurid warlord Zaheeruddin Babur.
Baburs force defeated Ibrahims much larger force
of over one lakh (one hundred thousand) soldiers.
This rst battle of Panipat thus ended the Lodi Rule
established by Bahlol Lodi in India.

108. (a) Rani Durgavati was a contemporary of Akbar.

The riches of Rani Durgavatis state drew Abdul
Mazid Khans attention. He sought and gained
permission from Akbar to attack the Rani. Akbars
interest in the invasion was his wish to expand his
rule over central India.
109. (b) Babur died on 26 December 1530, of fever, aged
47, in Agra, India. Buried 9 years later, as per his
wishes, in a garden in Kabul. His sister Khanzada and
son Hindal also buried on the same garden terrace.
110. (d) Abul Fazal was the author of Ain-i-Akbari.
The Akbarnama is a document of history of Akbars
reign and his ancestors spread over three volumes. It
contains the history of Akbars ancestors from Timur
to Humayun, Akbars reign up to the 46th regnal
year (1602), and an administrative report of Akbars
empire, the Ain-i-Akbari, which itself is in three
volumes. The third volume of Ain-i-Akbari gives an
account of the ancestry and life of the author. The
Ain-i-Akbari was completed in the 42nd regnal year,
but a slight addition was made to it in the 43rd regnal
year on the account of the conquest of Berar.
111. (a) Humayun was defeated at Kannauj in the hands
of Sher Shah in 1540. In 1540, Humayun led an army
against Sher Shah, but was defeated at Bilgram Veer
Kannauj and ed from the country. Sher Shah became
the king and once again the Afghans became the ruler
of northern India.
112. (b) Haji Begum built the tomb of her husband. Her
important architectural legacy, is the mausoleum
of her husband, Humayuns tomb at Delhi, which
she commissioned in the late 16th century. The
mausoleum was the rst one to have been built for
a Mughal emperor and was the rst garden-tomb on
the Indian subcontinent. Begum was also known as
Haji Begum after she undertook the pilgrimage to
Hajj.
114. (a) Kabuliyat and Patta was introduced by Sher
Shah. Pathan Sultan Sher Shah Suri (1540 1545)
measured and classi ed the land in terms of the
produce and introduced Kabuliyat and Patta as
instruments of settlement. During Akbars time,
Todar Mal made some reforms to that system and the
whole empire was divided into Suba, Sarkar, Pargana
and Mahal.
115. (c) Abul Fazl wrote Akbarnama. Abul Fazal wrote
the work between 1590 and 1596 and is thought

17

117.

119.

122.

123.

126.

129.

132.

to have been illustrated between c. 1592 and 1594

by at least forty-nine different artists from Akbars
studio.
(c) Aurangzeb banned music in the court and
relieved the musicians. Though instrumental music
was continued in the court. He was himself expert in
playing Veena.
(b) Dara Shikoh nally lost the war of succession to
Aurangzeb in the battle of Samugarh. Although Dara
Shikoh was the most powerful man in the Mughal
empire after his father Shahjahan, he knew little about
the art of war and military command. His loosely knit
army eventually crumbled and even refused to aid
each other.
(d) Itimad-ud-Daulahs tomb at Agra was built by
Nur Jahan. After her fathers death, Nur Jahan built
this mausoleum in memory of Mirza Ghiyas Beg,
from 1622 1625 AD. The rst example of a tomb
built on a riverbank in India. Itmad-ud-Daulahs tomb
situated on the banks of the Yamuna, has many design
features that were later used in the Taj Mahal.
(c) Aurangzeb was called Zinda Pir in Mughal time.
Aurangzeb, was an orthodox, God-fearing Muslim.
Unlike the earlier Mughal emperors, he had a very
simple lifestyle. He never wore costly robes or used
gold and silver vessels. He even sewed caps and
copied the Quran to sell, so that he could earn money
for his use, rather than take it from the treasury. Due
to his smplicity, he was popularly called Zinda Pir
or a living saint.
(c) Upnishads were translated into persian
during the reign of Shahjahan. During the reign of
Shahjahan, his son Dara Shikoh, well versed in Indian
religion and philosophy, translated the Upanishads
into Persian.
(c) Shahjahan abolished the Persian court custom
of Sijda. Shahjahan also abolished the discipleship
ritual and other practices of his father and grandfather.
This pleased the orthodox Muslims immensely. The
tradition of Khanazadgi, born to the house, was
maintained, in which high-ranking nobles (Amirs)
were identi ed as the emperors extended household.
Khanazadgi and the hereditary service associated
with it applied to of cers in high position and in
nancial administration (Diwans, etc.)
(a) The Mausoleum (Dargah) of Moinuddin Chisti
was most visited by Akbar. The emperor Akbar was
perhaps the most fervent of them. It is said to be by

133.

135.

138.

140.

142.

143.

144.

the blessing of Sheikh Salim Chishti that Akbars

rst surviving child, the future Jahangir, was born.
The child was named Salim after the Sheikh and was
affectionately addressed by Akbar as Sheikhu Baba.
(d) Mughal style of painting was started by
Humayun. Mughal paintings dawned during the
time of Humayun. Praiseworthy Persian artists
Abd-us-Samad and Mir-Sayyid Ali accompanied him
on his return to India from exile. These artists hold
the credit for the growth of Mughal painting. )
(b) In 1527, Babur ordered a Jihad against Rajputs
at the battle of Khanwa. Publicly addressing his
men, he declared the forthcoming battle a Jihad. His
soldiers were facing a non-Muslim army for the rst
time ever. This, he said, was their chance to become
either a Ghazi (soldier of Islam) or a Shaheed (Martyr
of Islam).
(c) In 1638, Shahjahan moved his capital from Agra
to a city in Delhi, known as Shahjahanabad, the new
capital city was laid out under the emperors auspices
from 1639 1648.
(b) Sir Thomas Roe was sent by James I in 1615.
He was both a scholar and a courtier and was well
quali ed for the job given to him. He reached Surat
in September 1615 and proceeded to Ajmer where
Jahangir was. He remained at the court of Jahangir
from 1615 to 1618. He succeeded in obtaining a
Firman from Jahangir allowing the English to trade
at Surat. .
(d) Raja Todar Mal was the minister for revenue
in the court of Akbar. Building upon the foundations
laid by Sher Shah, Todar Mal introduced a system of
land reforms, the essence of which was an assessment
of the land revenue according to the extent of
cultivation, the nature of the soil and the quality of
the crops.
(b) During the Mughal period, the copper coin
was known as Dam. Silver Shahrukhis of 72 grains
weight and silver Rupiyahs 198 grains in weight had
a great circulation. Akbars copper coins of 330 grains
weight were known as Dam. 40 Dams were equal
to 1 silver Rupiyah and 9 Rupiyahs were equal to 1
Muhar in value.
(c) Jaziya was reimposed during the reign of
Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb reimposed the Jaziya the
hated poll-tax on non-Muslims, which the wise and
compassionate Akbar abolished early in his region.

18
145. (c) The two states which Aurangzeb had conquered
in Deccan were Bijapur and Golconda. In 1685,
Aurangzeb dispatched his son, Muhammad Azam
Shah, with a force of nearly 50,000 men to capture
Bijapur Fort and defeated Sikandar Adil Shah (the
ruler of Bijapur) who refused to be a vassal. The
Mughals could not make any advancement upon
Bijapur Fort mainly due to the superior usage of
cannon batteries on both sides. Outraged by the
stalemate, Aurangzeb himself arrived on 4 September
1686 and commanded the Siege of Bijapur; after eight
days of ghting, the Mughals were victorious. In
1687, Aurangzeb led his grand Mughal army against
the Deccan Qutbshahi fortress during the Siege of
Golconda.
146. (a) Sasaram is the mausoleum of Sher Shah.
Sasaram is the birthplace of the Afghan king Sher
Shah Suri, who ruled over Delhi, much of northern
India, now in Pakistan, and eastern Afghanistan
for ve years, after defeating the Mughal Emperor
Humayun. The tomb of Sher Shah Suri at Sasaram is
an imposing structure of stone standing in the middle
of a ne tank and rising from a large stone terrace.
147. (a) Abdus Samad illustrates Dastan-i-Amir
Hamza. Mir Sayyed Ali, Khawaja Abdul Samad,
Mir Musavir and Dost Mir Hammad were the most
renowned Persian painters. They gave lessons to
Humayun and Akbar in painting. Humayun instructed
Mir Sayyed Ali and Khawaja Abdul Samad to
illustrate the Dastan-i-Amir Hamzah, the renowned
Persian book.
148. (d) Zebunnisa was the daughter of Aurangzeb.
Princess Zebunnisa is remembered as a poet, and her
writings were collected posthumously as Diwan-iMakh
150. (b) The Moti Masjid is a white marble mosque built
by the Mughal emperor Aurangazeb at the Red Fort
complex in Delhi.
151. (b) Shivaji was the founder of Maratha dynasty.
The Maratha empire (also spelled Mahratta and
also called the Maratha Confederacy) of India, was
founded by Chhatrapati Shivaji in 1674 when he
carved out an independent Maratha zone around
Pune from the Bijapur Sultanate.
156. (c) Marwar was taken under direct control by
Aurangzeb. In 1679, the Rathore clan under the
command of Durgadas Rathore rebelled when

157.

158.

159.

160.

161.

162.

165.

167.

Auranzeb refused to make the young Rathore prince

the king and took direct command of Jodhpur. This
caused great unrest amongst the Hindu Rajput rulers
under Aurangzeb and lead to many rebellions in
Rajputana.
(c) Kalinjar was the last battle of Sher Shah which
proved most fatal to him. In May 1545, when he
was campaigning against the Chandel Rajputs in
Bundelkhand (Kalinjar), a gunpowder explosion
fatally wounded him and thus this Afghan Tiger lost
his life in Bundelkhand, laying wounded in his tent
and worrying about the future of his wise schemes.
(b) The English ambassador who had attended the
coronation of Shivaji with presents from East India
Company at Raigarh was Oxendon.
(a) Balaji Vishwanath was the rst Peshwa of
Shahu. Balaji Vishwanath assisted a young Maratha
emperor Shahu to consolidate his grip on a kingdom
that had been racked by civil war and persistent
attack by the Mughals under Aurangzeb.
(d) In the cavalry of Shivaji, a Jumla commanded
5 Havaldars. The most signi cant part of his army
was the Paga on state cavalry. There were two
classes in the cavalry, the Bargirs and the Shiladars.
There were regular grades in the cavalry, the unit
formed by 25 troopers over 25 troopers, there was
a Havaldar. Five Havaldars were placed under one
Jumladar and over 10 Jumladars, there was one
Hazari, ve one Hazaris were under a Panj Hazari.
(d) Shivneri Fort ceded by Shivaji to the Mughals
by the terms of the Treaty of Purandar (1665 AD)
could not be won back by Shivaji.
(b) Raushanuja movement in India during the 16th
century was started by Miyan-Bayazid Ansari. He
was born in 1525 or 1515, in the city of Jalandhar,
Punjab. He was the leader of the antifeudal and antiMughal movement of the Roshani in Afghanistan.
(c) Bargir was the Royal cavalry of the Maratha
army system. There were two kinds of cavalry, viz.
Bargirs and the Shiledars. Bargirs were provided
horses from the state and thus, the horses were
property of the royal household and were looked
after by state of cers. Shiledars used to keep their
own horses.
(d) In the third battle of Panipat, Marathas were
defeated by Afghans. Battle of Panipat fought
on January 14th 1761 between the forces of the
Maratha Confederacy and the coalition of the kings

19

169.

171.

174.

179.

181.

186.

of Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Durrani (also known

as Ahmed Shah Abdali) and his two Indian Muslim
allies; The Rohilla Afghans of Doab and the Nawab
of Oudh, Shuja-ud-aula. The battle was fought
at Panipat in present day Haryana, 95.5 km from
Delhi.
(a) The original name of Afzal Khan was Abdullah
Bhatari. Afzal Khan was a medieval Indian
commander who served the Adil Shahi dynasty of
Bijapur, and fought against Shivaji. He was killed at
a meeting with Shivaji and his army was defeated in
the Battle of Pratapgad 1656.
(c) One of the observatories established by Sawai
Jai Singh was of Ujjain. The idea behind building a
number of observatories at different locations in the
northern India was to make the same observations
from different places and thus reduce the errors
introduced due to the limits of resolution of human
vision. Sawai Jai Singh built the three small ones
at Ujjain, Mathura, and Banaras with the help of
Hindu astronomers who themselves had limitations
in civil engineering (architectural engineering).
(b) The Maratha power reached its zenith during
the Peshwaship of Balaji II. The Maratha state under
him reached its territorial zenith extending from
Cuttack to Attack and in July 1760 the Marathas
occupied Delhi.
(d) Nanasaheb Peshwa was then at the zenith of
his power having defeated the Nizam at Udgir. He
chose Sadashiv Rao Bhau to lead the Maratha army
to Delhi. Both Malhar Rao Holkar and Raghunath
Rao had deep knowledge of north India having lived
there and fought many battles there but Sadashiv
Rao Bhau was totally new to north India.
(c) Khan-i-Jahan Lodi rebelled during the reign of
Shahjahan. In 1628, Shahjahan faced a major revolt
by Khan Jahan Lodi. He had united with the ruler of
Ahmednagar and came out in open rebellion against
the emperor. The aggression by Khan Jahan came to
an end by the year 1660, when he surrendered and
died near the fort of Kalinjar.
(a) In Shivajis time, the king was the supreme
head of the state. He was assisted by a Council of
Ministers known as the Ashta Pradhan. The Prime

187.

192.

194.

196.

198.

199.

200.

Minister or the Mukhya Pradhan was called the

Peshwa.
(d) Shivaji died on April 3, 1680. He was 50 years
of age during his time of death. He died at Raigad
due to high fever for three weeks. His son Sambhaji
took over the title of the emperor of the Maratha
empire.
(c) The origin of the Sitar is lost in antiquity.
Though its origin is generally attributed to Amir
Khusrow, and is one of the most ancient Indian
instruments. He is credited with making the Sitar
by xing three strings to it and calling it the Sehtar
(seh three; tar strings). The word Sitar is said to
be a corruption of the word Sehtar.
(a) The Vijay Stambh (tower of victory) is located
in Chittorgarh, which was built by Rana Kumbha
in 1440 AD to celebrate his victory over Mahmud
Khilji of Malwa.
(c) Guru Nanaks birth place is now called Nankana
Sahib, near Lahore, Pakistan. His birthplace is
marked by Gurdwara Janam Asthan.
(d) In 1608, Captain William Hawkins came to
the court of Jahangir with a letter from James I,
king of England, requesting permission for the
English merchants to establish in India. But due
to vehement opposition of the Portuguese and the
Surat merchants, emperor Jahangir had to change
his mind and Hawkins mission failed.
(d) The Golconda fort used to have a vault where
once the famous Kohinoor and Hopediamonds were
stored along with other diamonds. Golconda was
once renowned for the diamonds found on the southeast at Kollur Mine near Kollur (modern day Guntur
district), Paritala (modern day Krishna district) and
cut in the city during the Kakatiya reign. At that
time, India had the only known diamond mines in
the world.
(b) Guru Angad Sahib introduced a new alphabet
known as Gurmukhi Script, modifying the old
Punjabi scripts characters. It became the script of
the masses very soon. He took great interest in the
education of the children by opening many schools
for their instruction and thus increased the number
of literates.