Match List-I with List-II :List-IList-II(a) Hiranyagarbha(i) Inscription(b) Prashasti(ii) Ritual(c) Pishtaq(iii) Gateway(d) Nastaliq(iv) Writing styleChoose the correct option.

The correct matching is (a)-(ii), (b)-(i), (c)-(iii), (d)-(iv).Hiranyagarbha, the 'golden womb', was a ritual. The Rashtrakuta chief Dantidurga performed it, with Brahmana help, to be 'reborn' as a Kshatriya.A prashasti is an inscription in praise of a ruler, composed by learned Brahmanas, such as the one on Samudragupta.A pishtaq is the tall arched gateway or portal of an Indo-Islamic building.Nastaliq is a cursive writing style of Persian calligraphy, used in Mughal manuscripts.Every other option swaps at least one of these, for example by calling the prashasti a ritual or the pishtaq an inscription.

Sources of Medieval Indian History Questions and Answers

Q: Futuhat-i-Alamgiri was written by

The Futuhat-i-Alamgiri was written by Ishwardas Nagar.Ishwardas Nagar, a Nagar Brahmin of Patan in Gujarat who served as a Mughal official, wrote the Futuhat-i-Alamgiri in Persian. It is a history of Aurangzeb's reign, especially his wars against the Rajputs.Bhimsen wrote the Nuskha-i-Dilkusha on Aurangzeb's Deccan campaigns, so he is the most likely confusion. Haridas is not the author of this work.

Q: More than a thousand years ago, Al-Biruni, a traveller from Uzbekistan, had described his observations about India. Which of the following observations were recorded in Al-Biruni's book?A. People of India are very skilled at making ponds.B. Horses are used to draw carts in India.C. Step-wells have separate steps for going up and coming down.D. Lakes and Johads are built to collect water.Choose the correct option.

The observations recorded by Al-Biruni are A and C.Al-Biruni, the scholar from Khwarizm who came to India about a thousand years ago, wrote with admiration about Indian water works. He described the people of India as very skilled at building ponds and tanks (A), and noted that their stepped tanks had separate steps for going down and for coming up (C).Horse-drawn carts (B) and the building of lakes and johads (D) are not among the observations of his quoted in this context, so the other options are wrong.

Q: Unusual for the 12th century, Kalhana used a variety of sources. Unlike the writers of Prashastis, he was often critical about rulers and their practices. His sources include :

His sources included earlier histories, eyewitness accounts, documents and inscriptions.Kalhana wrote the Rajatarangini, a long Sanskrit poem on the history of the kings of Kashmir, in the twelfth century. Unusually for his time, he drew on a variety of sources: inscriptions, documents, eyewitness accounts and earlier histories. Unlike the authors of prashastis, who praised their patrons, he was often critical of rulers and their policies.The other three options are each incomplete. They list some of his sources but leave out inscriptions, documents or eyewitness accounts, so they do not give the full range the question asks for.

Q: Which one of the following statements regarding Al-Biruni is NOT true ? Choose the correct answer.

The statement that is not true is that he did not write anything about ponds in India.Al-Biruni, a scholar from Khwarazm in present-day Uzbekistan, came to India more than a thousand years ago and wrote a detailed account of the country. He was struck by the ponds and tanks built in India for storing water and praised the skill with which they were made, as NCERT's EVS book on water notes.So he did write about ponds, and the other three statements are true.

Q: Read the Assertion (A) and Reason (R) below and choose the correct option.Assertion (A) : Travellers like Al-Biruni and Ibn Batuta travelled from India to different countries.Reason (R) : Travelling led to sharing of ideas between people.

(A) is false but (R) is true.Al-Biruni (from Khwarizm in Central Asia, 11th century) and Ibn Battuta (from Morocco, 14th century) were travellers who came to India, not from India to other countries, so the Assertion is false.The Reason is true: travel spread knowledge, beliefs, technologies and goods between peoples, and both men's accounts of India are examples of such exchange.

Q: Consider the given four statements and choose the correct answer from the given options.1. Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi attacked Nagarkot fort in 1009 A.D.2. In 1339, the Nagarkot expedition was led personally by Sultan Muhammad Tugluq.3. In 1348 A.D., Raja Purab Chand recovered Kangra fort.4. After Amir Timur's return, Hari Chand ascended the throne of Kangra in 1405 A.D.

The answer is 1 and 4.Statement 1 is well established: Mahmud of Ghazni sacked the fort and temple of Nagarkot (Kangra) in 1009 and carried away its famous treasure.Statement 2 has the wrong year. Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq did lead an expedition against Nagarkot in person, but in 1337, not 1339. Options A, B and C all contain statement 2, so once it is ruled out only 1 and 4 remains.The key accepts statement 4, that Hari Chand came to the throne of Kangra in 1405, after the invasion of Timur had passed through the hills.

Q: Mark the correct statement:1. "Mughal rule began and ended at Panipat".2. Marathas were defeated in the Third Battle of Panipat.3. French rule began with Panipat.4. French power ended with Panipat.

Only statement 2 is correct, so the answer is 2 is correct.The Third Battle of Panipat in 1761, in which Ahmad Shah Abdali defeated the Marathas, is a well-known fact.Statement 1 is only half true: Mughal rule began at Panipat with Babur's victory in 1526, but it did not end there; it ended in 1857, when the British deposed Bahadur Shah II. Statements 3 and 4 are false because French power in India was decided in the Carnatic Wars, ending with the battle of Wandiwash in 1760, not at Panipat. That rules out every option except the one naming statement 2 alone.

Q: Mahmud Gawan was the minister of

Mahmud Gawan was the minister of the Bahmani Kingdom.Mahmud Gawan, a Persian merchant who rose to be the chief minister (wazir) of the Bahmani sultans in the later fifteenth century, reorganised the administration and army and built the famous madrasa at Bidar. He was executed in 1481 after a court conspiracy, and the kingdom declined soon after.Bidar was the Bahmani capital, and Berar one of its provinces, later a separate sultanate; neither was a separate kingdom he served. Vijayanagar was the Bahmanis' rival.

Q: One of the Delhi Sultanate ruler was not ready to recognise the authority of Calipha

The ruler was Qutubuddin Mubarak Shah Khalji.Mubarak Shah (1316-1320), Alauddin Khalji's son, broke with Delhi custom by declaring himself Caliph (al-Imam and Khalifat-ullah) instead of ruling as a deputy of the Abbasid Caliph, so he refused to recognise any authority above his own.Iltutmish sought and received a letter of investiture from the Abbasid Caliph in 1229, and Balban too acknowledged the Caliph on his coins. Alauddin Khalji did not seek investiture, but he styled himself only the Caliph's deputy and did not claim the title, so the clear case is Mubarak Shah.

Futuhat-i-Alamgiri was written by

A.Ishwardas Nagar
B.Bhimsen
C.Haridas
D.None of them

Exam Year(s)

BPSC Exam - 2023, BPSC CDPO - 2023,

Answer: A

The Futuhat-i-Alamgiri was written by Ishwardas Nagar.

Ishwardas Nagar, a Nagar Brahmin of Patan in Gujarat who served as a Mughal official, wrote the Futuhat-i-Alamgiri in Persian. It is a history of Aurangzeb's reign, especially his wars against the Rajputs.

Bhimsen wrote the Nuskha-i-Dilkusha on Aurangzeb's Deccan campaigns, so he is the most likely confusion. Haridas is not the author of this work.

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Match List-I with List-II :

List-I	List-II
(a) Hiranyagarbha	(i) Inscription
(b) Prashasti	(ii) Ritual
(c) Pishtaq	(iii) Gateway
(d) Nastaliq	(iv) Writing style

Choose the correct option.

A.(a)-(ii), (b)-(i), (c)-(iii), (d)-(iv)
B.(a)-(i), (b)-(ii), (c)-(iv), (d)-(iii)
C.(a)-(iii), (b)-(iv), (c)-(i), (d)-(ii)
D.(a)-(ii), (b)-(iv), (c)-(iii), (d)-(i)

Exam Year(s)

CTET - 2024,

Answer: A

The correct matching is (a)-(ii), (b)-(i), (c)-(iii), (d)-(iv).

Hiranyagarbha, the 'golden womb', was a ritual. The Rashtrakuta chief Dantidurga performed it, with Brahmana help, to be 'reborn' as a Kshatriya.
A prashasti is an inscription in praise of a ruler, composed by learned Brahmanas, such as the one on Samudragupta.
A pishtaq is the tall arched gateway or portal of an Indo-Islamic building.
Nastaliq is a cursive writing style of Persian calligraphy, used in Mughal manuscripts.

Every other option swaps at least one of these, for example by calling the prashasti a ritual or the pishtaq an inscription.

Discuss in Forum

More than a thousand years ago, Al-Biruni, a traveller from Uzbekistan, had described his observations about India. Which of the following observations were recorded in Al-Biruni's book?

A. People of India are very skilled at making ponds.
B. Horses are used to draw carts in India.
C. Step-wells have separate steps for going up and coming down.
D. Lakes and Johads are built to collect water.

Choose the correct option.

A.A and B
B.B and C
C.C and D
D.A and C

Exam Year(s)

CTET - 2026,

Answer: D

The observations recorded by Al-Biruni are A and C.

Al-Biruni, the scholar from Khwarizm who came to India about a thousand years ago, wrote with admiration about Indian water works. He described the people of India as very skilled at building ponds and tanks (A), and noted that their stepped tanks had separate steps for going down and for coming up (C).

Horse-drawn carts (B) and the building of lakes and johads (D) are not among the observations of his quoted in this context, so the other options are wrong.

Discuss in Forum

Unusual for the 12th century, Kalhana used a variety of sources. Unlike the writers of Prashastis, he was often critical about rulers and their practices. His sources include :

A.earlier histories
B.earlier histories and eyewitness accounts
C.earlier histories, eyewitness accounts and documents
D.earlier histories, eyewitness accounts, documents and inscriptions

Exam Year(s)

CTET - 2026,

Answer: D

His sources included earlier histories, eyewitness accounts, documents and inscriptions.

Kalhana wrote the Rajatarangini, a long Sanskrit poem on the history of the kings of Kashmir, in the twelfth century. Unusually for his time, he drew on a variety of sources: inscriptions, documents, eyewitness accounts and earlier histories. Unlike the authors of prashastis, who praised their patrons, he was often critical of rulers and their policies.

The other three options are each incomplete. They list some of his sources but leave out inscriptions, documents or eyewitness accounts, so they do not give the full range the question asks for.

Discuss in Forum

Which one of the following statements regarding Al-Biruni is NOT true ? Choose the correct answer.

A.The place that Al-Biruni came from is now called Uzbekistan.
B.More than a thousand years ago, he came to India.
C.He did not write anything about ponds in India.
D.He has praised the making of ponds in India.

Exam Year(s)

CTET - 2024,

Answer: C

The statement that is not true is that he did not write anything about ponds in India.

Al-Biruni, a scholar from Khwarazm in present-day Uzbekistan, came to India more than a thousand years ago and wrote a detailed account of the country. He was struck by the ponds and tanks built in India for storing water and praised the skill with which they were made, as NCERT's EVS book on water notes.

So he did write about ponds, and the other three statements are true.

Discuss in Forum

Read the Assertion (A) and Reason (R) below and choose the correct option.

Assertion (A) : Travellers like Al-Biruni and Ibn Batuta travelled from India to different countries.
Reason (R) : Travelling led to sharing of ideas between people.

A.Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) explains (A).
B.Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) does not explain (A).
C.(A) is true but (R) is false.
D.(A) is false but (R) is true.

Exam Year(s)

CTET - 2024,

Answer: D

(A) is false but (R) is true.

Al-Biruni (from Khwarizm in Central Asia, 11th century) and Ibn Battuta (from Morocco, 14th century) were travellers who came to India, not from India to other countries, so the Assertion is false.

The Reason is true: travel spread knowledge, beliefs, technologies and goods between peoples, and both men's accounts of India are examples of such exchange.

Discuss in Forum

Consider the given four statements and choose the correct answer from the given options.

1. Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi attacked Nagarkot fort in 1009 A.D.
2. In 1339, the Nagarkot expedition was led personally by Sultan Muhammad Tugluq.
3. In 1348 A.D., Raja Purab Chand recovered Kangra fort.
4. After Amir Timur's return, Hari Chand ascended the throne of Kangra in 1405 A.D.

A.1 and 2
B.2 and 3
C.2 and 4
D.1 and 4

Exam Year(s)

HPPSC HPAS - 2021,

Answer: D

The answer is 1 and 4.

Statement 1 is well established: Mahmud of Ghazni sacked the fort and temple of Nagarkot (Kangra) in 1009 and carried away its famous treasure.

Statement 2 has the wrong year. Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq did lead an expedition against Nagarkot in person, but in 1337, not 1339. Options A, B and C all contain statement 2, so once it is ruled out only 1 and 4 remains.

The key accepts statement 4, that Hari Chand came to the throne of Kangra in 1405, after the invasion of Timur had passed through the hills.

Discuss in Forum

Mark the correct statement:

1. "Mughal rule began and ended at Panipat".
2. Marathas were defeated in the Third Battle of Panipat.
3. French rule began with Panipat.
4. French power ended with Panipat.

A.1 is correct.
B.2 is correct.
C.Both 1 and 2 are correct.
D.None of the above

Exam Year(s)

Kerala PSC KAS - 2020,

Answer: B

Only statement 2 is correct, so the answer is 2 is correct.

The Third Battle of Panipat in 1761, in which Ahmad Shah Abdali defeated the Marathas, is a well-known fact.

Statement 1 is only half true: Mughal rule began at Panipat with Babur's victory in 1526, but it did not end there; it ended in 1857, when the British deposed Bahadur Shah II. Statements 3 and 4 are false because French power in India was decided in the Carnatic Wars, ending with the battle of Wandiwash in 1760, not at Panipat. That rules out every option except the one naming statement 2 alone.

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Mahmud Gawan was the minister of

A.Bahmani Kingdom
B.Vijayanagar
C.Bidar
D.Berar

Exam Year(s)

Kerala PSC KAS - 2020,

Answer: A

Mahmud Gawan was the minister of the Bahmani Kingdom.

Mahmud Gawan, a Persian merchant who rose to be the chief minister (wazir) of the Bahmani sultans in the later fifteenth century, reorganised the administration and army and built the famous madrasa at Bidar. He was executed in 1481 after a court conspiracy, and the kingdom declined soon after.

Bidar was the Bahmani capital, and Berar one of its provinces, later a separate sultanate; neither was a separate kingdom he served. Vijayanagar was the Bahmanis' rival.

Discuss in Forum

10.

One of the Delhi Sultanate ruler was not ready to recognise the authority of Calipha

A.Qutubuddin Mubarak
B.Alauddin Khilji
C.Iltutmish
D.Balban

Exam Year(s)

Kerala PSC KAS - 2020,

Answer: A

The ruler was Qutubuddin Mubarak Shah Khalji.

Mubarak Shah (1316-1320), Alauddin Khalji's son, broke with Delhi custom by declaring himself Caliph (al-Imam and Khalifat-ullah) instead of ruling as a deputy of the Abbasid Caliph, so he refused to recognise any authority above his own.

Iltutmish sought and received a letter of investiture from the Abbasid Caliph in 1229, and Balban too acknowledged the Caliph on his coins. Alauddin Khalji did not seek investiture, but he styled himself only the Caliph's deputy and did not claim the title, so the clear case is Mubarak Shah.

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