VISIONIAS

www.visionias.in
ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS
G.S. PRE. (2025) MINI TEST – 5518

Q 1.A
 Kornish was a form of ceremonial salutation in which the courtier placed the palm of his right hand
against his forehead and bent his head. It suggested that the subject placed his head – the seat of the senses
and the mind – into the hand of humility, presenting it to the royal assembly.
 Chahar taslim is a mode of salutation which begins with placing the back of the right hand on the
ground, and raising it gently till the person stands erect, then he puts the palm of his hand upon the crown
of his head. It is done four (chahar) times. Taslim literally means submission.
 The forms of salutation to the ruler indicated the person‟s status in the hierarchy: deeper prostration

n
represented higher status. The highest form of submission was sijda or complete prostration. Under Shah

io
Jahan these rituals were replaced with chahar taslim and zaminbos (kissing the ground).

Q 2.C
ns
te
 Statement 1 is not correct: Akbar adopted Sher Shah‘s administrative system. However, he did not find
it that much beneficial hence he had started his own administrative system. So in 1580, Akbar instituted a
op

new system called the dahsala, which formed part of his Land revenue administration.
 Statement 2 is not correct: Under this system, the average produce of different crops along with the
rlo

average prices prevailing over the last ten (dah) years was calculated.
 However, the state demand was stated in cash. One-third of the average produce was demand of state.
pe

This was done by converting the state share into money on the basis of a schedule of average prices over
the past ten years.
 Akbar also introduced a new land measurement system (known as the zabti system) covering from
Hy

Lahore to Allahabad, including Malwa and Gujarat.

 Under the zabti system, the shown area was measured by means of the bamboos attached with iron
@

rings.
 The zabti system, originally, is associated with Raja Todar Mal (one of the nobles of Akbar), therefore,
sometimes, it is called as Todar Mal's bandobast. Todar Mal was a brilliant revenue officer of his time.
He first served on Sher Shah‘s court, but later joined Akbar.
 Besides zabti system, a number of other systems of assessment were also introduced by Akbar. The most
common and, perhaps the oldest one was „batai‟ or „ghalla-bakshi'.

Q 3.A
About Sultan Muhammed bin Tughlaq :
 Muhammad was a man of great contrasts. He was an energetic and innovative administrator, a fine
military leader, had a keen sense of justice and morality, and was very generous. He was also learned in a
variety of subjects and literature. His tenure of twenty-six years as Sultan of Dehli is a fascinating but
tragic story of schemes and projects which were correctly conceived, badly executed and disastrously
abandoned. He introduced new economic and administrative measures to lessen the tax burden, to develop
agriculture, improve the administration of justice and other things.
 His three main experiments which failed are as follows for which he is known by some modern historians
as a mad king. (i) Capital Transfer from Dehli to Deogiri (Daulatabad ). (ii) The Khurasan and
Karachil expeditions. (iii) The introduction of token currency.
1 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS
  The experiment in token currency was not new in Asia. Under Qublai Khan (1260-94) of China and
Kaikhatu Khan of Iran (1293) similar attempts at introducing a token currency had been made. The token
currency made of paper introduced by Qublai Khan was known as chan which had lasted throughout his
reign till his death in 1294. Hence statement 2 is not correct.
 Along with it Sultan Muhammed bin Tughlaq also facilitated agricultural loan called sondhar. Hence
statement 1 is correct.
 "Diwan-i-bandagaan" was a department concerned with the slaves, established by Sultan Ferozshah
Tughlaq. Hence statement 3 is not correct.

Q 4.C
 Rajaraja Chola I - During his reign, the Cholas expanded beyond South India with their domains
stretching from Sri Lanka in the south to Kalinga in the north. Raja Raja Chola also launched several
naval campaigns that resulted in the capture of the Malabar Coast as well as the Maldives and Sri Lanka.
Raja Raja built the Brihadeswarar Temple in Thanjavur. During his reign, the texts of the Tamil poets
Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar were collected and edited into one compilation called
Thirumurai. Chudamani Vihara was a Buddhist vihara monastery in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu,
India. Chudamani Vihara was constructed in 1006 CE by the Srivijayan king Sri Vijaya
Soolamanivarman with the patronage of Rajaraja Chola. Hence option (c) is the correct answer.
 Rajadhiraja Chola - He maintained the Chola authority over most of Lanka, Vengi, Kalinga, etc. He
performed the horse sacrifice and earned the title Jayamkonda Cholan (The Victorious Cholan). He was
also known as Vijaya Rajendra Cholan (the victorious Rajendra Chola). He also assumed the title
Jayangonda Chola.

n
 Vijayalaya Chola - A minor chiefly family known as the Muttaraiyar held power in the Kaveri delta. They

io
were subordinate to the Pallava kings of Kanchipuram. Vijayalaya, who belonged to the ancient chiefly
ns
family of the Cholas from Uraiyur, captured the delta from the Muttaraiyar in the middle of the ninth
century. He built the town of Thanjavur and a temple for goddess Nishumbhasudini there.
 Rajendra I: is considered as the greatest Chola ruler. He completed the conquest of Sri Lanka in 1017
te
AD and captured the whole of Sri Lanka and made it a part of Chola empire. He suppressed the rebellions
op

of a captured portion of the Krishna Tungabhadra doab. He maintained friendly relations with Chalukyas
of Vengi. He launched an expedition to Orissa and maintained matrimonial relations with the Ganga
dynasty of Orissa. He then reached Bengal and defeated the Pala ruler of Bengal, Mahipala. Rajendra I
rlo

then assumed the title of Gangaikonda and founded a capital by the name Gangaikondacholapuram. His
expedition to Bengal along the east coast was undertaken to establish Chola domination over the Bay of
pe

Bengal that it was called the Chola Lake. He had a well organized naval fleet with which he launched a
100 years naval war with Sailendra rulers of Sumatra. He sent two embassies to China for promoting trade
and commerce.
Hy

Q 5.C
@

 Statement 1 is not correct: There was a defined system of taxation on industries in the Vijayanagara
Kingdom. Several industries were monopolized, while several others were left open for all. The
industries were levied taxes according to the production and demand for the goods. One of the best
available examples is the tax on oil pressing industries. The oil crushing industry was subjected to a
number of taxes levied by the state. Epigraphs of the period refer to the taxes levied on oil-mill known as
Ganasidhaya. It was also a practice that each oil mill was required to bear an official stamp and for
offering this stamp the government collected a tax.
 Statement 2 is correct: As in ancient Karnataka even during the period of Vijayanagara guilds continued
to play an important role in the commercial life of the people and towns. They were nothing but the
assemblies of merchants of the town. It was a free and voluntary association of individuals. During the
Vijayanagara period, there were guilds of various professions such as goldsmiths guild, weavers guild,
cloth dyers guild, oil millers guild, potters guild, cobblers guild, barbers guild and washermen guild etc. It
appears that there were at least eighteen such guilds in the empire. The craftsmen, as well as the
mercantile groups in medieval South India, were organized in corporations. Economically they were very
sound. They used to give loans on interest to their respective members. These guilds played an important
role in the commercial life of the Capital City. As they had close contact with different people they played
an important role in the administration of the local area. They derived income from different sources such
as contributions from the members, profit from the banking operations, participation in the tax forming
system and income from the corporate property. These different guilds were representative in character
and safeguarded the interests of the local people. Even the officials of the state never interfered with the
2 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS
 rights of these guild assemblies. The prosperity of the guilds encouraged them to make liberal grants to
temples and they also constructed tanks. The Pattanasvami was the head of the mercantile community
of a town. He levied and collected the revenues at the time of fairs. And during the market days, he
collected taxes from different shops and from merchants. The guilds enjoyed certain powers to levy
local taxes and they spent the collected taxes for some good purpose.
 Statement 3 is not correct:: The system of progressive taxation perhaps owes its origin to emperor
Krishnadevraya of Vijayanagar who maintained that taxes should not be levied at flat rates and the
amount of tax levied must depend on on the income of the farmer. The taxation system was quite
progressive. On the goods which were not luxury and equally used by all communities the tax levied was
the same, while for luxury goods, the taxes were greater for rich classes but lower for poor classes.
 Statement 4 is not correct: The Vijayanagara empire for the first time in medieval times developed good
contacts with foreign merchants like Portuguese and Arab. Barbosa in his account has made a good
narration of the foreign trade how it passed from the hands of Muslims to the Portuguese. With the
coming of Portuguese towards the close of the 15th century, this monopoly of the Muslim traders was
broken. Even during the time of Praudhadevaraya till about the commencement of the sixteenth century,
the horse trade was largely in the hands of Muslim traders. Bhatkal, Honnavara, Mangalore and Goa were
the important harbours or ports at that time. The Ormuz ships were coming to Bhatkal with horses and
pearls. Other imports were elephants, copper, coral, mercury, vermilion, china silk, and velvet. Elephants
were imported from Ceylon and silk from China. Taxes were collected from foreign merchants, which
was also a source of income to the state. Articles like cloth, rice, iron, saltpeter, sugar and spices were
exported to Portugal. Some of the important port towns were Ankola, Calicut, Basrur, Barakur and
Mangalore. Foodgrains were exported to Maldives Islands, Ormuz and Aden. Iron ore was purchased by

n
the Portuguese. Sugar was exported to Ormuz. Ships came from Mecca to Bhatkal for spices. Foreign

io
trade was also there with Malacca, Pegu and Sumatra. Thus, foreign trade attracted a large number of
merchants, both Indian and foreign merchants to purchase their required materials from the Vijayanagara
ns
market. Foreign trade greatly enriched the Vijayanagara City.
te
Q 6.A
 Statement 1 is correct: Akbar organized and strengthened his army and encouraged the mansabdari
op

system. ―Mansab‖ is an Arabic word, which means „rank‟ or „position'.

 Under the mansabdari system, every officer was assigned a rank (mansab). The lowest rank was 10, and
rlo

the highest was 5,000 for the nobles; however, towards the end of the reign, it was raised to 7,000. Princes
of the blood received higher mansabs.
 The mansabs (ranks) were categorized as Zat and Sawar.
pe

 The word „zat‘ means personal. It fixed the personal status of a person, and also his salary.
 The ‗sawar‘ rank indicated the number of cavalrymen (sawars) a person was required to maintain.
Hy

 Statement 2 is not correct: The Mughal mansabdars were paid very handsomely; in fact, their salaries
were probably the highest in the world at the time.
@

 A mansabdar, holding the rank of −

- 100 zat, received a monthly salary of Rs. 500/month.
- 1,000 zat received Rs. 4,400/month.
- 5,000 zat received Rs. 30,000/month.
 Mansabdars were also paid by assigning them jagirs.
 Statement 3 is not correct; Out of his personal pay, the mansabdar was expected to maintain a corps
of elephants, camels, mules, and carts, which were necessary for the transport of the army.

Q 7.B
 Tauhid-i-Ilahi
o It was a new Sufi type order initiated by Akbar in 1582.
o Many times it‘s written as Din-i-Ilahi. But the original word is Tauhid and not Din. Din means Faith.
Din was applied to it 80 years later.
o He wished to propagate his ideas among those who cared to listen to them. Akbar wished to build up a
devoted band of people around him, acting as their spiritual guide. Thus tauhid-i-ilahi had nothing to
do with Akbar's religious or political policy. Hence option (c) is not correct.
 Philosophy
o The religious doctrine of Akbar recognized no prophets.
o It favored peace and tolerance.
o It prohibited human vices such as slander, pride, sensuality and lust.
3 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS
 o The celibacy was respected while the slaughter of animals was forbidden in the new religion.
o The sect had no sacred book or scripture, no priestly hierarchy, no sacred place of worship and no
rituals or ceremonies except that of initiation. Hence option (a) is not correct.
 A member had to give a written promise of having accepted the four grades of entire devotion, viz
the sacrifice of property, life, honor, and religion
 Membership
o It was voluntary and only those, who were approved by Akbar were allowed to join the order. Hence
option (b) is correct.
o Neither force nor money was employed to enlist disciples. Hence option (d) is not correct.
o Many leading nobles except Birbal declined to join.
o It was entirely a personal matter, not between the Emperor and the subjects, but between Akbar and
those who chose to regard him as their pir or guru.

Q 8.A
 Niccolao Manucci was an Italian doctor, writer and traveller. He wrote a memoir about the Indian
subcontinent during the Mughal era. His records have been a source of history about Shah
Jahan, Aurangzeb, Shivaji Maharaj, Dara Shikoh, Shah Alam, Raja Jai Singh and Kirat Singh.
 He is famous for his work "Storia do Mogor", an account of Mughal history and life. Manucci had first-
hand knowledge of the Mughal court, and the book is considered to be the most detailed account of the
Mughal court. It is an important account of the time of the later reign of Shah Jahan and of the reign
of Aurangzeb.

n
 He spent almost all his adult life in India and breathed his last in Chennai. He arrived in Surat as a

io
17-year-old in 1656 and never went back.
 Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.
 Duarte Barbosa
ns
o He was a Portuguese trading agent at Cannanore and Cochin in between 1503 and 1517 and had left
te
behind an interesting account on trade and political events of the southeast including Bengal.
 Francois Bernier
op

o François Bernier was a French physician and traveller. He was briefly personal physician to Mughal
prince Dara Shikoh , the eldest son of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, and after Dara Shikoh's
rlo

demise, was attached to the court of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

o He wrote Travels in the Mughal Empire, which is mainly about the reigns of Dara Shikoh and
pe

Aurangzeb. It is based on his own extensive journeys and observations, and on information from
eminent Mughal courtiers who had witnessed the events at first hand.
 Marco Polo
Hy

o Marco Polo was an Italian merchant, explorer, and writer, born in the Republic of Venice. He
travelled to India while returning home to Venice from China. He arrived on the Coromandel Coast of
@

India in a typical merchant ship with over sixty cabins and up to 300 crewmen. He marveled at the
Indian culture and wealth.

Q 9.C
 Ralph Fitch, who has left an eyewitness account of the social life and economic condition of the Mughal
India, was a European traveller and trader. He was one of the first Englishmen to visit India. During the
course of his journey which he undertook in the ship named Tiger he was arrested at Hormuz from where
he was taken to Goa then under the control of the Portuguese. After being released on bail he left Goa
and reached the Mughal court of Akbar at Fatehpur Sikri, the new capital built by the emperor
near Agra.
 Peter Mundy was an English merchant-traveller, visited India during Shah Jahan's reign in about
1630 - 1632.
 Manucci was an Italian doctor who never returned to Europe, and settled down in India. He witnessed
the reign of five Mughal emperors from Shah Jahan to Farrukhsiyar (1658-1717). He served in the
army of Dara Shikoh and Raja Jai Singh.

Q 10.C
 Rajendra Chola I, often referred to as Rajendra the Great, and also known as Gangaikonda Chola,
and Kadaram Kondan was a Chola Emperor who reigned between 1014 and 1044 CE
4 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS
  The Cholas undertook a military expedition to Sri Lanka (during the time of Rajaraja I) and Sri
Vijaya (during the time of Rajendra I). This shows the military strength of the Chola state. It seems that
the cavalrymen (kudiraiccevagar), Anaiyatkal (those who fought on elephants), and archers (villigal,
anukkar) were the names of the categories constituting the military force. Valangai (right hand)
Velaikkarar were the soldiers recruited from among the peasants. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
 Under the Cholas Pallippadai (present Ramanatha Koyil) built by Rajendra Chola I emerged as centre
of the Pasupata sect of Shaivism. During the Vijayanagara-Nayaka period, the Sri Vaishnava monastic
establishments also emerged prominent – the Sankaracharya matha (thirteenth century) and the Vira
Shaiva matha. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
 Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni was a contemporary of Rajendra I. During his campaigns in the
subcontinent, he also attacked the temples of defeated kings and looted their wealth and idols. Sultan
Mahmud was not a very important ruler at that time. But by destroying temples – especially the one at
Somnath – he tried to win credit as a great hero of Islam. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Q 11.B
 Vijayanagara Kingdom was established in 1336 AD by Harihara and Bukka Raya. The kingdom at its
zenith extended from the river Krishna in the north to River Cauvery in the south; the Arabian Sea in the
west to Bay of Bengal in the east. The decline of the empire started was heavily marked with Battle of
Rakshaha-Tangadii, also called as Battle of Tallikota in 1565, fought against the combined armies of
Golconda and Ahmednagar sultanates.
 Some of the reasons stated as the cause of the empire's decline are as follows:

n
o The rule of primogeniture was not established in the empire leading to civil wars among various

io
contenders.
o Traces of the origin of the Palegari system or ‗Palegar‘ can be forced in the Vijayanagara
ns
administrative system. In the Empire itself, there were many areas that were under the control of
subordinate rulers. These chieftains had been once defeated in the wars against the Vijayanagara
te
rulers, but their Kingdoms had been restored to them on condition of paying tributes and acceptance
of homageSystems such as the Palegar system in which the palegars or nayakas were granted amrams
op

(territories)with fixed revenues. This section had grown so powerful that sometimes it was difficult
for the government to control them. Hence statement 2 is correct.
rlo

 In the Vijayanagara kingdom, the king was aided and advised by a council of ministers. Hence statement
1 is correct.
 The Vijaynagara kingdom was divided into Mandalams or Rajyas (Provinces) below which were nadus
pe

(district),sthala( sub-district) and grama (village), while the Mughal empire was divided into "Subas"
Hy

which were further subdivided into "Sarkar","Pargana", and "Gram". Hence statement 3 is not correct.
 The Chola tradition of village self-government was considerably weakened due to the growth of
nayakships which tended to be hereditary.
@

 The provincial governors had a large measure of autonomy and they held their own courts, appointed their
own officers, maintained own armies and even allowed to issue their own coins(though of small
denomination only) and they had the right to impose new taxes and remit the old ones. However, there
was no regular term for these governors.thus, some historians opine Vijayanagara empire was more a
confederacy than a centralized empire.

Q 12.C
 Statement 1 is not correct: Turkish troops did not have superior weapons as compared to
Indians. Turkish bows could shoot arrows to a longer distance, but the Indian bows were supposed to be
more accurate and more deadly, the arrowheads being generally dipped in poison. In hand to hand
combat, the Indian swords were considered to be the best in the world.
 Statement 2 is not correct: The Indians had the advantage of elephants. However, Turks had horses
which were swifter and more sturdy than the horses imported into India.
 Statement 3 is correct: The Turks were more socially and organisationally superior. The growth of
feudalism, that is rise of local landed elements and chiefs weakened the administrative structure and
military organisation of the Indian states. The rulers had to depend more on the various chiefs who rarely
acted in coordination and quickly dispersed to their areas after the battle. On the other hand, the tribal
structure of the Turks and the growth of iqta and khalisa system enabled the Turks to maintain
large standing army which could be kept in the field for a long time.
5 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS
  The Indians were not effective to move as an organised body of horseman which covered long distances
and fight. Rajputs put up prolonged resistance to the incursions of Arab and Turks but they never tried to
be offensive and try to push the Arabs or Turks from the strategic lands like Afghanistan, Punjab that they
had occupied. That is to say, Rajputs lacked a strategic vision.

Q 13.B
 Sher Shah Suri (1486 – 1545)
o He was the founder of the Suri Empire in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its capital
in Sasaram in modern-day Bihar.
o He became a commander in the Mughal army under Babur (1483 – 1530 ) and then the governor of
Bihar.
o In 1537, when Babur's son Humayun was elsewhere on an expedition, Sher Shah overran the state of
Bengal and established the Suri dynasty in 1538.
o Sher Shah faced Humayun at the Battle of Chausa in June 1539. Sher Shah defeated the Mughal
Emperor and assumed the royal title of Farid al-Din Sher Shah. The confrontations between Sher
Shah and Humayun continued as Humayun retried to capture lost territories and the two fought in
Kannuaj in 1540.
o Sher Shah was once again successful in defeating Humayun who was forced to flee India. By 1540,
Sher Shah had managed to drive out all his enemies from Bengal, Bihar, and Punjab. He took control
of the Mughal Empire and founded the Sur Empire in North India, with its capital at Delhi. He then
went on to conquer Malwa in 1542; Raisin, Multan, and Sindh in 1543; and Marwar and Mewar in
1544.

n
o His reorganization of the empire laid the foundations for the later Mughal emperors, notably Akbar,

io
son of Humayun
 The Suri period was too brief to produce any remarkable work of literature, the only exception being the
ns
Hindu Work Padmavat written in 1540 by Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi. It was a story about the
Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khalji's desire for Padmavati, the Queen of Chittor.
te
 Dagh (Mark) & Chehra (Face)
o This system was introduced by Alauddin Khilji (1296–1316) and consisted of two practices:
op

 Dagh was a mark made on each cavalry horse identifying it as a royal or approved horse. This
was the check the malpractice of changing royal / approved horses with those of low quality.
rlo

 Chehra was a system in which a description of the soldier was recorded by a royal clerk. This was
to prevent the system of deploying substitute soldiers
 However, under Mughals, this system fell into disarray because large powers were left into the hands of
pe

ministers who were corrupt.

 To curb this and improving the army administration, he reintroduced the practice of Dagh (Mark) &
Hy

Chehra (Face)
@

Q 14.A
 Statement 1 is correct: In Delhi Sultanate, Sultan was the commander-in-chief of the army. Diwan-I-
Ariz was established by Balban to assist the Sultan in Military administration.
 Statement 2 is correct: Diwan-i-Kohi was the Agriculture department established by Mohammed-
Bin-Tughlaq as a part of Agricultural reforms.The main object of the department was to increase the
land under cultivation, and to distribute loans to the peasants. He established a ―Famine Code‖ to relieve
the victims of Famine.
 Statement 3 is not correct: Diwan-i-Risalat was for dealing with religious affairs and was also in charge
of the grant of stipends to scholars and pious men. However, among historians there is one more view that
he was minister for foreign affairs and was in charge of diplomatic correspondence. There was no specific
department for industrial development.
 Important departments in Delhi Sultanate
o Diwan-i-Waziarat – Prime Minister and Finance Minister
o Diwani-i-Risalat – Religious Affairs Department
o Sadr-us-Suddar – Department of Islamic Law
o Diwan-i-lnsha – Correspondence Department
o Diwan-I-Ariz – Military administration
o Qazi-ul-quzar – Department of law/Justice.
o Diwan-i-Bandgan - affairs of the slaves(by Feroz Shah Tughlaq)
o Diwan-i- Mustakhara- Department of revenue
6 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS
Q 15.D
 Deccan sultanates were systematically recruiting the Habshis as slaves in the 16th century. Habshis
was a term used to refer to members of various ethnic communities from the Abyssinian highlands.
Hence statement 1 is correct.
 They were highly valued for their physical strength and loyalty and were frequently put to military
service.
 The 14th-century Medieval Moroccan scholar and traveler Ibn Battuta in his writings mention that the
Habshis were ―guarantors of safety” for ships traveling in the Indian Ocean. Hence statement 2 is
correct.
 He notes that the slaves had such a reputation that even if one was on board, the ship would be avoided by
pirates.
 In Deccan society, the slaves did not have a permanent status. Upon the death of their masters, they
were usually ―set free” and served as per their free will in service of powerful commanders in the Empire.
 Malik Ambar
 He was an African slave turned warrior who founded the city „Aurangabad‘. Hence statement 3 is
correct.
 Born in 1548 in southern Ethiopia‘s Khambata region, Ambar is believed to have been associated with the
oromo tribe. Ambar was amongst one of a thousand other ‗Habshi‘ (a term used to refer to members of
various ethnic communities from the Abyssinian highlands) purchased by Chengiz Khan when fate
brought him to the Deccan.

Q 16.D

n
 The institution of the Iqta had been in force in the early Islamic world as a form of reward for services to

io
the state. In the caliphate administration, it was used to pay civil and military officers. After the
establishment of the Sultanate in India, iqta system was introduced by the Sultans. To begin with,
ns
the army commanders and nobles were given territories to administer and collect the revenue. The
territories thus assigned were called iqta and their holders as iqtadar or muqti. Hence statement 1 is not
te
correct.
 In essence, this was a system of payment to the officers and maintenance of army by them. From the 14th
op

century, we hear of Walis or muqtis who are commanders of military and administrative tracts called Iqta.
The duty of the muqtis was to lead military campaigns and maintain law and order in their iqtas. In
rlo

exchange for their military services, the muqtis collected the revenues of their assignments as salary. They
also paid their soldiers from these revenues.
 The iqtas were of varying sizes and were given also to the nobles for purposes other than military and
pe

administrative. Iqtas were granted for the maintenance of religious houses, tombs of saints and Sultans,
mosques and also to persons for their livelihood who were devoted to religious or literary pursuits. Hence
Hy

statement 2 is not correct.

 Control over muqtis was most effective if their office was not inheritable and if they were assigned iqtas
@

for a short period of time before being shifted. These harsh conditions of service were rigorously imposed
during the reigns of Alauddin Khalji and Muhammad Tughluq. Accountants were appointed by the state
to check the amount of revenue collected by the muqtis. Care was taken that the muqti collected only the
taxes prescribed by the state and that he kept the required number of soldiers.
 During the reign of Muhmmad-bin-Thughlaq, a number of governors were appointed on revenue sharing
terms where they were to give a fixed sum to the state. During the time of Feroze Shah Tughlaq, the
control of the state over iqta was diluted when iqtas became hereditary.

Q 17.C
 Chaul and Dabhol were the major ports of the Bahmani kingdom in the Maharashtra region. It attracted
trading ships from the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea and poured in luxury goods from all parts of the
world. The earliest mention of Chaul is in the inscriptions at the Buddhist caves of Kanheri near
Mumbai. In the early years of the 14th century CE, Chaul fell to the invading army of Alauddin Khilji,
and after the fall of Deogiri, became a part of the Khilji Sultanate. Hence, pair 2 is not correctly
matched.
 Tamralipti or Tamralipta was a port city in the Bengal region, located on the Bay of Bengal in
Midnapore district of modern-day India in West Bengal. Tamralipta port has been an important port since
ancient times including the Chola period for traveling to Srilanka, Java, Sumatra, and Mayanmar through
different trade routes. Tamralipta port emerged as an important center of trade and commerce. However,
its importance declined with the loss of navigability of the Rupnarayan River. Hence, pair 1 is not
correctly matched.
7 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS
  The town of Masulipatnam or Machlipatnam lay on the delta of the Krishna on Andhra coast. By the
late 15th century, Masulipatnam and its surrounding region became a battleground between the Bahamani
empire, the Vijayanagara empire and the kings of Odisha. A new and golden phase of Machilipatnam‘s
history would begin under Sultan Quli Qutub Shah of Golconda (r. 1512-1543), who captured and then
developed the port. It emerged as the hub of the international diamond trade. Hence, pair 3 is correctly
matched.

Q 18.B
 Al-Biruni from Uzbekistan visited India during the tenth-eleventh century. His book Kitab-ul-Hind,
written in Arabic, is simple and lucid. It is a voluminous text, divided into 80 chapters on subjects such
as religion and philosophy, festivals, astronomy, alchemy, manners and customs, social life, weights and
measures, iconography, laws and metrology.
 Generally (though not always), Al-Biruni adopted a distinctive structure in each chapter, beginning
with a question, following this up with a description based on Sanskritic traditions, and
concluding with a comparison with other cultures. Some present-day scholars have argued that this
almost geometric structure, remarkable for its precision and predictability, owed much to his
mathematical orientation. Hence, option (b) is the correct answer.
 Rihla
o It is an account of travels of Ibn Battuta who visited India during the fourteenth century. It is written
in Arabic, and provides extremely rich and interesting details about the social and cultural life in the
subcontinent in the fourteenth century.
 Al-Tafhim

n
o It is a Persian language work by the renowned Al-Biruni containing questions and answers in a format

io
easily understandable by new learners in sciences. This is the oldest Persian text on Mathematics and
ns
Astrology and was composed simultaneously in Persian and Arabic by Al-Biruni himself.
 Kashful-Mahjub
te
o It was a book written in Persian by Abu‘l Hasan al Hujwiri, who was a sufi saint and settled in
Lahore. The book aims to explain the meaning of Sufism.
op

Q 19.B
 The Amara-nayaka system was a major political innovation of the Vijaynagar empire. The Amarnayakas
rlo

were military commanders who were given territories to govern by the Raya. They collected taxes and
other dues from peasants, crafts persons and traders in the area. They retained part of the revenue for
pe

personal use and for maintaining a stipulated contingent of horses and elephants . Hence statements 1
and 2 are correct.
Hy

 The Amaranayakas sent tribute to the king annually and personally appeared in the royal court with gifts
to express their loyality. Kings occasionally asserted their control over them by transferring them from
one place to another. Hence statement 3 is not correct.
@

Q 20.C
 The initial Turkish conquests in India in the early 13th century displaced many local chiefs. In order to
consolidate, the Turkish rulers made revenue assignments (iqta), in lieu of cash, to their nobles. So,
Iqtas were provinces or spheres of influence that were put under the charge of officers called
'Iqtadars' (governors), also known as Muqtis or Walis. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
o lqta is an Arabic word and the institution had been in force in the early lslamic world as a form of
reward for services to the state. It was used in the Caliphate administration as a way of financing
operations and paying civil and military officers. It was not an ancient indigenous institution.
o The grant of iqta did not imply a right to the land nor was it hereditary. Though the holders of
iqta tended to acquire hereditary rights in Feroz Tughluq's reign. These revenue assignments were
transferable, the iqta-holder being transferred from one region to another every three or four years.
 Iqtas later became provinces or Subas. Initially, Muqtis were almost independent and were expected to
maintain law and order and collect the land revenue in their tracts. However, as Central Government
became stronger it began to control the Muqtis more closely and the salaries of Muqtis were fixed in cash.
The Muqtis were required to remit to the center the balance of the income after meeting the expenditure.
Their accounts were audited with harshness.
 Below the provinces, there were 'Shiqs' and below them, the 'Paragnas' and below them were the villages.
 Shiq was like the districts in the current era.
8 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS
  The villages were grouped into units of 100 or 84 which formed the Parganas. The important officials of
a pargana were the amil, the mushrif also known as amin or munsif the treasurer, the qanungo and
two karkuns (clerks). The pargana was an important administrative unit because it was there that
the government came into direct contact with the peasants. Hence statement 2 is not correct.
 The smallest unit of administration was the village which was administered by local hereditary officers
and the panchayat of the village. The Chaudhri, the Patwari, the Khut, the Muqaddam and the
Chaukidar were the hereditary officers of the village who helped the government in collection of the
revenue and enjoyed certain privileges except during the reign of Ala-ud-din Khalji. The Panchayat
of the village looked after education, sanitation, etc. and acted as a judicial body as well concerning
disputes in the village. Khuts were small landowners in villages. Hence statement 3 is correct.

Q 21.D
 The Cholas possessed a large army consisting of soldiers, cavalry, archers, and elephants. They had a very
powerful and well-organised military force. They were one of the earliest kingdoms to have a navy.
 The navy reached to its heights under the Cholas. They took under them the Malabar and Coromandal
coasts. With the expansion of Navy and overseas conquest, the Chola Navy became the strongest force in
the region. It also monopolized the trade and commerce in Bay of Bengal and parts of Indian ocean. Thus,
the Bay of Bengal for sometime became a 'Chola lake'.
 Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

n
Q 22.A
 The right of ownership of Zamindars regarding the land depended mainly on succession. Hence

io
statement 1 is correct.
ns
 The people who settle a new village or who brought wastelands under cultivation, belong to the respective
villages. These villagers became the owners of these lands.
te
 The considerable section of the zamindars had the hereditary right of collecting land revenue from their
respective villages. This was called his ‗talluqa‘ or his ‗zamindari.‘
op

 For collecting the land revenue, the zamindars received a share of the land revenue which could go up to
25 percent.
rlo

 Zamindars held enormous tracts of land and control over their peasants, from whom they reserved
the right to collect tax on behalf of imperial courts or for military purposes.
pe

 The zamindars, not necessarily “owner” of all the lands over which he collected the land revenue.
Hence statement 2 is not correct.
 The peasants who actually cultivated the land could not be dispossessed as long as they paid the land
Hy

revenue. Thus the zamindars and the peasants, both had their own hereditary rights in land.
@

Q 23.D
 Jehangir was succeeded by his second son Shah Jahan in 1628. The Mughal Empire was at its zenith
during Shah Jahan's rule.
 In 1639, he shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi and called the new capital as Shahjahanabad. It
was a planned city.At the centre of this settlement was Qila-i-Mubarak, the palace-fortress. The city
was encircled with a wall with 14 gates, from where Shahjahanabad gets its sobriquet of Walled
City.
 Monthly scale (Month-ratio or Month-scale system) was introduced in Mansabdari system by
Shahjahan.
 It was a new scaling device under which the salaries of mansabdars were put on a month scale: ten
months, eight months, six months or even less.
 The obligations of the mansabdars for maintaining a quota of sawars were brought down accordingly.
 The month-scale system was applied to both jagirs and those who were paid in cash.
 Francois Bernier was closely associated with the Mughal court, as a physician to Prince Dara Shukoh,
the eldest son of Emperor Shah Jahan, and later as an intellectual and scientist, with Danishmand Khan,
an Armenian noble at the Mughal court. He was witness to the fierce war of succession among the sons of
Shah Jahan.
 Jats and Satnamis raised the banner of rebellion during the reign of Aurangzeb.
9 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS
Q 24.B
 Babur, the first Mughal ruler, arrived in 1526 and made his base at Agra to the southeast (in what is now
the state of Uttar Pradesh). His son Humayun ascended the throne in 1530 and in 1533 founded a new
city, Din Panah, on the bank of the Yamuna River. Shēr Shah, who overthrew Humāyūn in 1540, razed
Din Panah to the ground and built his new capital, the Sher Shahi, now known as Purana Qila fort, in
southeastern Delhi.

Q 25.A
 Ibn Battuta‟s book of travels, called Rihla, written in Arabic, provides extremely rich and interesting
details about the social and cultural life in the subcontinent in the fourteenth century.
 Statement 1 is not correct: Ibn Battuta visited Vijayanagara kingdom in 14th century whereas
Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagara Empire reigned from 1509–1529.
 Statement 2 is correct: Ibn Battuta was amazed by the efficiency of the postal system which allowed
merchants to not only send information and remit credit across long distances but also to dispatch goods
required at short notice. This is how Ibn Battuta describes the postal system: In India the postal system is
of two kinds. The horse-post, called uluq, is run by royal horses stationed at a distance of every four
miles. The foot-post has three stations per mile; it is called dawa, that is one-third of a mile.
 Statement 3 is not correct: Ibn Battuta found cities in the subcontinent full of exciting opportunities
for those who had the necessary drive, resources and skills. They were densely populated and
prosperous, except for the occasional disruptions caused by wars and invasions.

Q 26.A

n
 Statement 1 is correct; After the break-up of the Bahmani kingdom, three powerful

io
states, Ahmadnagar, Bijapur, and Golconda emerged as the independent states. In 1565, all these three
states united to crush Vijayanagara Empire at the battle of Bannihatti, near Tallikota (also known as
battle of Talikota/Rakshasa Tangadi).
ns
 At the time of Battle of Talikota, Sadasiva Raya was the ruler of Vijaynagar kingdom. But he was a
te
puppet ruler. The real power was exercised by his minister Rama Raya. He tried to crush the power of
Deccan sultanates by creating difference amongst them.
op

 However, the Deccan sultanates got a hint of his plan and formed an alliance against Vijayanagar
kingdom. Soon, they attacked the kingdom and looted and destroyed everything after entering the capital.
rlo

 Statement 2 is not correct: The glory of last Hindu empire i.e., Vijayanagar Kingdom came to an end
and this gave impetus to Mughals to extend their rule in Deccan and not the Bahmani Kingdom.
 The Kingdom of Mysore, Nayakas of Vellore, Nayakas of Keladi in Shimoga declared their
pe

independence from Vijayanagar.

 The Muslim Sultanates of Deccan could not gain much out of this victory because they soon engaged
Hy

themselves in fighting among themselves and fell easy prey to the Mughals.
@

Q 27.C
 The provinces under the Delhi Sultanate were called iqtas. They were initially under the control of the
nobles. But the governors of the provinces were called the muqtis or walis. They were to maintain law and
order and collect the land revenue. The provinces were further divided into shiqs, which was under the
control of the shiqdar, and the next division was pargana, comprising a number of villages and was
headed by the amil. The village remained the basic unit of the administration. The village headman was
known as muqaddam or chaudhri.
 Thus, the arrangement of administrative units during the time of Delhi Sultanate from the smallest
to the largest unit of administration is pargana-shiqs-iqtas. Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.

Q 28.B
 The Vijayanagara Empire was based in the Deccan Plateau region in South India. The empire is named
after its capital city of Vijayanagara, whose ruins surround the present-day Hampi, now a World Heritage
Site in Karnataka, India. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I.
 In its heyday, it stretched from river Krishna in the north to the extreme south of the Deccan
peninsula. The Vijayanagara kings claimed to rule on behalf of the god Virupaksha. All royal orders
were signed ―Shri Virupaksha‖, usually in the Kannada script. Hence statement 1 is correct.
 A distinct feature of the Vijayanagara state was the importance of the Brahmans as political and
secular personnel rather than ritual leaders. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
o Most of the durga dannaiks (in-charge of forts) were Brahmans.
10 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS
 o During this period, the majority of educated Brahmans desired to become government servants as
administrators and accountants which offered them good career prospects. The Imperial Secretariat
was totally manned by the Brahmans. These Brahmans were different from the other Brahmans: they
belonged to a subcaste called the Telugu niyogis. They were not very orthodox in performing
religious rites.
o They also worked as potential legitimizers. The Brahman Vidyaranya and his kinsmen were the
ministers of the Sangarna brothers : they provided legitimacy to their rule by accepting them back into
the Hindu fold.
o The Brahmans also played an important role as military commanders in the Vijaynagar army. For
example, under Krishnadeva Raya , a Brahman named Timma received economic support as he was
an integral part of the political system.
 The rule of primogeniture (the right of succession belonging to the first-born child) was not well
established during the Vijayanagara empire. This led to serious confusion after the death of Deva Raya
II and consequently led to a series of civil wars among the contenders. Hence statement 3 is not correct.

Q 29.D
 After the death of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq in 1351, Firoz Tughlaq had the unique distinction of being
chosen as sultan by the nobles. He appointed Khan-i-Jahan Maqbal, a Telugu Brahmin convert as Wazir
(prime minister). The wazir helped the Sultan in his administration and maintained the prestige of the
Sultanate during this period.

n
 After his accession, Firoz had to face the problem of preventing the disintegration of the Delhi Sultanate.

io
He tried to safeguard his authority over north India instead of reasserting his authority over the Deccan
and south India. He led two expeditions to Bengal but they were not successful. Bengal became free
ns
from the control of the Delhi Sultanate. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
 The reign of Firoz Tughlaq was more notable for his administration. He strictly followed the advice of
te
the ulemas (theologians) in running the administration. As he was guided by the ulemas, he was
op

intolerant towards Shia Muslims and Sufis. He treated Hindus as second-grade citizens and imposed
Jiziya. In this respect, he was the precursor of Sikandar Lodi and Aurangazeb. Hence, statement 2 is not
correct.
rlo

 He increased the number of slaves by capturing the defeated soldiers and young persons. In his
regime, the number of slaves increased to one lakh eighty thousand. When Firoz died in 1388 the struggle
pe

for power between the Sultan and the nobles started once again. His successors had to face the rebellion of
the slaves created by Firoz Tughlaq. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
Hy

Q 30.C
@

 Some major political developments of medieval India are:

o c .1200-1300: Establishment of the Delhi Sultanate (1206)
o c .1300-1400: Establishment of the Vijayanagara Empire;
o Establishment of the Bahmani kingdom (1347); Sultanates in Jaunpur, Kashmir and Madura
o c .1400-1500: Establishment of the Gajapati kingdom of Orissa (1435); Establishment of the
Sultanates of Gujarat and Malwa; Emergence of the Sultanates of Ahmadnagar, Bijapur and Berar
(1490)
o c .1500-1600: Conquest of Goa by the Portuguese (1510); Collapse of the Bahmani
kingdom, Emergence of the Sultanate of Golconda (1518); Establishment of the Mughal empire
by Babur (1526)
 The Bahmani kingdom was a Muslim state (1347–1518) in the Deccan in India. The sultanate was
founded in 1347 by Alā al-Dīn Bahman Shah, who was supported by other military leaders in rebellion
against the sultan of Delhi, Muḥammad bin Tughluq. The Bahmani capital was Aḥsanabad (now
Gulbarga) between 1347 and 1425 and Muḥammadabad (now Bidar) thereafter. Bahmani attained the
peak of its power during the vizierate (1466–81) of Maḥmud Gawan.
 The first part of India to fall to European colonial rule was Goa in 1510. Its conquest was the work of
Portuguese viceroy Afonso de Albuquerque, who recognized that the port-city would make a perfect
permanent base for Portugal‘s navy and commerce in the Indian Ocean. Goa was destined to remain under
colonial rule until 1961; it was the last—as well as the first—European possession in India.
11 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS
  Quṭb Shahi dynasty, (1518–1687), were Muslim rulers of the kingdom of Golconda in the southeastern
Deccan of India, one of the five successor states of the Bahmanī kingdom. The founder was Quli Quṭb
Shah, a Turkish governor of the Bahmani eastern region, which largely coincided with the preceding
Hindu state of Warangal. Quṭb Shah declared his independence in 1518 and moved his capital to
Golconda. Toward the end of the century, Muḥammad Quli Quṭb Shah built a new capital at Hyderabad, a
few miles away. Golconda took part in the overthrow of Vijayanagar (1565) and thereafter was mainly
concerned with expansion along the coastal Carnatic (Karnakata). In 1687 the Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb annexed the kingdom.
 The first Battle of Panipat was a decisive battle in history as it laid the foundation of Mughal Empire for
coming centuries. This battle was fought between Babur and Ibrahim Lodhi on April 21,1526 on the
plains of Panipat. Babur defeated Lodhi, who was killed in the battle.

Q 31.A
 The Vijayanagara Empire was based in the Deccan Plateau region in South India. The empire is named
after its capital city of Vijayanagara, whose ruins surround present day Hampi, now a World Heritage Site
in Karnataka, India. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of Sangama
Dynasty.
 The first dynasty, the Sangama, lasted until about 1485, when at a time of pressure from the Bahmanī
sultan and the raja of Orissa, Narasimha of the Saluva dynasty usurped power.
 By 1503 the Saluva dynasty had been supplanted by the Tuluva dynasty. The outstanding Tuluva
king was Krishna Deva Raya. During his reign (1509–29) the land between the Tungabhadra and Krishna

n
rivers (the Raichur doab) was acquired (1512), the Orissa Hindus were subdued by the capture of
Udayagiri (1514) and other towns, and severe defeats were inflicted on the Bijapur sultan (1520).

io
 Krishna Deva‘s successors, however, allowed their enemies to unite against them. In 1565 Rama Raya,
ns
the chief minister of Vijayanagar, led the empire into the fatal battle at Talikota, in which its army was
routed by the combined forces of the Muslim states of Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, and Golconda and the city of
te
Vijayanagar was destroyed.
 Tirumala, brother of Rama Raya, then seized control of the empire and founded the Aravidu
op

dynasty, which established a new capital at Penukonda and kept the empire intact for a time.
 Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.
rlo

Q 32.C
 Jaunpur
pe

o It was established by Firoz Shah Tughlaq (Tughlaq dynasty) in memory of his cousin Jauna and
continued as an independent principality till Sikander Lodi annexed it to the Delhi sultanate. Hence,
Hy

pair 1 is not correctly matched.

 Agra
o Agra was founded by Sikandar Lodhi (Lodhi dynasty) in the 16th century. Babar (founder of the
@

Mughal dynasty) also stayed for sometime in Agra and introduced the concept of square Persian-
styled gardens here. Emperor Akbar built the Agra fort and Fatehpur Sikri near Agra. Fatehpur Sikri
remained his capital for around fifteen years after which the city was left isolated in mysterious
circumstances. Jahangir beautified Agra with palaces and gardens despite spending most of his time in
Kashmir with which he was passionately attached. Hence, pair 2 is correctly matched.
 Hisar
o The city of Hisar was founded by Firoz Shah Tughlaq (Tughlaq dynasty) in 1354 A.D. It is an
Arabic word which means ‗Fort‘. The city, which is referred today as ‗Hisar‘, was originally called
‗Hisar Firoza' or in other words the ‗Fort of Firoz‘. However, with time the very word ‗Firoza‘ was
dropped from its original name. Hence, pair 3 is correctly matched.

Q 33.B
 The Sur empire may be considered in many ways as a continuation and culmination of the Delhi
Sultanate. Sher Shah re-established law and order across the length and breadth of his empire. He dealt
sternly with robbers and dacoits, and with zamindars who refused to pay land revenue or disobeyed the
orders of the government.
 Sher Shah paid great attention to the fostering of trade and commerce and the improvement of
communications in his kingdom. Sher Shah restored the old imperial road called the Grand Trunk Road,
from the river Indus in the west to Sonargaon in Bengal.
12 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS
  Sher Shah also introduced other reforms to promote the growth of trade and commerce. In his entire
empire, customs duty for goods was paid only at two places: goods produced in Bengal or imported from
outside paid customs duty at the border of Bengal and Bihar at Sikrigali, and goods coming from West
and Central Asia paid customs duty at the Indus. No one was allowed to levy customs at roads, ferries or
towns anywhere else. The duty was paid a second time at the time of sale of goods. Hence, statement 3 is
not correct.
 Sher Shah directed his governors and tax collectors to treat merchants and travelers well in every way, and
not to harm them at all. If a merchant died, they were not to seize his goods as if they were unowned. Sher
Shah enjoined upon them the dictum of Shaikh Nizami: ‗If a merchant should die in your country it is
perfidy to lay hands on his property.‘ Sher Shah made the local village headmen (muqaddams) and
zamindars responsible for any loss that a merchant suffered on the roads. If the goods were stolen, the
muqaddams and the zamindars had to produce them, or point out the haunts of the thieves or highway
robbers, failing which they had to undergo the punishment meant for thieves and robbers. Hence,
statement 2 is correct.
 Sher Shah apparently continued the central machinery of administration which had been developed during
the Sultanat period. However, we do not have much information about it. Sher Shah did not favour
leaving too much authority in the hands of ministers. Sher Shah‘s excessive centralisation of authority in
his hands was a source of weakness, and its harmful effects became apparent when a masterful sovereign
like him ceased to sit on the throne. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

Q 34.B
 Amil or munsif, a term which was used for a person who looked after collection of land revenue.

n
 Muqaddams were local village headmen.

io
 A number of villages known as Parganas were under the charge of Shiqdar who looked after the law
and order and general administration of the village. ns
 Barids were Intelligence Officers and Intelligence department was called as "Diwan-i-Barid".
te
 All these terms were common during medieval India, especially during the Mughal era.
op

Q 35.C
 By the year 1526, the Bahmani kingdom had disintegrated into five independent sultanates. They were
rlo

Ahmadnagar, Bijapur, Berar, Golkonda and Bidar and were known as Deccan Sultanates by the region
within which they emerged.
 From 1490 to 1633, the Nizam Shahi dynasty ruled the kingdom of Ahmadnagar in India's Deccan.The
pe

founder was Malik Aḥmad, who in 1490 fixed his capital on a new site called Ahmadnagar after himself.
o The kingdom lay in the northwestern Deccan, between the states of Gujarat and Bijapur. It secured the
Hy

great fortress of Daulatabad in 1499 and added Berar in 1574. Hence pair 1 is correctly matched.
 The Adil Shahi dynasty (1489–1686) was the ruling family of the kingdom of Bijapur, one of the two
@

principal successor states to the Muslim sultanate of Bahmani in the Deccan. It was named after its
founder, Yusuf Adil Shah, one of the provincial governors under the Bahmani kingdom and a protege of
Mahmud Gavan.
o The dynasty strongly resisted the Mughal advance southward in the 17th century until it was
extinguished by the Indian emperor Aurangzeb with the capture of Bijapur in 1686. Hence pair 2 is
correctly matched.
 The Qutb Shahi dynasty (1518–1687), rulers of the kingdom of Golconda in the southeastern Deccan of
India, was one of the five successor states of the Bahmani kingdom. The founder was Quli Qutb Shah, a
Turkish governor of the Bahmani eastern region, which largely coincided with the preceding Hindu state
of Warangal.
o Qutb Shah declared his independence in 1518 and moved his capital to Golconda. Toward the end of
the century, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah built a new capital at Hyderabad, a few miles away. Hence
pair 3 is correctly matched.
 The Imad Shahi Sultanate of Berar (1490-1572), in Maharashtra, was one of the five Deccan Sultanates.
The Imad Shahi dynasty was established by Fathullah Imad Shah (1490–1504), with its capital at
Ellichpur.
 The Farooqi dynasty was the ruling dynasty of the Khandesh Sultanate from its inception in 1382 until
its annexation by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1601. The founder of the dynasty, Malik Ahmad (also
known as Malik Raja), participated in a rebellion against the Bahmani ruler Muhmmad Shah I in his early
years. Hence pair 4 is not correctly matched.
13 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS
Q 36.A
 Statement 1 is correct: Kabul and Qandhar had always acted as staging places for an invasion in India,
Babur‘s advent made Kabul and Qandahar the integral parts of an empire comprising north India.
 Babur and his successors strengthen India's security from an external invasion, which were persistent
from the last 200 years.
 Geographically Kabul and Qandhar positioned in the trade route; therefore, the control of these two
regions strengthened India's foreign trade.
 Statement 2 is correct: Babur introduced a new concept of the state.
o The strength and prestige of the Crown.
o The absence of religious and sectarian bigotry.
o The careful fostering of culture and the fine arts with the amalgamation of Persian and Indian
themes.
o Char bagh style of architecture came into existence.
 Statement 3 is not correct: Gunpowder was known in India before Babur. Gunpowder is the first
discovery of explosive material. It is said to arrive in India in mid of 14th century. It was used in the
second half of the 14th-century war by Bahmani kingdom as well as Delhi Sultanate. Babur used it in
Battle of Panipat in 1526.

Q 37.A
 François Bernier, a Frenchman, was a doctor, political philosopher and historian. Like many others,
he came to the Mughal Empire in search of opportunities. He was in India for twelve years, from 1656 to

n
1668, and was closely associated with the Mughal court, as a physician to Prince Dara Shukoh, the

io
eldest son of Emperor Shah Jahan, and later as an intellectual and scientist, with Danishmand Khan, an
Armenian noble at the Mughal court. ns
 Ibn Battuta who came from Morocco, in northwestern Africa (fourteenth century). His book of travels,
te
called Rihla, written in Arabic, provides extremely rich and interestingdetails about the social and cultural
life in the subcontinent in the fourteenth century. He was a part of Mohammad Bin Tughlaq‘s court. Ibn
op

Battutah calls Delhi the largest city in the eastern part of the Islamic world. He says that Daulatabad
equaled Delhi in size, an index of the growth of trade between north and south.
 Marco Polo (1254-1324 AD) - Visited the Kakatiya state under Rudrmadevi. His accounts refers to the
rlo

polygamy of the kings, the prevalence of Sati, merchants of Gujarat, economic conditions in South India
etc.
pe

 Abdur Razzaq (1442-1445 AD). He was an ambassador of Shahrukh of Timrud Dynasty. He came during
the rule of Devaraya II of Vijaynagar empire. He is well-known for his description of Vijayanagar empire.
Hy

Q 38.A
@

 The greatest Chola rulers were Rajaraja (985–1014) and his son Rajendra I (1014–1044).
 Rajaraja destroyed the Chera navy at Trivandrum and attacked Quilon. He then conquered Madurai
and captured the Pandyan king. He also invaded Sri Lanka and annexed its northern part to his
empire. Hence statement 2 is not correct.
o These moves were partly motivated by his desire to bring the trade with the Southeast Asian countries
under his control. The Coromandel coast and Malabar were the centres for India‘s trade with the
countries of Southeast Asia. One of his naval exploits was the conquest of the Maldives. Rajaraja
annexed the northwestern parts of the Ganga kingdom in Karnataka and overran Vengi.
 Rajendra had been appointed heir apparent in his father‘s life-time, and had considerable experience in
administration and warfare before his accession to the throne. He carried forward the annexationist policy
of Rajaraja by completely overrunning the Pandya and Chera countries and including them in his empire.
 The conquest of Sri Lanka was also completed, with the crown and royal insignia of the king and the
queen of Sri Lanka being captured in a battle. Sri Lanka was not able to free herself from Chola control
for another 50 years. Rajaraja and Rajendra I marked their victories by erecting a number of Siva
and Vishnu temples at various places.
o The most famous of these was the Brihadishwara temple at Tanjore which was completed in
1010. The Chola rulers adopted the practice of having inscriptions written on the walls of these
temples, giving a historical narrative of their victories. That is why we know a great deal more
about the Cholas that their predecessors. Hence statement 3 is correct.
14 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS
  One of the most remarkable exploits in the reign of Rajendra I was the march across Kalinga to
Bengal in which the Chola armies crossed the river Ganga, and defeated two local kings. This
expedition, which was led by a Chola general, took place in 1022 and followed in reverse the same route
which the great conqueror Samudragupta had followed.
o To commemorate this occasion, Rajendra I assumed the title of Gangaikondachola („the Chola
who conquered the Ganga‟). He built a new capital near the mouth of the Kaveri river and
called it Gangaikondacholapuram (‗the city of the Chola who conquered the Ganga‘). Hence
statement 1 is not correct.

Q 39.D
 After consolidating their hold over North India by the end of the thirteenth century, the Delhi Sultans
turned their attention towards the South from the first half of the 14th century. The main features of the
expansionist policy of the Delhi Sultans and its impacton the Deccan polity can be divided into two
phases -:Sultanate in two phases:
o During Alauddin Khalji's reign, and
o After Alauddin's death to the end of Muhammad Tughluq's reign.
 First Phase - Alauddin Khalji's Invasion of South
o After the accession of Alauddin Khalji, a definite policy to subjugate South was planned. From 1306
to 1312, in a series of campaigns, all fhe four kingdoms of south were subjugated:
 Devagiri
 Alauddin deputed his trusted commander Malik Kafur to invade South in 1306-07 since the
Yadava king had ceased to pay tribute. Malik Kafur defeated Raja Ram Chandra.

n
 After collecting a large booty, he returned to Delhi with the Raja as captive. The Raja was

io
later reinstated as king on the promise of paying regular tribute to the Sultan.
 Warangal
ns
 In 1309, Malik Kafur invaded the Kakatiya kingdom. The purpose of the campaign was just
to subjugate the king. The ruler sent his treasures to Delhi and promised a regular tribute.
te
 Dwarsamudra
 The next target of attack was Dwarsamudra, the Hoysala kingdom. The ruler Ballala Deva
op

submitted without much resistance and arrangement was made on the lines of the two other
southern kingdoms.
rlo

 Madura
 A conflict between two brothers - Vir Pandya and Sundar Pandya - who were claimants to the
Pandya kingdom provided an opportunity to Malik Kafur to invade it. Vir Pandya after
pe

capturing the throne had expelled Sundar Pandya. The latter sought the help of Alauddin
Khalji. After devastating the Hoysala kingdom, Malik Kafur marched to Madura and inflicted
Hy

a defeat on Vir Pandya and collected heavy booty.

o The characteristic features of Alauddin's Deccan policy include-:
@

 Almost the whole of south was conquered without much resistance.

 Alauddin was not in favour of annexing the Southern kingdoms because it was difficult to
administer it from distant Delhi. Consequently, after their defeat, the Southern Kingdoms were
not annexed but asked to accept the suzerainty of the Delhi Sultan and to pay regular
tribute. The ruling dynasties were not replaced. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
 The won over southern territories by Alauddin were not annexed, there was no need
for stationing any permanent army. In addition, these territories had to accept the suzerainty of
the Delhi Sultan and pay regular tribute. Thus, the Delhi Sultanate gained immensely from the
southern campaigns. Hence statement 2 is not correct.

Q 40.D
 Jizya or jizyah is a per capita yearly tax historically levied on non-Muslim subjects, called the dhimma,
permanently residing in Muslim lands governed by Islamic law. The Quran and hadiths mention jizya
without specifying its rate or amount.
 The tax was first introduced in India under the rule of Qutb-ud-din Aibak.
 Aurangzeb again introduced the jizyah (or the poll tax) (it was abolished by Akbar). According to
the sharia, in a Muslim state, the payment of jizyah was obligatory, for the non-Muslims. Later, the tax
was again abolished by Jahandar Shah.
 Aurangzeb, in fact, did not try to change the nature of the state, but reasserted its fundamentally Islamic
character. Aurangzeb's religious beliefs cannot be considered as the basis of his political policies.
15 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS
  The incidence of jiziya was very minimal; also, women, children, the disabled and the indigent, that is
those whose income was less than subsistence were exempted, as were those in government
services. Hence option (d) is not correct.

Q 41.A
 The personality that is being described in the passage is King Mahendravarman I. He was a Pallava
king who ruled from 600 A.D to 630 A.D.
 He was a great builder of cave temples. The Mandagappattu inscription hails him as Vichitrachitta who
constructed a temple for Brahma, Vishnu and Siva without the use of bricks, timber, metal and mortar.
 He built rock-cut temples in a number of places like Vallam, Mahendravadi, Dalavanur, Pallavaram,
Mandagappattu and Tiruchirappalli.
 Mahendravarman I was also a great scholar in the Sanskrit language. He wrote the satirical drama
Mattavilasa Prahasanam in Sanskrit.
 His title Chitrakarapuli reveals his talents in painting.
 He was an expert in playing Veena known as Parivathini. The music inscription at Kudumianmalai is
ascribed to him.
 Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

Q 42.C
In Akbar administration, the military department was headed by Mir Bakshi which looked after all matters
pertaining to the military administration. He was also considered as the head of nobility. Hence, option (a) is

n
correct. He performed the following functions:
 He made a recommendation for appointment to mansab or for promotion etc. to the Emperor. Once the

io
emperor had accepted a recommendation it was sent to the Diwan for confirmation and assigning the jagir
to the appointee. Hence, option (b) is correct. ns
 He kept strict watch over proper maintenance of sanctioned size of armed contingents and was equipped
te
by the mansabdars.
 Mir Bakshi also headed the intelligence and information agencies of the empire. Intelligence officers
op

(braids) and a news reporter (waqia-navis) were posted to all parts of the empire. Their reports were
presented to the emperor at the court through him. Hence, option (d) is correct.
 However, Chief Sadr's primary duty was to protect the laws of the Shariat. The office of Sadr used to
rlo

distribute allowances and stipend to the eligible persons and religious institutions. It was also responsible
for all charitable and religious endowments. Hence, option (c) is not correct.
pe

Q 43.A
 Pair 1 is not correctly matched: When the land left uncultivated for one year, it was
Hy

called „parati‟ (fallow). Cess on Parati land was at the full (polaj) rate when it was cultivated.
 Pair 2 is not correctly matched: The land which had been fallow for two to three years was called
@

‗chachar‘, and if longer than that, it was known as ‗banjar‘.

 Pair 3 is correctly matched: The land which remained under cultivation almost every year was
called ‗polaj‟.
 The land was also classified as good, middling, and bad. Though one-third of the average produce was
the state demand, it varied according to the productivity of the land, the method of assessment, etc.
 Akbar was deeply interested in the development and extension of cultivation; therefore, he
offered taccavi (loans) to the peasants for seeds, equipment, animals, etc. Akbar made policy to recover
the loans in easy installments.

Q 44.D
 Krishnadeva Raya‘s rule was characterised by expansion and consolidation. This was the time when the
land between the Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers (the Raichur doab) was acquired (1512), the rulers of
Orissa were subdued (1514) and severe defeats were inflicted on the Sultan of Bijapur (1520).
 Although the kingdom remained in a constant state of military preparedness, it flourished under
conditions of unparalleled peace and prosperity. Krishnadeva Raya is credited with building some fine
temples and adding impressive gopurams to many important south Indian temples.
 He also founded a suburban township near Vijayanagara called Nagalapuram after his mother,
Nagala Devi. This town is home to Vedanarayana Temple, where the presiding deity Vishnu is in the
form of Matsya, the first incarnation of Dasavatara. Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

16 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

Q 45.B
 Karkhana a manufacturing centre under state supervision during the Sultanate and Mughal periods and
now a common term for a place of manufacture or assembling. In view of the rural setting and subsistence
economy of India, the Muslim rulers, who came from a different background of production and
marketing, felt the need for maintaining state-sponsored and state-controlled karkhanas to supply the
royal household and departments of government with provisions, stores and equipment. Muhammad
bin Tughlaq is said to have established many such karkhanas. His successor Sultan Firuz Shah Tughlaq
turned these karkhanas into centres of vocational training as well. Many of the war captives, who were
turned slaves, were distributed among these karkhanas to be trained in manufacturing, arts and
crafts. Hence, statement 1 is not correct
 The Mughal emperors took special interest in the Karkhanas and saw to it that state maintained Karkhanas
were set up not only in the capital but also in the provincial headquarters as well as in other important
industrial towns. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
 At the time of Akbar karkhanas formed a regular department under Mir Saman (Khan-i-Saman). During
his time, greater attention was given to the training of apprentices in these karkhanas. These young
apprentices were placed under an Ustad (master craftsman) to learn the art and become experts themselves
in course of time. Hence, statement 3 is correct

Q 46.D
All three terms are related to land revenue system during the Mughal empire.
 In 1580, Akbar instituted a new land revenue system called dahsala. Under this system, the average
produce of different crops as well as average prices prevailing over the last ten (dah) years were

n
calculated. One-third of the average share was state's share.

io
 Akbar also followed the old batai or ghalla-bakshi system. In this system, the produce was divided
between peasants and the state in a fixed proportion. The crop was divided after it has been thrashed, or
ns
when it has been cut and tied in stacks, or while it was standing in the field.
 A third system used under Akbar's reign was nasaq. It meant a rough calculation of the amount payable
te
by the peasant on the basis of what he has been paying in the past.
 Dagh system, by Allauddin Khilji, was used for branding of horse with imperial marks.
op

Q 47.C
rlo

 Social System during the Sultanate period

o The period of Delhi Sultanate witnessed little change in the structure of the Hindu society during this
pe

period. Traditional caste system with the Brahmins on the upper strata of the society was prevalent.
The subservient position of women also continued and the practice of Sati was widely prevalent. Ibn
Batuta had mentioned with horror the scene of a woman burning herself in the funeral pyre of her
Hy

husband with great beating of drums. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

o During the Delhi Sultanate period, the Muslim society remained divided into several ethnic and racial
@

groups. The Turks, Iranians, Afghans and Indian Muslims developed as exclusive groups and there
were no intermarriages between them. Hence statement 2 is not correct.
o Even though slavery had existed in India since ancient times, it flourished during the Sultanate period.
There were slave markets for men and women were hired for varied jobs ranging from household
chores to skilled professions. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Q 48.C
 The real consolidator of Turkish rule in India was lltutmish (died in 1236). He belonged to the Ilbari tribe
and hence his dynasty was referred to as the Ilbari dynasty. After becoming Sultan, he shifted his capital
from Lahore to Delhi. To his credit, he was the first Sultan of India who was recognized by the Khalifa.
 He was successful in keeping the throne of Delhi safe from the danger of Mongol invasion. He broke up
the Rajput powers in the north and established his supremacy over them.
 He made his rule hereditary, issued coins in his name and made Delhi a beautiful capital.
 Following were his major achievements:
o He prevented the Mongol attack suing diplomatic skills (by not providing refuge to the enemies
of the Mongol) and saved India from the wrath of Chengiz Khan. Thus, he followed a policy of
aloofness towards Mongols. Hence option (c) is not correct.
o He introduced the Iqtadari system in India. He divided his empire into Iqtas (assignment of land in
lieu of salary). Every Iqtadars had to maintain law and order and collect revenue. After deducting own

17 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

 salary and expenses, they had to send the surplus to the central government. As a matter of fact,
the Iqtadars were transferable. Hence option (b) is correct.
o He organized an elite corp of Turkish slaves referred to as turkan-i-chihalgan who enjoyed the
position of power and authority during this period. They advised and helped the Sultan in
administering the Sultanate. After the death of Iltumish, this group assumed great power in its
hands. Hence, option (d) is correct.
o He issued purely Arabic coinage of silver tanka (first to do so) and copper Jital in India. Hence,
option (a) is correct.

Q 49.B
 Quilon or Kollam is situated in modern-day Kerela. It was attacked and destroyed by Chola king
Rajaraja.
 Vishakhapatnam‟s (Vizag) history can be traced back to the 6th century BC. It was historically a part of
the Kalinga region and then eventually ruled by the Vengi kingdom, Pallava and Ganga dynasty. It is the
largest city of Andhra Pradesh both in terms of area and population. It went from being called Waltair
during British rule to Vizagpatnam after independence and later became Vishakhapatnam in 1987.
 Pragjyotishpur is the name for modern-day Assam. It was ruled by Pala king in medieval times.

Q 50.B
About the Vijayanagar Kingdom :
 We find references to three major categories of land tenure: " amara ", "bhandaravada" and
"Manya" during the Vijaynagar empire.. These indicate the way in which the village income was

n
distributed.

io
o The bhandarvada was a crown village comprising the smallest category. A part of its income was
utilised to maintain the Vijaynagar forts.
ns
o Income from the manya (tax-free) villages was used to maintain the Brahmans, temples, and maths.
o The largest category was of the amara villages given by the Vijaynagar rulers to the amaranayakas.
te
Their holders did not possess proprietary rights in land but enjoyed privileges over its income only.
op
rlo
pe
Hy
@

Copyright © by Vision IAS

All rights are reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without prior permission of Vision IAS.

18 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS