Hi Everyone!! This article will share The Delhi Sultanate Questions & Answers.
In my previous posts, I have shared the Questions & Answers of The Revelation of Medieval India and The Era of Regional Kingdoms so, you can check these posts as well. You can also check The Delhi Sultanate Objective Type Questions & Answers.
The Delhi Sultanate Questions & Answers
Question 1: Name the two mosques constructed by Qutbuddin Aibak.
Answer: Qutbuddin Aibak constructed two mosques, one at Delhi known as Quwwat-ul-Islam, and the other at Ajmer known as Adhai-din-ka-Jhonpra.
Question 2: Name the two officers who controlled the markets of Delhi.
Answer: The two officers who controlled the markets of Delhi were Diwan-i-Riyasat and Shahana-i-Mandi.
Question 3: What does Doab mean?
Answer: Doab is a rich fertile land between two rivers and there is one such between the Ganga and the Yamuna.
Question 4: Name the three important rulers of Lodi Dynasty.
Answer: The three important rulers of Lodi Dynasty are Bahlul Lodi, Sikandar Lodi and Ibrahim Lodi.
Question 5: Describe ‘the Forty’ or the chahalgani.
Answer: ‘The Forty’ or the chahalgani was a group established by Iltutmish, which included Turkish nobles. They advised and helped the Sultan in administration. After the death of Iltutmish, the group assumed great power in its hands and wanted to install a puppet on the throne that they could control. Balban, one of ‘the forty’, assumed power and eliminated ‘the forty’.
Question 6: Discuss Timur’s attack on India.
Or
How did the power of the Delhi Sultanate shatter by the invasion of Amir Timur?
Answer: Amir Timur attacked India in 1398 CE as a part of his aggressive territorial conquests. He ransacked several places and occupied Delhi. He carried immense booty and a large number of captives including Indian artisans with him. Before leaving India, Timur amply rewarded Khizr Khan Sayyid for his support during the time of the invasion. He appointed Khizr Khan as the governor of Multan, Lahore and Dipalpur to rule over on his behalf.
The Delhi Sultanate Questions & Answers
Question 7: What steps did Alauddin Khalji take to improve the land revenue administration?
Answer: Alauddin Khalji brought the assessment and collection of land revenue under the control of the State. He ordered the measuring of land under cultivation in the Doab and on this basis, the land revenue would be assessed. He introduced the policy of direct collection of land revenue by the State. He fixed fifty percent of the produce to be paid as land tax (known as kharaj) by all including the landlords of the area (called khuts and muqqadams). He also levied taxes on cattle and houses.
Question 8: How did the Delhi Sultanate become an imperial power under AlauddinKhalji’s reign?
Answer: Alauddin Khalji annexed Gujarat, and the principal fortified places such as Ranthambore, Mewar, Malwa, Jalore in Rajasthan. He reduced the chief Hindu kingdoms of South, namely, Hoysalas, Kakatiyas, Pandyas and the Yadavas of Devagiri to vassalage. His forces also successfully took on serious Mongol onslaughts.
Question 9: Write in brief about the price control system.
Answer: The most significant reform of Alauddin was the price control system. He was in need of a large standing army to save Delhi from recurring Mongol invasions. Therefore, he devised the price control system to increase the size of the army without incurring additional expenditure. The Sultan decided to pay salaries to his soldiers in cash in lieu of iqtas. The soldiers would buy their supplies and commodities from merchants in Delhi and this would lead to a rise in the prices. To enable the soldiers to lead their life on a moderate pay, he controlled the price of all articles in Delhi. He fixed the price of all commodities such as food grains, cattle, clothes, slaves, etc. He fixed the prices of goods on the basis of a careful survey done by his officers and set up markets. Anyone caught hoarding goods or a merchant did not sell the commodities at prescribed rates was punished.
Question 10: How did the introduction of token currency cause a great loss to the government?
Answer: Muhammad bin Tughlaq introduced the token currency to replenish the treasury and to find the resources of his territorial expansions and administration. He instructed that bronze coins should be considered equal in value to the silver coins, known as tanka. This experiment failed because of the forging of new coins. The government was not able to prevent counterfeit coins. The new coins began to be devalued. Forged coins resulted in a huge loss of revenue. When he came to know about the failure of his monetary measure, he ordered that all token coins be exchanged with silver coins. Even the forged coins were exchanged in return of the silver ones, resulting in a great loss to the government.
The Delhi Sultanate Questions & Answers
Question 11: Discuss the rules imposed on the muqtis during the reign of Khaljis and Tughlaqs.
Answer: The office of the muqti was not inheritable. The iqtas were assigned for a short span of time and were transferrable. The Sultan appointed accountants to check the amount of revenue collected by the muqtis. It was ensured that the muqtis collected only the taxes authorised by the State and even kept the required number of soldiers
Question 12: Why did the Doab experiment fail?
Answer: A Doab is a rich and fertile land between two rivers. Muhammad bin Tughlaq raised the rate of taxation and also revived and levied some additional taxes. The State neither gave any concessions when the region came under famine nor took any measures to mitigate the sufferings of the peasants. Agriculture suffered adversely, the farmers therefore could not pay taxes and abandoned their land and shifted to other places. Muhammad gave a considerable thought to extend and improve cultivation in the Doab. A number of officers were appointed with instructions to extend cultivation by granting loans to cultivators and encourage them to sow superior crops in rotation, for instance, wheat in place of barley and sugarcane in place of wheat. However, even this measure did not bring the desired results and failed due to inexperienced and dishonest officers. The money spent on this project was misappropriated by the corrupt officials for their own use and could not be recovered.
Question 13: A critical analysis of tawarikh is important to study the history of the Delhi Sultanate. Give reason.
Answer: The valuable source to study the Delhi Sultanate is the history written in Persian, which is better known as tarikh. During the Delhi Sultanate, Persian was the language of administration. These histories or tawarikh (plural of tarikh) were written by learned men who, apart from recording events, also advised the Sultan on governance. These records were often written for Sultans in the hope of rich rewards. The authors lived in cities (mainly Delhi) and, therefore paid lesser attention to the general public living in villages. They influenced the Sultans by their own decisions to govern the empire. Thus, while referring to these sources, a critical and analytical approach is important to study the history of the Delhi Sultanate.
Question 14: Why did Muhammad bin Tughlaq transfer his capital?
Answer: It was Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s administrative measure to transfer his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad (earlier Devagiri) in the Deccan. The main motive behind the transfer was the strategic and central location of Devagiri, near Aurangabad, Maharashtra. It was more centrally located than Delhi. Further, it was safe from Mongol attacks. He ordered the entire population of Delhi to shift to Daulatabad.
The Delhi Sultanate Questions & Answers
Question 15: Muhammad bin Tughlaq was the most erudite and accomplished Sultans of the Delhi Sultanate. Explain.
Answer: Muhammad bin Tughlaq had a brilliant memory, keen intellect and a great capacity for assimilating knowledge. He was proficient in different branches of knowledge such as logic, philosophy, astronomy, mathematics and physical sciences. He was also a fine calligrapher and had a good knowledge of Persian poetry.
Question 16: Firuz Shah’s reign is remembered as a period of prosperity and happiness. Give reason.
Answer: Firuz Shah was a benevolent ruler. He abolished many unjust taxes levied by his predecessor. He also constructed several canals and repaired the old ones to improve agriculture production. He undertook building and gardening activities. He founded the city of Firuzabad (in modern Uttar Pradesh). He tried to make the judicial system more humane by banning inhuman punishments. Due to all these, his reign is remembered as a period of prosperity and happiness.
Question 17: Balban’s accession to the throne of Delhi led to the expansion of the Sultanate. Give Reason.
Answer: Balban aimed at consolidating the hinterlands of garrison towns. Forests were cleared in the Ganga and Yamuna Doab. Hunter-gatherers and pastoralists were expelled and these lands were given to peasants and agriculture was promoted. Many new towns and fortresses were built with the intention of protecting the trade routes and to promote regional trade. When the Sultanate expanded to the South, the Sultan collected taxes from the peasantry, traders and in some instances, tribute was taken from the local rulers.
Question 18: Explain the expansion schemes of Muhammad bin Tughlaq.
Answer: Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s desire for universal conquest prompted him to undertake expeditions into Khorasan and Qarachal regions. He was not able to establish his hold over these territories. The conquest of Khorasan was not an easy task and it was beyond the strength of his army. Thus, Muhammad abandoned this scheme. Even the Qarachal expedition resulted in a failure.
So, these were The Delhi Sultanate Questions & Answers.