Medieval History of India

221. Who were the Nayanars ?

Who were the Nayanars ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Those who were immersed in devotion to Vishnu” option2=”Those who were devotees of Buddha” option3=”Leaders who were devotees of Shiva” option4=”Leaders who were devotees of Basveshwara” correct=”option3″]

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The correct answer is Leaders who were devotees of Shiva.
The Nayanars (or Nayanmars) were 63 Tamil saints who were devoted to the Hindu god Shiva. They played a significant role in the Bhakti movement in South India between the 6th and 8th centuries CE, composing devotional hymns (Tevaram, Tiruvacakam, etc.) in Tamil.
Similarly, the Alvars were Tamil saints devoted to Vishnu. Both groups contributed immensely to the devotional literature and popularization of Vaishnavism and Shaivism in South India. Basaveshwara was a 12th-century philosopher, poet, and social reformer from Karnataka, the founder of Virashaivism, which is also devoted to Shiva but represents a distinct movement.

222. ‘Chandimangala’ was composed in which one of the following languages d

‘Chandimangala’ was composed in which one of the following languages during the 16th century CE?

[amp_mcq option1=”Sanskrit” option2=”Tamil” option3=”Bengali” option4=”Oriya” correct=”option3″]

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‘Chandimangala’ is a major work within the genre of Mangal Kavya, which are narrative poems composed in medieval Bengal (typically between the 13th and 18th centuries) in praise of folk deities. These kavyas were written in the Bengali language. Notable composers of Chandimangala include Mukundaram Chakravarti (16th century) and Kavi Kankan Mukunda.
‘Chandimangala’ is a type of Mangal Kavya, a genre of devotional poetry composed in Bengali.
Mangal Kavyas are an important part of Bengali literature and represent the transition from Sanskrit-centric religious texts to vernacular literature accessible to a wider audience. They often combine mythological narratives with social observations and everyday life.

223. According to the French traveller Tavernier, the majority of houses in

According to the French traveller Tavernier, the majority of houses in Varanasi during the 17th century were made of

[amp_mcq option1=”brick and mud” option2=”stone and thatch” option3=”wood and stone” option4=”brick and stone” correct=”option1″]

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The correct answer is A) brick and mud.
Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, in his “Travels in India,” described the city of Banaras (Varanasi) in the 17th century. He noted that the streets were very narrow and the houses were generally made of brick and mud, plastered with cow-dung, although there were some large houses made of stone. The majority of houses were of simpler construction.
Tavernier’s detailed observations provide valuable insights into urban life, trade, and architecture in India during the Mughal period. His accounts are considered reliable primary sources for the economic and social history of the time.

224. The aristocrat Muqarrab Khan was a great favourite of which Mughal

The aristocrat Muqarrab Khan was a great favourite of which Mughal Emperor?

[amp_mcq option1=”Akbar” option2=”Jahangir” option3=”Farrukhsiyar” option4=”Shah Alam” correct=”option2″]

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The correct answer is B) Jahangir.
Muqarrab Khan was a prominent nobleman and high-ranking official during the reign of Emperor Jahangir (1605-1627). He held important posts, including governor of Gujarat, and was often entrusted with sensitive assignments, such as leading diplomatic missions and dealing with foreign traders like the English East India Company representatives (e.g., Captain Hawkins and Sir Thomas Roe). He was known to be a particular favourite of Jahangir.
Muqarrab Khan’s career flourished primarily under Jahangir. While he might have served under Akbar, his rise to prominence and his close relationship with the emperor were characteristic of Jahangir’s court. Farrukhsiyar and Shah Alam belong to much later periods of Mughal rule.

225. The important source for Akbar’s reign, Tarikh-i-Akbari was written by

The important source for Akbar’s reign, Tarikh-i-Akbari was written by which one of the following Persian language scholars?

[amp_mcq option1=”Arif Qandahari” option2=”Bayazid Bayat” option3=”Abdul Qadir Badauni” option4=”Nizamuddin Ahmad” correct=”option4″]

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The correct answer is A) Arif Qandahari.
‘Tarikh-i-Akbari’ is a historical work written in Persian by Arif Qandahari. It is one of the contemporary sources for the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar, covering events up to the 18th regnal year (around 1573-74 AD).
Other important Persian language chronicles of Akbar’s reign include ‘Akbarnama’ by Abul Fazl, ‘Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh’ by Abdul Qadir Badauni, and ‘Tabaqat-i-Akbari’ by Nizamuddin Ahmad. While Nizamuddin Ahmad’s work is often referred to as a history of Akbar, its formal title is ‘Tabaqat-i-Akbari’, and it’s distinct from Arif Qandahari’s ‘Tarikh-i-Akbari’. Bayazid Bayat wrote ‘Tarikh-i-Humayun’.

226. The class of Amar Nayakas in Vijayanagara is a reference to which of t

The class of Amar Nayakas in Vijayanagara is a reference to which of the following?

[amp_mcq option1=”Village Chieftains” option2=”Senior Civil Servants” option3=”Tributary Chiefs” option4=”Military Commanders” correct=”option4″]

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The correct answer is D) Military Commanders.
The Amar Nayakas were military commanders or chiefs in the Vijayanagara Empire. The ‘Nayaka’ system, also known as the ‘Amara-Nayaka’ system, was a significant administrative and military feature. These commanders were granted territories (amarams) by the king in return for maintaining a stipulated number of troops, elephants, and horses, which they were required to bring to the king’s aid when needed.
While the Amar Nayakas administered their territories, collected taxes, and possessed civil and judicial authority, their primary role and obligation were military. They were not hereditary village chieftains or independent tributary chiefs, nor were they primarily senior civil servants in the central administration, although they held considerable power and influence.

227. Which twelfth century Sanskrit scholar was first responsible for the c

Which twelfth century Sanskrit scholar was first responsible for the compilation of ‘Nibandhas’ or digests of epic and Puranic texts?

[amp_mcq option1=”Harsha” option2=”Govindachandra” option3=”Lakshmidhara” option4=”Kalidasa” correct=”option3″]

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Lakshmidhara was a twelfth-century Sanskrit scholar known for his extensive compilation of Nibandhas.
Lakshmidhara, a minister of the Gahadavala king Govindachandra (reigned c. 1114–1155 CE), compiled the *Krutya Kalpataru* (also spelled Kṛtyakalpataru). This vast work is one of the earliest and most comprehensive Nibandhas (digests) covering various aspects of dharma, drawing upon Epics, Puranas, Smritis, and other ancient texts. This period saw the rise of Nibandha literature which aimed to reconcile and systematize the vast and sometimes conflicting body of ancient Hindu law and custom.
Harsha often refers to Harshavardhana (7th century) or Harsha of Kashmir (11th-12th century, known for patronizing Kalhana, author of Rajatarangini). Govindachandra was the king who patronized Lakshmidhara. Kalidasa was a celebrated poet and dramatist of the classical Gupta period (likely 4th-5th century CE), long before the period of Nibandha compilation.

228. With regard to nature of Mughal State, who among the following scholar

With regard to nature of Mughal State, who among the following scholars argued that “the peculiar feature of the State in Mughal India was that it served not merely as the protective arm of the exploiting classes, but was itself the principal instrument of exploitation”?

[amp_mcq option1=”Irfan Habib” option2=”Satish Chandra” option3=”Athar Ali” option4=”J. F. Richards” correct=”option1″]

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The statement describes the Mughal State as not just a protector of exploiting classes but an instrument of exploitation itself. This perspective emphasizes the role of the state machinery, particularly the Jagirdari system, in appropriating surplus from the peasantry.
– This view is most strongly associated with the Marxist school of Indian history, and particularly with the work of historian Irfan Habib.
– Irfan Habib’s seminal work, “The Agrarian System of Mughal India,” details the system of land revenue and jagirs, arguing that the state’s structure led to intense exploitation of the peasantry and contributed to the decline of the empire.
Other scholars listed also contributed significantly to Mughal history. Satish Chandra wrote on parties and politics at the Mughal court and medieval Indian history. Athar Ali’s work focused on the Mughal nobility and administration. J. F. Richards studied the Mughal Empire, particularly focusing on political and administrative aspects. However, the specific characterization of the state as the principal instrument of exploitation is a hallmark of Irfan Habib’s analysis.

229. Consider the following : Tughlaqabad Fort Bada Gumbad in Lodhi Gard

Consider the following :

  • Tughlaqabad Fort
  • Bada Gumbad in Lodhi Garden
  • Qutub Minar
  • Fatehpur Sikri

Which one of the following is the correct chronological order of building the above monuments?

[amp_mcq option1=”3, 1, 4, 2″ option2=”3, 1, 2, 4″ option3=”1, 3, 2, 4″ option4=”1, 3, 4, 2″ correct=”option2″]

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The question asks for the correct chronological order of building the listed monuments. These monuments belong to different periods of Delhi Sultanate and Mughal rule.
– **Qutub Minar (3):** Construction began around 1192 by Qutb al-Din Aibak and completed by Iltutmish (Delhi Sultanate, Slave Dynasty). This is the earliest monument among the given options.
– **Tughlaqabad Fort (1):** Built by Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq in the early 14th century (c. 1320) (Delhi Sultanate, Tughlaq Dynasty).
– **Bada Gumbad in Lodhi Garden (2):** Built in 1494 during the reign of the Lodhi Dynasty (Delhi Sultanate).
– **Fatehpur Sikri (4):** Built by Mughal emperor Akbar, construction started around 1569 and continued through the 1570s. This belongs to the Mughal period and is the latest among the given options.
The chronological order is Qutub Minar (Slave Dynasty) -> Tughlaqabad Fort (Tughlaq Dynasty) -> Bada Gumbad (Lodhi Dynasty) -> Fatehpur Sikri (Mughal Empire). This corresponds to the sequence 3, 1, 2, 4.

230. Which one of the following statements about the Sayyid brothers during

Which one of the following statements about the Sayyid brothers during the period of Later Mughals is not true?

[amp_mcq option1=”They brought Jahandar Shah to power.” option2=”They wielded administrative power.” option3=”They followed a tolerant religious policy.” option4=”They reached an agreement with King Shahu.” correct=”option1″]

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The statement that the Sayyid brothers brought Jahandar Shah to power is incorrect. Jahandar Shah ascended the throne with the help of Zulfiqar Khan after the death of Bahadur Shah I. The Sayyid brothers rose to prominence by defeating and killing Jahandar Shah in 1713 and installing Farrukhsiyar.
The Sayyid brothers, Abdullah Khan (Wazir) and Hussain Ali Khan (Mir Bakhshi), were known as ‘Kingmakers’ for their ability to place and depose Mughal emperors. They wielded considerable administrative power and followed a generally tolerant religious policy, including the abolition of Jaziya.
They played a crucial role in the politics of the Later Mughal period, making significant alliances, including the agreement with Maratha King Shahu in 1719, which granted the Marathas rights to collect Chauth and Sardeshmukhi in the Deccan. Their power eventually led to their downfall when Emperor Muhammad Shah orchestrated their assassination/imprisonment.
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