Medieval History of India

251. Who among the following was the founder of the Virashaiva Movement in

Who among the following was the founder of the Virashaiva Movement in Karnataka ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Basavanna” option2=”Appar” option3=”Sambandar” option4=”Sundarar” correct=”option1″]

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Option A is correct. Basavanna (also known as Basava) was the 12th-century philosopher, statesman, and social reformer who is considered the founder of the Virashaiva movement (also known as Lingayatism) in Karnataka.
The Virashaiva movement was a significant religious and social reform movement in South India during the medieval period, challenging caste hierarchies and advocating for social equality and personal devotion to Shiva.
Appar, Sambandar, and Sundarar were part of the earlier Nayanar tradition in Tamil Nadu, prominent Tamil Shaivite saints who composed devotional hymns (Tevaram) between the 6th and 9th centuries. They are distinct from the Virashaiva movement led by Basavanna.

252. Which one of the following scholars of Akbar’s court translated Bhaska

Which one of the following scholars of Akbar’s court translated Bhaskaracharya’s Lilavati into Persian ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Abul Fazl” option2=”Faizi” option3=”Fathullah Shirazi” option4=”Ataullah Rashidi” correct=”option2″]

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Bhaskaracharya’s important mathematical treatise, *Lilavati*, was translated into Persian at the instance of Emperor Akbar. The translation was undertaken by Faizi (Shaikh Abu al-Faiz ibn Mubarak), who was Akbar’s poet laureate and the brother of Abul Fazl.
– Akbar’s reign saw significant patronage of literature, translation, and cultural exchange.
– Many important Sanskrit works were translated into Persian during this period.
Faizi was part of Akbar’s ‘Navaratnas’ (nine jewels). He was skilled in Sanskrit and was given the responsibility of leading the translation department (Mahakma-i-Tarjama). Abul Fazl was the author of *Akbarnama* and *Ain-i-Akbari*. Fathullah Shirazi was a noted scholar and administrator at Akbar’s court. Ataullah Rashidi translated *Lilavati* much later, during the reign of Shah Jahan.

253. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code

Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists :

List I
(Author)		 List II
(Poetical work)
A. Brindavan Das 1. Shivasankirttan
B. Krishnadas Kaviraj 2. Chandimangal
C. Mukundaram Chakravarti 3. Chaitanyacharitamrita
D. Rameshwar Bhattacharya 4. Chaitanyamangal

Code :

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

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The correct matching is:
A. Brindavan Das – 4. Chaitanyamangal (A biographical work on Chaitanya Mahaprabhu)
B. Krishnadas Kaviraj – 3. Chaitanyacharitamrita (A detailed biography of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu)
C. Mukundaram Chakravarti – 2. Chandimangal (A narrative poem celebrating the goddess Chandi)
D. Rameshwar Bhattacharya – 1. Shivasankirttan (A poetical work on Lord Shiva)
This matches option B: 4, 3, 2, 1.
– These are important poetical works from the medieval Bengali literature.
– ‘Mangal Kavya’ is a genre of Bengali narrative poetry from the medieval period.
Brindavan Das and Krishnadas Kaviraj are key biographers of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a 15th-century saint and reformer of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Mukundaram Chakravarti was a major poet of the Mangal Kavya tradition. Rameshwar Bhattacharya is known for his ‘Shivasankirttan’ within the tradition of devotional poetry.

254. Which one of the following painters was not associated with Humayun ?

Which one of the following painters was not associated with Humayun ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Mir Sayyid Ali” option2=”Maulana Dost Musawir” option3=”Maulana Yusuf” option4=”Bihzad” correct=”option4″]

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Mir Sayyid Ali and Abd al-Samad were Persian painters brought to India by Humayun, who played a crucial role in establishing the foundations of the Mughal school of painting. Maulana Dost Musawir and Maulana Yusuf were also associated with the Persian painting tradition from which Mughal painting emerged. Bihzad (Kamāl ud-Dīn Behzād Herawī) was a renowned Persian painter of the late 15th and early 16th centuries, primarily associated with the Herat school under the Timurids and Safavids. While highly influential, he was a contemporary of Babur (Humayun’s father) and not directly associated with Humayun’s court in India.
– Mughal painting evolved from a synthesis of Indian and Persian styles.
– Humayun’s stay in the Safavid court in Persia influenced his patronage of painting.
Humayun invited Mir Sayyid Ali and Abd al-Samad to his court, first in Kabul and later in Delhi, commissioning works like the Hamzanama, which became foundational for Mughal art. Bihzad is considered one of the greatest masters of Persian miniature painting and his work significantly influenced later artists, including those in the Mughal court, but he himself was not a court painter for Humayun.

255. François Bernier was physician to

François Bernier was physician to

[amp_mcq option1=”Prince Murad” option2=”Princess Jahanara” option3=”Emperor Shah Jahan” option4=”Prince Dara Shikoh” correct=”option4″]

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The correct answer is D) Prince Dara Shikoh.
François Bernier, a French physician and traveller, came to India in 1658 and resided at the Mughal court for about twelve years. He initially served as a physician to Prince Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Emperor Shah Jahan.
After Dara Shikoh’s defeat and execution, Bernier managed to gain favour with Aurangzeb, the new emperor, and also served Danishmand Khan, a Mughal noble. His book, ‘Travels in the Mogul Empire’, is a valuable account of life, society, and politics in India during the Mughal period.

256. The Amara-Nayaka system was a major political innovation of which Indi

The Amara-Nayaka system was a major political innovation of which Indian imperial rulers ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Cholas” option2=”Chalukyas” option3=”Guptas” option4=”Vijayanagara” correct=”option4″]

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The Amara-Nayaka system was a distinctive political and administrative feature of the Vijayanagara Empire (14th-16th centuries). In this system, the Vijayanagara rulers granted territories called ‘amaram’ to military commanders or governors known as ‘nayakas’ in exchange for tribute, troops, and loyalty.
– Nayakas were responsible for collecting taxes, maintaining law and order, and administering their assigned territories.
– This system helped the empire maintain a strong military and exert control over vast areas, but it also contributed to the eventual decentralization and weakening of central authority.
The Chola administration was known for its well-organized village self-governance and elaborate temple architecture. The Chalukyas ruled different parts of the Deccan at different times and had varying administrative structures. The Gupta Empire had a centralized administration with provincial governors and a system of feudatories (Samantas).

257. Which of the following statements about ‘Mughal Mansab’ system are cor

Which of the following statements about ‘Mughal Mansab’ system are correct?

  • 1. ‘Zat’ rank was an indicator of a Mansabdar’s position in the imperial hierarchy and the salary of the Mansabdar.
  • 2. ‘Sawar’ rank indicated the number of horsemen the Mansabdar was required to maintain.
  • 3. In the seventeenth century, Mansabdars holding 1000 or above ‘Sawar’ rank were designated as nobles (Umara).

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

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All three statements about the Mughal Mansab system are correct.
The Mansabdari system was a military and administrative system introduced by Akbar.
1. ‘Zat’ was the personal rank, indicating the holder’s status in the hierarchy and determining the basic salary.
2. ‘Sawar’ was the cavalry rank, indicating the number of horsemen a Mansabdar was required to maintain and the associated grant for their upkeep.
3. High-ranking Mansabdars, especially those with 1000 Zat and/or Sawar rank and above (though the threshold varied slightly over time), were generally considered part of the ‘Umara’ or nobility.
The Mansab system was a complex graded system. A Mansabdar was a military unit within the imperial bureaucracy, responsible for military service and civil administration. The distinction between Zat and Sawar ranks was crucial, especially later in the system’s evolution, with concepts like ‘do aspa seh aspa’ also developing to differentiate the number of horses maintained per trooper. The ‘Umara’ constituted the elite of the Mughal administration and military.

258. The famous Mughal painting, depicting Jahangir embracing the Safavid k

The famous Mughal painting, depicting Jahangir embracing the Safavid king Shah Abbas, was painted by which one of the following Mughal painters?

[amp_mcq option1=”Abd al-Samad” option2=”Abul Hasan” option3=”Dasavant” option4=”Bishandas” correct=”option2″]

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The famous Mughal painting depicting Jahangir embracing the Safavid king Shah Abbas was painted by Abul Hasan.
Abul Hasan was a celebrated Mughal miniature painter during the reign of Emperor Jahangir. Jahangir bestowed upon him the title ‘Nadir-uz-Zaman’ (Wonder of the Age). This particular painting is one of Abul Hasan’s most famous works.
This allegorical painting, titled “Jahangir preferring a Sufi Shaikh over Kings” or similar variations, subtly portrays Jahangir’s worldview and diplomatic relations through symbolism, although the title mentions embracing Shah Abbas, the painting often depicts Jahangir giving preference to spiritual figures over monarchs like the Ottoman Sultan, English King James I, and Shah Abbas. Abul Hasan was renowned for his portraiture and historical scenes. Bishandas was another prominent painter in Jahangir’s court, known for his portraits.

259. Who among the following Mongol leaders/commanders did not cross Indus

Who among the following Mongol leaders/commanders did not cross Indus to attack India?

[amp_mcq option1=”Chenghiz Khan” option2=”Tair Bahadur” option3=”Abdullah” option4=”Qutlugh Khwaja” correct=”option1″]

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The correct answer is Chenghiz Khan. While he reached the banks of the Indus River in pursuit of the Khwarazmian ruler Jalal-ud-din, he did not cross the river in significant force to launch a full-scale invasion or attack on India itself.
Chenghiz Khan’s presence near the Indus threatened the Delhi Sultanate under Iltutmish, but a large-scale invasion was averted.
Mongol invasions and raids into India, crossing the Indus, became more frequent under subsequent Mongol leaders like Tair Bahadur, Abdullah, and Qutlugh Khwaja during the reigns of various Delhi Sultans like Alauddin Khalji and the Tughluqs.

260. Who among the following Sultans succeeded in finally breaking and dest

Who among the following Sultans succeeded in finally breaking and destroying the power of Turkan-i-Chihalgani?

[amp_mcq option1=”Iltutmish” option2=”Balban” option3=”Alauddin Khalji” option4=”Muhammad bin Tughluq” correct=”option2″]

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The correct answer is Balban. He systematically broke the power of the Turkan-i-Chihalgani to strengthen the central authority and his own position as Sultan.
The Turkan-i-Chihalgani, also known as the ‘Corps of Forty’, was a group of loyal Turkish nobles formed by Iltutmish to administer the Sultanate.
After Iltutmish, the Chihalgani nobles became very powerful and acted as ‘king-makers’. Balban, himself a member of the Chihalgani, understood their power and after becoming Sultan, he employed various measures, including executions and demotions, to dismantle their influence and assert the absolute authority of the Sultan.
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