| 1. |
Where did the traveler 'Ibn Batuta' come from? |
| A. | Morocco |
| B. | Persia |
| C. | Turkey |
| D. | Central Asia |
| Answer» A. Morocco | |
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Explanation: Ibn Batuta was a Berber Muslim Moroccan explorer, known for his extensive travels, accounts of which were published in the Rihla ("Journey"). Over a period of thirty years, he visited most of the known Is lamic world as well as many non-Muslim lands; his ourneys including trips to North Africa, the Horn of Africa, West Africa, Southern Europe and Easte Europe in the West, and to the Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia and China in the East, a distance surpassing threefold his near-con temporary Marco Polo. Ibn Batuta is considered one of the greatest travellers of all time. |
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| 2. |
Who built the Khajuraho temples? |
| A. | Holkars |
| B. | Scindias |
| C. | Bundela Rajputs |
| D. | Chandela Rajputs |
| Answer» D. Chandela Rajputs | |
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Explanation: The Khajuraho Group of Monuments are located in Khajuraho, a town in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, located in Chhatarpur District. Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous for their erotic sculptures. The city was the cultural capital of Chandela Rajputs, a Hindu dynasty that ruled this part of India from the 10- 12th centuries. The political capital of the Chandelas was Kalinjar. The Khajuraho temples were built over a span of 200 years, from 950 to 1150. The Chandela capital was moved to Mahoba after this time,but Khajuraho continuedto flourish for some time. Khajuraho has no forts because the Chandel Kings never lived in their cultural capital. |
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| 3. |
Who was the architect who designed 'Taj Mahal'? |
| A. | Mohammad Hussain |
| B. | Ustad-Isa |
| C. | Shah Abbas |
| D. | Ismail |
| Answer» B. Ustad-Isa | |
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Explanation: Isa Muhammad Effendi or Ustad Isa was a Persian architect from Iran he and his colleague Ismail Effendi entered the service of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan after the Ottoman Sultan Murad IV and the Mughals exchanged ambassadors. Isa Muhammad Effendi is often described as the chief architect of the Taj Mahal. Recent research suggests the Pern architect, Ustad Ahmad Lahauri was the most likely candidate as the chief architect of the Taj, anassertion based on a claim made in writings by Lahauri's son Lutfullah Muhandis. |
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| 4. |
The Assam State derives its name from that of a tribe that conquered the region. Where did the tribesmen come from? |
| A. | Tibet |
| B. | Mongolia |
| C. | Burma (now Myanmar) |
| D. | Siam (now Thailand) |
| Answer» D. Siam (now Thailand) | |
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Explanation: The state of Assam derived its name from the word som' which means unequal or unrivalled. True to the meaning of its name, the state is unrivalled in terms of its natural beauty and the simplicity of the people. In the Mahabharata and the Puranas, Assam has been referred to as 'Kamarupa'. The inhabitants of the state are a mixture of the Mongol-Aryan culture. The Ahoms ventured into Assam somewhere around 1228 A.D. The present name Assam derives from the name of a Sino-Tibetan tribe, the Ahoms who came to Assam from China and Thailand, began their rule from 1228 AD and remained a force to reck on within the political arena till 1828 AD. |
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| 5. |
Mughal presence in the Red Ford ceased with the fall of - |
| A. | Aurangzeb |
| B. | Muhammad Shah |
| C. | Shah Alam |
| D. | Bahadur Shah 'Zafar |
| Answer» D. Bahadur Shah 'Zafar | |
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Explanation: The Red Fort is a 17th century fort complex constructed by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan in the walled city of Old Delhi (in present day Delhi, India) that served as the residence of the Mughal Empeors. It served as the capital of the Mughals until 1857, when Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled by the British Indian government. |
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| 6. |
'Khalsa' was founded by - |
| A. | Guru Gobind Singh |
| B. | Guru Ramdas |
| C. | Guru Nanak |
| D. | Arjun Dev |
| Answer» A. Guru Gobind Singh | |
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Explanation: Khalsa is the collective body of Singhs and Kaurs represented by the five beloved-ones and is the final temporal Guru/leader of the Sikhs. The Khalsa was inaugurated on March 30, 1699, by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru. The leadership was passed on by Guru Gobind Singh to the Khalsa and bestowed the title "Guru Panth" or Guru". The Khasa is also the nation of the Sikhs. The Khalsa is responsible for all executive, military and civil authority. The meaning of Khalsa translates to "Sovereign/ Free". Another interpretation is that of being 'Pure Guru Gobind Singh has declared the Khalsa as his true Guru and therefore as following described in the Sarbloh Granth the attributes of the Khals. |
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| 7. |
The rulers of Vijayanagar promoted - |
| A. | Hindi, Marathi and Sanskrit |
| B. | Malayalam, Tamil and Sanskrit |
| C. | Tamil, Telugu and Sanskrit |
| D. | Telugu, Urdu and Sanskrit |
| Answer» C. Tamil, Telugu and Sanskrit | |
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Explanation: Telugu culture reached its zenith during the Vijayanagara rule under Sri Krishnadevaraya. The rulers patronized Kannada, Telugu and Sanskrit and Tamil scholars who wrote in the Jain, Virashaiva and Vaishnava traditions.The Vijayanagar periodwas the golden age of Telugu literature. Sanskrit literature was given patronage by the Vijayanagar kings. The early kings of the Sangama dynasty patronized the Sringeri saints while the Saluva and Tuluva kings patronised the Madhva saints of Udupi. Krishnadevaraya also patronised Tamil poet Harihara who wrote Irusamaya vilakkam (an exposition on saivism and Vaishnavism). |
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| 8. |
The original name of Tansen, the most famous musician at the court of Akbar was - |
| A. | Lal Kalwant |
| B. | Banda Bahadur |
| C. | Ramatanu Pande |
| D. | Markandey Pande |
| Answer» C. Ramatanu Pande | |
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Explanation: Mia Tansen (born as Ramtanu Pandey) was a prominent Hindustani classical music composer and musician. He was an extraordinarily gifted vocalist, known for a large number of compositions, and also an instrumentalist who popularized and improved the plucked rabab (of Central Asian origin). He was among the Navaratnas (nine jewels) at the court of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. Akbar gave him the title Miyarn an honorific, meaning learned man). |
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| 9. |
The Muslim adventurer who destroyed the Nalanda Univers was - |
| A. | Alla-ud-din Khilji |
| B. | Muhammad-bin-Tughlak |
| C. | Muhammad-bin-Bhaktiyar |
| D. | Muhammad-bin-Quasim |
| Answer» C. Muhammad-bin-Bhaktiyar | |
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Explanation: Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khilji was a Turkic military general of Qutb-ud-din Aybak. It is alleged by some writers that he was responsible for the destruction of Nalanda, which was an ancient Buddhist University in Bihar, India, nearby to the stronghold Bihar. The main Persian source for this explains Khalii attacked the fortress unaware that it was a University. |
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| 10. |
Painting reached its highest level of development during the reign of - |
| A. | Akbar |
| B. | Aurangzeb |
| C. | Jahangir |
| D. | Shah Jaharn |
| Answer» C. Jahangir | |
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Explanation: Mughal painting reached its zenith under Jahangir, a great connoisseur and outstanding patron of painting. As a young prince, Jahangir had founded his own atelier, under the supervision of Master Aqa Riza. His artists developed a new, naturalistic style distinctive for ist subdued palette, psychologically expressive portraiture, and outstanding natural history painting. |
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| 11. |
The Mir Bakshi of the Mughal Emperors was the head of - |
| A. | Intelligence |
| B. | Foreign affairs |
| C. | Army organization |
| D. | Finance |
| Answer» C. Army organization | |
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Explanation: During the Mughal rule, the Mir Bakshi Headed military department, nobility, information and intelligence agencies. In provincial administration, the Bakshi was the head of military department. Diwan used to be responsible for all income and expenditure and had control over Khalisa and Jagir land. |
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| 12. |
Which among the following was the capital of Shivaji? |
| A. | Poona |
| B. | Raigarh |
| C. | (4) Panhala |
| D. | (3) Singhgarh |
| Answer» B. Raigarh | |
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Explanation: Shivaji created an independent Maratha kingdom with Raigarh as its capital, and was crowned chhatrapati ("paramount sovereign") of the Marathas in 1674. Raigarh is a hill fortress situated in the modern day near Mahad, Raigarh district of Maharashtra It is located in the Sahyadri mountain range. |
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| 13. |
Whoamong the following Sultans of Delhi has been described by the historians as the 'mixture of opposites'? |
| A. | Balbarn |
| B. | Alauddin Khilji |
| C. | Muhammad Bin Tughlaq |
| D. | Ibrahim Lodi |
| Answer» C. Muhammad Bin Tughlaq | |
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Explanation: Probably, the best definition of Muhammed bin Tughlaq was "a mixture of opposites". While he was a very learned man, he was not much of statesmen nor was he in complete touch with reality. A number of his economic and administrative reforms, which though beneficial was perhaps too drastic and too far ahead of the time to ever hope to succeed. During his time, while there was teritorial expansion, the Sultanate was badly damaged. |
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| 14. |
Who was the last ruler of Lodi Dynasty? |
| A. | Bahlul Lodi |
| B. | Ibrahim Lodi |
| C. | Daulat Khan Lodi |
| D. | Sikandar Lodi |
| Answer» B. Ibrahim Lodi | |
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Explanation: Ibrahim Lodi was the Sultan of Delhi in 1526 after the death of his father Sikandar. He became the last ruler of the Lodi dynasty, reigning for nine years between 1517 until being defeated and killed by Babur's invading army in the First Battle of Panipat 1526. |
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| 15. |
The guerilla warfare was pioneered by |
| A. | Aurangzeb |
| B. | Akbar |
| C. | Shivaji |
| D. | Balaji Rao |
| Answer» C. Shivaji | |
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Explanation: One of the earliest examples of guerrilla warfare is Shivaji, the Maratha king. He fought several battles in which he used guerrilla tactics to overcome superi or forces. He innovated rules of military engagement pioneering the "Shiva sutra" or ganimi kava (guerrilla tactics), which leveraged strategic factors like geography, speed, surprise and focused pinpoint attacks to defeat his larger and more powerful enemies. |
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| 16. |
"Quwwat-ul-Islam' Mosque was built by - |
| A. | Qutub-ud-din Aibak |
| B. | Alauddin Khilji |
| C. | İltutmish |
| D. | Mohammad Adilshah |
| Answer» A. Qutub-ud-din Aibak | |
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Explanation: Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque (Might of Islam) (also known as the Qutub Mosque or the Great Mosque of Delhi) was built by Qutb- ud-din Aibak, founder of the Mamluk or Slave dynasty. It was the first mosque built in Delhi after the Islamic conquest of India and the oldest surviving example of Ghurids architecture in Indian subcontinent. |
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| 17. |
Razia Sultan, the first woman to sit on the throne of Delhi, was the daughter of Sultan - |
| A. | Mohammed Ghori |
| B. | Mohammed of Ghazni |
| C. | Iltutmish |
| D. | Alauddin Khilji |
| Answer» C. Iltutmish | |
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Explanation: In 1236 Iltutmish, on his death- bed, nominated his daughter Raziya as his heiress. But the nobles of the court were too proud to bow their heads before a woman, and disregarding the deceased Sultan's wishes, raised to the throne his eldest surviving son, Ruknud- din Firuz. |
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| 18. |
Name the king who invaded Delhi and plundered the Kohinoor Diamond. |
| A. | Nadir Shah |
| B. | Flruz Shah |
| C. | Mohammed Shah |
| D. | Mohammed Ghori |
| Answer» A. Nadir Shah | |
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Explanation: Nadir Shah of Iran invaded India in 1739 and sacked Agra and Delhi. Along with the Peacock Throne, he also carried off the Koh- i Noor to Persia in 1739. It was allegedly Nadir Shah who exclaimed Koh-i Noor! when he finally managed to obtain the famous stone, and this is how the stone gained its present name There is no reference to this name before 1739. |
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| 19. |
Which battle did open the Delhi area to Muhammad Ghori? |
| A. | First Battle of Tarain |
| B. | Second Battle of Tarain |
| C. | Battle of Khanwa |
| D. | First Battle of Panipat |
| Answer» B. Second Battle of Tarain | |
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Explanation: In 1192, Ghori after returning to his capital Ghazni challenged Prithviraj at the Second Battle of Tarain where the latter was comprehensively beaten. The victory of Mohammad of Ghur was decisive, and laide foundation of the Sultanate of Delhi. |
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| 20. |
The Sultans of which dynasty ruled for the longest time? |
| A. | Khilji dynasty |
| B. | Tughluq dynasty |
| C. | Slave dynasty |
| D. | Lodi dynasty |
| Answer» B. Tughluq dynasty | |
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Explanation: The Delhi Sultanate is a term used to cover five short-lived dynasties; Delhi based kingdoms or sultanates, mostly of Turkic and Pashtun (Afghan) originin medieval India. The sultanates ruled from Delhi between 1206 and 1526, when the last was replaced the Mughal dynasty. The five dynasties were the Mamluk dynasty (1206-90); the Khilji dynasty (1290-1320): the Tughlaq dynasty (1320-1414); the Sayyid dynasty (1414-51); and the Afghan Lodi dynasty (1451-1526). |
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| 21. |
Krishnadevaraya built the Krishnaswami temple in Hampi, which is situated in the present state of |
| A. | Karnataka |
| B. | Calcutta |
| C. | Jammu and Kashmir |
| D. | Kerala |
| Answer» A. Karnataka | |
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Explanation: Hampi is in Karnataka. Hampi has been declareds World Heritage Site. |
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| 22. |
Who among the following was the last Delhi Sultan? |
| A. | Sikandar Lodi |
| B. | Daulat Khan Lodi |
| C. | Rana Sanga |
| D. | Ibrahim Lodi |
| Answer» D. Ibrahim Lodi | |
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Explanation: Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi (1517-1526) in the first Battle of Panipat and established the rule of Mughals |
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| 23. |
Who among the following was defeated by Prithvi Raj Chauhan in the first battle of Tarain? |
| A. | Balban |
| B. | Muhammad Ghori |
| C. | Mahmud of Ghazni |
| D. | Iltutmish |
| Answer» B. Muhammad Ghori | |
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Explanation: Prithvi Raj Chauhan defeated Muhammad Ghori in the first Battle of Tarain in 1191 AD. |
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| 24. |
Rajatarangini was written by - |
| A. | Kalhana |
| B. | Alberuni |
| C. | Harsha Vardhana |
| D. | Kautilya |
| Answer» A. Kalhana | |
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Explanation: Kalhan, a Kashmiri, was the author of Rajatarangini (Chronicle of Kings), an account of the history o Kashmir. He wrote the work in Sanskrit between 1148 and 1149. |
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| 25. |
Who is regarded as the second Alexander? |
| A. | Jalal-ud-din Khilji |
| B. | Mubarak Khilji |
| C. | Khusru Khan |
| D. | Ala-ud-din Khilji |
| Answer» D. Ala-ud-din Khilji | |
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Explanation: Considered one of the greatest of the Sultans of Delhi, Ala-ud-din Khalji came to power in a bloody coup. He prefixed the title of Sikandar Sani which means the Second Alexander. |
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