Medieval India (B) The Delhi Sultanate - Questions & Answers

EXERCISES

I. Multiple-Choice Questions

A. Choose the correct answers to the questions from the given options.

1. Who among the following was NOT involved in the construction of the Qutab Minar?
(a) Qutbuddin Aibak
(b) Iltutmish
(c) Alauddin Khilji
(d) Feroz Shah Tughlaq
Answer: (c) Alauddin Khilji

2. Arrange the following in chronological order.
(i) Alauddin Khilji (ii) Qutbuddin Aibak (iii) Ghazi Malik (iv) Muhammad Bin Tughlaq
(a) (ii); (iii); (iv); (i)
(b) (ii); (iii); (i); (iv)
(c) (ii); (i); (iii); (iv)
(d) (iv); (i); (iii); (ii)
Answer: (c) (ii); (i); (iii); (iv)

3. Alauddin Khilji is best known for his market regulations. Which amongst the following was not one of the markets set up by him?
(a) Costly cloth
(b) Horses, Slaves and Cattle
(c) Gold, Silver, Copper
(d) Food grains
Answer: (c) Gold, Silver, Copper

4. Name the first ruler of Delhi to lay the foundation of a permanent standing army.
(a) Alauddin Khilji
(b) Shihabuddin Masud
(c) Muhammad Bin Tughlaq
(d) Jauna Khan
Answer: (a) Alauddin Khilji

5. Complete the analogy with reference to Khilji administration.
Market controller : Shahna :: Identity card : ______
(a) Dagh
(b) Chehra
(c) Tanka
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (b) Chehra

B. Read the two statements given below and select the option that shows the correct relationship between (A) and (R).

1. (A) It was during the 10th and 11th centuries that Turks began their conquests in India.
(R) By this period a number of small kingdoms emerged in North India, who were constantly at conflict with one another.
(a) (R) contradicts (A)
(b) (R) is the reason for (A)
(c) (A) is true but (R) is false
(d) (A) and (R) are independent of each other.
Answer: (b) (R) is the reason for (A)

2. (A) Qutab Minar was dedicated to the Sufi Saint, Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki.
(R) The construction of Qutab Minar was started by Iltutmish.
(a) (R) contradicts (A)
(b) (R) is the reason for (A)
(c) (A) is true but (R) is false
(d) (A) and (R) are independent of each other.
Answer: (c) (A) is true but (R) is false

3. (A) Alauddin Khilji was the founder of the Khilji dynasty.
(R) On ascending the throne, Alauddin had to face a rebellion by the Mongols
(a) (R) contradicts (A)
(b) (R) is the reason for (A)
(c) (R) is true but (A) is false
(d) (A) and (R) are independent of each other.
Answer: (c) (R) is true but (A) is false

4. (A) Alauddin Khilji was the first ruler who laid the foundation of a permanent standing army.
(R) He also started the system of Chehra, i.e., giving a kind of identity card.
(a) (R) contradicts (A)
(b) (A) is the reason for (R)
(c) (A) is true but (R) is false
(d) (A) and (R) are independent of each other.
Answer: (b) (A) is the reason for (R)

II. Short Answer Questions

1. Where all can one find inscriptions giving information about the Sultanate?
Answer: Inscriptions giving information about the Sultanate can be found on coins, monuments, milestones, and tombstones.

2. State any two architectural features of Qutab Minar.
Answer: Two architectural features of the Qutab Minar are: (1) It is a circular tower that tapers as it ascends, with each storey separated by a projecting balcony. (2) It is constructed using red sandstone, marble, and grey quartzite, and is decorated with verses from the Holy Quran and intricate floral carvings.

3. Mention any two military reforms introduced by Alauddin Khilji.
Answer: Two military reforms introduced by Alauddin Khilji were: (1) He started the system of branding horses (dagh) so that soldiers could not replace them with inferior quality horses. (2) He introduced the system of 'chehra', giving a kind of identity card for every soldier to maintain military discipline.

4. How did Alauddin Khilji successfully carry out his Deccan expedition?
Answer: Alauddin Khilji sent a massive expedition to the Deccan under the command of Malik Kafur. The kingdoms of Devagiri, Warangal, Dwarasamudra, and Madurai were successfully conquered. However, rather than annexing them, Alauddin forced the rulers to accept his overlordship and pay annual tributes, which helped him acquire wealth for the maintenance of his huge army.

5. What was Muhammad Bin Tughlaq's plan of conquests? Was it successful? Why?
Answer: Muhammad Bin Tughlaq dreamt of conquering the world and organized a huge army to conquer territories like Khurasan, Persia (Iran), and Iraq, even paying his soldiers a full year's salary in advance. His plan was not successful. Following the failure of his token currency experiment, the state lacked the resources to sustain the campaign, forcing him to abandon the project and disband his army after just one year.

III. Structured Questions

1. With reference to the Khilji dynasty, answer the following questions:
(a) What steps did Alauddin Khilji take to regulate prices?
Answer: Alauddin Khilji fixed the cost of all commodities, including food grains, sugar, cooking oil, cloth, horses, and cattle. To strictly enforce these prices, he set up three separate markets in Delhi under the charge of a market controller called the 'shahna'. He also prescribed very strict punishments for anyone caught cheating or underweighing goods.

(b) How did Alauddin Khilji crush the power of the nobility?
Answer: To crush the power of the nobility and prevent rebellions, Alauddin Khilji forbade nobles from holding parties, festivities, or forming marriage alliances without his permission. He also completely banned the use of wine, intoxicants, and gambling. Additionally, he established an efficient spy system to keep a close check on the activities of the nobles.

(c) What measures did Alauddin Khilji take to increase revenue?
Answer: To maximize revenue, Alauddin brought all empire lands under his direct control. He introduced the practice of strictly measuring the land and increased the state's share of revenue from one-third to one-half. Furthermore, he demanded that land revenue be paid entirely in cash rather than in kind, and appointed special officers to collect it.

2. With reference to the reign of Muhammad Bin Tughlaq, explain the following:
(a) His attempts to transfer the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad.
Answer: Muhammad Bin Tughlaq ordered the entire population of Delhi to shift to Devagiri (renamed Daulatabad). He did this because Daulatabad was centrally located to control the Deccan territories, Delhi was in the grip of a severe famine, and Delhi was constantly threatened by Mongol invasions. However, this forced march caused untold hardships, and he eventually had to shift the capital back to Delhi.

(b) Introduction of token currency.
Answer: Due to a shortage of silver, Muhammad Bin Tughlaq introduced a "token currency" by issuing bronze tankas in place of silver tankas. This experiment was a massive failure because people began minting counterfeit coins at home on a very large scale. This caused complete chaos in trade and commerce, forcing the Sultan to withdraw the token currency.

(c) Increased taxation in Doab and its consequences.
Answer: To fund his large army, the Sultan increased the land tax in the highly fertile Ganga-Yamuna Doab region. Unfortunately, this coincided with a severe famine. The peasants refused to pay the extra taxes and rebelled. Facing merciless tax collectors, many abandoned their lands and fled to the jungles. Despite later relief efforts by the Sultan, many starved to death as agriculture suffered heavily.

3. Study the picture and answer the following questions:
(a) Who laid the foundation of this monument? Who completed it? Where is it located?
Answer: The foundation of this monument (Qutab Minar) was laid by Qutbuddin Aibak. It was completed by Iltutmish. It is located in Delhi.

(b) Name the saint after whom the monument is named. What information do the monuments of the Sultanate period provide about the Sultanate era?
Answer: The monument was dedicated to and named after the Sufi saint Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki. Monuments from the Sultanate period provide vital information about the cultural trends, living conditions, faiths, and beliefs of the period, as well as the socio-cultural outlook of the rulers who commissioned them.

(c) Mention any four architectural features of the monument.
Answer: 1. It is a circular tower that has five storeys, tapering as they ascend. 2. Each storey is separated from the other by a projecting balcony that smartly supports the massive load. 3. It is built using red sandstone, marble, and grey quartzite. 4. Its walls are inscribed with verses from the Holy Quran alongside some intricate floral carvings.

IV. Thinking Skills

1. Imagine that you are transported in a time-machine to Alauddin Khilji's reign. You visited a number of markets. Write what you saw about the commodities being sold, the price regulations and punishments meted out to the sellers for cheating the consumers. Do you think that the market regulations at present match up to Alauddin Khilji's reign or are better or need some changes?
Answer: Walking through the bustling markets of Delhi, I noticed they were strictly divided into three sections: one for food grains, another for costly cloth, and a third for horses, slaves, and cattle. The 'shahna' (market controller) maintained strict vigilance. Prices of everything, from sugar and oil to animals, were rigidly fixed and very affordable. I witnessed a merchant who was caught underweighing goods; he was dragged out and subjected to cruel and swift physical punishment. While today's modern market regulations are far more humane, systematic, and respect basic rights, they sometimes struggle to stop sudden price inflation or hidden hoarding effectively. Today's systems rely on standard MRPs and consumer courts rather than brutal fear, which is undeniably better for a civilized society, though enforcement could certainly be made more efficient and quicker to protect modern consumers.

2. Suppose you met a person belonging to Muhammad Bin Tughlaq's reign, who had to shift to Daulatabad when the capital was shifted there. Write down what he described about the circumstances that forced him to shift, the difficulties which he and others like him faced while moving from Delhi to Daulatabad.
Answer: I met an elderly merchant who described the terrible ordeal of the forced migration. He told me that life in Delhi was already unbearable due to a severe famine and the constant terror of Mongol attacks. However, instead of offering relief, the Sultan suddenly issued a royal decree forcing every citizen—including scholars, religious heads, and ordinary families—to abandon their homes and march hundreds of miles south to the new capital, Daulatabad. He described the journey as a nightmare. The long, grueling trek under the scorching sun without adequate food, water, or shelter resulted in unimaginable suffering. Many of the weak, elderly, and young perished along the road, unable to survive the exhaustion. Even after arriving in Daulatabad with broken spirits, their suffering was compounded when the Sultan later realized his mistake and ordered everyone back to Delhi, doubling their misery and making them feel like helpless pawns in the Sultan's grand, flawed experiments.