100+ Important Medieval Indian History MCQs for Competitive Exams
100+ Important Medieval Indian History Questions (MCQs) for Competitive Exams like UPSC, State PSC, SSC, Railways, NDA, CDS & other exams.
Medieval Indian History plays an important role in almost every competitive exam. With proper practice, you can score maximum in this section. To help you with that we bring to you 100+ Important Questions from Medieval Indian History which will be immensely helpful for all Competitive Exams.
We’ve included only those questions that are most important for your exam and asked frequently in competitive exams. So, solve these questions to boost your preparation and score maximum in this portion.
Q1. Consider the following statements on the reform of Ala-ud-din Khilji
1. Confiscation of all grants of tax-free land.
2. Introduction of daag and chehra and in his military.
3. Abolition of iqtas of big nobles and military commanders.
4. Banning the sale of liquor and drugs.
Which of the above are correct?
A. 1, 2 and 3
B. 2, 3 and 4
C. 1, 2 and 4
D. 1, 3 and 4
Ans: C
Q2.With reference to medieval Indian rulers, which one of the following statement is correct?
A. Alauddin Khilji first set up a separate ariz’s department.
B. Balban introduced the branding of horses in his military.
C. Muhammad Bin Tughlaq was succeeded by his uncle to the military.
D. Firoz Tughlaq set up a separate department of slaves.
Ans: D
Q3. Who was the last ruler of the Vaghela Dynasty of Gujarat after whose defeat the kingdom was passed to Alauddin
A. Arjuna Deva
B. Saranga Deva
C. Karandev
D. Rama
Ans: C
Q4. Which Sultan introduced the practices of Sijda, Paibos and Nawroz in the Delhi Sultanate?
A. Balban
B. Razia Sultana
C. Iltutmish
D. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Ans: D
Q5. Which Sultan was the first to proclaim that the state in India of the Delhi Sultanate cannot be a truly Islamic state?
A. Behram Shah
B. Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah
C. Jalaluddin Khilji
D. Alauddin Khilji
Ans: C
Q6. The Suri king________was defeated by Humayun to regain his kingdom
A. Mah mood Suri
B. Sher Shah Suri
C. Sikandar Suri
D. Bahalol Suri
Ans: C
Q7. The only converted Indian muslim to become the head of the Delhi Sultanate was:
A. Kaikubad
B. Nasiruddin Khusrau Shah
C. Masud Shah
D. Qaimurs
Ans: B
Q8. Which Chola ruler built Gangi Konda temple?
A. Rajaraja I
B. Rajendra II
C. Parantak I
D. None of the above
Ans: A
Q9. Which sultan had a dispute with Sufi Saint Nizamuddin Auliya?
A. Jalaluddin Khilji
B. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
C. Feroz Shah Tughlaq
D. Mohammad-bin-Tughlaq
Ans: B
Q10. The Bahmani Sultanate came into being during the reign of which Sultan?
A. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
B. Ibrahim Lodhi
C. Mohammad-bin-Tughlaq
D. Feroz Shah Tughlaq
Ans: C
Q11. Why did Mohammad-bin Tughlaq shift his capital from Delhi to Deogiri?
A. Because he was fed up with Delhi.
B. As a punishment for the people of Delhi.
C. Because he wanted to extend his empire to the south.
D. Because the new capital occupied a central and strategic location.
Ans: D
Q12. During the time of Alauddin’s invasion, Warangal was ruled by
A. Chalukya dynasty
B. Chola dynasty
C. Kakatiya dynasty
D. Yadava dynasty
Ans: C
Q13. Which of the following was/were written in the time of Akbar?
1. Humayun Namah
2. Tarikh-i-Shershahi
3. Akbar-Namah
4. Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh
Codes:
A. 1 and 3 only
B. 3 only
C. 2, 3 and 4
D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Ans: D
Q14. Which one of the following contemporary sources depicts Humayun’s passion for astronomy and astrology?
A. Tarikh-i-Rashidi
B. Tuzuk-i-Babri
C. Humayun Namah
D. Qanun-i-Humayuni
Ans: B
Q15. Who wrote the book called Kitab-i-Nauras ?
A. Amir Khusro
B. Badauni
C. Ibrahim Adil Shah II
D. Ala-ud-din Bahmani
Ans: C
Q16. When was the ‘Battle of Tukaroi’ fought?
A.1532
B.1565
C. 1575
D.1546
Ans: C
Q17. Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri was built by Akbar to commemorate his victory over which province?
A. Gujarat
B. Sind
C. Punjab
D. Mewar
Ans: A
Q18. On whom emperor, Akbar conferred the title of ‘Jagat Guru’ ?
A. Purushottam
B. Dastur Meherji Rana
C. Hari Vijay Suri
D. Devi
Ans: C
Q19. Which Mughal emperor enrolled Guru Govind Singh into Mughal service?
A. Bahadur Shah I
B. Jahandar Shaha
C. Faurkh Siyyar
D. Mohammed Shah
Ans: A
Q20. Khalsa in Mughal rule meant
A. The Land belonging to Emperor
B. All royal system
C. Land from where revenue was collected for royal treasure
D. Religious Land grant
Ans: A
Q21. In 1576, the Mughal army fought the battle of Haldighati with
A. Prithvi Raj Chauhan
B. Maharana Pratap
C. Udai Singh
D. Man Singh
Ans: B
Q22. Which is not a characteristic of the Taj Mahal’s architecture ?
A. Charbagh Plan
B. Double Dome
C. Pietra Dura
D. White Marble
Ans: A
Q23. Who was the member of Shivaji’s Ashtapradhan who looked after foreign affairs?
A. Peshwa
B. Sachiv
C. Pandit Rao
D. Sumant
Ans: D
Q24. Mughal-Maratha treaty of 1719 was concluded in the times of?
A. Jahandar Shah
B. Farukh Siyyar
C. Mohammed Shah
D. Bahadur Shah II
Ans: B
Q25. Before which of his important battles in India did Babur declare the abolition of Tamgha tax ?
A. Panipat
B. Khanwa
C. Chanderi
D. None of these
Ans: B
Q26. What was the percentage (of the total revenue charged) of the extra tax charged by Sher Shah for the use of general welfare in calamities and emergencies?
A. 7.5%
B. 5.0%
C. 2.5%
D. 1.5%
Ans: C
Q27. Which year of Akbar’s reign has been regarded by the historian Vicent A. Smith as the most critical time?
A. 1556 AD
B. 1561 AD
C. 1571 AD
D. 1581 AD
Ans: D
Q28. Among the following, which Mughal emperor introduced the policy of Sulah-i-Kul?
A. Akbar
B. Jahangir
C. Humayun
D. Aurangzeb
Ans: A
Q29. __________ became an integral part of Shahjahan’s empire
A. Golkunda
B. Ahmednagar
C. Bijapur
D. None of these
Ans: B
Q30.Which of the following tombs is placed in the center of a large garden and resembles as a prototype of the Taj Mahal?
A. Akbar’s tomb at Sikandara
B. Itmaduddaula’s tomb at Agra
C. Shershah’s tomb at Sasaram
D. Humayun’s tomb at Delhi
Ans: D
Q31. Which Mughal emperor abolished the old custom of Sizda?
A. Akbar
B. Shahjahan
C. Aurangzeb
D. Bahadurshah
Ans: B
Q32. Ibn Battuta’s work, Rihla completed in 1355, is:
A. An autobiography
B. An account of the Delhi sultans from Aibak to Ghiyasud-din Tughlaq
C. A religious text
D. An account of trade with Morocco
Ans: A
Q33. Who among the following was one of the Governors during the reign of Alauddin
A. Jalal-ud-din Khilji
B. Shams-ud-din Iltutmish
C. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
D. Nasiruddin Mahmud
Ans: C
Q34. In which of the following forts of Rajasthan ‘chattris’ (cenotaphs) are built in honour of Jaimal and Kalla, heroes who laid down their lives in the 1568 siege by Emperor Akbar?
1. Kumbhalgarh Fort
2. Amer Fort
3. Chittorgarh Fort
4. Ranathambhor Fort
Ans: C
Q35. Safadarjung’s tomb set in the middle of a garden was built by Nawab Shuja- ud-Daulah in
A. Uttar Pradesh
B. Uttarakhand
C. Delhi
D. Bihar
Ans: D
Q36. Which ruler was called the “Prince of Moneyera”?
A. Akbar
B. Sher Shah Suri
C. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq
D. Alauddin Khalji
Ans: C
Q37. Which of the following was introduced by Khwaja Baqi Billah?
A. Naqshbandi Silsila
B. Suhrawardi Silsila
C. Sattariya Silsila
D. Chisti Silsila
Ans: A
Q38. The sufi saint who was the greatest musician of the age was
A. Al-Gajjali
B. Pir Bodhan
C. Rabia
D. Mansur Din Hallaj
Ans: B
Q39. Which among the following queen of Ahmednagar fought against Badshah Akbar?
(a) Rani Durgavati
(b) Zeenat Mahal
(c) Chand Bibi
(d) Razia Sultan
A. (c)
B. (a)
C. (b)
D. (d)
Ans: A
Q40.Which of the Minarets were built by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in membrance of plague eradication
(a) Alai Minar
(b) Char Minar
(c) Fateh Burj
(d) Qutub Minar
A. (a)
B. (d)
C. (b)
D. (c)
Ans: C
Q41. In which capacity. thousands of women were employed in the empire of Vijayanagar?
A. Royal Bodyguards
B. Accountants
C. Palace Guards
D. All of these
Ans: D
Q42. Group of Monuments at Hampi is in_________
A. Karnataka
B. Madhya Pradesh
C. Maharashtra
D. Rajasthan
Ans: A
Q43. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station was designed by_______
A. Frederick William Stevens
B. Santiago Calatrava
C. Fazlur Rahman Khan
D. Frei Otto
Ans: A
Q44. Who has given a detailed description of the postal system in the Sultanate period?
A. Ziauddin Barani
B. Sultan Firoz Shah
C. Ibn Batuta
D. Amir Khusro
Ans: C
Q45. The Upanishadas were translated into Persian by
A. Prince Shuja
B. Prince Murad
C. Prince Dara Shikoh
D.Prince khusru
Ans: C
Q46. What was the most important cause of the invasion of Ghazni Mahmud?
A. To destroy idolatry
B. To gain possession of the wealth of India
C. To spread Islam into India
D. To establish a Muslim state in India
Ans: B
Q47. Who was the founder of Srivaishnava sect?
A. Nathamuni
B. Uyyakondar
C. Yamunacharya
D. Ramanuja
Ans: D
Q48. What is meant by “The Forty” or “Chalisa”?
A. The cream of Afghan nobles
B. The pick of the intellectuals among the Khaljis
C.The select body of the Turkish Aristocracy
D. The ulema or the Muslim divines
Ans: C
Q49. Who was the patron deity of Vijayanagar?
A. Virupaksha
B. Narasimha
C. Vittalaswamy
D. Venugoplal swamy
Ans: A
Q50. Who among the following founded the city of Ahmedabad?
A. Muzaffar Shah II
B. Ahmad Shah
C. Qutub-ud-din Ahmad Shah
D. Muhammad I Begarha
Ans: B
Q51. Who from among the following was the founder of Bahmani kingdom in the Deccan?
A. Mahmud Gawan
B. Hasan Gangu
C. Sikandar Shah
D. Malik Ambar
Ans: B
Q52. The largest administrative division in the Vijayanagar empire was
A. Nadu
B. Mandalam
C. Rajya
D. Kottam
Ans: B
Q53. Which of the following was not one of the foreign travelers to visit India during the period of Krishnadevaraya?
A. Fernando nuniz
B. Domingo Paes
C. Duarte Barbosa
D. Nicolo Conti
Ans: D
Q54. The state-promoted canal irrigation system was initiated by
A. Alauddin Khalji
B. Ghiyasuddin Tughluq
C. Muhammad-bin-Tughluq
D. Firuz Tughluq
Ans: B
Q55. Ayagara in Vijayanagar were
A. Adiministrators of Nadus
B. Governors of Provinces
C. Administrators of Kottams
D. Village functionaries
Ans: D
Q56. Who was the governor of Kara-Manikpur to have revolted against the sultan Jalaluddin Khilji?
A. Arkali khan
B. Almas Beg
C. Jawna Khan
D. Malik Chajju
Ans: D
Q57. Timur’s invasion has taken place during the reign of
A. Abu Bakr Tughluq
B. Ghiyasuddin Tughluq
C. Muhammad-Bin-Tughluq
D. Nasiruddin Mahmud Tughluq
Ans: D
Q58. To whom Nizamuddin Aulia bestowed the title of ‘Ain-i-Hind’ ?
A. Syed Muhammad Gesudaraj
B. Nasiruddin Chirag Dehlavi
C. Sirajuddin usmani
D. Bahauddin Zakaria
Ans: C
Q59. What is the correct chronological sequence of the later Mughal emperors?
1. Bahadur Shah-I
2. Farrukhsiyar
3. Muhammad Shah
4. Jahandar Shah
Choose the correct answer from the codes given below:
A. 1, 2, 3, 4
B. 1, 4, 2, 3
C. 1, 3, 4, 2
D. 4, 1, 2, 3
Ans: B
Q60. The Nayakas in the Vijayanagar empire were
A. Central Ministers
B. Cavalry soldiers
C. Priests of large and powerful temples
D.Military chiefs controlling particular territories
Ans: D
Q61. Who was the Mughal Prince who was well-versed in Arabic, Persian and Sanakrit?
A. Prince Akbar
B. Prince Salim
C. Prince Sulaiman Shukoh
D. Prince Dara Shukoh
Ans: D
Q62. The great religious thinker and philosopher Shankaracharya was born in Kerala at
A. Keladi
B. Quilon
C. Trivandrum
D. Calicut
Ans: A
Q63. When Babur invaded India who was the rular of Vijayanagar Empire?
A. Deveraya I
B. Deveraya II
C. Krishnadev Raya
D. Sadashiva Raya
Ans: C
Q64. Who among the following was a disciple of Nizamuddin Aulia?
A. Nasiruddin
B. Alauddin Sabir
C. Amir Khusro
D. Ibrahim Lodhi
Ans: C
Q65. What was the function of ‘Diwan-i-Ishtiaq’?
(a) Department of Military
(b) Department of arrears
(c) Department of pensions
(d) Department of correspondence
Ans: C
Q66. What did Akbar do to bring Hindu-Muslim unity?
A. Prohibited cow-killing
B. Encouraged cow-killing
C. Remained silent to cow-killing
D. Taxed cow-killing
Ans: A
Q67. Which of the following statements are correct?
i. Raziya Sultana ruled between 1236 and 1239
ii. Bahram, another son of Iltutmish, took over from Raziya Sultana in 1239
iii. Her husband’s name was Altunia, a chief of Bhatinda
A. i & ii
B. i & iii
C. Only iii
D. All of the above
Ans: D
Q68.Which of the following pairs form part of the heterodox school of Indian Philosophy?
A. Mimamsa and Vaisheshika
B. Yoga and Vedanta
C. Lokayata and Ajivika
D. Samkhya and Nyaya
Ans: C
Q69. Match List – I with List-II & select the correct answer
List I List II
(a) Shiqdars 1. Treasurer
(b) Amin 2. Accountant
(c) Fotedar 3. Military Officer
(d) Karkuns 4. Land Revenue Officer
Codes:
(a) (b) (c) (d)
A. 3 4 1 2
B. 2 3 4 1
C. 4 1 2 3
D. 3 1 2 4
Ans: A
Q70. Which of the following statements are correct?
i. Babur proclaimed his own religion Din-i-Ilahi, against the bigotry of orthodox Ulemas
ii. Akbar ordered the construction of ibadat khana (House of Worship) at his capital Fatehpur Sikri
iii. Under Akbar, the Land revenue system was established known as Zabi/Bandobast system
iv. Mansabdari System was introduced by Shah Jahan
A. i, ii & iv
B. ii & iv
C. ii & iii
D. All the above
Ans: C
Q71. What was “Kurram” in the Chola administration?
A. Province
B. Commissionary
C. District
D. A group of villages
Ans: D
Q72. Which of the following movements was founded by Bayazid Ansari?
A. Rishi movement
B. Roshaniya movment
C. Mahadi movement
D. None of the above
Ans: B
Q73. What do you mean by Turkan-i-Chahalgani?
A. Group of forty ruling elite
B. Group of forty ministers
C. Group of forty Islamic representatives
D. None of the above
Ans: A
Q74. Who was the author of Dayabhage?
A. Jimuta Vahana
B. Amir Khusro
C. Jayadeva
D. Firoz Shah
Ans: A
Q75. Who was the author of Futuhati-Firozshah?
A. Jimuta Vahana
B. Amir Khusro
C. Jayadeva
D. Firoz Shah
Ans: D
Q76. Match the following:
(a) Mohammad bin Qasim (i) c. 712 CE
(b) Mahmud of Ghazni (ii) c. 1000 CE
(c) Mohd. Ghori (iii) c. 1175 CE
(d) Prithviraj Chauhan (iv) c. 1191 CE
Code:
(a) (b) (c) (d)
A. ii i iii iv
B. i ii iii iv
C. iv iii ii i
D. iii i ii iv
Ans: B
Q77. Ariz-i-Mumalik was the position given to __________ during Lodi dynasty
A. Chief justice
B. Public prosecutor
C. Head of military department
D. Deputy minister
Ans: C
Q78. Who was the author of Haravilasam?
A. Srinatha
B. Harihar I
C. Harihar II
D. Abdur Razzak
Ans: A
Q79. What were the silver coins issued by Vijayanagar rulers called?
A. Varahas
B. Tar
C. Jital
D. Pagodas
Ans: D
Q80. Who wrote the Sanskrit Drama Jambavati Kalyanam?
A. Vira Narsimha
B. Saluva Narsimha
C. Krishnadevaraya
D. Venkata
Ans: C
Q81. Samrangana Sutradhar was the work on:
A. Medicine
B. Architecture
C. Yoga
D. None of the above
Ans: B
Q82. In whose reign the Portuguese horse trader Fernoa visited India?
A. Achyutadevaraya
B. Krishnadevaraya
C. Venkata
D. Vira Narsimha
Ans: A
Q83. Which of the following literary works is not correctly matched?
A. Kathasaritasagara – Somadeva
B. Vikramdeva Charita – Bilhana
C. Rajtarangini- Kalhana
D. Gita Govinda – Rana Pratap
Ans: D
Q84. Which of the following movements was founded by Bayazid Ansari?
A. Rishi movement
B. Roshaniya movment
C. Mahadi movement
D. None of the above
Ans: B
Q85. How many orders of Silsila were organised by Sufi?
A. 10
B. 15
C. 12
D. 14
Ans: C
Q86. Which Chola ruler built Vrihadeshwar temple (also known as Rajarajeshwar temple) at Tanjore in the year 1010?
A. Vijayalaya
B. Rajendra I
C. Rajendra III
D. Rajaraja
Ans: B
Q87. “Gangaikonda Cholapuram” became the capital of the Chola Empire from the time of which emperor?
A. Parantaka I
B. Rajendra I
C. Kulottunga I
D. Vikrama Chola
Ans: B
Q88. What is the correct chronological order of the coming of following Chinese pilgrims
i. Hsuan Tsang
ii. I-Tsing
iii. Fa-Hien
Code:
A. i, ii, iii
B. ii, i, iii
C. iii, i, ii
D. iii, ii, i
Ans: C
Q89. In the early medieval South Indian polity, “Udankuttam” meant?
A. A group of small villages in the Chola kingdom
B. A body of officers under the Cholas
C. A tax levied in the Hoysala kindgom
D. The navy maintained by the Cholas
Ans: B
Q90. Match the following:
List I
(a) The Koranganath temple
(b) The Rajarajeshwara temple
(c) The Airavateshwara temple
(d) The Shiva temple
List II
i. Tiruvalisvaram
ii. Dharasuram
iii. Srinivasanallur
iv. Tanjaur
(a) (b) (c) (d)
A. ii ii iv iv
B. ii iii iv i
C. iii iv ii i
D. iv iii i ii
Ans: C
Q91. To which Sikh Guru did Akbar grant the present site of Amritsar?
A. Amar Das
B. Angad
C. Ram Das
D. Arjan
Ans: A
Q92. ‘Hazarat-i-Ala’ title was won by which of the following kings?
A. Akbar
B. Babar
C. Sher Shah Suri
D. Shahajahan
Ans: C
Q93. Who introduced ‘Du-Aspah’ & ‘Site-Aspah’ system?
A. Shahjahan
B. Aurangzeb
C. Jehangir
D. Akbar
Ans: C
Q94. Why was the Bay of Bengal described as a “Chola lake”?
A. Because the Cholas dominated it with their strong navy
B. Because the Cholas were ready to go to the sea
C. Because the Cholas did not allow any foreign ship to enter it
D. Because the Cholas did not allow any foreigner to bath in it
Ans: A
Q95. Which statement is correct regarding Balban?
i. He introduced rigorous court discipline & started new customs such as Prostration
ii. He introduced Persian festival of Navroj to impress the nobles
iii. He established a separate military department “Diwan-i -Arz” to maintain law & order
Codes:
A. i & ii
B. ii & iii
C. Only iii
D. All the above
Ans: D
Q96. Which of the following sentences is correct regarding Haque-i-Sharb?
A. It was the tax on food imposed by Firoz Shah Tughlaq
B. It was the tax on water imposed by Firoz Shah Tughlaq
C. It was the department dealing with agriculture
D. None of these
Ans: B
Q97. Consider the following
i. The battle of pratapgarh was faught between Afzal Khan and Shivaji
ii. Nana Phadnavis defeated the British and signed the treaty of Purandhar (1776 CE)
iii. The battle of Plassey was faught during the reign of Alamgir II
Select the correct answer
A. i and ii only
B. iii only
C. I and iii only
D. I, ii, and iii
Ans: D
Q98. Who among the following was not an exponent of the Bhakti Movement in Northan India?
A. Nanak
B. Shankaracharya
C. Ramananda
D. kabir
Ans: B
Q99. Consider the following statements and identify the ruler
i. He abolished Jaziya and prohibited cow slughter
ii. Was known as Bud Shah
iii. He built Zaina Lanka, the artificial island in the Wular Lake
Options:
A. Mahmud gawan
B. Allauddin Khilji
C. Zainul Abidin
D. Ghiyasuddin Azam
Ans: C
Q100. What is the correct chronological order of annexation of the following states by Alauddin Khalji?
i. Ranthambore
ii. Gujrat
iii. Chittor
iv. Malwa
v. Deccan
Codes:
A. i, ii, iii, iv, v
B. ii, i, iii, v, iv
C. ii, i, iii, iv, v
D. I, ii, iv, iii, v
Ans: C
Q101. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer
List-I List-II
(Mughal Ruler) (Place of Tomb)
(a) Babar 1. Lahore
(b) Humayun 2. Sikandara
(c) Akbar 3. Kabul
(d) Jahangir 4. Delhi
Codes:
(a) (b) (c) (d)
A. 1 2 3 4
B. 2 1 4 3
C. 4 3 2 1
D. 3 4 2 1
Ans: D
