UPSC Medieval India – Chapter 1: Sources of Medieval Indian History (21 MCQs)

← Back

UPSC Medieval India – Chapter 1: Sources of Medieval Indian History (21 MCQs) – 21 questions, subject: History. Every question has the correct answer with a one-line explanation; tap "Show Answer". Free practice for TNPSC, UPSC, SSC, Bank and RRB exams – Shanmugam IAS Academy, Coimbatore.

Get daily current affairs & exam alerts – follow us YouTube WhatsApp Channel Telegram Channel Facebook Page Instagram
Share with friends & study groups
Link to this page from your website / blog (HTML code)
1.  

Kitab-ul-Hind was written by:

Correct Answer: C [Al-Biruni]

Explanation:

Al-Biruni, who came with Mahmud of Ghazni, wrote Kitab-ul-Hind in Arabic c. 1030 on Indian society, science and religion.

2.  

The Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi, which describes Alauddin Khalji's market control, was written by:

Correct Answer: C [Ziauddin Barani]

Explanation:

Ziauddin Barani's Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi covers Balban to Firuz Shah and is the main account of Alauddin's market control.

3.  

Ibn Battuta served as qazi of Delhi under:

Correct Answer: A [Muhammad bin Tughluq]

Explanation:

Ibn Battuta reached Delhi in 1334 and Muhammad bin Tughluq appointed him qazi of Delhi.

4.  

The Baburnama was originally written in:

Correct Answer: D [Turki]

Explanation:

Babur wrote his memoirs in his mother tongue, Chaghatai Turki; it was translated into Persian under Akbar.

5.  

The Humayun-nama was written by:

Correct Answer: C [Gulbadan Begum]

Explanation:

Gulbadan Begum, Babur's daughter, wrote the Humayun-nama at Akbar's request.

6.  

The historian critical of Akbar's religious policy was:

Correct Answer: D [Abdul Qadir Badauni]

Explanation:

Badauni's Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh, written secretly, criticises Akbar's religious policy and the influence of Abul Fazl.

7.  

Abdur Razzaq visited Vijayanagara as an envoy in the reign of:

Correct Answer: C [Devaraya II]

Explanation:

Abdur Razzaq, envoy of the Timurid Shah Rukh of Herat, visited Calicut and Vijayanagara in 1443 under Devaraya II.

8.  

The Russian merchant who described the Bahmani kingdom was:

Correct Answer: D [Afanasy Nikitin]

Explanation:

Afanasy Nikitin, a merchant from Tver in Russia, travelled in the Bahmani kingdom between 1469 and 1472.

9.  

The English ambassador at Jahangir's court from 1615 to 1619 was:

Correct Answer: B [Thomas Roe]

Explanation:

Sir Thomas Roe, sent by James I, stayed at Jahangir's court from 1615 to 1619 seeking trading rights.

10.  

Consider the following statements:

1. Amir Khusrau was a disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya.
2. The Ain-i-Akbari describes Mughal administration and revenue.
3. Tavernier was the physician of Dara Shikoh.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: B [1 and 2 only]

Explanation:

Statements 1 and 2 are true; statement 3 is false because Bernier, not Tavernier, was a physician linked with Dara Shikoh.

11.  

Assertion (A): Inscriptions are the main source for the history of the Chola kingdom.

Reason (R): The Cholas recorded grants, assemblies and taxes on temple walls and copper plates.

Correct Answer: A [Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A]

Explanation:

Chola history rests mainly on inscriptions precisely because the Cholas recorded grants, assemblies and taxes on temple walls and copper plates.

12.  

The silver tanka and copper jital were introduced by:

Correct Answer: A [Iltutmish]

Explanation:

Iltutmish standardised Sultanate coinage, introducing the silver tanka and the copper jital.

13.  

Kalingattupparani, a Tamil work on a war in Kalinga, was written by:

Correct Answer: D [Jayankondar]

Explanation:

Jayankondar, court poet of Kulottunga I, wrote the Kalingattupparani on the Chola war in Kalinga.

14.  

Storia do Mogor, an account of the Mughal court, was written by:

Correct Answer: A [Manucci]

Explanation:

Niccolao Manucci, a Venetian who lived decades in Mughal India, wrote the Storia do Mogor.

15.  

The Padshahnama is the official history of the reign of:

Correct Answer: B [Shah Jahan]

Explanation:

Abdul Hamid Lahori wrote the Padshahnama as the official history of Shah Jahan's reign.

16.  

Nicolo Conti visited Vijayanagara in the reign of:

Correct Answer: C [Devaraya I]

Explanation:

Nicolo Conti visited Vijayanagara c. 1420, during the reign of Devaraya I (1406–1422).

17.  

Arrange the following travellers in the order of their visits:

1. Abdur Razzaq
2. Al-Biruni
3. Ibn Battuta
4. Thomas Roe

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Correct Answer: C [2-3-1-4]

Explanation:

Order: Al-Biruni (c. 1030) → Ibn Battuta (1333) → Abdur Razzaq (1443) → Sir Thomas Roe (1615), which gives the code 2-3-1-4.

18.  

The Uttaramerur inscriptions describe:

Correct Answer: D [the election of village assembly members]

Explanation:

The Uttaramerur inscriptions of Parantaka I lay down qualifications and the kudavolai lot system for electing village sabha members.

19.  

The Tabaqat-i-Nasiri was written by:

Correct Answer: B [Minhaj-us-Siraj]

Explanation:

Minhaj-us-Siraj wrote the Tabaqat-i-Nasiri and dedicated it to Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud.

20.  

Marco Polo visited the Pandya port of:

Correct Answer: B [Kayal]

Explanation:

Marco Polo described Kayal, the busy Pandya port on the Tamil coast, in the 1290s.

21.  
UPSC Prelims 2018

Who among the following foreign travellers elaborately discussed about diamonds and diamond mines of India?

Correct Answer: B [Jean-Baptiste Tavernier]

Explanation:

Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, a French jewel merchant who travelled in India in the seventeenth century, wrote in detail about Indian diamonds and the diamond mines.

➤ Full notes, maps, tables, a reason for every option and Mains PYQs – U02 · Medieval India (UPSC book, ₹249): www.shanmugamiasacademy.in/study-materials/upsc-medieval-india

📘 U02 · Medieval India – UPSC Civil Services (Prelims & Mains)
Here you get the answer with a one-line explanation. 18 chapters · 390 MCQs incl. UPSC Prelims PYQs with a reason for every option · 90 Mains questions + Mains PYQs · maps, tables, revision cards
Get the book – ₹249 ₹499 →
Score: 0 Answered: 0 / 0