UPSC Medieval India – Chapter 9: Sultanate Administration, Economy and Culture (23 MCQs)

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UPSC Medieval India – Chapter 9: Sultanate Administration, Economy and Culture (23 MCQs) – 23 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.

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1.  

The finance and revenue department of the Delhi Sultanate was headed by the:

Correct Answer: D [wazir]

Explanation:

The wazir headed the diwan-i-wizarat, the department of finance and revenue, and was the chief minister.

2.  

The head of the military department of the Sultanate was the:

Correct Answer: B [ariz-i-mamalik]

Explanation:

The ariz-i-mamalik headed the diwan-i-arz, which recruited, inspected and paid the army.

3.  

The diwan-i-insha of the Sultanate dealt with:

Correct Answer: D [royal correspondence]

Explanation:

The diwan-i-insha, under the dabir-i-khas, handled royal correspondence and drafted the sultan's orders.

4.  

Under the Sultanate, khams was:

Correct Answer: A [the state's share of war booty]

Explanation:

Khams was the state's share, one-fifth by Islamic law, of booty captured in war.

5.  

Land whose revenue went directly to the royal treasury was called:

Correct Answer: B [khalisa]

Explanation:

Khalisa was crown land whose revenue was collected directly for the royal treasury, not assigned as iqta.

6.  

A shiq (district) of the Sultanate was administered by the:

Correct Answer: C [shiqdar]

Explanation:

The shiq, or district, was placed under an officer called the shiqdar.

7.  

The holder of an iqta was known as the:

Correct Answer: D [muqti]

Explanation:

The muqti or iqtadar held an iqta, collecting its revenue to maintain troops and keep order.

8.  

The poet called "Tuti-i-Hind" (Parrot of India) was:

Correct Answer: C [Amir Khusrau]

Explanation:

Amir Khusrau, Persian and Hindavi poet at the court of several Delhi sultans, was called Tuti-i-Hind.

9.  

The spinning wheel (charkha) is believed to have come into use in India during the:

Correct Answer: B [Delhi Sultanate period]

Explanation:

Indian sources first mention the spinning wheel from about the fourteenth century, in the Sultanate period.

10.  

Consider the following statements:

1. Iqta holders collected revenue and maintained troops.
2. Jizya was a tax on non-Muslims.
3. Zakat was levied on non-Muslims.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: B [1 and 2 only]

Explanation:

Muqtis collected revenue and kept troops, and jizya fell on non-Muslims; zakat was a tax on Muslims.

11.  

Assertion (A): Sultanate buildings could span large spaces with true arches and domes.

Reason (R): Sultanate builders used wedge-shaped stones held together by strong lime mortar.

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

Explanation:

Voussoirs bound by strong lime mortar made true arches and domes possible, which let buildings span large spaces.

12.  

The qazi-ul-quzat headed the:

Correct Answer: C [judiciary]

Explanation:

The qazi-ul-quzat was the chief judge and head of the judicial department.

13.  

The barid-i-mamalik headed the department of:

Correct Answer: A [news and intelligence]

Explanation:

The barid-i-mamalik headed the news and intelligence service, with news-writers posted across the empire.

14.  

Sloping (battered) walls are a characteristic feature of the architecture of the:

Correct Answer: C [Tughluqs]

Explanation:

Tughluq buildings such as Tughlaqabad and Ghiyasuddin's tomb have sloping, battered walls of plain grey stone.

15.  

In the Sultanate economy, sarrafs were:

Correct Answer: C [money-changers and bankers]

Explanation:

Sarrafs were money-changers who tested coins, exchanged money and issued bills of credit (hundis).

16.  

Octagonal tombs are a characteristic feature of the architecture of the:

Correct Answer: D [Sayyids and Lodis]

Explanation:

Octagonal tombs, as in the Lodi Gardens, became the typical form for Sayyid and Lodi rulers.

17.  

Arrange the following monuments in the order in which they were built:

1. Alai Darwaza
2. Qutb Minar (begun)
3. Tughlaqabad
4. Tombs in the Lodi Gardens

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Explanation:

Order: Qutb Minar begun (c. 1199) → Alai Darwaza (1311) → Tughlaqabad (1320s) → Lodi Garden tombs (15th century), giving the code 2-1-3-4.

18.  

In the Sultanate, ushr was:

Correct Answer: A [a land tax on land held by Muslims]

Explanation:

Ushr was the land tax on land held by Muslims, charged at a lower rate than kharaj.

19.  

Multani merchants in the Sultanate period were known mainly as:

Correct Answer: A [traders and moneylenders]

Explanation:

Multani merchants, along with Gujaratis, dominated trade and moneylending, financing nobles and commerce.

20.  

The village accountant in the Sultanate period was the:

Correct Answer: D [patwari]

Explanation:

The patwari was the village accountant who maintained the village revenue records.

21.  
UPSC Prelims 2019

Consider the following statements:

1. In the revenue administration of Delhi Sultanate, the in-charge of revenue collection was known as 'Amil'.
2. The iqta system of Sultans of Delhi was an ancient indigenous institution.
3. The office of 'Mir Bakshi' came into existence during the reign of Khalji Sultans of Delhi.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: A [1 only]

Explanation:

the amil collected revenue; the iqta came from West Asia; the Mir Bakshi was a Mughal officer.

22.  
UPSC Prelims 2016

With reference to the economic history of medieval India, the term 'Araghatta' refers to

Correct Answer: C [waterwheel used in the irrigation of land]

Explanation:

Araghatta, from ara (spoke) and ghatta (pot), was a waterwheel used to lift water for irrigating land in medieval India.

23.  
UPSC Prelims 2025

The irrigation device called 'Araghatta' was

Correct Answer: B [a large wheel with earthen pots tied to the outer ends of its spokes]

Explanation:

The Araghatta was a large wheel with earthen pots tied to its spokes, an early form of the Persian wheel used for irrigation.

➤ 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

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