UPSC Medieval India – Chapter 16: Mughal Administration, Economy and Society (22 MCQs)

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UPSC Medieval India – Chapter 16: Mughal Administration, Economy and Society (22 MCQs) – 22 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 Mughal officer in charge of military pay and the records of mansabdars was the:

Correct Answer: A [Mir Bakhshi]

Explanation:

The mir bakhshi handled military pay, kept the records of mansabdars and headed the intelligence network.

2.  

The imperial karkhanas were under the:

Correct Answer: B [Mir Saman]

Explanation:

The mir saman or khan-i-saman ran the imperial household and supervised the karkhanas, the royal workshops.

3.  

In a Mughal sarkar, law and order was the duty of the:

Correct Answer: C [faujdar]

Explanation:

The faujdar commanded troops in the sarkar and was responsible for law and order there.

4.  

In Mughal towns, order was maintained by the:

Correct Answer: C [kotwal]

Explanation:

The kotwal was the town officer who kept law and order, watched markets and guarded the city.

5.  

In the mansabdari system, "zat" denoted the:

Correct Answer: A [personal rank and salary of the officer]

Explanation:

Zat was the personal rank that fixed a mansabdar's status in the hierarchy and his personal salary.

6.  

The descriptive roll of soldiers kept under the mansabdari system was called:

Correct Answer: C [chehra]

Explanation:

Chehra was the descriptive roll recording each soldier's features, kept to stop false musters.

7.  

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

Correct Answer: D [khalisa]

Explanation:

Khalisa was crown land whose revenue was collected directly for the imperial treasury.

8.  

The zabt or dahsala system was introduced in 1580 by:

Correct Answer: D [Raja Todar Mal]

Explanation:

Raja Todar Mal, Akbar's revenue expert, framed the dahsala in 1580 using ten-year averages of produce and prices.

9.  

In Mughal land classification, land cultivated every year was called:

Correct Answer: B [polaj]

Explanation:

Polaj was land cultivated every year and never left fallow, the highest class in Akbar's classification.

10.  

Consider the following statements about the Mughal Empire:

1. Mansabdars were frequently transferred.
2. Jagirs gave revenue rights, not ownership of land.
3. The post of mansabdar passed automatically from father to son.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: B [1 and 2 only]

Explanation:

Mansabdars were transferred often and jagirs carried only revenue rights; mansabs were not hereditary, so statement 3 is false.

11.  

Assertion (A): Mughal jagirdars often pressed the peasants hard for revenue.

Reason (R): Jagirdars knew that their jagirs would soon be transferred.

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

Explanation:

Both are true, and the expectation of early transfer explains why jagirdars squeezed peasants for quick revenue.

12.  

Loans given to peasants for seed and cattle were called:

Correct Answer: B [taccavi]

Explanation:

Taccavi were state loans advanced to peasants to buy seed, cattle and tools, repaid from later harvests.

13.  

Peasants who cultivated land in villages other than their own were called:

Correct Answer: C [pahi-kashta]

Explanation:

Pahi-kashta were non-resident peasants who cultivated land in villages other than their own.

14.  

A Mughal bill of exchange was called a:

Correct Answer: A [hundi]

Explanation:

A hundi was a bill of exchange issued by sarrafs, letting merchants transfer money without carrying cash.

15.  

The chief port of the Mughal Empire was:

Correct Answer: D [Surat]

Explanation:

Surat in Gujarat was the chief Mughal port, the gateway for West Asian trade and Mecca pilgrims.

16.  

The Dutch set up their settlement at Pulicat in:

Correct Answer: B [1610]

Explanation:

The Dutch established their settlement at Pulicat on the Coromandel coast in 1610.

17.  

Arrange the following in chronological order:

1. Dutch settlement at Pulicat
2. English factory at Surat
3. Portuguese capture of Goa
4. Fort St George at Madras

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Explanation:

Order: Portuguese capture of Goa (1510) → Dutch settlement at Pulicat (1610) → English factory at Surat (1613) → Fort St George at Madras (1639–40).

18.  

The Ain-i-Akbari was written by:

Correct Answer: A [Abul Fazl]

Explanation:

Abul Fazl wrote the Ain-i-Akbari, the third volume of his Akbarnama, completed around 1598.

19.  

In Mughal India, saltpetre was exported mainly from:

Correct Answer: C [Bihar]

Explanation:

Bihar was the main source of Mughal India's saltpetre exports, with Patna as the chief centre from which European companies shipped it.

20.  

The Danish settlement on the Tamil coast was at:

Correct Answer: D [Tranquebar]

Explanation:

The Danes founded their settlement at Tranquebar (Tharangambadi) on the Tamil coast in 1620.

21.  
UPSC Prelims 2021

With reference to medieval India, which one of the following is the correct sequence in ascending order in terms of size?

Correct Answer: A [Paragana—Sarkar—Suba]

Explanation:

the pargana was the smallest unit, then the sarkar, then the suba.

22.  
UPSC Prelims 2019

With reference to Mughal India, what is/are the difference/differences between Jagirdar and Zamindar?

1. Jagirdars were holders of land assignments in lieu of judicial and police duties, whereas Zamindars were holders of revenue rights without obligation to perform any duty other than revenue collection.
2. Land assignments to Jagirdars were hereditary and the revenue rights of Zamindars were not hereditary.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Correct Answer: D [Neither 1 nor 2]

Explanation:

jagirs were assignments for military and administrative service, not hereditary; zamindars' rights were hereditary and carried other duties.

➤ 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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