Indian History - 4

The Jahangiri Mahal in Agra Fort contains mural paintings on its walls and ceilings. These paintings depict floral designs, geometric patterns, and scenes from court life, representing the rich artistic tradition of the Mughal period.

The Moti Mosque was built by Shah Jahan in the 17th century within Agra Fort, not by Akbar. Akbar commissioned the other buildings listed: Jodhabai Palace, Sultana Mahal (part of Fatehpur Sikri complex), and Panch Mahal in Fatehpur Sikri.

Changez Khan (Genghis Khan) pursued Jalaluddin Mangbarni, the last Khwarazmian ruler, to the Indus River. After the Mongol conquest of the Khwarazmian Empire (1218-1221), Mangbarni fled across Central Asia with Genghis Khan's forces in pursuit. He was eventually granted refuge in India by Iltutmish but became a source of political tension. The other options were Indian rulers of different eras - Nasiruddin Mahmud (Iltutmish's son), Nasiruddin Qubacha (a rival governor), and Mohammad Ghori (12th century invader).

The Hoysala Empire (c. 1026-1346 CE), centered in present-day Karnataka with capitals at Belur and Halebidu, was eventually absorbed by the Bahmani Sultanate in the 1340s. Following military campaigns by Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah and his successors, the Hoysala kingdom lost its independence and was dissolved.

Prakrit refers to a group of Middle Indo-Aryan languages that were the vernacular languages of ancient India, evolving from earlier languages. These languages were spoken by the common people centuries before classical Sanskrit was formalized and codified by grammarians like Panini.

Hindukush is the correct answer.

The title 'Devanampriya' meaning 'Beloved of the Gods' was used by both Ashoka and his successor Dasaratha in their inscriptions. Kunala is not historically associated with this title. This epithet appears in several Ashokan edicts and was continued by at least one of his successors.

Correct answer is (3). 

Ujjain (also known as Ujjayini) was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Avanti, one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas. It was also a major center of astronomy, mathematics, and later became one of the seven sacred Hindu cities.

Hiuen Tsang (Xuanzang) visited India during 630-644 CE, which corresponds to the reign of Emperor Harshavardhana (606-647 CE). Harshavardhana ruled North India from his capital at Kannauj and was a patron of Buddhism, which attracted Chinese pilgrims like Hiuen Tsang who came to study Buddhist scriptures and visit sacred sites.

Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II, 380-415 CE) received the Chinese Buddhist monk Fa-Hien (Faxian) who visited India during 399-412 CE. Fa-Hien came to study Buddhist scriptures and visit holy sites, spending six years at Pataliputra alone. His travelogue provides valuable insights into early 5th century India during the Gupta golden age.

Option (4) is the correct answer. 

Rajendra Chola's northern expedition to the Ganges valley was primarily a demonstration of the Chola Empire's military might and reach. While his armies did bring water from the Ganges as a symbolic gesture, the expedition's main purpose was to project power and enhance the Chola's prestige across the Indian subcontinent, showing they could challenge northern kingdoms.

Firoz Shah Tughlaq brought the Ashoka Pillar from Topra (Ambala) to Delhi in the 14th century. The pillar was originally erected by Emperor Ashoka at Topra near Yamuna river. Sher Shah Suri built other structures but didn't bring this pillar.

Correct answer is (4). 

Correct Answer: Menander 
Menander I Soter (also known as Milinda) was an Indo-Greek King of the Indo-Greek Kingdom (165 – 130 BC) who established a large empire in Northwestern regions of South Asia and became a patron of Buddhism. 

Mound of the Dead is the local name of Mohenjodaro.

The ruins of <st1:place w:st="on">Harappa were first noticed in 1842 by Charles Mason. Later, D. R. Sahni noticed them in 1921. 

The Harappans used gold, copper, silver, and bronze extensively. However, they did not use iron, as iron technology came to India after the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization with the advent of the later Vedic period and the Iron Age around 1200 BCE. The Harappan civilization was primarily a Bronze Age civilization.

During the later Vedic period, the society had been divided into four main caste divisions - Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. The first three castes were called Dvija, i.e. twice born, but Shudras were deprived of it.

Correct answer is (3). 

Balaji Baji Rao (Nanasaheb) witnessed the zenith of Maratha power during his reign from 1740-1761. Under his leadership, the Maratha Empire reached its greatest territorial extent, extending from Punjab in the north to Tamil Nadu in the south. This period included the famous Battle of Panipat in 1761, which marked the turning point and decline.

Samudragupta was known as the 'Napolean of India'. 

Gautama Buddha's discourses were delivered in Pali, a Prakrit language that was widely spoken in ancient India during his time. While Sanskrit was the language of scholars and Brahmins, Buddha preached in the common language of the masses to make his teachings accessible. Magadhi and Bhojpuri were other Prakrit languages but Pali was the primary language of Buddhist scriptures.

The Firdausi (or Firdausiyya) order of Sufism was particularly popular in Bihar, India. It was a Sufi order that flourished in medieval Bihar, especially in regions like Maner and Bihar Sharif. The order had significant influence in eastern India during the medieval period, unlike Delhi or Sind which were centers of other Sufi orders.

The Mesolithic period represents the transition between Paleolithic and Neolithic ages. People during this time primarily survived through hunting, food gathering, and fishing - activities that required mobility and did not involve settled agriculture or animal domestication, which emerged later in the Neolithic period.

Ibn Batutta, the Moroccan explorer, visited India during 1333-1342 CE. This corresponds to the reign of Muhammad bin Tughlaq (1325-1351 CE), who ruled the Delhi Sultanate. Ibn Batutta's detailed accounts provide valuable historical insights into this period of Indian history.

Correct Answer: Early Gupta period
The oldest inscription on the pillar is in Sanskrit, written in Gupta-period Brahmi script.

This matching question tests knowledge of Delhi Sultanate reforms: Alauddin Khalji introduced the market system and price control measures. Qutubuddin Mubarak Khalzi adopted the Caliph's title. Mohammad Tughlaq experimented with token currency. Feraz Tughlaq is known for building canals for irrigation and water management.