History · General Awareness

Medieval and Modern Indian History

1,676 Questions

Explore a comprehensive collection of medieval and modern Indian history questions designed for exam preparation. The topics cover major wars, treaties, regional conflicts, and colonial administration. This material helps candidates appearing for civil services and other competitive examinations to test their knowledge effectively.

Carnatic warsMughal and Sultanate conflictsBritish annexation policiesIndo Pak warsColonial administration

Medieval and Modern Indian History Questions

Multiple choice

The Indo-Pak War of 1971 was ended with

  1. Amity Declaration

  2. Simla Agreement

  3. Bangladesh Pact

  4. Tashkent Declaration

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Simla Agreement (signed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi  and President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto)

Multiple choice

The invasion of Mahmud Ghaznavi on Bhera was his _____ invasion.

  1. III

  2. I

  3. II

  4. IV
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Mahmud Ghaznavi's invasion of Bhera (in present-day Punjab, Pakistan) was his third major expedition into India. Bhera was an important trading center on the route to Kashmir. Mahmud conducted 17 raids on India between 1000-1026 CE, with Bhera being attacked early in his campaign series.

Multiple choice

What were the orders from the following which Alauddin issued to crush the revolts in his state?

  1. The property of feudal lords be confiscated and the Khalsa land should be made fertile to enhance the state revenue

  2. Organization of secret service and prohibition at Delhi

  3. Ban on the mutual friendship and celebrations of the nobility

  4. All the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Alauddin Khalji implemented multiple measures to prevent rebellions: confiscating property of feudal lords (iqtadars) and bringing land under direct state control (khalsa), organizing an extensive spy network, prohibiting intoxicants in Delhi, and banning social gatherings among nobility. Option D encompasses all these strategies.

Multiple choice

What was Sarai-i-Adal in the time of Alauddin Khalji?

  1. It was a market.

  2. It was the name of a military camp.

  3. It was an organization of feudal lords.

  4. It was the spy department.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Sarai-i-Adl (House of Justice) was a specialized market established by Alauddin Khalji to control prices and ensure fair trade. It was part of his market regulation system where goods were sold at fixed government-controlled rates. Option A is correct.

Multiple choice

Put the army development of Alauddin Khalji in serial order.

  1. Branding of the horses
  2. Launching of Mortar
  3. Regular Attendance

  1. 1, 2, 3

  2. 2, 3, 1

  3. 3, 1, 2

  4. 1, 3, 2
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Alauddin Khalji's military reforms followed a sequence: first establishing regular attendance (3) to ensure discipline, then introducing horse branding (1) to prevent fraud, and finally deploying advanced technology like mortars (2). Option C correctly sequences this as 3, 1, 2.

Multiple choice

The correct explanation of Naqisherb is/are

  1. Irrigation tax during Feroz Tughlaq's reign

  2. Ten per cent of entire production

  3. Only those who inigated, gave this tax

  1. only 1

  2. only 2 and 3

  3. only 3 and 1

  4. all 1, 2 and 3
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Naqisherb was a 10% irrigation tax introduced by Firoz Tughlaq. It applied to the entire agricultural production and was collected only from those who benefited from irrigation facilities. All three statements correctly describe this tax.

Multiple choice

What was the name of the provincial army under Iltutmish?

  1. Bandagan-i-Khan

  2. Hashm-i-Atraf

  3. Sawari-Qalb

  4. Amir-i-Qalb
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Hashm-i-Atraf was the name given to the provincial army under Iltutmish. This term referred to the regular provincial military forces as opposed to the central army (Qalb-i-Sultani) or specific units like Bandagan-i-Khan.

Multiple choice

Which is the correct serial of Alauddin's military expeditions?

  1. Gujarat, Ranthambhor, Chittor, Malwa and Jalore

  2. Malwa, Jalore, Gujarat, Ranthambhor and Chittor

  3. Gujarat, Chittor, Jalore, Malwa and Ranthambhor

  4. Gujarat, Ranthambhor, Jalore, Malwa and Chittor
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Alauddin Khilji's major military expeditions followed a chronological sequence: Gujarat (1299), Ranthambhor (1301), Chittor (1303), Malwa (1305), and finally Jalore (1311). This expansionist policy brought most of northern and western India under his control.

Multiple choice

The main source of sultanate's income was

  1. agricultural revenue

  2. tax on trade and commerce

  3. looted property and cash

  4. money from subordinate rulers
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Delhi Sultanate's economy was predominantly agrarian. Agricultural revenue (land tax and related levies) constituted the largest portion of state income, far exceeding revenue from trade, war booty, or tributary rulers. This made the agricultural sector the financial backbone of the Sultanate.

Multiple choice

For which section of the army, did Balban pay attention for its reorganization?

  1. Sawar-i-Kalb

  2. Hashm-i-Kalb

  3. Bandagan-i-Khas

  4. Sawar-i-Tuman
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Balban reorganized the royal cavalry, particularly the Sawar-i-Kalb (literally 'infantry of the aristocracy' or select cavalry corps). This elite military unit received better pay, equipment, and horses to ensure loyalty and effectiveness in maintaining Balban's authoritarian rule.

Multiple choice

Which reason from among the following is not responsible for the downfall of the Tughlaq Empire?

  1. Vastness

  2. Autocratic rule

  3. Feroz Tughlaq's policies

  4. Intervention of Ulemas in politics
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The downfall of the Tughlaq Empire was caused by multiple factors: the vastness of the empire made administration difficult, autocratic rule created discontent among nobles and subjects, and Feroz Tughlaq's policies (especially the Jagir system) weakened central authority. However, the intervention of Ulemas in politics was NOT a major factor - in fact, Alauddin Khalji had actively tried to reduce their influence, and they did not become a decisive factor in the empire's decline.

Multiple choice

Which was the most defective army system executed by Feroz Tughlaq?

  1. The army system was based on Jagir system

  2. The permanent army was given Jagir in place of salary

  3. The army discipline and rules became lenient

  4. The hereditary system was introduced in the army
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Feroz Tughlaq's most defective military reform was introducing the hereditary system in the army. When army positions became hereditary (passed from father to son), it destroyed merit-based recruitment, led to declining quality of soldiers over generations, and created a class of soldiers who were more interested in their privileges than in military effectiveness. The Jagir-based army (options A and B) was also problematic, but the hereditary system fundamentally undermined the army's professionalism and effectiveness.

Multiple choice

According to which historian from the following, Alauddin Khilji adopted the fiscal policy to check the Mongol invasions?

  1. V. A. Smith

  2. K. S. Lal

  3. A. L. Srivastva

  4. U. N. De
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Historian K.S. Lal argued that Alauddin Khilji implemented his rigorous fiscal and market control policies primarily to mobilize resources for defense against Mongol invasions. This included price control measures and revenue enhancement to maintain a large standing army. Other historians like V.A. Smith had different interpretations focusing on administrative consolidation.

Multiple choice

Which of the following statements is/are correct about the perception of the Indian continent according to Bernier's accounts?

a. He thought that one of the fundamental differences between Mughal India and Europe was the lack of private property in land in the former. b. He was a firm believer in the virtues of private property and saw crown ownership of land as being harmful for both the state and its people. c. He thought that the landholders were averse to any long-term investment in the sustenance and expansion of production because they could not pass it on to their children.

  1. a, b and c

  2. a and b

  3. b and c

  4. a and c

  5. only b
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct answer as all the statements are correct.