Test is part of Rau’s IAS Test series for Preliminary Exam 202 3

Test ID
GENERAL STUDIES (PAPER–I)
1007

MEDIEVAL INDIA
Time Allowed: 1 Hour Maximum Marks: 100

INSTRUCTIONS

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This test is part of Rau’s IAS Test series for Preliminary Exam 202 3
1. Consider the following pairs: 3. Wali was a Sufi, who claimed proximity
1. Al-Biruni: Rihla to Allah.
2. Ibn Battuta: Kitab-ul-Hind Which of the statements given above is/are
3. Dargah Quli Khan: Muraqqa-i-Dehli correct?
4. Char Chaman: Chandrabhan (a) 1 and 3 only
Barahman (b) 2 and 3 only
How many pairs given above is/are (c) 2 only
correctly matched? (d) 1, 2 and 3
(a) Only one pair
(b) Only two pairs 5. Which of the following port towns was
(c) Only three pairs visited by Ibn Battuta in the Indian sub-
(d) All four pairs continent?
(a) Lahari
2. Consider the following statements about (b) Andkhoy
the Virashaiva Movement: (c) Parwan
1. They worship Shiva in his manifestation (d) Hansi
as a Linga.
2. They do not practice funerary rites, as 6. Consider the following pairs:
they do not believe in re-birth.
S.N. Terms Meaning
3. Jangamas are the lay followers of this
tradition. 1. Malfuzat Letters written by the
Sufi masters.
Which of the statements given above is/are
correct? 2. Maktubat Conversations of the
(a) 1 only Sufi saints.
(b) 1 and 2 only 3. Tazkiras Biographical accounts
(c) 2 and 3 only of the saints.
(d) 1, 2 and 3 How many pairs given above is/are
correctly matched?
3. Consider the following pairs: (a) Only one pair
1. Zimmis: Non-Muslims who were (b) Only two pairs
protected under the Muslim leadership (c) All three pairs
2. Parashika: Soldiers in the Rajput (d) None
kingdom
Which of the pairs given above is/are
7. Which of the following is the correct
correctly matched?
chronological sequence of the "major
(a) 1 only religious teachers in the sub-continent”?
(b) 2 only 1. Basavanna
(c) Both 1 and 2 2. Ramanujacharya
(d) Neither 1 nor 2 3. Sambandar
4. Sri Chaitanya
4. Consider the following statements about Select the correct answer using the code
Sufism: given below:
1. There were special rituals of initiation, (a) 2-3-4-1
in which the initiates took oath and
(b) 2-3-1-4
shaved their hair.
(c) 3-2-4-1
2. All Sufis complied with the
prescriptions of the Sharia. (d) 3-2-1-4

RAUSIAS-1007 1
8. Consider the following statements: 11. Which of the following travellers visited the
1. Krishnadeva Raya founded the Vijayanagara Empire?
Vijayanagara Empire in 1336. 1. Afanasii Nikitin
2. The Sultans of the Deccan and the 2. Marco Polo
Gajapati rulers of Orissa were the 3. Nicolo de Conti
contemporaries to the Vijayanagara
4. Duarte Barbosa
kings.
Select the correct answer using the code
Which of the statements given above is/are
given below:
correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only (b) 2, 3and 4 only

(c) Both 1 and 2 (c) 1, 3 and 4 only

(d) Neither 1 nor 2 (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

9. Consider the following statements: 12. With respect to “Shankaradeva”, consider

1. The Saluva dynasty succeeded the the following statements:
Sangama dynasty. 1. He emerged as one of the leading
2. Krishnadeva Raya belonged to the proponents of Shaivism in Assam.
Sangama dynasty. 2. He emphasised the need for Naam
3. Krishnadeva Raya founded a sub-urban Kirtan, recitation of the names of the
township near Vijayanagara, called lord in Sat Sanga.
Nagalapuram after his mother. Which of the statements given above is/are
Which of the statements given above are correct?
correct? (a) 1 only
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only (c) Both 1 and 2
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
(d) 1, 2 and 3

13. “Abdur Razzaq, an ambassador sent by the

10. Consider the following pairs:
ruler of Persia to Calicut in the 15th
S.N. Term Meaning century, was greatly impressed by the
1. Waqia Nawis Foot-runners fortifications and mentioned seven lines of
forts. These encircled not only the city, but
2. Qasid Court writers
also its agricultural hinterland and forests”.
3. Akhbarat Newspaper The above passage describes which of the
Which of the pairs given above are following kingdoms?
incorrectly matched? (a) Patliputra
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) Vijayanagara
(b) 2 and 3 only (c) Sunga
(c) 1 and 3 only (d) Bahmani
(d) 1, 2 and 3

RAUSIAS-1007 2
14. The distinctive temple features, like the 17. Consider the following statements about
Mandapas and the Gopurams, are present the Amara-Nayaka System during the
in which of the following temples? Vijayanagara Empire:
1. Vitthala temple 1. There were the military commanders
2. Virupaksha temple who were given territories to govern by
3. Martand Temple the Raya.
Select the correct answer using the code
2. They had the power to collect taxes
given below:
from the peasants and the traders in
(a) 2 only
the area.
(b) 1 and 2 only
3. The kings did not have the power to
(c) 2 and 3 only
transfer the territory under the control
(d) 1, 2 and 3
of the Amara-Nayakas.
Which of the statements given above are
15. Consider the following statements:
correct?
1. Jahanara, the daughter of Shah Jahan,
had an annual income equal to that of (a) 1 and 2 only
the high imperial Mansabdars. (b) 2 and 3 only
2. Jahanara designed the Chandni Chowk (c) 1 and 3 only
bazaar.
(d) 1, 2 and 3
3. Humayun Nama was written by
Humayun's sister.
Which of the statements given above are 18. Consider the following statements:
correct? 1. Nalayira Divyaprabandham is an
(a) 1 and 2 only anthology of the compositions of the
(b) 2 and 3 only Nayanars.
(c) 1 and 3 only 2. Tevaram is a collection that was
(d) 1, 2 and 3 compiled by the Alvars.
Which of the statements given above is/are
16. Consider the following statements about correct?
agriculture during the Mughal period:
(a) 1 only
1. Pahi-Kashta were non-resident
(b) 2 only
cultivators who cultivated lands on a
contractual basis in the villages where (c) Both 1 and 2
they did not belong. (d) Neither 1 nor 2
2. Jins-i-Kamil were cash crops that were
promoted.
19. ‘Parachais’ were a class of literature related
3. Crops like tobacco, cotton and
to which of the following?
sugarcane was introduced in India
during this time. (a) Biographies of the Bhakti saints.
Which of the statements given above are (b) Collection of verses of the Sufi saints.
correct? (c) Philosophical writings of the Bhakti
(a) 1 and 2 only saints.
(b) 2 and 3 only (d) Historical accounts of the Rajput
(c) 1 and 3 only kingdoms.
(d) 1, 2 and 3

RAUSIAS-1007 3
20. Consider the following pairs: 23. Consider the following statements:
1. Dantidurga Rashtrakuta 1. Bandagan were special slaves
purchased for military service, who
2. Mayurasharman Kadamba
were appointed to the political offices by
3. Nagabhatta I Pala the early Sultanate kings.
4. Lalitaditya Karkota 2. Muhammad Bin Tughlaq planned an
attack on the territories under the
How many pairs given above is/are control of the Mongols.
correctly matched?
3. Alauddin Khalji enabled the local
(a) Only one pair chieftains to levy and collect taxes.
(b) Only two pairs Which of the statements given above is/are
(c) Only three pairs correct?
(d) All four pairs (a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
21. Consider the following pairs of the names of (c) 1 and 2 only
the regions in the early medieval times and (d) 1, 2 and 3
their corresponding modern names:
1. Anarta dynasty Gujarat 24. Consider the following statements about
the Mansabdari system:
2. Vanga dynasty Bengal
1. The Mansabdars lived and administered
3. Saindhava dynasty Ujjain the Jagirs assigned to them.
4. Ayudha dynasty Kannauj 2. They were paid in cash from the central
treasury of the Mughals.
How many pairs given above is/are
Which of the statements given above is/are
correctly matched?
correct?
(a) Only one pair
(a) 1 only
(b) Only two pairs
(b) 2 only
(c) Only three pairs
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) All four pairs
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

22. Consider the following statements:

25. Consider the following statements about
1. Dehliwal were the coins minted during the Zabti system of the Mughal times:
the Mughal times. 1. The peasants paid taxes through the
2. Aurangzeb struck coins assuming the rural elites, called the Zamindars.
title ‘Sikandar al Sani’, the second 2. Todar Mal carried out a survey of crop
Alexander. yield, prices and areas for a 10-year
3. Aurangzeb did away with the Kalima, period.
the Islamic Article of Faith, from his 3. The Zabt system of taxation was
coins. followed in all the provinces during the
Which of the statements given above is/are Mughal rule.
correct? Which of the statements given above are
(a) 3 only correct?
(b) 2 and 3 only (a) 1 and 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only (b) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3 (c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

RAUSIAS-1007 4
26. Consider the following statements: 30. With respect to “Sulh-i Kul”, consider the
1. Maktab Khana was established by following statements:
Akbar for commissioning miniature 1. Sulh-i Kul is an Arabic term, meaning
paintings. “absolute peace”.
2. Ibadat Khana was used as a place for 2. In this, all religions and schools of
discussions on religion during Akbar’s thought had the freedom of expression,
reign. but on condition, that they did not
Which of the statements given above is/are undermine the authority of the state.
correct? Which of the statements given above is/are
(a) 1 only correct?
(b) 2 only (a) 1 only

(c) Both 1 and 2 (b) 2 only

(d) Neither 1 nor 2 (c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

27. With reference to the medieval history of

India, which of the following define the 31. With reference to life in the Chishti
term ‘Ginan’? Khanqah, consider the following
statements:
(a) Devotional poems
1. Jamaat Khana was the room where the
(b) Mythological stories
Sufi master (Shaikh) lived and met the
(c) Folklores
visitors.
(d) Plays
2. Practices of yogic exercises were also
adopted in the Khanqah.
28. Who among the following wrote a book 3. Khanqah served as a refuge for the
named ‘Kashf-ul-Mahjub’? people during the Mongol invasion.
(a) Abu’l Hasan al Hujwiri Which of the statements given above are
(b) Amir Khusrau correct?
(c) Dargah Quli Khan (a) 1 and 2 only
(d) Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki (b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
29. With reference to the medieval history of (d) 1, 2 and 3
India, consider the following statements:
1. Sanskrit texts and inscriptions, dating 32. With reference to Ziyarat, consider the
between the 8th and the 14th centuries, following statements:
used the term Musalman for the 1. It is the annual pilgrimage to the grave
migrant communities. of the Sufi master, particularly on his
2. The term Mlechchha was used for those death anniversary.
who did not observe the norms of the 2. The practice of using music and dance,
cast society. including mystical chants, is a part of
Which of the statements given above is/are it.
correct? Which of the statements given above is/are
(a) 1 only correct?
(b) 2 only (a) 1 only
(c) Both 1 and 2 (b) 2 only
(d) Neither 1 nor 2 (c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

RAUSIAS-1007 5
33. Consider the following statements: 36. Consider the following statements:
1. The Qaul was a hym sung at the 1. Guru Angad compiled the hymns of
opening or closing of Qawwali. Guru Nanak and others in the Adi
2. Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya introduced Granth Sahib.
Qaul. 2. Guru Nanak appointed one of his
Which of the statements given above is/are disciples, Arjan, to succeed him as the
correct? preceptor (guru).
(a) 1 only Which of the statements given above is/are
(b) 2 only correct?

(c) Both 1 and 2 (a) 1 only

(d) Neither 1 nor 2 (b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

34. Consider the following statements: (d) Neither 1 nor 2

1. The Sufis accepted unsolicited grants

and donations from the political elites. 37. With reference to the Land Revenue System
2. The disciples of Moiunuddin Chishti during the Mughal Empire, consider the
addressed him as Sultan-Ul-Mashaikh. following pairs:

3. The kings demonstrated their 1. Amil-Guzar – Revenue collector

association with the Sufis and also 2. Ain – Compiled aggregates of lands
required legitimation from them. 3. Office of Diwan – Supervised fiscal
Which of the statements given above are system
correct? How many pairs given above is/are
(a) 1 and 2 only correctly matched?
(b) 2 and 3 only (a) Only one pair
(c) 1 and 3 only (b) Only two pairs
(d) 1, 2 and 3 (c) All three pairs
(d) None
35. Consider the following statements:
1. Kabir Granthavali is associated with the 38. Consider the following statements:
Dadupanth in Rajasthan. 1. Period between the 16th and the 18th
2. Some of Kabir’s poems draw on Islamic centuries witnessed remarkable
ideas and use monotheism to attack stability in the availability of silver
Hindu polytheism. currency in India.
3. Some poems of Kabir are composed in 2. The testimony of an Italian traveller,
the special language of the Nirguna Nicolo Conti, provides a graphic
poets, the Sant Bhasha. account of the way silver travelled
Which of the statements given above are across the globe to reach India.
correct? Which of the statements given above is/are
(a) 1 and 2 only correct?

(b) 2 and 3 only (a) 1 only

(c) 1 and 3 only (b) 2 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3 (c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

RAUSIAS-1007 6
39. Which of the following statements is/are 42. Arrange the following major political
correct about Ain-i Akbari? developments in chronological order:
1. It was authored by Faizi. 1. Establishment of the Bahmani
kingdom.
2. It recorded the arrangements made by
the state to ensure cultivation. 2. Establishment of the Gajapati kingdom
of Orissa.
3. The main aim of Ain was to present a
3. Conquest of Goa by the Portuguese.
vision of Akbar’s empire, where social
harmony was provided by a strong Select the correct answer using the code
ruling class. given below:

Select the correct answer using the code (a) 2-3-1

given below: (b) 1-2-3

(a) 2 and 3 only (c) 3-1-2

(d) 2-1-3
(b) 3 only

(c) 1 and 2 only

43. Which of the following statements is/are
(d) 1, 2 and 3
correct about the Mughal period?
1. Crops, such as cotton and sugarcane,
40. Which of the following held painting were Jins-i Kamil.
(Taswir) in high esteem, viewing it as 2. The village headman was Muqaddam.
having the power to make inanimate 3. Jahangir banned smoking tobacco.
objects look as if they possessed life?
Select the correct answer using the code
(a) Ziauddin Barani given below:
(b) Abu’l Fazl (a) 1 only
(c) Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi (b) 1 and 3 only

(d) Gulbadan Begum (c) 1 and 2 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

41. Consider the following statements:

44. Consider the following statements:
1. Akbar Nama, the significant Mughal
1. Axis Mundi is a pillar or a pole that is
chronicle, was authored by Abu’l Fazl.
visualised as the support of the Earth.
2. Abdul Hamid Lahori authored all three
2. Sijda was a ceremonial salutation in
volumes of the official history of Shah
which the courtier placed the palm of
Jahan’s reign.
his right hand against his forehead and
Which of the statements given above is/are bent his head.
correct?
Which of the statements given above is/are
(a) 1 only correct?
(b) 2 only (a) 1 only

(c) Both 1 and 2 (b) 2 only

(d) Neither 1 nor 2 (c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

RAUSIAS-1007 7
45. Consider the following pairs: How many pairs given above is/are
S.N. Term Meaning correctly matched?
(a) Only one pair
1. Khilat Consisted of a tunic, a (b) Only two pairs
turban and a sash. (c) Only three pairs
2. Sarapa Garment once worn by (d) All four pairs
the emperor and
48. Consider the following statements:
imbued with his
1. Bhaoli is the division of crop between
benediction. the cultivator and the landlord, or the
3. Nazr A small sum of money government, and the payments may be
offered by the courtier in kind or cash.
to the emperor. 2. Khet Batai was the division of the field,
when the crop was cut and stacked in
4. Peshkash A large amount offered heaps without separating the grains.
by the courtier to the 3. Lang Batai was a division of the fields
emperor. after the crops were sown.
Which of the statements given above is/are
How many pairs given above is/are correct?
correctly matched? (a) 1 only
(a) Only one pair (b) 1 and 2 only
(b) Only two pairs (c) 2 and 3 only
(c) Only three pairs (d) 1 and 3 only
(d) All four pairs
49. Which of the following statements is/are
correct about Chola Empire?
46. Which of the following best describes the
1. The Ur was a general assembly of the
term “Tajwiz”? village.
(a) A military rank conferred by the Mughal 2. Uttaramerur inscription gives details
emperors. about the constitution of wards and the
(b) Fluid calligraphy style with long qualification of candidates standing for
horizontal strokes. elections.
(c) Category of horsemen which were paid Select the correct answer using the code
from the State Exchange. given below:
(a) 1 only
(d) A petition presented by a nobleman to
(b) 2 only
the emperor, recommending that an
(c) Both 1 and 2
applicant be recruited as a Mansabdar. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

47. Consider the following pairs about Mughal 50. Which of the following statements is/are
Period: correct about Pratihara rulers?
S.N. Term Meaning 1. Mihir Bhoja was a devotee of Shiva.
2. Mihir Bhoja was succeeded by his son
1. Qanungo In charge of the Mahendrapala I.
revenue collection. 3. Al-Masudi testifies to the great power
2. Sadr In charge of the and prestige of the Pratihara rulers.
Select the correct answer using the code
judicial department.
given below:
3. Faujdar Administrative head. (a) 1 only
4. Chaudhuri Keeper of the revenue (b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 2 only
records.
(d) 1, 2 and 3

RAUSIAS-1007 8
Answers &
Explanations
of

TEST ID: 1007

GENERAL STUDIES (PAPER – I)

Medieval India
 ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS OF
Medieval India
GS Paper-I: (1007)
1. Answer: (b) include the Jangama or the wandering
monks. The Lingayats believe that on
Explanation:
death, the devotee will be united with Shiva
Each Sufi shrine was associated with and will not return to this world. Therefore,
distinctive features. This is what an 18th they do not practise funerary rites, such as
century visitor from the Deccan, Dargah cremation, prescribed in the
Quli Khan, wrote about the shrine of Dharmashastras. Instead, they
Nasiruddin Chiragh-i-Dehli in his ceremonially bury their dead.
Muraqqa-i-Dehli.
The Lingayats challenged the idea of caste
Al-Biruni's Kitab-ul-Hind, written in and the “pollution” attributed to certain
Arabic, is simple and lucid. It is a groups by the Brahmanas. They also
voluminous text, divided into 80 chapters questioned the theory of re-birth. These
on different subjects, such as religion and won them followers amongst those who
philosophy, festivals, astronomy, alchemy, were marginalised within the Brahmanical
manners and customs, social life, weights social order. The Lingayats also encouraged
and measures, iconography, laws and certain practices disapproved in the
metrology. Dharmashastras, such as post-puberty
Rihla is written by Ibntutta. marriage and the remarriage of the widows.
Our understanding of the Virashaiva
Chadrabhan Barahman wrote the book
tradition is derived from the Vachanas
Char Chaman (Four Gardens), which was
(literally, sayings), composed in Kannada
written during the reign of Shah Jahan.
by women and men who joined the
The book described the Mughal nobility.
Movement.

2. Answer: (b)
3. Answer: (a)
Explanation:
Explanation:
The 12th century witnessed the emergence
The Muslim rulers were to be guided by the
of a new movement in Karnataka, led by a
Ulama, who were expected to ensure that
Brahmana, named Basavanna (1106-68),
they ruled according to the Sharia.
who was initially a Jaina and a minister in
However, the situation was complicated in
the court of a Chalukya king. His followers
the sub-continent, where there was
were known as the Virashaivas (The Heroes
population that did not subscribe to Islam.
of Shiva) or the Lingayats (The Wearers of
The category of Zimmi, meaning protected
the Linga).
(Derived from the Arabic word, Zimma,
They worship Shiva in his manifestation as protection), developed for the people who
a Linga and the men usually wear a small followed revealed scriptures, such as the
Linga in a silver case on a loop strung over Jews and the Christians, and lived under
the left shoulder. Those who are revered the Muslim ruler-ship. They paid a tax,

RAUSIAS-1007 1
 called Jizya, and gained the right to be diverse community of the Khojas in Punjab,
protected by the Muslims. In India, this Sind and Gujarat.
status was extended to the Hindus as well.
During the medieval times, the labels of
Khojas, a branch of the Ismailis (a Shia Hindus and Muslims were not used. The
sect), developed new modes of historians, who have studied Sanskrit texts
communication, disseminating the ideas and inscriptions dating between the 8th
derived from the Quran through indigenous and the 14th centuries, point out that the
literary genres. These included the Ginan term Musalman or Muslim was virtually
(derived from Sanskrit Jnana, meaning never used. Instead, the people were
knowledge), devotional poems in Punjabi, occasionally identified in terms of the
Multani, Sindhi, Kacchi, Hindi and region from which they came. For example,
Gujarati, sung in special Ragas during the Turkish rulers were designated as the
daily prayer meetings. The Ginan were Turushka, Tajika were the people from
transmitted orally before being recorded in Tajikistan and Parashika were the people
the Khojaki script, that was derived from from Persia.
the local Landa, used by the linguistically

4. Answer: (a)

Explanation:

The Sufi Silsilas began to crystallise in different parts of the Islamic world around the 12 th
century. The word Silsila literally means a chain, signifying a continuous link between the
master and the disciple, stretching as an unbroken spiritual genealogy to the Prophet
Muhammad. It was through this channel that spiritual power and blessings were transmitted to
the devotees. Special rituals of initiation were developed, in which the initiates took an oath of
allegiance, wore a patched garment and shaved their hair.

Some Sufi mystics initiated movements based on a radical interpretation of the Sufi ideals.
Many scorned the Khanqah, and took to mendicancy and observed celibacy. They ignored the
rituals and observed extreme forms of ascetism. They were known by different names -
Qalandars, Madaris, Malangs, Haidaris etc. Because of their deliberate defiance of the
Sharia, they were often referred to as Be-Sharia, in contrast to the Ba-Sharia Sufis, who
complied with it.

Wali (plural Auliya), or the friend of the God, was a Sufi who claimed proximity to Allah,
acquiring His Grace (Barakat) to perform miracles (Karamat).

5. Answer: (a)

Explanation:

RAUSIAS-1007 2
6. Answer: (a)
Explanation:
A wide range of texts were produced in and around the Sufi Khanqahs. These included:
1. Malfuzat (literally, “uttered”; the conversations of the Sufi saints): An early text on
Malfuzat is the Fawa’id-al-Fu’ad, a collection of conversations of Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya,
compiled by Amir Hasan Sijzi Dehlavi, a noted Persian poet.
2. Maktubat (literally, “written”; the collections of letters written by the Sufi masters,
addressed to their disciples and associates): While these tell us about the Shaikh’s
experience of religious truth that he wanted to share with others, they also reflect the life
conditions of the recipients and are responses to their aspirations and difficulties, both
spiritual and mundane. The letters, known as Maktubat-i Imam Rabbani, of the noted 17th
century Naqshbandi Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi (d.1624), whose ideology is often contrasted
with the liberal and non-sectarian views of Akbar, are amongst those most frequently
discussed by the scholars.
3. Tazkiras (literally, “to mention and memorialise”; the biographical accounts of the
saints): The 14th century Siyar-ul-Auliya of Mir Khwurd Kirmani was the first Sufi Tazkira
written in India. It dealt principally with the Chishti saints. The most famous Tazkira is the
Akhbar-ul-Akhyar of Abdul Haqq Muhaddis Dehlavi (d. 1642). The authors of the Tazkiras
often sought to establish the precedence of their own orders and glorify their spiritual
genealogies.

RAUSIAS-1007 3
7. Answer: (d)
Explanation:
TIMELINE

SOME MAJOR RELIGIOUS TEACHERS IN THE SUBCONTINENT

c. 500-800 CE Appar, Sambandar, Sundaramurti in Tamil Nadu

c. 800-900 Nammalvar, Manikkavachakar, Andal, Tondaradippodi in Tamil Nadu

c. 1000-1100 Al Hujwiri, Data Ganj Bakhsh in the Punjab; Ramanujacharya in Tamil Nadu

c. l100-1200 Basavanna in Karnataka

c. 1200-1300 Jnanadeva, Muktabai in Maharashtra; Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti in
Rajasthan; Bahauddin Zakariyya and Fariduddin Ganj-i Shakar in the
Punjab; Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki in Delhi
c. 1300-1400 Lal Ded in Kashmir; Lai Shahbaz Qalandar in Sind; Nizamuddin Auliya in
Delhi; Ramananda in Uttar Pradesh; Chokhamela in Maharashtra;
Sharafuddin Yahya Maneri in Bihar
c. 1400-1500 Kabir, Raidas; Surdas in Uttar Pradesh; Baba Guru Nanak in the Punjab;
Vallabhacharya in Gujarat; Abdullah Shattari in Gwalior; Muhammad Shah
Alam in Gujarat; Mir Sayyid Muhammad Gesu Daraz in Gulbarga,
Shankaradeva in Assam; Tukaram In Maharashtra

c. 1500-1600 Sri Chaitanya in Bengal; Mirabal in Rajasthan; Shaikh Abdul Quddus

Gangohi, Malik Muhammad Jaisi. Tulsidas in Uttar Pradesh
c. l600-1700 Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi in Haryana; Miyan Mir in the Punjab

Note: These time frames indicate the approximate period during which these teachers lived.

8. Answer: (b) building techniques, which they then

Explanation: developed further.
According to the tradition and Karnataka samrajyamu: While historians
epigraphic evidence, two brothers, use the term Vijayanagara Empire,
Harihara and Bukka, founded the contemporaries described it as the
Vijayanagara Empire in 1336. This Karnataka samrajyamu.
empire included, within its fluctuating
frontiers, people who spoke different 9. Answer: (c)
languages and followed different religious Explanation:
traditions. On their northern frontier, the
The first dynasty, known as the Sangama
Vijayanagara kings competed with the
dynasty, exercised control till 1485. They
contemporary rulers – including the
were supplanted by the Saluvas, the
Sultans of the Deccan and the Gajapati
military commanders, who remained in
rulers of Orissa – for control of the fertile
power till 1503, when they were replaced
river valleys and the resources generated
by the Tuluvas. Krishnadeva Raya
by lucrative overseas trade. At the same
time, interaction between these states led belonged to the Tuluva dynasty.
to the sharing of ideas, especially in the Krishnadeva Raya is accredited with
field of architecture. The rulers of building some fine temples and adding
Vijayanagara borrowed concepts and impressive Gopurams to many important

RAUSIAS-1007 4
 south Indian temples. He also founded a 11. Answer: (c)
sub-urban township near Vijayanagara, Explanation:
called Nagalapuram after his mother. A large number of inscriptions of the kings
Strain began to show within the imperial of Vijayanagara and their Nayakas,
structure following Krishnadeva Raya’s recording donations to the temples, as well
death in 1529. His successors were as describing important events, have been
troubled by the rebellious Nayakas or the recovered. Several travellers visited the city
military chiefs. By 1542, control at the and wrote about it. Notable among their
centre had shifted to another ruling accounts are those of an Italian trader,
lineage, that of the Aravidu, which named Nicolo de Conti; an ambassador,
remained in power till the end of the 17th named Abdur Razzaq, sent by the ruler of
century. Persia; a merchant, named Afanasii Nikitin
from Russia, all of whom visited the city in
the 15th century; and those of Duarte
10. Answer: (a)
Barbosa, Domingo Paes and Fernao Nuniz
Explanation: from Portugal, who came in the 16th
The keeping of exact and detailed records century.
was a major concern of the Mughal
administration. The Mir Bakhshi 12. Answer: (b)
supervised the corps of the court writers
Explanation:
(Waqia Nawis), who recorded all
In the late 15th century, Shankaradeva
applications and documents presented
emerged as one of the leading
to the court, and all imperial orders
proponents of Vaishnavism in Assam.
(Farman). In addition, the agents (Wakil) of
His teachings, often known as the
the nobles and the regional rulers recorded Bhagavati Dharma, because they were
the entire proceedings of the court under based on the Bhagavad Gita and the
the heading “News from the Exalted Court” Bhagavata Purana, focused on absolute
(Akhbarat-i Darbar-i Mualla), with the date surrender to the supreme deity, in this
and time of the court session (Pahar). The case, “Vishnu”. He emphasised the need for
Akhbarat contained all kinds of Naam Kirtan, recitation of the names of the
information, such as attendance at the lord in Sat Sanga or congregations of pious
court, grant of offices and titles, diplomatic devotees. He also encouraged the
missions, presents received, or the establishment of Satra or monasteries for
enquiries made by the emperor about the the transmission of spiritual knowledge
health of an officer. Round-the-clock and Naam Ghar or prayer halls. Many of
relays of foot-runners (Qasid or Pathmar) these institutions and practices continue to
carried the papers rolled up in bamboo flourish in the region. His major
containers. The emperor received reports compositions include the Kirtana-Ghosh.
from even distant provincial capitals within
a few days. The agents of the nobles, 13. Answer: (b)
posted outside the capital, and Rajput Explanation:
princes and tributary rulers, all Abdur Razzaq, an ambassador sent by the
assiduously copied these announcements ruler of Persia to Calicut (present-day
and sent their contents by messenger back Kozhikode) in the 15th century, was greatly
to their masters. The empire was connected impressed by the fortifications and
by a surprisingly rapid information loop for mentioned seven lines of forts. These
public news. encircled not only the city, but also its

RAUSIAS-1007 5
 agricultural hinterland and forests. The Jahanara also received revenues from the
outermost wall linked the hills surrounding port city of Surat, which was a lucrative
the city. The massive masonry construction centre of overseas trade.
was slightly tapered. No mortar or Control over resources enabled important
cementing agent was employed anywhere in women of the Mughal household to
construction. The stone blocks were wedge- commission buildings and gardens.
shaped, which held them in place and the Jahanara participated in many
inner portion of the walls was of earth architectural projects of Shah Jahan's new
packed with rubble. Square or rectangular capital, Shahjahanabad (Delhi). Among
bastions projected outwards. these was an imposing double storeyed
Caravan Serai with a courtyard and
14. Answer: (b) garden. The bazaar of Chandni Chowk, the
Explanation: throbbing centre of Shahjahanabad, was
designed by Jahanara.
The Virupaksha temple was built over
centuries. While the inscriptions suggest Humayun Nama, written by Gulbadan
that the earliest shrine dated to the 9th-10th Begum, gives a glimpse into the domestic
centuries, it was substantially enlarged world of the Mughals. Gulbadan was the
with the establishment of the Vijayanagara daughter of Babur, Humayun’s sister and
Empire. The hall in front of the main shrine Akbar’s aunt. Gulbadan could write
was built by Krishnadeva Raya to mark his fluently in Turkish and Persian. What
accession. This was decorated with Gulbadan wrote was no eulogy of the
delicately carved pillars. He is also Mughal emperors. Rather, she described in
accredited with the construction of the great detail the conflicts and tensions
eastern Gopuram. These additions meant among the princes and the kings, and the
that the central shrine came to occupy a important mediating role elderly women of
relatively small part of the complex. the family played in resolving some of these
conflicts.
A characteristic feature of the Vitthala
temple complexes is the chariot streets that
extended from the temple Gopuram in a 16. Answer: (a)
straight line. These streets were paved with Explanation:
stone slabs and lined with pillared The term, which the Indo-Persian sources
pavilions, in which the merchants set up of the Mughal period most frequently used
their shops. to denote a peasant, was Raiyat (plural,
The Martand (Sun God) temple was built Riaya) or Muzarian. In addition, we also
by the third ruler of the Karkota encounter the terms Kisan or Asami.
dynasty, Lalitaditya Muktapida, in the Sources of the 17th century refer to two
8th century CE. The temple is located in kinds of peasants – Khud-Kashta and Pahi-
Jammu and Kashmir. Kashta. The former were the residents of
the village in which they held their lands.
15. Answer: (d) The latter were non-resident cultivators,
who belonged to some other village, but
Explanation:
cultivated lands elsewhere on a contractual
After Nur Jahan, the Mughal queens and
basis. People became Pahi-Kashta either
princesses began to control significant
out of choice – e.g., when the terms of
financial resources. Shah Jahan's
revenue in a distant village were more
daughters, Jahanara and Roshanara,
favourable – or out of compulsion – e.g.,
enjoyed an annual income often equal to
forced by economic distress after a famine.
that of the high imperial Mansabdars.

RAUSIAS-1007 6
 We often come across the term Jins-i Kamil their control over them by transferring
(literally, perfect crops) in our sources. The them from one place to another. However,
Mughal state also encouraged the peasants during the course of the 17th century, many
to cultivate such crops, as they brought in of these Nayakas established independent
more revenue. Crops, such as cotton and kingdoms. This hastened the collapse of the
sugarcane, were Jins-i Kamil par central imperial structure.
excellence. Cotton was grown over a great
swathe of territory spread over Central 18. Answer: (d)
India and the Deccan Plateau, whereas Explanation:
Bengal was famous for its sugar. Such cash The Thevaram, also spelled Tevaram,
crops would also include various sorts of denotes the first seven volumes of the
oilseeds (e.g., mustard) and lentils. twelve-volume collection Tirumurai, a Śaiva
During the 17th century, several new crops narrative of epic and Puranic heroes, as
from different parts of the world reached well as a hagiographic account of the early
the Indian sub-continent. Maize (Makka) Saiva saints set in devotional poetry.
was introduced into India via Africa and The Thevaram volumes contain the
Spain, and by the 17th century it was works of the three most prominent Saiva
being listed as one of the major crops of Tamil poets of the 7th and the 8th
western India. Vegetables, like tomatoes, centuries: Sambandar, Appar
potatoes and chillies, were introduced from and Sundarar.
the New World at this time, as were the One of the major anthologies of
fruits, like pineapple and papaya. compositions by the Alvars, the Nalayira
Divyaprabandham, was frequently
described as the Tamil Veda, thus, claiming
17. Answer: (a)
that the text was as significant as the four
Explanation: Vedas in Sanskrit that were cherished by
The Amara-Nayaka System was a major the Brahmanas.
political innovation of the Vijayanagara
Empire. It is likely that many features of 19. Answer: (a)
this system were derived from the Iqta Explanation:
system of the Delhi Sultanate.
The beginning of the Parachi (or Parachai)
The Amara-Nayakas were the military tradition, relating to the medieval saints,
commanders who were given territories to may be traced to the compositions of
govern by the Raya. They collected taxes Anantadas. He authored the hagiographies
and other dues from the peasants, crafts- of Kabir, Raidas, Namdev, Dhanna and
persons and traders in the area. They Pipa at the close of the 16th century.
retained part of the revenue for personal The short biographical sketches of the
use and for maintaining a stipulated Bhakti devotees, mentioned in Nabhadas’s
contingent of horses and elephants. These Bhaktamal and the detailed narratives
contingents provided the Vijayanagara given in Anantadas’s Parachais, became
kings with an effective fighting force with quite popular in the following decades and
which they brought the entire southern centuries. These two works set the
peninsula under their control. Some of the benchmark for subsequent hagiographic
revenue was also used for the maintenance compositions on the Bhakti devotees.
of the temples and irrigation works.
The Amara-Nayakas sent tribute to the 20. Answer: (c)
king annually and personally appeared in Explanation:
the royal court with gifts to express their 1. Kadamba was a dynasty which ruled
loyalty. The kings occasionally asserted
over a region of northern and coastal

RAUSIAS-1007 7
 Karnataka. Mayurasharman was the 22. Answer: (a)
founder of this dynasty. The Kadamba Explanation:
power reached its peak during the rule Delhi first became the capital of a kingdom
of Kakusthavarman. under the Tomar Rajputs, who were
2. Rashtrakuta was a dynasty which ruled defeated in the middle of the 12th century
over large parts of the Indian sub- by the Chauhans (also referred to as the
continent, between the 6th and the Chahamanas) of Ajmer. It was under the
10th centuries. Dantidurga was the Tomars and the Chauhans that Delhi
founder of this dynasty. became an important commercial centre.
3. Lalitaditya was a powerful ruler of the Many rich Jain merchants lived in the city
Karkota dynasty of Kashmir region in and constructed several temples. Coins
the Indian sub-continent. minted here, called Dehliwal, had a wide
4. Nagabhatta I was the king who circulation.
founded the imperial Gurjara The Khalji rulers issued coins in
Pratihara dynasty of northern India. abundance with grandiloquent titles
(Alauddin Khalji struck coins assuming
21. Answer: (c) the title 'Sikandar al Sani', the second
Alexander), as well as honorific epithets for
Explanation:
mints (The Delhi mint bore the titles
One Prashasti, written in Sanskrit and
'Hazrat Dar-al-Khilafat, etc.).
found in Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh),
Aurangzeb, the last of the Grand Mughals,
describes the exploits of Nagabhatta, a
was austere in his ways and orthodox in
Pratihara king, as follows:
his beliefs. He did away with the Kalima,
The kings of Andhra, Saindhava (Sindh),
the Islamic Article of Faith, from his coins
Vidarbha (part of Maharashtra) and Kalinga
and the format of the coins was
(part of Odisha) fell before him, even as he
standardised to incorporate the name of
was a prince.
the ruler, the mint and the date of issue.
He won a victory over Chakrayudha (The
ruler of Kannauj). He defeated the king of
23. Answer: (c)
Vanga (Part of Bengal), Anarta (Part of
Gujarat), Malava (Part of Madhya Pradesh), Explanation:
Kirata (The forest people), Turushka (The The consolidation of a kingdom as vast as
Turks), and Vatsa and Matsya (Both the Delhi Sultanate needed reliable
kingdoms in north India). governors and administrators. Rather than
Kannauj, for a brief period, was ruled by appointing aristocrats and landed
the Ayudha dynasty. Chakrayudha was a chieftains as governors, the early Delhi
ruler of this dynasty. Sultans, especially Iltutmish, favoured their
special slaves purchased for military
Chahamanas: It was a dynasty ruling over
service, called Bandagan in Persian. They
the region around Delhi and Ajmer. They
were carefully trained to man some of the
attempted to expand their control to the
most important political offices in the
west and east, where they were opposed by
kingdom. Since they were totally dependent
the Chalukyas of Gujarat and the
upon their master, the Sultan could trust
Gahadavalas of western Uttar Pradesh.
and rely upon them. The Khaljis and the
The best known Chahamana ruler was
Tughlaqs continued to use the Bandagan
Prithviraja III, who defeated an Afghan
and also raised the people of humble birth,
ruler, named Sultan Muhammad Ghori in
who were often their clients, to high
1191, but lost to him the very next year, in
political positions. They were appointed as
1192.
generals and governors. However, this also

RAUSIAS-1007 8
 introduced an element of political branded and then received money to pay
instability, as the slaves and the clients them as salary.
were loyal to their masters and patrons, The Mansabdars received their salaries
but not to their heirs. as revenue assignments, called Jagirs,
Under Alauddin Khalji, the state brought which were somewhat like Iqta. But, unlike
the assessment and collection of land the Muqtis, most Mansabdars did not
revenue under its own control. The actually reside in or administer their
rights of the local chieftains to levy Jagirs. They only had the rights to the
taxes were cancelled and they were also revenue of their assignments, which was
forced to pay taxes. The Sultan's collected for them by their servants, while
administrators measured the land and kept the Mansabdars themselves served in some
careful accounts. Some of the old chieftains other part of the country.
and landlords served the Sultanate as In Akbar’s reign, these Jagirs were carefully
revenue collectors and assessors. There assessed, so that their revenues were
were three types of taxes: roughly equal to the salary of the
1. On cultivation, called Kharaj, and Mansabdar. By Aurangzeb’s reign, this was
amounting to about 50% of the no longer the case and the actual revenue
peasant's produce. collected was often less than the granted
2. On cattle. sum. There was also a huge increase in the
3. On houses. number of the Mansabdars, which meant a
long wait before they received a Jagir.
Muhammad Bin Tughlaq: For the first
time in the history of the Sultanate, a Delhi
Sultan planned a campaign to capture the 25. Answer: (a)
Mongol territory. Unlike Alauddin's Explanation:
defensive measures, Muhammad Tughlaq's The mains source of income available to the
measures were conceived as a part of a Mughal rulers was tax on the produce of
military offensive against the Mongols. the peasantry. In most places, the peasants
paid taxes through the rural elites, i.e., the
24. Answer: (d) headman or the local chieftain. The
Explanation: Mughals used one term – Zamindars – to
describe all intermediaries, whether they
Those who joined the Mughal service were
were local headman of the villages or
enrolled as the Mansabdars. The term
powerful chieftains.
Mansabdar refers to an individual who
holds a Mansab, meaning a position or a Akbar’s revenue minister, Todar Mal,
rank. It was a grading system used by the carried out a careful survey of crop yields,
Mughals to fix: (1) Rank; (2) Salary; and (3) prices and areas cultivated for a 10-year
Military responsibilities. period, 1570-1580. On the basis of this
data, tax was fixed on each crop in cash.
The rank and the salary were determined
Each province was divided into revenue
by a numerical value, called Zat. The
circles, with its own schedule of revenue
higher the Zat, the more prestigious was
rates for individual crops. This revenue
the noble’s position in the court and larger
system was known as Zabt. It was
his salary.
prevalent in those areas where the
The Mansabdar’s military responsibility
Mughal administrators could survey the
required him to maintain a specified
land and keep very careful accounts.
number of Sawars or cavalrymen. The
This was not possible in the provinces,
Mansabdars brought their cavalrymen for
such as Gujarat and Bengal.
review, got them registered, their horses

RAUSIAS-1007 9
26. Answer: (b) Lahore. The grandson of Sultan Mahmud of
Explanation: Ghazni constructed a tomb over his grave
Akbar commissioned the translation of and this tomb-shrine became a site of
many Sanskrit works into Persian. A pilgrimage for his devotees, especially on
Maktab Khana, or translation bureau, his death anniversary. Even today, Hujwiri
was also established at Fatehpur Sikri is revered as Data Ganj Bakhsh or “Giver
for this purpose. The Mahabharata, who bestows treasures” and his
Ramayana, Lilavati and Yogavashisht were mausoleum is called Data Darbar or “Court
some of the notable Sanskrit works that of the Giver”.
were taken up for translation. The
Razmanamah, Persian translation of the 29. Answer: (b)
Mahabharata, contains lavish illustrations Explanation:
of the events of the Mahabharata.  Sanskrit texts and inscriptions
While Akbar was at Fatehpur Sikri, during dating between the 8 and the 14th
th

the 1570s, he started discussions with the centuries, point out that the term
Ulama, the Brahmanas and the Jesuit Musalman or Muslim was virtually
priests, who were Roman Catholics and never used. Instead, the people were
Zoroastrians. These discussions took place occasionally identified in the terms of
in the Ibadat Khana. He was interested in the region from which they came. So,
the religion and social customs of different the Turkish rulers were designated as
people. Turushka; Tajika were the people from
Tajikistan; and Parashika were the
27. Answer: (a) people from Persia. Sometimes, the
Explanation: terms used for other people were
applied to the new migrants. For
The Khojahs, a branch of the Ismailis (a
instance, the Turks and the Afghans
Shia sect), developed new modes of
communication, disseminating the ideas were referred to as the Shakas and the
Yavanas (a term used for the Greeks).
derived from the Quran through indigenous
literary genres. These included the Ginan  A more general term for these migrant
(derived from the Sanskrit Jnana, communities was Mlechchha, indicating
meaning “knowledge”), devotional that they did not observe the norms of
poems in Punjabi, Multani, Sindhi, the caste society and spoke languages
Kachchi, Hindi and Gujarati, sung in that were not derived from Sanskrit.
special ragas during the daily prayer Such terms, sometimes, had a
meetings. derogatory connotation, but they rarely
denoted a distinct religious community
of the Muslims in opposition to the
28. Answer: (a)
Hindus. And as we saw, the term
Explanation:
“Hindu” was used in a variety of ways,
In 1039, Abu’l Hasan al Hujwiri, a native of not necessarily restricted to a religious
Hujwir near Ghazni in Afghanistan, was connotation.
forced to cross the Indus as a captive of the
invading Turkish army. He settled in
30. Answer: (c)
Lahore and wrote a book in Persian, called
the Kashf- ul-Mahjub (Unveiling of the Explanation:
Veiled) to explain the meaning of Tasawwuf, Sulh-i Kul is an Arabic term, meaning
and those who practised it, i.e., the Sufi. “peace with all,” “universal peace,” or
Hujwiri died in 1073 and was buried in “absolute peace,” drawn from a Sufi mystic

RAUSIAS-1007 10
 principle. Abu’l Fazl describes the ideal of court historian Ziyauddin Barani, all of
Sulh-i Kul (absolute peace) as the whom wrote about the Shaikh.
cornerstone of enlightened rule. In Sulh-i Practices that were adopted, including
Kul, all religions and schools of thought bowing before the Shaikh, offering water
had the freedom of expression, but on the to the visitors, shaving the heads of the
condition, that they did not undermine the initiates and yogic exercises,
authority of the state or fight among represented attempts to assimilate local
themselves. traditions.
As applied by the third Mughal emperor of
India, Akbar (who reigned 1556-1605), 32. Answer: (c)
abolished the tax on pilgrimage in 1563 Explanation:
and Jizya in 1564, as the two were based
 When the Shaikh died, his tomb-shrine
on religious discrimination.
(Dargah, a Persian term meaning court)
became the centre of devotion for his
31. Answer: (b) followers. This encouraged the practice
Explanation: of pilgrimage or Ziyarat to his grave,
 The Khanqah was the centre of social particularly on his death anniversary or
life. We know about Shaikh Urs (or marriage, signifying the union of
Nizamuddin’s hospice (c. 14 century)
th his soul with God). This was because
on the banks of river Yamuna in the people believed that in death the
Ghiyaspur, on the outskirts of what was saints were united with God and were,
then the city of Delhi. It comprised thus, closer to Him than when living.
several small rooms and a big hall The people sought their blessings to
(Jamaat Khana), where the inmates and attain material and spiritual benefits.
the visitors lived and prayed. The Thus evolved the cult of the Shaikh
inmates included the family members of revered as Wali.
the Shaikh, his attendants and  Also part of Ziyarat is the use of music
disciples. The Shaikh lived in a small and dance, including mystical chants
room on the roof of the hall, where performed by specially trained
he met the visitors in the morning musicians or Qawwals to evoke divine
and the evening. A veranda ecstasy. The Sufis remember God either
surrounded the courtyard and a by reciting the Zikr (the divine names)
boundary wall ran around the complex. or evoking His Presence through ‘Sama’
On one occasion, fearing a Mongol (literally, “audition”) or performance of
invasion, the people from the mystical music. Sama was integral to
neighbouring areas flocked into the the Chishtis and exemplified interaction
Khanqah to seek refuge. with indigenous devotional traditions.
 There was an open kitchen (Langar),
run on Futuh (unasked for charity). 33. Answer: (a)
From morning till late night, people Explanation:
from all walks of life – soldiers, slaves,
Amir Khusrau (1253-1325), the great
singers, merchants, poets, travellers,
poet, musician and disciple of Shaikh
rich and poor, Hindu Jogis (Yogis) and
Nizamuddin Auliya, gave a unique form
Qalandars – came seeking discipleship, to the Chishti Sama by introducing the
amulets for healing, the intercession of Qaul (Arabic word meaning “saying”), a
the Shaikh in various matters. Other hymn sung at the opening or closing of
visitors included poets, such as Amir Qawwali. This was followed by Sufi poetry
Hasan Sijzi and Amir Khusrau, and the in Persian, Hindavi or Urdu, and

RAUSIAS-1007 11
 sometimes using words from all of these 35. Answer: (d)
languages. Qawwals (those who sing these Explanation:
songs) at the shrine of Shaikh Nizamuddin  The verses ascribed to Kabir have been
Auliya always start their recital with the
compiled in three distinct, but
Qaul. Today Qawwali is performed in
overlapping traditions. The Kabir Bijak
shrines all over the sub-continent.
is preserved by the Kabirpanth (the
path or sect of Kabir) in Varanasi and
34. Answer: (c) elsewhere in Uttar Pradesh; the Kabir
Explanation: Granthavali is associated with the
 A major feature of the Chishti tradition Dadupanth in Rajasthan; and many of
was austerity, including maintaining a his compositions are found in the Adi
distance from the worldly power. Granth Sahib. All these manuscript
However, this was, by no means, a compilations were made long after the
situation of absolute isolation from death of Kabir. By the 19th century, the
political power. The Sufis accepted anthologies of verses attributed to him
unsolicited grants and donations from circulated in print in regions as far
the political elites. The Sultans, in turn, apart as Bengal, Gujarat and
set up charitable trusts (Auqaf) as Maharashtra.
endowments for hospices and granted  Kabir’s poems have survived in several
tax-free land (Inam). languages and dialects, and some are
 The Chishtis accepted donations in composed in the special language of the
cash and kind. Rather than accumulate Nirguna poets, the Sant Bhasha.
donations, they preferred to use these Others, known as Ulatbansi (upside-
fully on immediate requirements, such down sayings), are written in a form in
as food, clothes, living quarters and which everyday meanings are inverted.
ritual necessities (such as Sama). All These hint at the difficulties of
this enhanced the moral authority of capturing the nature of the Ultimate
the Shaikhs, which, in turn, attracted Reality in words: Expressions, such as
the people from all walks of life. “the lotus which blooms without flower”
Further, their piety and scholarship, or the “fire raging in the ocean”, convey
and people’s belief in their miraculous a sense of Kabir’s mystical experiences.
powers made the Sufis popular among
 Diverse and sometimes conflicting ideas
the masses, whose support the kings
are expressed in Kabir’s poems. Some
wished to secure. The kings did not
poems draw on Islamic ideas, and use
simply need to demonstrate their
monotheism and iconoclasm to attack
association with the Sufis; they also
the Hindu polytheism and idol worship.
required legitimation from them.
Others use the Sufi concept of Zikr and
 There were instances of conflict between
Ishq (love) to express the Hindu practice
the Sultans and the Sufis. To assert
of Nam-Simaran (remembrance of God’s
their authority, both expected that
name).
certain rituals be performed, such as
prostration and kissing of the feet.
Occasionally, the Sufi Shaikh was 36. Answer: (d)
addressed with high-sounding titles. Explanation:
For example, the disciples of  It appears that Baba Guru Nanak did
Nizamuddin Auliya addressed him as not wish to establish a new religion, but
Sultan-ul-Mashaikh (literally, Sultan after his death, his followers
amongst the Shaikhs). consolidated their own practices and

RAUSIAS-1007 12
 distinguished themselves from both  Efforts to measure lands continued
Hindus and Muslims. The fifth under subsequent emperors. In 1665,
preceptor, Guru Arjan, compiled Baba Aurangzeb expressly instructed his
Guru Nanak’s hymns along with those revenue officials to prepare annual
of his four successors and other records of the number of cultivators in
religious poets, like Baba Farid, Ravidas each village.
(also known as Raidas) and Kabir in the
Adi Granth Sahib. These hymns, called 38. Answer: (a)
“Gurbani”, are composed in various
Explanation:
languages.
 The Mughal Empire managed to
 In the late 17th century, the tenth
consolidate powers and resources from
preceptor, Guru Gobind Singh, included
the empires of Ming (China), Safavid
the compositions of the ninth guru,
(Iran) and Ottoman (Turkey) during the
Guru Tegh Bahadur, and this scripture
16th and the 17th centuries.
was called Guru Granth Sahib.
 Voyages of discovery and the opening
 Baba Guru Nanak organised his
up of the New World resulted in a
followers into a community. He set up
massive expansion of Asia’s
rules for congregational worship
(particularly India’s) trade with Europe.
(Sangat) involving collective recitation.
 An expanding trade brought huge
He appointed one of his disciples,
amounts of silver bullion into Asia to
Angad, to succeed him as the preceptor
pay for the goods procured from India.
(Guru) and this practice was followed
This was good, as India did not have
for nearly 200 years.
natural resources of silver.
 The period between the 16th and the
37. Answer: (c)
18th centuries was marked by
Explanation:
remarkable stability in the availability of
 Revenue from the land was the metal currency, particularly the silver
economic mainstay of the Mughal Rupya in India.
Empire. The administrative apparatus
 The testimony of an Italian traveller,
included the office (Daftar) of the
Giovanni Careri, who passed through
Diwan, who was responsible for
India in c. 1690, provides a graphic
supervising the fiscal system of the
account of the way silver travelled
empire.
across the globe to reach India.
 The land revenue arrangements
consisted of two stages: First,
39. Answer: (a)
assessment and then actual collection.
Explanation:
Jama was the amount assessed and
Hasil was the amount collected.  Ain-i Akbari is a compilation of
imperial regulations and gazetteer of
 The revenue collector was known as
the Mughal Empire by Abu’l Fazl. It
Amil-Guzar, who made efforts to ensure
was completed in 1598 AD, after
that the peasants paid revenue in cash.
undergoing five revisions. (Demise of
However, the option of payment in kind
Akbar: 1605 AD).
was also kept open.
 The Ain is written in the Persian
 Both cultivated and cultivable lands
language and made up of five books
were measured in each province. The
(Daftars), which include:
Ain compiled the aggregates of such
lands during Akbar’s rule.

RAUSIAS-1007 13
 o First book, Manzil-Abadi, concerns 41. Answer: (a)
the imperial household and its Explanation:
maintenance. Akbar Nama and Badshah Nama (The
o Second book, Sipah-Abadi, covers Chronicle of a King) are among the
the military and civil administration, important illustrated Mughal chronicles.
and the establishment of the Akbar Nama:
servants.
 Authored by: Abu’l Fazl
o Third book, Mulk-Abadi, deals with
 Language: Persian
the fiscal side of the empire and
provides rich quantitative  Commissioned by: Akbar
information on revenue rates.  The Akbar Nama is divided into three
o Fourth and fifth books deal with the books, of which the first two are
religious, literary and cultural chronicles and the third book is Ain-i
traditions of India. Akbari.

 The Ain was a part of a larger project of o First volume contains the history of
history writing commissioned by Akbar. mankind from Adam to one celestial
This history, known as the Akbar Nama, cycle of Akbar’s life (30 years).
comprised three books, the third being o Second volume closes in the forty-
Ain-i Akbari. sixth regnal year (1601) of Akbar.
This text (Ain-i Akbari) meticulously  It was written to provide a detailed
recorded the arrangements made by the description of Akbar’s reign by
state to ensure cultivation, to enable the recording politically significant events
collection of revenue by the agencies of the across time and giving a synchronic
state and to regulate the relationship picture of all aspects of Akbar’s empire
between the state and the rural magnates, – geographic, social, administrative and
the Zamindars. cultural.
The central purpose of the Ain was to  Akbar Nama was translated into
present a vision of Akbar’s empire, where English by Henry Beveridge in the early
social harmony was provided by a strong 20th century.
ruling class. Any revolt or assertion of Badshah Nama:
autonomous power against the Mughal  Authored by: Abdul Hamid Lahori
state was, in the eyes of the author of the
 Language: Persian
Ain, pre-destined to fail.
 Commissioned by: Shah Jahan
 The Badshah Nama is this official
40. Answer: (b)
history of Shah Jahan’s reign in three
Explanation: volumes (Daftars) of ten lunar years
 Mughal historian, Abu’l Fazl, held the each.
art of painting in high esteem. o Lahori wrote the first and the
Drawing the likeness of anything was second Daftars, comprising the first
called Taswir. two decades of the emperor’s rule
 Many paintings were masterpieces (1627-47). These volumes were
comparable to the works of the later revised by Sadullah Khan,
European painters. The minuteness in Shah Jahan’s Wazir.
detail, the general finish and the o The third decade was chronicled
boldness of execution observed in the by the historian Muhammad
pictures made even the inanimate Waris.
objects look as if they have life.

RAUSIAS-1007 14
42. Answer: (b) northern India in the early years of the 17th
Explanation: century. The Ain does not mention tobacco
in the list of crops in northern India. Akbar
Timeline
and his nobles came across tobacco for the
Major Political Developments
first time in 1604. At this time, smoking
1. c. Establishment of the Delhi tobacco (in Hookahs or Chillums) seems to
1200- Sultanate (1206). have caught on in a big way. Jahangir was
1300 so concerned about its addiction that he
2. c. Establishment of the banned it. This was totally ineffective,
1300- Vijayanagara empire (1336); because by the end of the 17th century,
1400 Establishment of the tobacco had become a major article of
Bahmani kingdom (1347); consumption, cultivation and trade all over
India.
Sultanates in Jaunpur,
Kashmir and Madura.
44. Answer: (a)
3. c. Establishment of the
1400- Gajapati kingdom of Orissa Explanation:
1500 (1435); Axis Mundi is a Latin phrase for a pillar or
Establishment of the a pole that is visualised as the support of
the Earth.
Sultanates of Gujarat and
Malwa; Kornish was a form of ceremonial
Emergence of the salutation in which the courtier placed
Sultanates of Ahmadnagar, the palm of his right hand against his
Bijapur and Berar (1490). forehead and bent his head. It suggested
that the subject placed his head – the seat
4. c. Conquest of Goa by the of the senses and the mind – into the hand
1500- Portuguese (1510);
of humility, presenting it to the royal
1600 Collapse of the Bahmani assembly.
kingdom, emergence of the Ghiyasuddin Balban (1266-1287) was the
Sultanate of Golconda first Sultan of Delhi to introduce the
(1518); practice of 'Sijda'. He started Sijda
Establishment of the (prostration) and Paibos as the normal
Mughal empire by Babur forms of salutation of the king.
(1526). In Sijda, the people had to kneel down
and touch the ground with their head to
43. Answer: (d) greet the Sultan.
Explanation:
Peasants, during the Mughal period, held 45. Answer: (b)
their lands in individual ownership. At the Explanation:
same time, they belonged to a collective Grand titles were adopted by the Mughal
village community, as far as many aspects emperors at the time of coronation or after
of their social existence were concerned. a victory over an enemy. The title Asaf
There were three constituents of this Khan for one of the highest ministers
community: The cultivators; the Panchayat; originated with Asaf, the legendary minister
and the village headman (Muqaddam or of the prophet king Sulaiman (Solomon).
Mandal). The title Mirza Raja was accorded by
The spread of tobacco: This plant, which Aurangzeb to his two highest-ranking
arrived first in the Deccan, spread to nobles, Jai Singh and Jaswant Singh. Titles

RAUSIAS-1007 15
 could be earned or paid for. Other awards keeper of revenue records), the
included the robe of honour (Khilat), a Chaudhuri (In charge of revenue
garment once worn by the emperor and collection) and the Qazi. Persian was made
imbued with his benediction. the language of administration throughout,
One gift, the Sarapa (Head to Foot), but local languages were used for village
consisted of a tunic, a turban and a sash accounts.
(Patka). Jewelled ornaments were often
given as gifts by the emperor. The lotus 48. Answer: (a)
blossom set with jewels (Padma Murassa) Explanation:
was given only in exceptional
Kankut: In Hindi language, Kan signifies
circumstances. A courtier never
grain and Kut, estimates. If any doubts
approached the emperor empty handed; he
arise, the crops should be cut and
offered either a small sum of money (Nazr)
estimated in three lots, the good, the
or a large amount (Peshkash).
middling and the inferior, and the
hesitation removed. Often, too, the land
46. Answer: (d) taken by appraisement, gives a sufficiently
Explanation: accurate return.
Tajwiz was a petition presented by a Secondly, in Batai, also called Bhaoli, the
nobleman to the emperor, recommending crops are reaped and stacked, and divided
that an applicant be recruited as a by agreement in the presence of the parties.
Mansabdar. But, in this case, several intelligent
inspectors are required; otherwise, the evil-
47. Answer: (b) minded and false are given to deception.
Explanation: Thirdly, Khet Batai, when they divide
the fields after they are sown.
Key Information Related to the Mughal
Administration: The division of functions Fourthly, Lang Batai, after cutting the
established at the centre was replicated in grains, they form it in heaps and divide
the provinces (Subas), where the ministers it among themselves, and each takes his
had their corresponding subordinates share home and turns it to profit.
(Diwan, Bakhshi and Sadr).
Diwan: In charge of the revenue 49. Answer: (c)
department. Explanation:
Bakshi: In charge of the military In Chola Empire, the ‘Ur’ was a general
department. assembly of the village. However, we know
Sadr: In charge of the judicial department. more about the working of the mahasabha.
The head of the provincial administration This was a gathering of the adult men in
was the Governor (Subadar), who reported the Brahman villages which were called
directly to the emperor. The Sarkars, into agraharams. These were villages with
which each Suba was divided, often Brahman settlements in which most of the
overlapped with the jurisdiction of the land were rent-free. These villages enjoyed
Faujdars (Commandants or administrative a large measure of autonomy. The affairs of
heads), who were deployed with the village were managed by an executive
contingents of heavy cavalry and committee to which educated persons
musketeers in the districts. The local owning property were elected either by
administration was looked after at the level drawing lots or by rotation. These members
of the Pargana (Sub-district) by three semi- had to retire every three years. There were
hereditary officers, the Qanungo (The other committees for helping in the

RAUSIAS-1007 16
 assessment and collection of land revenue, Bhoja probably died in about 885. He was
for maintenance of law and order, justice, succeeded by his son Mahendrapala I.
etc. One of the important committees was Mahendrapala, who ruled till about 908–09
the tank committee which looked after the maintained the empire of Bhoja and
distribution of water to the fields. extended it over Magadha and north
The mahasabha could distribute new Bengal. His inscriptions have also been
lands, and exercise ownership rights over found in Kathiawar, east Punjab and
them. It could also raise loans for the Awadh.
village and levy taxes. Mahendrapala fought a battle with the king
The Uttaramerur inscription “gives of Kashmir but had to yield to him some of
astonishing details about the constitution the territories in the Punjab won by Bhoja.
of wards, the qualification of candidates The Pratiharas, thus, dominated north
standing for elections, the disqualification India for over a hundred years, from the
norms, the mode of election, the early ninth to the middle of the tenth
constitution of committees with elected century.
members, the functions of those Al- Masudi, a native of Baghdad, who
committees, the power to remove the visited Gujarat in 915–16, testifies to the
wrongdoer, etc.” great power and prestige of the Pratihara
rulers and the vastness of their empire. He
calls the Gurjara-Pratihara kingdom al-
50. Answer: (b) Juzr (a corrupt form of Gurjara), and the
Explanation: king Baura, probably a mispronounciation
of Adivaraha the title used by Bhoja,
The name of Bhoja, a Pratihara ruler, is
although Bhoja had died by that time.
famous in legends. Perhaps, the adventures
of Bhoja in the early part of his life, his The Pratiharas were patrons of learning
gradual reconquest of his lost empire, and and literature. The great Sanskrit poet
his final recovery of Kanauj struck the and dramatist, Rajashekhar, lived at the
imagination of his contempories. court of Mahipala, a grandson of Bhoja.
Bhoja was a devotee of Vishnu, and
adopted the title of ‘Adivaraha’ which has
been found inscribed in some of his coins.
He is sometimes called Mihir Bhoja to
distinguish him form Bhoja Paramara of
Ujjain who ruled a little later.

RAUSIAS-1007 17