Medieval History (Part-I)

Total Questions: 60

1. The Mughal school of painting formed the spinal column of different schools of Indian miniature art. Which one of the following painting styles was not affected by Mughal painting? [1995]

Correct Answer: (d) Kalighata
Solution:It does not quite belong to the temper of Mughal painting which was aristocratic, celebrated imperial promp and circumstances.

Mughal paintings are a distinguished Indian painting form that flourished during the Mughal Empire, particularly between the 16th and mid-19th centuries. Renowned for its intricate Persian miniature style, Mughal painting was primarily created on paper for book illustrations or as standalone pieces in albums known as muraqqa.

Mughal paintings emphasise realistic portraiture and detailed, lifelike depictions of animals and plants. Over time, Mughal paintings gave rise to regional styles often described as "post-Mughal" or "provincial Mughal," leaving a lasting impact on South Asia.

2. Who among the following were famous jurists of medieval India? [1995]

(1) Vijnanesvara

(2) Hemadri

(3) Rajasekhara

(4) Jimutavahana

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

Correct Answer: (c) 1, 2 & 4
Solution:Rajsekhara was a sanskrit poet and dramatist. He was best known for Kavyamimamsa as a court poet.
  • Vijnanesvara: A 12th-century jurist who wrote his influential commentary, the Mitakshara, on the Yajnavalkya Smriti. His work significantly shaped civil law in modern India.
  • Jimutavahana: An early medieval scholar whose Dayabhaga provided a commentary on Hindu inheritance and property law, focusing on the Yajnavalkya Smriti.
  • Hemadri: A 14th-century jurist and scholar who wrote extensively on legal texts and was known for his legal work.

3. Which one of the following monuments has a dome which is said to be one of the largest in the world? [1995]

Correct Answer: (d) Gol Gumbaz, Bijapur
Solution:It is the Moussoleum of Muhammad Adil Shah Sur of Bijapur. This is the second largest dome in the world.

Gol Gumbad stands as an epitome of architectural magnificence from the Adil Shahi Dynasty, elegantly merging various medieval Indian styles and providing a unique space for both historical and architectural enthusiasts.

Gol Gumbad

  • Location: Gumbad is situated in Bijapur in the Bijapur District of Karnataka.
  • Historical Context: It was built as the burial place of Muhammad Adil Shah, the seventh Sultan of the Adil Shahi Dynasty (1626–1656).
  • This monumental edifice reflects the architectural legacy of the Adil Shahi Dynasty which ruled Bijapur between 1489 and 1686.

4. Ashtapradhan was a council of ministers: [1995]

Correct Answer: (d) in the Maratha administration
Solution:It was constituted by Shivaji in Maratha administration.

They were as follows
: Peshwa– Prime Minister.
Amatya/ Mazumdar– Finance Minister.
Samant/ Dabir– Foreign Minister.
Waqia-Navis– Home Minister. Sachiv– Secretary, preparing royal edicts.
Sar-i-Naubat or Senapati– Commander-in-Chief, managing the forces and defense of the Empire.
Nyayadhish– Chief Justice, dispensing justice on civil and criminal matters.
Panditrao– High Priest, managing internal religious matters.

5. Consider the map given below: [1995]

The route indicated in the map was followed, during the course of his military exploits, by:

Correct Answer: (d) Malik Kafur
Solution:

Alauddin Khalji sent Malik Kafur (popularly known as Hazar Dinari) for southern expedition and he reached up to Kanyakumari.

After subjugating the Hoysalas, Malik Kafur invaded the Pandya kingdom in present-day Tamil Nadu, taking advantage of a war of succession between the Pandya brothers Vira and Sundara.

During 1310-1311, the Delhi Sultanate ruler Alauddin Khalji sent an army led by Malik Kafur to the southernmost kingdoms of India. During March-April 1311, he raided several places in the Pandya territory, including their capital Madurai.

He was unable to make the Pandya king a tributary to the Delhi Sultanate but obtained huge plunder, including elephants, horses, gold, and precious stones.

6. The term 'Apabhramsa' was used in medieval Sanskrit texts to denote: [1996]

Correct Answer: (c) early forms of some of the modern Indian language
Solution:

Apabhramsa was a collection of ancient North Indian vernacular dialects that served as a linguistic bridge between the Middle Indo-Aryan languages (like Prakrit) and the early Modern Indo-Aryan languages (such as Hindi, Gujarati, and Marathi) from roughly the 6th to the 13th centuries CE. The term, derived from the Sanskrit word for "corrupt" or "non-grammatical language," initially described vernacular speech that deviated from classical Sanskrit. However, these dialects evolved into a significant literary language, especially for Jain and Buddhist texts, capturing the cultural and artistic heritage of medieval India.

7. Nastaliq was: [1996]

Correct Answer: (a) a persian script used in medieval India
Solution:It was a persian script during Mughal period.
The Nastaliq is a Perso-Arabic script used as the preferred style for a variety of languages, Dari and Pashto in Afghanistan, and Persian in Iran. Nastaliq’s popularity extends to South Asia where the calligraphic hand is utilized by the Urdu and Kashmiri languages in India and Pakistan. Through its usage in various languages over the centuries, the Nastaliq script has developed an exclusive relationship with the Punjabi and Urdu languages.

8. The sufi saint who maintained that devotional music was one way of coming close to God was; [1996]

Correct Answer: (a) Muin-ud-din Chisti
Solution:

Shaikh Muin-ud-din Chishti, was a saint of Chishti Silsilah, introduced in India by Shaikh Muin-ud-din Sijzi (1236 A.D.) Wahd-tul-wajud (unity of the phenomenal world) by Sama and Mehfil, which is recitation of the names of God, was a prominent feature of the silsilah, underlined by Muin-ud-din Chishti.

Silsilah sect: The word 'Silsila' is related to Sufi Sampraday. 'Silsila' means a chain which signifies a continuous link between master and disciple. Sufi orders are also known as Silsila in and outside India.

9. Mughal painting reached its zenith under: [1996]

Correct Answer: (c) Jahangir
Solution:Jahangir was the Mughal Emperor from 1605-1627. Apart from hunting, battle and court scenes, under Jahangir special progress were made in portrait painting and paintings of animals. Mansur was the great name in this field. Portrait painting also became fashionable.

10. In medieval India, Mansabdari system was introduced for: [1996]

Correct Answer: (d) effecting clean administration
Solution:Mansabdari system was introduced in 1595-96, was a combined status showing a noble's civil and military capacity.
  • The word Mansab means a place, a position, an honour, and a rank, and it was an integral part of the Mughal bureaucracy. The Mansabdari System, introduced by Akbar, was a unique feature of the Mughal Empire’s civil and military administrative system.
  • Under this system, every officer was assigned a rank (mansab).
  • The lower rank was 10, and the highest was 5000 for the nobles; towards the end of his reign, it was raised to 7000.
  • Higher Mansabs were allotted to the princes of the blood.
  • Mansab decided the holder’s status in the graded official hierarchy, fixed the pay of the holder or the Mansabdar, and made it obligatory to maintain a specified number of contingents with horses and necessary equipment.