Ans: C

Exp:

The “Chahalgani” or “Chalisa” was a council of forty influential nobles during the Delhi Sultanate in India. It was established during the reign of Sultan Iltutmish, who ruled from 1211 to 1236. The purpose of this council was to advise the Sultan on matters of governance, particularly in the administration of the empire.

Iltutmish was the third ruler of the Delhi Sultanate and played a significant role in consolidating the Sultanate’s power in northern India. He is often credited with establishing many administrative and governance structures that helped in the stability and expansion of the Delhi Sultanate. The “Chahalgani” was one such institution that contributed to the efficient administration of the Sultanate during his reign.

Ans: A

Exp:

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Delhi Sultans’ rule in the early thirteenth century hardly ever extended beyond fortified towns manned by garrisons. The Sultans relied on trade, tribute, or looting for their supplies because they rarely had authority over the hinterlands surrounding the cities. It was incredibly challenging for Delhi to control garrison towns in remote Bengal and Sind. Rebellion, conflict, even adverse weather, can break down delicate communication lines. Invasion by the Mongols from Afghanistan and governors who revolted at any indication of the Sultan’s weakness were further threats to the state. The Sultanate barely made it through these difficulties. During the reigns of Ghiyasuddin Balban, Alauddin Khalji, and Muhammad Tughluq, in the later 13th and 14th century the empire expanded.

Statement 2 is correct: After 150 years after some modest beginnings, Muhammad Tughluq’s reign saw the Delhi Sultanate’s army marching across a sizable portion of the subcontinent. They had taken cities and routed rival armies. The peasantry paid taxes to the Sultanate, which also administered justice throughout its domain.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Consolidating the hinterlands of the garrison towns was the goal of the first wave of wars along the Sultanate’s “internal frontier”. In the Ganga-Yamuna doab, trees were cut down during these campaigns, and pastoralists and hunter-gatherers were driven from their homes. Peasants were granted access to these fields, and agriculture was promoted. To safeguard trade routes and advance local trade, new forts and towns were built. The Sultanate’s “external frontier” was where the second expansion took place. Alauddin Khalji’s rule saw the beginning of military incursions into southern India, which came to a end under Muhammad Tughluq. Sultanate troops captured elephants, horses, slaves, and valuable metals during their campaigns.

Ans: B

Exp:

Statement 1 is incorrect: A large empire like the Delhi Sultanate needed trustworthy governors and bureaucrats to consolidate. The early Delhi Sultans, especially Iltutmish, preferred their special slaves recruited for military duty, known as bandagan in Persian, rather than installing aristocrats and landed chieftains as administrators. To fill some of the most significant political positions in the kingdom, they underwent thorough training. The Sultan could count on them since they were fully reliant on his lord.

Statement 2 is correct: The Khiljis and Tughlaqs rulers, like the earlier Sultans, picked military leaders to serve as governors of variously sized provinces. These territories were known as iqta, and the person who owned them was known as iqtadar or muqti. The muqtis’ responsibilities included overseeing military operations and upholding law and order in their iqtas. The muqtis received the proceeds from their tasks as payment for their military services.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The proceeds collected from taxes were also used to pay the soldiers. The best way to control muqtis was to prevent them from inheriting their position and to provide them iqtas for a little period of time before shifting them. During the reigns of Alauddin Khalji and Muhammad Tughluq, these severe service requirements were strictly enforced. The government appointed accountants to oversee the muqtis’ revenue collection. It was made sure that the muqti merely retained the necessary number of soldiers and collected the taxes that the government had imposed. The Delhi Sultans forced the landed chieftains, known as samanta nobles, and wealthy landowners to submit to their rule as they seized control of the countryside of the cities. The state took over the assessment and collection of land revenue under Alauddin Khalji and made it more centralised. The local chieftains’ ability to levy taxes was taken away, and they also had to pay taxes.

Ans: C

Exp:

Muhammad Bin Tughluq gave his soldiers cash salaries in the form of payments. However, rather than regulating prices, he created a “token” currency, which was similar to modern paper money but was constructed of inexpensive metals rather than precious metals like gold and silver.  He issued bronze coins at par with the value of the silver tanka coins. He had also introduced the copper currency system but later withdrew both.These coins were not trusted by the populace in the fourteenth century. They were quite wise, saving their gold and silver coins to use as token money to pay their state taxes. This inexpensive money was equally simple to counterfeit.

Ans: A

Exp:

On April 21, 1526, the First Battle of Panipat took place, and it was a crucial turning point in Indian history. The conflict matched the army of the Delhi Sultanate under Sultan Ibrahim Lodi against the invading armies of Babur, the creator of the Mughal Empire.

Statement 1 is correct: Prior to the First Battle of Panipat, the Delhi Sultanate, which had been weakened by internal struggle and inadequate leadership, ruled over North India. Babur, a Timurid and Genghis Khan ancestor, had made a name for himself as a strongman in what are now modern-day Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. Babur conquered Lahore in 1524 and utilised it as a staging area for his invasion of India, which led to the First Battle of Panipat.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Babur’s better strategies, creative artillery use, and well-ordered men would prove crucial in the conflict. Babur used a formation known as the “Tulughma,” in which a central force was supported by two flanks that could encircle the opponent. In addition, he used artillery and matchlock weapons, which were relatively new in Indian warfare at the time.

Statement 3 is correct: Babur won the First Battle of Panipat with ease, and Sultan Ibrahim Lodi was killed there as well. The Mughal Empire was established in India as a result of Babur’s conquest of Delhi and Agra. The Mughal Empire went on to become one of the most powerful and significant empires in Indian history, and it is well-known for the Taj Mahal and other architectural marvels as well as its contributions to literature, science, and the arts.