Ans: D

Exp:

Aurangzeb assumed the title Alamgir, World Conqueror. He was also called Zinda Pir. Masir – I Alamgiri book written by Mustaid Khan throws light on Aurangzeb’s rule. During his reign, the Mughal Empire reached its greatest extent, ruling over nearly the entire Indian subcontinent. He annexed Bijapur (1686) & Golkonda (1687) and extended the Mughal Empire further south. He faced tough fight from Shivaji Maharaj – the Maratha king who had carved out an independent state. He discontinued the Official departments of history. He issued Zawabit-i- Alamgir (decrees of Aurangzeb) and appointed Muhtasibs to enforce moral codes given under it. During his reign, Drinking was prohibited & cultivation and use of bhang and other drugs were banned. Although he was proficient in playing Veena, Aurangzeb forbade music in the court. He also discontinued the practice of Jarokha darshan.

Ans: B

Exp:

Ashta Pradhan means “Council of Eight” was an administrative and advisory council set up by the Indian Hindu Maratha leader Shivaji (died 1680), which contributed to his successful military attacks on the Muslim Mughal Empire and to the good government of the territory over which he established his rule. The council’s senior member, the peshwa, or mukhya pradhan, was in charge of general administration and held the state seal. The amatya, or mazumdar, and the pant sachir dealt with finance, the sumanta with foreign affairs, and the mantri with intelligence and police reports. The commander in chief (senapati) together with a legal member (nyayadhisha) and a member for religious matters (pandit rao) completed the council. All except the last two held military commands, their civil duties often being performed by deputies. These deputies, along with a staff of secretaries, formed the nucleus of the peshwa’s bureaucracy.

Ans: B

Exp:

Pair 1 is correctly matched: Unlike the Kolhapur Bhonsles and the descendants of Vyamkoji at Thanjavur, both of whom claimed a status equal to that of the Satara raja, the line at Nagpur was clearly subordinate to the Satara rulers. A crucial figure from this line is Raghuji Bhonsle (ruled 1727–55), who was responsible for the Maratha incursions on Bengal and Bihar in the 1740s and early 1750s.

Pair 2 is incorrectly matched:  The Gaikwads, gathered prominence in the 1720. Initially they were subordinate not only to the Bhonsles but also to the powerful Dabhade family. However, it was only after the death of Sahu, when the power of the peshwas was further enhanced, that the position of the Gaikwads truly improved. By the early 1750s, their rights on large portion of the revenues of Gujarat were recognized by the peshwa. The expulsion of the Mughal governor of the Gujarat province from his capital of Ahmadabad in 1752 set the seal on the process. The Gaikwads preferred, however, to establish their capital in Baroda, causing realignment in the network of trade and consumption in the area.

Pair 3 is incorrectly matched: In the case of the Holkars of Indore, the rise in status and wealth was particularly rapid and marked. Initially they had very little political power. However by 1730s their chief Malhar Rao Holkar consolidated his position. He was granted a large share of the chauth collection in Malwa, eastern Gujarat, and Khandesh. Within a few years, Malhar Rao consolidated his own principality at Indore, from which his successors controlled important trade routes as well as the crucial trading centre of Burhanpur. 

Pair 4 is correctly matched: The Sindhias of Gwalior carved a prominent place for themselves in North Indian politics in the decades following the third battle of Panipat (1761). Again, like the Holkars, the Sindhias were based largely in central India, first at Ujjain, and later (from the last quarter of the 18th century) in Gwalior. 

Ans: C

Exp:

Statement 1 is correct: In 1336, Vijayanagar kingdom was established by Harihara and Bukka, who were two brothers and served under the army of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq. Between 1336 and 1565, Vijayanagar was ruled by three different dynastiesSangama, who remained in power till 1485; the Saluva, who remained in power till 1503 and the Tuluvas. The last dynasty was the Aravidu dynasty which ruled till seventeenth century.

Statement 2 is incorrect: One of the most important rulers of the Vijayanagar states was Krishnadevaraya, the founder of the Tuluva dynasty. He completely shattered the Adil Shahi forces of Bijapur first and attacked Gulbarga and set free three Bahamani princes who were imprisoned there Krishnadevaraya built some fine stone temples and added impressive gopurams or gateways to many important South Indian temples.

Statement 3 is correct:  One of the important characteristics of the Vijayanagar administration was the amaranayaka system.  In this system, the commander of the Vijayanagar army was called the nayaka.  Each nayaka was given an area for administration  The nayaka was responsible for expanding agricultural activities in his area.  The amara-nayakas sent tribute to the king annually and personally appeared in the royal court with gifts to express their loyalty.

Ans: D

Exp: 

In 1443, Abdul Razzaq, an envoy of Shah Rukh, the Timurid sultan of Herat visited the Vijayanagar Empire. Abdul Razzaq noticed seven rings of ramparts protecting the city, but not all these can be traced today. He also gives details about the ceremonies of the rulers, and the processions of the Mahanavami festival. (Reliefs on the Hazara Rama Temple in the Royal Centre carved about the same time may portray scenes from this festival.) He was a Persian, Timurid chronicler and a scholar who visited the Vijaynagar Kingdom at the time of Dev Raya II as an ambassador of Shah Rukh, the Timurid dynasty ruler of Persia. He gives an account of the reign of Devaraya II in his Matla as Sadain Wa Majma ul Bahrain.