1.Who among the following took away the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond and Shah Jahan’s jewel-studded Peacock Throne?
A. Muhammad Shah
B. Ranjeet Singh
C. Shah Alam II
D. Nadir Shah
Solution
The correct answer is Nadir Shah.
Key Points
- Nadir Shah took away the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond and Shah Jahan’s jewel-studded Peacock Throne.
- In 1739, The Kohinoor, mounted at the head of one of the peacocks on Shah Jahan’s Peacock Throne, left India and the Mughal treasury when Nader Shah carved the Peacock Throne out of the Delhi Cloth.
- He carries the Kohinoor to his native Iran, along with the treasury of eight generations of Mughals.
- The Peacock Throne, along with other Mughal jewels, is then on display at Herat.
- Ahmad Khan Abdali, Nader Shah’s most loyal and senior Afghan general, is gifted with the Kohinoor diamond and the Timur Ruby, both of which Nader Shah stripped from the Peacock Throne, the first lady of Nader Shah’s harem as a reward for protecting the harem and overpowering the renegade looters in the aftermath of the assassination.
- Ahmad Khan Abdali, who then continues to wear the Kohinoor in a bracelet, leaves for Kandahar, taking the Kohinoor with him.
- Nadir Shah was one of Iran’s most powerful rulers in Iranian history, reigning as Shah of Iran (Persia) from 1736 to 1747 when he was assassinated during an uprising.
Additional Information
- Muhammad Shah:
- He was an ineffective, pleasure-seeking Mughal emperor of India.
- Due to his pleasure-loving attitude, he was also called Rangila.
- His name was Roshan Akhtar.
- Maharaja Ranjit Singh:
- He is known for uniting the various Sikh factions into one prosperous empire.
- He expanded his empire by annexing states around him. The Sikh Empire existed
from 1799 till 1849. - The major towns in Ranjit Singh’s empire were Lahore, Amritsar, Multan, Peshawar, Jammu, Srinagar, Rawalpindi, and Sialkot.
- Ranjit Singh was declared the ‘Maharaja of Punjab’ on 12 April 1801.
- Ranjit Singh’s army was known as the Khalsa army.
- Ranjit Singh, renowned as Sher-e-Punjab (Lion of Punjab), is remembered for the
possession of the Koh-i-Noor diamond. - Maharaja Ranjit Singh is well-known for the golden beautification of the Harmandir Sahib Gurdwara in Amritsar, famously known as the Golden Temple.
- Shah Alam II:
- He is popularly known as ‘Ali Gauhar’, was defeated in the Battle of Buxar.
- Shah Alam II, born Ali Gauhar was the seventeenth Mughal Emperor and the son of Alamgir II.
- Shah Alam II became the emperor of a crumbling Mughal empire.
- He was popularly known as Shahi-i- Bekhabar by Khafi Khan due to his appeasement parties by grants of title and rewards.
- Shah Alam also penned the famous book Ajaib-ul-Qasas which is considered one of the earliest and prominent books of prose in Urdu.
2. Bengal gradually broke away from Mughal control under______.
A. Mukarram Khan
B. Ali Kadir
C. Alivardi Khan
D. Murshid Quli Khan
Solution
The correct answer is Murshid Quli Khan.
Key Points
- Bengal gradually broke away from Mughal control under Murshid Quli Khan.
- Murshid Quli Khan declared himself the Nawab of Bengal.
- He shifted his capital from Dhaka to Murshidabad.
- Murshid Quli Khan, also known as Mohammad Hadi and born as Surya Narayan Mishra, was the first Nawab of Bengal, serving from 1717 to 1727.
Additional Information
- Mukarram Khān Chishtī was the Subahdar of Bengal during the reign of Mughal emperor Jahangir from 1626 to 1627.
- Alivardi Khan was the Nawab of Bengal from 1740 to 1756.
- He toppled the Nasiri dynasty of Nawabs and assumed power himself.
- He is also known for his victory during the Battle of Burdwan against the Maratha Empire during the Maratha invasions of Bengal.
3. In which of the following years the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II appointed the English East India Company as the Diwan of the province of Bengal?
A. 1865
B. 1665
C. 1735
D. 1765
Solution
The correct answer is 1765.
Key Points
- In 1765 the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II appointed the English East India Company as the Diwan of the province of Bengal.
- Shah Alam II agreed to:
- Reside at Allahabad, to be ceded to him by the Nawab of Awadh, under the Company’s protection.
- Issue a Farman granting the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa to the East India Company in lieu of an annual payment of Rs 26 lakh.
- A provision of Rs 53 lakh to the Company in return for Nizamat functions (military defence, police, and administration of justice) of the said provinces.
- Robert Clive did not want to annex Awadh because it would have placed the Company under an obligation to protect an extensive land frontier from the Afghan and the Maratha invasions.
Additional Information
- The Treaty of Allahabad, 1765:
- Robert Clive concluded two important treaties at Allahabad in August 1765
- With the Nawab of Awadh and,
- With the Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam II.
4. In which year did the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II issued a farman granting Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha to the East India Company?
A. 1732
B. 1765
C. 1756
D. 1740
Solution
The correct answer is 1765.
Key Points
- In 1765 Mughal emperor Shah Alam II issued a farman granting Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha to the East India Company.
- Shah Alam II agreed to Reside at Allahabad, to be ceded to him by the Nawab of Awadh, under the Company’s protection.
- Issue a Farman granting the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa to the East India Company in lieu of an annual payment of Rs 26 lakh.
- A provision of Rs 53 lakh to the Company in return for Nizamat functions (military defence, police, and administration of justice) of the said provinces.
Additional Information
- The Treaty of Allahabad, 1765:
- Robert Clive concluded two important treaties at Allahabad in August 1765
- With the Nawab of Awadh and,
- With the Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam II. Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula agreed to:
- Surrender Allahabad and Kara to Emperor Shah Alam II.
- Pay Rs 50 lakh to the Company as war indemnity
- Give Balwant Singh, Zamindar of Banaras, full possession of his estate.
5. Dara Shikoh was the son of:
A. Farrukhsiyar
B. Shah Jahan
C. Aurangzeb
D. Jahangir
Solution
The correct answer is Shah Jahan.
Key Points
- Dara Shikoh was the son of Shah Jahan.
- He was given the title Padshahzada-i-Buzurg Martaba (“Prince of High Rank”) Unlike Aurangzeb, Dara was an open-minded Muslim.
- He was a great patron of the arts and Philosophy.
- His Inclination wasn’t much towards the military.
- He also did the Persian translations of the Yoga Vasishta and Bhagavad Gita.
Additional Information
- Farrukhsiyar:
- Farruksiyar was born on 20 August 1685 in the city of Aurangabad on the Deccan Plateau.
- He was the son of Azim-ush-Shan (the second son of emperor Bahadur Shah I) and Sahiba Nizwan.
- In 1696, Farrukhsiyar accompanied his father on his campaign to Bengal.
- He spent his early years in the capital city of Dhaka during the reign of Bahadur Shah I, he moved to Murshidabad.
- He was the Mughal emperor from 1713 to 1719 after he murdered Jahandar Shah.
- In 1712 Jahandar Shah ascended the throne of the Mughal Empire by defeating Farrukhsiyar’s father.
- Farrrukhsiyar became the king of the Mughal kingdom with the help of the Sayyid brothers.
- Aurangzeb (1658 AD-1707 AD):
- Aurangzeb defeated Dara at Dharmat (1658 AD), Samugarh (1658 AD), and Deorai, in which Samugarh was the decisive one and Deorai was the last one.
- After the victory, Aurangzeb was crowned at Delhi under the title Alamgir.
- He died in February 1707 in Ahmadnagar.
- Jahangir:
- He was born to Maryam-uz-Zamani and Akbar on August 30, 1569.
- He was named Sultan Muhammad Salim after Shaikh Salim Chishti of Fatehpur Sikri.
- Akbar called him Sheik Babu.
- After his coronation, he assumed the title of Nur-ud-din Muhammad Jahangir Badshah Ghazi.
- Jahangir was the only surviving son of Akbar who after his father’s death ascended the throne in 1604, at the age of 34 years.
6. ____ was the residence of the Mughal emperors of India for nearly 200 years until 1857.
A. Jehangir Mahal
B. Red Fort
C. Agra Fort
D. Pari Mahal
Solution
The correct answer is Red Fort.
Key Points
- Red Fort was the main residence of the emperors in the Mughal dynasty for nearly 200 years.
- The Red Fort of Agra was founded by Akbar.
- Red Fort at Delhi was built by Shah Jahan.
Additional Information
| Monuments | Location |
| Agra Fort | Agra |
| Fatehpur Sikri | Agra |
| Buland Darwaza | Agra |
| Humayun’s Tomb | Delhi |
| Akbar’s Tomb | Sikandra |
7. Who among the following laid the foundation of independent Awadh dynasty?
A. Chin Qilich Khan
B. Marthanda Varma
C. Saadat Khan
D. Haider Ali
Solution
The correct answer is Saadat Khan.
Key Points
- In 1724, Saadat Khan Burhan Ul Mulk founded the Awadh Autonomous or independent kingdom by declaring its independence from the Mughals with their capital in Faizabad and Lucknow.
- The Nawabs of Awadh were semi-autonomous rulers within the fragmented polities of Mughal India after its death in 1707 of Aurangzeb.
- Muhammed Shah, the ruler of the Mughal empire, appointed Saadat Khan as the governor of Awadh.
- Awadh was one of the most important states to emerge out of the breakup of the Mughal empire.
- Burhan -ul -Mulk handled the Subadari, Diwani, and Faujdari which are the political, military, and financial authorities of the empire.
- He also managed to reduce the Mughal influence.
- He had helped in overthrowing the Sayyid brothers.
- The king appointed Saadat Khan to negotiate and convince Nadir Shah so that he stopped attacking the country and returned to his country on payment of a huge amount of money.
- When Nadir Shah failed to get the promised amount of money, his anger was felt by the dense population of Delhi.
- He ordered a general massacre, Saadat Khan deeply affected by the incident, committed suicide due to humiliation and shame.
- Saadat Khan who was also known as the first Nawab of Awadh founded the city of Faizabad on the outskirts of the city of Ayodhya.
8. Who among the following lived in India during the rule of Mughal emperor Akbar?
A. Ziauddin Barani
B. Amir Khusrau
C. Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan
D. Ghiyas-ud-din Balban
Solution
The correct answer is Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana.
Key Points
- Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan court poet of Mughal emperor Akbar was an eminent scholar of Sanskrit, Hindi and Rajasthani alongside Persian, Arabic and Turki.
- He was one of the nine important rank holders of Navratnas from the court of Mughal emperor Akbar.
- He was the son of Bairam Khan mentor and guardian of Akbar.
- He translated Baburnama into Persian and also wrote two astrology books in Sanskrit named Khetakautukam, and Dwatrimshadyogavali.
Additional Information
- Ziauddin Barani was the court poet of Firuz Shah Tughlaq.
- Compositions of Ziauddin Baran: Tarikh-i-firozshahi, fatwa-i-jahandari.
- Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi is a work on medieval India, which covers the period from the reign of Ghiyas-ud-din Balban to the first six years of the reign of Firoz Shah Tughluq.
- Amir Khusrau (1253-1325) known as Tuti e-Hind and “Turk of India” for his poetic eloquence and fluency in Persian and Hindavi.
- He was a musician, scholar and poet, a Sufi mystic and a spiritual follower of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi.
- He enriched Hindustani classical music with Persian and Arabic elements.
- Ghiyas ud din Balban belonged to the Mamluk dynasty.
- He was the 9th sultan of the Mamluk dynasty. Since Sultan Nasiruddin did not have a male heir, Balban became the Sultan of Delhi.
- There were 5 dynasties in the Delhi Sultanate.
- The Mamluk dynasty was the first dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. It reigned from 1206-1290.
9. Babur introduced a technique of warfare called ‘____’ which divided the army into different divisions to flank the enemy from all sides.
A. Charah
B. Khums
C. Tulughma
D. Araba
Solution
The correct answer is Tulughma.
Key Points
- The new war tactics introduced by Babur were the tulughma and the araba.
- Tulughma meant dividing the whole army into various units, viz. the Left, the Right and the Centre.
- The Left and Right divisions were further subdivided into Forward and Rear divisions.
- Through this a small army could be used to surround the enemy from all the sides.
- The Centre Forward division was then provided with carts (araba) which were placed in rows facing the enemy and tied to each other with animal hide ropes.
- Behind them were placed cannons protected and supported by mantelets which could be used to easily manoeuvre the canons.
- These two tactics made Babur’s artillery lethal.
Additional Information
- The First Battle of Panipat (21 April 1526) fought near a small village of Panipat Haryana.
- The battle was fought between the invading forces of Zahir-ud-din Babur and Lodi Empire during the rule of Ibrahim Lodi.
- The Mughal forces of Babur, the ruler of Kabulistan, defeated ruling army of Ibrahim Lodi, Sultan of Delhi.
- Babur’s tactics of Tulughma and Araba that led him to victory.
10. Which of the following monuments is NOT in Uttar Pradesh?
A. Tomb of Jahangir
B. Tomb of Akbar
C. Tomb of Shaikh Salim Chisti
D. Tomb of Itmad-ud-daula
Solution
The correct answer is Tomb of Jahangir.
Key Points
- The Tomb of Jahangir is a 17th-century mausoleum built for the Mughal Emperor Jahangir.
- The mausoleum dates from 1637 and is located in Shahdara Bagh near the city of Lahore, Pakistan, along the banks of the Ravi River.
- Hence it is not in Uttar Pradesh.
Important Points
- Akbar’s tomb is the tomb of the Mughal emperor Akbar.
- It was built in 1605–1613 by his son Jahangir and is situated on 119 acres of grounds in Sikandra, a sub of Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India.
- The Tomb of Salim Chishti is famed as one of the finest examples of Mughal architecture in India, built during the years 1580 and 1581, along with the imperial complex at Fatehpur Sikri, Agra UP.
- Tomb of I’timād-ud-Daulah is a Mughal mausoleum in the city of Agra in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Additional Information
- Uttar Pradesh has the maximum number of monuments in India that count a total number of 3,685 monuments.
- The place is known as the ‘heartland of India’ due to its cultural heritage and historical relevance.
- Most of the monuments in India are well-maintained by the Archaeological department of India. However, these popular spots foresay the ruthlessness of previous rulers and their impact on them.
- Maharashtra has the maximum number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
- There are now 42 World Heritage sites in India, out of which 34 are cultural sites, 7 natural sites, and 1 mixed site.
