A. Fill in the blanks
1. ______ was the founder of the Khalji Dynasty.
โค Jalal-ud-din Khalji was the founder of the Khalji Dynasty.
2. Dagh and chehra were introduced by ______.
โค Alauddin Khalji introduced dagh and chehra.
3. ______ and ______ were two rituals introduced by Balban in his court.
โค Sijda and Paibos were two rituals introduced by Balban in his court.
4. The ______ was the master of ceremonies at the sultanโs court.
โค The Amir-i-dad was the master of ceremonies at the sultanโs court.
5. The ______ was the head of the pargana.
โค The Shiqdar (or Mukaddam) was the head of the pargana.
B. Match the Columns
Column A Column B
1. Mamluk ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย (c) Slave
2. Raziya Sultan ย ย ย ย (d) 1236โ1240
3. Alauddin Khalji ย (a) Hauz Khas
4. Iqta ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย (e) Division of the empire
5. Muhammad bin (b) transfer of capital
Tughlaqย ย ย ย
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
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E. Short Answer Type Questions (50โ60 words)
1. Who can be considered the real founder of the Delhi Sultanate? And:-Iltutmish is considered the real founder of the Delhi Sultanate. He consolidated the kingdom after Qutb-ud-din Aibakโs death, established a strong administrative system, introduced the silver tanka and copper jital, and made Delhi the capital. His efforts gave the Sultanate a stable foundation.
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2. Describe the challenges faced by Raziya Sultan.
Ans:- Raziya Sultan faced strong opposition from the nobles who did not accept a woman ruler. They constantly plotted against her. She also faced revolts from provincial governors and was betrayed by her own supporters. Eventually, she lost her throne and life due to these conspiracies.
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3. Discuss the Slave Dynasty. Write a note on any two rulers.
Ans:- The Slave Dynasty (1206โ1290) was the first dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate, founded by Qutb-ud-din Aibak.
Qutb-ud-din Aibak began construction of the Qutub Minar and built mosques in Delhi and Ajmer.
Iltutmish expanded the empire, improved administration, and introduced coins called tanka and jital.
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4. Identify the public works done by Firoz Shah Tughluq.
Ans:- Firoz Shah Tughluq built many canals for irrigation, repaired old buildings, and constructed new cities like Firozabad. He built mosques, madrasas, hospitals, and the famous Firoz Shah Kotla in Delhi. His reign is known for welfare and development works.
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5. What happened to the powerful samantas?
Ans:- The samantas (feudal lords) lost their power when the Delhi Sultans centralized administration. Their lands were taken over and turned into iqtas under government officials. The sultans kept strict control to prevent rebellion and strengthen the central authority.
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F. Long Answer Type Questions (80โ100 words)
1. The nobility was a powerful influence on the Delhi sultans. Examine.
Ans:- The nobles played an important role in the Delhi Sultanate as administrators and military officers. However, their power often created problems for the sultans. They formed powerful groups like the Chalisa (group of forty nobles) that tried to control the throne. Sultans like Balban had to take strict steps to curb their power by introducing rituals such as sijda and paibos and emphasizing royal authority.
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2. Discuss the administration under the Delhi sultans.
Ans:- The Delhi Sultanate had a well-organized central and provincial administration. The sultan was the supreme ruler assisted by ministers such as the wazir (finance), ariz-i-mamalik (army), and diwan-i-insha (correspondence). The empire was divided into iqtas governed by iqtadars. Law and order were maintained through a strong army and efficient judicial system.
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3. What were the consequences of Muhammad bin Tughluqโs experiments? Explain in detail.
Ans:- Muhammad bin Tughluqโs experiments, like shifting the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad, introducing token currency, and increasing taxes, all failed. The capital transfer caused hardship, the token coins led to counterfeit money, and heavy taxes angered peasants. These failures weakened his rule and reduced the peopleโs trust in his administration.
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4. Discuss the reforms made by Alauddin Khalji.
Ans:- Alauddin Khalji introduced many reforms to strengthen his empire. He fixed prices of goods and set up markets to control inflation. He introduced dagh (branding of horses) and chehra (descriptive rolls of soldiers) to maintain an efficient army. He also controlled nobles to prevent rebellion and built the Hauz Khas reservoir for Delhiโs water supply.
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5. Write about Timurโs invasion and the beginning of the Sayyid Dynasty.
Ans:- Timur invaded India in 1398 during the rule of Nasir-ud-din Tughluq. He defeated the Sultanโs army, plundered Delhi, and killed thousands. After his return to Central Asia, the Tughluq dynasty collapsed. In 1414, Khizr Khan, Timurโs governor in India, established the Sayyid Dynasty, marking a new phase in the Delhi Sultanateโs history.