Q 1 – What do you understand by the word ‘Dehliwal’?
Ans – Making coins by melting was called Dehliwal which were in the wide circulation.
Q 2 – When was the Delhi Sultanate founded?
Ans – At the beginning of the 13th century Delhi Sultanate was founded.
Q 3 – When did Delhi become an important city?
Ans – Delhi became an important city only in the 12th century.
Q 4 – What was captured by the army of Sultans?
Ans – Sultanate army captured elephants, horses, and slaves and carried away precious metals.
Q 5 – When did Delhi become an important commercial centre?
Ans – Under Tomaras and Chauhans Delhi became an important commercial centre.
Q 6 – When was the Begumpuri mosque built?
Ans – Begumpuri mosque was built in the regime of Muhammad Tughluq.
Q 7 – Which language was the administrative language of the Delhi Sultanates?
Ans – The administrative language of the Delhi Sultanates was Persian.
Q 8 – Describe in brief Tughluq’s policy of ‘token’ currency.
Ans – Tughluq did not control the prices of the goods. Instead, he used a token currency, made out of cheap metals, and not of gold and silver.
People in the 14th century did not believe in these coins. They saved their gold and silver coins and paid all their taxes to the state with this
token currency. This cheap currency could be counterfeited easily.
Q 9 – When was the mosque of Jamali Kamali built?
Ans – Mosque of Jamali Kamali was built in late 1520.
Q 10 – Who was Rudramadevi?
Ans – Rudramadevi was the queen of the Kakatiya dynasty of Warangal.
Q 11 – Who was Ibn Battuta?
Ans – Ibn Battuta was a traveler from Morocco, Africa who visited India in the 14th century.
Q 12 – Who was Queen Didda?
Ans – Queen Didda was a ruler in Kashmir between 980-1003.
Q 13 – Why was there no mention of Delhi till 12th century?
Ans – From the 7th to 12th century many regions like the Kaveri delta became the center of large kingdoms. There was no mention of Delhi as it became important only during the 12th century.
Q 14 – Who was Ziauddin Bami?
Ans – Ziauddin Barani (1285-1357) was a Muslim political thinker of the Delhi Sultanate during Muhammad bin Tughluq and Firuz Shah’s reign.
Q 15 – Name the important rulers of other dynasties that ruled over Delhi.
Ans – Khalji Dynasty – Jalaluddin and Alauddin Khalji
Tughluq Dynasty – Ghiyasuddin, Muhammad and Firuz Shah Tughlaq
Sayyid Dynasty – Khizr Khan
Lodi Dynasty – Bahlul Lodi.
Q 16 – What was written by Minhaj-i-Siraj about Razia Sultan?
Ans – Minhaj-i-Siraj recognized that she was more able and qualified than all her brothers. But he was not comfortable with having a queen as ruler. Nor were the nobles happy at her attempts to rule independently
Q 17 – Who wrote tawarikh? What did they write?
Ans – The authors of tawarikh were learned men.
- They included secretaries, administrators, poets and courtiers.
- They recounted events and advised rulers on governance.
- They emphasised the importance of just rule.
Major features of writers of history
- The authors of tawarikh lived in cities (mainly Delhi) and hardly ever in villages.
- They often wrote their histories for Sultans in the hope of rich rewards.
- These authors advised rulers on the need to preserve an “ideal” social order based on birthright and gender distinctions.
- Their ideas were not shared by everybody.
Q 18 – What was the first expansion during the period?
Ans – In the first expansion, forests were cleared (internal frontier) in the Ganga-Yamuna doab and hunter-gatherers and pastoralists were expelled from their habitat. These lands were given to peasants and agriculture was encouraged. New fortresses, garrison towns and towns were established to protect trade routes and to promote regional trade.
Q 19 – Under which dynasty did Delhi become the capital? When did it become an important commercial centre?
Ans –
- Delhi first became the capital of a kingdom under the Tomara Rajputs.
- They were defeated in the middle of the twelfth century by the Chauhans (‘Chahamanas) of Ajmer.
- It was under the Tomaras and Chauhans, Delhi became an important commercial centre.
- Many rich Jaina merchants lived in the city and constructed several temples.
- Coins minted here, called Dehliuial, had a wide circulation.
Q 20 – What occurred in the second expansion of the Sultanate?
Ans – The second expansion occurred along the “external frontier” of the Sultanate. Military expeditions into southern India were started
during the reign of Alauddin Khalji and culminated with Muhammad Tughluq.
Q 21 – What do you understand about ‘Bandagan’?
Ans – The early Delhi Sultans especially Iltutmish favoured their special slaves purchased for military service, called ‘Bandagan’ in Persian.
They were carefully trained to become the most important political o¨ces in the kingdom. They were totally dependent upon their master,
the Sultan could trust and rely upon them. The Khaljis and Tughluqs continued to use “Bandagan’.
Q 22 – The transformation of Delhi into a capital that controlled vast areas of the subcontinent started with the foundation of the Delhi Sultanate at the beginning of the thirteenth century. Take a look at Table 1 again and identify the five dynasties that together made the Delhi Sultanate.
Ans –
Early Turkish Slaves or Ilbari Rulers – 1206-1290
Khalji Dynasty – 1290-1320
Tughluq Dynasty – 1320-1414
Sayyid Dynasty – 1414-1451
Lodi Dynasty – 1451-1526
Q 23 – What do you understand about ‘Clients’?
Ans – Someone who is under the protection of another is called ‘Client’. They were often raised to high political positions. They were
appointed as generals and governors.
Q 24 – Give an account of Raziyya.
Ans –
- In 1236 Sultan Iltutmish’s daughter, Raziyya, became Sultan. The chronicler of the age called Minhaj-i
- Siraj said that she was more able and qualified than all her brothers.
- He was not comfortable having her as ruler.
- The nobles were also not happy at her attempts to rule independently.
- She was removed from the throne in 1240.
Q 25 – What was the special recruitment process during the reign of Sultan Muhammad Tughluq?
Ans – He appointed a wine distiller, a barber, a cook and two gardeners to high administrative posts which was criticized by Barani, who was a
Muslim political thinker of the Delhi Sultanate, as a sign of the Sultan’s loss of political judgment and his incapacity to rule.
Q 26 – Did Raziyya share Minhaj-i Siraj views about women rulers?
Ans –
- Mirihaj expressed that women were subordinate to men. But due to her qualities she (Rajiyya) gained and rose to the throne of Delhi.
- Minhaj-i Siraj thought that the Queen’s rule went against the ideal social order created by God.
- Raziyya did not share these ideas and on her inscriptions and coins Raziyya mentioned that she was the daughter of Sultan Iltutmish.
- It was difficult for women to be a ruler because women were considered the weaker sex. This was in contrast to Queen Rudramadzir who changed her name (from Rudramadevi) and pretended to be a man.
Q 27 – Why were the accountants appointed by the Sultans?
Ans – Accountants were appointed by the Sultans to check the amount of revenue collected by the muqtis. Care was taken that the muqti collected only the taxes prescribed by the state and that he kept the required number of soldiers.
Q 28 – Where there any other women rulers?
Ans –
- Another woman ruler Rudramadevi of Warangal (1262-1289) changed her name on the inscriptions and pretended to be a man.
- Another queen was Didda of Kashmir (980-1003). Her title was an affectionate term coming from didi, given by her subjects.
Q 29 – Who was Genghis Khan?
Ans – Genghis Khan was a Mongol who attacked the Delhi Sultanate during the reign of Alauddin Khalji and in the early years of
Muhammad Tughluq’s rule.
Q 30 – Why did the Delhi Sultans not expand their frontiers in the earlier phase of their rule?
Ans –
- In the early thirteenth century the control of the Delhi Sultans did not go beyond heavily fortified towns occupied by garrisons.
- The Sultans seldom controlled the hinterland of the cities.
- They were solely dependent upon tribute or plunder for supplies.
- Controlling garrison towns in distant Bengal and Sind from Delhi was extremely difficult.
- Rebellion, war and bad weather could snap fragile communication routes.
- The state was also challenged by Mongol invasions from Afghanistan.
- The governors rebelled frequently at any sign of the Sultan’s weakness.
- The Sultanate barely survived these challenges
Q 31 – Describe about the mosque and its worth in Muslims.
Ans – A mosque is called a masjid in Arabic. Mosque is a place where Muslims prostrate in reverence to Allah. In a “congregational mosque”
(masjid-i-jami or jama masjid) Muslims read their prayers together.
Members of the congregation choose the most respected, learned male as their leader (imam) for the rituals of prayer. He also delivers the sermon (lecture) which is called khutba during the Friday prayer. During prayer, Muslims stand facing Mecca. In India, this is to the west and is called the ‘qibla’.
Q 32 – How did the territories of Delhi Sultanate expand from garrison town to empire? Explain the first phase of expansion.
Ans – The expansion occurred during the reigns of Ghiyasuddin Balban, Alauddin Khalji and Muhammad Tughluq.
First Expansion:
The campaigns along the “internal frontier” of the Sultanate aimed at consolidating the hinterlands of the garrison towns. During these campaigns, forests were cleared in the Ganga-Yamuna doab.
- The hunter-gatherers and pastoralists were expelled from their habitat.
- These lands were given to peasants and agriculture was encouraged.
- New fortresses and towns were set up to protect trade routes and to promote regional trade.
Q 33 – What claims were made by the Delhi Sultans regarding the building of mosques?
Ans – The Delhi Sultans built several mosques in cities all over the subcontinent. These demonstrated their claims to be protectors of Islam and Muslims. Mosques also helped to create the sense of a community of believers who shared a belief system and a code of conduct.
It was necessary to reinforce this idea of a community because Muslims come from a variety of backgrounds.
Q 34 – Explain the second and third phases of expansion?
Answer:
Second Expansion:
The second expansion occurred along the “external frontier” of the Sultanate.
- Military expeditions into southern India started during the reign of Alauddin Khalji.
- It culminated with Muhammad-bin-Tughluq.
- In their campaigns, Sultanate armies captured elephants, horses and slaves and carried away precious metals.
Third Expansion:
- By the end of Muhammad-bin-Tughluq’s reign, 150 years after humble beginnings, the armies of the Delhi Sultanate had marched across a large part of the subcontinent.
- They had defeated rival armies and seized cities.
- The Sultanate collected taxes from the peasantry and dispensed justice in its
realm. But their control was not complete and effective over this vast territory.
Q 35 – Describe words – iqta, iqtadar, muqti.
Ans – The Khalji and Tughluq monarchs appointed military commanders as governors of territories. Lands were called iqta and their holder was called ‘iqtadar’ or ‘muqti’. The duty of the muqtis was to lead military campaigns and maintain law and order in their iqtas. The muqtis collected the revenues of their assignments as salary. They paid their soldiers from these revenues.
Q 36 – How was the administration consolidated under Delhi Sultanate?
Ans –
Delhi Sultans required reliable governors and administrators. Rulers especially, Iltutmish favoured special slaves called ‘bandagan’ for this purpose. They did not appoint aristocrats or landed chiefs as governors.
Bandagans were trained for important political offices. They depended totally on their masters therefore, the Sultan could trust them.
The Khaljis and Tughluqs continued this tradition and raised people from humble birth to high positions.
They were appointed as generals and governors. All this led to an element of political instability.
Q 37 – Write a short note on Sher Shah Suri.
Ans – Sher Shah Suri (1540-1545) started his career as the manager of small territory for his uncle in Bihar and eventually challenged and defeated the Mughal emperor Humayun. Sher Shah captured Delhi and established his own dynasty. Although the Suri dynasty ruled only for 15 years (1540-1555), it introduced an administration that borrowed elements from Alauddin Khalji and made them more
efficient. Sher Shah’s administration became the model followed by the great emperor Akbar when he consolidated the Mughal Empire.
Q 38 – Describe the Delhi Sultanate in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Answer:
The Delhi Sultanate in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries:
- After the Tughluqs, the Sayyid and Lodi dynasties ruled from Delhi and Agra until 1526.
- By then, Jaunpur, Bengal, Malwa, Gujarat, Rajasthan and the entire south India had independent rulers.
- They had established flourishing states and prosperous capitals.
- This was also the period which saw the emergence of new ruling groups like the Afghans and the Rajputs.
- Some of the states established in this period were small but powerful and extremely well administered.
Q 39 – Who was more successful of the two rulers?
Ans – Alauddin’s measures were successful. His reign was known for cheap prices and a good supply of goods. He successfully withstood Mongol invasions.
Md. Tughluq’s measures were a failure.
His Kashmir campaign was a disaster. He disbanded his troops and gave up the idea of invading Transoxiana People resented shifting to Daulatabad.
Increased taxes and famine in the Ganga-Yamuna belt led to rebellion.
Token currency was called off.
The important thing to remember is that Md. Tughluq was the first ruler who planned to capture Mongol territory. His measures were offensive, unlike Alauddin’s defensive measures.
Q 40 – What was the impact of the Mongol invasions on the Delhi Sultanate?
Ans – Mongol invasions during Alauddin Khalji and Md. Tughluq’s forced the two rulers to mobilise a large standing army. This posed a great administrative challenge.
Delhi was attacked twice during Alauddin Khalji’s rule.
- He raised a large standing army and new garrison town named Siri.
- To feed the soldiers produce was collected as tax from lands between the Ganga and Yamuna. The tax was fixed at 50% of the yield.
- Soldiers were paid in cash. They further purchased their supplies from merchants.
- Prices were controlled. To do this market was surveyed. Merchant who did not sell at prescribed price were punished.
Sultanate under Muhammad Tughluq’s was in the early years. Mongol army was defeated and Md. Tughluq was confident of his armed strength, resources and planned to attack Transoxiana.
- He raised a large army and emptied Delhi-i-Kuhna, oldest of four cities of Delhi for soldiers. ,
Residents were sent to Daulatabad. - Produce was collected as tax to feed the soldiers. This coincided with famine
- Additional taxes’ were levied for maintaining the army.
- Soldiers were paid in cash. He used ‘token’ currency made of cheap metal not gold or silver.
- People saved their gold and silver and paid taxes with this ‘token’ currency. This could be counterfeited easily.
Q 41 – Describe how the chieftains arranged for their defence.
Ans –
- In Battuta, a fourteenth-century traveller from Morocco, Africa, explained that chieftains sometimes.
- Fortified themselves in mountains, in rocky, uneven and rugged places as well as in bamboo groves.
- In India the bamboo was not hollow; it was big. Its several parts were so intertwined that even ¦re
could not affect them, and they were on the whole very strong. - The chieftains lived in these forests which served them as ramparts.
- Inside them were their cattle and their crops.
- There was also water for them within, except rain water which collected there. Hence they could not be subdued except by powerful armies
Q 42 – Which kinds of taxes were there during Delhi Sultanate?
Ans – Three kinds of taxes were there during Delhi Sultanate. These were:
1. Kharaj: It was a tax on cultivation. It was about 50 percent of the total produce of the land of a peasant.
2. Tax on the cattle and
3. Tax on houses.
Q 43 – How did large parts of the subcontinent remain outside the control of the Delhi Sultanate?
Ans – Large parts of the subcontinent remained outside the control of the Delhi Sultans.
It was difficult to control distant provinces like Bengal from Delhi.
Soon after annexing southern India, the entire region became independent.
Gangetic plain had forested areas.
Sultanate forces could not penetrate them.
Local chieftains established their rule in these regions.
Alauddin Khalji and Muhammad-bin-Tughluq could force their control in these areas but only for a short time.