Delhi Sultanate — Practice Questions
UPSC Prelims-pattern practice questions on the Delhi Sultanate with full explanations — token currency, chronology, chroniclers, Firoz Shah and the iqta.
Questions
These are original UPSC-pattern practice questions. Attempt each one before revealing the answer.
Which Sultan of Delhi introduced token coins of bronze and copper to be accepted at the value of silver coins?
Solution
Muhammad bin Tughlaq introduced token currency around 1329–30. Widespread forgery led to its withdrawal, and the treasury redeemed the tokens.
- Alauddin Khalji — market control, dagh and huliya.
- Firoz Shah Tughlaq — welfare departments, canals.
- Sikandar Lodi — Agra, gaz-i-Sikandari.
Answer: B
Arrange the following rulers in chronological order:
- Iltutmish
- Balban
- Alauddin Khalji
- Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Solution
Iltutmish (1211–1236) → Balban (1266–1287) → Alauddin Khalji (1296–1316) → Firoz Shah Tughlaq (1351–1388). The sequence follows the Mamluk, Khalji and Tughlaq dynasties.
Answer: A
Consider the following pairs:
| Work | Author |
|---|---|
| 1. Tabaqat-i-Nasiri | Minhaj-us-Siraj |
| 2. Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi | Ziauddin Barani |
| 3. Rihla | Ibn Battuta |
| 4. Khazain-ul-Futuh | Isami |
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Solution
Pairs 1, 2 and 3 are correct. The Khazain-ul-Futuh, on Alauddin Khalji’s campaigns, is by Amir Khusrau; Isami wrote the Futuh-us-Salatin. Three pairs are correct.
Answer: C
Consider the following statements about Firoz Shah Tughlaq:
- He had two Ashokan pillars moved to Delhi.
- He set up the Diwan-i-Khairat.
- He made iqtas hereditary.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Solution
All three are correct. Firoz Shah moved the Topra and Meerut pillars to Delhi, set up the Diwan-i-Khairat (charity) along with a hospital (Dar-ul-Shifa) and an employment bureau, and made iqtas and army posts hereditary — which weakened central control.
Answer: D
With reference to the iqta system of the Delhi Sultanate, consider the following statements:
- The iqta holder collected revenue and maintained troops for the Sultan.
- Iltutmish organised the system on a wide scale.
- Iqtas were hereditary from the time they were first created.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Solution
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong: iqtas were transferable in principle; they became effectively hereditary only under Firoz Shah Tughlaq.
Answer: A
Examine the contribution of Amir Khusrau to the composite culture of medieval India.
Solution
Introduction: Amir Khusrau (1253–1325), court poet to several Delhi Sultans and a disciple of the Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya, is one of the most celebrated figures of the Sultanate period.
Body:
- Literature: prolific Persian poetry and historical works (Khazain-ul-Futuh, Tughlaq Nama); verse in Hindavi, an early form of Hindi-Urdu; riddles and folk-style poems still recited.
- Love of India: the Nuh Sipihr praises India’s land, people and languages — the source of his title Tuti-i-Hind.
- Music: associated with the development of qawwali and with blending Persian and Indian musical forms (some popular attributions, like the sitar and tabla, are disputed).
- Sufi culture: his devotion to Nizamuddin Auliya linked court and khanqah; his tomb lies near the saint’s in Delhi.
- Synthesis: a figure who bridged Persian high culture and Indian popular culture.
Conclusion: Khusrau embodied the composite culture that grew out of the meeting of Persian and Indian traditions — a legacy alive in Hindustani music and poetry today.