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72nd BPSC Practice Test 9: Sultanate & Mughal Administration, Regional States (25 MCQs)

By Harsha #
Sultanate & Mughal Administration, Regional States - BPSC Guru

This free Mughal administration MCQ test is the ninth set in our 72nd BPSC practice series. Its 25 assertion-reason, match and statement questions deal with how the Delhi Sultans and Mughals actually governed: price control, bandagan, iqtas and jagirs, the circle of justice, the sadr and the Ibadat Khana, and then the regional states, Shivaji’s chronology, Vijayanagara’s founding and several UPSC-style previous-year questions. Each question shows the correct answer and an explanation as soon as you choose an option, and you can work out your score with BPSC-style negative marking at the end. For more practice, see our free BPSC mock test series.

What this test covers: Alauddin Khalji’s markets, mansabdar and jagir, Muhammad Tughluq’s experiments, the jagir crisis under Aurangzeb, Sultanate mosques, Fakhr-i Mudabbir, Bengal and Sind, Mughal victories, Jahangir’s Kachhwaha mother, internal and external frontiers, Nizam-ul-Mulk, Upari tenure, Kerala astronomy, Shivaji’s campaigns, Harihara I, Mysore and Rohilkhand, the Chandelas and Pratiharas, the Dasakuta movement and Akbar’s contemporaries.

Sultanate & Mughal Administration, Regional States
25 questions · NCERT Class 7 & 12, PYQ pattern · BPSC prelims
How this test works
Click the option you think is right. It locks, turns green if correct or red if not, and the explanation opens underneath. Your score updates in the bar at the top as you go, and Calculate final score at the bottom gives the full breakdown. Choose (E) Not attempted when you would only be guessing, exactly as you would bubble E on the BPSC OMR sheet.
+1 mark  —  Correct answer
−1/3 mark  —  Wrong answer
0 — no penalty  —  (E) Not attempted, the fifth bubble on every question
−1/3 mark  —  Row left completely blank in the real exam
Delhi sultanate9 questions
1. Given below are two statements, one labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R):
Assertion (A): Alauddin Khalji introduced price control measures in Delhi and appointed officers to survey market rates.
Reason (R): He needed to maintain a large standing army at low cost to protect the Sultanate against recurring Mongol invasions.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Show answer
Answer: (A) Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Alauddin Khalji controlled prices in Delhi so that he could pay a large standing army low cash salaries while facing repeated Mongol attacks. Both statements are true and R explains A.
2. Match List-I (Mughal Empire related Terms) with List-II (Their Meanings):
List-I (Term)
a. Mansabdar
b. Jagir
c. Zamindar
d. Diwan
List-II (Meaning)
  1. Financial Officer of a province
  2. Individual holding a rank or position
  3. Revenue assignment given as salary
  4. Intermediary revenue collector/chieftain
Select the correct matching code:
Show answer
Answer: (D) a-2, b-3, c-4, d-1
A mansabdar held a rank, a jagir was a revenue assignment given as salary, a zamindar was an intermediary who collected revenue, and the diwan was the provincial financial officer. Code a-2, b-3, c-4, d-1.
3. Fill in the blank:
The early Delhi Sultans, especially Iltutmish, favoured special military slaves purchased for service, who were called __________ in Persian.
Show answer
Answer: (A) Bandagan
Bandagan (singular banda) were special slaves purchased for military service and trusted by the early Sultans, especially Iltutmish.
4. Consider the following statements about Muhammad Tughluq’s administrative measures:
  1. He constructed a brand new garrison town named Siri for his troops.
  2. He introduced a token currency made of cheap metals to pay his soldiers.
  3. He ordered the residents of Dehli-i Kuhna to shift to the new capital of Daulatabad in the south.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Show answer
Answer: (B) 2 and 3 only
Muhammad Tughluq issued a token currency and ordered Delhi’s residents to move to Daulatabad. Statement 1 is wrong: Siri was built by Alauddin Khalji; Muhammad Tughluq’s garrison town was Jahanpanah.
5. Given below are two statements, one labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R):
Assertion (A): During the reign of Aurangzeb, there was a severe shortage of available jagirs for mansabdars.
Reason (R): The number of mansabdars increased dramatically, and many jagirdars extracted maximum revenue from peasants during their short tenures.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Show answer
Answer: (A) Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Under Aurangzeb the number of mansabdars rose sharply, jagirs were in short supply and short-tenure jagirdars squeezed the peasants. Both statements are true and R explains A.
6. Match List-I (Sultanate Mosques/Structures) with List-II (Associated Rulers/Periods):
List-I (Structure)
a. Quwwat al-Islam Mosque
b. Begumpuri Mosque
c. Moth ki Masjid
d. Jamali Kamali Mosque
List-II (Ruler/Period)
  1. Built in the reign of Sikandar Lodi
  2. Built in the late 1520s
  3. Qutbuddin Aybak and Iltutmish
  4. Main mosque of Jahanpanah (Muhammad Tughluq)
Select the correct matching code:
Show answer
Answer: (C) a-3, b-4, c-1, d-2
The Quwwat al-Islam mosque was begun by Aybak and extended by Iltutmish, Begumpuri was the main mosque of Jahanpanah, Moth ki Masjid dates from Sikandar Lodi’s reign and Jamali Kamali from the late 1520s. Code a-3, b-4, c-1, d-2.
7. Fill in the blank:
The transformation of Delhi into a capital controlling vast areas of the subcontinent began with the foundation of the Delhi Sultanate in the early __________ century.
Show answer
Answer: (C) Thirteenth
The Delhi Sultanate was founded in the early thirteenth century, after Qutbuddin Aybak declared independence in 1206.
8. Consider the following statements regarding the ‘Circle of Justice’ as described by Fakhr-i Mudabbir:
  1. A king cannot survive without soldiers, and soldiers cannot live without salaries.
  2. Salaries come from revenue collected from peasants.
  3. Peasants can pay revenue only when they are prosperous and happy, which happens under just rule.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Show answer
Answer: (D) 1, 2 and 3
Fakhr-i Mudabbir’s circle of justice links the king, soldiers, salaries, revenue, prosperous peasants and just rule in a single chain. All three statements are correct.
9. Given below are two statements, one labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R):
Assertion (A): Controlling garrison towns in distant Bengal and Sind from Delhi was extremely difficult for the early Delhi Sultans.
Reason (R): Rebellions, military conflicts, and severe weather conditions frequently severed fragile communication routes.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Show answer
Answer: (A) Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Bengal and Sind were far from Delhi and rebellions, wars and bad weather often cut the routes, so they were hard to hold. Both are true and R explains A.
Mughal empire8 questions
10. Match List-I (Mughal Rulers) with List-II (Major Military Victories / Events):
List-I (Ruler)
a. Babur
b. Akbar
c. Shah Jahan
d. Aurangzeb
List-II (Event)
  1. Annexation of Berar, Khandesh and parts of Ahmadnagar
  2. Battle of Chanderi against Rajputs (1528)
  3. Complete annexation of Ahmadnagar (1632)
  4. Defeat of the Ahoms in the north-east (1663)
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Show answer
Answer: (A) a-2, b-1, c-3, d-4
Babur fought at Chanderi in 1528, Akbar annexed Berar, Khandesh and parts of Ahmadnagar, Shah Jahan completed the annexation of Ahmadnagar in 1632, and Aurangzeb’s forces defeated the Ahoms in 1663. Code a-2, b-1, c-3, d-4.
11. Fill in the blank:
The mother of Emperor Jahangir was a Kachhwaha princess, daughter of the Rajput ruler of _________ (modern-day Jaipur).
Show answer
Answer: (C) Amber
Jahangir’s mother was a Kachhwaha princess from Amber, the modern Jaipur, married to Akbar in 1562.
12. Consider the following statements about the ‘Internal’ and ‘External’ frontiers of the Delhi Sultanate:
  1. Campaigns along the internal frontier aimed at consolidating the hinterlands of garrison towns by clearing forests in the Ganga-Yamuna doab.
  2. Campaigns along the external frontier involved military expeditions into southern India starting under Alauddin Khalji.
  3. Expelled hunter-gatherers and pastoralists were given cash compensation by the state.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Show answer
Answer: (A) 1 and 2 only
Internal frontier campaigns cleared doab forests and settled peasants, and external campaigns went south from Alauddin Khalji’s reign. Statement 3 is wrong: displaced hunter-gatherers and pastoralists received no compensation.
13. Given below are two statements, one labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R):
Assertion (A): The Mughals maintained a careful balance between defeating their opponents and not humiliating them.
Reason (R): This balanced approach enabled the Mughals to extend their influence over many kings and chieftains across the subcontinent.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Show answer
Answer: (A) Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
By defeating rivals but allowing them to keep their lands and honour, the Mughals won over many kings and chieftains. Both statements are true and R explains A.
14. Match List-I (Regional States / Dynasties) with List-II (Regions of Influence):
List-I (Dynasty / State)
a. Chauhans
b. Kakatiya Dynasty
c. Sur Dynasty
d. Yadavas
List-II (Region)
  1. Bihar and Bengal
  2. Ajmer and Delhi
  3. Warangal (Modern Andhra Pradesh)
  4. Devagiri (Deccan)
Select the correct matching code:
Show answer
Answer: (A) a-2, b-3, c-1, d-4
The Chauhans ruled Ajmer and Delhi, the Kakatiyas Warangal, the Surs Bihar and Bengal, and the Yadavas Devagiri in the Deccan. Code a-2, b-3, c-1, d-4.
15. Fill in the blank:
In Akbar’s administration, the minister in charge of religious and charitable patronage was known as the __________.
Show answer
Answer: (B) Sadr
The sadr was in charge of religious and charitable patronage; the bakshi was the military paymaster and the kotwal the town police chief.
16. Consider the following statements about Akbar’s discussions at the Ibadat Khana:
  1. The discussions were held at Fatehpur Sikri during the 1570s.
  2. Akbar interacted with scholars of various faiths, including Ulama, Brahmanas, Jesuit priests, and Zoroastrians.
  3. The discussions led Akbar to realise that religious scholars who emphasised ritual and dogma were often bigoted.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Show answer
Answer: (C) 1, 2 and 3
The Ibadat Khana discussions at Fatehpur Sikri in the 1570s involved scholars of many faiths and led Akbar to distrust those who stressed ritual and dogma. All three statements are correct.
17. Who among the following assumed the title of Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah to set himself an independent ruler with his base in Hyderabad?
Show answer
Answer: (D) Chin Qilich Khan
Chin Qilich Khan, titled Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah, made Hyderabad an independent state in 1724.
Regional states & PYQ-style questions8 questions
18. The term Upari refers to which one of the following?
Show answer
Answer: (B) A category of tenancy tenure under the Maratha rule
Upari was a non-resident or temporary cultivator holding land on a tenancy basis under the Marathas, as against the mirasdar who held hereditary land.
19. Consider the following statements about science in medieval South India:
  1. The Katapayadi system of numerals, invented by Vararuchi of Kerala, author of Chandra Vakyas, was used to calculate the position of the Moon on any day of the year.
  2. Achyuta Pisharati (1550-1621) wrote Uparagakriyakrama, a text on eclipses.
  3. Ravi Varma of Mahodayapuram set up an observatory and is also said to have inaugurated the Kollam era.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Show answer
Answer: (D) 1, 2 and 3
Vararuchi’s katapayadi numerals and Chandra Vakyas, Achyuta Pisharati’s Uparagakriyakrama on eclipses, and Ravi Varma’s observatory and the Kollam era are all documented in Kerala’s astronomical tradition. All three are correct.
20. Arrange the following events associated with Shivaji in chronological order:
  1. Attack on Afzal Khan
  2. Capture of Torna
  3. Attack on Shaista Khan
  4. Annexation of Javli
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Show answer
Answer: (A) 2, 4, 1, 3
Shivaji captured Torna in 1646, annexed Javli in 1656, killed Afzal Khan in 1659 and attacked Shaista Khan in 1663. Order 2, 4, 1, 3.
21. Who of the following founded a new city on the south bank of a tributary to river Krishna and undertook to rule his new kingdom as the agent of a deity to whom all the land south of the river Krishna was supposed to belong?
Show answer
Answer: (C) Harihara I
Harihara I founded Vijayanagara on the Tungabhadra, a tributary of the Krishna, and ruled as the agent of the god Virupaksha.
22. With reference to Indian history, which of the following statements is/are correct?
  1. The Nizamat of Arcot emerged from Hyderabad State.
  2. The Mysore Kingdom emerged from the Vijayanagara Empire.
  3. The Rohilkhand Kingdom was formed from territories occupied by Ahmad Shah Durrani.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Show answer
Answer: (B) 2 only
Mysore grew out of the Vijayanagara empire. The Nizamat of Arcot was a subordinate of Hyderabad, not a breakaway from it, and Rohilkhand was carved out by Afghan Rohillas before Abdali’s invasions, so only statement 2 is correct.
23. Consider the following pairs:
KingDynasty
NanukaChandela
JayashaktiParmara
Nagabhata IIGurjara-Pratihara
BhojaRashtrakuta
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Show answer
Answer: (B) Only two pairs
Nanuka founded the Chandela dynasty and Nagabhata II was a Gurjara-Pratihara. Jayashakti was a Chandela, not a Parmara, and Bhoja was a Pratihara (or Parmara), not a Rashtrakuta. Two pairs are correct.
24. In Indian Bhakti history, which region served as the primary centre for the Dasakuta movement, which was championed by Saint Vyasaraya?
Show answer
Answer: (C) Karnataka
The Dasakuta movement of devotional singer-saints, promoted by Vyasaraya, flourished in Karnataka under Vijayanagara patronage.
25. Which of the historical figures listed below lived and operated during the timeframe of the third Mughal ruler, Emperor Akbar?
  1. Tansen
  2. Abdul Hamid Lahori
  3. Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana
  4. Guru Arjan Dev
Options:
Show answer
Answer: (C) Exactly three figures
Tansen, Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana and Guru Arjan Dev lived in Akbar’s time. Abdul Hamid Lahori was Shah Jahan’s historian, so three figures qualify.
Your result
Automatic scoring needs JavaScript. Until it runs, tally by hand: score = correct − (wrong ÷ 3).
Finished, or stopping here? This counts every question you have answered so far.
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1 A  ·  2 D  ·  3 A  ·  4 B  ·  5 A  ·  6 C  ·  7 C  ·  8 D  ·  9 A  ·  10 A  ·  11 C  ·  12 A  ·  13 A  ·  14 A  ·  15 B  ·  16 C  ·  17 D  ·  18 B  ·  19 D  ·  20 A  ·  21 C  ·  22 B  ·  23 B  ·  24 C  ·  25 C
Scoring: +1 correct, −1/3 wrong, 0 for (E) Not attempted, −1/3 for a row left blank in the real exam.

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By Harsha

Harsha writes the notes and practice tests on BPSC Guru and proofreads the rest: she sees a mistake in an instant, which is what landed her here. Away from the site she is completing a Master’s in Linguistics, mulling over the mysteries of life, or making jokes at her own expense.

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