Class 7 - History - Chapter 3 - The Delhi Sultanate - Short Questions and Answers (#cbsenotes)(#eduvictors)

The Delhi Sultanate 

Short Questions and Answers

Q1: Who laid the foundation of the Delhi Sultanate?

Answer: Qutub-ud-din Aibak laid the foundation of the Delhi Sultanate.


Q2: Who was the founder of the slave dynasty in India ?

Answer: Qutubuddin Aibak is regarded as the founder of the Slave dynasty.


Q3: Why was Qutubuddin known as Lakhbaksh ?

Answer: Qutubuddin known as Lakhbaksh because of liberal distribution of money, he earned the title of ‘Lakhbaksh’.


Q4: Name any two Inscriptions to reconstruct the age of the Delhi Sultanate.

Answer:
1. The Pehowa Inscription,
2. Sarban Inscription.




Q5: Mention any two ways in which Inscriptions may be used for reconstructing the history
of the Delhi Sultanate.

Answer:
1. Inscriptions — These are valuable supplements and not the sole sources of information on the Delhi Sultanate. The inscriptions are found on coins,  monuments, milestones and tombstones. Some of the inscriptions are in Sanskrit, some in Arabic and some in both the languages. For example, the first coin issued by Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji bears both Arabic and Sanskrit inscriptions. Similarly, the famous traveller Ibn Batuta noticed a commemorative inscription in the Jama Masjid in Delhi, which he deciphered.

2. The Pehowa Inscription of the Pratihara king Mahendrapala suggests that Delhi was founded in 736 AD by the Tomaras, a clan of the Rajputs. It mentions that the Tomaras ruled over the Haryana region with Dhilika (Delhi) as their Capital. The Sarban Inscription (found in the village Sarban, South Delhi) contains a brief account of the history of Delhi until the reign of Muhammad Tughlaq (1325-1351).


Q6: Mention any two architectural features of Qutab Minar.

Answer:
1. The entrance to the tower is through the doorway on the northern side. Inside, there is a spiral stairway leading upto each balcony.

2. Red sandstone, marble and grey quartzite were used to construct the tower which is the highest stone tower in India.


Q7: Mention any two measures taken by Alauddin Khalji for control of the Market.

Answer:
1. Alauddin is best known in history for his market regulations. He fixed the cost of all commodities from food grains, sugar and cooking oil to a needle, costly imported cloth, horses, cattle, slave boys and girls.

2. He set up three markets at Delhi e.g., for food grains, cloth and horses, slave and cattle, under the control of ‘ Shahna’ or the controller. Strict punishment was given for cheating.


Q8: Mention any two schemes of Muhammed Tughlaq that failed and made him extremely unpopular.

Answer: Two schemes of Muhammed Tughlaq that failed and made him extremely unpopular were:

1. Muhammed Tughlaq increased the taxation in the Doab (the territory between the rivers Ganga and Yamuna).

2. His decision to transfer his Capital from Delhi to Devagiri (Daulatabad) with a view to having the Capital situated in the middle of his kingdom. He was bent upon taking all the inhabitants of Delhi to the new Capital. Both of his schemes failed as people never accepted both the schemes of him.


Q9: What was the iqta system ?

Answer: During Sultanate the empire was divided into provinces called iqtas’. During this period,
the practice of giving grants of revenue from a terrritory came to be known as the ‘ iqta system’. Those who were given iqtas were called ‘iqtadars’. Out of this grant, the iqtadars had to maintain themselves, their families and some soldiers for use by the Sultan during war.


Q10: Why were the early rulers of slave dynasty called the Mamluk Sultans ?

Answer: The early rulers of slave dynasty were called the Mamluk Sultans because these Sultans were earlier either the slaves of the Turks or were the sons of the slaves.


Q11: Who was Muhammad Ghori ? Why did he invade India ?

Answer: Shahabuddin Muhammad, also known as Muizzuddin Muhammad bin Sam or Muhammad Ghori, ascended the throne at Ghazni (in present Afghanistan) in 1173. He was an ambitious ruler and wanted to establish his empire in India. The wealth and military resources of India attracted Mohammad Ghori’s attention, which he thought could be utilised to safeguard the Ghurid empire. Therefore, he strengthened his position at Ghazni and turned his attention towards India. He invaded India several times between 1175 and 1206.


Q12: Who was Razia Sultana ? To which dynasty did she belong?

Answer: Razia Sultana was the daughter of Iltutmish. She belonged to the Slave Dynasty.


Q13: With reference to the Delhi Sultanate, mention to which dynasties the following
belonged:
(a) Razia Sultana
(b) lbrahim Lodhi
(c) Firoz Shah
(d) Qutb-ud-Din Aibak

Answer:
(a) Slave Dynasty
(b) Lodhi Dynasty
(c) Tughlaq Dynasty
(d) Slave Dynasty


Q14: With reference to the reign of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq, explain his attempts to transfer the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad.

Answer: During Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq’s reign the empire had also spread to the south. He
shifted his capital to Devagiri near modern Aurangabad and renamed it Daulatabad. He
did it for the following reasons:

1. Daulatabad was centrally located from where he could control the Deccan territories ; and
2. Delhi was in the grip of severe famine; and
3. Delhi was constantly threatened by the Mongol invasions. He ordered the people of Delhi including religious heads to shift to Daulatabad in 1328-29.


Q15: Who was the greatest of the Lodi Kings?

Answer: Sikandar Lodi was the greatest of the Lodi Kings.


Q16: Mention any two sources of revenue during the Sultanate period.

Answer: The main sources of revenue were as under:
1. Land tax, usually one-tenth of the produce,
2. The booty captured, in wars.