Q. Who is a cartographer?
a). A person who studies ancient fossils
b). A person who makes maps
c). A person who studies stars and planets
d). A person who studies rocks
Answer: b). A person who makes maps
Explanation: A cartographer is someone who designs, draws, and produces maps. The word comes from “carto” meaning map and “grapher” meaning one who writes or draws.
Q. The term Hindustan was first used by which ruler?
a). Akbar
b). Minhaj-i-Siraj
c). Babur
d). Amir Khusrau
Answer: b). Minhaj-i-Siraj
Q. According to Minhaj-i-Siraj’s chronicle, the term Hindustan refers to which region?
a). The entire Indian subcontinent
b). The area south of the Vindhyas
c). The areas of Punjab, Haryana and the land between the Ganga and Yamuna
d). Only the Deccan region
Answer: c). c). The areas of Punjab, Haryana and the land between the Ganga and Yamuna
Explanation: Minhaj-i-Siraj, a Persian chronicler, used the term Hindustan in a political sense to describe the areas under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate.
Q. According to Babur, the term Hindustan was used to describe the —
a). Land of deserts and mountains in Central Asia
b). The Geography, the fauna and the culture of the inhabitants of the subcontinent
c). Entire South Asian subcontinent including Sri Lanka
d). Western regions of Afghanistan
Answer: b). The Geography, the fauna and the culture of the inhabitants of the subcontinent
Q. Amir Khusrau used the word Hind or Hindustan in which sense?
a). To refer only to the land ruled by the Delhi Sultanate
b). To describe the entire Indian subcontinent as a cultural and geographical unit
c). To denote only northern India
d). To refer to the Deccan region alone
Answer: b). To describe the entire Indian subcontinent as a cultural and geographical unit
Explanation: Amir Khusrau, a poet and scholar in the Delhi Sultanate, used the term Hind or Hindustan in a broad cultural and geographical sense
Q. In the medieval period, the term foreigner referred to —
a). A person from another country outside India
b). A person who did not speak the local language
c). A person who was not a part of the society or culture
d). Only traders and travelers from other lands
Answer: c).A person who was not a part of the society or culture
Explanation: In the medieval period, the term foreigner “pardesi (Persian) or ajnabi (Hindi)” referred to those who were not from the same local area or community — even people from another village or region were considered foreigners.
What is an archive?
a). A place where ancient monuments are built
b). A place where historical records and official documents are stored
c). A collection of religious manuscripts
d). A library for reading modern books
Answer: b). A place where historical records and official documents are stored
Explanation: An archive is a place where government offices, institutions, or historians preserve important documents, letters, records, and manuscripts.
Q. Who were scribes?
a). People who built temples and monuments
b). People who composed music and poetry
c). People who copied manuscripts and wrote documents by hand
d). People who traded goods across regions
Answer: c). People who copied manuscripts and wrote documents by hand
Explanation: Scribes were trained individuals who wrote and copied texts by hand before printing was invented.
Q. Which of the following new foods and beverages arrived in the Indian subcontinent during the medieval period?
a). Rice and sugar
b). Potatoes, corn, chillies, tea, and coffee
c). Wheat and barley
d). Bananas and coconuts
Answer: b). Potatoes, corn, chillies, tea, and coffee
Q. The term Rajaputra refers to —
a). Ordinary peasants who worked on land
b). Soldiers serving in the army
c). The son of a ruler
d). Merchants engaged in trade
Answer: c). The son of a ruler
Q. What qualities were attributed to the Rajputs by their poets and bards?
a). Intelligence and diplomacy
b). Courage, loyalty, and a strong sense of honour
c). Wealth and generosity
d). Knowledge of scriptures and philosophy
Answer: b). Courage, loyalty, and a strong sense of honour
Q. The term habitat refers to —
a). The food eaten by living beings
b). The process of adaptation in animals
c). The natural environment where a plant or animal lives
d). The pattern of migration of animals
Answer: c). The natural environment where a plant or animal lives
Q. Jatis and sub-jatis were grouped on the basis of —
a). Language and culture
b). Background and Occupation
c). Wealth and property
d). Religion and region
Answer: b). Background and Occupation
Explanation: In medieval India, jatis (castes) and sub-jatis (sub-castes) were organized according to the work people did and their place in the social hierarchy.
Q. Ghiyasuddin Balban was the ruler of which empire?
a). Mughal Empire
b). Delhi Sultanate
c). Gupta Empire
d). Maurya Empire
Answer: b). Delhi Sultanate
Explanation: He was the ruler of vast empire that stretched from Bengal (Gauda) in the east to Ghazni
(Gajjana) in the Afghanistan in the west and included all of south India (Dravida).
Q. Between 700 and 1750, the most dominant political units were—
a). Village republics
b). Regional kingdoms and empires
c). European colonies
d). Buddhist monasteries
Answer: b). Regional kingdoms and empires
Q. Amir Khusrau stated that Sanskrit belonged to which group of people?
a). Common people
b). Brahmins
c). Merchants
d). Soldiers
Answer: b). Brahmins
Explanation: Amir Khusrau mentioned that Sanskrit was the language of the Brahmins, used mainly by learned scholars and priests, while ordinary people spoke regional languages.
Q. What is the meaning of the term Bhakti?
a). Knowledge of rituals
b). Love and devotion to God
c). Power and authority
d). Wealth and prosperity
Answer: b). Love and devotion to God
Explanation: Bhakti referred to personal devotion where the devotee develops a direct, emotional bond with God, without needing intermediaries like priests.
Q. What is the meaning of the term Patron?
a). A person who fights wars
b). An influential person who supports and protects others, especially artists or scholars
c). A person who collects taxes
d). A person who rules a kingdom
Answer: b). An influential person who supports and protects others, especially artists or scholars
Q. Who were the Ulama?
a). Soldiers in the Sultan’s army
b). Group of merchants and traders
c). Learned theologians and jurists
d). Local village headmen
Answer: c). Learned theologians and jurists
Explanation: The Ulama were learned scholars. They advised rulers on religious matters, taught in madrasas, and helped preserve Islamic knowledge and traditions.
Q. According to Shia Muslims, who were the legitimate leaders of the Muslim community?
a). Elected caliphs chosen by the people
b). Military generals of the Prophet
c). Prophet Muhammad son-in-law Ali
d). Wealthy merchants of Mecca
Answer: c). Prophet Muhammad son-in-law Ali
Explanation: Shia Muslims believe that the rightful leaders of the Muslim community should be descendants of Prophet Muhammad, specifically through his daughter Fatima and son-in-law Ali, considering them divinely chosen and spiritually pure.
Q. According to Sunni Muslims, who were the legitimate leaders of the Muslim community?
a). Only the descendants of Prophet Muhammad
b). Religious scholars and saints
c). Caliphs chosen by the Muslim community
d). Hereditary rulers from one family
Answer: c). Caliphs chosen by the Muslim community
Explanation: Sunni Muslims believe that the legitimate leaders (caliphs) of the Muslim community should be elected or chosen by the community, based on merit and capability, rather than hereditary descent from Prophet Muhammad.
Q. The Hanafi school of Islamic law is known for —
a). Strict adherence to only the Quran and Hadith, rejecting reasoning
b). Flexibility and use of reasoning (Qiyas) and analogy in legal decisions
c). Being followed only in the Arabian Peninsula
d). Avoiding local customs in legal matters
Answer: b). Flexibility and use of reasoning (Qiyas) and analogy in legal decisions
Q. The Shafi‘i school of Islamic law is known for —
a). Using personal reasoning extensively over textual sources
b). Strict adherence to Quran, Hadith, and consensus, with less emphasis on personal opinion
c). Being followed mainly in Central Asia and India
d). Ignoring the authenticity of Hadith in legal decisions
Answer: b). Strict adherence to Quran, Hadith, and consensus, with less emphasis on personal opinion
Q. British historians divided Indian history into which three periods?
a). Ancient, Medieval, and Modern
b). Hindu, Muslim, and British
c). Vedic, Buddhist, and Mughal
d). Mauryan, Gupta, and Mughal
Answer: b). Hindu, Muslim, and British
Explanation: This division was based on the idea that the religion of rulers.