A. Choose the correct answer.
1.
Ans: (c)
The first ruler of the Delhi Sultanate was Qutbuddin Aibak
2.
Ans: (b)
The Mamluk Dynasty was followed by the dynasty of the Khaljis
3.
Ans: (a)
The greatest ruler of the Khalji Dynasty was Alauddin
4.
Ans: (b)
This Mongol from Samarkand attacked India during the rule of the Tughlaqs Timur
B. Fill in the blanks.
1.
Ans: Raziya was the only woman ruler to sit on the throne of Delhi.
2.
Ans: Muhammad bin Tughlaq ordered his capital to be shifted from Delhi to Devagiri
3.
Ans: Khizr Khan was the first sultan of the Sayyid Dynasty.
4.
Ans: The Governor of Punjab, Daulat Khan, invited Babur to invade India and overthrow Ibrahim Lodi.
C. Answer in one or two sentences.
1.
Ans: The first dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate was known as the Mamluk Dynasty because most of its rulers had started off as slaves ('Mamluk' means 'owned' in Arabic) and the Turkic rulers trusted and trained their slaves in military, social, and administrative skills from a young age.
2.
Ans: Raziya was a wise and capable ruler who established law and order in her empire through tact and diplomacy. She dressed like a man and led her troops from the front.
3.
Ans: Khizr Khan became the sultan of Delhi by establishing the Sayyid Dynasty, which took over from the Tughlaq dynasty.
4.
Ans: Iqtedars were territorial administrators or officials who were granted lands by the Sultan in lieu of payment for their services.
5.
Ans: A tawarikh is a historical account or chronicle. The text does not provide names of scholars who authored tawarikhs during the rule of the Delhi Sultans, so a complete answer cannot be provided.
D. Answer in a paragraph.
1.
Ans: The main rulers of the Mamluk Dynasty were Qutbuddin Aibak, Iltutmish, and Balban. Qutbuddin Aibak was a general under Muhammad Ghori, who established the Delhi Sultanate after Ghori's assassination. Aibak was an able general and a capable ruler who sought to bring peace and prosperity to his kingdom. Iltutmish, Aibak's son-in-law, succeeded him. He consolidated his position through a series of battles against the Rajput chiefs and the rulers of Lahore and Sind. He also managed to fend off an attack from the Mongol leader, Genghis Khan. Balban ascended the throne after the death of Nasiruddin, Iltutmish's son. He adopted a policy of 'blood and iron' to bring law and order to his kingdom. He built a strong army and an efficient network of spies to maintain control.
2.
Ans: Alauddin Khalji introduced several reforms to improve the quality of administration. He fixed the prices of all goods, including food grains, cloth, and horses to control the market and prevent inflation. Officers were appointed to monitor the markets to ensure traders followed the rules. He set up warehouses to store excess grain, which could be used in times of famine. Strict punishments were enforced for those practicing black marketing or hoarding. Alauddin also took measures to ensure that the nobles did not conspire against him, including the appointment of spies throughout the sultanate.
3.
Ans: Muhammad bin Tughlaq was known for his radical reforms, which often lacked practical judgment and common sense. One of his most infamous reforms was the decision to shift the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad in the Deccan. This decision resulted in widespread suffering as the entire population of Delhi was forced to move. Many people died during the journey, and Daulatabad was eventually abandoned due to lack of water. Another impractical reform was the introduction of token currency. The idea was to replace gold and silver coins with bronze coins, but this policy failed as people started producing counterfeit coins, leading to economic chaos.
4.
Ans: The rule of the Delhi Sultanate ended with the defeat and death of Ibrahim Lodi, the last sultan of Delhi, in the First Battle of Panipat in 1526. Ibrahim Lodi was an autocratic ruler, much disliked by his people. Daulat Khan, the governor of Punjab, invited Babur, a descendant of Timur, to invade India and overthrow Ibrahim Lodi. Babur defeated and killed Ibrahim Lodi, marking the beginning of Mughal rule in India.
5.
Ans: The nobles held a significant position in the administrative setup of the Delhi Sultanate. They were responsible for implementing the sultan’s orders, maintaining law and order, and collecting taxes. However, the nobles often conspired against the sultan, which led to instability and chaos in the administration. In the case of Balban, he broke the power of the chahalgani—a group of the forty most important Turkic nobles in the court, to maintain control over the empire.
6.
Ans: The Delhi Sultanate faced downfall due to several reasons. The absence of fixed laws of succession often led to periods of chaos and instability. Many sultans were unable to gain the trust of the people due to their autocratic rule and policy of religious intolerance. Impractical projects launched by Muhammad bin Tughlaq caused hardship to the people and drained the treasury. The nobles were constantly engaged in conspiracies, leaving them little time to discharge their duties. Despite the vast expansion of the empire, the means of communication remained poor, making it difficult to monitor distant regions. Neglect of the army organization and invasions by the Mongols further weakened the sultanate and hastened its collapse.
