Selina Textbook Solutions: The Delhi Sultanate | History Class 7 ICSE PDF Download

 Page 1


The Delhi Sultanate 
Important Words 
1. Price control is the practice where the king or the government controls the prices 
of goods to prevent shopkeepers from increasing prices. 
2. Devagiri was the city which Muhammad bin Tughlaq chose to shift his capital to. 
He renamed it Daulatabad. 
3. Token currency was the system of currency introduced by Muhammad bin 
Tughlaq where brass and copper coins were to have the same value as silver and 
gold coins. 
4. The ulema were the group of Muslim religious scholars who also advised the king. 
Time To Learn 
I. Fill in the blanks: 
1. Qutab-ud-din Aibak was the real founder of the Slave Dynasty. 
2. Razia was nominated by Iltutmish as his successor. 
3. Balban’s theory of kingship was divine. 
4. Jalal-ud-din Khalji was the first Khalji ruler. 
5. Malik Kafur led many campaigns in North India and every time he brought a huge 
booty of gold, jewels, elephants and horses. 
6. Amir Khusrau was a well-known poet in the court of Ala- ud-din Khalji. 
7. Ala-ud-din constructed a big tank called Hauz khas. 
8. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq shifted his capital from Delhi to Devagiri. 
9. Amir Timur invaded India in AD 1398. 
10. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq introduced copper coins in place of gold and silver 
coins. 
II. Match Column A with Column B:
 
Page 2


The Delhi Sultanate 
Important Words 
1. Price control is the practice where the king or the government controls the prices 
of goods to prevent shopkeepers from increasing prices. 
2. Devagiri was the city which Muhammad bin Tughlaq chose to shift his capital to. 
He renamed it Daulatabad. 
3. Token currency was the system of currency introduced by Muhammad bin 
Tughlaq where brass and copper coins were to have the same value as silver and 
gold coins. 
4. The ulema were the group of Muslim religious scholars who also advised the king. 
Time To Learn 
I. Fill in the blanks: 
1. Qutab-ud-din Aibak was the real founder of the Slave Dynasty. 
2. Razia was nominated by Iltutmish as his successor. 
3. Balban’s theory of kingship was divine. 
4. Jalal-ud-din Khalji was the first Khalji ruler. 
5. Malik Kafur led many campaigns in North India and every time he brought a huge 
booty of gold, jewels, elephants and horses. 
6. Amir Khusrau was a well-known poet in the court of Ala- ud-din Khalji. 
7. Ala-ud-din constructed a big tank called Hauz khas. 
8. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq shifted his capital from Delhi to Devagiri. 
9. Amir Timur invaded India in AD 1398. 
10. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq introduced copper coins in place of gold and silver 
coins. 
II. Match Column A with Column B:
 
 
 
Answer: 
 
III. State weather the following statements are True Or False: 
1. Qutub-ud-din Aibak built the Qutab Minar of Delhi. 
True 
2. Balban believed in absolute monarchy. 
 True. 
3. Malik Kafur was also known as Hazar Dinari because he was bought for a 
thousand dinars. 
 True. 
4. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq is known as a ‘mixture of opposites’. 
True. 
5. Firoz Shah Tughlaq was Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq’s son. 
False.Firoz Shah Tughlaq was Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq’s cousin. 
6. Sikandar Lodi lost control over the Gangetic Valley. 
False Ibrahim Lodi lost control over the Gangetic Valley. 
7. Khizr Khan was the founder of Sayyid dynasty. 
False. Khizr Khan was the deputy of Sayyid dynasty. 
Page 3


The Delhi Sultanate 
Important Words 
1. Price control is the practice where the king or the government controls the prices 
of goods to prevent shopkeepers from increasing prices. 
2. Devagiri was the city which Muhammad bin Tughlaq chose to shift his capital to. 
He renamed it Daulatabad. 
3. Token currency was the system of currency introduced by Muhammad bin 
Tughlaq where brass and copper coins were to have the same value as silver and 
gold coins. 
4. The ulema were the group of Muslim religious scholars who also advised the king. 
Time To Learn 
I. Fill in the blanks: 
1. Qutab-ud-din Aibak was the real founder of the Slave Dynasty. 
2. Razia was nominated by Iltutmish as his successor. 
3. Balban’s theory of kingship was divine. 
4. Jalal-ud-din Khalji was the first Khalji ruler. 
5. Malik Kafur led many campaigns in North India and every time he brought a huge 
booty of gold, jewels, elephants and horses. 
6. Amir Khusrau was a well-known poet in the court of Ala- ud-din Khalji. 
7. Ala-ud-din constructed a big tank called Hauz khas. 
8. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq shifted his capital from Delhi to Devagiri. 
9. Amir Timur invaded India in AD 1398. 
10. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq introduced copper coins in place of gold and silver 
coins. 
II. Match Column A with Column B:
 
 
 
Answer: 
 
III. State weather the following statements are True Or False: 
1. Qutub-ud-din Aibak built the Qutab Minar of Delhi. 
True 
2. Balban believed in absolute monarchy. 
 True. 
3. Malik Kafur was also known as Hazar Dinari because he was bought for a 
thousand dinars. 
 True. 
4. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq is known as a ‘mixture of opposites’. 
True. 
5. Firoz Shah Tughlaq was Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq’s son. 
False.Firoz Shah Tughlaq was Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq’s cousin. 
6. Sikandar Lodi lost control over the Gangetic Valley. 
False Ibrahim Lodi lost control over the Gangetic Valley. 
7. Khizr Khan was the founder of Sayyid dynasty. 
False. Khizr Khan was the deputy of Sayyid dynasty. 
IV. Answer the following questions briefly: 
Question 1. 
What were the difficulties that Iltutmish had to face and how did he tackle them? 
Answer: 
Iltutmish position was challenged from the very beginning since he had no hereditary 
claim over the throne. But Iltutmish proved himself as a strong and efficient ruler. 
Question 2. 
Write in brief about the rise and fall of Razia Sultan. 
Answer: 
Razia was brave, intelligent, and possessed all the royal qualities. She dressed like a 
man and used to sit in the open darbar to transact business. She even rode horses. She 
was a talented woman and regarded the welfare of her subjects as an essential duty. 
There was chaos and disorder in the country when Razia came to the throne. But being 
an able ruler, she put the things in order. She was a wise, just, and benevolent ruler. 
She became the true leader of her armies. 
But some nobles did not like to be ruled by a woman. She favoured a slave called Yakut 
and this was one of the causes of her abrupt fall. 
Question 3. 
Who was Balban? What step»did he take to consolidate the Sultanate? 
Answer: 
Balban was the father-in-law of Nasir-ud-din. He came to power after the death of Nasir-
ud-din in AD 1266. 
The steps taken by Ba’lan to consc’idate the sultanate were:    . 
1. Balban reformed the army to increase its efficiency. 
2. Balban created an awe and respect in the minds of the people. 
3. He made the people and the nobles loyal to the crown, 
4. Balban put the administration in order. 
5. He checked the Mongol invasions successfully. 
6. He organised a very efficient spy system. 
7. He strictly believed in the ‘divine theory’ of kingship, i.e., king is the representative 
of God on earth. 
Question 4. 
Who was the greatest of the two — Iltutmish or Balban? Give reason for your answer. 
Answer: 
Iltutmish was the greatest ruler because of the following reasons : 
1. The Turkish nobles who had challenged his claim to the throne were suppressed. 
2. The revolt of the Khilji governor of Bengal was crushed. 
3. The power of his external rivals, the rulers of Ghazni and Multan, was destroyed. 
Page 4


The Delhi Sultanate 
Important Words 
1. Price control is the practice where the king or the government controls the prices 
of goods to prevent shopkeepers from increasing prices. 
2. Devagiri was the city which Muhammad bin Tughlaq chose to shift his capital to. 
He renamed it Daulatabad. 
3. Token currency was the system of currency introduced by Muhammad bin 
Tughlaq where brass and copper coins were to have the same value as silver and 
gold coins. 
4. The ulema were the group of Muslim religious scholars who also advised the king. 
Time To Learn 
I. Fill in the blanks: 
1. Qutab-ud-din Aibak was the real founder of the Slave Dynasty. 
2. Razia was nominated by Iltutmish as his successor. 
3. Balban’s theory of kingship was divine. 
4. Jalal-ud-din Khalji was the first Khalji ruler. 
5. Malik Kafur led many campaigns in North India and every time he brought a huge 
booty of gold, jewels, elephants and horses. 
6. Amir Khusrau was a well-known poet in the court of Ala- ud-din Khalji. 
7. Ala-ud-din constructed a big tank called Hauz khas. 
8. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq shifted his capital from Delhi to Devagiri. 
9. Amir Timur invaded India in AD 1398. 
10. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq introduced copper coins in place of gold and silver 
coins. 
II. Match Column A with Column B:
 
 
 
Answer: 
 
III. State weather the following statements are True Or False: 
1. Qutub-ud-din Aibak built the Qutab Minar of Delhi. 
True 
2. Balban believed in absolute monarchy. 
 True. 
3. Malik Kafur was also known as Hazar Dinari because he was bought for a 
thousand dinars. 
 True. 
4. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq is known as a ‘mixture of opposites’. 
True. 
5. Firoz Shah Tughlaq was Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq’s son. 
False.Firoz Shah Tughlaq was Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq’s cousin. 
6. Sikandar Lodi lost control over the Gangetic Valley. 
False Ibrahim Lodi lost control over the Gangetic Valley. 
7. Khizr Khan was the founder of Sayyid dynasty. 
False. Khizr Khan was the deputy of Sayyid dynasty. 
IV. Answer the following questions briefly: 
Question 1. 
What were the difficulties that Iltutmish had to face and how did he tackle them? 
Answer: 
Iltutmish position was challenged from the very beginning since he had no hereditary 
claim over the throne. But Iltutmish proved himself as a strong and efficient ruler. 
Question 2. 
Write in brief about the rise and fall of Razia Sultan. 
Answer: 
Razia was brave, intelligent, and possessed all the royal qualities. She dressed like a 
man and used to sit in the open darbar to transact business. She even rode horses. She 
was a talented woman and regarded the welfare of her subjects as an essential duty. 
There was chaos and disorder in the country when Razia came to the throne. But being 
an able ruler, she put the things in order. She was a wise, just, and benevolent ruler. 
She became the true leader of her armies. 
But some nobles did not like to be ruled by a woman. She favoured a slave called Yakut 
and this was one of the causes of her abrupt fall. 
Question 3. 
Who was Balban? What step»did he take to consolidate the Sultanate? 
Answer: 
Balban was the father-in-law of Nasir-ud-din. He came to power after the death of Nasir-
ud-din in AD 1266. 
The steps taken by Ba’lan to consc’idate the sultanate were:    . 
1. Balban reformed the army to increase its efficiency. 
2. Balban created an awe and respect in the minds of the people. 
3. He made the people and the nobles loyal to the crown, 
4. Balban put the administration in order. 
5. He checked the Mongol invasions successfully. 
6. He organised a very efficient spy system. 
7. He strictly believed in the ‘divine theory’ of kingship, i.e., king is the representative 
of God on earth. 
Question 4. 
Who was the greatest of the two — Iltutmish or Balban? Give reason for your answer. 
Answer: 
Iltutmish was the greatest ruler because of the following reasons : 
1. The Turkish nobles who had challenged his claim to the throne were suppressed. 
2. The revolt of the Khilji governor of Bengal was crushed. 
3. The power of his external rivals, the rulers of Ghazni and Multan, was destroyed. 
4. A new danger presented itself when the Mongol chief, Chenghiz Khan, reached 
the borders of India in pursuit ofthe Shah of Persia (Iran). The Shah had fled 
towards India in search of Shelter. Iltutmish politely refused to give him refuge and 
by doing so he saved India from the threat of the Mongol invasion. 
5. After having got rid of his enemies, Iltutmish defeated the Rajput rulers of Ujjain, 
Ranthambore, Malwa and Gwalior. He brought the whole of North India up to the 
river Narmada under his control. The Caliph of Baghdad recognized him as the 
sovereign of India. 
Question 5. 
Discuss briefly Ala-ud-din’s conquest of the North. 
Answer: 
Alauddin first captured the fort of Ranthambore and then attacked Chittor, the capital of 
Mewar. The Rajputs fought bravely but lost the battle. This was followed by the capture 
of the important cities of Mandu, Ujjain, Dhar and Chanderi in Malwa. By 1305 CE, 
Alauddin become the master of the whole of North India. 
Question 6. 
What was the system of chehra and dagh introduced by Ala-ud-din Khalji? 
Answer: 
Ala-ud-din introduced a system of chehra, an identity card system for every soldier, and 
dagh to brand horses to be used specifically for wars. 
Question 7. 
What was the consequence of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq’s project of shifting his capital? 
Answer: 
Consequences : In the absence of the sultan, Delhi was now exposed to renewed 
attacks by the Mongols. Realizing his folly, Muhammad bin Tughlaq shifted his capital 
back to Delhi after 2 years. The people were ordered to return. The suffering and mental 
agony caused great resentment. The experiment was a dismal failure. It had drained the 
treasury and reduced the grand and prosperous capital of Delhi to a mere shadow of its 
former self. Daulatabad, a monument of misdirected energy, became a deserted city. 
Question 8. 
Who was Timur? When did he invade India? 
Answer: 
Amir Timur was a founder of the Sayyid Dynasty. Amir Timur invaded India in AD 1398. 
Question 9. 
Why is Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq called an ill-starred idealist? 
Answer: 
Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq called an ill-starred idealist because: 
1. He was a great philosopher and mathematician. 
Page 5


The Delhi Sultanate 
Important Words 
1. Price control is the practice where the king or the government controls the prices 
of goods to prevent shopkeepers from increasing prices. 
2. Devagiri was the city which Muhammad bin Tughlaq chose to shift his capital to. 
He renamed it Daulatabad. 
3. Token currency was the system of currency introduced by Muhammad bin 
Tughlaq where brass and copper coins were to have the same value as silver and 
gold coins. 
4. The ulema were the group of Muslim religious scholars who also advised the king. 
Time To Learn 
I. Fill in the blanks: 
1. Qutab-ud-din Aibak was the real founder of the Slave Dynasty. 
2. Razia was nominated by Iltutmish as his successor. 
3. Balban’s theory of kingship was divine. 
4. Jalal-ud-din Khalji was the first Khalji ruler. 
5. Malik Kafur led many campaigns in North India and every time he brought a huge 
booty of gold, jewels, elephants and horses. 
6. Amir Khusrau was a well-known poet in the court of Ala- ud-din Khalji. 
7. Ala-ud-din constructed a big tank called Hauz khas. 
8. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq shifted his capital from Delhi to Devagiri. 
9. Amir Timur invaded India in AD 1398. 
10. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq introduced copper coins in place of gold and silver 
coins. 
II. Match Column A with Column B:
 
 
 
Answer: 
 
III. State weather the following statements are True Or False: 
1. Qutub-ud-din Aibak built the Qutab Minar of Delhi. 
True 
2. Balban believed in absolute monarchy. 
 True. 
3. Malik Kafur was also known as Hazar Dinari because he was bought for a 
thousand dinars. 
 True. 
4. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq is known as a ‘mixture of opposites’. 
True. 
5. Firoz Shah Tughlaq was Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq’s son. 
False.Firoz Shah Tughlaq was Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq’s cousin. 
6. Sikandar Lodi lost control over the Gangetic Valley. 
False Ibrahim Lodi lost control over the Gangetic Valley. 
7. Khizr Khan was the founder of Sayyid dynasty. 
False. Khizr Khan was the deputy of Sayyid dynasty. 
IV. Answer the following questions briefly: 
Question 1. 
What were the difficulties that Iltutmish had to face and how did he tackle them? 
Answer: 
Iltutmish position was challenged from the very beginning since he had no hereditary 
claim over the throne. But Iltutmish proved himself as a strong and efficient ruler. 
Question 2. 
Write in brief about the rise and fall of Razia Sultan. 
Answer: 
Razia was brave, intelligent, and possessed all the royal qualities. She dressed like a 
man and used to sit in the open darbar to transact business. She even rode horses. She 
was a talented woman and regarded the welfare of her subjects as an essential duty. 
There was chaos and disorder in the country when Razia came to the throne. But being 
an able ruler, she put the things in order. She was a wise, just, and benevolent ruler. 
She became the true leader of her armies. 
But some nobles did not like to be ruled by a woman. She favoured a slave called Yakut 
and this was one of the causes of her abrupt fall. 
Question 3. 
Who was Balban? What step»did he take to consolidate the Sultanate? 
Answer: 
Balban was the father-in-law of Nasir-ud-din. He came to power after the death of Nasir-
ud-din in AD 1266. 
The steps taken by Ba’lan to consc’idate the sultanate were:    . 
1. Balban reformed the army to increase its efficiency. 
2. Balban created an awe and respect in the minds of the people. 
3. He made the people and the nobles loyal to the crown, 
4. Balban put the administration in order. 
5. He checked the Mongol invasions successfully. 
6. He organised a very efficient spy system. 
7. He strictly believed in the ‘divine theory’ of kingship, i.e., king is the representative 
of God on earth. 
Question 4. 
Who was the greatest of the two — Iltutmish or Balban? Give reason for your answer. 
Answer: 
Iltutmish was the greatest ruler because of the following reasons : 
1. The Turkish nobles who had challenged his claim to the throne were suppressed. 
2. The revolt of the Khilji governor of Bengal was crushed. 
3. The power of his external rivals, the rulers of Ghazni and Multan, was destroyed. 
4. A new danger presented itself when the Mongol chief, Chenghiz Khan, reached 
the borders of India in pursuit ofthe Shah of Persia (Iran). The Shah had fled 
towards India in search of Shelter. Iltutmish politely refused to give him refuge and 
by doing so he saved India from the threat of the Mongol invasion. 
5. After having got rid of his enemies, Iltutmish defeated the Rajput rulers of Ujjain, 
Ranthambore, Malwa and Gwalior. He brought the whole of North India up to the 
river Narmada under his control. The Caliph of Baghdad recognized him as the 
sovereign of India. 
Question 5. 
Discuss briefly Ala-ud-din’s conquest of the North. 
Answer: 
Alauddin first captured the fort of Ranthambore and then attacked Chittor, the capital of 
Mewar. The Rajputs fought bravely but lost the battle. This was followed by the capture 
of the important cities of Mandu, Ujjain, Dhar and Chanderi in Malwa. By 1305 CE, 
Alauddin become the master of the whole of North India. 
Question 6. 
What was the system of chehra and dagh introduced by Ala-ud-din Khalji? 
Answer: 
Ala-ud-din introduced a system of chehra, an identity card system for every soldier, and 
dagh to brand horses to be used specifically for wars. 
Question 7. 
What was the consequence of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq’s project of shifting his capital? 
Answer: 
Consequences : In the absence of the sultan, Delhi was now exposed to renewed 
attacks by the Mongols. Realizing his folly, Muhammad bin Tughlaq shifted his capital 
back to Delhi after 2 years. The people were ordered to return. The suffering and mental 
agony caused great resentment. The experiment was a dismal failure. It had drained the 
treasury and reduced the grand and prosperous capital of Delhi to a mere shadow of its 
former self. Daulatabad, a monument of misdirected energy, became a deserted city. 
Question 8. 
Who was Timur? When did he invade India? 
Answer: 
Amir Timur was a founder of the Sayyid Dynasty. Amir Timur invaded India in AD 1398. 
Question 9. 
Why is Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq called an ill-starred idealist? 
Answer: 
Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq called an ill-starred idealist because: 
1. He was a great philosopher and mathematician. 
2. He was a great general but he lacked common sense and practical judgemnet. 
3. He was a Sunni Muslim but did not allow the ulemas to interfere in state affairs. 
4. Some historians argue that he was a man ahead of his time. 
V. Give Reason why: 
Question 1. 
Mahmud of Ghazni attacked India. 
Answer: 
Mahmud of Ghazni attached India as he was in wealth rather than setting up an empire 
in the Indian subcontinent. 
Question 2. 
Turks succeeded against Rajputs 
Answer: 
The Rajputs were brave soldiers and skilled swordsmen. But they suffered defeat after 
defeat. The reasons for their defeat or, in other words, causes for Muslim success were 
the following: 
1. The Rajputs lacked unity. They were always fighting with each other. Prithviraj 
Chauhan and Jaichand could not unite against Muhammad Ghori. 
2. Rajput chiefs were jealous of each other. 
3. The Rajputs had no standing army of their own, and hence had to depend on the 
feudal lords for contingents. 
4. The Rajputs were no match for the quick and swift army and cavalry of the Central 
Asian warriors. 
Question 3. 
Nobles rebelled against Razia. 
Answer: 
Nobles rebelled against Razia because they did not like the idea of being ruled by a 
woman. 
Question 4. 
Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq’s toktn currency failed. 
Answer: 
Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq’s token currency failed because the token currency was made 
of copper and brass and had equal value as silver and gold coins. However, the 
experiment failed because people started forging these coins at their homes.