Test: Bihar Specific (Medieval History) - Software Development MCQ

The correct answer is Dharmapala.

Key Points

• Vikramashila was one of the two most important centers of learning in India during the Pala Empire, along with Nalanda.
• Its location is now the site of Antichak village, Bhagalpur district in Bihar.
• Vikramashila was established by the Pala emperor Dharmapala (783 to 820) in response to a supposed decline in the quality of scholarship at Nalanda.
• Atiśa, the renowned Pandita, is sometimes listed as a notable abbot.
• It was allegedly destroyed by the forces of Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji around 1193.

Additional Information

• Gopala (Reign: 750 – 770 AD)
  • First Pala king and founder of the dynasty.
  • Son of Vapyata, a warrior.
  • Considered the first Buddhist king of Bengal.
• Dharmapala (Reign: 770 – 810 AD)
  • ​Son and successor of Gopala.
  • Expanded the kingdom.
  • Was a pious Buddhist.
  • Founded the Vikramshila University at Bhagalpur, Bihar.
  • He had frequent wars with the Pratiharas and the Rashtrakutas.
  • The Palas became the most powerful kingdom in northern and eastern India during his rule.
• Mahipala I
  • Ascended the throne in 988 AD.
  • Recovered northern and eastern Bengal.
  • Also took Bihar.
• Devapala (Reign: 810 – 850 AD)
  • Son of Dharmapala and Rannadevi, a Rashtrakuta princess.
  • Extended the kingdom to Assam, Odisha, and Kamarupa.
  • Was a staunch Buddhist and built many monasteries and temples in Magadha.
  • Defeated the Rashtrakuta ruler Amoghavarsha.

The correct answer is Gobind Singh.

Key Points

• Guru Gobind Singh:
  • The last of the ten Sikh Gurus, Guru Gobind Singh was born on 22nd December 1666 in Patna, Bihar.
  • His birth anniversary is based on the Nanakshahi calendar according to which it will fall on January 20 in 2021 while for the last year it was celebrated on January 2.
  • He became the Sikh guru at the age of nine, following the demise of his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru.
  • He was assassinated in 1708 by Jamshed Khan and Wasil Beg.

The correct answer is Bakhtiyar Khilji.

Key Points

In 1203–1204 AD, the Turkic general Bakhtiyar Khalji attacked Nabadwip which was the captal of Bengal. Khalji defeated Lakshman Sen and captured northwest Bengal – although Eastern Bengal remained under Sena control.

The correct answer is Tartar Khan.

• When Balban Ascended the throne, he was presented a gift of 63 elephants by Tartar Khan, the governor of Bihar as shown by an Arabic Barahdari inscription of Bihar Sharif.

Key Points

• Tartar Khan was a great patron of learning.
• He is reported to collect a great number of commentaries of the Holy Quran, and having secured the assistance of a group of learned men in Sonargoan he produced a commentary which he called Tafsir-i-Tatarkhani.
• He also sponsored the compilation of a book of law called Fatwa-i-Tatarkhani.
• One work on fiqh titled Majmu-i-Khani fi Ayn al-Ma'ani, compiled in Arabic by one Kamal-i-Karim, was dedicated by the author to one Ulugh Qutlugh Izzuddin Bahram Khan, governor of Bengal.

The correct answer is Malik Jani.

• Governor of Bengal, Ali Mardan, became an independent sultan at the time of Iltutmish succession in 1211.
• Soon Ali Mardan was overthrown by Hasanuddin Iwaz Khalji and assumed the title of Sultan Ghiyasuddin.
• He attacked and conquered Bihar.
• He also suppressed a revolt against him by local Hindu chieftain.

Important Points

• In 1225, Iltutmish ordered his army to reoccupy Bihar and Bengal.
• His army recovered Bihar and prepared to attack Bengal.
• Sultan Ghiyasuddin pleaded with Iltutmish not to attack Bengal, in return he will accept the suzerainty of Delhi. Iltutmish accepted the offer and order his army to return to Delhi. 
• Iltutmish accepted the offer and returned to Delhi after appointing Malik Jani as the governor of Bihar.

Additional Information

• Meanwhile, in eastern India, Ghiyasuddin re-asserted his independence and occupied Bihar.
• In 1227, Iltutmish directed his son Nasiruddin Mahmud, who held the iqta' of neighboring Awadh region at this time, to invade Bengal while Ghiyasuddin was away on a plundering campaign in Kamrup.
• Nasiruddin captured his capital Lakhnauti and defeated and executed him on his return to Bengal.
•  Following this conquest, the coinage in the Bengal region was issued in the name of Iltutmish, and the khutba in Lakhnauti was also read in his name.

The correct answer is ​Mohammad Shah Nohani.

• Mohammad Shah Nohani was the founder of the Nohani state in Bihar.
• Mohammad Nohani defeated Ibrahim Lodi's army in the Kanakapura battle.
• After the death of Mohammad Nohani in 1528 AD, his son Jalaluddin alias Jalal Khan became the ruler.

The correct answer is Raja Sitab rai.

• Robert Clive introduced Dual government in 1765

Key Points

• Under this the control of both the Diwani and Nizamat went to Company.
• For exercising the functions company appointed two deputies Diwans, for Bengal Mohammad Reza Khan and for Bihar Raja Sitab rai.
• Ram Narayan was deputy governor of Bihar before the introduction of Dual government.
• He was loyal to company and helped them in misuse of Dastak i.e., the trade permit.
• Raja Sitab rai was famous banker of Bengal who helped British against the Nawab in Battle of Plassey.

The correct answer is ​Rani Ahilyabai.

Key Points

• Vishnupad Temple was built by Rani Ahilyabai in 1787.
• It is situated in Gaya, Bihar.
• The temple is located on the bank of river Falgu River and has a footprint of Vishnu incised into a block of basalt. 
• People believe that in this place Lord Vishnu killed Gayasur by placing his foot on Gayasur’s chest.

Additional Information

The correct answer is Sher Shah Suri.

Key Points

• Sher Shah Suri was the founder of the Suri Empire in India.
• He ruled with his capital in Sasaram in modern-day Bihar.
• The currency of the rupee was first introduced by Sher Shah Suri.
• He took control of the Mughal Empire in 1540 by defeating Humayun.
• Sher Shah Suri died in an accidental gunpowder explosion in the fort of Kalinjar on 13 May 1545 AD.
• The tomb of Sher Shah Suri is in the Sasaram town of Bihar state.
• This tomb is an example of Indo-Islamic architecture.
• it was designed by the architect Mir Muhammad Aliwal Khan.
• It was built between 1540 and 1545,

Additional Information

• Bahadur Shah Zafar was the twentieth and last Mughal Emperor of India.
  • He was buried at Rangoon in Burma.
• Alauddin Khilji was an emperor of the Khalji dynasty in the Indian subcontinent.
  • The tomb of Alauddin Khalji is located in Delhi.
• Qutb al-Din Aibak was the first sultan of Delhi.
  • He was buried at Anarkali Bazaar in Lahore.

The correct answer is Akbar.

Key Points

• Akbar expelled Dawood from Patna and Hajipur.
• In 1574, Akbar went to Patna to crush the Afghan Chief Daud Khan.
• Daud Khan Karrani was the last ruler of Bengal's Karrani dynasty.
• Daud Khan was not agreed to be under the dominion of Akbar, so he decided to fight against the army of Delhi and remain the conqueror of Bengal. 
• A decisive battle was fought at Rajmahal in 1576. Daud was ultimately defeated and executed.
• After his death, Bengal went under the direct Mughal rule as Subah with Subahdars being installed.

Important Points

• Akbar
  • ​Akbar born at Amarkot in 1542 CE.
  • He was the son of Humayun and Hamida Banu Begum.
  • In 1556 CE, he was crowned at Kalanaur at the young age of 13 years and ruled till 1605.
  • Bairam Khan acted as his regent during the first few years of Akbar’s reign.
  • Akbar was the third Mughal emperor.
  • Akbar was succeeded as emperor by his son, Prince Salim, later known as Jahangir.