Q50. The Qutub Minar was constructed to commemorate whose victory?
[OSSC CGLRE Mains – 2026]
A. Balban
B. Iltutmish
C. Qutb-ud-din Aibak
D. Alauddin Khalji
Answer: C. Qutb-ud-din Aibak
Explanation: Qutb-ud-din Aibak commissioned Qutub Minar after the establishment of Turkish power in northern India. He completed its first storey; Iltutmish subsequently added three more storeys.
Q49. Which of the following was a major military reason behind the construction of Siri Fort?
[RRB NTPC UG CBT-I – 20 June 2026, Shift 2]
A. To serve as a trading hub for the Songara Rajputs
B. To celebrate Khalji’s victory over the Cholas
C. To house Buddhist monasteries
D. To protect Delhi from Mongol attacks
Answer: D. To protect Delhi from Mongol attacks
Explanation: Alauddin Khalji established Siri as a fortified city around 1303. Its construction was closely associated with strengthening Delhi’s defences against repeated Mongol incursions from Central Asia.
Q48. Which architectural technique was introduced to India during the Sultanate period?
[RRB NTPC UG CBT-I – 13 June 2026, Shift 3]
A. Slab-and-beam roofing
B. Barrel vaulting
C. Arch-and-dome construction technique
D. Wooden truss construction
Answer: C. Arch-and-dome construction technique
Explanation: Sultanate architecture popularised the arcuate system using arches and domes. Earlier Indian buildings predominantly employed the trabeate principle, where horizontal beams rested on vertical pillars.
Q47. Sultan Garhi, built in 1231–32 as the mausoleum of Nasir-ud-din Mahmud, was constructed by whom?
[UP TGT History – 2026]
A. Alauddin Khalji
B. Qutb-ud-din Aibak
C. Balban
D. Iltutmish
Answer: D. Iltutmish
Explanation: Iltutmish built Sultan Garhi near Delhi for his eldest son Nasir-ud-din Mahmud. It is generally regarded as one of India’s earliest surviving Islamic mausoleums.
Q46. Which assessment best captures the historical significance of Qutb-ud-din Aibak’s rule?
[UP PGT History – 9 May 2026]
A. Creation of a fully centralised revenue administration
B. Consolidation of Ghurid gains, foundation of Sultanate rule and initiation of new architectural forms
C. Permanent political unification of southern India
D. A reign without any durable architectural legacy
Answer: B. Consolidation of Ghurid gains, foundation of Sultanate rule and initiation of new architectural forms
Explanation: Aibak founded the Mamluk Sultanate and initiated major Indo-Islamic structures, notably Qutub Minar and Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, beginning an important architectural transformation in northern India.
Q45. Arrange the following developments in medieval Indian painting chronologically:
(a) Mughal naturalistic school under Akbar
(b) Development of Sultanate manuscript illustration
(c) Emergence of Rajput court painting traditions
(d) Development of the Pahari school.
[UPHESC Assistant Professor History – 19 April 2026]
A. c-b-a-d
B. a-b-c-d
C. b-a-c-d
D. b-c-a-d
Answer: C. b-a-c-d
Explanation: Sultanate-period manuscript illustration preceded the mature Mughal school. Mughal naturalism under Akbar was followed by expanding Rajput court traditions and, subsequently, distinctive Pahari schools.
Q44. Which Indian monument was originally built as a victory tower by Qutb-ud-din Aibak?
[DSSSB MTS – 19 April 2026, Shift 2]
A. Charminar
B. Qutub Minar
C. Sun Temple, Konark
D. Jama Masjid
Answer: B. Qutub Minar
Explanation: Qutb-ud-din Aibak began Qutub Minar around the end of the twelfth century. The soaring minaret became an enduring symbol of early Indo-Islamic architecture in Delhi.
Q43. Which Delhi monument begun by Qutb-ud-din Aibak is famous for its approximately 73-metre-high minaret of red sandstone?
[DSSSB MTS – 19 April 2026, Shift 2]
A. Qutub Minar
B. Jantar Mantar
C. Red Fort
D. India Gate
Answer: A. Qutub Minar
Explanation: Qutub Minar stands at Mehrauli in Delhi. Aibak initiated it, Iltutmish considerably extended it, and Firoz Shah Tughlaq later repaired and modified its upper portion.
Q42. What is the dominant form of decoration employed in Sultanate buildings?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I – 27 March 2026, Shift 3]
A. Toranas
B. Amalaka
C. Arabesque
D. Kalasha
Answer: C. Arabesque
Explanation: Arabesque uses intertwined floral, vegetal and geometric patterns. Sultanate buildings also employed Quranic calligraphy and geometrical ornamentation extensively instead of relying primarily on figurative decoration.
Q41. Widespread use of which features distinguishes Indo-Islamic/Mughal architecture from the earlier trabeate tradition?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I – 19 March 2026, Shift 1]
A. Corbelled roofs and stepped pyramids
B. Wooden beams and flat ceilings
C. Arches and domes
D. Railings and circular vedikas
Answer: C. Arches and domes
Explanation: The architectural transition began during the Sultanate, when arcuate arches and domes increasingly supplemented the indigenous trabeate beam-and-pillar method and later became central to Mughal architecture.