Q10. Qutub Minar was originally four-storeyed. Which Sultan raised its height by adding the fifth storey?
[UPSC CAPF – 8 August 2021]
A. Balban
B. Alauddin Khalji
C. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
D. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Answer: D. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Explanation: After lightning damaged Qutub Minar’s upper portion, Firoz Shah Tughlaq repaired it and reconstructed the upper levels, resulting in the five-storeyed form seen today.
Q9. Who built the Alai Darwaza?
[WBCS Prelims – 2020]
A. Alauddin Khalji
B. Akbar
C. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
D. Jahangir
Answer: A. Alauddin Khalji
Explanation: Constructed in 1311, Alai Darwaza displays true arches, an accurately constructed dome, decorative marble inlay, latticework and calligraphy, representing a mature stage of Khalji architectural development.
Q8. Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra is situated in which state?
[DSSSB PRT – 14 November 2019, Shift 2]
A. Maharashtra
B. Madhya Pradesh
C. Rajasthan
D. Uttar Pradesh
Answer: C. Rajasthan
Explanation: Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra is located at Ajmer in Rajasthan. The monument is particularly important for studying the early interaction between indigenous trabeate craftsmanship and Islamic architectural requirements.
Q7. ______ completed the construction of Qutub Minar in Delhi.
[RRB Group D – 25 October 2018, Shift 1]
A. Qutb-ud-din Aibak
B. Mahmud of Ghazni
C. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
D. Iltutmish
Answer: D. Iltutmish
Explanation: Aibak initiated the minaret and completed its first storey. Iltutmish added three storeys and is therefore conventionally credited in competitive examinations with completing its principal construction.
Q6. Who completed the Qutub Minar?
[WBCS – 2018]
A. Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki
B. Nasiruddin Mahmud
C. Iltutmish
D. Qutb-ud-din Aibak
Answer: C. Iltutmish
Explanation: Iltutmish continued Aibak’s unfinished tower and added three storeys. Firoz Shah Tughlaq later repaired the structure and modified the uppermost sections after lightning damage.
Q5. In which Mughal monument does the double-dome principle appear in a fully developed form for the first time?
[UPSC NDA – 2018]
A. Taj Mahal
B. Akbar’s Tomb
C. Humayun’s Tomb
D. Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah
Answer: C. Humayun’s Tomb
Explanation: Double-dome experiments developed during late Sultanate architecture, especially the Lodi period. Humayun’s Tomb represents its mature Mughal application, allowing impressive exterior height without distorting interior proportions.
Q4. Consider the following monuments:
- Tughlaqabad Fort
- Bada Gumbad in Lodhi Garden
- Qutub Minar
- Fatehpur Sikri
What is their correct chronological order?
[UPSC CDS – 2017]
A. 3, 1, 4, 2
B. 3, 1, 2, 4
C. 1, 3, 2, 4
D. 1, 3, 4, 2
Answer: B. 3, 1, 2, 4
Explanation: Qutub Minar began around 1199, Tughlaqabad dates to 1321, Bada Gumbad belongs to around 1490, and Akbar established Fatehpur Sikri during the later sixteenth century.
Q3. Who built Sultan Garhi in Delhi?
[MPPSC Assistant Professor History – 2017]
A. Iltutmish
B. Balban
C. Razia Sultan
D. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Answer: A. Iltutmish
Explanation: Sultan Garhi was constructed by Iltutmish for his son Nasir-ud-din Mahmud. Its fortified appearance and subterranean burial chamber make it unusual among early Indo-Islamic mausoleums.
**Q2. With reference to the arrival of Babur in India, consider the following statements:
- It led to the introduction of gunpowder.
- It led to the introduction of the arch and dome.
- It led to the establishment of a Timurid dynasty.
Which is correct?**
[UPSC Civil Services Examination Prelims – 2015]
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: B. 3 only
Explanation: Gunpowder and architectural arches and domes were known in India before Babur. His decisive contribution was establishing the Mughal, or Timurid, ruling dynasty after Panipat in 1526.
**Q1. Consider the following monuments:
- Tughlaqabad
- Lodi Garden
- Qutub Minar
- Fatehpur Sikri
Which represents the correct chronological order?**
[RAS/RTS Prelims – 2013 Re-examination]
A. 3, 1, 4, 2
B. 3, 1, 2, 4
C. 1, 3, 2, 4
D. 1, 3, 4, 2
Answer: B. 3, 1, 2, 4
Explanation: Qutub Minar belongs to the early Sultanate, Tughlaqabad to the fourteenth-century Tughlaqs, Lodi Garden monuments principally to the fifteenth–sixteenth centuries, and Fatehpur Sikri to Akbar’s reign.
