Q11. Which book-author pair is NOT correctly matched?
[UPPCS 2019]
A. Tabaqat-i-Nasiri — Minhaj-us-Siraj
B. Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi — Ziauddin Barani
C. Tughlaqnama — Ibn Battuta
D. Humayunnama — Gulbadan Begum
Answer: C. Tughlaqnama — Ibn Battuta
Explanation: Tughlaqnama was written by Amir Khusrau, whereas Ibn Battuta is associated with the travel account Rihla. The other listed book-author pairs are correctly matched.
Q10. What is the title of Minhaj-us-Siraj’s major historical work?
[UGC NET History 2019 – Others]
A. Taj-ul-Maasir
B. Fatawa-i-Jahandari
C. Tabaqat-i-Nasiri
D. Tarikh-i-Mahmud Shahi
Answer: C. Tabaqat-i-Nasiri
Explanation: Minhaj’s Tabaqat-i-Nasiri provides a continuous narrative of Muslim dynasties and is exceptionally important for reconstructing the history of the early Delhi Sultanate and Bengal.
Q9. Who wrote ‘Tughlaq Nama’?
[Karnataka Police Constable 2019 – Others]
A. Amir Khusrau
B. Nasiruddin Mahmud
C. Ziauddin Barani
D. Isami
Answer: A. Amir Khusrau
Explanation: Tughlaq Nama was one of Amir Khusrau’s final major compositions. It celebrates Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq’s victory over Khusrau Khan and the establishment of Tughlaq authority.
Q8. Which of the following texts was NOT written by Amir Khusrau?
[RPSC Assistant Engineer 2018]
A. Qiran-us-Sadain
B. Miftah-ul-Futuh
C. Tughlaq-Nama
D. Sirat-i-Firoz Shahi
Answer: D. Sirat-i-Firoz Shahi
Explanation: Qiran-us-Sadain, Miftah-ul-Futuh and Tughlaq-Nama belong to Amir Khusrau’s extensive literary corpus. Sirat-i-Firoz Shahi is not regarded as his composition.
Q7. Amir Khusrau was a famous poet and musician in the court of which Sultan?
[RRB Group D 2018]
A. Shah Jahan
B. Aurangzeb
C. Jahangir
D. Alauddin Khalji
Answer: D. Alauddin Khalji
Explanation: Although Khusrau served several rulers, his association with Alauddin Khalji was especially important. His writings provide literary accounts of Alauddin’s reign, victories and contemporary court culture.
Q6. Which of the following author-work pairs is correctly matched?
[MPPSC Assistant Professor History 2017]
A. Amir Khusrau — Futuh-us-Salatin
B. Isami — Kitab-ul-Hind
C. Ibn Battuta — Tughlaqnama
D. Minhaj-us-Siraj — Tabaqat-i-Nasiri
Answer: D. Minhaj-us-Siraj — Tabaqat-i-Nasiri
Explanation: Tabaqat-i-Nasiri was Minhaj’s major chronicle. Futuh-us-Salatin belongs to Isami, Kitab-ul-Hind to Al-Biruni and Tughlaqnama to Amir Khusrau.
Q5. Which travelogue provides important information about the reign of Muhammad bin Tughlaq?
[UPSC NDA 2017]
A. Ibn Battuta’s Rihla
B. Bernier’s Travels in the Mogul Empire
C. Manucci’s Storia do Mogor
D. Tavernier’s Travels in India
Answer: A. Ibn Battuta’s Rihla
Explanation: Ibn Battuta personally experienced Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s court. His Rihla records the Sultan’s administration, postal network, urban life, ceremonies and broader socioeconomic conditions.
Q4. Amir Khusrau was a:
[Chhattisgarh PSC Prelims 2011]
A. Poet
B. Historian
C. Musician
D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: Amir Khusrau combined poetry, historical writing and music. This versatility, together with his Persian and Hindavi compositions, made him one of the most influential cultural personalities of Sultanate India.
Q3. Who wrote the famous ‘Kitab-ul-Hind’?
[RAS/RTS Prelims 2010]
A. Hasan Nizami
B. Minhaj-us-Siraj
C. Al-Biruni
D. Shams-i-Siraj Afif
Answer: C. Al-Biruni
Explanation: Al-Biruni investigated Indian philosophy, religion, mathematics, astronomy and customs through Sanskrit sources and personal observation, producing one of the most systematic foreign accounts of medieval India.
Q2. Consider the statements: 1. ‘Kitab-i-Nauras’ was composed by Ibrahim Adil Shah II. 2. Amir Khusrau is associated with the early development of Qawwali in India. Which is correct?
[UPSC CSE Prelims 2003]
A. Only 1
B. Only 2
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: C. Both 1 and 2
Explanation: Ibrahim Adil Shah II’s Kitab-i-Nauras reflects Deccani musical syncretism, while Amir Khusrau is traditionally credited with important innovations in the Indo-Persian Sufi musical tradition including Qawwali.
Q1. Who among the following is traditionally regarded as the first major writer to use Urdu/Hindavi as a medium of poetic expression?
[UPSC CSE Prelims 1999]
A. Amir Khusrau
B. Mirza Ghalib
C. Bahadur Shah Zafar
D. Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Answer: A. Amir Khusrau
Explanation: Amir Khusrau experimented extensively with the spoken Hindavi tradition alongside Persian. His bilingual literary legacy is therefore regarded as an important early stage in the development of Urdu-Hindavi poetry.
