Q200. Which Delhi Sultan introduced the Dagh (branding of horses) and Chehra (descriptive roll of soldiers) systems?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-II, 2026]
A. Balban
B. Alauddin Khalji
C. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
D. Sikandar Lodi
Answer: B. Alauddin Khalji
Explanation: Alauddin strengthened direct central control over the army through Dagh and Chehra, reducing fraudulent horse substitution and fictitious soldiers while maintaining an efficient standing army.
Q199. Who commanded Alauddin Khalji’s major military expeditions into the Deccan?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-II, 2026]
A. Zafar Khan
B. Ulugh Khan
C. Malik Kafur
D. Nusrat Khan
Answer: C. Malik Kafur
Explanation: Malik Kafur led Alauddin’s southern expeditions against Devagiri, Warangal, Dwarasamudra and the Pandya territories, extending Delhi’s political influence deep into peninsular India.
Q198. Arrange these measures of Muhammad bin Tughlaq chronologically: capital transfer, increased Doab taxation, token currency and planned Khurasan expedition.
[OPSC OCS Preliminary GS-I, 2026]
A. Doab tax → Capital transfer → Khurasan → Token currency
B. Capital transfer → Doab tax → Token currency → Khurasan expedition
C. Khurasan expedition → Capital transfer → Doab tax → Token currency
D. Capital transfer → Token currency → Doab tax → Khurasan expedition
Answer: B. Capital transfer → Doab tax → Token currency → Khurasan expedition
Explanation: These ambitious measures illustrate Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s experimental governance. Most suffered from poor implementation despite being conceived for administrative, fiscal or strategic purposes.
Q197. Who founded the Tughlaq dynasty?
[OTET Social Studies, 2026]
A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
B. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
C. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
D. Nasiruddin Mahmud
Answer: C. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
Explanation: Ghazi Malik defeated Khusrau Khan in 1320 and assumed the title Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, thereby founding the Tughlaq dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate.
Q196. Which battle in 1192 decisively defeated Prithviraj Chauhan and prepared the political ground for Turkish rule in North India?
[UPTET Paper-II Social Studies, 2026]
A. First Battle of Tarain
B. Second Battle of Tarain
C. Battle of Chandawar
D. Battle of Panipat
Answer: B. Second Battle of Tarain
Explanation: Muhammad Ghori defeated Prithviraj III at the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192, establishing the political foundation from which the Delhi Sultanate subsequently emerged.
Q195. Who succeeded Bahlul Lodi as Sultan in 1489?
[RRB NTPC UG CBT-I, 2026]
A. Ibrahim Lodi
B. Sikandar Lodi
C. Daulat Khan Lodi
D. Alam Shah
Answer: B. Sikandar Lodi
Explanation: Sikandar Lodi succeeded his father Bahlul Lodi in 1489 and strengthened the Lodi state through territorial expansion, administrative centralisation and tighter control over Afghan nobles.
Q194. What position did Alauddin Khalji initially hold under Sultan Jalaluddin Khalji?
[RRB NTPC UG CBT-I, 2026]
A. Wazir
B. Amir-i-Tuzuk
C. Ariz-i-Mamalik
D. Qazi-ul-Quzat
Answer: B. Amir-i-Tuzuk
Explanation: Alauddin initially served Jalaluddin as Amir-i-Tuzuk or master of ceremonies. He later received Kara and Awadh before overthrowing Jalaluddin and becoming Sultan.
Q193. Which commander attacked the Kakatiya kingdom of Warangal on Alauddin Khalji’s behalf?
[RRB NTPC UG CBT-I, 2026]
A. Malik Kafur
B. Balban
C. Khizr Khan
D. Ghazi Malik
Answer: A. Malik Kafur
Explanation: Malik Kafur led Alauddin’s successful Warangal expedition against Kakatiya ruler Prataparudra, compelling him to accept tributary obligations to the Delhi Sultanate.
Q192. The Iqta system became firmly established under which Delhi Sultanate dynasty?
[RRB NTPC UG CBT-I, 2026]
A. Khalji
B. Lodi
C. Mamluk/Slave
D. Sayyid
Answer: C. Mamluk/Slave
Explanation: Iltutmish systematically organised territorial assignments called iqtas, helping the early Mamluk state administer distant territories while supporting its military and provincial machinery.
Q191. What was the tax on agricultural produce called under Alauddin Khalji?
[SSC GD Constable, 2026]
A. Zakat
B. Kharaj
C. Jizya
D. Khams
Answer: B. Kharaj
Explanation: Kharaj was the principal land-revenue demand. Alauddin strengthened direct assessment and substantially increased the state’s share to finance his large army and centralised government.
Q190. Which combination best explains Iltutmish’s consolidation of the Delhi Sultanate?
[UP PGT History, 2026]
A. Naval expansion and overseas conquest
B. Caliphal legitimacy, iqta organisation and defeat of internal rivals
C. Abolition of provincial administration
D. Deccan annexation and maritime expansion
Answer: B. Caliphal legitimacy, iqta organisation and defeat of internal rivals
Explanation: Iltutmish defeated rival claimants, organised iqtas, defended the Sultanate from external dangers and obtained Abbasid recognition, giving the new monarchy political legitimacy.
Q189. Why is Iltutmish regarded as a major consolidator of the early Delhi Sultanate?
[UP PGT History, 2026]
A. He abolished the Sultanate
B. He converted a fragile conquest-state into an organised monarchy
C. He conquered the entire Deccan
D. He surrendered sovereignty to the Caliph
Answer: B. He converted a fragile conquest-state into an organised monarchy
Explanation: Iltutmish eliminated competing Turkish chiefs, institutionalised administration and obtained external recognition, transforming Aibak’s vulnerable territories into a durable sovereign state centred at Delhi.
Q188. What did the so-called “Khalji Revolution” signify politically?
[UP PGT History, 2026]
A. Restoration of Rajput rule
B. Strengthening the monopoly of old Turkish nobles
C. Weakening Turkish aristocratic monopoly and broadening the ruling elite
D. Abolition of monarchy
Answer: C. Weakening Turkish aristocratic monopoly and broadening the ruling elite
Explanation: Jalaluddin Khalji’s accession in 1290 ended the exclusive political dominance of the older Turkish slave aristocracy and altered the social composition of Sultanate power.
Q187. Alauddin Khalji’s agrarian reforms primarily aimed at which political objective?
[UP PGT History, 2026]
A. Strengthening autonomous village chiefs
B. Reducing state revenue
C. Increasing central revenue while curbing rural intermediaries
D. Abolishing land assessment
Answer: C. Increasing central revenue while curbing rural intermediaries
Explanation: Direct assessment and heavy revenue demand weakened khuts, muqaddams and chaudharis while supplying the resources needed by Alauddin’s centralised administration and standing army.
Q186. Which statement best describes Alauddin Khalji’s Deccan policy?
[UP PGT History, 2026]
A. Immediate direct annexation of every southern kingdom
B. Military expeditions followed largely by tributary arrangements
C. Complete withdrawal from the Deccan
D. Alliance against the Mongols only
Answer: B. Military expeditions followed largely by tributary arrangements
Explanation: Alauddin generally sought tribute, submission and wealth from southern rulers rather than permanently administering every conquered kingdom directly from Delhi.
Q185. How is Alauddin Khalji’s imperial strategy best characterised?
[UP PGT History, 2026]
A. Northern consolidation combined with tributary penetration into the south
B. Only maritime expansion
C. Complete avoidance of the Deccan
D. Exclusive concentration on Bengal
Answer: A. Northern consolidation combined with tributary penetration into the south
Explanation: Alauddin annexed important northern territories while his commanders compelled several Deccan powers to pay tribute, creating extensive political supremacy without universal direct annexation.
Q184. What was the principal strategic purpose of Alauddin Khalji’s price-control policy?
[UP PGT History, 2026]
A. Enrich merchants
B. Maintain a large army at comparatively low salaries
C. Encourage luxury imports
D. End military expenditure
Answer: B. Maintain a large army at comparatively low salaries
Explanation: Strict price regulation made essential commodities affordable to soldiers, enabling Alauddin to maintain a very large permanent army without continuously raising its cash salaries.
Q183. Razia Sultan’s reign represented a challenge to which established political forces?
[UP PGT History, 2026]
A. Gender conventions and Turkish noble dominance
B. Mughal mansabdars
C. Maratha sardars
D. Vijayanagara governors
Answer: A. Gender conventions and Turkish noble dominance
Explanation: Razia asserted personal sovereign authority and promoted officials beyond the entrenched Turkish aristocracy, challenging both contemporary gender expectations and the political influence of leading nobles.
Q182. What formed the principal political basis of Razia Sultan’s claim to sovereignty?
[UP PGT History, 2026]
A. Primogeniture alone
B. Merit and demonstrated administrative competence
C. Mongol backing
D. Afghan tribal custom
Answer: B. Merit and demonstrated administrative competence
Explanation: Iltutmish considered Razia more capable than his sons. Her succession therefore represented a claim based strongly on political ability rather than conventional male lineage preference.
Q181. Balban’s theory of kingship was associated with which administrative tendency?
[UP PGT History, 2026]
A. Decentralisation
B. Strong royal authority and tighter control over nobles and iqtas
C. Abolition of monarchy
D. Complete provincial independence
Answer: B. Strong royal authority and tighter control over nobles and iqtas
Explanation: Balban elevated the Sultan’s prestige and disciplined the aristocracy, strengthening central authority against powerful nobles whose independence threatened the stability of the monarchy.
Q180. Which interpretation best characterises Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s reign?
[UP PGT History, 2026]
A. Complete absence of innovation
B. Intellectual ambition combined with impractical execution
C. No territorial ambition
D. Purely conservative government
Answer: B. Intellectual ambition combined with impractical execution
Explanation: Muhammad conceived unusually ambitious fiscal, military and administrative experiments, but several failed because of excessive scale, inadequate planning and weak implementation.
Q179. Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s administrative experiments are best described as:
[UP PGT History, 2026]
A. Innovative but frequently inadequately prepared
B. Entirely traditional and cautious
C. Confined only to religion
D. Limited to architectural projects
Answer: A. Innovative but frequently inadequately prepared
Explanation: Capital transfer, token currency, Doab taxation and ambitious military plans illustrate innovative statecraft whose implementation often produced serious political and administrative difficulties.
Q178. Which statement best describes Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq’s political role?
[UP PGT History, 2026]
A. He restored order and strengthened central authority after Khalji instability
B. He dissolved the Sultanate
C. He surrendered Delhi to the Mongols
D. He eliminated provincial administration
Answer: A. He restored order and strengthened central authority after Khalji instability
Explanation: Ghiyasuddin emerged after Khusrau Khan’s brief regime and worked to restore administrative discipline, secure the frontiers and reconstruct central political authority.
Q177. How did Firoz Shah Tughlaq’s political approach differ from Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s?
[UP PGT History, 2026]
A. Greater conciliation and hereditary concessions to officials
B. Greater centralisation against every noble
C. Constant southern conquest
D. Abolition of iqtas
Answer: A. Greater conciliation and hereditary concessions to officials
Explanation: Firoz adopted a conciliatory policy toward nobles and officials and permitted hereditary tendencies in offices and assignments, which reduced conflict but weakened central control.
Q176. Which Sultan attempted to shift the imperial capital from Delhi to Daulatabad?
[RRB NTPC UG CBT-I, 2026]
A. Balban
B. Alauddin Khalji
C. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
D. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Answer: C. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Explanation: Muhammad bin Tughlaq ordered the transfer to strategically located Daulatabad, partly to improve control over the Deccan, but eventually reversed the controversial measure.
Q175. Who founded the Lodi dynasty, the last ruling dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate?
[SSC GD Constable, 2026]
A. Sikandar Lodi
B. Ibrahim Lodi
C. Bahlul Lodi
D. Daulat Khan Lodi
Answer: C. Bahlul Lodi
Explanation: Bahlul Lodi took Delhi in 1451 after the Sayyid ruler Alam Shah withdrew, beginning the first Afghan ruling dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate.
Q174. Who organised the powerful group of Turkish nobles known as Turkan-i-Chahalgani or the Forty?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I, 2026]
A. Qutbuddin Aibak
B. Iltutmish
C. Balban
D. Razia
Answer: B. Iltutmish
Explanation: Iltutmish organised an elite group of leading Turkish slave officers to support the monarchy, although the Forty later became a major influence in succession politics.
Q173. Who was the only woman to rule the Delhi Sultanate as sovereign?
[UP Police SI, 2026]
A. Shah Turkan
B. Nur Jahan
C. Razia Sultan
D. Chand Bibi
Answer: C. Razia Sultan
Explanation: Razia, daughter of Iltutmish, ruled from 1236 to 1240 and attempted to exercise sovereign authority independently of the dominant Turkish nobility.
Q172. Arrange these Mamluk rulers chronologically: Qutbuddin Aibak, Iltutmish and Balban.
[SSC MTS, 2026]
A. Balban → Aibak → Iltutmish
B. Iltutmish → Aibak → Balban
C. Aibak → Iltutmish → Balban
D. Iltutmish → Balban → Aibak
Answer: C. Aibak → Iltutmish → Balban
Explanation: Aibak founded the Mamluk dynasty in 1206, Iltutmish ruled from 1211 to 1236, and Balban became Sultan much later in 1266.
Q171. In which year was Razia removed from the throne of Delhi?
[SSC MTS, 2026]
A. 1236
B. 1240
C. 1246
D. 1266
Answer: B. 1240
Explanation: Razia’s efforts to curb noble dominance provoked opposition. She was deposed in 1240 and was subsequently defeated and killed while attempting to regain Delhi.
Q170. Who was the last ruler of the Tughlaq dynasty of Delhi?
[MP Police SI, 2026]
A. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
B. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
C. Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah Tughlaq
D. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Answer: C. Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah Tughlaq
Explanation: Nasiruddin Mahmud ruled during the final phase of Tughlaq decline. Timur’s devastating invasion of Delhi in 1398 occurred during his reign.
Q169. Which of the following ruler-reign pairs is correctly matched?
[SSC CGL Tier-II, 2026]
A. Qutbuddin Aibak — 1206–1210
B. Alauddin Khalji — 1320–1325
C. Muhammad bin Tughlaq — 1296–1316
D. Ibrahim Lodi — 1451–1489
Answer: A. Qutbuddin Aibak — 1206–1210
Explanation: Aibak ruled from 1206 to 1210. Alauddin ruled 1296–1316, Muhammad bin Tughlaq 1325–1351 and Ibrahim Lodi 1517–1526.
Q168. In which year did Babur defeat Ibrahim Lodi in the First Battle of Panipat?
[SSC CGL Tier-II, 2026]
A. 1524
B. 1525
C. 1526
D. 1527
Answer: C. 1526
Explanation: Babur defeated and killed Ibrahim Lodi at Panipat on 21 April 1526, ending the Delhi Sultanate and beginning Mughal political supremacy in North India.
Q167. Which Lodi Sultan founded Agra and introduced the Gaz-i-Sikandari as a measurement standard?
[Delhi Police Head Constable Ministerial, 2026]
A. Bahlul Lodi
B. Sikandar Lodi
C. Ibrahim Lodi
D. Daulat Khan Lodi
Answer: B. Sikandar Lodi
Explanation: Sikandar Lodi founded Agra and strengthened administrative centralisation. The Gaz-i-Sikandari was used as a standard unit for measuring cultivated land.
Q166. Approximately how long did Jalaluddin Khalji rule Delhi?
[OSSC CGLRE Mains, 2026]
A. 3 years
B. 6 years
C. 12 years
D. 20 years
Answer: B. 6 years
Explanation: Jalaluddin Khalji founded the Khalji dynasty in 1290 and ruled until 1296, when his nephew and son-in-law Alauddin Khalji assassinated him and seized power.
Q165. Which southern kingdom was NOT invaded by Alauddin Khalji or Malik Kafur?
[SSC CPO, 2025]
A. Devagiri
B. Warangal
C. Dwarasamudra
D. Vijayanagara
Answer: D. Vijayanagara
Explanation: Vijayanagara was founded only in 1336, after Alauddin’s reign. His southern campaigns targeted Yadava, Kakatiya, Hoysala and Pandya territories.
Q164. The Turkan-i-Chahalgani was organised during the reign of:
[SSC CPO, 2025]
A. Qutbuddin Aibak
B. Iltutmish
C. Alauddin Khalji
D. Firoz Tughlaq
Answer: B. Iltutmish
Explanation: Iltutmish created this influential body of forty Turkish nobles to consolidate his rule, though its members later intervened extensively in succession politics.
Q163. Which ruler reigned from approximately 1266 to 1287?
[SSC CHSL, 2025]
A. Balban
B. Firoz Tughlaq
C. Bahlul Lodi
D. Jalaluddin Khalji
Answer: A. Balban
Explanation: Ghiyasuddin Balban became Sultan in 1266 after serving as the dominant noble and Naib under Nasiruddin Mahmud, ruling until the late 1280s.
Q162. Which dynasty ruled Delhi approximately from 1320 to 1414?
[DSSSB TGT, 2025]
A. Khalji
B. Tughlaq
C. Lodi
D. Mamluk
Answer: B. Tughlaq
Explanation: Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq founded the dynasty in 1320. Its later authority weakened considerably after Firoz’s death and Timur’s invasion before ending in 1414.
Q161. Which was NOT characteristic of Bahlul Lodi’s policy toward Afghan nobles?
[MP Police Constable, 2025]
A. Conciliation
B. Respect for tribal equality
C. Sharing political responsibility
D. Unrestricted grants of enormous wealth without obligations
Answer: D. Unrestricted grants of enormous wealth without obligations
Explanation: Bahlul depended on Afghan tribal chiefs and generally treated them as political partners, using accommodation rather than the rigid ceremonial absolutism associated with Balban.
Q160. Who founded the Tughlaq dynasty in 1320?
[IB Security Assistant, 2025]
A. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
B. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
C. Firoz Tughlaq
D. Khizr Khan
Answer: A. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
Explanation: Ghazi Malik defeated Khusrau Shah and ascended the throne as Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, inaugurating a dynasty that ruled Delhi for nearly a century.
Q159. Who founded the Mamluk or Slave dynasty at Delhi?
[IB Security Assistant, 2025]
A. Iltutmish
B. Qutbuddin Aibak
C. Balban
D. Jalaluddin Khalji
Answer: B. Qutbuddin Aibak
Explanation: After Muhammad Ghori’s death in 1206, his former slave-general Qutbuddin Aibak established independent authority in India and founded the Mamluk dynasty.
Q158. Who systematically organised the Iqta system in the early Delhi Sultanate?
[IB Security Assistant, 2025]
A. Iltutmish
B. Ibrahim Lodi
C. Mubarak Khalji
D. Khusrau Khan
Answer: A. Iltutmish
Explanation: Iltutmish distributed territories as iqtas to officers, creating an administrative mechanism that supported provincial governance, revenue collection and military obligations.
Q157. Among Balban, Alauddin Khalji, Muhammad bin Tughlaq and Bahlul Lodi, who had the longest reign?
[71st BPSC Preliminary, 2025]
A. Balban
B. Alauddin Khalji
C. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
D. Bahlul Lodi
Answer: D. Bahlul Lodi
Explanation: Bahlul ruled from 1451 to 1489, about thirty-eight years, making his reign longer than those of the other rulers listed.
Q156. Which Sultan strongly associated himself with the concept of Zil-i-Ilahi, the “Shadow of God”?
[70th BPSC Re-exam, 2025]
A. Balban
B. Qutbuddin Aibak
C. Ibrahim Lodi
D. Jalaluddin Khalji
Answer: A. Balban
Explanation: Balban used exalted Persian ideas of kingship to enhance royal prestige and subordinate powerful Turkish nobles to a disciplined, centralised monarchy.
Q155. Which is the correct chronological sequence?
[SSC CGL, 2025]
A. Razia → Aibak → Balban → Iltutmish
B. Aibak → Iltutmish → Razia → Balban
C. Balban → Razia → Aibak → Iltutmish
D. Iltutmish → Aibak → Balban → Razia
Answer: B. Aibak → Iltutmish → Razia → Balban
Explanation: These rulers belong to the Mamluk period: Aibak founded the dynasty, Iltutmish consolidated it, Razia succeeded later, and Balban ruled near its end.
Q154. Consider: Alauddin Khalji pursued military expansion; Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s Delhi-Daulatabad capital-transfer project ultimately failed. Which is correct?
[SSC Selection Post Graduate Level, 2025]
A. Only first
B. Only second
C. Both
D. Neither
Answer: C. Both
Explanation: Alauddin expanded aggressively across northern India and the Deccan, while Muhammad’s compulsory transfer to Daulatabad caused severe difficulties and was eventually reversed.
Q153. The expedition against Bhilsa in the 1290s is associated with which Sultan?
[RRB NTPC Graduate, 2025]
A. Alauddin Khalji
B. Balban
C. Ibrahim Lodi
D. Firoz Tughlaq
Answer: A. Alauddin Khalji
Explanation: While still serving Jalaluddin Khalji, Alauddin’s successful Bhilsa raid enhanced his military reputation and helped finance his growing political ambitions.
Q152. Who was ruling Delhi when Timur invaded India in 1398?
[DSSSB TGT, 2025]
A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
B. Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah Tughlaq
C. Firoz Tughlaq
D. Khizr Khan
Answer: B. Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah Tughlaq
Explanation: Timur attacked during the weakened reign of Nasiruddin Mahmud. The invasion devastated Delhi and accelerated the political disintegration of Tughlaq authority.
Q151. Razia Sultan’s reign lasted approximately from:
[DSSSB Assistant Section Officer, 2025]
A. 1206–1210
B. 1211–1236
C. 1236–1240
D. 1266–1287
Answer: C. 1236–1240
Explanation: Razia succeeded after Iltutmish’s death and the short reign of Ruknuddin. Noble opposition eventually removed her from power in 1240.
Q150. The policy of “Blood and Iron” is most closely associated with:
[RPF SI, 2024]
A. Balban
B. Iltutmish
C. Sikandar Lodi
D. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Answer: A. Balban
Explanation: Balban used severe military repression against rebels, robbers and turbulent chiefs while reinforcing monarchical authority and internal order.
Q149. After suppressing Tughril Khan’s Bengal revolt, whom did Balban place in charge of Bengal?
[SSC MTS, 2024]
A. Bughra Khan
B. Muhammad Khan
C. Malik Kafur
D. Khizr Khan
Answer: A. Bughra Khan
Explanation: Balban personally suppressed Tughril’s rebellion and appointed his son Bughra Khan in Bengal, seeking dependable dynastic control over the distant province.
Q148. Which Sultan destroyed the political power of the Forty or Chahalgani?
[SSC MTS, 2024]
A. Iltutmish
B. Balban
C. Alauddin Khalji
D. Bahlul Lodi
Answer: B. Balban
Explanation: Although once a member of the Forty himself, Balban systematically weakened its powerful nobles after becoming Sultan to establish an authoritarian monarchy.
Q147. Which Delhi Sultan is particularly associated with consolidation rather than extensive fresh conquest?
[SSC CGL, 2024]
A. Balban
B. Alauddin Khalji
C. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
D. Sikandar Lodi
Answer: A. Balban
Explanation: Balban concentrated on restoring internal order, defending the north-western frontier and suppressing rebellious elements instead of pursuing wide-ranging territorial expansion.
Q146. Which military department was reorganised and strengthened by Balban?
[SSC CGL, 2024]
A. Diwan-i-Insha
B. Diwan-i-Arz
C. Diwan-i-Risalat
D. Diwan-i-Khairat
Answer: B. Diwan-i-Arz
Explanation: Diwan-i-Arz supervised military organisation. Balban sought a disciplined fighting force independent of unreliable nobles to defend and centralise the Sultanate.
Q145. Who adopted the exalted monarchical concept Zil-i-Ilahi?
[SSC CHSL, 2024]
A. Balban
B. Jalaluddin Khalji
C. Bahlul Lodi
D. Qutbuddin Aibak
Answer: A. Balban
Explanation: Balban presented the Sultan as possessing divinely sanctioned dignity, strengthening ceremonial kingship and reducing the aristocracy’s claim to equality with the monarch.
Q144. Sijda and Paibos in Balban’s court primarily expressed:
[SSC CHSL, 2024]
A. Provincial autonomy
B. Persian-style royal superiority
C. Afghan tribal equality
D. Village self-government
Answer: B. Persian-style royal superiority
Explanation: Prostration and ceremonial kissing of the ruler’s feet elevated the Sultan above his nobles and reinforced Balban’s concept of an awe-inspiring monarchy.
Q143. Which Sultan is especially associated with presenting himself as the “Shadow of God” to strengthen royal authority?
[RPSC Assistant Professor History, 2024]
A. Balban
B. Aibak
C. Jalaluddin Khalji
D. Bahlul Lodi
Answer: A. Balban
Explanation: Balban borrowed Persian imperial ideology to exalt the throne and politically subordinate the powerful Turkish nobles whose factionalism had weakened earlier rulers.
Q142. Who was the last Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate?
[WBCS Mains, 2024]
A. Sikandar Lodi
B. Ibrahim Lodi
C. Bahlul Lodi
D. Nasiruddin Mahmud
Answer: B. Ibrahim Lodi
Explanation: Ibrahim Lodi was defeated and killed by Babur at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526, bringing the Delhi Sultanate to an end.
Q141. What was Iltutmish’s relationship to Qutbuddin Aibak?
[MH SET History, 2024]
A. Brother
B. Son
C. Son-in-law
D. Nephew
Answer: C. Son-in-law
Explanation: Iltutmish was both a former slave and son-in-law of Aibak. Delhi’s nobles later selected him as Sultan because of his political and military capability.
Q140. The Bahmani Sultanate was founded while which Delhi Sultan was ruling?
[Delhi Police Constable, 2023]
A. Alauddin Khalji
B. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
C. Firoz Tughlaq
D. Balban
Answer: B. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Explanation: The Bahmani kingdom emerged in 1347 amid widespread provincial revolts during Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s reign, demonstrating weakening Delhi authority in the Deccan.
Q139. Which was the first Afghan dynasty to rule the Delhi Sultanate?
[Delhi Police Constable, 2023]
A. Khalji
B. Tughlaq
C. Lodi
D. Mamluk
Answer: C. Lodi
Explanation: Bahlul Lodi established Afghan rule at Delhi in 1451. The dynasty remained in power until Ibrahim Lodi’s defeat in 1526.
Q138. Siri was established primarily as a military-political centre by which Sultan?
[Delhi Police Constable, 2023]
A. Alauddin Khalji
B. Balban
C. Iltutmish
D. Ibrahim Lodi
Answer: A. Alauddin Khalji
Explanation: Alauddin developed Siri as a fortified royal and military centre at a time when repeated Mongol invasions posed a serious threat to Delhi.
Q137. Which Sultan introduced Sijda and Paibos as regular court practices?
[SSC CGL, 2023]
A. Iltutmish
B. Balban
C. Alauddin Khalji
D. Firoz Tughlaq
Answer: B. Balban
Explanation: These ceremonial practices were part of Balban’s attempt to enhance the throne’s prestige and enforce strict hierarchical discipline among the aristocracy.
Q136. Which dynasty had the shortest period of rule among the major Delhi Sultanate dynasties?
[Bihar Vidhan Parishad DEO, 2023]
A. Mamluk
B. Khalji
C. Tughlaq
D. Lodi
Answer: B. Khalji
Explanation: The Khaljis ruled from 1290 to 1320, roughly thirty years, substantially less than the Mamluk, Tughlaq or Lodi periods.
Q135. Who succeeded Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq?
[SSC MTS, 2023]
A. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
B. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
C. Nasiruddin Mahmud
D. Abu Bakr Shah
Answer: B. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Explanation: Ghiyasuddin died in 1325. His son Jauna Khan ascended the throne as Muhammad bin Tughlaq and ruled until 1351.
Q134. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq’s concessions to Khuts and Muqaddams primarily represented which policy?
[EMRS PGT History, 2023]
A. Complete abolition of land revenue
B. Moderation after Alauddin’s severe controls
C. Destruction of provincial elites
D. Afghan tribal government
Answer: B. Moderation after Alauddin’s severe controls
Explanation: Ghiyasuddin relaxed some of Alauddin’s harsh fiscal controls, seeking a more balanced relationship with local landed intermediaries while retaining central political authority.
Q133. Under Alauddin Khalji, what happened to the fiscal privileges of powerful rural chiefs?
[CTET Social Science, 2023]
A. They were greatly strengthened
B. Their fiscal privileges were curtailed and they became taxable
C. They became independent rulers
D. They received hereditary sovereignty
Answer: B. Their fiscal privileges were curtailed and they became taxable
Explanation: Alauddin aimed to weaken local elites who could challenge the state, bringing revenue assessment and collection more directly under central supervision.
Q132. Consider the following about Mongol invasions:
(1) The first Mongol invasion occurred under Jalaluddin Khalji;
(2) Mongols besieged Delhi under Alauddin;
(3) Muhammad bin Tughlaq temporarily lost north-western territories to Mongols. Which is correct?
[UPSC CSE Prelims, 2022]
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 3 only
Answer: B. 2 only
Explanation: The first major Mongol appearance occurred much earlier during Iltutmish’s reign. Delhi was indeed threatened and besieged during Alauddin Khalji’s reign.
Q131. Choose the correct chronological order of these Delhi Sultanate dynasties.
[WBCS Prelims, 2022]
A. Lodi → Mamluk → Tughlaq → Khalji
B. Mamluk → Khalji → Tughlaq → Lodi
C. Tughlaq → Khalji → Lodi → Mamluk
D. Khalji → Lodi → Tughlaq → Mamluk
Answer: B. Mamluk → Khalji → Tughlaq → Lodi
Explanation: The complete sequence was Mamluk, Khalji, Tughlaq, Sayyid and Lodi. Among the dynasties listed, option B gives the correct chronological order.
Q130. Which dynasty was the last to rule the Delhi Sultanate?
[OSSC CGL, 2022]
A. Khalji
B. Tughlaq
C. Lodi
D. Mamluk
Answer: C. Lodi
Explanation: Lodi rule began with Bahlul in 1451 and ended with Ibrahim Lodi’s defeat by Babur at Panipat in 1526.
Q129. Who was the first ruler of the Lodi dynasty?
[OSSC BSSO, 2022]
A. Sikandar Lodi
B. Bahlul Lodi
C. Ibrahim Lodi
D. Daulat Khan Lodi
Answer: B. Bahlul Lodi
Explanation: Bahlul replaced the declining Sayyid dynasty in 1451 and established an Afghan ruling house that lasted seventy-five years.
Q128. Which Sultan planned a military expedition toward Khurasan and Central Asia?
[DSSSB Junior Secretariat Assistant, 2022]
A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
B. Alauddin Khalji
C. Iltutmish
D. Sikandar Lodi
Answer: A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Explanation: Muhammad recruited a huge force for an ambitious Khurasan expedition, but the campaign was abandoned, making it another example of his costly unrealised schemes.
Q127. Who was the last Lodi ruler?
[OSSC CGL, 2022]
A. Bahlul Lodi
B. Sikandar Lodi
C. Ibrahim Lodi
D. Alam Khan Lodi
Answer: C. Ibrahim Lodi
Explanation: Ibrahim succeeded Sikandar in 1517 but faced severe conflict with Afghan nobles before being defeated by Babur in 1526.
Q126. In which year did Razia become Sultan of Delhi?
[RRB NTPC CBT-II, 2022]
A. 1206
B. 1211
C. 1236
D. 1266
Answer: C. 1236
Explanation: Following Iltutmish’s death and Ruknuddin Firuz’s short reign, Razia assumed sovereign power at Delhi in 1236.
Q125. The early Turkish or Mamluk rulers governed the Delhi Sultanate approximately during:
[SSC CGL, 2022]
A. 1206–1290
B. 1290–1320
C. 1320–1414
D. 1451–1526
Answer: A. 1206–1290
Explanation: The Mamluk dynasty began with Qutbuddin Aibak in 1206 and ended when Jalaluddin Khalji established Khalji rule in 1290.
Q124. Who established the Turkan-i-Chahalgani?
[SSC CGL, 2021]
A. Iltutmish
B. Balban
C. Razia
D. Aibak
Answer: A. Iltutmish
Explanation: The Forty consisted of leading Turkish nobles created as an elite political-administrative support group during Iltutmish’s consolidation of the Sultanate.
Q123. Under which Sultan did Balban serve as the dominant Naib or chief minister before becoming Sultan?
[SSC CHSL, 2021]
A. Nasiruddin Mahmud
B. Razia
C. Ruknuddin Firuz
D. Jalaluddin Khalji
Answer: A. Nasiruddin Mahmud
Explanation: Balban exercised enormous political authority during Nasiruddin Mahmud’s reign and succeeded him as Sultan in 1266.
Q122. Who was the last ruler of the Lodi dynasty?
[SSC MTS, 2021]
A. Sikandar
B. Bahlul
C. Ibrahim
D. Daulat Khan
Answer: C. Ibrahim
Explanation: Ibrahim Lodi was the third Lodi Sultan and died fighting Babur at Panipat, ending both the dynasty and the Sultanate.
Q121. In 1526, Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi at:
[SSC JE, 2021]
A. Khanwa
B. Panipat
C. Tarain
D. Chanderi
Answer: B. Panipat
Explanation: The First Battle of Panipat established Babur at Delhi and ended the political rule of the Lodi dynasty.
Q120. Who founded the Lodi dynasty?
[SSC GD Constable, 2021]
A. Bahlul Lodi
B. Sikandar Lodi
C. Ibrahim Lodi
D. Khizr Khan
Answer: A. Bahlul Lodi
Explanation: Bahlul, an Afghan chief and governor of Punjab, took control of Delhi in 1451 after the withdrawal of the last Sayyid ruler.
Q119. Which Sultan created a powerful standing army partly to defend the north-western frontier against repeated Mongol attacks?
[UP RO/ARO Prelims, 2021]
A. Alauddin Khalji
B. Bahlul Lodi
C. Firoz Tughlaq
D. Qutbuddin Aibak
Answer: A. Alauddin Khalji
Explanation: Alauddin faced repeated Mongol incursions and maintained a large permanent army supported by extensive military, fiscal and market regulations.
Q118. Iltutmish was governor of which important territory before becoming Sultan?
[MH SET History, 2020]
A. Badaun
B. Bengal
C. Gujarat
D. Malwa
Answer: A. Badaun
Explanation: Iltutmish rose under Aibak and received the important iqta of Badaun. His administrative and military record later helped secure his selection as Sultan.
Q117. Sijda and Paibos were introduced prominently in the Delhi court by:
[MH SET History, 2020]
A. Balban
B. Razia
C. Jalaluddin Khalji
D. Sikandar Lodi
Answer: A. Balban
Explanation: Balban used elaborate Persian court ceremonial to create political distance between the Sultan and nobles and enhance monarchical prestige.
Q116. Ibrahim Lodi became Sultan of Delhi in:
[SSC CHSL, 2020]
A. 1489
B. 1504
C. 1517
D. 1526
Answer: C. 1517
Explanation: Ibrahim succeeded his father Sikandar Lodi in 1517 and ruled until his defeat and death at Panipat in 1526.
Q115. The First Battle of Panipat was fought between Babur and:
[Indian Army GD, 2020]
A. Sikandar Lodi
B. Ibrahim Lodi
C. Bahlul Lodi
D. Daulat Khan
Answer: B. Ibrahim Lodi
Explanation: Babur’s forces defeated Ibrahim’s much larger army through effective tactics and artillery, ending Lodi sovereignty in northern India.
Q114. The Lodi dynasty ruled approximately during:
[DMRC CRA, 2020]
A. 1206–1290
B. 1290–1320
C. 1320–1414
D. 1451–1526
Answer: D. 1451–1526
Explanation: Bahlul founded Lodi rule in 1451, followed by Sikandar and Ibrahim, whose defeat in 1526 brought the dynasty to an end.
Q113. Genghis Khan reached the north-western frontier of India during whose reign?
[Rajasthan Police Constable, 2020]
A. Iltutmish
B. Razia
C. Balban
D. Alauddin Khalji
Answer: A. Iltutmish
Explanation: Genghis pursued Jalaluddin Mangburni toward the Indus in 1221. Iltutmish wisely avoided confrontation by refusing Mangburni asylum.
Q112. Which Sultan broke the political influence of the Turkan-i-Chahalgani?
[UPSC CDS, 2020]
A. Balban
B. Razia
C. Qutbuddin Aibak
D. Firoz Tughlaq
Answer: A. Balban
Explanation: Balban viewed the Forty as a threat to sovereign authority and weakened or eliminated leading members to strengthen the monarchy.
Q111. Which Sultan sent Ibn Battuta as an envoy to the Chinese emperor?
[UPSC CDS, 2020]
A. Alauddin Khalji
B. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
C. Firoz Tughlaq
D. Sikandar Lodi
Answer: B. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Explanation: Ibn Battuta served Muhammad bin Tughlaq as Qazi and was later selected for a diplomatic mission to the Yuan court in China.
Q110. Malik Kafur was the general of:
[WBCS Prelims, 2019]
A. Firoz Tughlaq
B. Alauddin Khalji
C. Iltutmish
D. Ibrahim Lodi
Answer: B. Alauddin Khalji
Explanation: Malik Kafur became Alauddin’s leading commander and directed the Sultanate’s celebrated expeditions into the Deccan and far south.
Q109. Which Delhi Sultan is credited with constructing the largest network of canals among Sultanate rulers?
[65th BPSC Prelims, 2019]
A. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
B. Balban
C. Ibrahim Lodi
D. Alauddin Khalji
Answer: A. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Explanation: Firoz undertook extensive irrigation works and canals as part of a broader programme of agrarian development and administrative stabilisation.
Q108. Who assumed the title Sikandar-i-Sani or “Second Alexander”?
[UPTET, 2019]
A. Alauddin Khalji
B. Sikandar Lodi
C. Balban
D. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Answer: A. Alauddin Khalji
Explanation: Alauddin adopted the title to project himself as a world-conquering monarch during the most expansionist phase of Khalji political power.
Q107. Which was the final dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate?
[RPF Constable, 2019]
A. Khalji
B. Sayyid
C. Tughlaq
D. Lodi
Answer: D. Lodi
Explanation: Lodi rule lasted from 1451 until Babur’s victory over Ibrahim Lodi in 1526 ended the Sultanate.
Q106. Who founded the Tughlaq dynasty?
[RPF SI, 2019]
A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
B. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
C. Firoz Tughlaq
D. Mubarak Shah
Answer: B. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
Explanation: Ghazi Malik seized power after defeating Khusrau Khan and assumed the royal title Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq in 1320.
Q105. Which dynasty ruled from roughly 1320 to 1414?
[DSSSB JE, 2019]
A. Lodi
B. Khalji
C. Tughlaq
D. Mamluk
Answer: C. Tughlaq
Explanation: The Tughlaq dynasty was founded by Ghiyasuddin and endured nominally until the emergence of the Sayyids in 1414.
Q104. Which Sultanate dynasty ruled for the longest period among the Khaljis, Tughlaqs, Sayyids and Lodis?
[BPSC Assistant, 2019]
A. Khalji
B. Tughlaq
C. Sayyid
D. Lodi
Answer: B. Tughlaq
Explanation: Tughlaq rule lasted approximately ninety-four years, from 1320 to 1414, longer than the Khalji, Sayyid or Lodi dynasties.
Q103. Who founded the Khalji dynasty?
[DSSSB Patwari, 2019]
A. Alauddin Khalji
B. Jalaluddin Firuz Khalji
C. Mubarak Shah
D. Malik Kafur
Answer: B. Jalaluddin Firuz Khalji
Explanation: Jalaluddin seized power in 1290, ending Mamluk rule and inaugurating the Khalji dynasty before being assassinated by Alauddin in 1296.
Q102. Who established or reorganised the Diwan-i-Arz as an important military department?
[RAS/RTS Prelims, 2018]
A. Balban
B. Iltutmish
C. Firoz Tughlaq
D. Ibrahim Lodi
Answer: A. Balban
Explanation: Balban strengthened the central military establishment through Diwan-i-Arz to reduce dependence on noble contingents and defend the empire effectively.
Q101. Who founded the Lodi dynasty?
[RRB Group D, 2018]
A. Bahlul Lodi
B. Sikandar Lodi
C. Ibrahim Lodi
D. Alam Shah
Answer: A. Bahlul Lodi
Explanation: Bahlul seized Delhi in 1451 and established the Afghan Lodi dynasty after the decline of the Sayyids.
Q100. Ibrahim Lodi was killed by whom in the First Battle of Panipat?
[RRB Group D, 2018]
A. Timur
B. Babur
C. Rana Sanga
D. Sher Shah
Answer: B. Babur
Explanation: Babur defeated and killed Ibrahim Lodi in 1526, bringing the Delhi Sultanate to an end and founding Mughal rule.
Q99. Which period broadly represents the Delhi Sultanate?
[RRB Group D, 2018]
A. 1000–1206
B. 1206–1526
C. 1290–1556
D. 1320–1605
Answer: B. 1206–1526
Explanation: The Sultanate began with Aibak’s independent rule in 1206 and ended with Ibrahim Lodi’s defeat in 1526.
Q98. The First Battle of Panipat was fought in:
[RRB Group D, 2018]
A. 1498
B. 1504
C. 1526
D. 1556
Answer: C. 1526
Explanation: The 1526 battle was politically decisive because it ended Lodi rule and established Babur as master of Delhi and Agra.
Q97. Razia Sultan belonged to which dynasty?
[RRB ALP, 2018]
A. Slave/Mamluk
B. Khalji
C. Lodi
D. Tughlaq
Answer: A. Slave/Mamluk
Explanation: Razia was Iltutmish’s daughter and ruled during the Mamluk phase from 1236 to 1240.
Q96. Who introduced a strict market-control policy to support his military establishment?
[WBCS Prelims, 2018]
A. Firoz Tughlaq
B. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
C. Alauddin Khalji
D. Sikandar Lodi
Answer: C. Alauddin Khalji
Explanation: Alauddin regulated prices, merchants and supplies so a massive standing army could be supported without exceptionally high cash salaries.
Q95. Which early Sultan adapted Persian monarchical ideas while consolidating the Delhi Sultanate?
[UGC NET History, 2018]
A. Qutbuddin Aibak
B. Iltutmish
C. Ibrahim Lodi
D. Jalaluddin Khalji
Answer: B. Iltutmish
Explanation: Iltutmish combined Persian-Islamic political traditions with practical Indian conditions while establishing a stable and legitimate Sultanate monarchy.
Q94. Which dynasty had the shortest rule in the Delhi Sultanate?
[MPPSC Prelims, 2017]
A. Khalji
B. Tughlaq
C. Lodi
D. Mamluk
Answer: A. Khalji
Explanation: Khalji power lasted from 1290 to 1320, approximately thirty years, despite reaching exceptional military strength under Alauddin.
Q93. Ghazi Malik founded which dynasty?
[MPPSC Prelims, 2017]
A. Khalji
B. Tughlaq
C. Lodi
D. Sayyid
Answer: B. Tughlaq
Explanation: Ghazi Malik defeated Khusrau Khan and became Sultan Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq in 1320, inaugurating the Tughlaq ruling house.
Q92. Which Sultan’s price-control system is generally considered remarkably effective while he remained in power?
[UPPCS Mains, 2017]
A. Alauddin Khalji
B. Balban
C. Bahlul Lodi
D. Firoz Tughlaq
Answer: A. Alauddin Khalji
Explanation: Alauddin enforced fixed prices with rigorous inspection, intelligence and punishment, helping sustain a large army and prevent profiteering.
Q91. Who established the Diwan-i-Amir-Kohi for agricultural development?
[UP RO/ARO Prelims, 2017]
A. Alauddin Khalji
B. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
C. Firoz Tughlaq
D. Sikandar Lodi
Answer: B. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Explanation: The department attempted to bring wasteland under cultivation and promote agriculture, reflecting Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s interventionist approach to state administration.
Q90. Which Sultan is associated with an exalted theory of kingship resembling divine-right monarchy?
[BPSC Prelims, 2017]
A. Balban
B. Aibak
C. Jalaluddin Khalji
D. Ibrahim Lodi
Answer: A. Balban
Explanation: Balban projected the Sultan as God’s shadow and used ceremonial hierarchy to make nobles accept the political supremacy of the crown.
Q89. Ibn Battuta’s Rihla is an important source for the reign of:
[UPSC NDA, 2017]
A. Iltutmish
B. Alauddin Khalji
C. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
D. Bahlul Lodi
Answer: C. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Explanation: Ibn Battuta lived at Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s court and recorded detailed observations on the Sultan’s administration, court and political conditions.
Q88. Which Tughlaq ruler is credited with early canal construction for agricultural purposes?
[UPPCS Mains, 2017]
A. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
B. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
C. Nasiruddin Mahmud
D. Abu Bakr
Answer: A. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
Explanation: Ghiyasuddin is credited with early Sultanate canal initiatives, while Firoz Shah later developed irrigation canals on a substantially larger scale.
Q87. Which official was NOT associated with the reign of Iltutmish?
[MPPSC Prelims, 2017]
A. Ain-ul-Mulk Multani
B. Members of the Chahalgani
C. Malik Alauddin Jani
D. Turkish slave nobles
Answer: A. Ain-ul-Mulk Multani
Explanation: Ain-ul-Mulk Multani belonged to a later political setting, whereas the other names and groups are directly associated with Iltutmish’s administrative consolidation.
Q86. The Lodi rulers were ethnically of which origin?
[UPPCS Mains, 2016]
A. Afghan
B. Mongol
C. Arab
D. Rajput
Answer: A. Afghan
Explanation: The Lodis were Pashtun/Afghan chiefs. Their political traditions differed from earlier Turkish dynasties and emphasised greater equality among tribal nobles.
Q85. Who was the first Sultan to firmly establish Delhi as the capital of the Sultanate?
[UPPCS Mains, 2016]
A. Qutbuddin Aibak
B. Iltutmish
C. Balban
D. Jalaluddin Khalji
Answer: B. Iltutmish
Explanation: Aibak often operated from Lahore, while Iltutmish firmly established Delhi as the principal political centre of the new Sultanate.
Q84. Who was called the “slave of a slave”?
[UPPCS Prelims, 2016]
A. Balban
B. Muhammad Ghori
C. Iltutmish
D. Razia
Answer: C. Iltutmish
Explanation: Iltutmish had been enslaved and was purchased by Qutbuddin Aibak, who himself had earlier been a slave of Muhammad Ghori.
Q83. The capital of Iltutmish’s Sultanate was:
[UP RO/ARO, 2016]
A. Lahore
B. Delhi
C. Daulatabad
D. Agra
Answer: B. Delhi
Explanation: Iltutmish decisively strengthened Delhi’s position as the administrative and political capital of the Sultanate.
Q82. Diwan-i-Arz dealt primarily with:
[BPSC Prelims, 2016]
A. Military administration
B. Royal correspondence
C. Charity
D. Religious grants
Answer: A. Military administration
Explanation: The Arz department supervised recruitment, inspection and organisation of troops and became especially important under strong centralising rulers such as Balban and Alauddin.
Q81. Which Mamluk ruler was not herself originally a slave?
[WBCS Prelims, 2015]
A. Qutbuddin Aibak
B. Iltutmish
C. Razia
D. Balban
Answer: C. Razia
Explanation: Razia was born into the royal household as Iltutmish’s daughter, unlike Aibak, Iltutmish and Balban, all of whom had experienced enslavement.
Q80. Which Sultan raised the state’s land-revenue demand to roughly half the produce in important crown territories?
[Jharkhand Civil Services, 2015]
A. Alauddin Khalji
B. Balban
C. Firoz Tughlaq
D. Ibrahim Lodi
Answer: A. Alauddin Khalji
Explanation: Alauddin’s heavy agrarian taxation was intended to finance the army and weaken wealthy rural intermediaries capable of challenging central authority.
Q79. The Battle of Khatoli was fought between Ibrahim Lodi and:
[RPSC 2nd Grade, 2015]
A. Babur
B. Rana Sanga
C. Sher Shah
D. Medini Rai
Answer: B. Rana Sanga
Explanation: Rana Sanga of Mewar defeated Ibrahim Lodi at Khatoli, illustrating the Lodi Sultan’s mounting political and military difficulties before Babur’s invasion.
Q78. Which Sultan is especially associated with systematic market reforms?
[MPPSC Prelims, 2014]
A. Alauddin Khalji
B. Balban
C. Ibrahim Lodi
D. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
Answer: A. Alauddin Khalji
Explanation: Alauddin imposed detailed controls on prices, supplies, merchants and markets to sustain his large standing army and strengthen central government.
Q77. Which Sultan described himself as the Naib or representative of the Caliph in an inscription?
[UP RO/ARO Mains, 2014]
A. Balban
B. Ibrahim Lodi
C. Jalaluddin Khalji
D. Mubarak Khalji
Answer: A. Balban
Explanation: Balban combined formal respect for the Caliphate with an extremely exalted concept of independent monarchical authority within his own dominions.
Q76. After Alauddin Khalji’s campaigns, which river broadly marked an important north-western defensive frontier against Mongol pressure?
[UPPCS Prelims, 2014]
A. Ravi
B. Narmada
C. Godavari
D. Kaveri
Answer: A. Ravi
Explanation: Alauddin’s successful frontier defence and repeated victories over Mongol forces strengthened Sultanate control in Punjab up toward the Ravi region.
Q75. What was the land-measurement system prominently used under Alauddin Khalji called?
[Allahabad High Court Group C, 2014]
A. Masahat
B. Iqta
C. Khams
D. Paibos
Answer: A. Masahat
Explanation: Measurement of cultivated land strengthened the state’s capacity to assess revenue directly and reduced dependence on powerful intermediary chiefs.
Q74. Who founded the Lodi dynasty?
[Allahabad High Court Group C, 2014]
A. Sikandar Lodi
B. Ibrahim Lodi
C. Bahlul Lodi
D. Khizr Khan
Answer: C. Bahlul Lodi
Explanation: Bahlul became Sultan in 1451 and gradually expanded Afghan political control, notably defeating and absorbing the Sharqi kingdom of Jaunpur.
Q73. Which converted Indian Muslim briefly seized the throne immediately before the foundation of the Tughlaq dynasty?
[Allahabad High Court Group C, 2014]
A. Khusrau Khan
B. Malik Kafur
C. Zafar Khan
D. Bughra Khan
Answer: A. Khusrau Khan
Explanation: Khusrau Khan overthrew Mubarak Shah Khalji in 1320 but was soon defeated by Ghazi Malik, who founded the Tughlaq dynasty.
Q72. Dar-ul-Shafa established by Firoz Shah Tughlaq was a:
[UPPCS Prelims, 2013]
A. Military headquarters
B. Free hospital
C. Treasury
D. Provincial court
Answer: B. Free hospital
Explanation: Firoz expanded state welfare institutions as part of his conciliatory administrative style, which differed considerably from Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s more coercive experiments.
Q71. Which Sultan first secured formal investiture from the Abbasid Caliph?
[Rajasthan PTET, 2013]
A. Iltutmish
B. Balban
C. Alauddin Khalji
D. Firoz Tughlaq
Answer: A. Iltutmish
Explanation: Abbasid recognition strengthened Iltutmish’s political legitimacy and helped distinguish his sovereignty from rival Turkish claimants in northern India.
Q70. Who commanded Alauddin Khalji’s South Indian expeditions?
[TNTET Social Studies, 2013]
A. Malik Kafur
B. Balban
C. Ghazi Malik
D. Bahlul Lodi
Answer: A. Malik Kafur
Explanation: Malik Kafur led campaigns against Warangal, Dwarasamudra and the Pandya territories, securing enormous tribute for Alauddin’s government.
Q69. Who was the first Khalji Sultan to launch an attack on Ranthambore?
[RSMSSB PTI, 2013]
A. Jalaluddin Khalji
B. Alauddin Khalji
C. Mubarak Khalji
D. Khusrau Khan
Answer: A. Jalaluddin Khalji
Explanation: Jalaluddin’s campaign against Ranthambore did not result in lasting conquest; Alauddin later captured the important Rajput stronghold in 1301.
Q68. Alauddin Khalji attacked and captured Chittor in:
[Rajasthan 3rd Grade Teacher, 2013]
A. 1301
B. 1302
C. 1303
D. 1311
Answer: C. 1303
Explanation: Chittor’s capture formed part of Alauddin’s systematic expansion across Rajasthan following his successful campaign against Ranthambore.
Q67. Balban’s concentration of power in his own hands was intended primarily to:
[UPPCS Mains, 2013]
A. Strengthen central monarchy amid noble and frontier threats
B. Establish provincial independence
C. Abolish the army
D. Restore Rajput confederacies
Answer: A. Strengthen central monarchy amid noble and frontier threats
Explanation: Powerful nobles, rebellions and the Mongol danger convinced Balban that survival of the Sultanate required disciplined and highly centralised monarchical authority.
Q66. Genghis Khan’s forces reached India’s north-western frontier during the reign of:
[Chhattisgarh PSC Prelims, 2013]
A. Iltutmish
B. Balban
C. Razia
D. Alauddin Khalji
Answer: A. Iltutmish
Explanation: Genghis pursued the Khwarazm prince Jalaluddin Mangburni toward India in 1221; Iltutmish avoided provoking the powerful Mongol leader.
Q65. Who was the last ruler of the Delhi Sultanate?
[WBCS Prelims, 2012]
A. Alam Shah
B. Ibrahim Lodi
C. Bahlul Lodi
D. Sikandar Lodi
Answer: B. Ibrahim Lodi
Explanation: Ibrahim died fighting Babur at Panipat in 1526, terminating more than three centuries of Delhi Sultanate political rule.
Q64. At Khatoli, Rana Sanga defeated:
[RAS/RTS Prelims, 2012]
A. Bahlul Lodi
B. Sikandar Lodi
C. Ibrahim Lodi
D. Babur
Answer: C. Ibrahim Lodi
Explanation: The defeat demonstrated Ibrahim’s difficulties in maintaining Lodi military prestige while simultaneously confronting serious opposition from Afghan nobles.
Q63. Which Sultan received formal recognition from the Abbasid Caliph and strengthened it through his coinage?
[UPPCS Prelims, 2012]
A. Iltutmish
B. Aibak
C. Alauddin Khalji
D. Ibrahim Lodi
Answer: A. Iltutmish
Explanation: Caliphal investiture gave Iltutmish valuable external legitimacy and strengthened his position as the recognised sovereign of the Delhi Sultanate.
Q62. How many principal dynasties ruled the Delhi Sultanate between 1206 and 1526?
[APPSC Group IV, 2012]
A. Four
B. Five
C. Six
D. Seven
Answer: B. Five
Explanation: They were the Mamluk, Khalji, Tughlaq, Sayyid and Lodi dynasties, ruling successively from 1206 until Babur’s conquest in 1526.
Q61. The term Masahat in Sultanate administration referred to:
[HPPSC, 2012]
A. Land measurement
B. Horse branding
C. Intelligence network
D. Royal succession
Answer: A. Land measurement
Explanation: Alauddin used systematic land measurement to strengthen revenue assessment and direct state control over agricultural surplus and rural intermediaries.
Q60. Who firmly established Delhi as the capital of the early Sultanate?
[UPPCS Mains, 2012]
A. Iltutmish
B. Qutbuddin Aibak
C. Balban
D. Jalaluddin Khalji
Answer: A. Iltutmish
Explanation: Iltutmish transformed Delhi into the durable political centre of Turkish power and consolidated territories inherited from Aibak.
Q59. Which Sultan was famous for exceptional intellectual learning but also controversial administrative experiments?
[UPPCS Mains, 2012]
A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
B. Balban
C. Bahlul Lodi
D. Qutbuddin Aibak
Answer: A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Explanation: Muhammad possessed wide intellectual interests but became historically famous for ambitious projects such as token currency, capital transfer and extraordinary military schemes.
Q58. Who ruled Devagiri when Alauddin Khalji first attacked it?
[BPSC Prelims, 2011]
A. Ramachandra Deva
B. Prataparudra
C. Ballala III
D. Harihara
Answer: A. Ramachandra Deva
Explanation: Alauddin raided Ramachandra’s Yadava kingdom before becoming Sultan and later compelled Devagiri to recognise Delhi’s supremacy.
Q57. Who was the first ruler of the Slave/Mamluk dynasty?
[BPSC Prelims, 2011]
A. Iltutmish
B. Qutbuddin Aibak
C. Balban
D. Razia
Answer: B. Qutbuddin Aibak
Explanation: Aibak established independent authority after Muhammad Ghori’s death in 1206 and thereby initiated the Delhi Sultanate’s Mamluk dynasty.
Q56. Which Sultan imposed the Ghari or house tax as part of his fiscal regulations?
[UPPCS Mains, 2011]
A. Alauddin Khalji
B. Balban
C. Bahlul Lodi
D. Firoz Tughlaq
Answer: A. Alauddin Khalji
Explanation: Alauddin broadened taxation while curbing powerful intermediaries, creating the fiscal base required for his strong central army and expansionist government.
Q55. Which Tughlaq Sultan established Dar-ul-Shafa and several welfare institutions?
[BPSC, 2011]
A. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
B. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
C. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
D. Nasiruddin Mahmud
Answer: A. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Explanation: Firoz emphasised public welfare and conciliation, partly to restore stability after the widespread political unrest of Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s reign.
Q54. Which ruler succeeded Muhammad bin Tughlaq in 1351?
[PSC Examination, 2011]
A. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
B. Nasiruddin Mahmud
C. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
D. Sikandar Lodi
Answer: A. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Explanation: After Muhammad died campaigning in Sindh, nobles selected his cousin Firoz, who adopted a more conciliatory administrative policy.
Q53. Which Sultan’s reign witnessed the greatest territorial extent of the Delhi Sultanate?
[PSC Examination, 2011]
A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
B. Balban
C. Bahlul Lodi
D. Razia
Answer: A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Explanation: Muhammad initially inherited an enormous empire stretching across much of the subcontinent, although rebellions soon caused extensive territorial fragmentation.
Q52. Who was the first woman Sultan of Delhi?
[UPPSC GIC, 2010]
A. Razia
B. Chand Bibi
C. Nur Jahan
D. Jahanara
Answer: A. Razia
Explanation: Razia ruled as sovereign rather than merely queen or regent, making her unique in the political history of the Delhi Sultanate.
Q51. Mongol forces under Genghis Khan first appeared near the Indus during whose reign?
[UPPSC GIC, 2010]
A. Iltutmish
B. Balban
C. Alauddin Khalji
D. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Answer: A. Iltutmish
Explanation: Iltutmish’s cautious diplomacy in 1221 prevented the fledgling Sultanate from becoming directly involved in Genghis Khan’s pursuit of Jalaluddin Mangburni.
Q50. Which Sultan is associated with an early state-controlled public distribution and grain-storage system?
[UPPCS Mains, 2010]
A. Alauddin Khalji
B. Balban
C. Ibrahim Lodi
D. Aibak
Answer: A. Alauddin Khalji
Explanation: Government granaries and regulated supplies complemented Alauddin’s price controls, ensuring stable food availability for Delhi and its large military population.
Q49. Who first levied Haqq-i-Sharb, an irrigation tax?
[UPPCS Mains, 2010]
A. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
B. Alauddin Khalji
C. Iltutmish
D. Balban
Answer: A. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Explanation: Firoz expanded canal irrigation and levied Haqq-i-Sharb on cultivators benefiting from state irrigation facilities.
Q48. Which Sultan introduced or systematically organised the Iqta system in India?
[UPPCS Prelims, 2010]
A. Iltutmish
B. Balban
C. Alauddin Khalji
D. Bahlul Lodi
Answer: A. Iltutmish
Explanation: Iltutmish’s iqta arrangements provided an administrative and military framework for governing a geographically dispersed early Sultanate.
Q47. Who founded the city of Agra as an important Lodi political centre?
[UP UDA/LDA Mains, 2010]
A. Bahlul Lodi
B. Sikandar Lodi
C. Ibrahim Lodi
D. Daulat Khan Lodi
Answer: B. Sikandar Lodi
Explanation: Sikandar established Agra and shifted greater political attention toward the eastern Gangetic plain, improving control over newly conquered territories.
Q46. Which of these was NOT a ruler of the Slave dynasty?
[Uttarakhand Lower Subordinate, 2010]
A. Iltutmish
B. Balban
C. Razia
D. Ibrahim Lodi
Answer: D. Ibrahim Lodi
Explanation: Ibrahim belonged to the Afghan Lodi dynasty and ruled from 1517 to 1526, more than two centuries after the Mamluk period.
Q45. The policy of “Blood and Iron” was followed by:
[UPPCS Mains, 2009]
A. Balban
B. Alauddin Khalji
C. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
D. Sikandar Lodi
Answer: A. Balban
Explanation: Balban used ruthless force to crush rebels and lawlessness, believing strong coercive authority was necessary to restore the prestige of the crown.
Q44. What was the elite political group established by Iltutmish called?
[UPPSC, 2009]
A. Turkan-i-Chahalgani
B. Din-i-Ilahi
C. Dal Khalsa
D. Mansabdari
Answer: A. Turkan-i-Chahalgani
Explanation: The Chahalgani consisted of forty influential Turkish slave nobles who initially strengthened Iltutmish but later became kingmakers in succession disputes.
Q43. Who established the agricultural department Diwan-i-Amir-Kohi?
[UPPCS Optional History, 2009]
A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
B. Iltutmish
C. Balban
D. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Answer: A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Explanation: Muhammad attempted state-sponsored agricultural expansion through this department, though poor administration and adverse conditions limited its success.
Q42. Whom did Iltutmish appoint as an early governor or representative in Bihar?
[BPSC Prelims, 2008]
A. Malik Alauddin Jani
B. Malik Kafur
C. Bughra Khan
D. Khizr Khan
Answer: A. Malik Alauddin Jani
Explanation: Appointment of trusted governors was essential to Iltutmish’s effort to consolidate recently conquered eastern territories under central Sultanate authority.
Q41. Which statement about Balban is incorrect?
[Chhattisgarh PSC Prelims, 2008]
A. He strengthened monarchy
B. He followed Blood and Iron
C. He introduced the Iqta system
D. He curtailed Chahalgani power
Answer: C. He introduced the Iqta system
Explanation: The Iqta system had already been organised under Iltutmish. Balban’s distinctive policies centred on royal absolutism, military discipline and noble control.
Q40. Who assumed the title Sikandar-i-Sani?
[UP Lower Subordinate Prelims, 2008]
A. Alauddin Khalji
B. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
C. Sikandar Lodi
D. Balban
Answer: A. Alauddin Khalji
Explanation: Alauddin adopted “Second Alexander” to advertise his imperial ambitions and exceptional military achievements.
Q39. Why did Alauddin Khalji maintain artificially low market prices?
[UP Lower Subordinate Prelims, 2008]
A. To maintain a large army economically
B. To eliminate agriculture
C. To reward nobles
D. To increase soldiers’ salaries
Answer: A. To maintain a large army economically
Explanation: Low prices allowed soldiers to live on controlled salaries, helping the state sustain an enormous standing army without unsustainable expenditure.
Q38. Which dynasty ruled Delhi for the longest period among the principal Sultanate dynasties?
[UP Lower Subordinate, 2008]
A. Khalji
B. Tughlaq
C. Sayyid
D. Lodi
Answer: B. Tughlaq
Explanation: The Tughlaq dynasty endured nominally from 1320 to 1414, despite considerable decentralisation and decline during its later decades.
Q37. Haqq-i-Sharb was associated with which Sultan?
[UP Lower Subordinate, 2008]
A. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
B. Balban
C. Alauddin Khalji
D. Bahlul Lodi
Answer: A. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Explanation: The irrigation charge reflected Firoz’s extensive use of state canals to increase cultivation and agricultural revenue.
Q36. Which Sultan was contemporary with Genghis Khan?
[UPPCS Mains, 2007]
A. Iltutmish
B. Balban
C. Razia
D. Alauddin Khalji
Answer: A. Iltutmish
Explanation: Genghis Khan pursued Jalaluddin Mangburni to the Indus frontier in 1221 during Iltutmish’s reign.
Q35. Which Delhi Sultan was renowned for exceptional learning in subjects such as mathematics and astronomy?
[UPPCS Optional History, 2007]
A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
B. Balban
C. Aibak
D. Ibrahim Lodi
Answer: A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Explanation: Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s intellectual ability contrasted sharply with the practical failures of several of his highly ambitious political and administrative schemes.
Q34. Choose the correct chronological order of the Lodi rulers.
[UPSC CSE Prelims, 2006]
A. Ibrahim → Bahlul → Sikandar
B. Bahlul → Sikandar → Ibrahim
C. Sikandar → Ibrahim → Bahlul
D. Bahlul → Ibrahim → Sikandar
Answer: B. Bahlul → Sikandar → Ibrahim
Explanation: Bahlul founded the dynasty in 1451, Sikandar succeeded him in 1489, and Ibrahim ruled from 1517 until the dynasty’s fall.
Q33. Which governor rebelled against Balban in Bengal?
[UP UDA/LDA Special, 2006]
A. Tughril Khan
B. Malik Kafur
C. Khizr Khan
D. Zafar Khan
Answer: A. Tughril Khan
Explanation: Tughril’s rebellion was a major challenge to Balban’s authority. The Sultan personally marched east and suppressed the revolt ruthlessly.
Q32. Tughril Khan’s revolt during Balban’s reign took place in:
[UP UDA/LDA Special, 2006]
A. Bengal
B. Gujarat
C. Malwa
D. Punjab
Answer: A. Bengal
Explanation: Bengal’s distance from Delhi repeatedly encouraged provincial autonomy, and Balban’s harsh response demonstrated his determination to preserve central political control.
Q31. Who founded the Slave dynasty in India?
[BPSC Prelims, 2005]
A. Qutbuddin Aibak
B. Iltutmish
C. Balban
D. Razia
Answer: A. Qutbuddin Aibak
Explanation: Aibak established independent rule in 1206 following Muhammad Ghori’s death, initiating the first dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate.
Q30. Who ruled Devagiri during Alauddin Khalji’s early attack?
[BPSC Prelims, 2005]
A. Ramachandra Deva
B. Prataparudra
C. Ballala III
D. Bukka
Answer: A. Ramachandra Deva
Explanation: Alauddin’s profitable raid on Devagiri strengthened his finances and political position before he seized the Delhi throne.
Q29. Alauddin Khalji’s market regulations were primarily connected with:
[UPPCS Mains, 2005]
A. Maintaining a large army inexpensively
B. Encouraging merchant monopolies
C. Provincial independence
D. Ending military recruitment
Answer: A. Maintaining a large army inexpensively
Explanation: Controlled prices enabled soldiers to maintain themselves on fixed salaries and formed an essential component of Alauddin’s military-centralisation programme.
Q28. Which Lodi Sultan founded Agra?
[UPPCS Mains, 2005]
A. Bahlul
B. Sikandar
C. Ibrahim
D. Daulat Khan
Answer: B. Sikandar
Explanation: Sikandar founded Agra as a strategic political centre for administering the Gangetic territories and later used it as an important royal base.
Q27. Timur invaded Delhi in which year?
[MPPSC Prelims, 2005]
A. 1296
B. 1320
C. 1398
D. 1451
Answer: C. 1398
Explanation: Timur’s invasion devastated Delhi during Nasiruddin Mahmud Tughlaq’s reign and hastened the final disintegration of Tughlaq authority.
Q26. Who was Alauddin Khalji’s principal commander in the later Deccan campaigns?
[PSC Examination, 2005]
A. Malik Kafur
B. Bughra Khan
C. Tughril Khan
D. Khizr Khan
Answer: A. Malik Kafur
Explanation: Malik Kafur’s campaigns extracted submission and tribute from powerful Deccan and South Indian states, greatly increasing the Sultanate’s political prestige.
Q25. Which was the first Afghan ruling house of the Delhi Sultanate?
[PSC Examination, 2005]
A. Lodi
B. Khalji
C. Mamluk
D. Tughlaq
Answer: A. Lodi
Explanation: Bahlul Lodi’s accession in 1451 introduced an Afghan tribal political element that distinguished Lodi kingship from earlier Turkish Sultanate traditions.
Q24. Who was the last ruler of the Tughlaq dynasty?
[UPSC CSE Prelims, 2004]
A. Firoz Shah
B. Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah
C. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
D. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
Answer: B. Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah
Explanation: His weak reign witnessed Timur’s invasion and severe fragmentation; Tughlaq authority finally disappeared in the early fifteenth century.
Q23. Who established Delhi firmly as the capital after the early years of Turkish conquest?
[UPPCS Special Mains, 2004]
A. Iltutmish
B. Aibak
C. Balban
D. Alauddin Khalji
Answer: A. Iltutmish
Explanation: Iltutmish made Delhi the durable centre of Sultanate sovereignty and successfully consolidated the fragmented territories inherited from Aibak.
Q22. The experiment with token copper currency was undertaken by:
[UPPCS Special Mains, 2004]
A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
B. Alauddin Khalji
C. Balban
D. Sikandar Lodi
Answer: A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Explanation: Muhammad attempted to substitute base-metal tokens for precious-metal currency, but widespread counterfeiting and weak enforcement caused the experiment to collapse.
Q21. Who established Diwan-i-Amir-Kohi?
[UPPCS Special Mains, 2004]
A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
B. Alauddin Khalji
C. Firoz Tughlaq
D. Iltutmish
Answer: A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Explanation: The department reflected Muhammad’s attempt to expand cultivation through direct state intervention and agricultural development.
Q20. Who was the first woman ruler of medieval Delhi?
[UPPCS Mains, 2004]
A. Razia Sultan
B. Shah Turkan
C. Chand Bibi
D. Nur Jahan
Answer: A. Razia Sultan
Explanation: Razia ruled Delhi as sovereign from 1236 to 1240 and challenged the established political dominance of Turkish nobles.
Q19. Which Sultan established a separate department specifically for agricultural expansion?
[UP Lower Subordinate, 2004]
A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
B. Balban
C. Ibrahim Lodi
D. Aibak
Answer: A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Explanation: Diwan-i-Amir-Kohi aimed to increase cultivation and agricultural production through state financing and direct administrative supervision.
Q18. Razia Sultan was principally overthrown by opposition from:
[UP Lower Subordinate, 2004]
A. Powerful Turkish nobles
B. Mongol governors
C. Portuguese traders
D. Maratha chiefs
Answer: A. Powerful Turkish nobles
Explanation: Razia’s efforts to assert independent sovereignty and reduce Turkish aristocratic monopoly generated resistance that contributed directly to her deposition.
Q17. Balban’s royal name was:
[Chhattisgarh PSC Prelims, 2004]
A. Ghiyasuddin Balban
B. Jalaluddin Balban
C. Nasiruddin Balban
D. Shamsuddin Balban
Answer: A. Ghiyasuddin Balban
Explanation: The former slave and powerful Naib adopted the royal title Ghiyasuddin Balban when he became Sultan in 1266.
Q16. Which Sultan declared that political decisions need not always be constrained by orthodox religious law when state necessity required otherwise?
[BPSC Prelims, 2004]
A. Alauddin Khalji
B. Iltutmish
C. Bahlul Lodi
D. Firoz Tughlaq
Answer: A. Alauddin Khalji
Explanation: Alauddin emphasised state regulations or zawabit and political necessity, seeking to govern according to imperial requirements rather than clerical pressure alone.
Q15. Who first transferred the principal political centre of the early Sultanate from Lahore to Delhi?
[UPPCS Special Mains, 2004]
A. Iltutmish
B. Qutbuddin Aibak
C. Balban
D. Razia
Answer: A. Iltutmish
Explanation: By establishing Delhi as the central seat of power, Iltutmish gave the Sultanate a stable political capital from which territorial consolidation proceeded.
Q14. Qutbuddin Aibak died after an accident while playing:
[UPSC CSE Prelims, 2003]
A. Chaugan
B. Wrestling
C. Archery
D. Hunting
Answer: A. Chaugan
Explanation: Aibak died at Lahore in 1210 after falling from his horse during a game of Chaugan, creating a succession crisis later resolved by Iltutmish.
Q13. Which Sultan was popularly known as Lakh Baksh?
[Jharkhand PCS Prelims, 2003]
A. Qutbuddin Aibak
B. Balban
C. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
D. Sikandar Lodi
Answer: A. Qutbuddin Aibak
Explanation: Aibak’s reputation for extraordinary generosity earned him the epithet Lakh Baksh, although his principal political importance lies in founding independent Sultanate rule.
Q12. Which Sultan initially entertained ambitions of founding a new political order and world conquest but abandoned the idea after advice?
[Chhattisgarh PSC Prelims, 2003]
A. Alauddin Khalji
B. Iltutmish
C. Balban
D. Bahlul Lodi
Answer: A. Alauddin Khalji
Explanation: Alauddin’s victories encouraged extraordinary imperial ambitions, but advisers persuaded him to concentrate on practical conquest and consolidation of his existing empire.
Q11. Who was the ruler of Delhi during the most intensive phase of Malik Kafur’s southern expeditions?
[State PSC, 2003]
A. Alauddin Khalji
B. Jalaluddin Khalji
C. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
D. Balban
Answer: A. Alauddin Khalji
Explanation: Malik Kafur’s Deccan campaigns formed the southern arm of Alauddin’s expansionist policy and brought enormous tribute to Delhi.
Q10. Which ruler succeeded Jalaluddin Khalji after having him assassinated?
[State PSC, 2003]
A. Alauddin Khalji
B. Mubarak Khalji
C. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
D. Khusrau Khan
Answer: A. Alauddin Khalji
Explanation: Alauddin arranged Jalaluddin’s assassination at Kara in 1296 and then seized Delhi, inaugurating the most powerful phase of Khalji rule.
Q9. Who founded the independent Delhi Sultanate after Muhammad Ghori’s death?
[UPPCS Prelims, 2002]
A. Qutbuddin Aibak
B. Iltutmish
C. Balban
D. Razia
Answer: A. Qutbuddin Aibak
Explanation: Ghori’s former Indian commander assumed independent authority in 1206, marking the conventional beginning of the Delhi Sultanate.
Q8. Who attempted to transfer the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad?
[UPPCS Prelims, 2002]
A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
B. Firoz Tughlaq
C. Alauddin Khalji
D. Sikandar Lodi
Answer: A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Explanation: Muhammad sought a more centrally located imperial capital but the compulsory transfer produced great hardship and was eventually reversed.
Q7. Ibn Battuta’s observations of the Sultanate’s rapid communication and postal system belong principally to whose reign?
[Uttarakhand PCS Prelims, 2002]
A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
B. Iltutmish
C. Balban
D. Ibrahim Lodi
Answer: A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Explanation: Ibn Battuta’s eyewitness account records sophisticated relay communications that supported Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s vast but increasingly difficult-to-control empire.
Q6. Which statement about Sultanate military administration is correct?
[UPSC CSE Prelims, 2002]
A. Firoz Tughlaq maintained a separate department for slaves
B. Balban introduced Dagh and Chehra
C. Iltutmish abolished Iqtas
D. Ibrahim Lodi founded Diwan-i-Arz
Answer: A. Firoz Tughlaq maintained a separate department for slaves
Explanation: Firoz maintained a very large slave establishment administered separately; Dagh and Chehra are particularly associated with Alauddin Khalji.
Q5. Diwan-i-Bandagan, a department concerned with slaves, is associated with which Sultan?
[UPSC CSE Prelims, 2001]
A. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
B. Alauddin Khalji
C. Iltutmish
D. Bahlul Lodi
Answer: A. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Explanation: Firoz maintained an exceptionally large body of slaves and created administrative machinery for their supervision, employment and maintenance.
Q4. Which Sultan is particularly noted for employing or supporting large numbers of dependants and slaves through the state?
[BPSC Prelims, 2001]
A. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
B. Balban
C. Razia
D. Ibrahim Lodi
Answer: A. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Explanation: Firoz’s state incorporated a huge slave establishment and various welfare and employment measures, reflecting his paternalistic but administratively burdensome approach.
Q3. The highly developed postal and intelligence arrangements described by Ibn Battuta belonged to the reign of:
[UPPCS Prelims, 2000]
A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
B. Balban
C. Bahlul Lodi
D. Aibak
Answer: A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Explanation: Fast horse and foot relays enabled the Sultan’s government to transmit intelligence across an exceptionally extensive empire.
Q2. Diwan-i-Khairat, a charitable department, was established by:
[RAS/RTS Prelims, 1999]
A. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
B. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
C. Alauddin Khalji
D. Iltutmish
Answer: A. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Explanation: Firoz used Diwan-i-Khairat for welfare and charitable functions, forming part of his broader policy of conciliation and social patronage.
Q1. Which Delhi Sultan is credited with creating the most extensive canal-irrigation network of the Sultanate period?
[UPSC CSE Prelims, 1998]
A. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
B. Alauddin Khalji
C. Balban
D. Ibrahim Lodi
Answer: A. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Explanation: Firoz constructed and restored major canals to increase cultivation, revenue and rural prosperity, making irrigation an important component of his administrative policy.