50. Akbar’s policy of religious tolerance was called:
[DSSSB Assistant Superintendent, 2 July 2026, Shift 2]
A. Zabt
B. Sulh-i-Kul
C. Din-i-Ilahi
D. Mansabdari
Answer: B. Sulh-i-Kul
Explanation: Sulh-i-Kul means universal peace. It provided Akbar with an ethical principle for treating different religious communities fairly, encouraging mutual respect and placing imperial justice above sectarian divisions.
Q49. Who among the following was Akbar’s revenue minister credited with land revenue reforms?
[SSC GD Constable, 9 May 2026, Shift 3]
A. Abul Fazl
B. Birbal
C. Raja Todar Mal
D. Tansen
Answer: C. Raja Todar Mal
Explanation: Raja Todar Mal helped organize land measurement and assessment under Akbar. His association with the Zabt and Dahsala arrangements made imperial revenue demands more systematic and predictable.
Q48. Which Mughal emperor strengthened imperial authority by introducing the Mansabdari system and a centralized bureaucracy?
[RRB NTPC Undergraduate CBT-I, 9 May 2026, Shift 3]
A. Akbar
B. Shah Jahan
C. Humayun
D. Muhammad Shah
Answer: A. Akbar
Explanation: Akbar assigned graded mansabs to imperial servants, defining status, pay and military responsibilities. The system linked nobles to centralized service and supported the expansion of Mughal administration.
Q47. Which Mughal ruler is credited with introducing the Zabti revenue system across major parts of his empire?
[RRB NTPC Undergraduate CBT-I, 8 May 2026, Shift 3]
A. Akbar
B. Babur
C. Aurangzeb
D. Humayun
Answer: A. Akbar
Explanation: Akbar’s administration developed the Zabti method to assess land revenue through survey and calculated rates. Todar Mal played an important role in its refinement and implementation.
Q46. The Mansabdari system introduced under Akbar was mainly a system of what?
[RRB NTPC Undergraduate CBT-I, 7 May 2026, Shift 1]
A. Religious reform
B. Military administration
C. Judicial reform
D. Land revenue collection
Answer: B. Military administration
Explanation: The Mansabdari system ranked imperial officers and organized their cavalry obligations. Although it also served civilian administration, its military grading and service requirements were central to its functioning.
Q45. Why could Akbar’s Zabt system not be implemented effectively in provinces such as Bengal and Gujarat?
[SSC GD Constable, 6 May 2026, Shift 2]
A. Poor soil quality
B. Frequent foreign invasions
C. Difficulty in surveying land
D. Absence of local administrators
Answer: C. Difficulty in surveying land
Explanation: Zabt required reliable measurement, crop records and standardized assessment. Such detailed surveying was difficult in Bengal and Gujarat, making this method less practical than in core Mughal territories.
Q44. Which sixteenth-century heritage city near Agra was commissioned by Akbar as a planned imperial capital?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I, 25 March 2026, Shift 2]
A. Agra Fort
B. Fatehpur Sikri
C. Taj Mahal
D. Akbar’s Tomb
Answer: B. Fatehpur Sikri
Explanation: Akbar developed Fatehpur Sikri into an imperial capital during the 1570s. Its palaces, mosques and audience halls combine varied artistic influences and reflect his ambitious court culture.
Q43. Which Mughal court historian authored the Akbarnama, the official chronicle of Emperor Akbar’s reign?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I, 25 March 2026, Shift 1]
A. Ziauddin Barani
B. Minhaj-i-Siraj
C. Ferishta
D. Abul Fazl
Answer: D. Abul Fazl
Explanation: Abul Fazl composed the Akbarnama in Persian. This detailed imperial chronicle narrates Akbar’s ancestry and reign, while its third volume, the Ain-i-Akbari, describes governance and institutions.
Q42. In the Mansabdari system introduced by Akbar, what did the word “mansab” signify?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I, 22 March 2026, Shift 2]
A. Spiritual leadership
B. Calendar for revenue collection
C. Land-revenue assessment
D. Rank or position of an official
Answer: D. Rank or position of an official
Explanation: Mansab means rank or position. The assigned grade determined an official’s place in the imperial hierarchy and influenced salary, personal status and the number of cavalrymen maintained.
Q41. Which Mughal emperor began the architectural development of Fatehpur Sikri?
[SSC MTS 2025 cycle, held 9 February 2026, Shift 3]
A. Babur
B. Akbar
C. Jahangir
D. Shah Jahan
Answer: B. Akbar
Explanation: Akbar developed Fatehpur Sikri near the residence of Sheikh Salim Chishti. It served as a Mughal capital and became celebrated for its red-sandstone architecture and planned court buildings.
Q40. Which structure at Fatehpur Sikri is renowned as its grand and imposing monumental gateway?
[SSC MTS 2025 cycle, held 5 February 2026, Shift 3]
A. Jama Masjid
B. Diwan-i-Khas
C. Panch Mahal
D. Buland Darwaza
Answer: D. Buland Darwaza
Explanation: Buland Darwaza is the lofty gateway associated with Akbar’s Gujarat victory. Located at Fatehpur Sikri, its great scale, inscriptions and ornamentation exemplify monumental Mughal architecture.
Q39. Under Akbar, in which areas was the Zabt land-revenue system implemented most effectively?
[Delhi Police Head Constable (Ministerial), 8 January 2026, Shift 2]
A. New Deccan territories
B. Densely surveyed core provinces
C. Rebellious frontier areas
D. Shifting-cultivation regions
Answer: B. Densely surveyed core provinces
Explanation: Zabt depended on measured fields and reliable revenue registers. It operated best in established, well-surveyed provinces where officials could determine cultivated acreage and standard assessment rates.
Q38. Jaimal and Fatta are remembered for their resistance against which Mughal ruler?
[Delhi Police Constable (Executive), 4 January 2026, Shift 2]
A. Timur
B. Muhammad Ghori
C. Alauddin Khalji
D. Akbar
Answer: D. Akbar
Explanation: Jaimal and Patta, often called Fatta, led resistance during the Mughal siege of Chittor in 1567–1568. Their defence became an important episode in Mewar’s historical memory.
Q37. Who wrote the three-volume history of Akbar’s reign?
[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 27 November 2025, Shift 3]
A. Abul Fazl
B. Birbal
C. Tansen
D. Todar Mal
Answer: A. Abul Fazl
Explanation: Abul Fazl, an influential historian at Akbar’s court, wrote the Akbarnama. Its volumes cover imperial ancestry, events of the reign and the detailed administrative survey called Ain-i-Akbari.
Q36. Which of these statements correctly matches Akbar’s campaigns: I. Ranthambore—1569; II. Gujarat—1572?
[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 22 November 2025, Shift 1]
A. Only I
B. Only II
C. Both I and II
D. Neither I nor II
Answer: C. Both I and II
Explanation: Akbar captured Ranthambore in 1569 after a major siege. His Gujarat campaign began in 1572, followed by further operations that secured Mughal control in the region.
Q35. What is the primary subject of the first volume of the Akbarnama?
[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 21 November 2025, Shift 3]
A. Akbar’s administration
B. Events of his reign
C. Geography of the empire
D. Akbar’s ancestors
Answer: D. Akbar’s ancestors
Explanation: The first volume traces Akbar’s lineage and earlier Mughal history. The second narrates the reign itself, while the third, Ain-i-Akbari, documents institutions, resources and imperial regulations.
Q34. Which region was annexed by Akbar in 1568?
[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 20 November 2025, Shift 3]
A. Bengal
B. Gujarat
C. Chittor
D. Orissa
Answer: C. Chittor
Explanation: Akbar’s forces took Chittor after the siege of 1567–1568. Its capture strengthened Mughal influence in Rajasthan, although Mewar continued resisting imperial domination under its rulers.
Q33. Which general of Akbar defeated the Cheros in 1591?
[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 19 November 2025, Shift 3]
A. Raja Man Singh
B. Raja Jai Singh
C. Raja Todar Mal
D. Birbal
Answer: A. Raja Man Singh
Explanation: Raja Man Singh was an important Rajput commander in Mughal service. His campaign against the Cheros illustrates Akbar’s reliance on regional nobles to extend imperial authority in eastern India.
Q32. Whose administrative system later became a model for Akbar’s consolidation of the Mughal Empire?
[SSC CGL Tier-I, 23 September 2025, Shift 1]
A. Babur
B. Humayun
C. Sher Shah Suri
D. Jahangir
Answer: C. Sher Shah Suri
Explanation: Sher Shah Suri developed administrative and revenue practices that influenced later Mughal reforms. Akbar’s government adapted and extended earlier methods rather than creating every institution from scratch.
Q31. Which of the following is listed in the Ain-i-Akbari among the Indian sciences to be learned by scholars?
[UPSC CDS-I (General Knowledge), 13 April 2025]
A. Ayurveda
B. Vyakarana
C. Ganita
D. Jyotisha
Answer: D. Jyotisha
Explanation: Jyotisha concerns traditional Indian astronomy and astrology. Its presence in the Ain-i-Akbari reflects the broad educational curriculum described for Akbar’s reign and engagement with Indian intellectual traditions.
Q30. Which Jain scholar was honoured by Akbar with the title “Jagat Guru”?
[Chhattisgarh PSC Preliminary Examination, 9 February 2025]
A. Jinchandra Suri
B. Hir Vijay Suri
C. Shanti Chandra
D. Birbal
Answer: B. Hir Vijay Suri
Explanation: Hir Vijay Suri was a respected Jain teacher who interacted with Akbar. The imperial title Jagat Guru recognized his standing and illustrates Akbar’s contact with diverse religious thinkers.
Q29. Which volume of the Akbarnama is known as the Ain-i-Akbari?
[SSC MTS, 5 November 2024, Shift 2]
A. Second
B. Fourth
C. Fifth
D. Third
Answer: D. Third
Explanation: The Ain-i-Akbari forms the third volume of Abul Fazl’s Akbarnama. It surveys the emperor’s household, army, revenue, administration and provinces, providing unusually detailed contemporary information.
Q28. Akbar’s first expedition towards Ahmednagar in the Deccan was led by Prince Murad and whom?
[SSC MTS, 4 November 2024, Shift 2]
A. Birbal
B. Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan
C. Adham Khan
D. Raja Man Singh
Answer: B. Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan
Explanation: Prince Murad and Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan were dispatched towards Ahmednagar during Akbar’s Deccan policy. Their campaign marked growing Mughal military involvement in the independent Deccan sultanates.
Q27. What did the title Diwan-i-Ala refer to in Akbar’s administration?
[SSC MTS, 4 November 2024, Shift 1]
A. Finance minister
B. Court writer
C. Defence minister
D. Prime minister
Answer: A. Finance minister
Explanation: The Diwan-i-Ala supervised imperial finance and revenue affairs. This office was distinct from the Mir Bakshi, who organized military personnel, while other officials managed separate court departments.
Q26. Who was appointed Wakil with the title Khan-i-Khanan at Akbar’s accession in 1556?
[SSC MTS, 18 October 2024, Shift 2]
A. Bairam Khan
B. Munim Khan
C. Hakim Mirza
D. Abdur Rahim
Answer: A. Bairam Khan
Explanation: Bairam Khan served as regent and leading adviser to the young emperor. His direction of government and military affairs helped stabilize Mughal authority after Humayun’s death.
Q25. Who among the following was one of the celebrated Navratnas of Akbar’s court?
[SSC CGL Tier-I, 11 September 2024, Shift 1]
A. Amir Khusro
B. Purandar Das
C. Swami Haridas
D. Tansen
Answer: D. Tansen
Explanation: Tansen was a distinguished musician patronized by Akbar and conventionally counted among his nine jewels. His reputation greatly influenced the later history of Hindustani classical music.
Q24. After Humayun’s death, the young Akbar was crowned at Kalanaur in which present-day Indian state?
[SSC CGL Tier-I, 10 September 2024, Shift 1]
A. Rajasthan
B. Gujarat
C. West Bengal
D. Punjab
Answer: D. Punjab
Explanation: Akbar was enthroned at Kalanaur in Punjab in 1556, while still a teenager. Bairam Khan initially guided the government during the difficult early years of his reign.
Q23. Who was a famous painter associated with Akbar’s court?
[WBCS 2023 Mains (History), held 18 August 2024]
A. Basawan
B. Bebadal Khan
C. Raja Ravi Varma
D. Minhaj-us-Siraj
Answer: A. Basawan
Explanation: Basawan was an outstanding painter in Akbar’s imperial atelier. His expressive figures and experiments with composition enriched illustrated manuscripts and strengthened the distinctive Mughal painting style.
Q22. Which statements about Akbar are correct? I. He introduced Mansabdari. II. He annexed Bijapur. III. He made Fatehpur Sikri his capital.
[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 10 July 2024, Shift 1]
A. I, II and III
B. Only I and II
C. Only II and III
D. Only I and III
Answer: D. Only I and III
Explanation: Akbar organized the Mansabdari system and established a capital at Fatehpur Sikri. Bijapur remained outside his empire and was conquered much later by Aurangzeb in 1686.
Q21. Under which Mughal emperor were the Ramayana and Mahabharata translated into Persian?
[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 9 July 2024, Shift 4]
A. Akbar
B. Shah Jahan
C. Jahangir
D. Aurangzeb
Answer: A. Akbar
Explanation: Akbar supported translations of Sanskrit literature into Persian through his court’s translation activities. The Persian Mahabharata, called Razmnama, became a major example of this cultural enterprise.
Q20. Who introduced the spiritual order commonly known as Din-i-Ilahi?
[WBCS (Executive) Preliminary Examination, 2023]
A. Babur
B. Akbar
C. Jahangir
D. Shah Jahan
Answer: B. Akbar
Explanation: Akbar developed Tauhid-i-Ilahi, conventionally called Din-i-Ilahi, in 1582. It emphasized ethical conduct and spiritual devotion, attracted few initiates and did not develop into a mass religion.
Q19. Regarding the Jesuit mission sent to Akbar in 1595, which statements are correct? I. It was the third mission; II. It met Akbar at Lahore; III. Antonio Monserrate joined it.
[Chhattisgarh PSC Preliminary Examination, 2023]
A. Only I
B. I and II
C. I and III
D. I, II and III
Answer: B. I and II
Explanation: The third Jesuit mission reached Akbar at Lahore. Antonio Monserrate belonged to an earlier mission, while Jerome Xavier participated in the later delegation, making statements I and II correct.
Q18. Which palace at Fatehpur Sikri displays features traditionally compared with Buddhist architectural forms?
[RPSC RAS Preliminary Examination, 2023]
A. Tomb of Salim Chishti
B. Buland Darwaza
C. Panch Mahal
D. Turki Sultana’s Palace
Answer: C. Panch Mahal
Explanation: Panch Mahal is a five-storeyed, open-pillared pavilion at Fatehpur Sikri. Its tiered form is sometimes compared with Buddhist structures, highlighting the eclectic character of Akbar’s architecture.
Q17. Under Akbar’s land classification, what was land left fallow for three or four years called?
[SSC CGL Tier-I, 21 July 2023, Shift 1]
A. Parauti
B. Polaj
C. Chachar
D. Banjar
Answer: C. Chachar
Explanation: Chachar referred to land uncultivated for three or four years. Polaj was regularly cultivated, Parauti temporarily rested, and Banjar had remained uncultivated for a longer period.
Q16. Where is Emperor Akbar’s tomb situated?
[Madhya Pradesh Forest Guard/Jail Prahari, 10 June 2023, Shift 1]
A. Sikandra
B. Gwalior
C. New Delhi
D. Burhanpur
Answer: A. Sikandra
Explanation: Akbar’s mausoleum stands at Sikandra near Agra. Its construction was begun around the end of his life and subsequently completed under Jahangir, combining several architectural traditions.
Q15. The second volume of the Akbarnama chiefly records what?
[SSC CGL Tier-I, 5 December 2022, Shift 3]
A. Akbar’s ancestors
B. Rules of administration
C. Events of Akbar’s reign
D. Only military battles
Answer: C. Events of Akbar’s reign
Explanation: Abul Fazl’s second volume narrates Akbar’s reign and political events. The first volume deals with ancestry and predecessors, while the third is the administrative compilation Ain-i-Akbari.
Q14. Which statement about Akbar is incorrect?
[Telangana Police SI Mains Examination, 2022]
A. He cultivated ideas of sacral kingship
B. He used Jharokha Darshan
C. The Dahsala assessment emerged around 1580
D. He constructed the Red Fort in Delhi
Answer: D. He constructed the Red Fort in Delhi
Explanation: Delhi’s Red Fort was commissioned by Shah Jahan in the seventeenth century, not Akbar. Akbar was associated with Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri and major imperial administrative reforms.
Q13. Where was Emperor Akbar born?
[NHPC Junior Engineer (Civil), 4 April 2022, Shift 2]
A. Kalanaur
B. Chunar
C. Umarkot
D. Kandahar
Answer: C. Umarkot
Explanation: Akbar was born in 1542 at Umarkot, also called Amarkot, in present-day Sindh. His parents, Humayun and Hamida Banu Begum, had taken refuge there during exile.
Q12. In 1598, Akbar permitted the construction of which religious building at Cambay (Khambat)?
[UPSC CDS-II General Knowledge, 14 November 2021]
A. Temple
B. Church
C. Synagogue
D. Jain Upashraya
Answer: B. Church
Explanation: Akbar issued an imperial order allowing Jesuits to build a church at Cambay in Gujarat. The permission reflects his policy of accommodating diverse religious communities under Mughal authority.
Q11. Which statement about the Ain-i-Akbari is incorrect?
[UPSC NDA General Ability Test, 18 April 2021]
A. It was written by Abul Fazl
B. It forms part of the Akbarnama
C. It portrays a diverse Mughal society
D. It was revised by Sadullah Khan on Shah Jahan’s orders
Answer: D. It was revised by Sadullah Khan on Shah Jahan’s orders
Explanation: Ain-i-Akbari is Abul Fazl’s survey of Akbar’s administration and society. The claim that Sadullah Khan officially revised it on Shah Jahan’s orders is not correct.
Q10. Which scholar at Akbar’s court translated Bhaskaracharya’s Lilavati into Persian?
[UPSC CDS General Knowledge, 7 February 2021]
A. Abul Fazl
B. Faizi
C. Fathullah Shirazi
D. Ataullah Rashidi
Answer: B. Faizi
Explanation: Faizi, Akbar’s poet laureate, prepared a Persian rendering of Lilavati, a Sanskrit mathematical work attributed to Bhaskaracharya. This translation exemplifies the court’s wider program of intellectual exchange.
Q9. Which statements about Akbar’s social measures are correct? I. He attempted to prescribe marriage ages; II. He encouraged freedom of choice in marriage.
[UPPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination, 2020]
A. Only I
B. Only II
C. Both I and II
D. Neither I nor II
Answer: C. Both I and II
Explanation: Akbar’s reform efforts included discouraging very early marriage and coercion in matrimonial arrangements. Such measures were part of broader imperial interventions in social customs and public morality.
Q8. Which statement about Akbar’s court is correct?
[Chhattisgarh PSC Civil Services Examination, 2020]
A. Akbar conferred “Tansen” on Rambali Pandey
B. Akbar married Raja Man Singh’s sister
C. Abul Fazl authored the Ain-i-Akbari
D. Todar Mal was commander-in-chief
Answer: C. Abul Fazl authored the Ain-i-Akbari
Explanation: Abul Fazl wrote the Ain-i-Akbari as part of the Akbarnama. Todar Mal is best known for revenue administration, while the other assertions in the question are incorrect.
Q7. Akbar’s son Salim succeeded him with which imperial title, meaning “World Seizer”?
[SSC CGL Tier-I, 7 June 2019, Shift 2]
A. Jahangir
B. Badshah
C. Jahanpanah
D. Shah Jahan
Answer: A. Jahangir
Explanation: Prince Salim ascended the throne in 1605 as Nur-ud-din Muhammad Jahangir. His reign continued many of Akbar’s institutions while introducing distinctive developments in court politics and art.
Q6. In which year did Akbar award Raja Man Singh a mansab of 7,000 zat and 6,000 sawar?
[RPSC Senior Teacher Grade II GK, 19 February 2019]
A. 1599
B. 1601
C. 1603
D. 1605
Answer: D. 1605
Explanation: Raja Man Singh, a trusted Rajput noble and Mughal general, received this exceptionally high rank in 1605. The distinction illustrates his importance within the imperial service hierarchy.
Q5. Akbar followed religious tolerance and appointed members of which group to high positions in his court?
[RRB Group D, 1 November 2018, Shift 1]
A. Only Muslim nobles
B. Rajputs
C. Only Sikh leaders
D. Only Christian missionaries
Answer: B. Rajputs
Explanation: Akbar enrolled prominent Rajput rulers and nobles into Mughal service. Military appointments and marriage alliances helped incorporate regional elites and strengthen the empire’s political integration.
Q4. During Akbar’s reign, the Mir Bakshi was primarily responsible for which department?
[RPSC Senior Teacher Grade II Social Science, 2 July 2017]
A. Foreign affairs
B. Weights and measures
C. Military affairs
D. Land revenue
Answer: C. Military affairs
Explanation: The Mir Bakshi supervised important military functions, including personnel records and rank-related matters. Revenue was managed by the diwan, separating finance from key military administration.
Q3. What was the Ibadat Khana at Fatehpur Sikri?
[UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination, 2014]
A. A mosque reserved for the royal family
B. Akbar’s private prayer chamber
C. A hall for religious discussions with learned scholars
D. A military council chamber
Answer: C. A hall for religious discussions with learned scholars
Explanation: Akbar founded the Ibadat Khana in 1575 for religious discussion. Its debates later included thinkers from multiple traditions and shaped his interest in interfaith understanding and imperial tolerance.
Q2. What was the original name of the celebrated musician Tansen?
[MPPSC State Services Preliminary Examination, 2013]
A. Makarchand Pandey
B. Ramtanu Pandey
C. Lala Kalawant
D. Baj Bahadur
Answer: B. Ramtanu Pandey
Explanation: Tansen is traditionally identified as Ramtanu Pandey. A leading musician of Akbar’s court, he occupies a central place in the historical traditions of Hindustani classical music.
Q1. Who was the Mughal emperor when the English East India Company was founded in London?
[UPPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination, 2012]
A. Akbar
B. Jahangir
C. Shah Jahan
D. Aurangzeb
Answer: A. Akbar
Explanation: The East India Company received its English royal charter on 31 December 1600. Akbar ruled India until 1605, so he was emperor when the company was established.