CLASS07/HISTORY/CHAPTER03

NCERT QUESTIONS
Q1. Which ruler first established his or her capital at Delhi?
Answer: The Tomara Rajputs were the first rulers to make Delhi their capital. They ruled in
the early 12th century and developed Delhi into an important city with markets, temples,
and coins that were used widely.

Q2. What was the language of administration under the Delhi Sultans?
Answer: The official language of administration under the Delhi Sultans was Persian. This
language was used for keeping records, issuing orders, and writing histories. It was chosen
because many Sultans and their officials were familiar with it due to connections with
Central and West Asia.

Q3. In whose reign did the Sultanate reach its farthest extent?
Answer: The Delhi Sultanate reached its largest area during the reign of Muhammad
Tughluq. His empire stretched from parts of present-day Afghanistan in the northwest to
areas in southern India, though many distant territories soon broke away.

Q4. From which country did Ibn Battuta travel to India?

Answer: Ibn Battuta came to India from Morocco, a country in North Africa. He was a
famous traveller and wrote about his experiences in the Delhi Sultanate, giving details about
its people, administration, and culture.

Q5. According to the “circle of justice”, why was it important for military commanders to
keep the interests of the peasantry in mind?
Answer: The “circle of justice” explained that a king needed soldiers to protect his kingdom.
Soldiers needed salaries, which came from taxes collected from peasants. Peasants could
pay these taxes only if they were prosperous and happy. Therefore, military commanders
had to protect peasants’ interests so the whole system could work smoothly.

Q6. What is meant by the “internal” and “external” frontiers of the Sultanate?
Answer: Internal frontiers were areas close to the Sultanate’s main region, such as the
fertile Ganga-Yamuna doab, forests, and small towns within northern India. External
frontiers were far-away lands like the Deccan plateau and southern India, which were added
to the empire through military campaigns.

Q7. What were the steps taken to ensure that muqtis performed their duties? Why do you
think they may have wanted to defy the orders of the Sultans?
Answer: Muqtis were military commanders who governed certain territories (iqtas). The
Sultans appointed accountants to check their revenue collection and made rules so they
could collect only fixed taxes and had to keep a certain number of soldiers. They might have
wanted to defy orders to keep extra revenue for themselves or make their positions
hereditary.
Q8. Do you think the authors of tawarikh would provide information about the lives of
ordinary men and women?
Answer: No, the authors of tawarikh usually wrote for Sultans and nobles. They lived in
cities and focused on events like wars, royal orders, and court life. They rarely described the
daily lives, struggles, or customs of common men and women.

Q9. Raziyya Sultan was unique in the history of the Delhi Sultanate. Do you think women
leaders are accepted more readily today?
Answer: Yes, compared to the 13th century, women leaders are more accepted today
because society now values education, equality, and legal rights for women. However, in
some areas, women still face prejudice and challenges in leadership roles.

Q10. Why were the Delhi Sultans interested in cutting down forests? Does deforestation
occur for the same reasons today?
Answer: The Delhi Sultans cut forests to expand farmland, collect more taxes from
cultivation, and control people living in those areas. Today, forests are also cleared for
farming, roads, industries, and cities, but environmental concerns and laws try to limit this
activity

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
MCQ Based Questions

Q1. Under whose rule did Delhi become an important commercial centre in the 12th
century?
a) Mughals
b) Tomaras and Chauhans
c) Lodis and Sayyids
d) Khaljis and Tughluqs
Answer: b) Tomaras and Chauhans

Q2. What was the language of administration under the Delhi Sultans?
a) Arabic
b) Hindi
c) Persian
d) Sanskrit
Answer: c) Persian

Q3. Who was the Moroccan traveller who came to India in the 14th century?
a) Al-Biruni
b) Ibn Battuta
c) Marco Polo
d) Megasthenes
Answer: b) Ibn Battuta

Q4. Who among the following was appointed to high administrative posts by Muhammad
Tughluq?
a) Nobles only
b) Foreign merchants
c) People of humble birth
d) Rajput warriors
Answer: c) People of humble birth

Q5. Which Sultan’s reign saw the measurement of land for revenue assessment?
a) Qutbuddin Aybak
b) Alauddin Khalji
c) Balban
d) Raziyya
Answer: b) Alauddin Khalji

Q6. What was ‘Jizyah’ tax?

a) Tax on Muslims
b) Tax on cattle
c) Tax on non-Muslims
d) Tax on houses
Answer: c) Tax on non-Muslims

Q7. Who ruled Warangal from 1262–1289 and pretended to be a man in inscriptions?
a) Didda
b) Raziyya
c) Rudramadevi
d) Nur Jahan
Answer: c) Rudramadevi

True and False

Q1. The Tomaras were defeated by the Chauhans in the 12th century.
Answer: True

Q2. Minhaj-us-Siraj supported the idea of women rulers.

Answer: False

Q3. The Khaljis and Tughluqs gave high posts only to people from noble families.
Answer: False

Q4. ‘Khums’ was a tax on mines and war booty.

Answer: True

Q5. Chieftains sometimes built large fortifications for defence.

Answer: True

Q6. Persian chroniclers usually lived in villages.

Answer: False

Fill in the Blanks

Q1. Coins minted in Delhi under the Tomaras and Chauhans had a wide __________.
Answer: circulation

Q2. The circle of justice was written about by __________ in the 13th century.
Answer: Fakhr-i Mudabbir

Q3. Raziyya became Sultan in the year __________.

Answer: 1236

Q4. Special slaves trained for military service were called __________ in Persian.
Answer: bandagan

Q5. The Moroccan traveller __________ visited India in the 14th century.
Answer: Ibn Battuta

Q6. The language of administration under the Delhi Sultans was __________.
Answer: Persian

Match the Following

Column A Column B
[Link] A Tax on non-Muslims
[Link] B Daughter of Iltutmish
[Link] C Persian chronicler
[Link]-us-Siraj D Pretended to be a man in inscriptions
[Link] E Tax on mines and war booty

Answer:
1 – B (Daughter of Iltutmish)
2 – A (Tax on non-Muslims)
3 – D (Pretended to be a man in inscriptions)
4 – C (Persian chronicler)
5 – E (Tax on mines and war booty)

Very Short Answer Type Questions (10–15 words)

Q1. Who defeated the Tomaras in the 12th century?

Answer: The Chauhans of Ajmer defeated the Tomaras in the 12th century.

Q2. What was the main role of a muqti or iqtadar?

Answer: To lead military campaigns and maintain law and order in their iqtas.

Q3. Who wrote about the ‘circle of justice’?

Answer: Fakhr-i Mudabbir wrote about the ‘circle of justice’.
Q4. Which dynasty did Khizr Khan belong to?
Answer: Khizr Khan belonged to the Sayyid dynasty.

Q5. What percentage of produce was taken as kharaj under Delhi Sultans?
Answer: About 50 percent of the peasant’s produce.

Short Answer Type Questions (30–40 words)

Q1. Why was Persian used as the language of administration under the Delhi Sultans?
Answer: Persian was widely used in Central and West Asia, and the Delhi Sultans, who had
Turkic and Persian influences, adopted it for administration to maintain records and
communicate among officials.

Q2. Why did Raziyya face opposition as a ruler?

Answer: Raziyya faced opposition because nobles and chroniclers believed women should
be subordinate to men, and they disliked her attempts to rule independently.

Q3. What were the main types of taxes under the Delhi Sultanate?
Answer: The main taxes were kharaj on cultivation, tax on cattle, tax on houses, along with
khums, zakat, and jizyah.

Q4. Why did chronicler Barani criticise Muhammad Tughluq’s appointments?

Answer: Barani criticised him for appointing people of humble origins, like cooks and
barbers, to high posts, seeing it as poor political judgement.

Q5. What did chieftains do to defend their territories?

Answer: Chieftains built large forts, kept armed followers, and maintained supplies to
withstand sieges.

Long Answer Type Questions (70–90 words)

Q1. Explain the ‘circle of justice’ as described by Fakhr-i Mudabbir.

Answer: The ‘circle of justice’ explained the interdependence between the king, army, and
peasants. A king needed soldiers for protection, soldiers needed salaries, salaries came from
taxes collected from peasants, and peasants could pay taxes only if they were prosperous.
Prosperity depended on justice and good governance. Thus, rulers were advised to protect
peasants’ interests for the stability of the kingdom.

Q2. Describe the administrative role of the muqti or iqtadar.

Answer: The muqti or iqtadar was a military commander appointed as governor of an iqta.
He was responsible for maintaining law and order, collecting revenue, and leading military
campaigns. Revenue collected was used as his salary and to pay soldiers. Control over iqtas
was not hereditary, and strict checks ensured they collected only authorised taxes and
maintained the required number of troops.

Q3. Discuss the main revenue policies of Alauddin Khalji.

Answer: Alauddin Khalji brought land revenue assessment under state control. Local
chieftains’ rights to levy taxes were cancelled. Land was measured, and records were kept.
Kharaj, amounting to about 50% of the produce, was collected directly by state officials.
Taxes on cattle and houses were also levied. These measures increased state income and
reduced the power of local elites.

Q4. Why was it difficult for women to become rulers in medieval India?
Answer: Women rulers faced strong opposition because society believed in a male-
dominated order. Chroniclers and nobles felt women should not rule and considered it
against divine order. Even capable rulers like Raziyya faced resistance from nobles, making it
hard to maintain authority.

Q5. Explain the policy of appointing slaves and people of humble birth to high posts.
Answer: Early Delhi Sultans, especially Iltutmish, appointed special slaves (bandagan) to
high posts as they were loyal and dependent on the Sultan. Khaljis and Tughluqs extended
this policy to appointing talented people of humble origin. While it brought capable
administrators, it caused instability since their loyalty was personal and not hereditary.

Q6. How did the Mongol threat affect the Delhi Sultanate?
Answer: The Mongol invasions during Alauddin Khalji and early Muhammad Tughluq’s reign
forced the Sultans to keep a large standing army in Delhi. This required increased revenue,
stricter administration, and better military organisation, posing challenges in governance
and finance.

BY:- CHITRANSH KHARE

FOR CLASS 07 LOTUS