Horizon Academy
Class 7 : History - Delhi Sultanate
NCERT Topic Wise Important Questions & Answers
Chapter: Delhi: 12th to 15th century
1. Why was there no mention of Delhi as a capital city in earlier times?
Answer: Delhi was not an important city until the twelfth century, which is why there was no mention of it as a capital in earlier periods.
2. When did Delhi become an important city and who made it their capital?
Answer: Delhi became an important city in the twelfth century and was made the capital by the Tomara Rajputs.
3. Who defeated the Tomara Rajputs and took control of Delhi?
Answer: The Chauhans (or Chahamanas) of Ajmer defeated the Tomara Rajputs in the middle of the twelfth century.
4. How did Delhi become an important commercial centre?
Answer: Under the Tomaras and Chauhans, Delhi became a commercial centre where many rich Jain merchants lived and built several temples. Coins called dehliwal were minted there and had wide circulation.
5. What was the name of the coins minted in Delhi during the Tomara and Chauhan rule?
Answer: The coins were called dehliwal.
6. Who was Ananga Pala?
Answer: Ananga Pala was a Tomara King.
7. When did the transformation of Delhi into a powerful capital begin?
Answer: This transformation began with the foundation of the Delhi Sultanate in the beginning of the thirteenth century.
8. Name the five dynasties that together made the Delhi Sultanate.
Answer: The five dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate were:
- Early Turkish rulers or Slave Dynasty or Mamluk Dynasty (1206-1290)
- Khilji Dynasty (1290-1320)
- Tughlaq Dynasty (1320-1414)
- Sayyid Dynasty (1414-1451)
- Lodi Dynasty (1451-1526)
9. What changes did the Delhi Sultans bring to the city of Delhi?
Answer: The Delhi Sultans built many new cities in the area that we now know as Delhi.
10. Why is the period between 1206 and 1526 known as the period of the Delhi Sultanate?
Answer: The period from 1206 to 1526 is called the Delhi Sultanate because during this time, rulers of five dynasties ruled from Delhi. They were known as Sultans, and Delhi was their capital.
11. Are Dehli-i Kuhna, Siri, and Jahanpanah the cities which together make up today's Delhi?
Answer: Dehli-i Kuhna, Siri, and Jahanpanah were important cities built by the Delhi Sultans. These, along with other areas like Tughlaqabad and Firuzabad, became part of the Delhi region. Today's Delhi includes all these areas and many more.
12. Which of these cities are not built by Delhi Sultans: a. Siri b. Tughlakabad c. ajmer c. jahanpanah
Answer: Ajmer. Ajmer Not built by Delhi Sultans; it was the capital of the Chauhans (Chahamanas)
Understanding Delhi under the Sultans
1. What is the Persian term used for histories during the Delhi Sultanate period?
Answer: Tawarikh is the Persian term used for histories.
2. Who were the authors of the tawarikh?
Answer: The authors of the tawarikh were learned men like secretaries, administrators, poets, and courtiers. They lived in cities and wrote for Sultans to receive rewards.
3. What did the authors of tawarikh usually write about?
Answer: They wrote about events, gave advice on governance, and supported ideas like just rule, birth-based privilege, and gender distinctions.
4. What was the purpose of writing tawarikh?
Answer: The authors often wrote to please the Sultans and receive rich rewards, and to promote ideal social order based on birthright and gender roles.
5. What is the "circle of justice" according to Fakhr-i Mudabbir?
Answer: The circle of justice explains that:
- The king needs soldiers
- Soldiers need salaries
- Salaries come from peasants
- Peasants can pay only if they are happy and prosperous
- That happens when the king promotes justice and honest rule
6. Do you think "circle of justice" is a good term to describe the relationship between the king and subjects?
Answer: Yes, because it shows that the king's survival depends on the well-being of his people, especially peasants, and highlights the importance of justice in governance.
7. What is meant by "birthright"?
Answer: Birthright means privileges or rights claimed because of being born in a noble or royal family, such as the right to rule.
8. What are gender distinctions?
Answer: Gender distinctions are social and biological differences between men and women, often used to show that men are considered superior to women.
9. Who was Raziyya and what happened during her rule?
Answer: Raziyya was the daughter of Sultan Iltutmish. She became Sultan in 1236 and was more qualified than her brothers. But she faced opposition from nobles and was removed in 1240.
10. What was the view of Minhaj-us-Siraj about Raziyya?
Answer: Minhaj-us-Siraj agreed that Raziyya was capable, but he was uncomfortable with a woman as ruler and did not support her independent rule.
11. Why were the nobles not happy with Raziyya's rule?
Answer: Because she tried to rule independently and challenged the idea that only men should rule, which nobles believed in.
12. What do we know about the authors of the tawarikh and their way of writing history during the Delhi Sultanate?
Answer: Characteristics of the Authors of the Tawarikh:
- They lived in cities (mainly Delhi), not villages.
- They wrote histories for Sultans hoping for rich rewards.
- They supported an ideal social order based on birthright and gender distinctions, though not everyone agreed with them.
Write a short note on Razziya Sultan.
Answer: Raziya Sultan was the first woman ruler of the Delhi Sultanate. She became Sultan in 1236 after her father, Iltutmish, chose her as his successor. She was smart, brave, and more capable than her brothers. However, many nobles were unhappy with a woman ruler. The historian Minhaj-us-Siraj praised her skills but believed rule by a woman was against social norms. Raziya ruled with courage but was removed in 1240 due to opposition. She remains one of the most remarkable rulers in Indian history.
Minhaj us Siraj
1. What did Minhaj-us-Siraj think about Raziyya's rule?
Answer: Minhaj-us-Siraj believed that women should not rule, as it went against the social order created by God, where men were considered superior. He questioned how Raziyya, though capable, could rule since she was not a man.
2. What title did Raziyya use on her inscriptions and coins?
Answer: Raziyya called herself the daughter of Sultan Iltutmish on her coins and inscriptions.
3. Who was Rudramadevi?
Answer: Rudramadevi was a queen of the Kakatiya dynasty who ruled from 1262 to 1289.
4. Which dynasty did Rudramadevi belong to?
Answer: She belonged to the Kakatiya dynasty.
5. What was the capital of the Kakatiya dynasty during Rudramadevi's rule?
Answer: The capital was Warangal, which is now in modern Andhra Pradesh.
6. What was unique about Rudramadevi's rule?
Answer: Rudramadevi was a female ruler who pretended to be a man in her inscriptions to be accepted as a ruler.
7. How was Rudramadevi different from Raziyya in presenting herself as a ruler?
Answer: Rudramadevi pretended to be a man in her inscriptions and changed her name to appear like a male ruler, unlike Raziyya who kept her identity as a woman.
8. Who was Didda and what does her title mean?
Answer: Didda was a queen who ruled Kashmir from 980–1003. Her title "Didda" comes from "didi", meaning elder sister, a term of affection from her people.
9. Do you think Raziyya shared the same ideas as Minhaj-us-Siraj?
Answer: No, Raziyya did not agree with Minhaj's ideas. She openly ruled as a woman and used her real identity as the Sultan's daughter. This shows she believed women could rule.
10. Why was it difficult for women to become rulers in those times?
Answer: It was difficult because society believed that men were superior, and many people, including nobles, did not accept women as rulers, even if they were capable.
A Closer Look: Administration under the Khaljis and Tughluqs
1. What was needed to control a vast kingdom like the Delhi Sultanate?
Answer: The Sultanate needed loyal and trained governors and administrators to control such a large empire.
2. Who were bandagan, and why were they important?
Answer: Bandagan were special slaves bought and trained for military and political service. They were trusted because they were totally loyal to the Sultan.
3. Which Sultan preferred appointing bandagan to high offices?
Answer: Sultan Iltutmish preferred to appoint bandagan instead of powerful nobles or aristocrats.
4. Why did Sultans rely on bandagan instead of landed chieftains?
Answer: Because bandagan were fully dependent on the Sultan, making them more loyal and trustworthy than powerful chieftains who might rebel.
5. What is meant by the term client in historical context?
Answer: A client is someone who is under the protection of another person and is dependent on them, often seeking favors or positions.
6. Why might a slave be considered better than a son, according to the advice to Sultans?
Answer: A slave was loyal, obedient and totally dependent on the master. But a son might act on his own or feel proud. So, a slave was considered better than a son.
7. Who were bandagan, and how were they used by the Delhi Sultans?
Answer: Bandagan were special slaves trained for military and political service. They were promoted by Sultans like the Khaljis and Tughluqs to high posts such as governors and generals.
8. What kind of people were appointed to high positions by the Khaljis and Tughluqs?
Answer: The Khaljis and Tughluqs raised people of humble birth, such as clients and slaves, to high political positions.
9. Why did the promotion of slaves and clients cause political instability?
Answer: Because these slaves and clients were loyal to the Sultan who appointed them, but not to the Sultan's heirs. When a new ruler came to power, it caused conflicts between old and new nobility.
10. Why were some elites and Persian authors unhappy with the Delhi Sultans' appointments?
Answer: They were shocked and critical because the Sultans gave high offices to low-born or humble people, breaking the traditional social order based on birth and class.
11. What kinds of people did Sultan Muhammad Tughluq appoint to high posts?
Answer: He appointed:
- Aziz Khummar, a wine distiller
- Firuz Hajjam, a barber
- Manka Tabbakh, a cook
- Ladha and Pira, two gardeners
12. Who was Ziyauddin Barani and what did he report?
Answer: Ziyauddin Barani was a chronicler of the mid-fourteenth century. He reported that Sultan Muhammad Tughluq's appointments of low-born people showed his poor political judgement and inability to rule.
13. Why did Barani criticize Sultan Muhammad Tughluq?
Answer: Barani believed that appointing low and base-born people to high positions was a sign of weak leadership and bad decision-making by the Sultan.
14. What was an 'iqta' and who was an 'iqtadar' or 'muqti'?
Answer: An iqta was a piece of land given by the Sultan to a commander. The person who received it was called an iqtadar or muqti.
15. What were the duties of a muqti?
Answer: A muqti had to:
- Lead military campaigns
- Maintain law and order in his iqta
16. How were muqtis paid for their services?
Answer: Muqtis were allowed to collect taxes (revenue) from their land. They used that money as their salary and to pay their soldiers.
17. How did Sultans control the power of muqtis?
Answer: Sultans did following to control them:
- Muqtis were given land for a short time only
- Their post was not passed to their children
- Accountants were appointed to check how much tax they collected
- They could collect only the fixed taxes set by the Sultan
18. What did Alauddin Khalji do to control revenue collection?
Answer: Alauddin Khalji made sure the state collected land taxes directly. He also:
- Cancelled the rights of local chiefs to collect taxes
- Measured land and kept proper records
19. What happened to the local chieftains (samantas) and landlords?
Answer: They were:
- Forced to accept the Sultan's rule
- Stopped from collecting their own taxes
- Made to pay taxes themselves
- Sometimes appointed as tax collectors for the Sultan
20. What were the three types of taxes during the Delhi Sultanate?
Answer:
- Kharaj – tax on cultivation, around 50% of the crop
- Tax on cattle
- Tax on houses
21. Did the Delhi Sultans control all parts of India?
Answer: No. Many regions were outside their control, like:
- Bengal
- Forests in the Gangetic plains
- South India became independent soon after being taken over
22. Who controlled the forested areas in the Gangetic plain?
Answer: Local chieftains ruled these regions because the Sultanate army could not enter the forests easily.
23. What problem did rulers face in controlling far-away regions?
Answer: It was difficult to control provinces like Bengal or South India from Delhi. The rule in these places lasted only for a short time.
24. Who were the Mongols and when did they attack?
Answer: The Mongols, led by Genghis Khan, attacked Transoxiana (Iran) in 1219. Later, they attacked the Delhi Sultanate many times.
Write a short note on Genghis Khan.
Answer: Genghis Khan was the founder of the Mongol Empire, born around 1162 in Central Asia. He united the Mongol tribes and created the largest land empire in history. He was known for his brilliant military leadership and strict discipline. In 1219, he invaded Transoxiana in northeast Iran. Soon after, the Delhi Sultanate faced Mongol attacks. Genghis Khan was feared across Asia and Europe for his powerful and fast-moving army.
25. What did Alauddin Khalji and Muhammad Tughluq do to face the Mongols?
Answer: They created a large standing army in Delhi to defend against Mongol attacks. But managing this army was a big challenge for the Sultan's administration.
Other Taxes
1. What were the three other important taxes during the Delhi Sultanate?
Answer: The three other taxes were:
- Khums
- Zakat
- Jizya
2. What was Khums?
Answer: Khums was a tax that took one-fifth of war booty (treasure won in battle) and one-fifth from mines and hidden treasures found.
3. What was Zakat?
Answer: Zakat was a religious duty for Muslims to give 1/40th (2.5%) of their yearly savings to the poor and travelers.
4. Who started the practice of paying Zakat?
Answer: The Prophet Muhammad is believed to have started the practice of giving Zakat.
5. Was Zakat originally a tax collected by rulers?
Answer: No, Zakat was not meant to be a government tax. It was a personal religious duty for Muslims who could afford it.
6. Which Sultan collected Zakat as a regular tax?
Answer: Firoz Shah Tughlaq collected Zakat as a regular tax and kept separate accounts for it.
7. What was Jizyah?
Answer: Jizyah was a tax paid by non-Muslims in return for protection and religious freedom. Initially it was collected along with land tax (Kharaj).
8. Who collected Jizyah as separate tax?
Answer: Firuz Shah Tughlaq started collecting Jizyah as separate tax.
Chieftains and their fortifications
1. Who was Ibn Battuta?
Answer: Ibn Battuta was a traveller from Morocco (Africa) who came to India in the 14th century.
2. Where did the chieftains build their fortifications?
Answer: Chieftains built their fortifications in:
- Mountains
- Rocky and uneven places
- Thick bamboo forests
3. Why did chieftains use bamboo groves for protection?
Answer: Because in India, bamboo is big and strong, and its parts are so tightly packed that even fire cannot destroy them. So, bamboo groves acted like walls for protection.
4. Describe the ways in which the chieftains arranged for their defence.
Answer: The chieftains arranged for their defence in following ways:
- Chose natural locations – Chieftains built forts in mountains, rocky areas, and dense bamboo forests to stay hidden and protected.
- Used strong bamboo – Indian bamboo was thick and tightly packed, making it fireproof and strong like natural walls.
- Stored essentials inside – Inside the forest forts, they kept cattle, crops, and collected rainwater for daily needs.
- Hard to attack – These forests were difficult to enter, and chieftains could not be easily defeated without a large and well-equipped army.
- Special tools needed – Powerful armies had to use specially made tools to cut through bamboo before attacking.
The Sultanate in the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries
1. Which dynasties ruled from Delhi and Agra after the Tughluqs?
Answer: The Sayyid and Lodi dynasties ruled from Delhi and Agra after the Tughluq dynasty, until the year 1526.
2. What happened to other regions of India by the time of the Sayyid and Lodi rulers?
Answer: Many regions like Jaunpur, Bengal, Malwa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and South India had their own independent rulers who built prosperous states and capitals.
3. Which new ruling groups became powerful during this time?
Answer: The Afghans and the Rajputs became important new ruling groups during the 15th and 16th centuries.
4. Were the states formed during this period large empires?
Answer: Some states were small, but they were very powerful and had good administration.
5. Who was Sher Shah Sur?
Answer: Sher Shah Sur was a powerful ruler who started as a manager of a small territory in Bihar. He later defeated the Mughal emperor Humayun and captured Delhi.
6. When did Sher Shah Sur rule?
Answer: Sher Shah Sur ruled from 1540 to 1545.
7. What was Sher Shah's contribution to administration?
Answer: Sher Shah improved the administration by using and modifying the ideas of Alauddin Khalji to make them more efficient.
8. Which Mughal ruler followed Sher Shah's administrative model?
Answer: Emperor Akbar (ruled from 1556 to 1605) used Sher Shah's model when he strengthened the Mughal Empire.
9. How long did the Sur dynasty rule?
Answer: The Sur dynasty ruled for only 15 years, from 1540 to 1555.
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