Question 1

Question 5How did Alauddin Khilji expand his empire?

Accepted Answer

After conquering the bulk of northern India, Alauddin Khilji sent an expedition to Deccan under Malik Kafur. The kingdoms of Devagiri, Warangal, Dwarasamudra and Madurai were conquered but not annexed. Alauddin Khilji knew that it was difficult to control these distant lands from Delhi and also he was only interested in acquiring the wealth of these Deccan kingdoms for the maintenance of his huge army. That is why he forced the rulers of Deccan to accept his overlordship and to pay annual tribute to him.

Question 2

Question 6Mention the two controversial steps taken by Muhammad Bin Tughlaq.

Accepted Answer

The two controversial steps taken by Muhammad Bin Tughlaq were:Shifting of Capital from Delhi to Devagiri (Daulatabad) and back to Delhi which caused lots of hardships to the people.Introduction of token currency or bronze tanka to replace the silver tanka but the experiment failed due to the circulation of counterfeit or fake coins.

Question 3

Question 7Who was the Commander-in-Chief of the army during the Sultanate period? Name the department which dealt with state correspondence during the Sultanate period.

Accepted Answer

The Sultan himself was the commander-in-chief of the army during the Sultanate period.The department which dealt with state correspondence during the Sultanate period was the diwan-i-insha.

Question 4

Question 8What was the 'iqta' system?

Accepted Answer

The practice of giving grants of revenue from a territory came to be known as the iqta system. Those who were given iqtas were called iqtadars. Out of this grant, the iqtadars had to maintain themselves, their families and some soldiers for use by the Sultan during war.

Question 5

Question 1With reference to the Khilji Dynasty, answer the following questions:(a) What were the steps taken by Alauddin Khilji to regulate prices?(b) What were the methods adopted by Alauddin Khilji to crush the power of the nobility?(c) What measures did Alauddin Khilji take to increase the revenue?

Accepted Answer

(a) The steps taken by Alauddin Khilji to regulate prices were:He fixed the cost of all commodities such as foodgrains, sugar and cooking oil.He set up three different markets at Delhi — one market for food grains, the second for costly cloth and the third for horses, slaves and cattle. Each market was put under the charge of a controller of market or Shahna.There were strict punishments for cheating and underweighing goods.(b) Alauddin Khilji had to face a series of rebellions from the nobles. That's why he took steps to crush their power. The methods adopted by Alauddin Khilji to crush the power of the nobility were:The nobles were not allowed to hold functions or parties or to form marriage alliances without the permission of the Sultan.The use of wine and intoxicants was banned.Gambling was forbidden and gamblers were severely punished.He started paying soldiers in cash instead of land.He established an efficient spy system to keep a check on the activities of the nobles.(c) The measures Alauddin Khilji took to increase the revenue were:He brought all the land of the empire under his direct control.He introduced the practice of measuring the land and fixed the state share accordingly.He increased the state revenue from one-third to one-half.He demanded the revenue in cash and not in kind.He appointed special officers for revenue collection.

Question 6

Question 4Study the picture and answer the following questions:(a) Who led the foundation of this monument? Who completed it? Where is it located?(b) Name the saint after whom the monument is named. What information do the monuments of the Sultanate period provide about the Sultanate era?(c) Mention any four architectural features of the monument.

Accepted Answer

(a) Qutub-ud-din Aibak led the foundation of this monument. It was completed by Iltutmish. It is situated in Delhi.(b) It is named after Sufi Saint Qutub-ud-din Bakhtiyar Kaki.The monuments of the Sultanate period reveal the cultural trends, the living conditions, faiths and beliefs of the period. They also reveal the socio-cultural outlook of the rulers.(c) Four architectural features of the Qutub Minar are:When originally completed, it rose to a height of 71.4 metres with four storeys. The tower was damaged due to lightning in 1369. Feroz Shah Tughlaq repaired it and rose its height further.It has five storeys tapering as they ascend. Each storey is separated from the other by projecting balcony.The base of the Minar has a diameter of 13.8 metres and the top of Minar has a diameter of 3 metres. It has a circular stairway of 379 steps leading to the top.The projecting balconies are supported in such a way that the whole structure takes the load of the weight.

Question 7

Question 2Imagine that you are transported in a time-machine to Alauddin Khilji's reign. You visited a number of markets. Write what you saw about the commodities being sold, the price regulations and punishments meted out to the sellers for cheating the consumers. Do you think that the market regulations at present match up to Alauddin Khilji's reign or are better or need some changes?

Accepted Answer

When I visited the markets in Alauddin Khilji's reign, I witnessed a vastly different market scene than what we see today. Alauddin Khilji brought a historical market reform. He introduced several measures to regulate the market and protect consumers from fraud.I saw that there were different markets for different goods — there was one market for food grains, the second for costly cloth and the third for horses, slaves and cattle.The prices of these commodities sold in the markets were not left to the discretion of the sellers. Instead, Alauddin Khilji had set fixed prices for every commodity, which were to be followed by all sellers in the market. The prices were determined based on the cost of production, transportation, and other factors. Any seller found selling above the fixed price was severely punished. The punishments were severe and humiliating like confiscation of goods, fines and even imprisonment. In some cases, the seller's hands were chopped off as a warning to others not to engage in such fraudulent activities. There were spies and supervisors, who ensured the compliance of regulations.Market regulations of Alauddin Khilji's reign were designed to protect consumers and prevent fraud, which is a common goal of present market regulations as well. However, present market regulations also take into account other factors, such as competition, innovation, intellectual property and globalization, which were not relevant during Alauddin Khilji's reign. In addition, present market regulations aim to strike a balance between consumer protection and business growth, which may involve trade-offs and compromises. One advantage of present market regulations is that they are often more flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances. For example, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, new regulations were introduced aimed at protecting consumers from price gouging and ensuring the availability of essential goods.However, there is always room for improvement in any regulatory framework, and present market regulations should be continually reviewed and updated to ensure that they are serving the interests of consumers and businesses in a fair and transparent way.

Question 8

Question 3Suppose you met a person belonging to Muhammad Bin Tughlaq's reign, who had to shift to Daulatabad when the capital was shifted there. Write down what he described about the circumstances that forced him to shift, the difficulties which he and others like him faced while moving from Delhi to Daulatabad.

Accepted Answer

I met a person belonging to Mohammad Bin Tughlaq's reign and discussed with him, the shifting of capital. He told that the circumstances that forced the capital to be shifted from Delhi to Daulatabad were complex and multifaceted. The move was forced upon them by complex political and military factors.It was very painful for him to leave his own place. He said that he was very attached to Delhi. But he had no choice because the Sultan (Mohammad Bin tughlaq) was very harsh on him and others. Although, Sultan had made arrangements for smooth shifting of people yet people suffered a lot as these arrangemets were not enough. The journey from Delhi to Daulatabad was long and arduous, and many people died on the way due to illness, hunger, and exhaustion. The person left behind his home, his belongings, and his community, to start afresh in a new place. The pain of exile was too much for him and others like him to bear.

Medieval India — (B) The Delhi Sultanate

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