Mughal Period: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Medieval History)
3 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on Mughal Period (Medieval History). Choose an option to see the answer and explanation.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 1–3 of 3 questions
UPSC 2019Medieval History · Mughal Period
Q1. With reference to Mughal India, what is/are the difference/differences between Jagirdar and Zamindar? 1. Jagirdars were holders of land assignments in lieu of judicial and police duties, whereas Zamindars were holders of revenue rights without obligation to perform any duty other than revenue collection. 2. Land assignments to Jagirdars were hereditary and revenue rights or Zamindars were not hereditary. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: Jagirdars were granted land assignments (known as jagir) in return for military, administrative, or service-related duties. Zamindars, on the other hand have the primary role of revenue collection. But in many cases, especially during the Mughal period, Zamindars were also responsible for maintaining law and order in their regions, depending on the specific region and the emperor’s policies.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Jagirdars did not necessarily hold hereditary land assignments. The jagir was often granted for services rendered. The emperor could change or revoke these assignments as needed, which means the jagir was not hereditary in the strict sense. Zamindars, however, typically held hereditary rights over the lands they controlled. The right to collect revenue from their land passed down through generations, making their position mostly hereditary in nature.
Exam tip:
For S1, The phrase "without obligation to perform any duty other than revenue collection" is absolute and extreme. In any functional empire, someone collecting revenue would naturally have implicit administrative, military or social roles in their locality. For S2, This contradicts the logic of temporary vs. permanent. If Jagirdars were assigned land by the emperor in lieu of judicial and police duties, wouldn’t that make it non-he-reditary, i.e., transferable or rotational? Hence both S1 and S2 are likely false.
UPSC 2019Medieval History · Mughal Period
Q2. With reference to Mian Tansen, which one of the following statements is not correct?
Explanation
Raja Ram Chandra of Bandavagarh employed Tansen as a court musician at his darbar (Rewa). After learning of Tansen’s extraordinary talent, Akbar wrote the king of Rewa a "Farman" requesting Tansen and appointed him as one of the Navaratnas in his court. He bestowed upon him the name "Mian."
Option (a) is correct: Tansen was the title given to him by Raja Vikramjit of Gwalior. Tansen composed various dhrupads on Rama, Parvati, Shiva, and Ganesha. A compilation of 300 of his dhrupad that were in Gauhar Bani is called Kalpadruma. Tansen composed his favorite ragas-Multani, Bhairavi and Todi. He created the ragas Darbari Kanhra for the night, Mian Ki Todi for the morning, Mian ki Sarang for the midday, and Mian ki Malhar for the season. He composed numerous songs for his patrons.
UPSC 2019Medieval History · Mughal Period
Q3. Who among the following Mughal Emperors shifted emphasis from illustrated manuscripts to albums and individual portraits?
Explanation
The Mughal school of painting achieved increased charm, elegance, and grandeur during Jahangir’s rule. Mughal Emperor Jahangir shifted emphasis from illustrated manuscripts to albums and individual portraits. The portrait of Jahangir, who is pictured holding a picture of the Virgin Mary in his right hand, is the best representation of this time period. Ayar-i-Danish and Anwar-i-sunavli are two further animal fable books with illustrations that date to Jahangir’s reign.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
1
2019
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
2
2019
(a) Tansen was the title given to him by Emperor Akbar.
3
2019
(c) Jahangir
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on Mughal Period?
This page covers 3 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Mughal Period (Medieval History), asked from 1996 to 2021. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
How should I use previous year UPSC questions for Prelims?
Attempt each question first, then open the answer and read the explanation for every option. Repeat by chapter, and track which statements UPSC reuses across years. Previous year questions show the exam pattern and difficulty level.
Which years are covered for Mughal Period?
Questions on Mughal Period (Medieval History) are available for 13 years, from 1996 to 2021. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
