This page lists 4 previous year UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination (General Studies Paper-I) questions on Medieval History in the UPSC 2021 Prelims. Choose an option to see the correct answer and the full explanation on the same page.
Showing 1–4 of 4 questions
UPSC 2021Medieval History · The Delhi Sultanate
Q1. Consider the following statements: 1. It was during the reign of Iltutmish that Chengiz Khan reached the Indus in pursuit of the fugitive Khwarezm prince. 2. It was during the reign of Muhammad bin Tughluq that Taimur occupied Multan and crossed the Indus. 3. It was during the reign of Deva Raya II of the Vijayanagara Empire that Vasco da Gama reached the coast of Kerala. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct: In the pursuit of the fugitive Khwarezm prince, Changez Khan arrived in India during the reign of Iltutmish. By denying shelter to Prince Jalaluddhin of Central Asia, Iltutmish protected India from Changez Khan’s fury.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The period of Muhammad bin Tughlaq was from 1325 to 1351. Taimur invaded India during the reign of Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud Shah Tughluq (1394-1412), the last Tughlaq ruler.
Statement 3 is incorrect: Vasco da Gama reached the coast of Kerala in 1498, but Deva Raya II ruled the Vijayanagara Empire earlier, from 1424 to 1446. At the time of his arrival, the ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire was Krishnadevaraya (reigned 1509-1529).
UPSC 2021Medieval History · Regional Kingdoms
Q2. With reference to Indian history, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. The Nizamat of Arcot emerged from Hyderabad State. 2. The Mysore Kingdom emerged from the Vijayanagara Empire. 3. Rohilkhand Kingdom was formed out of the territories occupied by Ahmad Shah Durrani. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Nizamat of Arcot was a Muslim princely state in South India during the 18th century. It was founded by the Nawabs of Arcot, who initially served as vassals under the Nizam, the ruler of the Hyderabad State. After the weakening of the Nizam’s power, they gained greater control over the region. The Nizamat of Arcot included areas such as Arcot, Carnatic, and parts of modern-day Tamil Nadu.
Statement 2 is correct: Under the Vijayanagar Empire, there was a small feudal kingdom called Mysore. The Kingdom of Mysore was founded by the Wodeyar dynasty in 1399. The Wodeyar dynasty declared their independence following the fall of Vijayanagar in 1565, and Raja Wodeyar ascended the throne in 1578. The capital moved from Mysore to Srirangapatna in 1610.
Statement 3 is incorrect: Afghan Chiefs under the leadership of Daud Khan established Rohilakhand, from erstwhile Mughal territory in Awadh region, by taking advantage of the breakdown of authority in North India following Nadir Shah’s invasion.
UPSC 2021Medieval History · Vijayanagara Empire
Q3. According to Portuguese writer Nuniz, the women in the Vijayanagara Empire were experts in which of the following areas? 1. Wrestling 2. Astrology 3. Accounting 4. Soothsaying Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Explanation
The accounts of foreign travelers such as Abdur Razzak from Persia, Nicolo de Conte from Italy, Fernao Nuniz, Domingo Paes and Duarte Barbosa from Portugal, provide us with a valuable historical lens of the Vijayanagara Kingdom. Fernao Nuniz, a Portuguese traveler who visited the Vijayanagara Empire during the reign of Achyuta Deva Raya, noted that women in the empire held prominent roles. He observed that they were trained in various skills, including wrestling, swordsmanship, soothsaying, astrology, and accounting. These women were actively involved in the kingdom’s political, social, and cultural life. In addition to fine arts like music, some also received education in literature.
Exam tip:
You can try, The "NOT" approach for all statements, this tests the improbability of negating a statement--if denying its impact seems highly unlikely, the statement is plausibly true. Nuniz would’ve recorded exceptions, so probability of all being true is very high.
UPSC 2021Medieval History · Mughal Period
Q4. With reference to medieval India, which one of the following is the correct sequence in ascending order in terms of size?
Explanation
In order to organise his kingdom for better administration and taxation, Akbar adopted Sher Shah’s methods and principles. The Mughal administration was organized into "Subas," which were further subdivided into "Gram," "Pargana," and "Sarkar." Under Akbar’s reign, there were approximately 15 Subas, while the number increased to nearly 20 during Aurangzeb’s rule.
Option (a) is correct: The correct order according to the size is: Pargana -Sarkar-Suba. The entire Suba was split into Sarkars (districts), with a military commander known as the chief Shiqdar in charge of each one. Each Sarkar was divided into smaller units called Parganas. Each Pargana had two Karkuns (clerks or writers), one Fotahdar (treasurer), one Shiqdar (military officer), one Amin or Munsif (civilian judge).
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
1
2021
(a) 1 only
2
2021
(b) 2 only
3
2021
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
4
2021
(a) Paragana-Sarkar-Suba
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on Medieval History?
This page covers 4 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Medieval History in the UPSC 2021 Prelims, asked between 1996 to 2024. 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 Medieval History?
Questions on Medieval History in the UPSC 2021 Prelims are available for 27 years, from 1996 to 2024. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
