HIS292 Unit 5: Political centralization and forms of political legitimacy - MCQ Practice | B. Tech. CSE

1 $Which of the following terms refers to the 'Divine Light' in the Mughal theory of kingship as propounded by Abul Fazl?$

A.

Sulh-i-kul

B.

Wahdat-ul-Wajud

C.

Farr-i-Izadi

D.

Din-i-Ilahi

2 $In the Mansabdari system, what did the rank of Zat indicate?$

A.

The number of horses the officer had to maintain

B.

The religious affiliation of the noble

C.

The personal status and salary of the noble

D.

The ethnicity of the noble

3 $Which official was the head of the military department and intelligence under the central administration of Akbar?$

A.

Mir Saman

B.

Sadr-us-Sudur

C.

Diwan-i-Ala

D.

Mir Bakshi

4 $What was the primary objective of the Mahzar (Infallibility Decree) issued in 1579?$

A.

To declare Akbar as the final interpreter of Islamic law in cases of dispute among the Ulema

B.

To remove the Ulema from the judicial system entirely

C.

To establish a new religion called Din-i-Ilahi

D.

To declare Akbar as a Prophet

5 $Which revenue system, associated with Raja Todar Mal, became the standard method of assessment in the core provinces of the Mughal Empire?$

A.

Nasaq

B.

Kankut

C.

Dahsala (Zabti)

D.

Batai

6 $Under the concept of Sulh-i-kul, the Mughal state aimed to achieve:$

A.

The dominance of the Sunni sect

B.

Absolute peace and universal tolerance

C.

The forced conversion of non-Muslims

D.

A military alliance with the Ottomans

7 $Which of the following represents the correct hierarchy of administrative divisions in the Mughal Empire (from largest to smallest)?$

A.

Sarkar Subah Pargana Village

B.

Subah Pargana Sarkar Village

C.

Subah Sarkar Pargana Village

D.

Pargana Sarkar Subah Village

8 $The Jagir system in the Mughal administration refers to:$

A.

Assignment of land revenue in lieu of cash salary

B.

Land granted for temple construction

C.

Land reserved for the Emperor's personal use

D.

Hereditary land ownership given to religious leaders

9 $Which Mughal emperor re-imposed the Jizya tax on non-Muslims in 1679?$

A.

Akbar

B.

Aurangzeb

C.

Shah Jahan

D.

Jahangir

10 $In the context of the Mansabdari system, what does the rule of Dagh refer to?$

A.

The branding of horses to prevent theft and fraud

B.

The branding of prisoners

C.

The official seal of the Emperor

D.

The descriptive roll of soldiers

11 $Who was the author of Fatawa-e-Alamgiri, a compendium of Islamic law compiled during Aurangzeb's reign?$

A.

Badauni

B.

Dara Shikoh

C.

A board of Ulema led by Sheikh Nizam

D.

Abul Fazl

12 $What was the function of the Sadr-us-Sudur in the central administration?$

A.

Chief of the treasury

B.

Head of the royal household

C.

Head of the artillery

D.

Guardian of Islamic law and distributor of charitable grants (Sayurghal)

13 $The practice of Jharokha Darshan was introduced by Akbar to:$

A.

Announce new taxes

B.

Establish a direct visual connection between the ruler and the subjects

C.

Monitor the market prices personally

D.

Listen to the grievances of the soldiers only

14 $Which type of Jagir was non-transferable and held on a hereditary basis by local chiefs?$

A.

Jagir Tankha

B.

Altamgha Jagir

C.

Mashrut Jagir

D.

Watan Jagir

15 $The Ibadat Khana at Fatehpur Sikri was originally built in 1575 for:$

A.

Storage of grain

B.

Administrative meetings

C.

Religious discussions among Muslim theologians

D.

Housing the harem

16 $Under the Mansabdari system, a Mansabdar's salary was calculated based on:$

A.

The Sawar rank solely

B.

Both Zat and Sawar ranks

C.

The Zat rank solely

D.

The number of battles won

17 $Which official was responsible for maintaining law and order in the cities?$

A.

Kotwal

B.

Faujdar

C.

Amil

D.

Muqaddam

18 $The concept of'Padshah' adopted by the Mughals signified:$

A.

Subservience to the Caliph

B.

Superior independent sovereignty not subject to any religious or temporal superior

C.

A democratic leader

D.

A tribal chieftain

19 $In the context of Aurangzeb’s reign, what was the role of the Muhtasib ?$

A.

Censor of public morals and enforcer of Islamic compliance

B.

Foreign ambassador

C.

Military commander

D.

Revenue collector

20 $What was the Chehra in the Mughal military administration?$

A.

A tax on face powder

B.

The branding of horses

C.

The descriptive roll of the soldier

D.

The promotion letter of a noble

21 $The Karori experiment introduced by Akbar in 1574 aimed to:$

A.

Mint one crore gold coins

B.

Build a wall around the empire

C.

Recruit one crore soldiers

D.

Convert the entire imperial land into Khalisa (Crown land) and assess revenue

22 $Which of the following was NOT a symbol of political legitimation used by the Mughals?$

A.

Paying tribute to the Safavids

B.

Chatr (Royal Umbrella)

C.

Sikka (Coinage)

D.

Khutba (Sermon in Friday prayers)

23 $The classification of Mansabdars into First, Second, and Third class was based on:$

A.

Their proximity to the capital

B.

The ratio of their Sawar rank to their Zat rank

C.

Their religion

D.

The number of wives they had

24 $What is the meaning of Tauhid-i-Ilahi ?$

A.

Divine Monotheism

B.

Holy War

C.

Royal Court

D.

Tax on Pilgrims

25 $During Aurangzeb's reign, the execution of which Sikh Guru significantly strained state relations with the Sikhs?$

A.

Guru Arjan Dev

B.

Guru Gobind Singh

C.

Guru Nanak

D.

Guru Tegh Bahadur

26 $The Diwan-i-Khalisa was responsible for managing:$

A.

Military salaries only

B.

Religious endowments

C.

Revenue from Crown lands

D.

Jagirdars' accounts

27 $Which Persian custom of salutation did Akbar introduce in the court which was later banned by Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb?$

A.

Sijda (Prostration)

B.

Handshake

C.

Namaste

D.

Hugging

28 $In the Mughal centralized structure, who acted as the primary check on the power of the Subahdar (Governor)?$

A.

The Provincial Diwan

B.

The Mir Bakshi

C.

The Kotwal

D.

The Faujdar

29 $The Mughal claim to legitimacy was often reinforced by tracing their genealogy to:$

A.

The Abbasid Caliphs

B.

The Prophet Muhammad

C.

Timur and Genghis Khan

D.

Alexander the Great

30 $What was the Zawabit in the context of Mughal administration?$

A.

Religious laws from the Quran

B.

The salary list of soldiers

C.

Taxes on cattle

D.

Secular state decrees/laws issued by the Emperor

31 $Which of the following best describes the Mashrut rank in the Mansabdari system?$

A.

A permanent increase in rank

B.

A rank that carried no salary

C.

A conditional increase in Sawar rank for a specific post or campaign

D.

A rank given to scholars only

32 $The Mir Saman (or Khan-i-Saman) was the officer in charge of:$

A.

Judiciary

B.

Religious affairs

C.

Revenue records

D.

Imperial Household and Karkhanas (workshops)

33 $In 1563 and 1564, Akbar took two major steps that signaled a shift in state policy towards non-Muslims. What were they?$

A.

Marriage to a Rajput princess and the conquest of Gujarat

B.

Banning the slaughter of cows and building the Taj Mahal

C.

Abolition of the Pilgrim Tax and Abolition of Jizya

D.

Introduction of Persian as the court language and the Dahsala system

34 $The Qanungo was a local official responsible for:$

A.

Leading the army in battle

B.

Preaching religious sermons

C.

Maintaining revenue records at the Pargana level

D.

Guarding the royal harem

35 $Aurangzeb’s order regarding temples in 1669 is a subject of historical debate. What did the Maasir-i-Alamgiri record regarding this?$

A.

He offered gold grants to the Kashi Vishwanath temple

B.

He ordered the construction of new temples in every village

C.

He declared all temples as state property

D.

He ordered the governors to destroy schools and temples of the infidels

36 $The Mughal theory of kingship elevated the status of the Padshah to Insan-i-Kamil . What does this term mean?$

A.

The Perfect Man

B.

The Wealthy Ruler

C.

The Warrior King

D.

The Shadow of God

37 $Who were the Barids in the Mughal administration?$

A.

Intelligence officers/spies

B.

Royal cooks

C.

Revenue collectors

D.

Foreign traders

38 $What was the Tula Dan practice adopted by the Mughal court?$

A.

A tax on weighing grain

B.

A ritual sacrifice of animals

C.

Weighing the Emperor against gold/silver and distributing it to the poor

D.

A method of weighing artillery

39 $The term Escheat (Zabt) in the context of the Mughal nobility meant:$

A.

The marriage of a noble to royalty

B.

The promotion of a noble

C.

The confiscation of a noble's property by the state upon his death

D.

The retirement of a noble

40 $What is the significance of the Maktab Khana established by Akbar?$

A.

It was a factory for making guns

B.

It was a prison for rebels

C.

It was a bureau for translating Sanskrit texts into Persian

D.

It was a hospital for the poor

41 $Which officer was the executive head of the Sarkar (district)?$

A.

Shiqdar

B.

Mufti

C.

Faujdar

D.

Patwari

42 $The Month Scale (Mahwar) introduced in the Mansabdari system during Shah Jahan's reign was a response to:$

A.

The introduction of the solar calendar

B.

The gap between the estimated revenue (Jama) and actual collection (Hasil)

C.

The demand for monthly holidays

D.

The abundance of revenue

43 $Which of the following statements about the Zamindars in the Mughal system is true?$

A.

They were always Muslim

B.

They had no military obligations

C.

They held hereditary rights over land and collected revenue for the state

D.

They were transferable officials like Mansabdars

44 $In the process of centralization, Akbar introduced the Tasdiq aimed at:$

A.

Confirming the appointment and salary of Mansabdars

B.

Signing peace treaties

C.

Exporting textiles

D.

Measuring land

45 $Aurangzeb discontinued the use of the Kalima (Islamic confession of faith) on coins. Why?$

A.

To prevent the holy words from being defiled by the touch of non-believers or falling underfoot

B.

It was too expensive to mint

C.

He preferred his own image on coins

D.

He wanted to secularize the currency

46 $The Amil (or Amalguzar) was primarily responsible for:$

A.

Revenue assessment and collection at the Pargana/Sarkar level

B.

Spying on the governor

C.

Training horses

D.

Leading prayers

47 $What was the Tabinan in the Mansabdari system?$

A.

The royal tent

B.

The armed contingent maintained by the Mansabdar

C.

The Emperor's sword

D.

A type of tax

48 $The Khanazads were:$

A.

Rebel leaders

B.

Nobles who were born and bred within the Mughal court service

C.

Foreign nobles from Persia

D.

Hindu warrior clans

49 $Akbar's policy of Matrimonial Alliances with Rajputs was primarily a tool for:$

A.

Religious conversion

B.

Political centralization and broadening the base of the empire

C.

Diluting Rajput blood

D.

Acquiring dowry wealth

50 $What was the Dastur-ul-Amal ?$

A.

A religious text

B.

A biography of the king

C.

A declaration of war

D.

A code of procedure or administrative manual

Unit 5: Political centralization and forms of political legitimacy - Practice Quiz

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