CLASS 8 SOCIAL SCIENCE
CHAPTER 2: Reshaping India’s Political Map
Q1. In this chapter, the term ‘medieval’ refers to which period of Indian history?
A. 5th to 10th centuries
B. 11th to 17th centuries
C. 18th to 20th centuries
D. 3rd to 8th centuries
Answer: B. 11th to 17th centuries
Q2. From which geographical region did many invaders enter India during the period discussed in the chapter?
A. The Deccan Plateau
B. The Indian Ocean islands
C. Beyond the Hindu Kush mountains
D. The eastern coastal plains
Answer: C. Beyond the Hindu Kush mountains
Q3. Many of the invaders who entered India during this period were described as which of the following?
A. Central Asian Turkic or Afghan peoples
B. South Indian maritime communities
C. European agricultural communities
D. Himalayan tribal confederacies
Answer: A. Central Asian Turkic or Afghan peoples
Q4. Which battle in 1192 preceded the formation of the Delhi Sultanate?
A. Battle of Talikota
B. Battle of Haldighati
C. First Battle of Panipat
D. Defeat of King Prithviraj Chauhan
Answer: D. Defeat of King Prithviraj Chauhan
Q5. What does the term ‘Sultanate’ mean in the chapter?
A. A territory ruled by a village council
B. A territory ruled by a Sultan
C. A territory governed by merchants
D. A territory controlled by a confederacy of peasants
Answer: B. A territory ruled by a Sultan
Q6. Which of the following lists the five successive dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate in the correct order?
A. Mughals, Khiljis, Sayyids, Mamluks, Lodis
B. Mamluks, Mughals, Tughlaqs, Khiljis, Lodis
C. Mamluks, Khiljis, Tughlaqs, Sayyids, Lodis
D. Khiljis, Tughlaqs, Mughals, Sayyids, Mamluks
Answer: C. Mamluks, Khiljis, Tughlaqs, Sayyids, Lodis
Q7. Which two kingdoms resisted the advance of the Delhi Sultanate and developed as centres of art, culture and administration?
A. Eastern Gangas and Hoysalas
B. Mughals and Lodis
C. Bahmanis and Mamluks
D. Marathas and Sikhs
Answer: A. Eastern Gangas and Hoysalas
Q8. What was a major characteristic of the Delhi Sultanate period?
A. The complete absence of military campaigns
B. The permanent unity of all Indian kingdoms
C. The disappearance of regional powers
D. Political instability combined with territorial expansion
Answer: D. Political instability combined with territorial expansion
Q9. According to the chapter, approximately how many Delhi Sultans seized power by eliminating their predecessors?
A. One out of three
B. Two out of three
C. One out of five
D. All of them
Answer: B. Two out of three
Q10. Why did Ala-ud-din Khilji conduct military campaigns in northern and central India?
A. To establish the Ahom Kingdom
B. To create the Sikh Empire
C. To expand his power and acquire wealth
D. To establish the Portuguese trading settlements
Answer: C. To expand his power and acquire wealth
Q11. Which invading force did Ala-ud-din Khilji successfully repel while expanding his territories?
A. Mongol forces
B. Portuguese forces
C. Sikh forces
D. Ahom forces
Answer: A. Mongol forces
Q12. Who was the slave-general of Ala-ud-din Khilji who expanded the Sultanate’s reach towards southern India?
A. Malik Ambar
B. Todar Mal
C. Abul Fazl
D. Malik Kafur
Answer: D. Malik Kafur
Q13. How did the wealth obtained through Malik Kafur’s southern campaigns benefit the Delhi Sultanate?
A. It financed the construction of European trading ports.
B. It helped finance the Sultanate’s large military establishment.
C. It ended the collection of taxes throughout India.
D. It established an independent Vijayanagara government.
Answer: B. It helped finance the Sultanate’s large military establishment.
Q14. What was Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s main geographical reason for moving the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad?
A. Daulatabad was a major Portuguese settlement.
B. Delhi had become the capital of Vijayanagara.
C. Daulatabad’s more central location might help control the empire.
D. Daulatabad was the capital of the Ahom Kingdom.
Answer: C. Daulatabad’s more central location might help control the empire.
Q15. What happened after Muhammad bin Tughlaq moved his capital to Daulatabad?
A. He shifted the capital back to Delhi after a few years.
B. He permanently established the capital at Hampi.
C. He transferred the capital to the Mughal Empire.
D. He abandoned the idea of governing an empire.
Answer: A. He shifted the capital back to Delhi after a few years.
Q16. What was Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s token currency experiment?
A. Gold coins were replaced by foreign paper notes.
B. Silver coins were banned in favour of imported horses.
C. Copper coins were used only for temple donations.
D. Cheap copper coins were assigned the value of silver or gold coins.
Answer: D. Cheap copper coins were assigned the value of silver or gold coins.
Q17. What was one consequence of Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s token currency experiment?
A. All counterfeiting disappeared from the economy.
B. Counterfeiting of copper coins increased and trade was disrupted.
C. The Delhi Sultanate permanently abandoned coinage.
D. Agricultural production immediately doubled.
Answer: B. Counterfeiting of copper coins increased and trade was disrupted.
Q18. Which of the following was a source of wealth for the Delhi Sultanate’s rulers and court elite?
A. Only voluntary donations from foreign visitors
B. Only profits from overseas tourism
C. Military plunder, taxes and the slave trade
D. Only the sale of agricultural equipment
Answer: C. Military plunder, taxes and the slave trade
Q19. What does ‘iconoclasm’ mean in the chapter?
A. The rejection or destruction of religious images considered idolatrous
B. The construction of new irrigation canals
C. The collection of land revenue from farmers
D. The establishment of regional trading guilds
Answer: A. The rejection or destruction of religious images considered idolatrous
Q20. What was the jizya tax described in the chapter?
A. A tax collected only from overseas merchants
B. A tax imposed exclusively on agricultural produce
C. A tax paid by soldiers to their commanders
D. A tax imposed on non-Muslim subjects
Answer: D. A tax imposed on non-Muslim subjects
Q21. Who invaded northwestern India and launched a devastating attack on Delhi at the end of the 14th century?
A. Babur
B. Timur
C. Krishnadevaraya
D. Rana Kumbha
Answer: B. Timur
Q22. Which kingdom included present-day Odisha and parts of Bengal and Andhra Pradesh and resisted the Delhi Sultanate?
A. The Sur Empire
B. The Bahmani Sultanate
C. The Eastern Ganga kingdom of Kalinga
D. The Mughal Empire
Answer: C. The Eastern Ganga kingdom of Kalinga
Q23. Which ruler of the Eastern Ganga kingdom was known for military strength and cultural achievements in the mid-13th century?
A. Narasimhadeva I
B. Ibrahim Lodi
C. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
D. Shah Jahan
Answer: A. Narasimhadeva I
Q24. Which famous temple did Narasimhadeva I build partly to commemorate military victories?
A. Virupaksha Temple at Hampi
B. Vitthala Temple at Vijayanagara
C. The temple associated with the Chittorgarh Fort
D. Surya Temple at Konark
Answer: D. Surya Temple at Konark
Q25. Who were the Musunuri Nayakas mentioned in the chapter?
A. Portuguese traders who established coastal settlements
B. Telugu chieftains who united other regional leaders against the Delhi Sultanate
C. Mughal officials who collected revenue in Rajasthan
D. Foreign generals who founded the Bahmani Sultanate
Answer: B. Telugu chieftains who united other regional leaders against the Delhi Sultanate
Q26. In which present-day state were the Hoysalas mainly based?
A. Punjab
B. Bihar
C. Karnataka
D. Assam
Answer: C. Karnataka
Q27. Which two places are specifically mentioned as examples of magnificent Hoysala temples?
A. Belur and Halebidu
B. Delhi and Agra
C. Surat and Hooghly
D. Konark and Varanasi
Answer: A. Belur and Halebidu
Q28. Which ruler of Mewar resisted invasions from later Sultanates and built Kumbhalgarh Fort?
A. Akbar
B. Babur
C. Sher Shah Suri
D. Rana Kumbha
Answer: D. Rana Kumbha
Q29. Who established the independent kingdom that grew into the Vijayanagara Empire?
A. Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb
B. Harihara and Bukka
C. Babur and Humayun
D. Malik Kafur and Ala-ud-din Khilji
Answer: B. Harihara and Bukka
Q30. Which city served as the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire?
A. Daulatabad
B. Delhi
C. Vijayanagara, at present-day Hampi
D. Lahore
Answer: C. Vijayanagara, at present-day Hampi
Q31. Which of the following was one of the five Deccan Sultanates that emerged after the fragmentation of the Bahmani Sultanate?
A. Golconda
B. Mewar
C. Kalinga
D. Vijayanagara
Answer: A. Golconda
Q32. Under which ruler did the Vijayanagara Empire reach its peak in the 16th century?
A. Harihara
B. Bukka
C. Ramaraya
D. Krishnadevaraya
Answer: D. Krishnadevaraya
Q33. Which literary work was composed by Krishnadevaraya in Telugu?
A. Baburnama
B. Āmuktamālyada
C. Razmnama
D. Panchatantra
Answer: B. Āmuktamālyada
Q34. What happened at the Battle of Talikota in 1565?
A. Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi.
B. The Ahoms defeated the Mughals.
C. The Deccan Sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara forces.
D. Timur captured Delhi.
Answer: C. The Deccan Sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara forces.
Q35. What was one important military feature of Babur’s victory at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526?
A. The use of gunpowder, field artillery and matchlock guns
B. The exclusive use of traditional naval fleets
C. The absence of firearms in battle
D. The use of only wooden defensive structures
Answer: A. The use of gunpowder, field artillery and matchlock guns
Q36. Which ruler did Babur defeat at the First Battle of Panipat?
A. Sher Shah Suri
B. Rana Kumbha
C. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
D. Ibrahim Lodi
Answer: D. Ibrahim Lodi
Q37. What was the name of Babur’s autobiography?
A. Āmuktamālyada
B. Baburnama
C. Razmnama
D. Rajaniti
Answer: B. Baburnama
Q38. Who established the Sur Empire over large parts of northern India when Humayun struggled to maintain Mughal control?
A. Malik Kafur
B. Todar Mal
C. Sher Shah Suri
D. Abul Fazl
Answer: C. Sher Shah Suri
Q39. What was the significance of the Second Battle of Panipat described in the chapter?
A. Akbar confronted Himu, after which he reclaimed Delhi for the Mughals.
B. Krishnadevaraya defeated the Deccan Sultanates.
C. Timur established the Delhi Sultanate.
D. Rana Kumbha established the Sikh Empire.
Answer: A. Akbar confronted Himu, after which he reclaimed Delhi for the Mughals.
Q40. What did Akbar’s policy of sulh-i-kul mean?
A. Military control over every trading port
B. The compulsory movement of the capital
C. The exclusive promotion of one regional language
D. Peace with all or tolerance of all faiths
Answer: D. Peace with all or tolerance of all faiths
Q41. Which of the following was part of Akbar’s approach to stabilising his expanding empire?
A. Ending all relations with regional rulers
B. Forming marriage alliances and welcoming regional leaders into his court
C. Abolishing every form of administration
D. Prohibiting all scholarly discussions
Answer: B. Forming marriage alliances and welcoming regional leaders into his court
Q42. What was established at Fatehpur Sikri under Akbar to translate major Sanskrit texts into Persian?
A. A military training centre
B. A maritime trading company
C. A house of translation
D. A regional peasant council
Answer: C. A house of translation
Q43. Which Mughal emperor is best remembered in the chapter as the builder of the Taj Mahal at Agra?
A. Shah Jahan
B. Babur
C. Humayun
D. Aurangzeb
Answer: A. Shah Jahan
Q44. What was one major consequence of Aurangzeb’s prolonged military campaigns in the Deccan?
A. The permanent end of all regional rebellions
B. The disappearance of the Mughal administration
C. The immediate unification of every Indian kingdom
D. The depletion of the treasury and increased strain on administration
Answer: D. The depletion of the treasury and increased strain on administration
Q45. Which of the following groups is mentioned as having resisted attempts to annex tribal territories or impose taxes?
A. Only Portuguese traders
B. Bhils, Gonds, Santhals and Kochs
C. Only Mughal court officials
D. Only European travellers
Answer: B. Bhils, Gonds, Santhals and Kochs
Q46. Which queen of the Garha kingdom is remembered for resisting an invasion by a general sent by Akbar in 1564?
A. Razia Sultan
B. Nur Jahan
C. Rani Durgavati
D. Rani Padmini
Answer: C. Rani Durgavati
Q47. What was Todar Mal’s contribution to Mughal administration?
A. He introduced systematic land surveys and a revenue system based on crop yields and prices.
B. He established the Vijayanagara Empire.
C. He led the Portuguese arrival in India.
D. He founded the Bahmani Sultanate.
Answer: A. He introduced systematic land surveys and a revenue system based on crop yields and prices.
Q48. What was a hundi?
A. A military title given to a regional ruler
B. A tax imposed on non-Muslim subjects
C. A type of irrigation wheel used in agriculture
D. A written payment instruction that enabled money transfers without physically carrying currency
Answer: D. A written payment instruction that enabled money transfers without physically carrying currency
Q49. Why were temples important to economic activity during this period?
A. They were used exclusively as military barracks.
B. They supported markets, infrastructure, pilgrim accommodation and credit for merchants.
C. They replaced all agricultural activity throughout India.
D. They prohibited trade between different regions.
Answer: B. They supported markets, infrastructure, pilgrim accommodation and credit for merchants.
Q50. Which statement best reflects the chapter’s overall conclusion about Indian society between the 13th and 17th centuries?
A. Political instability brought all economic activity to a permanent halt.
B. All regions remained under one ruler throughout the period.
C. Despite political instability and hardship, Indian society showed resilience, maintained traditions and developed art, culture and trade.
D. Trade and cultural interaction disappeared because regional kingdoms never interacted.
Answer: C. Despite political instability and hardship, Indian society showed resilience, maintained traditions and developed art, culture and trade.
