CHAPTER 4: TURNING TIDES: 11TH AND 12TH CENTURIES
1. Why are the 11th and 12th centuries considered a period of transition in Indian history?
A. India stopped all overseas trade
B. New invasions and political changes occurred while cultural activities continued
C. All Indian kingdoms united under one ruler
D. Agriculture disappeared from the economy
Answer: B. New invasions and political changes occurred while cultural activities continued
2. Which Turkic power invaded deeper into northern India during the 11th century?
A. Ghaznavids
B. Cholas
C. Pālas
D. Hoysalas
Answer: A. Ghaznavids
3. Which dynasty resisted several invasions in the region of present-day Afghanistan, northern Pakistan and Punjab?
A. Hindu Shāhis
B. Eastern Gangas
C. Kākatīyas
D. Senas
Answer: A. Hindu Shāhis
4. Why was the Khyber Pass strategically important?
A. It connected the Indian Subcontinent with Central Asia and served as a major route
B. It was the capital of the Chola Empire
C. It was the main port for trade with China
D. It was the location of the Somnath temple
Answer: A. It connected the Indian Subcontinent with Central Asia and served as a major route
5. What was the capital of the Ghaznavids?
A. Dhārā
B. Ghazna
C. Kalyāṇī
D. Nādīya
Answer: B. Ghazna
6. Who was the ruler of the Ghaznavids during their major campaigns in India in the early 11th century?
A. Muhammad Ghūrī
B. Mahmūd of Ghazni
C. Rājendra Chola I
D. Bhoja Paramāra
Answer: B. Mahmūd of Ghazni
7. Which ruler did Mahmūd defeat before overcoming his son Ānandapāla in 1008?
A. Jayapāla
B. Pṛithvīrāja III
C. Mūlarāja II
D. Vijayabāhu I
Answer: A. Jayapāla
8. What was the outcome of Mahmūd’s victory over Ānandapāla in 1008?
A. Mahmūd gained easier access to the Indus plains and beyond
B. The Ghaznavid Empire was immediately destroyed
C. The Cholas gained control of Punjab
D. The Hindu Shāhis conquered Ghazna
Answer: A. Mahmūd gained easier access to the Indus plains and beyond
9. How many campaigns in India did Mahmūd of Ghazni conduct, according to the chapter?
A. 7
B. 12
C. 17
D. 25
Answer: C. 17
10. What did Mahmūd generally do after his campaigns in India?
A. Returned to Ghazni with large amounts of booty
B. Established his permanent capital at Kannauj
C. Settled permanently in Bengal
D. Transferred his capital to Delhi
Answer: A. Returned to Ghazni with large amounts of booty
11. Which city did Mahmūd reach in 1018 and find to be enormously wealthy?
A. Mathura
B. Madurai
C. Kānchī
D. Orugallu
Answer: A. Mathura
12. Which temple did Mahmūd destroy and plunder during his campaign in Gujarat?
A. Bṛihadīśhvara temple
B. Somanātha Śhiva temple
C. Kandāriyā Mahādeva temple
D. Thousand Pillar temple
Answer: B. Somanātha Śhiva temple
13. Which local ruler is associated with resisting Sālār Masūd’s attack at Bahraich?
A. Suheldev
B. Bhoja Paramāra
C. Rājendra Chola I
D. Someśhvara III
Answer: A. Suheldev
14. Which Persian scholar accompanied Mahmūd on some campaigns and studied Indian knowledge traditions?
A. Al-Bīrūnī
B. Kalhaṇa
C. Jayadeva
D. Basaveśhvara
Answer: A. Al-Bīrūnī
15. Which language did al-Bīrūnī learn to study Indian texts?
A. Sanskrit
B. Tamil
C. Telugu
D. Kannada
Answer: A. Sanskrit
16. Which text by Bhāskarāchārya used lively riddles and problems to teach basic mathematics?
A. Līlāvatī
B. Gītagovindam
C. Mānasollāsa
D. Rājatarangiṇī
Answer: A. Līlāvatī
17. Which work by Bhāskarāchārya dealt with advanced algebra?
A. Bījagaṇita
B. Harṣhacharita
C. Gītagovindam
D. Yogasūtras
Answer: A. Bījagaṇita
18. Which dynasty became dominant over much of Bengal after the decline of the Pālas?
A. Sena dynasty
B. Hoysala dynasty
C. Paramāra dynasty
D. Chāhamāna dynasty
Answer: A. Sena dynasty
19. What was the capital of the Sena dynasty?
A. Nādīya
B. Dhārā
C. Vātāpi
D. Mānyakheṭa
Answer: A. Nādīya
20. Who wrote Gītagovindam, a work telling the story of Kṛiṣhṇa and Rādhā?
A. Jayadeva
B. Basaveśhvara
C. Someśhvara III
D. Bhāskarāchārya
Answer: A. Jayadeva
21. Which dynasty initiated the construction of the Jagannātha temple at Puri?
A. Eastern Gangas
B. Senas
C. Hoysalas
D. Paramāras
Answer: A. Eastern Gangas
22. Which two Chālukya powers fought over the fertile Vengi region?
A. Western Chālukyas and Eastern Chālukyas
B. Cholas and Pālas
C. Senas and Eastern Gangas
D. Paramāras and Chandellas
Answer: A. Western Chālukyas and Eastern Chālukyas
23. What was the capital of the Kākatīyas?
A. Orugallu
B. Dhārā
C. Aṇahilavāḍa
D. Nādīya
Answer: A. Orugallu
24. Orugallu is the present-day name associated with which city?
A. Warangal
B. Belur
C. Patan
D. Ajmer
Answer: A. Warangal
25. Which famous temple is an example of Kākatīya architecture?
A. Thousand Pillar temple at Hanamkonda
B. Somanātha temple
C. Bhojeshwar temple
D. Angkor Wat
Answer: A. Thousand Pillar temple at Hanamkonda
26. Which administrative features were promoted by the Kākatīyas?
A. Village self-governance, efficient revenue collection and irrigation
B. Complete abolition of agriculture
C. Control of all overseas trade by foreign rulers
D. Replacement of village administration with merchant guilds
Answer: A. Village self-governance, efficient revenue collection and irrigation
27. The Hoysalas originated in which region?
A. Southern Karnataka
B. Bengal
C. Gujarat
D. Kashmir
Answer: A. Southern Karnataka
28. Which two places became capitals of the Hoysalas during this period?
A. Velāpura and Dvārasamudra
B. Dhārā and Nādīya
C. Ghazna and Lahore
D. Tanjāvūr and Madurai
Answer: A. Velāpura and Dvārasamudra
29. Which Hoysala ruler broke away from Chālukya overlordship and challenged the Cholas?
A. Viṣhṇuvardhana
B. Mahmūd of Ghazni
C. Mūlarāja II
D. Jayapāla
Answer: A. Viṣhṇuvardhana
30. What is a notable feature of Hoysala temple architecture?
A. Intricately carved stone pillars, sculptures and panels
B. Buildings made entirely from wood
C. Complete absence of sculptures
D. Use of only mud walls without stonework
Answer: A. Intricately carved stone pillars, sculptures and panels
31. Which Chola ruler began his reign in 985 and conquered parts of present-day Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh?
A. Rājarāja Chola I
B. Rājendra Chola I
C. Vijayālaya
D. Someśhvara III
Answer: A. Rājarāja Chola I
32. Which major temple did Rājarāja Chola I build at Thanjavur?
A. Bṛihadīśhvara temple
B. Jagannātha temple
C. Bhojeshwar temple
D. Kandāriyā Mahādeva temple
Answer: A. Bṛihadīśhvara temple
33. Which Chola ruler conducted a successful naval expedition against the Śhrīvijaya Empire?
A. Rājendra Chola I
B. Rājarāja Chola I
C. Vijayālaya
D. Aditya I
Answer: A. Rājendra Chola I
34. What was one major reason for the conflict between the Cholas and the Śhrīvijaya Empire?
A. Competition related to maritime trade routes to China
B. Disputes over the Khyber Pass
C. Competition for control of Kashmir’s saffron fields
D. Disputes over the capital of the Sena dynasty
Answer: A. Competition related to maritime trade routes to China
35. What did Rājendra Chola I do after defeating the Śhrīvijaya forces?
A. Captured their capital but did not try to occupy the empire permanently
B. Shifted the Chola capital to Sumatra
C. Abandoned all trade with China
D. Established a permanent Chola kingdom in Central Asia
Answer: A. Captured their capital but did not try to occupy the empire permanently
36. Which region’s ruler eventually absorbed the declining Chola Empire by the 13th century?
A. Pāṇḍyas
B. Senas
C. Kākatīyas
D. Ghaznavids
Answer: A. Pāṇḍyas
37. What was the capital of the Paramāras?
A. Dhārā
B. Orugallu
C. Nādīya
D. Dvārasamudra
Answer: A. Dhārā
38. Which Paramāra king was known for governance, public works and scholarship?
A. Bhoja Paramāra
B. Jayapāla
C. Pṛithvīrāja III
D. Mūlarāja II
Answer: A. Bhoja Paramāra
39. Which large water body is associated with Bhoja’s public works near present-day Bhopal?
A. Bhojtal Lake
B. Chilika Lake
C. Dal Lake
D. Sambhar Lake
Answer: A. Bhojtal Lake
40. Which work attributed to Bhoja Paramāra discussed architecture, town planning, temple construction and mechanical devices?
A. Samarāṅgaṇa Sūtradhāra
B. Līlāvatī
C. Gītagovindam
D. Mānasollāsa
Answer: A. Samarāṅgaṇa Sūtradhāra
41. Which Chaulukya ruler defeated Muhammad Ghūrī’s attempt to expand into Gujarat in 1178?
A. Mūlarāja II
B. Rājendra Chola I
C. Bhoja Paramāra
D. Pṛithvīrāja III
Answer: A. Mūlarāja II
42. What was the capital of the Chaulukya dynasty of Gujarat, also known as the Solanki dynasty?
A. Aṇahilavāḍa
B. Ajayameru
C. Ghazna
D. Orugallu
Answer: A. Aṇahilavāḍa
43. Which ruler defeated Muhammad Ghūrī at the First Battle of Tarain in 1191?
A. Pṛithvīrāja III
B. Rājarāja Chola I
C. Bhoja Paramāra
D. Jayapāla
Answer: A. Pṛithvīrāja III
44. What was the outcome of the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192?
A. Muhammad Ghūrī defeated Pṛithvīrāja III
B. Pṛithvīrāja III captured Ghazna
C. The Cholas conquered Delhi
D. The Senas regained control of all northern India
Answer: A. Muhammad Ghūrī defeated Pṛithvīrāja III
45. Which general of Muhammad Ghūrī later founded the Delhi Sultanate?
A. Qutb-ud-din Aibak
B. Bakhtiyār Khiljī
C. Al-Bīrūnī
D. Jayapāla
Answer: A. Qutb-ud-din Aibak
46. Which invading commander led campaigns into Bihar and Bengal and attacked major Buddhist centres of learning?
A. Bakhtiyār Khiljī
B. Rājendra Chola I
C. Viṣhṇuvardhana
D. Bhoja Paramāra
Answer: A. Bakhtiyār Khiljī
47. Which two Buddhist centres of learning were destroyed during Bakhtiyār Khiljī’s campaigns?
A. Nālandā and Vikramaśhilā
B. Somapura and Angkor Wat
C. Kānchī and Māmallapuram
D. Belur and Halebidu
Answer: A. Nālandā and Vikramaśhilā
48. What was the mainstay of the economy during the 11th and 12th centuries?
A. Agriculture
B. Mining alone
C. Overseas trade alone
D. Manufacture of weapons alone
Answer: A. Agriculture
49. Which philosopher-saint developed viśhiṣhṭādvaita vedānta?
A. Rāmānujāchārya
B. Basaveśhvara
C. Jayadeva
D. Bhāskarāchārya
Answer: A. Rāmānujāchārya
50. Which movement was founded by Basaveśhvara and rejected caste distinctions and ritualism?
A. Lingāyat movement
B. Ghaznavid movement
C. Sena movement
D. Śhrīvijaya movement
Answer: A. Lingāyat movement
