Q: With reference to medieval India, which one of the following is the correct sequence in ascending order in terms of size?
(a)Pargana — Sarkar — Suba
(b)Sarkar — Pargana — Suba
(c)Suba — Sarkar — Pargana
(d)Pargana — Suba — Sarkar
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Mughal Empire — UPSC Prelims Previous Year Questions
21 questions from UPSC CSE Prelims GS Paper 1 on Mughal Empire (Medieval History). Spanning from 1996 to 2021. Practice with show/hide answers and detailed explanations.
21
Questions
12
Years
4
Easy
17
Moderate
Year-wise Distribution
What UPSC Asks About Mughal Empire
Based on 21 questions across 12 years, UPSC has consistently tested aspirants' understanding of Mughal Empire within the broader Medieval History syllabus. The questions range from factual recall to application-based analysis.
Recent trends show UPSC moving towards statement-based questions that combine multiple aspects of Mughal Empire. Aspirants should focus on understanding concepts rather than memorizing isolated facts.
Related Medieval History Sub-topics
All Mughal Empire Questions
Q: 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 of Zamindars were not hereditary. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2
Q: Consider the following : The arrival of Babur into India led to the 1. introduction of gunpowder in the subcontinent 2. introduction of the arch and dome in the region's architecture 3. establishment of Timurid dynasty in the region Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a)1 and 2 only
(b)3 only
(c)1 and 3 only
(d)1, 2 and 3
Q: Ibadat Khana at Fatehpur Sikri was
(a)the mosque for the use of Royal Family
(b)Akbar’s private prayer chamber
(c)the hall in which Akbar held discussions with scholars of various religions
(d)the room in which the nobles belonging to different religions gathered to discuss religious affairs
Q: The battle of Dharmat was fought between
(a)Muhammad Gori and Jai Chand
(b)Babar and the Afghans
(c)Aurangzeb and Dara Shikoh
(d)Ahmad Shah Durrani and the Marathas
Q: How did the Mughal Emperor Jahandar Shah’s reign come to an early end?
(a)He was deposed by his wazir
(b)He died due to a slip while climbing down steps
(c)He was defeated by his nephew in a battle
(d)He died of sickness due to too much consumption of wine
Q: Assertion (A): Emperor Akbar marched towards Afghanistan in 1581 with a huge army. Reason (R): He was on his way to reclaim his ancestral country of Ferghana in Central Asia.
(a)Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b)Both A and R are individually true but R is NOT the correct explanation of A
(c)A is true but R is false
(d)A is false but R is true
Q: The motive behind Shahjahan’s Balkh campaign was to
(a)secure a friendly ruler in Balkh and Badakhshan which bordered Kabul
(b)conquer Samarqand and Farghana, the Mughal homelands
(c)fix the Mughal frontier on the ‘scientific line’, the Amu Daria
(d)expand the Mughal Empire beyond the sub-continent
Q: Assertion (A): The Battle of Khanua was certainly more decisive and significant than the First Battle of Panipat. Reason (R): Rana Sanga, the Rajput hero, was certainly a more formidable adversary than Ibrahim Lodi.
(a)Both A and R are individually true, and R is the correct explanation of A
(b)Both A and R are individually true, but R is NOT a correct explanation of A
(c)A is true, but R is false
(d)A is false, but R is true
Q: The shaded area in the above map shows the empire of
(a)Ala-ud-din Khilji
(b)Mohammad Tughlaq
(c)Shah Jahan
(d)Aurangzeb
Q: Which among the following ports was called Babul Makka (Gate of Makka) during the Mughal Period?
(a)Calicut
(b)Broach
(c)Cambay
(d)Surat
Q: The given map refers to the kingdom of
(a)Akbar at the time of capture of Khandesh in 1601
(b)Akbar at the time of his death in 1605
(c)Aurangzeb at the time of capture of Hyderabad
(d)Aurangzeb at the time of his death in 1707
Q: Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched?
(a)Jahangir : William Hawkins
(b)Akbar : Sir Thomas Roe
(c)Shahjahan : Tavernier
(d)Aurangzeb : Manucci
Q: Assertion (A): During the time of Akbar, for every ten cavalrymen, the mansabdars had to maintain twenty horses. Reason (R): Horses had to be rested while on march and replacements were necessary in times of war.
(a)Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
(b)Both A and R are true, but R is not a correct explanation of A
(c)A is true, but R is false
(d)A is false, but R is true
Q: Assertion (A): During the reign of Shahjahan, Dara Sikoh was sent on expedition to Balkha, Badakh-shan and Qandahar. Reason (R): The expedition sent by Shahjahan to the Middle East was a marvellous success.
(a)Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
(b)Both A and R are true, but R is NOT a correct explanation of A
(c)A is true, but R is false
(d)A is false, but R is true
Q: Consider the following statements: Ahadis were those troopers who I. offered their services singly. II. did not attach themselves to any chief. III. had the emperor as their immediate colonel. IV. attached themselves to Mirzas. Of these statements:
(a)I, II and IV are correct
(b)I, II and III are correct
(c)II and III are correct
(d)I and IV are correct
Q: Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists: List I I. 1556 II. 1600 III. 1686 IV. 1739 List II A) Battle of Haldighati B) Nadir Shah’s capture of Delhi C) Death of Shivaji D) Grant of Charter to East India Company E) Accession of Akbar Codes:
(a)I-C, II-D, III-B, IV-A
(b)I-E, II-D, III-C, IV-B
(c)I-E, II-B, III-A, IV-D
(d)I-A, II-E, III-C, IV-B
Q: In the given map, the shaded part represents Akbar’s empire at a certain juncture: ‘A’ stands for an independent country and ‘B’ marks the site of a city. Which one of the following alternatives gives all correct information?
(a)Akbar in 1557: (A) Golkunda (B) Lahore
(b)Akbar in 1557: (A) Khandesh (B) Multan
(c)Akbar in 1605: (A) Gondwana (B) Multan
(d)Akbar in 1605: (A) Gondwana (B) Lahore
Q: The loss of Qandahar was a big blow to the Mughal empire from the viewpoint of
(a)Natural resources
(b)Buffer territory
(c)Communication
(d)Strategic stronghold
Q: The head of the military department under the reorganised central machinery of administration during Akbar’s reign was
(a)Diwan
(b)Mir Bakshi
(c)Mir Saman
(d)Bakshi
Q: In medieval India, Mansabdari system was introduced mainly for
(a)making recruitment to the army
(b)facilitating revenue collection
(c)ensuring religious harmony
(d)effecting clean administration
Frequently Asked Questions
How many UPSC Prelims questions have been asked from Mughal Empire?▼
UPSC has asked 21 questions on Mughal Empire in GS Paper 1 Prelims between 1996 and 2021. This sub-topic falls under Medieval History.
In which years has UPSC asked about Mughal Empire?▼
Questions on Mughal Empire have appeared in UPSC Prelims in the following years: 2021, 2019, 2015, 2014, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996. The topic has appeared in 12 out of 31 years.
What is the difficulty level of Mughal Empire questions in UPSC Prelims?▼
Among 21 questions on Mughal Empire: 4 are easy, 17 are moderate, and 0 are difficult. Most questions test conceptual understanding of the topic.