Share & grow the world's knowledge!
We want to connect the people who have knowledge to the people who need it, to bring together people with different perspectives so they can understand each other better, and to empower everyone to share their knowledge.
To whom did the Caliph of Baghdad grant the ‘Mansur’ (letter of approval/consecration)?
Iltutmish consolidated his position by obtaining a manshur (an official letter of investiture) from the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad. The manshur served as formal recognition of his sovereignty and Islamic legitimacy, strengthening his political authority in India where dynastic claims often required eRead more
Iltutmish consolidated his position by obtaining a manshur (an official letter of investiture) from the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad. The manshur served as formal recognition of his sovereignty and Islamic legitimacy, strengthening his political authority in India where dynastic claims often required external validation. By securing the Caliph’s sanction, Iltutmish not only placed his dynasty on firmer religious-political ground but also gained a powerful ideological instrument to suppress rivals and unite disparate nobles under his leadership. This diplomatic-religious endorsement greatly enhanced his standing in the Muslim world and within the Delhi Sultanate.
See lessDuring whose reign did the Mongols under Genghis Khan invade India? (A) Balban (B) Iltutmish (C) Firoz Tughlaq (D) Muhammad bin Tughlaq
ANSWER: (B) Iltutmish. In the early 13th century the expansion of the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan and his lieutenants created serious threats along the northwestern approaches to India. These incursions coincided with or came just before Iltutmish’s reign, prompting him to reinforce frontier deRead more
ANSWER: (B) Iltutmish. In the early 13th century the expansion of the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan and his lieutenants created serious threats along the northwestern approaches to India. These incursions coincided with or came just before Iltutmish’s reign, prompting him to reinforce frontier defenses and carefully manage relations with Central Asian powers and refugees. While the Mongols did not establish long-term dominion in the Indian plains at that stage, their raids and the fear of further invasions influenced Iltutmish’s military and diplomatic priorities, making frontier security a central concern for the early Delhi Sultanate.
See lessWhich of the following pairs is correctly matched? (A) Diwan-i-Arz = Muhammad Tughlaq (B) Diwan-i-Bandagan = Tughlaq (C) Diwan-i-Mustakhraj = Balban (D) Diwan-i-Kohi = Alauddin Khalji
Administrative titles in the Sultanate often varied by period and ruler, but the Diwan-i-Bandagan is widely associated with the Tughlaq era—especially Firoz Shah Tughlaq—who organized royal household and slave affairs. The Diwan-i-Arz (military bureau) has complex origins tied to several regimes; DiRead more
Administrative titles in the Sultanate often varied by period and ruler, but the Diwan-i-Bandagan is widely associated with the Tughlaq era—especially Firoz Shah Tughlaq—who organized royal household and slave affairs. The Diwan-i-Arz (military bureau) has complex origins tied to several regimes; Diwan-i-Mustakhraj (revenue-related office) and Diwan-i-Kohi (connected with hill/irrigation revenue) are not correctly paired with Balban or Alauddin respectively in the way the options suggest. Therefore, the only reliably correct match among the choices is (B), linking Diwan-i-Bandagan to the Tughlaq administration.
See lessWhat was the meaning of ‘Fawazil’ during the Sultanate period?
In the iqta system, fawazil denoted surplus receipts—amounts collected over and above the official share or stipend granted to iqtadars (land administrators). Instead of keeping the extra for themselves, iqtadars were expected to hand over fawazil to the central treasury as additional state revenue.Read more
In the iqta system, fawazil denoted surplus receipts—amounts collected over and above the official share or stipend granted to iqtadars (land administrators). Instead of keeping the extra for themselves, iqtadars were expected to hand over fawazil to the central treasury as additional state revenue. This mechanism allowed sultans to extract more income from productive lands and manage finances without altering formal grants. The concept underlined the balance between local fiscal privileges and the sovereign’s right to claim surplus produce and it was an important element in medieval revenue administration.
See lessWho among the following built India’s oldest tomb—the tomb of Nasiruddin Mahmud, Sultangarhi/Delhi—and also holds the distinction of being the “Father of the Tomb Building Style”?
Iltutmish played a formative role in the development of Indo-Islamic funerary architecture. He built the tomb of his son Nasiruddin Mahmud at Sultan Garhi, which is among the earliest extant Islamic tombs in the Delhi region. These structures displayed experimental fusion of local building methods aRead more
Iltutmish played a formative role in the development of Indo-Islamic funerary architecture. He built the tomb of his son Nasiruddin Mahmud at Sultan Garhi, which is among the earliest extant Islamic tombs in the Delhi region. These structures displayed experimental fusion of local building methods and Islamic forms—such as arches, domes and corbelled features—paving the way for later monumental tombs. Because of these early exemplars, Iltutmish is often regarded as a founding figure in the Sultanate’s tomb-building tradition; his projects established architectural vocabulary that later matured under subsequent dynasties.
See less