Which one of the following statements about the Ain-i-Akbari is not correct ?
- A.It was written by Abu'l Fazl.
- B.It is a part of a larger work called Akbar Nama.
- C.It describes the Mughal Empire as having a diverse population and a composite culture.
- D.It was later revised by Sadullah Khan on the orders of Shah Jahan.
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is D, It was later revised by Sadullah Khan on the orders of Shah Jahan. No such revision took place; the Ain-i-Akbari remained Abu'l Fazl's own work, completed in Akbar's reign.
Abu'l Fazl, a leading noble and close friend of Akbar, wrote the Akbar Nama in three volumes. The first two narrate the history of Akbar's ancestors and of his reign, and the third volume is the Ain-i-Akbari, finished around 1598. It is an administrative and statistical survey of the empire, describing the imperial household, the army, revenue, the provinces, and the people's religions, crafts and customs. Sadullah Khan was a wazir of Shah Jahan, but he had nothing to do with revising Abu'l Fazl's text; Shah Jahan's reign was chronicled by Abdul Hamid Lahori in the Padshah Nama.
A, B and C are correct statements. Abu'l Fazl is the author, the Ain is the third part of the Akbar Nama, and it presents the empire as a land of many peoples living with a shared, composite culture.
Exam tip: Akbar Nama and Ain-i-Akbari, Abu'l Fazl; Padshah Nama, Abdul Hamid Lahori; Humayun Nama, Gulbadan Begum.
Practice Questions
View allWhich one of the following was not included in the terms and conditions of Subsidiary Alliance System of Lord Wellesley?
- A.The British would protect their ally.
- B.The ally was free to enter into agreements with other rulers or engage in warfare.
- C.In the territory of the ally, a British armed contingent would be stationed.
- D.The ally would have to provide resources for the maintenance of the British armed contingent.
Show answer
Under the Subsidiary Alliance, introduced by Lord Wellesley (Governor-General 1798–1805), the Indian ruler gave up exactly this freedom: he could not make war, sign treaties or even employ other Europeans without the Company's consent, and he had to keep a British Resident at his court.
Read the full explanation →The Sahajiya Cult, which can be traced back to 10th and 11th centuries, is usually associated with:
- A.early Bhakti traditions
- B.a kind of early Sufism
- C.early Upanishadic philosophy
- D.Buddhism
Show answer
The Sahajiya cult grew out of late Tantric Buddhism in eastern India, especially Bengal, and is often called Sahajayana, a branch of Vajrayana.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following statements about the Sayyid brothers during the period of Later Mughals is not true?
- A.They brought Jahandar Shah to power.
- B.They wielded administrative power.
- C.They followed a tolerant religious policy.
- D.They reached an agreement with King Shahu.
Show answer
Jahandar Shah won the throne in 1712 with the help of Zulfiqar Khan, and the Sayyid brothers, Abdullah Khan and Husain Ali Khan, helped his nephew Farrukhsiyar defeat and kill him in 1713.
Read the full explanation →Who were Alvars ?
- A.Those who immersed in devotion to Vishnu
- B.Devotees of Shiva
- C.Those who worshipped abstract form of God
- D.Devotees of Shakti
Show answer
The Alvars were twelve Tamil poet-saints, active roughly between the 6th and 9th centuries, whose name means 'those who are immersed' in devotion to Vishnu.
Read the full explanation →Who was the author of the Gwalior Prashasti of Mihira Bhoja ?
- A.Nagabhata
- B.Vatsaraja
- C.Baladitya
- D.Kakkuka
Show answer
The Gwalior Prashasti is a Sanskrit eulogy of the Gurjara-Pratihara king Mihira Bhoja (Bhoja I, about 836–885 CE), and its composer was the poet Baladitya.
Read the full explanation →