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Indian HistoryHardAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2018, GAT

Who gifted the Badshah Nama to King George in 1799?

  1. A.Abul Fazl
  2. B.Abdul Hamid Lahori
  3. C.Nawab of Awadh
  4. D.William Jones

Correct answer

C. Nawab of Awadh

Explanation

The correct answer is C, Nawab of Awadh. In 1799 the Nawab of Awadh presented an illustrated manuscript of the Badshah Nama to King George III of Britain, and it is now kept in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle.

The Badshah Nama is the official history of Shah Jahan’s reign, written in Persian by Abdul Hamid Lahori, a pupil of Abul Fazl, and continued after him by his student Muhammad Waris. Its three volumes, each covering ten lunar years, describe the emperor’s court, campaigns and buildings. The Windsor copy is famous for its 44 paintings by the finest court artists of the age, showing durbars, battles and ceremonies. It is one of the most valuable sources on Mughal court culture.

A is wrong because Abul Fazl wrote the Akbar Nama and the Ain-i Akbari for Akbar and died in 1602, long before 1799. B is wrong because Abdul Hamid Lahori wrote the Badshah Nama in the seventeenth century; he did not gift it. D is wrong because William Jones founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal in 1784 and died in 1794.

Exam tip: Badshah Nama = Shah Jahan’s reign, by Abdul Hamid Lahori, gifted by the Nawab of Awadh to George III in 1799, kept at Windsor.

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Q2.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2026, GKMedium

Why do you think Vijayanagara incorporated agricultural tracts within the fortified area ?

  1. A.To promote high yield agriculture under State supervision
  2. B.To protect the agricultural belt from the sieges of an invading army
  3. C.To protect the agriculture from stray animals
  4. D.To protect the agriculture from drought
Show answer
Correct answer: B. To protect the agricultural belt from the sieges of an invading army

Medieval sieges aimed to starve a city into surrender, so Vijayanagara kept fields and food inside its walls. The Persian ambassador Abdur Razzaq, who visited in the 1440s, described seven lines of fortification around the city, with fields, gardens and houses between them.

Q3.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2026, GKHard

With reference to the eligibility criteria for becoming the member of a 'Sabha' as laid down in the Uttaramerur inscription, consider the following statements : 1. The candidate should have his own house and his own plot of land. 2. The candidate should be within 60 years of age and above 30 years. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A.1 only
  2. B.2 only
  3. C.Both 1 and 2
  4. D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Correct answer: A. 1 only

The inscription asks that a member own land and a house, but it sets the age limit at 35 to 70 years, not 30 to 60.

Q5.Indian HistoryAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2024, GATHard

Consider the following Women’s Associations and their important associates in early twentieth century India :

1. Women’s Indian Association of 1917 : Margaret Cousins

2. National Council of Women in India of 1925 : Sarala Devi Chaudhurani

3. Bharat Stree Mahamandal of 1910 : Lady Meherbai Tata

Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched ?

  1. A.1, 2 and 3
  2. B.2 and 3 only
  3. C.1 and 2 only
  4. D.1 only
Show answer
Correct answer: D. 1 only

Margaret Cousins was a founder of the Women’s Indian Association, but pairs 2 and 3 have their associates swapped. The Women’s Indian Association was founded at Adyar, Madras, in 1917 by Annie Besant, Margaret Cousins, Dorothy Jinarajadasa and others; it campaigned for women’s franchise and education.