Reshaping India's Political Map Class 8: Notes and Questions

What Reshaping India's Political Map is about

Weightage: CBSE sets no Class 8 Social Science paper or marks: Class 8 is assessed by your school, which teaches from NCERT Exploring Society: India and Beyond. School papers usually mix MCQs, short answers (2-3 marks), source or picture-based questions and longer answers (5 marks).Source: docs/research/cbse-8-2026-27.md (NCERT book list, Reprint 2026-27)

Key concepts

The 'medieval' label and the timeline

NCERT section Introduction and timeline

'Medieval' means 'between two ages'. It was first used for European history (roughly from the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century CE to the Renaissance of the 14th-16th centuries). Because India's history is different, the book says using the same word for India is not ideal; here it simply means the 11th to 17th centuries.

Timeline to learn:

Year	Event
1206	Delhi Sultanate established
1326	Mewar kingdom re-established
1336	Vijayanagara Empire established
1347	Bahmani Sultanate established
1398	Timur attacks Delhi
1498	Portuguese arrive in India
1526	First Battle of Panipat: Babur founds the Mughal Empire
1556	Second Battle of Panipat: Akbar's decisive victory
1565	Battle of Talikota: Vijayanagara city destroyed
1576	Battle of Haldighati: Maharana Pratap forced to retreat
1671	Battle of Saraighat: Ahoms defeat the Mughals
1699	Guru Gobind Singh forms the Khalsa
1754	Maratha control of Delhi begins
1799	Sikh Empire established

Spellings vary because Persian is transcribed differently: Khalji/Khilji, Mughal/Mughul/Moghul.

Worked example

Arrange in chronological order: Battle of Talikota, establishment of the Vijayanagara Empire, First Battle of Panipat, Timur's attack on Delhi. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Vijayanagara 1336; Timur 1398; Panipat I 1526; Talikota 1565.

Answer: Establishment of Vijayanagara (1336) → Timur's attack on Delhi (1398) → First Battle of Panipat (1526) → Battle of Talikota (1565).

Rise and fall of the Delhi Sultanate

NCERT section Rise and Fall of the Delhi Sultanate

Origin: formed after the defeat of Prithviraj Chauhan in 1192. A Sultanate is territory ruled by a Sultan (a title adopted by some Muslim rulers).

Five dynasties of Turkic-Afghan origin (in order): Mamluks ('Slave dynasty'), Khiljis, Tughlaqs, Sayyids, Lodis.

Features the book highlights:

• Political instability with territorial expansion; campaigns raided villages and cities and destroyed temples and seats of learning.
• Violent successions: almost two sultans in three seized power by eliminating the previous one; average reign hardly more than nine years.
• Ala-ud-din Khilji (around 1300): campaigns across north and central India; repelled Mongol invasions; his coin calls him 'Sikander Sani' (the second Alexander). His general Malik Kafur pushed south; plundered wealth funded the army; attacks on Srirangam, Madurai, Chidambaram.
• Muhammad bin Tughlaq: for the first time since the Mauryas, most of the Subcontinent under one ruler, but briefly. Poorly executed schemes: shifting the capital to Daulatabad (Devagiri), forcing people to travel over 1,000 km, then back; token currency of copper coins valued like silver or gold, which caused confusion and counterfeiting, and the economy declined.
• Court luxury funded by plunder, taxes and the slave trade; attacks on sacred images, motivated by plunder and iconoclasm; some sultans imposed the jizya (a discriminatory tax on non-Muslims).
• Timur (late 14th century) devastated Delhi and withdrew with plunder; the Lodis became the last dynasty, ruling a much smaller territory.

Worked example

Why did Muhammad bin Tughlaq's token currency fail, though the book calls the idea progressive? (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Idea: cheap copper coins given the value of silver or gold coins (like today's token money).
2. At that time it confused trade.
3. People forged copper coins; the economy declined.

Answer: Token currency declared cheap copper coins to be worth as much as silver or gold coins. The idea was progressive, since most modern money is 'token'. But in his time it confused traders and encouraged people to counterfeit copper coins easily, which together caused the economy to decline.

Resistance to the Delhi Sultanate

NCERT section Resistance to the Delhi Sultanate

Many kingdoms resisted the Sultanate:

• Eastern Gangas of Kalinga (present-day Odisha and parts of Bengal and Andhra Pradesh): Narasimhadeva I (mid-13th century) repelled Sultanate raids, defeated its governor of Bengal and, partly to mark these victories, built the Sūrya temple at Konark.
• Musunuri Nayakas: Telugu chieftains who rallied over 75 chieftains into a confederacy and expelled Muhammad bin Tughlaq's army from Warangal (around 1330-1336).
• Hoysalas (mostly present-day Karnataka): fended off attacks and were the only independent southern kingdom for a time; built temples at Belur and Halebidu; weakened, they were absorbed into Vijayanagara in the mid-14th century. Folklore: Sala fought a lion to save his guru: 'Hoy (strike)! Sala'.
• Regional Sultanates broke away: Bahmani (mid-14th century, Deccan), Gujarat, Bengal.
• Rana Kumbha of Mewar (15th century) resisted the Sultanate and later sultanates; built Kumbhalgarh Fort in the Aravallis with a 36-km wall.

Worked example

How did Narasimhadeva I show both military strength and cultural brilliance? (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Military: repelled Sultanate raids; defeated the Sultanate's governor of Bengal.
2. Culture: built the Sūrya temple at Konark, partly to commemorate victories.

Answer: He repelled several Sultanate attacks on Kalinga and defeated the Delhi Sultanate's governor of Bengal, showing military strength. Partly to celebrate these victories, he built the famous Sūrya temple at Konark, showing cultural brilliance.

Vijayanagara and the Deccan

NCERT section The Vijayanagara Empire

Founding: in the 14th century, brothers Harihara and Bukka Raya, once governors under Muhammad bin Tughlaq, rejected Delhi's authority and founded a kingdom that grew into the Vijayanagara Empire (capital at Hampi). Folklore: they saw a hare chase hounds; their guru Vidyaranya saw it as a sign of courage and advised building the capital there.

Rivals: the Bahmani Sultanate to the north broke into five Deccan Sultanates: Bijapur, Golconda, Berar, Ahmednagar, Bidar; Vijayanagara fought Bijapur and Golconda, and the Gajapatis of Odisha. Titles: Narapati (Vijayanagara), Ashwapati (Bahmani), Gajapati (Odisha), Chhatrapati (Marathas); pati = lord.

Krishnadevaraya (16th century, the peak): expanded and secured the empire; patronised Sanskrit, Telugu and Kannada scholars; wrote the Telugu epic Āmuktamālyada (on poet-saint Āṇḍāl), with a section on royal policy (Rājanīti); gave grants to temples such as Tirupati and the Vitthala temple (famous 'musical pillars'). Portuguese horse-traders were well treated; Domingo Paes compared the city to Rome in size and called it the best provided city in the world.

Fall: Krishnadevaraya died in 1529. In 1565 the Deccan Sultanates allied and defeated Ramaraya at Talikota; the city was sacked for months and left in ruins; the empire split among Nayakas and ended in the mid-17th century.

Worked example

Name the five Deccan Sultanates and explain how they arose. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Bahmani Sultanate fragmented.
2. Former governors (tarafdars) declared autonomy.
3. Names: Bijapur, Golconda, Berar, Ahmednagar, Bidar.

Answer: The Bahmani Sultanate, Vijayanagara's northern rival, broke up when its former governors (tarafdars) declared themselves independent. This produced five Deccan Sultanates: Bijapur, Golconda, Berar, Ahmednagar and Bidar.

The Mughals: Babur to Shah Jahan

NCERT section The Mughals

Babur (Turkic-Mongol, descendant of Timur, driven out of Samarkand) defeated Ibrahim Lodi at Panipat in 1526, using gunpowder, field artillery and matchlock guns; this ended the Delhi Sultanate. His memoir Baburnama shows him curious about birds, fruit trees, architecture and poetry, but also a brutal conqueror who took pride in 'towers of skulls'. He found India a 'country of few charms' yet admired its gold, silver and countless artisans, and stayed.

Humayun struggled; Sher Shah Suri (Afghan) founded the short-lived Sur Empire with lasting reforms. Himu (Hemchandra Vikramaditya) briefly held Delhi; injured at the Second Battle of Panipat (1556), he was captured and beheaded on Akbar's orders.

Akbar (emperor at 13; ruled 1556-1605): the book describes a reign blending brutality and tolerance. At Chittor after a siege of over five months, the book records the massacre of some 30,000 civilians and the enslavement of survivors; hundreds of Rajput women committed jauhar. Later he used political strategies: marriage alliances, welcoming Rajput leaders, abolishing the jizya, sulh-i-kul ('peace with all'), interfaith dialogue, Hindu officials in high posts. Abul Fazl records Akbar's regret at having forced conversions. He set up a translation house at Fatehpur Sikri (Mahābhārata as Razmnama, Rāmāyaṇa with 176 miniatures, Bhagavad Gītā, Pañchatantra).

Jahangir loved art and tried to expand into the Deccan; Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal; the period saw Humayun's tomb, the Red Forts of Delhi and Agra, calligraphy and miniature painting.

Worked example

Why did Akbar change from pure military conquest to other strategies? Give three strategies he used. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. A growing empire needed stability and support, not only force.
2. Strategies: marriage alliances; Rajput leaders at court; abolished jizya; sulh-i-kul; Hindu officials.

Answer: As his empire grew, Akbar needed stability and the support of powerful local rulers, which military force alone could not secure. He therefore made marriage alliances with neighbouring royal families, welcomed Rajput and regional leaders into his court, abolished the jizya and promoted sulh-i-kul, tolerance of all faiths (any three).

Aurangzeb and Mughal decline

NCERT section Aurangzeb

Succession: when Shah Jahan fell ill (1657), he wanted Dara Shikoh to succeed. Aurangzeb defeated and executed Dara, removed his other brothers, imprisoned Shah Jahan in Agra Fort, and crowned himself in 1658 as 'Alamgir' (conqueror of the world); he ruled almost 49 years.

Expansion and strain: the empire reached its greatest extent under him, but he spent his last 25 years fighting in the Deccan. Large armies drained the treasury and strained the administration, often seen as a key factor in the rapid decline after his death in 1707.

Religious policy (as the book presents it): a Sunni, he led an austere life; banned music and dance at court; reimposed the jizya and a pilgrimage tax on Hindus (both abolished by Akbar). Some scholars argue his motives were mainly political and cite grants to some temples; the book says his own farmans show a personal religious motive too, citing a 1669 order to demolish temples and schools of non-Muslims; temples at Banaras, Mathura and Somnath were destroyed, along with Jain temples and Sikh gurudwaras; Sufis and Zoroastrians were also persecuted.

Reign lengths: Delhi sultans about 9 years on average; Mughal emperors up to Aurangzeb about 27; all Mughal rulers about 16.

The book reminds us: we must know these facts and remember victims, but no one today bears responsibility for deeds of centuries ago.

Worked example

Give two reasons from the chapter for the rapid decline of Mughal power after 1707. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Long Deccan wars drained the treasury and strained administration.
2. Rebellions across the empire (Marathas, Rajputs, Sikhs, Jats, Ahoms).

Answer: 1. Aurangzeb's 25 years of wars in the Deccan needed huge armies that emptied the treasury and strained the administration. 2. Constant rebellions, by the Marathas, Rajputs, Sikhs, Jats and others, eroded Mughal power.

Resistance to the Mughals

NCERT section Resistance to the Mughals

• Jat peasants (17th century; western UP, Haryana, eastern Rajasthan): killed an oppressive Mughal officer; 20,000 men fought the Mughal army; the leader was killed and the revolt suppressed.
• Tribal groups (Bhils, Gonds, Santhals, Kochs) fought annexation and taxes; some in forests and hills stayed partly independent.
• Rani Durgavati of Garha (a Gond kingdom): ruled wisely; army of 20,000 soldiers and 1,000 elephants; attacked by Akbar's general in 1564, she fought though outnumbered and, wounded, took her own life to avoid capture, aged 40.
• Rajputs: Mewar and Marwar clans; Rana Sanga unified clans but lost to Babur at Khanwa; Maharana Pratap refused Mughal overlordship; at Haldighati (1576) the Mughals had the upper hand, but he escaped and waged guerrilla warfare from the Aravallis for years, helped by Bhil archers (a Bhil warrior appears on the Mewar emblem); Durga Das Rathore of Marwar defended Jodhpur against Aurangzeb.
• Ahoms: migrated from present-day Myanmar to the Brahmaputra Valley in the 13th century; paik system: every able-bodied man gave labour or military service in exchange for land rights (a large force without a permanent army). In the Battle of Saraighat (1671) near Guwahati, Lachit Borphukan with 10,000 men defeated a Mughal force of 30,000, using rivers, hills, forests and guerrilla tactics.
• Sikhs: Guru Nanak (15th century) taught equality, compassion and the oneness of God (Ik Onkār). Guru Arjan compiled the Guru Granth Sahib and was tortured to death on Jahangir's orders; Guru Hargobind began martial training. In 1675 Guru Tegh Bahadur stood up for persecuted Kashmiri Pandits, refused to convert and was beheaded in Chandni Chowk on Aurangzeb's orders (Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib marks the site). Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa (1699). Maharaja Ranjit Singh unified Sikh confederacies into the Sikh Empire (1799).

Worked example

How did geography help the Ahoms win at Saraighat? (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Battle fought on the Brahmaputra; Ahoms skilled in boats.
2. Dense forests and hills suited guerrilla tactics.
3. Result: 10,000 under Lachit Borphukan beat 30,000 Mughals.

Answer: The Ahoms knew their terrain of dense forests, hills and rivers. They used persistent guerrilla tactics and river warfare on the Brahmaputra, where every soldier could row, shoot and dig trenches. This let Lachit Borphukan's 10,000 men defeat a Mughal force of 30,000 in 1671 and keep Assam independent.

Administration and people's lives

NCERT section Administering India; People's Lives

Delhi Sultanate: the sultan had absolute authority, helped by a council of ministers. Iqta system: territories assigned to nobles (iqtadars) to collect taxes; after expenses, the rest went to the treasury (mainly for the army); posts were not hereditary. The tax burden fell hardest on peasants.

Mughal framework (Akbar):

Official	Responsibility
Diwan	finances
Mir Bakhshi	military
Khan-i-Saman	public works, trade, industry, agriculture, royal household
Sadr	justice, religious and educational matters

Twelve provinces (subahs) with checks and balances; village self-governance continued. Mansabdari: officers ranked by mansab kept a set number of troops and animals, so an army could be raised quickly without a permanent one; paid with land (jagirs), hence jagirdars. Non-Muslim officials rarely exceeded one-third. Todar Mal surveyed crop yields, prices and land, improving revenue.

Economy: agriculture was the mainstay; revenue usually one-fifth of produce, sometimes as high as one-half; famines struck. Persian wheels, roads, canals; Mughal coins: silver rupaya, copper dam. Textiles, crafts, ship-building; exports through Calicut, Mangalore, Surat, Masulipatnam, Hooghly; India exported more than it imported. Hundi: a written payment order that moved money across borders without carrying cash (a precursor of banking); Marwari traders built credit networks. Temples were economic centres: land grants, irrigation, dharmashālās, credit for trade. By the late 1600s peasants faced stress; many became bonded labourers. Wealth was concentrated among rulers, officials and merchants. Yet people of different faiths largely lived side by side, depending on one another.

Worked example

How did the mansabdari system help Akbar maintain military strength? (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Mansabdars kept a fixed number of troops, horses, elephants, camels by rank.
2. Army could be assembled quickly; no permanent central army; inspections ensured compliance.

Answer: Each mansabdar had to maintain a fixed number of soldiers and animals according to his rank, checked by regular inspections. So the emperor could assemble a large army at short notice without paying for a permanent central army.

Reshaping India's Political Map in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Topics in this chapter

• The Delhi Sultanate and the Vijayanagara Empire
• The Mughals, Regional Powers and Administration

Reshaping India's Political Map: key facts

Sultanate dynasties (in order)

1. 1.Mamluk (Slave)
2. 2.Khilji
3. 3.Tughlaq
4. 4.Sayyid
5. 5.Lodi

Formed after Prithviraj Chauhan's defeat in 1192; established 1206; ended at Panipat 1526.

Mughal rulers in this chapter

1. 1.Babur
2. 2.Humayun (Sur interlude: Sher Shah)
3. 3.Akbar
4. 4.Jahangir
5. 5.Shah Jahan
6. 6.Aurangzeb (d. 1707)

Himu briefly held Delhi before Panipat II (1556).

Five Deccan Sultanates

• •Bijapur
• •Golconda
• •Berar
• •Ahmednagar
• •Bidar

Formed when the Bahmani Sultanate fragmented.

Key battles

• •Panipat I 1526
• •Khanwa (Babur vs Rana Sanga)
• •Panipat II 1556
• •Talikota 1565
• •Haldighati 1576
• •Saraighat 1671

Administrative terms

Iqta/iqtadar	Sultanate
Mansab/mansabdar, jagir/jagirdar, subah	Mughal
	Diwan, Mir Bakhshi, Khan-i-Saman, Sadr
Paik	Ahom
Hundi	trade

Average reigns

• •Delhi sultans about 9 years
• •Mughals to Aurangzeb about 27
• •All Mughals about 16

Shows how violent Sultanate successions were.

Reshaping India's Political Map: map work

The places on the official CBSE map list for this chapter. Find each one on an outline map of India and practise marking it.

How the school exam asks Reshaping India's Political Map

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Tricks to remember Reshaping India's Political Map

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

• Sultanate dynasties

  'My Kite Taught Sam Long': Mamluk, Khilji, Tughlaq, Sayyid, Lodi.

  Use it when: Order of the five dynasties.

• Deccan Sultanates

  'BB-GAB': Bijapur, Bidar, Golconda, Ahmednagar, Berar.

  Use it when: Naming the five sultanates.

• Akbar's officials

  'Don't Make Kids Sad': Diwan (money), Mir Bakhshi (military), Khan-i-Saman (works and household), Sadr (justice, religion).

  Use it when: Mughal administration table.

• Battle years ladder

  Panipat '26 and '56 (30 years apart); Talikota '65; Haldighati '76: add about 10 each step.

  Use it when: 16th-century battles.

• Sikh milestones

  'Nanak → Arjan (Granth) → Hargobind (army) → Tegh Bahadur (1675) → Gobind Singh (Khalsa 1699) → Ranjit Singh (1799)'.

  Use it when: Rise of the Sikhs in sequence.

Reshaping India's Political Map: exam-level solved questions

Ordered from exam level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Case-study practice (Section E style)

Read the situation, then answer every part. In a school exam set on the board pattern this is a 4-mark question split into 1 + 1 + 2 marks.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is split into step marks. Show every step: a right final answer alone rarely earns full marks.

Where students lose marks in Reshaping India's Political Map

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

• ✗Mistake: Listing the Sultanate dynasties out of order

  Memorised as a set, not a sequence.

  Wrong working

  Khilji, Mamluk, Lodi, Tughlaq, Sayyid.

  Right working

  Mamluk, Khilji, Tughlaq, Sayyid, Lodi.

  ✓Do this: Use the mnemonic 'My Kite Taught Sam Long'.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

• ✗Mistake: Saying Maharana Pratap won at Haldighati

  Mixing up heroism with the battle result.

  Wrong working

  Maharana Pratap defeated the Mughals at Haldighati in 1576.

  Right working

  The Mughal army had the upper hand at Haldighati, but Maharana Pratap escaped and continued guerrilla warfare for years.

  ✓Do this: Separate the battle's result from the long resistance.

  Usually costs: 1-2 marks.

• ✗Mistake: Confusing iqta with mansabdari

  Both involve nobles and land.

  Wrong working

  The mansabdari system was introduced by the Delhi Sultans.

  Right working

  Iqta was the Sultanate's system of tax-collecting territories; mansabdari was Akbar's rank system in which officers kept troops and were paid in jagirs.

  ✓Do this: Sultanate = iqta; Akbar = mansab.

  Usually costs: 1-2 marks.

• ✗Mistake: Giving a one-sided picture of Akbar

  Remembering only sulh-i-kul or only Chittor.

  Wrong working

  Akbar was always tolerant towards everyone.

  Right working

  The book describes his reign as a blend of brutality (Chittor, early conquests) and tolerance (abolishing jizya, sulh-i-kul) that grew over time.

  ✓Do this: Show both sides and the change over time.

  Usually costs: 2 marks in a long answer.

• ✗Mistake: Blaming present-day communities for past events

  Not reading the 'Note on History's Darker Periods'.

  Wrong working

  People today must answer for these invasions.

  Right working

  We study the facts and remember the victims, but no one today bears responsibility for deeds of individuals centuries ago.

  ✓Do this: Write with detachment and sensitivity.

  Usually costs: Marks for balance in evaluative answers.

NCERT exercise guide: Reshaping India's Political Map

What each exercise in the NCERT chapter tests, how to approach it, and a question of the same kind solved step by step. Questions here are written in our own words.

Practice questions on Reshaping India's Political Map

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQExam level

   Who wrote the Telugu epic Āmuktamālyada?
   (a) Harihara (b) Krishnadevaraya (c) Vidyaranya (d) Ramaraya

   Hint

   Vijayanagara's peak.

   Answer

   (b) Krishnadevaraya

2. Q2 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level

   Name the battle in which Babur defeated Rana Sanga.

   Hint

   Not Panipat.

   Answer

   The Battle of Khanwa.

3. Q3 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level

   What was the Razmnama?

   Hint

   Translation house.

   Answer

   The Persian translation of the Mahābhārata ('Book of War') made at Akbar's translation house in Fatehpur Sikri.

4. Q4 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level

   Which Sikh Guru was beheaded in Chandni Chowk in 1675?

   Hint

   Ninth Guru.

   Answer

   Guru Tegh Bahadur.

5. Q5 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

   Ala-ud-din Khilji's coins carried the Persian title 'Sikander Sani'. What message was he sending to his subjects and rivals with this title?

   Hint

   Fig. 2.6 and his campaigns.

   Answer

   He saw himself as a great world conqueror like Alexander: he led campaigns over large parts of north and central India, pushed south through Malik Kafur and repelled the Mongols, so the title projected his power and ambition.

6. Q6 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

   What new military technology helped Babur win at Panipat, and why did it matter?

   Hint

   Fig. 2.15 shows cannons.

   Answer

   Gunpowder, field artillery and matchlock guns, recently introduced in India. They gave Babur's smaller army a decisive advantage over Ibrahim Lodi's forces and ended the Delhi Sultanate.

7. Q7 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

   How did temples act as centres of economic activity in this period? Give three points.

   Hint

   Dāna, infrastructure, credit.

   Answer

   Rulers donated land and wealth (dāna) to temple deities, managed in trust; temple managers built irrigation, tanks and pilgrim lodgings (dharmashālās, chhatrams); temples gave credit to merchants and funded inland and overseas trade; markets grew around them (any three).

8. Q8 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder exam level

   Assertion (A): Maharana Pratap continued to resist the Mughals after Haldighati.
   Reason (R): The Mughal army was completely destroyed at Haldighati.
   (a) Both true, R explains A (b) Both true, R does not explain A (c) A true, R false (d) A false, R true

   Hint

   Who had the upper hand?

   Answer

   (c) A is true, R is false: the Mughals had the upper hand at Haldighati; Pratap escaped and fought on through guerrilla warfare.

9. Q9 · 2 marks · Source-basedHOTS / competency

   In his last letters Aurangzeb wrote that he had not done well for the country and the people. What does this suggest about him at the end of his life?

   Hint

   Tone of regret.

   Answer

   It suggests regret, loneliness and a sense of failure: after decades of war and an empire stretched to its limit, he felt helpless and doubtful about the future.

10. Q10 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

    The Musunuri Nayakas united over 75 chieftains to drive the Sultanate army out of Warangal. Why would this have been difficult, and what does it show?

    Hint

    Communication, trust, rivalry.

    Answer

    It was hard because chieftains were often rivals, communication was slow and each had his own interests, so building trust and agreeing on a leader took great skill. It shows that a shared threat could unite local powers and that organised regional resistance could defeat a powerful empire.

11. Q11 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

    Value-based: choose one value of early Sikhism (equality, seva or justice) and explain how it can be practised in your school.

    Hint

    Concrete action.

    Answer

    Seva (selfless service): just as langar serves everyone alike, students could volunteer to help younger children read, clean the campus or serve at events without expecting reward. This builds humility and community, values the Gurus taught.

12. Q12 · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

    Why can the Battle of Talikota (1565) be called a turning point for south India? Explain what happened in and after the battle, and contrast the city before and after it.

    Hint

    Coalition, sack, Nayakas; Paes's city versus the ruins.

    Answer

    Before: under Krishnadevaraya (died 1529) Vijayanagara dominated the Deccan; its capital at Hampi struck Domingo Paes as large as Rome and the best provided city in the world, with grand temples such as Vitthala and busy markets. The battle: in 1565 the Deccan Sultanates formed a coalition and defeated the Vijayanagara army led by Ramaraya. After: the city was sacked over several months; houses, palaces and most temples were destroyed, many civilians were killed and the capital was left in ruins. The empire broke into smaller regions ruled by Nayakas (former military governors) and came to an end in the mid-17th century. So one battle ended Vijayanagara's dominance and reshaped the political map of the south.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1. 1.In which year was the Delhi Sultanate established?Show answer

   1206.

2. 2.Whose coin calls him 'Sikander Sani'?Show answer

   Ala-ud-din Khilji's.

3. 3.To which city did Muhammad bin Tughlaq shift his capital?Show answer

   Daulatabad (then Devagiri).

4. 4.Who built the Sūrya temple at Konark?Show answer

   Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty.

5. 5.Who founded the Vijayanagara kingdom?Show answer

   The brothers Harihara and Bukka Raya.

6. 6.Which Portuguese traveller compared Vijayanagara to Rome?Show answer

   Domingo Paes.

7. 7.Whom did Babur defeat at Panipat in 1526?Show answer

   Ibrahim Lodi.

8. 8.What does sulh-i-kul mean?Show answer

   Peace with all; tolerance of all faiths.

9. 9.Who introduced the land and revenue survey under Akbar?Show answer

   Todar Mal.

10. 10.What was the Ahom paik system?Show answer

    Every able-bodied man served the state with labour or military duty in return for land rights.

11. 11.Who led the Ahoms at Saraighat in 1671?Show answer

    Lachit Borphukan.

12. 12.When did Guru Gobind Singh form the Khalsa?Show answer

    1699.

13. 13.What was a hundi?Show answer

    A written instruction to pay someone, used to transfer money without carrying currency.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

• ☐Medieval in this book = 11th-17th centuries; the term fits Europe better than India.
• ☐Delhi Sultanate (1206): Mamluk, Khilji, Tughlaq, Sayyid, Lodi; average reign about 9 years.
• ☐Khilji: repelled Mongols; Malik Kafur raided the south.
• ☐Tughlaq: capital to Daulatabad and back; token currency failed.
• ☐Timur sacked Delhi (1398).
• ☐Resisters: Eastern Gangas (Konark), Musunuri Nayakas (Warangal), Hoysalas, Rana Kumbha (Kumbhalgarh).
• ☐Vijayanagara (1336): Harihara and Bukka; peak under Krishnadevaraya; Talikota 1565.
• ☐Babur: Panipat 1526 with guns and artillery; Baburnama.
• ☐Akbar: Chittor; then marriage alliances, jizya abolished, sulh-i-kul, translations; mansabdari.
• ☐Aurangzeb: 1658-1707; greatest extent; Deccan wars; jizya reimposed; decline after his death.
• ☐Resistance: Jats, tribes, Rani Durgavati, Maharana Pratap and Bhils, Durga Das Rathore, Ahoms (Saraighat 1671), Sikhs (Khalsa 1699; Ranjit Singh).
• ☐Economy: revenue one-fifth (up to one-half), ports, hundi, temples as economic hubs; late-1600s stress.

Reshaping India's Political Map: frequently asked questions