Ghurid Dynasty MCQs (60+) with Answers for CSS, PMS & Competitive Exams
1. The Ghurid dynasty had its original homeland in _____.
Correct Answer: C. Ghur (central Afghanistan)
Explanation: The Ghurid dynasty originated in the mountainous region of Ghur in central Afghanistan, which gave the dynasty its name.
2. The most famous ruler of the Ghurid dynasty who conquered India was _____.
Correct Answer: C. Muizzuddin Muhammad (Muhammad of Ghor)
Explanation: Muizzuddin Muhammad bin Sam, commonly known as Muhammad of Ghor or Muhammad Ghori, was the Ghurid ruler who conquered northern India and laid the foundation of Muslim rule.
3. The First Battle of Tarain was fought between Muhammad Ghori and Prithviraj Chauhan in _____.
Correct Answer: A. 1191 AD
Explanation: The First Battle of Tarain was fought in 1191 AD in which Prithviraj Chauhan defeated Muhammad Ghori, who was wounded and retreated.
4. The Second Battle of Tarain was fought in _____.
Correct Answer: B. 1192 AD
Explanation: In the Second Battle of Tarain (1192 AD), Muhammad Ghori avenged his earlier defeat by decisively defeating Prithviraj Chauhan, who was captured and later killed.
5. The result of the Second Battle of Tarain (1192 AD) was _____.
Correct Answer: B. Muhammad Ghori won
Explanation: Muhammad Ghori’s decisive victory at the Second Battle of Tarain opened the entire Gangetic plain to Muslim conquest, effectively ending Rajput supremacy in northern India.
6. Who was the general of Muhammad Ghori who was left in charge of India after his campaigns?
Correct Answer: C. Qutbuddin Aybak
Explanation: Qutbuddin Aybak was Muhammad Ghori’s most trusted general and slave-commander who administered the conquered Indian territories, later founding the Delhi Sultanate (Slave Dynasty).
7. Muhammad Ghori was assassinated in the year _____.
Correct Answer: C. 1206 AD
Explanation: Muhammad Ghori was assassinated on 15 March 1206 AD while returning to Ghazni, near Damyak (modern Pakistan), reportedly by Khokhars (others say Ismaili assassins).
8. The Ghurid victory at the Battle of Ghazni (1175 AD) was against _____.
Correct Answer: B. Ghaznavids
Explanation: The Ghurids defeated the declining Ghaznavids and captured Ghazni, establishing themselves as the dominant power in the region.
9. The general of Muhammad Ghori who conquered Bengal and Bihar was _____.
Correct Answer: C. Bakhtiyar Khilji (Muhammad Bakhtiyar)
Explanation: Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji, a commander under Muhammad Ghori, conquered Bihar (1193) and Bengal (1203), destroying the ancient Nalanda University.
10. The Ghurid dynasty ruler who was known as “World Burner” for burning the Ghaznavid capital was _____.
Correct Answer: A. Alauddin Husain (Jahan-suz)
Explanation: Alauddin Husain earned the title “Jahan-suz” (World Burner) after he burned the city of Ghazni for seven days in revenge for the killing of his brothers by the Ghaznavids.
11. The Ghurid dynasty ruled from which capital in Afghanistan?
Correct Answer: C. Firuzkuh
Explanation: Firuzkuh (also spelled Firozkoh) was the summer capital and main seat of the Ghurid dynasty in central Afghanistan.
12. After Muhammad Ghori’s death, the Indian territories came under the control of _____.
Correct Answer: B. Qutbuddin Aybak
Explanation: After Muhammad Ghori’s assassination, his slave-general Qutbuddin Aybak established independent control over India, founding the Delhi Sultanate in 1206 AD.
13. The Battle of Chandawar (1194 AD) was fought between Muhammad Ghori and _____.
Correct Answer: C. Jaichand (Gahadavala ruler of Varanasi)
Explanation: After defeating Prithviraj at Tarain, Muhammad Ghori defeated Jaichand, the Rajput ruler of Varanasi and Kanauj, at the Battle of Chandawar in 1194 AD.
14. The famous Qutub Minar in Delhi was started by which Ghurid commander?
Correct Answer: B. Qutbuddin Aybak
Explanation: Qutbuddin Aybak began the construction of Qutub Minar in 1193 AD in honor of the Sufi saint Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, and it was completed by Iltutmish.
15. Muhammad Ghori’s first invasion of India targeted _____.
Correct Answer: B. Multan and Sindh
Explanation: Muhammad Ghori’s first attack on India in 1175 AD was against Multan and Sindh, which were relatively easier targets.
16. The Ghurid defeat at the Battle of Mount Abu (1178 AD) was at the hands of _____.
Correct Answer: A. Mularaja II of Gujarat (Chaulukyas)
Explanation: Muhammad Ghori suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Mount Abu (Kayadara) in 1178 AD against Mularaja II of Gujarat, which taught him to approach India from the north through Punjab.
17. The Ghurid dynasty is also known as _____.
Correct Answer: B. Shansabani dynasty
Explanation: The Ghurid dynasty is formally known as the Shansabani dynasty, after Shansab, the eponymous ancestor of the dynasty.
18. Muhammad Ghori’s full name was _____.
Correct Answer: B. Muizzuddin Muhammad bin Sam
Explanation: Muhammad Ghori’s full name was Muizzuddin Muhammad bin Sam (also written as Mu’izz ad-Din Muhammad). His brother was Ghiyasuddin Muhammad, the supreme sultan of the empire.
19. which dynasty was ruling in Delhi at the time of Muhammad Ghori’s invasions?
Correct Answer: C. Tomara and then Chahamana (Chauhan)
Explanation: The Tomara Rajputs had earlier controlled Delhi, and by the time of Muhammad Ghori’s invasions, Delhi was under the control of Prithviraj Chauhan (Chahamana dynasty).
20. The Nalanda University, the great Buddhist institution, was destroyed by _____.
Correct Answer: C. Bakhtiyar Khilji
Explanation: Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji, Ghori’s commander in Bihar, destroyed the famous Nalanda University around 1193 AD, a devastating blow to Buddhist learning in India.
21. Where was Muhammad Ghori assassinated?
Correct Answer: C. Damyak, near Jhelum (Pakistan)
Explanation: Muhammad Ghori was assassinated at Damyak near the Jhelum River in present-day Pakistan while returning from suppressing a Khokar rebellion.
22. The Ghurid Empire at its peak extended from _____.
Correct Answer: B. Khurasan in the west to Bengal in the east
Explanation: At its peak, the Ghurid Empire stretched from Khurasan (Persia) in the west through Afghanistan and into northern India as far as Bengal in the east.
23. The Ghurid dynasty declined after the death of Muhammad Ghori because _____.
Correct Answer: B. Muhammad Ghori had no sons and his generals broke away
Explanation: Muhammad Ghori had no male heirs, and after his death, his slave generals (including Qutbuddin Aybak, Tajuddin Yildiz, and Nasir-ud-din Qabacha) carved out independent kingdoms.
24. The Ghurid period is significant because it resulted in the establishment of _____.
Correct Answer: C. The Delhi Sultanate
Explanation: The Ghurid conquests directly led to the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate in 1206 AD under Qutbuddin Aybak, who had served as Muhammad Ghori’s viceroy in India.
25. Which Ghurid ruler made Lahore his capital in India?
Correct Answer: B. Qutbuddin Aybak
Explanation: After Muhammad Ghori’s assassination, Qutbuddin Aybak established Lahore as his capital before later shifting it to Delhi.
26. The battle in which Prithviraj Chauhan was finally captured was _____.
Correct Answer: B. Second Battle of Tarain
Explanation: Prithviraj Chauhan was captured during the Second Battle of Tarain (1192 AD) and subsequently executed, ending Rajput resistance in northern India.
27. The Ghurids were also known to have built which famous minaret in Afghanistan?
Correct Answer: B. Minaret of Jam in Ghor
Explanation: The Minaret of Jam, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was built by the Ghurids in the Ghor province of Afghanistan around 1194 AD. It is one of the finest examples of Islamic architecture.
28. Which Ghurid ruler conquered the Ghaznavid city of Ghazni and burned it?
Correct Answer: A. Alauddin Husain (Jahan-suz)
Explanation: In 1150 AD, Alauddin Husain burned Ghazni to the ground for seven days in revenge for the Ghaznavid killing of his two brothers, earning him the title “Jahan-suz” (World Burner).
29. The Ghurid dynasty was finally ended by the _____.
Correct Answer: C. Khwarazmian Empire
Explanation: The Khwarazmian Shah, Ala ud-Din Muhammad II, defeated and absorbed the remaining Ghurid territories in Khurasan by around 1215 AD, ending the Ghurid dynasty.
30. Muhammad Ghori is sometimes called the “real founder of Muslim rule in India” because _____.
Correct Answer: C. His conquests led to the permanent establishment of the Delhi Sultanate
Explanation: Unlike Mahmud of Ghazni who only raided India, Muhammad Ghori established a permanent Muslim political presence through his victories, leading directly to the Delhi Sultanate which ruled for over three centuries.
31. The city of Delhi was captured by Muhammad Ghori’s forces in _____.
Correct Answer: B. 1193 AD
Explanation: After the Second Battle of Tarain, Qutbuddin Aybak captured Delhi in 1193 AD, making it the center of Ghurid power in India.
32. What tactic did Muhammad Ghori famously use in the Second Battle of Tarain to deceive Prithviraj?
Correct Answer: B. Feigned retreat followed by flanking attack at dawn
Explanation: Muhammad Ghori employed a classic Turkic cavalry tactic – a feigned retreat to lure the enemy, then a devastating counterattack at dawn using mobile horse archers to break Prithviraj’s large but slow-moving army.
33. The total period of Ghurid rule (from Alauddin Husain to the end) approximately spans _____.
Correct Answer: B. About 65 years (1150–1215 AD)
Explanation: The Ghurid dynasty reached its peak power from about 1150 AD (Alauddin Husan’s time) to 1215 AD when the Khwarazmians absorbed them – a span of approximately 65 years of imperial power.
34. Qutbuddin Aybak founded the _____ Dynasty after Muhammad Ghori’s death.
Correct Answer: A. Slave (Mamluk) Dynasty
Explanation: Qutbuddin Aybak, a former slave of Muhammad Ghori, established the Slave (Mamluk) Dynasty in 1206 AD after declaring independence following his master’s death.
35. The Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque in Delhi was the first mosque built in India by _____.
Correct Answer: B. Qutbuddin Aybak
Explanation: Quwwat-ul-Islam (“Might of Islam”) mosque was built by Qutbuddin Aybak in 1193 AD, on the site of a demolished Hindu temple, making it the first mosque built in Delhi after the Ghurid conquest.
36. In which modern country is the Ghurid homeland (Ghur region) located?
Correct Answer: C. Afghanistan
Explanation: The Ghor province, the original homeland of the Ghurid dynasty, is in west-central Afghanistan.
37. Muhammad Ghori is buried in _____.
Correct Answer: C. Damyak (near Jhelum), Pakistan
Explanation: Muhammad Ghori was assassinated at Damyak near the Jhelum River in present-day Pakistan, and a tomb was later built at the spot of his death.
38. The Ghurid dynasty’s control over the Indus Valley came after _____.
Correct Answer: B. Defeat of the Ghaznavids (1175–1186 AD)
Explanation: The Ghurids progressively defeated the Ghaznavids and took control of their territories including Punjab and the Indus Valley between 1175 and 1186 AD.
39. The significance of the Ghurid conquest of India compared to the Ghaznavid raids was that _____.
Correct Answer: C. Ghurids established a permanent empire while Ghaznavids only raided
Explanation: This is the fundamental distinction between the two dynasties’ relationship with India. While Mahmud of Ghazni conducted plunder raids, Muhammad Ghori’s conquests led to permanent Muslim rule through the Delhi Sultanate.
40. Which Ghurid prince is associated with the conquest of Lahore in 1186 AD?
Correct Answer: B. Muhammad Ghori (Muizzuddin)
Explanation: Muhammad Ghori captured Lahore in 1186 AD, ending the last Ghaznavid stronghold in India and opening the way for further eastward expansion.
41. The role of Muhammad Ghori in Indian history is often compared to that of _____.
Correct Answer: C. Alexander the Great (as a foreign conqueror who opened a new era)
Explanation: Historians have compared Muhammad Ghori’s role to Alexander the Great’s in the sense that both were foreign conquerors whose campaigns fundamentally transformed the political landscape of the subcontinent.
42. Which famous book gives an account of the Ghurid conquests of India?
Correct Answer: B. Tabaqat-i-Nasiri
Explanation: The “Tabaqat-i-Nasiri” (Ranks of Nasiri) written by Minhaj-i-Siraj Juzjani is a key primary source for the history of the Ghurid dynasty and early Delhi Sultanate.
43. Vikramashila University (a famous center of Buddhist learning) was also destroyed during the Ghurid period by _____.
Correct Answer: C. Bakhtiyar Khilji
Explanation: Bakhtiyar Khilji destroyed both the Nalanda and Vikramashila universities in Bihar, essentially ending organized Buddhist learning in India.
44. The Ghurid empire covered large parts of modern-day _____.
Correct Answer: C. Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and India
Explanation: At its greatest extent, the Ghurid Empire covered much of present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran (Khurasan), and northern India.
45. The religious policy of Muhammad Ghori in India can be described as _____.
Correct Answer: C. Destruction of temples for strategic/religious reasons but not forced conversion of general population
Explanation: Muhammad Ghori destroyed temples and replaced them with mosques in captured cities, but the majority of the Hindu population was not forcibly converted. Dhimmis (non-Muslim subjects) were allowed to practice their religion in exchange for the jizya tax.
46. Muhammad Ghori’s brother who held the supreme position as ruler of the Ghurid Empire was _____.
Correct Answer: A. Ghiyasuddin Muhammad bin Sam
Explanation: Ghiyasuddin Muhammad bin Sam was Muhammad Ghori’s elder brother and the senior sultan of the Ghurid Empire, while Muhammad Ghori served as his viceroy for eastern campaigns.
47. The construction of which mosque in Delhi was completed by Iltutmish after being started during the Ghurid period?
Correct Answer: B. Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque
Explanation: The Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque was begun by Qutbuddin Aybak during the Ghurid period and expanded by Iltutmish and Alauddin Khilji later.
48. Who among Ghori’s three slave-generals became ruler of Sindh?
Correct Answer: C. Nasir-ud-din Qabacha
Explanation: After Muhammad Ghori’s death, his three main slave-generals divided his Indian territories: Qabacha took Sindh, Yildiz took Ghazni, and Aybak took Delhi.
49. In which year did Muhammad Ghori capture Lahore, ending Ghaznavid rule in Punjab?
Correct Answer: C. 1186 AD
Explanation: Muhammad Ghori captured Lahore in 1186 AD after defeating the last Ghaznavid ruler Khusrau Malik, thus ending 175 years of Ghaznavid presence in Punjab.
50. The Ghurid dynasty is important in history because it _____.
Correct Answer: C. Permanently ended Hindu rule in northern India and founded the Delhi Sultanate
Explanation: The Ghurid conquests (1191–1206 AD) permanently established Muslim political dominance in northern India, leading to the Delhi Sultanate which ruled for over 300 years and ultimately paved the way for the Mughal Empire.
51. Muhammad Ghori defeated the joint Hindu confederacy at the Battle of Waihind in _____.
Correct Answer: C. 1205 AD
Explanation: In 1205 AD, Muhammad Ghori defeated the rebellious Khokhars and other opposing forces at Waihind (near Attock), his last major campaign in India before his assassination in 1206 AD.
52. The Ghurid architecture style combined _____.
Correct Answer: C. Persian and Indian (Hindu-Buddhist) styles
Explanation: Ghurid architecture, as seen in the Qutb Minar complex and the Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra mosque in Ajmer, blended Persian Islamic architectural traditions with the decorative motifs of Indian art.
53. The Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra mosque at Ajmer was built on the site of a _____ institution.
Correct Answer: B. Sanskrit college (Vigraharaja’s Sanskrit Pathshala)
Explanation: The Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra mosque in Ajmer was built by Qutbuddin Aybak in 1193 AD on the ruins of a Sanskrit college (built by Vigraharaja IV) by reusing its columns and materials.
54. Prithviraj Chauhan ruled from which city?
Correct Answer: C. Ajmer and Delhi
Explanation: Prithviraj Chauhan was the ruler of Sapadalaksha (Chahamana kingdom) and controlled both Ajmer (his ancestral capital) and Delhi (his expanded territory).
55. Who among the following wrote a chronicle of Muhammad Ghori’s campaigns in India?
Correct Answer: C. Minhaj-i-Siraj Juzjani
Explanation: Minhaj-i-Siraj Juzjani wrote “Tabaqat-i-Nasiri” which remains one of the most important primary sources for the history of the Ghurid dynasty and early Delhi Sultanate.
56. The famous Qutb Minar in Delhi has a height of approximately _____.
Correct Answer: C. 73 meters
Explanation: The Qutb Minar stands approximately 72.5 meters (about 73 meters) tall, making it the tallest minaret in India and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
57. The Ghurid dynasty effectively ended Rajput domination over North India by their victory in _____.
Correct Answer: C. 1192 AD
Explanation: The Second Battle of Tarain in 1192 AD, where Prithviraj Chauhan was defeated and killed, effectively ended organized Rajput resistance and their political dominance over northern India.
58. Muhammad Ghori was sometimes referred to as “Sher-e-Islam” which means _____.
Correct Answer: B. Lion of Islam
Explanation: “Sher-e-Islam” translates to “Lion of Islam,” a title sometimes applied to Muhammad Ghori for his militant campaigns in the name of Islam.
59. Which of the following Ghurid rulers first intervened in Indian affairs?
Correct Answer: D. Both B and C acting together as brothers
Explanation: The Indian campaigns were a joint venture – Ghiyasuddin (elder brother and supreme ruler) authorized and supported while Muhammad Ghori (Muizzuddin) led the actual campaigns into India.
60. The iron pillar located in the Qutb Minar complex in Delhi was originally from which period?
Correct Answer: C. Gupta period (4th–5th century AD)
Explanation: The famous Iron Pillar in the Qutb Minar complex dates from the Gupta period (approximately 4th–5th century AD) and was likely moved from a Hindu temple to the mosque complex by Qutbuddin Aybak.