Ancient & Medieval Bengal: Palas to Nawabs: questions and answers
Study every question with its correct answer and explanation.
1. Who founded the Pala dynasty in Bengal in the mid-8th century?
- A. Dharmapala
- B. Devapala
- C. Gopala
- D. Mahipala I
Answer: Gopala
Gopala was chosen by local chiefs around the mid-8th century to end a long period of anarchy known as 'matsyanyaya' (the law of the fish). The Buddhist Pala dynasty he founded ruled Bengal and Bihar for about four centuries.
2. Which Pala king built the Somapura Mahavihara at Paharpur?
- A. Dharmapala
- B. Gopala
- C. Devapala
- D. Ramapala
Answer: Dharmapala
Dharmapala, Gopala's son, built the great Somapura Mahavihara in present-day Naogaon district in the late 8th century. He also founded the Vikramashila monastery in Bihar, another major Buddhist centre of learning.
3. Which Sena ruler fled from Nadia when Bakhtiyar Khalji raided it in the early 13th century?
- A. Vijaya Sena
- B. Ballal Sena
- C. Hemanta Sena
- D. Lakshmana Sena
Answer: Lakshmana Sena
Bakhtiyar Khalji's surprise raid on Nadia (Nudiya) around 1204–05 forced Lakshmana Sena to flee east, where Sena rule continued around Vikrampur for some time. The raid is traditionally seen as the beginning of Muslim rule in Bengal.
4. Which Sena king is traditionally credited with introducing Kulinism (Kaulinya pratha) into Bengali society?
- A. Vijaya Sena
- B. Ballal Sena
- C. Lakshmana Sena
- D. Keshava Sena
Answer: Ballal Sena
Tradition credits Ballal Sena, son of Vijaya Sena, with introducing Kulinism, a system that ranked families by social status. The Senas are believed to have come originally from Karnata in southern India, and Vijaya Sena established their power in Bengal.
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5. Who declared independence at Sonargaon in 1338, beginning the era of the independent Sultanate of Bengal?
- A. Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah
- B. Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah
- C. Alauddin Husain Shah
- D. Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah
Answer: Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah
Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah proclaimed independence from the Delhi Sultanate at Sonargaon in 1338, beginning about two centuries of independent sultanate rule. Later, Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah united the whole of Bengal in 1352 and took the title 'Shah-i-Bangalah'.
6. Sultan Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah of Bengal is famous for his exchange with which Persian poet?
- A. Hafiz
- B. Saadi
- C. Rumi
- D. Firdausi
Answer: Hafiz
Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah of the Ilyas Shahi dynasty invited the Persian poet Hafiz of Shiraz to Bengal, and Hafiz is said to have replied with a ghazal praising the sultan's court. The sultan also exchanged embassies with Ming China.
7. Who built the Shat Gambuj (Sixty Dome) Mosque in Bagerhat?
- A. Isa Khan
- B. Shaista Khan
- C. Alauddin Husain Shah
- D. Khan Jahan Ali
Answer: Khan Jahan Ali
The Shat Gambuj Mosque was built in the 15th century by Khan Jahan Ali, who founded the town of Khalifatabad in the Bagerhat region. Despite its name, the mosque's roof has 77 domes, supported by 60 stone pillars.
8. Who was the leading figure among the Baro-Bhuiyans, the chieftains who resisted Mughal rule in Bengal in the late 16th century?
- A. Pratapaditya
- B. Kedar Rai
- C. Isa Khan
- D. Chand Rai
Answer: Isa Khan
Isa Khan, based around Sonargaon, was the most powerful of the Baro-Bhuiyans and held out against Emperor Akbar's generals. His son Musa Khan continued the resistance until he submitted to the Mughal subahdar Islam Khan around 1611.
9. In which year did Subahdar Islam Khan make Dhaka the capital of Mughal Bengal, naming it Jahangirnagar?
- A. 1610
- B. 1576
- C. 1666
- D. 1704
Answer: 1610
Islam Khan Chishti moved the provincial capital to Dhaka in 1610 and named it Jahangirnagar after Emperor Jahangir. Later, the rule of subahdar Shaista Khan became legendary for cheap rice — said to be eight maunds for one taka.
10. Which ruler moved the capital of Bengal from Dhaka to Murshidabad in the early 18th century?
- A. Shaista Khan
- B. Alivardi Khan
- C. Murshid Quli Khan
- D. Siraj-ud-Daulah
Answer: Murshid Quli Khan
Murshid Quli Khan, first as diwan and later as nawab, shifted the seat of government from Dhaka to Maksudabad, which was renamed Murshidabad after him. The era of the Nawabs of Bengal he began effectively ended with Siraj-ud-Daulah's defeat at Palashi (Plassey) in 1757.