CDS 2014 (I)

Medieval Chronicles

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

Match the following: **List I (Text)** A. Kitab-al-Hind B. Rehla C. Humayun Nama D. Badshah Nama **List II (Author)** 1. Ibn Battuta 2. Al-Biruni 3. Lahori 4. Gulbadan Begum

Solution & Analysis

Answer: D

Concept This matching reinforces the identification of primary chronicles that define our understanding of the Sultanate and Mughal periods.

Explanation
Al-Biruni: Wrote *Kitab-al-Hind* (Arabic) in the 11th century.
Ibn Battuta: Wrote *Rehla* (Arabic) in the 14th century.
Gulbadan Begum: Authored *Humayun Nama* (Persian) in the 16th century.
Abdul Hamid Lahori: Wrote *Badshah Nama* (Persian) in the 17th century.

Logical Breakup
A-2: Al-Biruni’s study is a cornerstone of Indology.
B-1: Rehla is a key source for Tughlaq-era social history.
C-4: Humayun Nama provides an intimate look into early Mughal family life.
D-3: Badshah Nama is the official visual and textual history of Shah Jahan’s reign.

Active Recall

Question

Who was the author of the official history of Shah Jahan?

Answer

Abdul Hamid Lahori, who wrote the 'Badshah Nama' (or Padshah Nama).

Core Insight

These texts show the linguistic shift from Arabic (Al-Biruni/Battuta) to Persian (Gulbadan/Lahori) in documenting Indian history.