Foreign invasions in this period were unprecedented in scale because many invaders came from:

Central Asia (Turkic or Afghan)

A key theme of the chapter’s ‘Big Questions’ is to understand:

Reshaping of boundaries, social response, economy, and people’s lives

What feature is noted about the Quwwat‑ul‑Islam mosque’s construction?

Built entirely new without reused material

Used materials from 27 destroyed Hindu and Jain temples

Which of the following lists the five Delhi Sultanate dynasties correctly?

Mamluk, Khalji, Tughlaq, Sayyid, Lodi

Ghaznavid, Ghurid, Khalji, Mughal, Lodi

Khalji, Tughlaq, Maratha, Mughal, Sikh

Mamluk, Gupta, Tughlaq, Mughal, Lodi

Which economic measure of Muhammad bin Tughlaq caused confusion?

Token currency with copper declared equal to silver

Which pair correctly matches titles?

Narapati – Vijayanagara kings

A key military innovation Babur used at Panipat was:

Gunpowder artillery and matchlocks

Which policy did Akbar promote for religious tolerance?

Sulh‑i‑kul (peace with all)

Which statement on Aurangzeb aligns with the chapter?

Reimposed jizya and banned court music/dance

NCERT Solutions Class 8 Social Science - Exploring Society India and Beyond Chapter 2 – Reshaping India’s Political Map

Name: Reshaping India’s Political Map – Class 8 Social Science - Exploring Society India and Beyond
Uploaded: 2026-04-15
Description: From the 11th to 17th century, India witnessed foreign invasions, rise and fall of dynasties, and political instability. Despite wars and economic hardships, society adapted, preserving culture and flourishing in trade, art, and architecture.

Class 8 Social Science - Exploring Society India and Beyond

Last Updated: 15 April 2026

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Chapter Introduction

From the 11th to 17th century, India witnessed foreign invasions, rise and fall of dynasties, and political instability. Despite wars and economic hardships, society adapted, preserving culture and flourishing in trade, art, and architecture.

हिंदी में (Hindi)

11वीं से 17वीं सदी तक भारत में विदेशी आक्रमण, वंशों का उत्थान-पतन और राजनीतिक अस्थिरता देखने को मिली। युद्धों और आर्थिक कठिनाइयों के बावजूद समाज ने अनुकूलन किया और संस्कृति, व्यापार, कला और वास्तुकला में समृद्धि हासिल की।

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Important Points

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Practice MCQ Questions (60 questions)

Q1. In this chapter, 'medieval' India refers roughly to which centuries?

Q2. Why is using the same term 'medieval' for Europe and India not ideal?

Q3. What is the suggested way to use dates in the 'Tapestry of the Past' chapters?

Q4. Why does the chapter prefer the term 'image' over 'idol' or 'icon'?

Q5. Which statement about spellings is correct?

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Tough Words (Glossary)

medieval

Meaning: Relating to the Middle Ages; roughly 11th–17th centuries in this chapter

अर्थ: मध्यकालीन

"Delhi saw many medieval rulers and wars."

invasion

Meaning: An attack by one country or group entering another’s land by force

अर्थ: आक्रमण

"The invasion changed the kingdom’s borders."

dynasty

Meaning: A line of rulers from the same family

अर्थ: वंश

"The Tughlaq dynasty ruled Delhi for several decades."

Renaissance

Meaning: A period of European cultural revival in the 14th–16th centuries

अर्थ: पुनर्जागरण

"The Renaissance inspired new art and learning."

transcribe

Meaning: To write something down from another script or form

अर्थ: लिप्यंतरण करना

"Names in Persian were hard to transcribe into Roman letters."

unprecedented

Meaning: Never done or known before

अर्थ: अभूतपूर्व

"The raids caused unprecedented damage to cities."

territorial

Meaning: Related to land or area under control

अर्थ: क्षेत्रीय

"Sultans fought for territorial expansion."

plunder

Meaning: To steal goods by force during war

अर्थ: लूट

"Armies took plunder from captured towns."

iconoclasm

Meaning: The destruction of religious images or symbols

अर्थ: मूर्तिभंजन

"Some attacks involved iconoclasm in temples."

succession

Meaning: The process of one ruler following another

अर्थ: उत्तराधिकार/ सिंहासन-परिवर्तन

"Succession struggles often turned violent."

apparatus

Meaning: The complex structure or system for a purpose

अर्थ: तंत्र/ व्यवस्था

"Plunder funded the military apparatus."

counterfeit

Meaning: Made in imitation to deceive; fake

अर्थ: नकली

"People made counterfeit copper coins."

token currency

Meaning: Coins or notes declared to have value greater than their material

अर्थ: प्रतीक मुद्रा

"Token currency confused traders at first."

memoir

Meaning: A historical account written from personal knowledge

अर्थ: संस्मरण

"Babur’s memoir describes early battles."

luxurious

Meaning: Very comfortable and costly

अर्थ: विलासपूर्ण

"Courtiers lived in luxurious palaces."

discriminatory

Meaning: Treating people unfairly based on group

अर्थ: भेदभावपूर्ण

"The jizya was seen as discriminatory by many."

jizya

Meaning: A tax on non-Muslims under some rulers

अर्थ: जिज़्या (गैर-मुसलमानों पर लगाया जाने वाला कर)

"Akbar abolished the jizya for a time."

coalition

Meaning: A temporary alliance for combined action

अर्थ: गठबंधन

"The Deccan Sultanates formed a coalition at Talikota."

autonomy

Meaning: Self-government or independence

अर्थ: स्वायत्तता

"Some governors declared autonomy from Delhi."

siege

Meaning: A military blockade to force a surrender

अर्थ: घेरा/ घेरेबंदी

"Chittor faced a long siege by Mughal forces."

massacre

Meaning: The killing of many people at once

अर्थ: नरसंहार

"The city suffered a terrible massacre."

nostalgic

Meaning: Feeling longing for the past

अर्थ: स्मृतिमुग्ध/ पुरानी यादों में डूबा

"Babur was nostalgic for Central Asia."

tolerance

Meaning: Willingness to allow others’ beliefs

अर्थ: सहनशीलता

"Akbar promoted religious tolerance."

doctrine

Meaning: A set of beliefs taught by a leader

अर्थ: सिद्धांत/ नीति

"He announced the doctrine of sulh-i kul."

translate

Meaning: To express words in another language

अर्थ: अनुवाद करना

"Scholars helped translate Sanskrit texts into Persian."

miniature painting

Meaning: A very detailed small painting

अर्थ: सूक्ष्म चित्रकला/ लघु चित्र

"Miniature paintings illustrated the Ramayana."

austere

Meaning: Simple and strict; not luxurious

अर्थ: संयमी/ सादा

"Aurangzeb lived an austere life."

edict

Meaning: An official order or command

अर्थ: फ़रमान

"The edict ordered certain temples demolished."

persecution

Meaning: Hostile treatment, especially for beliefs

अर्थ: उत्पीड़न

"Several groups faced persecution under some rulers."

martyrdom

Meaning: Dying for one’s beliefs or cause

अर्थ: शहादत

"Guru Tegh Bahadur chose martyrdom over conversion."

confederacy

Meaning: A union of groups for common action

अर्थ: संघ/ महासंघ

"Many chieftains formed a confederacy against Delhi."

guerrilla warfare

Meaning: Hit‑and‑run fighting by small groups

अर्थ: गुरिल्ला युद्ध

"Maharana Pratap used guerrilla warfare from the hills."

terrain

Meaning: The physical features of land

अर्थ: भू-आकृति/ स्थल-आकृति

"Knowledge of river terrain helped the Ahoms."

versatility

Meaning: Ability to do many different things well

अर्थ: बहु-कौशल/ बहुमुखी प्रतिभा

"Their versatility amazed the Mughal general."

administer

Meaning: To manage or govern

अर्थ: शासन करना/ प्रबंधन करना

"Officials administer provinces called subahs."

iqta

Meaning: Territory assigned to collect revenue for the state

अर्थ: इक़्ता (राजस्व हेतु दी गई जागीर जैसी व्यवस्था)

"Nobles held an iqta to fund troops."

mansabdari

Meaning: Akbar’s system of ranking officials by their posts and troop quotas

अर्थ: मनसबदारी व्यवस्था

"The mansabdari system allowed quick army musters."

jagir

Meaning: Land assigned for revenue to pay officials

अर्थ: जागीर

"Mansabdars were paid through jagirs."

subah

Meaning: A large province of the Mughal Empire

अर्थ: सूबह (प्रांत)

"Each subah had its own set of officers."

wazir

Meaning: A high minister; often the chief minister

अर्थ: वज़ीर/ प्रधान मंत्री

"Himu served as wazir before his brief rule."

Diwan

Meaning: Finance minister or office of revenue

अर्थ: दीवान (वित्त मंत्री/ विभाग)

"The Diwan supervised revenue collection."

revenue

Meaning: Money collected by the state, often as tax

अर्थ: राजस्व

"Land revenue supported the army."

denomination

Meaning: Face value or category of a coin or note

अर्थ: मूल्यवर्ग

"Coins of different denominations circulated."

agrarian

Meaning: Related to farming and land

अर्थ: कृषि‑संबंधी

"India’s agrarian economy was very productive."

hundi

Meaning: A traditional bill of exchange used by merchants

अर्थ: हुण्डी (विनिमय पत्र)

"Merchants used a hundi instead of carrying cash."

conflict

Meaning: A serious disagreement or fight

अर्थ: संघर्ष/ टकराव

"Conflicts often arose over sacred sites."

resilience

Meaning: Ability to recover from difficulties

अर्थ: लचीलापन/ पुनर्स्थापन क्षमता

"Towns showed resilience after wars."

patronage

Meaning: Support given by a ruler to arts or people

अर्थ: संरक्षण

"Artists flourished under royal patronage."

calligraphy

Meaning: Beautiful handwriting as an art

अर्थ: सुलेख कला

"Calligraphy decorated many manuscripts."

succumb

Meaning: To give in or be defeated

अर्थ: हार मानना/ परास्त होना

"Some forts refused to succumb for months."

NCERT Solutions Class 8 Social Science - Exploring Society India and Beyond Chapter 2 – Reshaping India’s Political Map

Chapter Introduction

Watch Video Lecture

Important Points

Practice MCQ Questions (60 questions)

Q1. In this chapter, 'medieval' India refers roughly to which centuries?

Q2. Why is using the same term 'medieval' for Europe and India not ideal?

Q3. What is the suggested way to use dates in the 'Tapestry of the Past' chapters?

Q4. Why does the chapter prefer the term 'image' over 'idol' or 'icon'?

Q5. Which statement about spellings is correct?

Q6. Which landmark is highlighted at the chapter’s start?

Q7. Foreign invasions in this period were unprecedented in scale because many invaders came from:

Q8. A key theme of the chapter’s ‘Big Questions’ is to understand:

Q9. Which figure compares territories of dynasties like the Tughlaqs and Lodis?

Q10. What feature is noted about the Quwwat‑ul‑Islam mosque’s construction?

Q11. Whose defeat in 1192 paved the way for the Delhi Sultanate?

Q12. Which of the following lists the five Delhi Sultanate dynasties correctly?

Q13. What characterised successions in the Sultanate period?

Q14. Which title on Ala‑ud‑din Khalji’s coins proclaimed him ‘the second Alexander’?

Q15. Who expanded the Sultanate southwards and financed it with plundered wealth?

Q16. Which ruler attempted shifting the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad?

Q17. Which economic measure of Muhammad bin Tughlaq caused confusion?

Q18. A typical average reign of a Delhi sultan was about:

Q19. Which tax was sometimes imposed on non‑Muslims for protection and exemption from military service?

Q20. Who invaded Delhi at the end of the 14th century, leaving it in ruins?

Q21. Which kingdom successfully resisted the Delhi Sultanate in Kalinga?

Q22. Which ruler commemorated victories by building the Konark Sun Temple?

Q23. Which southern dynasty remained independent for long but later merged into Vijayanagara?

Q24. Which fort in Rajasthan is known for its ~36‑km long wall?

Q25. The Bahmani Sultanate eventually fragmented into:

Q26. Which figure shows Hoysala temple art (Belur/Halebidu)?

Q27. Which term in royal titles means ‘lord’ or ‘master’?

Q28. Which pair correctly matches titles?

Q29. Which event dealt a decisive blow to Vijayanagara in 1565?

Q30. Which travel account praised Vijayanagara as ‘best provided city’?

Q31. Which battle in 1526 ended Lodi rule and began Mughal power?

Q32. A key military innovation Babur used at Panipat was:

Q33. Which leader briefly captured Delhi as Hemchandra Vikramaditya?

Q34. Which Rajput fort did Akbar besiege, followed by a massacre and jauhar?

Q35. Which policy did Akbar promote for religious tolerance?

Q36. Which tax did Akbar abolish that Aurangzeb later reimposed?

Q37. Which city did Akbar build that housed a 'house of translation'?

Q38. Which Sanskrit epic did Akbar commission into Persian as the Razmnama?

Q39. Under whose reign did the Mughal Empire reach widest territorial extent?

Q40. Which statement on Aurangzeb aligns with the chapter?

Q41. Which system enabled the Ahoms to mobilise labour and soldiers?

Q42. Who led the Ahoms to victory at Saraighat (1671)?

Q43. Approximate relative sizes at Saraighat were:

Q44. Which Rajput ruler unified clans but lost to Babur at Khanwa?

Q45. Who led prolonged guerrilla resistance from the Aravallis after Haldighati?

Q46. Which tribal community notably aided Mewar’s forces?

Q47. Which queen of Garha fought the Mughals and died on the battlefield (1564)?

Q48. Which gurudwara marks the beheading of Guru Tegh Bahadur in 1675?

Q49. Which administrative land‑assignment system did the Delhi Sultanate use?

Q50. Which Mughal system ranked officers and required them to maintain troops?

Q51. Which department head managed finances under Akbar?

Q52. Who reformed Mughal revenue by detailed land surveys and crop pricing?

Q53. What were mansabdars commonly paid with?

Q54. Which coins are correctly matched to metal?

Q55. Typical land revenue demanded was:

Q56. Which ports were major points for Indian exports?

Q57. What is a hundi?

Q58. Temples often acted as:

Q59. Which sentence best captures the chapter’s view of society?

Q60. Which visual feature at the Vitthala temple is famed for ‘musical pillars’?