With reference to Indian history, consider the following statements :
- 1.The first Mongol invasion of India happened during the reign of Jalal-ud-din Khalji.
- 2.During the reign of Ala-ud-din Khalji, one Mongol assault marched up to Delhi and besieged the city.
- 3.Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq temporarily lost portions of north-west of his kingdom to Mongols.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Show answer
Answer: B. Statement 1 is wrong: the first Mongol invasion came in 1221 under Chengiz Khan, during Iltutmish's reign. Statement 2 is correct: in Ala-ud-din Khalji's reign, the Mongols under Targhi besieged Delhi in 1303. Statement 3 is wrong: Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq faced the Mongol raid of Tarmashirin (around 1327) but did not lose north-western land to the Mongols. So 2 only.
Watch for: Jalal-ud-din Khalji did fight the Mongols, which makes students think the first invasion was in his reign.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong because the first Mongol invasion was in Iltutmish's time.
- C. Wrong because statement 1 is incorrect and Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq did not lose territory to the Mongols.
- D. Wrong because statement 2 is correct.
Source to check: Satish Chandra, History of Medieval India, chapter on the Delhi Sultanat and the Mongols; NCERT Class 7 Our Pasts II, Chapter 3
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.