Reforms of Muhammad bin Tughlaq: Ambitious Administrative Experiments, Objectives and Outcomes – MCQs

Introduction

Muhammad bin Tughlaq (1325–1351 CE) was one of the most innovative and controversial rulers of the Delhi Sultanate. He succeeded his father, Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, in 1325 CE and attempted to strengthen and expand a large empire through a series of ambitious administrative, fiscal, monetary, agricultural and military measures.

His major experiments included the transfer of the capital from Delhi to Devagiri (renamed Daulatabad), introduction of token currency, increased taxation in the Doab, creation of the Diwan-i Kohi for agricultural development, and ambitious military projects. Modern historical interpretation is more nuanced than simply describing these measures as irrational: several had identifiable strategic or fiscal objectives, but their implementation produced serious difficulties. NIOS notes that the reasons for the capital transfer are debated, while its account of the token currency emphasizes the problem of counterfeiting.

Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s reign is therefore especially important for understanding the difference between a policy objective and its actual outcome.

20 MCQs with Answers and Explanations

1. Who introduced the major administrative experiments associated with the Tughlaq period?

A. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
B. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
C. Firuz Shah Tughlaq
D. Khizr Khan

Correct Answer: B. Muhammad bin Tughlaq

Explanation:
Muhammad bin Tughlaq ruled from 1325 to 1351 CE and is particularly associated with ambitious experiments in administration, finance, currency, agriculture and military strategy. His policies included the transfer of the capital to Daulatabad, token currency, increased taxation in the Doab and the establishment of the Diwan-i Kohi. His experiments demonstrate an attempt to address the fiscal, administrative and strategic challenges of governing a large empire.

2. What was the original name of Muhammad bin Tughlaq?

A. Juna Khan
B. Ghazi Malik
C. Khusrau Khan
D. Ulugh Khan

Correct Answer: A. Juna Khan

Explanation:
Muhammad bin Tughlaq was known as Juna Khan before becoming Sultan. His father was Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, founder of the Tughlaq Dynasty. Juna Khan succeeded his father in 1325 CE and adopted the title Muhammad bin Tughlaq. Ghazi Malik was the earlier name of his father, while Ulugh Khan was a title associated with Muhammad before his accession.

3. Which was the most famous geographical change proposed by Muhammad bin Tughlaq?

A. Transfer of the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad
B. Transfer of the capital from Delhi to Lahore
C. Transfer of the capital from Delhi to Bengal
D. Transfer of the capital from Delhi to Warangal

Correct Answer: A. Transfer of the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad

Explanation:
Muhammad bin Tughlaq ordered the transfer of the capital from Delhi to Devagiri, renamed Daulatabad, in the Deccan. The decision is generally dated to 1326–27/1327 CE. Sources give different explanations for the move, including Daulatabad’s strategic and relatively central location, closer supervision of the Deccan and concerns about the northwestern frontier. NIOS specifically notes that historians disagree over the precise motivation.

4. Why was Daulatabad considered strategically important?

A. It was geographically closer to the southern territories of the Sultanate
B. It was located on the northwest frontier
C. It was the capital of Bengal
D. It was outside the Sultanate’s territory

Correct Answer: A. It was geographically closer to the southern territories of the Sultanate

Explanation:
Daulatabad was located in the Deccan, making it strategically useful for supervising the southern territories that had recently come under Delhi’s influence. One interpretation is that the Sultan wanted a more centrally located base from which to administer both northern and southern territories. NIOS also records the argument that Daulatabad’s location offered strategic advantages, although the exact motivation remains debated.

5. Which statement about the transfer of the capital is historically more accurate?

A. Every inhabitant of Delhi was permanently deported to Daulatabad
B. The move involved significant sections of the elite and administration, but the extent of population transfer is debated
C. Only soldiers were transferred
D. No one was moved from Delhi

Correct Answer: B. The move involved significant sections of the elite and administration, but the extent of population transfer is debated

Explanation:
Older textbook narratives sometimes describe the measure as a complete transfer of Delhi’s population. However, historical evidence and modern scholarship require greater caution. NIOS states that the upper classes, including nobles, ulema and shaikhs, were shifted, while not the entire population. A road and rest houses were constructed to facilitate movement. The harsh journey and administrative difficulties eventually contributed to the abandonment of Daulatabad as the principal capital.

6. What was one major outcome of the capital-transfer experiment?

A. It permanently replaced Delhi as the capital of North India
B. It created administrative difficulties and was eventually reversed
C. It ended all rebellions in the Deccan
D. It resulted in the immediate collapse of the Tughlaq Dynasty

Correct Answer: B. It created administrative difficulties and was eventually reversed

Explanation:
The transfer created significant logistical and administrative difficulties. Maintaining effective control over the northern territories from Daulatabad proved problematic, while the journey itself caused hardship. Growing discontent and difficulties in administering the northern part of the empire contributed to the decision to restore Delhi’s importance as the principal political centre.

7. Which road-building measure was associated with the transfer of the capital?

A. A road connecting Delhi with Daulatabad
B. A road connecting Delhi with Bengal only
C. A road connecting Delhi with Kashmir only
D. A road connecting Daulatabad with China

Correct Answer: A. A road connecting Delhi with Daulatabad

Explanation:
To facilitate communication between Delhi and Daulatabad, Muhammad bin Tughlaq ordered the construction and improvement of the route between the two centres and established rest houses along the way. This demonstrates that the capital-transfer policy was accompanied by supporting infrastructure. Nevertheless, the scale and hardship of the movement created serious practical problems.

8. What was the principal idea behind Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s token currency?

A. Copper or brass coins would circulate at a value equivalent to silver currency
B. Gold coins would be replaced by paper notes
C. Silver currency would be completely abolished in favour of cowries
D. Foreign currencies would become legal tender

Correct Answer: A. Copper or brass coins would circulate at a value equivalent to silver currency

Explanation:
Muhammad bin Tughlaq introduced token currency, consisting of copper/brass coins assigned a face value equivalent to the silver tanka. The objective was to expand the money supply while reducing dependence on precious-metal currency. IGNOU describes the innovation as a copper-and-brass currency whose face value was considerably greater than its intrinsic metallic value.

9. What was a major reason for the failure of Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s token currency?

A. Lack of copper in India
B. Widespread counterfeiting and inadequate control over the currency
C. Complete absence of traders
D. The Sultan refused to recognize the coins

Correct Answer: B. Widespread counterfeiting and inadequate control over the currency

Explanation:
The token currency failed primarily because the state could not effectively prevent counterfeiting. Copper and brass coins were comparatively easy to reproduce, and the system lacked sufficient safeguards to maintain public confidence. NIOS records that counterfeit coins flooded the market, eventually forcing the Sultan to withdraw the currency.

10. Which traditional coin was the token currency intended to equal in value?

A. Silver tanka
B. Gold dinar only
C. Copper paisa
D. Cowrie

Correct Answer: A. Silver tanka

Explanation:
The token currency was intended to circulate at the same face value as the silver tanka despite being made from less valuable metal. This was the essential characteristic of token currency: its monetary value depended primarily on state recognition rather than the intrinsic value of the metal. IGNOU describes Muhammad’s copper-and-brass token as being reckoned at the value of the silver tanka.

11. Which earlier Asian ruler is often cited in discussions of token currency as a comparative example?

A. Kublai Khan of China
B. Akbar of Mughal India
C. Sher Shah Suri
D. Rajaraja Chola I

Correct Answer: A. Kublai Khan of China

Explanation:
The use of token or fiduciary currency had precedents elsewhere in Asia. Kublai Khan had successfully used paper currency in Yuan China. Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s experiment in India was different in material form because his token currency consisted of metal coins, but the broader principle of assigning a monetary value above intrinsic material value provides an important historical comparison. IGNOU notes the Chinese precedent.

12. What happened when Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s token currency failed?

A. The Sultan accepted the need to withdraw it and exchange the tokens for precious-metal currency
B. The Sultan increased its face value indefinitely
C. The coins became India’s permanent national currency
D. All trade was permanently prohibited

Correct Answer: A. The Sultan accepted the need to withdraw it and exchange the tokens for precious-metal currency

Explanation:
Once counterfeit token coins became widespread and public confidence collapsed, the Sultan had to withdraw the currency. The government exchanged the token coins for recognized precious-metal currency, placing a substantial burden on the treasury. The episode demonstrates that successful fiduciary currency requires effective state control, authentication and public confidence.

13. Why did Muhammad bin Tughlaq increase taxation in the Doab?

A. To strengthen state revenue
B. To abolish agriculture
C. To finance the construction of Mughal monuments
D. To reward European merchants

Correct Answer: A. To strengthen state revenue

Explanation:
Muhammad bin Tughlaq increased the revenue demand in the Ganga-Yamuna Doab, a highly productive agricultural region. The policy was intended to increase state revenue and strengthen the financial base of the Sultanate. However, its timing proved disastrous because the region was suffering from difficult agricultural conditions, including famine. The precise rate of increase is uncertain in the sources.

14. Why did the increased taxation in the Doab produce serious difficulties?

A. It coincided with severe agricultural distress
B. The Doab contained no agricultural land
C. Farmers had already been exempted from taxation for centuries
D. The Sultan completely abolished irrigation

Correct Answer: A. It coincided with severe agricultural distress

Explanation:
The enhanced revenue demand came at an extremely difficult time. The Doab experienced famine and agricultural distress, making it difficult for cultivators to meet the increased assessment. Peasant resistance and abandonment of cultivation followed. The episode illustrates the importance of matching fiscal policy with actual agricultural conditions.

15. What was the Diwan-i Kohi?

A. A department concerned with agricultural development
B. A department of foreign affairs
C. A military intelligence office
D. A judicial court

Correct Answer: A. A department concerned with agricultural development

Explanation:
The Diwan-i Kohi was established by Muhammad bin Tughlaq to promote agricultural development. It was intended to bring additional land under cultivation and provide assistance to cultivators. State support included financial advances for seeds and other agricultural requirements. NIOS specifically identifies the Diwan-i Kohi as a department created for agricultural development.

16. What was the principal objective of the Diwan-i Kohi?

A. To increase agricultural cultivation and productivity
B. To regulate horse prices
C. To supervise foreign ambassadors
D. To collect customs duties at ports

Correct Answer: A. To increase agricultural cultivation and productivity

Explanation:
The Diwan-i Kohi was intended to develop agriculture, particularly by bringing uncultivated land under cultivation and assisting cultivators. The state provided financial support, including loans for agricultural purposes. The policy represents an important example of medieval state intervention in agricultural development.

17. Which of the following was a major military objective of Muhammad bin Tughlaq?

A. Expansion and consolidation of the Sultanate’s strategic frontiers
B. Abolition of the army
C. Withdrawal from all frontier regions
D. Permanent alliance with every Mongol ruler

Correct Answer: A. Expansion and consolidation of the Sultanate’s strategic frontiers

Explanation:
Muhammad bin Tughlaq pursued ambitious military objectives. He planned campaigns toward regions such as Khurasan and Qarachil, while also attempting to strengthen control over the Deccan and other territories. Some plans were abandoned or failed, imposing heavy financial and logistical costs on the Sultanate. These projects illustrate the gap that sometimes emerged between strategic ambition and practical execution.

18. Which statement best explains why Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s reforms are historically significant?

A. They demonstrate attempts to solve strategic, fiscal and administrative problems through innovative policies
B. They were all copied directly from British India
C. They consisted only of religious reforms
D. They permanently eliminated provincial rebellions

Correct Answer: A. They demonstrate attempts to solve strategic, fiscal and administrative problems through innovative policies

Explanation:
Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s policies were not limited to one area. The capital transfer addressed questions of strategic geography and imperial administration; token currency addressed monetary and fiscal concerns; Doab taxation sought greater revenue; and the Diwan-i Kohi attempted agricultural development. Their mixed outcomes make his reign especially important for examining the relationship between policy objectives, implementation and unintended consequences.

19. Which sequence correctly arranges three major experiments of Muhammad bin Tughlaq?

A. Capital transfer → Token currency → Agricultural development measures
B. Token currency → Capital transfer → Agricultural department under Akbar
C. Permanent Settlement → Capital transfer → Token currency
D. Mansabdari → Token currency → Capital transfer

Correct Answer: A. Capital transfer → Token currency → Agricultural development measures

Explanation:
The major experiments developed at different stages of Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s reign. The capital transfer to Daulatabad was undertaken early in the reign, followed by the token currency experiment around the end of the 1320s/early 1330s. Later, in response to agricultural and revenue difficulties, the state promoted agricultural development through measures associated with the Diwan-i Kohi. Exact dating varies among sources, so the sequence is more useful than treating every date as absolutely fixed.

20. Which conclusion most accurately evaluates Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s reforms?

A. Every reform was successful and permanently implemented
B. His policies had identifiable objectives, but several failed because of practical, administrative or economic difficulties
C. He introduced no significant reforms
D. His reign was entirely devoted to temple construction

Correct Answer: B. His policies had identifiable objectives, but several failed because of practical, administrative or economic difficulties

Explanation:
Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s reforms should be studied by separating intention from outcome. The capital transfer had strategic and administrative objectives but generated major logistical problems; token currency was an innovative monetary experiment but failed because of counterfeiting and loss of confidence; enhanced Doab taxation sought higher revenue but coincided with agricultural distress; and the Diwan-i Kohi represented an effort to rehabilitate agriculture. His reign therefore provides an important historical case of ambitious state policy encountering implementation constraints.

Major Reforms: Objectives and Outcomes

Important Chronology

Dates for some experiments vary across historical works; the broad sequence is more securely established than every individual date.

Quick Revision Table

Key Takeaway for Competitive Exams

Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s reign is best understood through the relationship between objective, implementation and outcome.

Remember:

Capital Transfer → Strategic/Administrative Objective → Practical Difficulties

Token Currency → Monetary Innovation → Counterfeiting → Withdrawal

Doab Tax Increase → Higher Revenue Objective → Agricultural Distress → Resistance

Diwan-i Kohi → Agricultural Development → State Assistance to Cultivators

A particularly important examination point is that Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s policies should not simply be memorized as a list of failures. Several were ambitious attempts to address genuine problems of governing a large and geographically diverse Sultanate. The historical significance lies in understanding why their implementation produced unintended consequences.

Targeting Exams

CUET-UG / CUET-PG, UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE), SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, IBPS PO, SBI PO, RRB NTPC, RRB Group D, CDS, NDA & NA, CAPF, APSC CCE, All State Government Exams, Assam Government Grade III & IV, Assam Police Recruitment, CTET, UGC NET

FAQs

1. When did Muhammad bin Tughlaq rule?

Muhammad bin Tughlaq ruled the Delhi Sultanate from 1325 to 1351 CE.

2. Why did Muhammad bin Tughlaq shift the capital to Daulatabad?

The reasons are debated, but major explanations include Daulatabad’s strategic location, closer control of the Deccan and concerns about the northwestern frontier.

3. What was Daulatabad formerly called?

Daulatabad was formerly known as Devagiri (Deogir).

4. What was Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s token currency?

It was a system in which copper/brass coins were assigned a value equivalent to the silver tanka.

5. Why did token currency fail?

The principal practical problem was counterfeiting, which undermined public confidence and caused the currency to be withdrawn.

6. What was the Doab taxation experiment?

Muhammad bin Tughlaq increased revenue demands in the Ganga-Yamuna Doab to strengthen state finances, but the timing coincided with serious agricultural distress.

7. What was the Diwan-i Kohi?

The Diwan-i Kohi was a department established for agricultural development, including assistance to cultivators and expansion of cultivation.

8. Who succeeded Muhammad bin Tughlaq?

Firuz Shah Tughlaq succeeded Muhammad bin Tughlaq in 1351 CE.

9. Which famous Chinese ruler provides a comparison for token currency?

Kublai Khan, whose Yuan administration used paper currency, provides an important comparative example in discussions of fiduciary money.

10. What is the most important lesson from Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s reforms?

The key lesson is that sound objectives require effective implementation, administrative capacity and adaptation to economic and social conditions.

External Study References

• National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS): Its medieval Indian history material discusses Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s capital transfer, token currency and agricultural department.
• IGNOU eGyanKosh: Academic material provides detailed treatment of token currency and land-revenue administration under Muhammad bin Tughlaq.
• INFLIBNET e-PG Pathshala: Academic material on Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s administrative reforms discusses the major schemes and their objectives.