Prelims 2021 · Q38
MediumConsider the following statements:
- 1.It was during the reign of Iltutmish that Chengiz Khan reached the Indus in pursuit of the fugitive Khwarezm prince.
- 2.It was during the reign of Muhammad bin Tughluq that Taimur occupied Multan and crossed the Indus.
- 3.It was during the reign of Deva Raya II of Vijayanagara Empire that Vasco da Gama reached the coast of Kerala.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) 1 only
Only statement 1 is correct: Genghis (Chengiz) Khan chased the Khwarezm prince Jalal al-Din to the Indus during Iltutmish's rule (1211-36). Timur came in 1398, long after Muhammad bin Tughluq, and Vasco da Gama reached Calicut in 1498, about half a century after Deva Raya II.
- ✓ 1. NCERT records that Genghis Khan's forces followed the Khwarezm prince Jalaluddin to the banks of the Indus, where Genghis Khan turned back. Iltutmish was then ruling Delhi (1211-1236).
- ✗ 2. Timur crossed the Indus in 1398, when the Delhi sultan was Mahmud Tughluq. Muhammad bin Tughluq had died in 1351.
- ✗ 3. Vasco da Gama arrived at Calicut (Kozhikode) in 1498. Deva Raya II belonged to the Sangama dynasty, whose control ended in 1485, and the Saluvas ruled at the time of the visit.
Remember · Iltutmish (1211-36): Mongols at the Indus. Timur's invasion: 1398, under Mahmud Tughluq. Vasco da Gama at Calicut: 1498, Saluva rule in Vijayanagara.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 Themes in World History, Ch 2 (practise this chapter) · Class 8 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), Ch 2 (practise this chapter) · Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part II, Ch 3 (practise this chapter) · Class 8 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), Ch 4 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 11 · Themes in World History, Chapter 2 “Another wing followed the Sultan's son, Jalaluddin, into Afghanistan and the Sindh province. At the banks of the Indus, Genghis Khan considered returning to Mongolia through North India and Assam”
- Britannica — Iltutmish ↗ · reference work “Iltutmish was able to preserve his kingdom against the ravages of the Mongol invasions that coincided with his reign”
- NCERT Class 8 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), Chapter 2 “1398: Timur attacks Delhi 1498: Arrival of the Portuguese in India”
- Britannica — Muhammad ibn Tughluq ↗ · reference work “Died: March 20, 1351, Sonda, Sindh [now in Pakistan] (Show more) Title / Office: sultan (1325-1351) , Delhi sultanate”
- District Vijayanagara (Government of Karnataka) — About District, list of dynasties and rulers ↗ “Sangama Dynasty Harihara I (Deva Raya) 1336-1343 Bukka I 1343-1379 Harihara II 1379-1399 Bukka II 1399-1406 Deva Raya I 1406-1412 Vira Vijaya 1412-1419 Deva Raya II 1419-1444”
- NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part II, Chapter 3 “The first dynasty, known as the Sangama dynasty, exercised control till 1485. They were supplanted by the Saluvas, military commanders, who remained in power till 1503 when they were replaced by the Tuluvas.”
- NCERT Class 8 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), Chapter 4 “1498: Vasco da Gama's arrival at Calicut (Kozhikode)”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·