Prelims 2022 · Q57
MediumWith 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?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 2 only
Only statement 2 is correct: in 1303 a Mongol army besieged Delhi itself during Ala-ud-din Khalji's reign. Mongol attacks on the Sultanate had begun in Iltutmish's time, long before Jalal-ud-din Khalji, and the sources do not record Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq losing north-western territory to them.
- ✗ 1. The Mongols under Genghis Khan reached the Sultanate's frontier in the 13th century, during Iltutmish's reign (1211-36). Jalal-ud-din Khalji (1290-96) came much later and is remembered for defeating a large Mongol force.
- ✓ 2. The Chagatai Mongols pushed beyond the Punjab and Delhi endured a two-month siege in 1303, after which Ala-ud-din fortified the capital and built up a large army.
- ✗ 3. NCERT notes that Mongol attacks continued in the early years of Muhammad Tughluq's rule, but none of the cited sources says he lost north-western territory to them.
Remember · Mongols first reached the Sultanate under Iltutmish; Delhi itself was besieged in 1303 under Ala-ud-din Khalji, who answered with a large standing army.
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: India, The Khaljis ↗ · reference work “Following their occupation of Afghanistan, the Chagatai Mongols began to penetrate well beyond the Punjab, necessitating a comprehensive defense program for the sultanate, including the capital, Delhi, which underwent a two-month siege in 1303. … Jalāl al-Dīn suppressed a revolt by some of Balban’s officers, led an unsuccessful expedition against Ranthambhor, and defeated a substantial Mongol force on the banks of the Sind River in central India.”
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Iltutmish ↗ · reference work “Iltutmish was able to preserve his kingdom against the ravages of the Mongol invasions that coincided with his reign”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2022, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·