Question 1

Who used the term 'Hindustan' for the first time in the thirteenth century?

Accepted Answer

Minhaj-i-Siraj, a chronicler who wrote in Persian, used the term 'Hindustan' in the thirteenth century. He meant the areas of Punjab, Haryana, and the lands between the Ganga and Yamuna.

Question 2

In the context of the medieval period, what did the term 'foreigner' mean to villagers?

Accepted Answer

In medieval times, a 'foreigner' (pardesi in Hindi, ajnabi in Persian) was any stranger who appeared in a given village, someone who was not a part of that society or culture, even if they came from another village in the same subcontinent.

Question 3

Which Mughal emperor used 'Hindustan' to describe the geography, fauna, and culture of the subcontinent?

Accepted Answer

Babur used the term 'Hindustan' in the early sixteenth century to describe the geography, the fauna, and the culture of the inhabitants of the subcontinent.

Question 4

What does an archivist do?

Accepted Answer

An archivist is a person responsible for preserving, collecting, and maintaining documents, manuscripts, and records in an archive.

Question 5

Which of the following was NOT a new crop introduced into the subcontinent during the medieval period?

Accepted Answer

Wheat was already grown in the subcontinent before the medieval period. Potatoes, corn, chillies, tea, and coffee were some of the new crops introduced during this period.

Tracing Changes Through A Thousand Years