50 High-Yield Medieval History Facts for UPSC & UPPCS

Top 50 Medieval Indian History Must Know Facts for UPSC/UPPCS Prelims

Looking for high-yield, exam-ready facts from Medieval Indian History for UPSC, UPPCS, BPSC, and other State PSC exams? You’re in the right place. This Pareto-Optimized list of 50 facts covers the most probable MCQ topics based on previous year trends, NCERT alignment, and exam blueprint analysis.

We’ve grouped them into 3 themes for better retention and quick revision.

📘 Section 1: Books, Dynasties, and Regional Contributions (Facts 1–20)

No.	Topic/Event	High-Yield Fact
1	Mirat-e-Sikandari	History of Gujarat written after Akbar’s conquest
2	Burhan-i-Ma’asir	Hstory of Nizam Shahi dynasty of Ahmadnagar; by Sayyid Ali Tabataba
3	Riyaz-us-Salatin	History of Bengal by Ghulam Husain Salim
4	Riyaz-ul-Insha	Letters of Mahmud Gawan in refined Persian
5	Zain-ul-Abidin	Abolished Jizya & cow slaughter in Kashmir
6	Tappa Music	Refined under Muhammad Shah
7	Azizuddin Khan	Translated 300 Sanskrit texts under Firoz Shah Tughlaq
8	Khwaza Nakhshabi	Translated Suka Saptati as Tutinama
9	Alauddin Khilji's Conquests	Devagiri (1296)→Gujarat (1299)→ Ranthambore (1301)→ Chittor (1303)→Devagiri (2nd) → Warangal→Dwarasamudra (1311)
10	Battle Order (Aurangzeb)	Shuja (Near Banaras)→ Dharmat → Samugarh → Deorai
11	Jayata & Kumpa	Rajputs of Marwar who impressed Sher Shah
12	Kavindra Acharya Saraswati	Assisted Dara Shukoh with Translating Upanishads into Persian (Sirr-i-Akbar)
13	Kitab-i-Nauras	Music treatise by Ibrahim Adil Shah II
14	Fawaid-ul-Fawad	Sayings of Nizamuddin Auliya; compiled by Amir Hasan
15	Mansabdari System	Introduced by Akbar; not hereditary
16	Iqta System	Revenue not sent directly to Sultan
17	Chauth	¼ tax levied by Marathas
18	Chakla	Unit between Subah and Pargana
19	Kitab-ul-Hind	Al-Biruni’s ethnographic work (1030 CE)
20	Prithviraj Raso	13th-century epic by Chand Bardai

🏛 Section 2: Mughal Governance, Culture, and Military Events (Facts 21–40)

No.	Topic/Event	High-Yield Fact
21	Tabaqat-i-Nasiri	Minhaj-us-Siraj’s record of Muslim dynasties
22	Fatawa-i-Jahandari	Political treatise by Ziauddin Barani (1351)
23	Adalat-i-Ala	Supreme court setup by Ranjit Singh
24	Ragamala	Music theory by Pundrik Vitthal
25	Chaturdandi Prakashika	Musical grammar by Venkatamakhi
26	Diwan-i-Tan	Office to supervise jagirs and salaries
27	Shahab Nahr Canal	Repaired by Akbar, originally by Firoz Shah
28	Maham Anga	Built Khair-ul-Manzil Mosque near Purana Qila
29	Warangal (1303)	Alauddin Khalji defeated by Kakatiya ruler
30	Tughlaqnama	By Amir Khusrau (not Ibn Battuta)
31	Red Fort	Built by Shah Jahan (not Akbar)
32	First Battle of Panipat	1526: Babur vs. Ibrahim Lodi
33	Battle of Khanwa	1527: Babur vs. Rana Sanga
34	Battle of Chanderi	1528: Babur vs. Medini Rai
35	Dam Coin	Copper coin in Akbar & Sher Shah era
36	Jizya in Kashmir	Abolished by Zain-ul-Abidin
37	Akbar’s Marriage Reforms	Allowed girls to choose; fixed marriage age
38	Sufi Saints – Location	Nizamuddin Auliya: Delhi (not Multan)
39	Mansab System	Rank-based, non-hereditary system
40	Mughal-Sufi Syncretism	Sanskrit music texts translated to Persian

🎭 Section 3: Famous Personalities, Confusions & Cultural Trivia (Facts 41–50)

No.	Topic/Event	High-Yield Fact
41	Muhammad Shah	Patron of Tappa music (18th century)
42	Tansen’s Patron	Raja Ramchandra of Rewa before Akbar
43	Nanadesi Guilds	Conducted foreign trade in medieval India
44	Ayodhya Inscription	Proof of Pushyamitra Shunga’s Ashwamedha
45	Raskhan	Did not write Rasik Priya (Keshavdas did)
46	Ibn Battuta	Didn’t write Tughlaqnama (Amir Khusrau did)
47	Sultan Ghari Tomb	Built by Iltutmish for son Nasiruddin
48	Alamgir II	Reigned 1754–1759
49	Muhammad Shah’s Reign	1719–1748
50	Lala Kalavant	Akbar’s Hindu music teacher

📝 Conclusion: Last-Minute Booster for Medieval Indian History

Mastering Medieval Indian History for UPSC/UPPCS Prelims doesn’t require memorizing everything — it demands precision and prioritization. These 50 facts are selected using the Pareto Principle (80-20 Rule): the 20% of content that can fetch you 80% of marks.

• Revise these facts multiple times
• Use them for flashcard recall
• Apply elimination tricks in mock tests