SSC CHSL 2025 PYQ — Question 76

The correct answer is Option 1: Muhammad Tughlaq.
Explanation:

• Muhammad bin Tughlaq, a Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate, was known for prioritizing merit over lineage or high birth in his administrative policies.
• Appointments from Lower Strata: He appointed individuals from sections of society—which were considered 'low' at the time—to high administrative positions. The contemporary historian Ziauddin Barani severely criticized this policy of the Sultan.
• Key Examples: He appointed individuals such as 'Aziz Khummar' (a distiller/wine-maker), 'Firoz Hajjam' (a barber), 'Manka Tabbakh' (a cook), and 'Laddha and Pira' (gardeners) to high-ranking posts.
• The Sultan's Rationale: Muhammad Tughlaq believed that the administration should not be dominated solely by the nobility; rather, loyal and capable individuals should be given a place within it.

Other Notable Schemes of Muhammad bin Tughlaq (Quick Revision):

• Transfer of Capital (1327): Shifting the capital from Delhi to Devagiri (Daulatabad).
• Token Currency (1329): The introduction of copper and brass coins.
• Tax Hike in the Doab: Increasing taxes in the fertile Ganga-Yamuna region (a measure that failed due to a famine).
• Khurasan Expedition: Raising a massive army with the aim of conquering Central Asia.
• Karachil Expedition: A military campaign undertaken in the hills of Kumaon.

Important Question for Upcoming Examinations:
Question: Which historian described Muhammad bin Tughlaq as 'mad' or a 'mixture of opposites'?
Answer: Elphinstone, along with several other historians, characterized him in this manner due to the nature of his schemes. Question: During whose reign did the famous traveler Ibn Battuta visit India?
Answer: Muhammad bin Tughlaq (1333 AD). The Sultan appointed him as the 'Qazi' of Delhi.
Question: Which new department did Muhammad Tughlaq establish for the development of agriculture?
Answer: Diwan-i-Amir-Kohi.