UPSC Prelims 2002 Q142: Medieval History – Delhi Sultanate
Assertion (A): Muhammad bin Tughlaq left Delhi, and, for two years lived in a camp called
Swarga - dwari.
Reason (R): At that time, Delhi was ravaged by a form of plague and many people died.
- (a) Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A
- (b) Both A and R are individually true but R is not a correct explanation of A
- (c) A is true but R is false
- (d) A is false but R is true
Answer: (a) Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A
Explanation
Assertion-Reason: Muhammad bin Tughlaq at Swargadwari
| Statement | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Assertion: he left Delhi and lived for two years in a camp called Swargadwari | True — on the banks of the Ganga near Kanauj |
| Reason: Delhi was ravaged by a plague and many people died | True — famine and pestilence made Delhi unhealthy |
| Link | He left Delhi because of the pestilence, so R explains A |
| Result | Both true and R explains A |
According to the chronicles, so many people died in Delhi that the air became pestilential, and the Sultan left the capital and lived at Swargadwari, about 100 miles away. The reason therefore explains the assertion.
Answer: (a) Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) CORRECT. Both are true and R explains why he left.
- (b) Incorrect. R is the reason he left Delhi, so it explains A.
- (c) Incorrect. R is true as per the chronicles.
- (d) Incorrect. A is true, since he did stay at Swargadwari.
Key point
Muhammad bin Tughlaq (1325-51): token currency, capital change to Daulatabad, Doab tax, Khurasan expedition; famine years.
Remember
Swargadwari camp: Sultan left a pestilential Delhi.
Common mistakes
- Treating R as unrelated to the Sultan's move.
- Thinking Swargadwari is a place in the south.
- Mixing this event with the shifting of the capital to Daulatabad.
Exam tip
Pestilence in Delhi is the stated cause of his stay at the camp.
Sources
- Satish Chandra — Medieval India
- pmfias.com — Swargadwari (2002 PYQ)