✅ Answer: A) 1 and 3 onlyStatements 1 and 3 are correct. Akbar abolished Jizya in 1564 CE. He built Ibadat Khana (House of Worship) at Fatehpur Sikri for religious debates. Statement 2 is incorrect — Din-i-Ilahi had only ~18 followers (mostly courtiers), not thousands. Birbal was the only Hindu to join Din-i-Ilahi.

✅ Answer: B) HemuThe Second Battle of Panipat (November 5, 1556 CE) was fought between Akbar (with Bairam Khan as regent) and Hemu (Hemchandra Vikramaditya) — a Hindu general who had captured Delhi. Akbar won when Hemu was struck by an arrow in the eye and captured. This battle secured Mughal rule in India. The First Battle of Panipat (1526) was Babur vs Ibrahim Lodi.

✅ Answer: C) Abul FazlAin-i-Akbari was written by Abul Fazl — it is the third volume of Akbarnama. It is an administrative manual of Akbar’s empire covering administration, revenue, military, geography, and social customs. It is an invaluable source for Mughal history. Badauni wrote Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh — a critical account of Akbar’s reign.

✅ Answer: C) Sher Shah SuriThe Grand Trunk Road (GT Road) was built by Sher Shah Suri (1540–1545 CE). It connected Bengal (Sonargaon) to Kabul (Afghanistan) — a distance of ~2,500 km. Sher Shah planted trees along the road, built rest houses (sarais) every 2 kos, and established a postal system. The GT Road is still one of India’s major highways.

✅ Answer: B) JahangirMughal painting reached its peak during Jahangir’s reign. Jahangir was a great connoisseur of art — he could identify the artist of any painting by looking at it. Famous painters: Ustad Mansur (nature paintings), Bichitr, Abul Hasan. Jahangir’s court had the finest miniature paintings. Aurangzeb banned music and painting, causing decline.

✅ Answer: C) Shah JahanThe Peacock Throne (Takht-i-Taus) was made during Shah Jahan’s reign. It was an ornate jewelled throne decorated with peacock figures and precious stones including the Koh-i-Noor diamond. It was looted by Nadir Shah (Persian ruler) when he invaded Delhi in 1739 CE. Shah Jahan’s reign is called the “golden age of Mughal architecture.”

✅ Answer: B) Peace with all / Universal toleranceSulh-i-Kul (Peace with All) was Akbar’s policy of universal religious tolerance. It meant treating all religions equally — no discrimination between Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Zoroastrians, etc. This policy was reflected in his abolition of Jizya, matrimonial alliances with Rajputs, and the creation of Din-i-Ilahi.

✅ Answer: D) AurangzebShivaji (1627–1680 CE) was a contemporary of Aurangzeb. Shivaji founded the Maratha Empire and was a constant thorn in Aurangzeb’s side. He escaped from Aurangzeb’s captivity in Agra (1666 CE) in a basket of sweets. He was crowned Chhatrapati (sovereign) in 1674 CE. After Shivaji’s death, the Maratha confederacy continued to resist Mughal expansion.

✅ Answer: B) PersianTuzuk-i-Jahangiri (Memoirs of Jahangir) was written in Persian — the court language of the Mughals. It is an important historical source for Jahangir’s reign. Jahangir describes his love of nature, art, and wine. He also describes the visit of Sir Thomas Roe (British ambassador) to his court. Baburnama was in Turkish; Humayunnama was in Persian (by Gulbadan Begum).

✅ Answer: C) Rana Sanga of MewarThe Battle of Khanwa (March 17, 1527 CE) was fought between Babur and Rana Sanga (Sangram Singh) of Mewar — who led a Rajput confederacy. Babur won decisively. This battle was more significant than Panipat — it established Mughal supremacy over the Rajputs. Babur declared Jihad against Rana Sanga to motivate his troops.