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Question

Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R).

Assertion (A) : Turkish invasion on India was successful.
Reason (R) : There was no political unity in North India.

Select the correct answer from the codes given below:

  1. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
  2. (A) is false, but (R) is true.
  3. Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
  4. (A) is true, but (R) is false.

Answer:

Option A: Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

Detailed Solution:

The correct answer is “Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).”.

During the period of the Turkish invasions, North India was politically fragmented and lacked a unified response. The region was divided into several smaller, often warring kingdoms like the Rajputs, the Pratihars, and the Gurjara-Palavas, which made it easier for the Turks to invade and conquer parts of India.

Year Invader Event & Impact
1001 Mahmud of Ghazni Defeated Jaipala of the Hindu Shahi dynasty in the Battle of Peshawar. This marked the beginning of repeated invasions.
1008 Mahmud of Ghazni Defeated Anandapala (son of Jaipala) at the Battle of Waihind, solidifying Ghaznavid control over Punjab.
1025 Mahmud of Ghazni Plundered and destroyed the Somnath temple in Gujarat, taking immense wealth back to Ghazni.
1175–1192 Muhammad Ghori Defeated Prithviraj Chauhan in the Second Battle of Tarain (1192), laying the foundation of Turkish rule in North India.
1206 Qutb-ud-din Aibak Established the Delhi Sultanate, marking the beginning of Muslim rule in India.
1296 Alauddin Khalji Expanded Turkish control further into the Deccan, laying the foundation for his economic and administrative reforms.