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Question 77 of 94 · Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms
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Maharana Kumbha of Mewar, builder of the Kumbhalgarh fort and the Vijay Stambha, belonged to which Rajput clan?

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Answer: Option C — Sisodia

Detailed Solution

Maharana Kumbha (Rana Kumbhakarna, ruled 1433-1468) of Mewar belonged to the Sisodia clan of Rajputs, a branch of the Guhila (Guhilot) dynasty.

About the Sisodias:

  • The Sisodias were a branch of the Guhila dynasty, which ruled Mewar from the 8th century.
  • After Alauddin Khalji captured Chittor in 1303, the main Guhila (Rawal) line declined.
  • Rana Hammir, of the Sisodia branch (from the village of Sisoda), recovered Chittor in the 14th century and founded the Sisodia line of rulers of Mewar.
  • The Sisodias claimed descent from the solar dynasty (Suryavanshi), and their rulers took the title "Rana" or "Maharana".

About Maharana Kumbha:

  • He was one of the greatest rulers of Mewar.
  • He defeated the Sultans of Malwa and Gujarat.
  • He built a large number of forts in Mewar; according to tradition, he built 32 of the 84 forts of Mewar.
  • The most famous is Kumbhalgarh, whose wall is about 36 km long, one of the longest walls in the world.
  • He built the Vijay Stambha (Tower of Victory) at Chittorgarh.
  • He built the Ranakpur Jain temple during his reign (built by the merchant Dharna Shah).
  • He was a scholar of music, Sanskrit and literature, and wrote works on music and a commentary on the "Gita Govinda".
  • He was murdered by his son Uda in 1468.

Famous Sisodia rulers:

  • Rana Hammir: founded the Sisodia line.
  • Rana Kumbha: builder and scholar.
  • Rana Sanga: fought Babur at Khanwa.
  • Maharana Pratap: fought Akbar at Haldighati.
  • Rana Amar Singh I: made peace with the Mughals (1615).

Other Rajput clans:

  • Rathores: Marwar (Jodhpur) and Bikaner.
  • Kachhwahas: Amber (Jaipur).
  • Chauhans (Chahamanas): Ajmer, Ranthambore and Bundi (Hadas).

Why not the other options?

  • ✗The Rathores, Kachhwahas and Chauhans were other Rajput clans.

Quick tip

Remember: Rana Kumbha = Sisodia clan of Mewar (Kumbhalgarh, Vijay Stambha); Sisodia line founded by Rana Hammir; Rathores = Marwar; Kachhwahas = Amber.

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Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers India from about the 7th to the 12th century: the Rajput dynasties, the tripartite struggle between the Palas, Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas, and the South Indian kingdoms of the Chalukyas, Pallavas, Cholas and Pandyas, along with the Sangam age and the temple architecture of the period. Questions often ask which dynasty built a temple (the Pallavas built the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram, and Rajaraja Chola I built the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur), the capitals of dynasties, and the local self-government of the Cholas. Learning each dynasty with its capital, greatest ruler and one monument is the quickest way to answer these questions. Practise the early medieval India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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