RAS question
Firoz Shah Tughlaq is known for building how many canals for irrigation?
Correct answer: (D) Five major canals.
Firoz Shah Tughlaq is known for constructing five major canals for irrigation during the Sultanate period.
Explanation
Firoz Shah Tughlaq is remembered as the Sultanate ruler most closely associated with canal irrigation because he had five major canals constructed for agriculture. The first was the Ulugkhani Canal from the Yamuna to Hisar, the second was Rajwahi from the Sutlej to the Ghaggar, the third ran from the hills of Sirmaur to Hansi, the fourth from the Ghaggar to Firozabad, and the fifth from the Yamuna to Firozabad. His canals irrigated large areas and supported agriculture. His canal-building work is therefore defined not merely by the construction of canals, but by the recognised count of five major canals.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Three canals is too low because Firoz Shah Tughlaq is associated with five major irrigation canals.
- (B) Ten canals overstates the count; the recognised total for the major canals is five, not ten.
- (C) Two canals captures only part of the canal-building tradition; the recognised count is five major canals.
Concept
Delhi Sultanate administration included major public works and agrarian support under the Tughlaqs. Irrigation, revenue, and state-building are standard links in medieval Indian history for RAS.