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Q48 (IAS/2022) History & Culture › Medieval India › Medieval social structure Official Key

With reference to Indian history, who of the following were known as "Kulah-Daran"?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: D
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 4 (Sayyids). In the context of medieval Indian history, the term "Kulah-Daran" literally translates to "cap-wearers."

The Sayyids, who claimed direct descent from the Prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima, occupied a distinct and venerated position in Indo-Muslim society. During the Delhi Sultanate, they were known for wearing a distinctive pointed cap (Kulah), which served as a symbol of their high social status and religious lineage. Because of this specific headgear, they were collectively referred to as Kulah-Daran.

  • Arab merchants were primarily traders and did not have this specific titular association.
  • Qalandars were wandering dervishes known for their heterodox lifestyle, not specifically for the Kulah.
  • Persian calligraphists were celebrated for their artistry but were not identified by this social designation.

Therefore, the term specifically identifies the Sayyids due to their unique ceremonial attire and elite religious standing.

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Q. With reference to Indian history, who of the following were known as "Kulah-Daran"? [A] Arab merchants [B] Qalandars [C] Persian calli…
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Origin: Mixed / unclear origin Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 0/10
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This is a classic 'Terminological Bouncer'. It targets specific medieval social vocabulary not found in standard NCERTs. It distinguishes between social classes based on attire (headgear). Unless you have read advanced glossaries (like Satish Chandra's appendices) or know Urdu/Persian etymology, this is a 'Skip' to avoid negative marking.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
In Indian history, were Arab merchants referred to as "Kulah-Daran"?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 10: Advent of Arabs and Turks > Advent of Arabs: The Context > p. 135
Strength: 4/5
“The geographical location of Arabia facilitated trade contact between India and Arabia. As sea-faring traders, the pre-Islamic Arabs had maritime contacts with the western and eastern coasts of India. Arabs too settled in Malabar and the Coromandel Coast. The Arabs who married Malabar women and settled down on the West Coast were called Mappillais (sons-in-law).”
Why relevant

Shows that Arab traders settled in India and were given local community names (e.g., Mappillais for Arabs who married local women).

How to extend

A student could investigate whether 'Kulah-Daran' is another local/community name applied to Arabs in any region by comparing regional naming patterns for settled foreign merchants.

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara > 2.1 Kings and traders > p. 172
Strength: 4/5
“As warfare during these times depended upon effective cavalry, the import of horses from Arabia and Central Asia was very important for rival kingdoms. This trade was initially controlled by Arab traders. Local communities of merchants known as kudirai chettis or horse merchants also participated in these exchanges. From 1498 other actors appeared on the scene. These were the Portuguese, who arrived on the west coast of the subcontinent and attempted to establish trading and military stations. Their superior military technology, especially the use of muskets, enabled them to become important players in the tangled politics of the period. In fact, Vijayanagara was also noted for its markets dealing in spices, textiles and precious stones.”
Why relevant

Indicates that specific merchant groups were named locally (e.g., kudirai chettis for horse merchants) and that Arabs controlled particular trades (horse import).

How to extend

Use this pattern (occupation-based local names) to check if 'Kulah-Daran' corresponds to a trade, caste, or community label for Arabs in source regions or port towns.

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 6: Bhakti-Sufi Traditions > 5. New Strands in the Fabric Islamic Traditions > p. 149
Strength: 3/5
“Just as the regions within the subcontinent were not isolated from one another, so too, contact with lands beyond the seas and mountains had existed for millennia. Arab merchants, for instance, frequented ports along the western coast in the first millennium CE, while Central Asian people settled in the north-western parts of the subcontinent during the same period. From the seventh century, with the advent of Islam, these regions became part of what is often termed the Islamic world.”
Why relevant

Confirms that Arab merchants frequented western Indian ports in the first millennium CE and became part of long-distance maritime networks.

How to extend

Given their prominence, search regional travelogues, port records, or local languages for terms (like 'Kulah-Daran') used for Arabs in maritime contexts.

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Through the Eyes of Travellers > Hindu > p. 117
Strength: 3/5
“The term "Hindu" was derived from an Old Persian word, used c. sixth-fifth centuries BCE, to refer to the region east of the river Sindhu (Indus). The Arabs continued the Persian usage and called this region "al-Hind" and its people "Hindi". Later the Turks referred to the people east of the Indus as "Hindu", their land as "Hindustan", and their language as "Hindavi". None of these expressions indicated the religious identity of the people. It was much later that the term developed religious connotations.”
Why relevant

Demonstrates how outsiders were named by Persians/Arabs ('al-Hind', 'Hindi') and how names for peoples/places vary by language.

How to extend

Apply this rule of language-based naming to see if 'Kulah-Daran' might be a Persian/Arabic compound or local rendering applied to Arab merchants.

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Kinship, Caste and Class > The case of the merchants > p. 64
Strength: 3/5
“Sanskrit texts and inscriptions used the term vanik to designate merchants. While trade was defined as an occupation for Vaishyas in the Shastras, a more complex situation is evident in plays such as the Mrichchhakatika written by Shudraka (c. fourth century CE), Here, the hero Charudatta was described as both a Brahmana and a sarthavaha or merchant And a fifth-century inscription describes two brothers who made a donation for the construction of a temple as kshatriya-vaniks. Ü Do you think the silk weavers were following the occupation laid down for them in the Shastras? migrated to Mandasor, then known as Dashapura.”
Why relevant

Shows that historical sources often record specific occupational/ethnic designations for merchant groups (e.g., vanik), implying similar labeling practices could exist for foreign merchants.

How to extend

Compare linguistic/inscriptional records for merchant designations to determine if 'Kulah-Daran' appears as an occupational or community label for Arabs.

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Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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