Consider the following statements : 1. It was during the reign of Iltutmish that Chengiz Khan reached the Indus in pursuit of the fugitive Khwarezm prince. 2. It was during the reign of Muhammad bin Tughluq that Taimur occupied Multan and crossed the Indus. 3. It was during the reign of Deva Raya II of Vijayanagara Empire that Vasco da Gama reached the coast of Kerala. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Answer: A. Only statement 1 is correct. Statement 1 is CORRECT. ILTUTMISH (r. 1211-1236 CE, Delhi Sultanate) was the THIRD Mamluk ruler. In 1221 CE, CHENGIZ KHAN (Genghis Khan) reached the Indus river in pursuit of the fugitive KHWAREZMIAN PRINCE JALAL-AD-DIN MINGBURNU after destroying the Khwarezmian empire. Jalal-ad-Din sought refuge with Iltutmish, who DIPLOMATICALLY REFUSED ASYLUM to avoid Mongol invasion. Chengiz did not cross the Indus into India, and the Delhi Sultanate was spared. This is one of the most consequential diplomatic decisions of medieval Indian history. Statement 2 is WRONG. TIMUR (Tamerlane) invaded India in 1398-99 CE during the reign of NASIRUDDIN MAHMUD TUGHLUQ (LAST Tughluq ruler), NOT Muhammad bin Tughluq (r. 1325-1351 CE). Timur sacked Delhi after defeating Mahmud Shah Tughluq's forces and ended effective Tughluq rule. Muhammad bin Tughluq had been dead for nearly 50 years when Timur invaded. Statement 3 is WRONG. VASCO DA GAMA reached CALICUT (Kerala) in MAY 1498 CE. DEVA RAYA II of Vijayanagara ruled c. 1424-1446 CE — he was dead by the time Vasco da Gama arrived. The Vijayanagara ruler when Vasco da Gama landed was NARASIMHA RAYA II of the Saluva dynasty (1491-1505 CE), with the empire transitioning towards the Tuluva dynasty under Krishnadeva Raya. Source: NCERT Class 11 Themes in Indian History 'Kings and Chronicles' / Satish Chandra, Medieval India.