Given below are two statements, one is labelled asAssertion (A) :and the other as Reason (R).Assertion (A):Balban made his government firm and centralised all authority in his hands.Reason (R):He wanted to protect the north-west frontier against Mongol invasions.Select the correct answer from the codes given below:

1. A

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

   This option claims both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A). However, while Balban's centralization aimed to crush internal rebels and restore crown dignity, the Mongol threat on the north-west frontier required military outposts rather than his domestic absolutism.

2. B

   (A) is false, but (R) is true.

   This option claims that Assertion (A) is false and Reason (R) is true. This is incorrect because historical evidence clearly establishes that Ghiyas-ud-din Balban indeed centralized all political and military authority in his own hands.

3. C

   Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).

   This option claims that both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of (A). Balban established a centralized, autocratic government to instill awe and crush internal dissent, whereas his frontier policy against the Mongols was a distinct strategic necessity to secure the empire's borders rather than the primary cause for his domestic absolutism, making this the correct choice.

4. D

   (A) is true, but (R) is false.

   This option claims that Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false. This is incorrect because the Mongol invasions posed a real and persistent threat during Balban's reign, making his concern for the north-west frontier entirely true.

Summary. Official key is (c) because both the assertion regarding Balban's centralized administration and the reason concerning the Mongol threat are factually correct statements. Balban adopted the policy of 'blood and iron' primarily to restore royal prestige and crush internal challenges to the Sultanate. Although he fortified the north-west frontier and deployed his son Prince Muhammad there, this external defense was not the driving catalyst for his domestic absolutism. Therefore, while both statements hold historical validity, the reason does not explain the assertion. Candidates often mistakenly link internal despotism directly to frontier defense.