MCQ: India & the World- 1 - UPSC MCQ

The Byzantine Empire played a crucial role in preserving and transmitting the ancient Greco-Roman culture and knowledge to the Arabs. It lasted until the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.

After the collapse of the western Roman empire, cities and trade declined, marking the beginning of the "Dark Ages." Europe experienced a revival around the 10th century, leading to rapid progress and prosperity.

Feudalism was characterized by the dominance of a landed aristocracy, who controlled large tracts of land and played important roles in government. The king was the most powerful feudal chief and controlled other chiefs by making them swear oaths of loyalty as vassals.

The Catholic Church played a significant role in shaping the cultural life of Europe during the feudal period. It took on political functions and moral authority, establishing monastic orders and denominations with revenue from tax-free land grants by feudal chiefs and kings.

Prophet Muhammad, born in 570 A.D in the deserts of Arabia, is the founder of Islam. His first converts were the Arabs, and the Islamic empire grew rapidly after his death in 632 A.D.

The Abbasids replaced the Umayyad dynasty and established their caliphate in Baghdad in the middle of the 8th century. They claimed to belong to the same tribe as Prophet Muhammad and ruled a vast empire for around 150 years.

The concept of zero and the decimal system reached the Arab world from India after the conquest of Sindh in the 8th century. Al-Khwarizmi, a Persian mathematician, popularized the concept in the Arab world.

Bait-ul-hikmat, or House of Wisdom, was an institution established by the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad for translating literature from various empires into Arabic. It played a vital role in preserving and transmitting ancient knowledge to the Arab and later European world.

 Al-Hajjajj, the Governor of Iraq, sent Muhammad-bin-Qasim to India to conquer Sind with the permission of Caliph Walid. This marked the beginning of the Arab invasion in India.

The Battle of Rewar was fought between Muhammad-bin-Qasim and Dahir, the ruler of Sind. Dahir was defeated, leading to the capture of Sind and Multan by Muhammad-bin-Qasim.