Q1. What was Kaba?
Ans. Kaba was the cube-like structure that was situated in Mecca. Idols were placed in it. Tribes outside Mecca also considered Mecca as a holy place. That is why they were making annual pilgrimages to the shrine, i.e., Hajj.
Q2. Why was the city of Mecca important?
Ans.
(i) The city of Mecca was known for its holy ‘Kaba’.
(ii) It was located on the crossroads of a trade route between Syria and Yemen. That is why it was considered important.
Q3. When did Prophet Muhammad declare himself to be the messenger of God? Which two things did he tell people?
Ans. Prophet Muhammad declared himself to be the messenger of God around 612 CE. He told people the following two things:
(i) Allah alone must be worshipped.
(ii) They must found a community of believers who must be bound by a common set of religious beliefs.
Q4. What were the people who accepted Prophet Muhammad’s doctrine called? Which two things were they promised?
Ans. The people who accepted Prophet Muhammad’s religious doctrine were called the Muslims. They were promised the following two things:
(i) They were promised salvation on Judgement Day.
(ii) They would be given a share of the resources of the community while on earth.
Q5. Why did the Muslims face opposition from affluent people in Mecca?
Ans. The Muslims faced opposition from affluent people in Mecca because these people took offense to the rejection of their deities and found the new religion a threat to the status and prosperity of Mecca.
Q6. What is meant by hijra? What is its importance in the history of Islam?
Ans. Prophet Muhammad’s migration from Mecca to Medina with his followers in 622 CE is called hijra. The year of his arrival in Medina marked the beginning of the Muslim calendar. That is why hijra is important in the history of Islam.
Q7. How was the institution of the Caliphate created?
Ans. There was no one, after the death of Prophet Muhammad in 632 CE, who could legitimately claim to be the next Prophet of Islam. There was also no established rule of succession. That is why Islamic political authority was transferred to the Umma. In this way, the institution of the Caliphate was created.
Q8. What were the two main objectives of the institution of the Caliphate?
Ans. Following were the two main objectives of the institution of the Caliphate:
(i) To retain control over the tribes constituting the Umma.
(ii) To raise resources for the state.
Q9. Which factors contributed to the success of the Arabs against the Byzantine and the Sasanian empires?
Ans.
(i) Military strategy of the Arabs
(ii) Religious fervor of the Arabs
(iii) Weakness of the opposition.
Q10. Why was the third Caliph, Uthman assassinated?
Ans. The third Caliph, Uthman was a Quraysh. He filled his administration with his own men to keep greater control. So other tribes were against him, and they assassinated him.
Q11. Which wars did the fourth Caliph Ali fight? What was the result of these wars?
Ans. The fourth Caliph Ali fought the following two wars:
(i) Ali fought the first war against Muhammad’s wife, Aisha. This war was known as the Battle of the Camels. Aisha was defeated in this war.
(ii) He fought the second war at Siffin in northern Mesopotamia. It ended in a treaty.
Battle of Camel
Q12. Why was Islam divided into two sects? Which were these sects?
Ans. During Caliph Ali’s regime, two wars were fought against those who represented the Meccan aristocracy. It deepened the rifts among the Muslims, and Islam was divided into two sects. These sects were Shias and Sunnis.
Q13. By whom and where was Ali assassinated?
Ans. Ali was assassinated by a Kharji in a mosque at Kufa.
Q14. When and by whom was the Umayyad dynasty founded? How long did this dynasty last?
Ans. The Umayyad dynasty was founded in 661 CE by Muawiya. This dynasty lasted till 750 CE.
Q15. Who were the Abbasids? How did they legitimate their bid for power?
Ans. The Abbasids were descendants of Abbas, Prophet Muhammad’s uncle. They promised to various Arab groups that a messiah from the family of the Prophet would liberate them from the oppressive Umayyad regime. By this promise, they legitimated their bid for power.
Q16. Which two traditions of the Umayyad dynasty were retained by the Abbasids?
Ans. Following two traditions of the Umayyad dynasty were retained by the Abbasids:
(i) They retained the centralized nature of government and the state.
(ii) They maintained the magnificent imperial architecture and elaborate court ceremonials of the Umayyads.
Q17. Tell two reasons for the weakness of the Abbasid state in the ninth century.
Ans.
(i) There was a decline in control of Baghdad over the distant provinces.
(ii) There was a conflict between pro-Arab and pro-Iranian groups in the bureaucracy and army.
Q18. Write two functions of the Buyid rulers of Baghdad.
Ans.
(i) The Buyid rulers assumed many titles. One of these titles was ‘Shahanshah.’
(ii) These rulers patronized Shiite administrators, poets, and scholars.
Q19. Who were the Fatimids? Why did they consider themselves as the sole rightful rulers of Islam?
Ans. The Fatimids belonged to the Ismaili sub-sects of Shiism. They considered themselves as the sole rightful rulers of Islam because they claimed that they were the descendants of Fatima, the Prophet’s daughter.
Q20. Write two functions performed by Abdal-Malik of the Umayyad dynasty for the development of Arab-Islamic identity.
Ans.
(i) Abd-al-Malik introduced an Islamic coinage. The coins carried Arabic inscriptions.
(ii) He built the Dome of the Rock.
Q1. Which was the main shrine of Mecca? What was its importance?
Ans. The main shrine of Mecca was Kaba. It was a cube-like structure in which idols were placed. Even tribes outside Mecca considered Kaba holy. They also installed their own idols at Kaba and made annual pilgrimages to it. Kaba was a sanctuary where violence was prohibited, and all the visitors were given protection.
Nomadic and settled tribes got opportunities with pilgrimage and commerce to communicate with each other and share their customs and beliefs. It established unity amongst the Arab tribes.
Q2. How did the institution of the Caliphate come into existence? What were its objectives?
Ans.
The institution of the Caliphate had the following two objectives :
(i) To keep or retain control over the tribes constituting the Umma.
(ii) To raise resources for the state.
Q3. Describe the main features of the administrative structure of the Arab Empire under the early Caliphs.
Ans.
Q4. Which circumstances were responsible for the assassination of the third Caliph, Uthman?
Ans.
Q5. Write a note on the regime of the fourth Caliph, Ali.
Ans.
Q6. Under which circumstances was the Umayyad dynasty established? Throw light on the regime of the first Umayyad ruler, Muawiya.
Ans.
Q7. Discuss main features of the Umayyad state after Muawiya.
Ans. The main features of the Umayyad state after Muawiya were as follows:
(i) The Umayyad state became powerful, relying on statecraft and the loyalty of Syrian troops rather than being directly based on Islam.
(ii) The administration included Christian advisers, Zoroastrian scribes, and bureaucrats, but Islam remained the foundation of Umayyad legitimacy, with appeals for unity and suppression of rebellions in Islam's name.
(iii) They maintained their Arabian social identity, emphasizing both Arabian and Islamic elements under Abd al-Malik (685–705 CE) and his successors.
Dome of the Rock
Q8. What were the main features of Abbasid rule? Were Abbasid rulers able to abolish monarchy?
Ans. Following were the main features of Abbasid rule:
(i) Arab influence declined under the Abbasid rule. On the contrary to it, the importance of Iranian culture increased.
(ii) The Abbasids established their capital in Baghdad.
No, Abbasid rulers were not able to abolish the monarchy. The needs of government and empire forced them to retain the centralized nature of the state. They not only maintained the magnificent imperial architecture but also maintained the court ceremonies of the Umayyads. In this way, the Abbasid rulers, who claimed to bring down the monarchy, were forced to establish the monarchy again.
Q9. Who were the Saljuq Turks? How did they establish and expand the Turk authority?
Ans. The Saljuq Turks were non-Muslims from the far east. They established and expanded the Turk authority in the following way:
Q10. Who were the Turks? How was the Turkish authority established and strengthened in Ghazni?
Ans. The Turks were nomadic tribes of the Central Asian steppes of Turkistan. They adopted Islam. They were very good warriors and riders. They began working as slaves and soldiers under the Abbasid, Samanid, and Buyid administrations. Just because of their loyalty and military abilities, they rose to high positions.
They established and expanded the Turk authority in Ghazni in the following way:
Q11. Who was Muhammed?
Ans. He was an Arab by culture and a merchant by profession. His tribe was Quraysh. He was murals and, therefore, chosen as chief of his tribe. Subsequently, he became a prophet to Islam.
Q12. Who are Muslims?
Ans. Followers of Islamic order or religion are Muslims because since Prophet Muhammed’s ruling, coincide religion made integral parts to constitution and raids for booty were not considered “theft”; however; abstain from theft was the feature of eligibility to become a member of Umma.
Q13. What were the basic tenets of Islam?
Ans.
Q14. Which kind of political order had Muhammed created?
Ans.
Q15. Describe the area expansion under the Caliphate regime in Arab.
Ans. The regions carried under the Arab empire were Syria, Iraq, Iran (Sasanian empire), and Egypt, including the Byzantine empire. Three successful campaigns from 637-642 had brought frontiers of the Arab empire so extended.
Q16. Describe the Sufis and their new method of devotion
Ans.
Q17. Discuss the influence of Greek philosophy, mathematics and medicine added to the curriculum of schools under the central Islamic Lands?
Ans.
Q18. Explain the Quran and the difficulties in case of it as source material for the history of early Islam.
Ans. The Quran is a book in Arabic consisting of 114 chapters (Suras). Chapters are in descending order of length i.e.; the shortest chapter is the less. Only first Sura is a short prayer (al-Fatihah. This book is considered a collection of messages which God gave to Prophet Muhammad between 610 and 632, first in Mecca and then in Medina. It was completed in 650 CE.
Problems for the use of the Quran as source material for the history of early Islam has been discussed below:
Q19. Outline the fiscal system adopted in die Central Islamic lands.
Ans.
Q20. Discuss the causes and consequences of the Abbasid revolution.
Ans.
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1. What are the central Islamic lands in the humanities/arts? |
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