Very Short Answer Questions: Turning Tides: 11th and 12th Centuries

Very Short Answer Questions

Q1: Which mountain pass did the Hindu Shāhis control, and for how long had it been used?

Ans: The Hindu Shāhis controlled the Khyber Pass, a major mountain pass through the Hindu Kush range. This pass had been used by invaders and traders for over 2,500 years.

Q2: What title did Mahmūd of Ghazni use, and what does it mean?

Ans: Mahmūd of Ghazni used the title 'Sultan', which means authority or power in Arabic. He ruled the Ghaznavid Empire with its capital at Ghazna in present-day Afghanistan.

Q3: How many campaigns did Mahmūd conduct in India and during what period?

Ans: Mahmūd of Ghazni conducted seventeen campaigns in India between 1000 and 1030. After each raid, he returned to Ghazni with enormous wealth taken from Indian cities and temples.

Q4: Which two Hindu Shāhi rulers did Mahmūd defeat to gain access to the Indus plains?

Ans: Mahmūd defeated the Hindu Shāhi ruler Jayapāla in the first decade of the eleventh century. He then defeated Jayapāla's son Ānandapāla in 1008, gaining access to the Indus plains.

Q5: What happened to the Somanātha temple in 1026 during Mahmūd's campaign?

Ans: Despite strong local resistance and severe losses, Mahmūd destroyed the Somanātha Śhiva temple in Gujarat in 1026 and looted its enormous treasures. The temple was rebuilt and destroyed multiple times later.

Q6: What were Mahmūd's two main motives for attacking Indian territories?

Ans: Mahmūd's first motive was plunder, as temples held immense wealth accumulated over centuries. His second motive was religious-he wanted to spread his version of Islam and destroy non-Muslim places of worship.

Q7: Who was Suheldev, and what did he achieve according to oral history?

Ans: According to oral history, Suheldev was a local ruler who defeated Mahmūd's nephew Sālār Masūd at Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh. The Chandellas of central India also resisted Mahmūd strongly.

Q8: What observation did Al-Bīrūnī make about Indian sciences after Mahmūd's invasions?

Ans: Al-Bīrūnī, a Persian scholar who accompanied Mahmūd, noted that Indian sciences "retired far away" to places like Kashmir and Varanasi. Mahmūd did not establish permanent rule beyond Punjab.

Q9: What were Al-Bīrūnī's main accomplishments during his time in India?

Ans: Al-Bīrūnī learnt Sanskrit and wrote an encyclopaedic survey of Indian religion, philosophy, literature, geography, and sciences. He studied works of Indian scholars and translated Patanjali's Yogasūtras into Arabic.

Q10: Name the three famous works written by Bhāskarāchārya and their subjects.

Ans: Bhāskarāchārya wrote three famous works in Sanskrit: Līlāvatī on basic mathematics using riddles, Bījagaṇita on advanced algebra, and Siddhāntaśhiromaṇi on advanced astronomical calculations. His works were translated into Persian.

Q11: Which dynasty emerged in Bengal after the decline of the Pālas?

Ans: The Sena dynasty emerged in Bengal in the eleventh century after the decline of the Pālas. Their capital was Nādīya in the modern Nadia district, and they promoted Hindu thought and literature.

Q12: How far did the Eastern Gangas' kingdom extend by the end of the twelfth century?

Ans: By the end of the twelfth century, the Eastern Gangas' kingdom extended "from the Gangā to the Godāvarī". They initiated construction of the Jagannātha temple at Puri and the Sun temple at Konark.

Q13: What was the capital of the Kākatīyas, and what did they build there?

Ans: The capital of the Kākatīyas was Orugallu, which is today's Warangal. They built a fort with impressive stone toraṇas or gateways and the Thousand Pillar temple at Hanamkonda nearby.

Q14: What are the Hoysalas particularly famous for in their architectural contributions?

Ans: The Hoysalas are famous for their unique temple architecture with intricate stone carvings. Their temples at Belur and Halebidu are UNESCO World Heritage monuments, showcasing their remarkable craftsmanship and artistic skills.

Q15: What major conquests did Rājarāja Chola I achieve during his reign?

Ans: Rājarāja Chola I conquered parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and northern Sri Lanka. He also conquered the Maldives, which he called "islands of the sea", extending Chola power across southern India.

Q16: Why did Rājendra Chola I take the title 'Gangaikoṇḍachola'?

Ans: Rājendra Chola I took the title 'Gangaikoṇḍachola', meaning "the Chola who seized Gangā", because he expanded his empire into parts of Odisha and Bengal. He also conquered all of northern Sri Lanka.

Q17: What was the purpose of Rājendra Chola I's naval expedition against the Śhrīvijaya Empire?

Ans: Rājendra Chola I conducted a successful naval expedition against the Śhrīvijaya Empire around 1025. The expedition was undertaken to control the important trade routes passing through the Strait of Malacca.

Q18: What caused the decline of the Chola empire by the thirteenth century?

Ans: Frequent conflicts with Western Chālukyas, Pāṇḍyas, and Sri Lankan rulers drained the Chola treasury. By the thirteenth century, the Chola empire declined and was eventually absorbed by the Pāṇḍyas completely.

Q19: What were King Bhoja's major contributions to his kingdom and learning?

Ans: King Bhoja founded the town of Bhojpur, built a vast lake called Bhojtal for irrigation, and constructed the Bhojeshwar Temple. His capital became a centre of learning, and he authored works on architecture and governance.

Q20: Who defeated Muhammad Ghūrī in 1178, and where did this battle occur?

Ans: Muhammad Ghūrī was defeated by Mūlarāja II, or Queen Nāīkīdevī, of the Chaulukya dynasty at Mount Abu in Gujarat in 1178. This prevented his conquest of that region at that time.

Q21: What were the outcomes of the two Battles of Tarain?

Ans: In the First Battle of Tarain in 1191, Pṛithvīrāja III defeated Muhammad Ghūrī. However, in the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192, Muhammad Ghūrī returned with a larger army, defeated and executed Pṛithvīrāja.

Q22: What did Bakhtiyār Khiljī destroy in Bihar and Bengal around 1203-04?

Ans: Bakhtiyār Khiljī destroyed large Buddhist monasteries and universities, including Nālandā and Vikramaśhilā, around 1203-04. He slaughtered many monks and collected huge booty, precipitating Buddhism's decline in India.

Q23: What happened to Nālandā's famous library after Bakhtiyār's attack?

Ans: Nālandā's famous library had lakhs of manuscripts spread over three multi-storey buildings. After Bakhtiyār's attack, the library is said to have burned for months, destroying invaluable knowledge and manuscripts forever.

Q24: What was Basaveśhvara's main teaching in the Lingāyat movement?

Ans: Basaveśhvara founded the Lingāyat movement at Kalyāṇī in Karnataka. He rejected caste distinctions and ritualism, taught personal devotion, and believed all men and women had equal spiritual potential regardless of background.

Q25: What is special about the Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia?

Ans: Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world, built by Khmer king Sūryavarman II in the twelfth century. Originally dedicated to Viṣhṇu, it has Sanskrit inscriptions and shares features with South Indian temples.