Islamic Studies/Islamiat (Competitive Exams) MCQs
Topic Notes: Islamic Studies/Islamiat (Competitive Exams)
<p>MCQs and preparation resources for competitive exams, covering important concepts, past papers, and detailed explanations.</p>
Plato
- Biography: Ancient Greek philosopher (427–347 BCE), student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle, founder of the Academy in Athens.
- Important Ideas:
- Theory of Forms
- Philosopher-King
- Ideal State
11
The Abbasid dynasty's transition from an 'Arab Empire' to a 'Cosmopolitan Empire' is reflected in the move of the capital from Damascus to:
Answer:
Baghdad
Baghdad was a new city designed for a new era. Its location and multi-ethnic population symbolized the Abbasid break from the Arab-centric policies of the Umayyads and their embrace of a more diverse Islamic world.
12
The 'Fatimid' Caliphate was eventually destroyed by which famous general who returned Egypt to Abbasid spiritual authority?
Answer:
Saladin (Salah ad-Din)
Saladin was a vizier in the Fatimid court before he officially abolished the dynasty in 1171 CE. He restored the 'Khutba' (Friday sermon) in the name of the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad, marking the end of the Shia caliphate in Egypt.
13
Which scholar wrote the 'Rubaiyat' and also contributed to the reform of the solar calendar for the Seljuk Sultan Malik Shah?
Answer:
Omar Khayyam
Omar Khayyam was a brilliant mathematician and astronomer who lived during the Seljuk period of the Abbasid caliphate. He helped create the Jalali calendar, which was more accurate than the Gregorian calendar developed centuries later.
14
The Abbasid caliph Al-Mahdi (r. 775–785) is known for his attempts to bridge the gap with which group?
Answer:
The Alids (Shia)
Al-Mahdi practiced a policy of reconciliation, releasing many Alid prisoners and trying to soften the harshness of his father Al-Mansur's rule. However, tensions remained high as the Abbasids refused to relinquish the caliphate.
15
The 'House of Wisdom' was primarily a ______ institute.
Answer:
Secular/Scientific/Philosophical
While it operated within an Islamic society, the Bayt al-Hikma was dedicated to 'rational' sciences like mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and philosophy. It was the center of a movement to synthesize ancient knowledge with new discoveries.
16
The Abbasid 'Dinar' featured which of the following as its main design?
Answer:
No images, only Arabic inscriptions (Quranic verses)
Following the precedent set by Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik, the Abbasids maintained a purely epigraphic (text-based) coinage. This ensured the coins served as both currency and a medium for declaring the fundamental tenets of the faith.
17
Who was the Abbasid caliph during the First Crusade (1096–1099)?
Answer:
Al-Mustazhir
Caliph al-Mustazhir (r. 1094–1118) was the caliph when the Crusaders captured Jerusalem. However, like most caliphs of that era, he had no real military power to respond, and the defense was left to the Fatimids and local Seljuk amirs.
18
The 'Buyid' rulers, though they controlled the caliph, were practitioners of which branch of Islam?
Answer:
Twelver Shia
The Buyids were Zaydi or Twelver Shia. This made their 'protection' of the Sunni Abbasid caliph particularly ironic and humiliating for the Sunni population, though the Buyids kept the caliph for his symbolic value to the broader empire.
19
Which Abbasid caliph was famously murdered by the Turkish guard in 861, triggering the Anarchy at Samarra?
Answer:
Al-Mutawakkil
The assassination of Al-Mutawakkil by his own Turkish guard (at the instigation of his son) was a watershed moment. It signaled that the caliphs had lost control over the military and had become prisoners in their own palaces.
20
The 'Battle of Talas' (751) is culturally significant because it allegedly led to the transmission of ______ technology.
Answer:
Paper-making
Captured Chinese paper-makers were taken to Samarkand and then Baghdad. This technology replaced expensive parchment and fragile papyrus, allowing for the creation of vast libraries and a flourishing book market.