CHAPTER 4 : The Central Islamic Lands NCERT SOLUTION CLASS 11TH HISTORY | EDUGROWN NOTES

Short Answer Type Question:

Q1. How were Islamic architectural forms different from those of the Roman Empire?

ANSWER:

• Roman Empire Architectural Forms: The Romans emperors were great builders . solidity and magnificence of conception are two important features of their architecture e.g- city of Rome.
(i)They introduced two architecture  features, the arch and cupolas or domes.
(ii) Art of painting murals was highly developed so much so that some of their murals practically covered the whole wall.
(iii) Their buildings were multistoried with one row of arches standing over another, examples- Pompeys Theatre.
(iv) Inventors of concrete and could firmly cement, bricks and stones together ,examples- pantheon.

2.Islamic Architectural Forms:
(i) The Islamic art right forms  Spain to central Asia showed some basic architectural features horseshoe arches, bulbous domes ,small minarets, twisted columns and open courtyard.
(ii ) Religious buildings – mosques, shrines and tomb were the greatest architectural symbols of this world.
(iii) Another features was decorative forms of writing e.g.- calligraphy and arabesque i.e geometric and vegetal designs, to decorate architecture, and manuscripts.
(iv) The places were modeled on romans and sasanian architectural features e.g.-palace at Baghdad. They were richly decorated with sculptures, mosaics and paintings.

Q2.Describe the main teachings of Islam.
ANSWER: Main teachings of Islam are given below:

• Allah should be worshiped.
• No Muslim should practice idol worship. It is a sin.
• Muslims should believe that all Muslims are equal. They should regard themselves as brothers.
• All Muslims should follow the same rules regarding marriage and divorce.
• All Muslims should lead a simple life.

Q3.Describe in brief how Prophet Muhammad’s religion was a factor in the growth of Arab unity.
ANSWER:
Prophet Muhammad’s religion was a responsible factor in the growth of Arab unity as;

• The religion started by Him was denoted by a term Islam implied to complete submission.
• He told that there is only one God, i.e. Allah.
• He emphasised on the principles of equality and unity, for those who accepted Allah and the Prophet.

Q4.What do you know about Arab tribe? Write in short.
ANSWER:
The entire Arab society was divided into tribes known as Qabila, headed by a chief. The chief of Qabila (Tribe) was elected on the basis of his family, wisdom and courage. Besides these, his personality also played a crucial role. Each tribe had its own religious beliefs. They worshiped their own gods and goddesses in mosques.

The tribes were nomadic, and kept on moving from one region to another in search of food and fodder for their camels. Some of them settled and practiced trade or agriculture. Muhammad’s own tribe was Qurayash who had reigned its supremacy in Mecca. It established its control over Kaba, a cublic like structure in which idols were placed. Even the tribes outside Mecca considered the Kaba installed their own idols at this shrine, making annual pilgrimage (Hajj) to the shrine.

Q5.What were Crusades? Describe its two impact on the Christian Muslim relations.
ANSWER:
Crusades meant the military expeditions. It was organized in western Christendom to recover the holy places of Palestine from Muslim occupation. The four Crusades were fought, as given below.

1. First Crusade – 1095 to 1099 CE
2. Second Crusade – 1147 to 1148 CE
3. Third Crusade – 1189 to 1192 CE
4. Fourth Crusade – 1202 to 1204 CE

Impact on Christian-Muslim relations

• Ever since the Crusade, the people of western Christendom developed a stereotypical and distorted Islamic image.
• These wars resulted in harsher attitude of the Muslim state towards its Christian subjects.

Q6.Write any four factors responsible for the rise of Arab empire.
ANSWER:
The following factors were responsible for the rise of Arab empire:

• The Arabs were skilled warriors.
• The Arabs were successful merchants, who maintained their trade relations with the far off countries.
• The spread of Islam in different countries, also helped them in consolidating their empire.
• They collected information from the available sources and developed it still further.

Q7.Why did the early Caliph follow an expansionist policy? Which factors contributed to their success?
ANSWER:
The early Caliph followed an expansionist policy because:

• They were well aware about the fact that ‘Umma’ could not be maintained but the modest income taken through trade and taxes.
• They realised that a rich booty could be obtained by expediting raids.
• The Byzantine and Sassarian empires patronised Christianity and Zoroastrianism respectively. On the eve of Arab’s
• invasion both these empires began to decline. This provided an opportunity to the Arabs to expand their empire.

The following factors contributed to their success:

• Arabs used camels which could work easily in desert regions.
• Both Byzantine and Sassarian empires were not in a position to face the determined challenges of Arab, because they were on the way to their decline.

Q8.Describe some features of administrative structure of Arabs under the early Khalifa.
ANSWER:
Features of administrative structure:

• Arab states were headed by governors called amirs and the tribal chieftains called ashraf.
• Tax paid by the Muslims and the share obtained from the booty were the main sources of income for the central authority.
• The ruling class and the soldiers (who participated in the raids) received their share in the booty and monthly payment.
• The non-Muslims residing in the Arab administration had to pay taxes. These taxes were Jaziya and Kharaj.
• Christians and Jews were declared as protected citizens. Both were given autonomy in conducting communal affairs.

Q9.Write in brief about the contribution of the Arab civilization to the world in the field of science.
ANSWER:

• The Arab astronomers proved that earth is round and it revolves round the sun.
• They discovered compounds like sodium carbonate, silver nitrate, nitric and sulphuric acids.
• In the field of mathematics, they excelled in numbers and trigonometry. They spread this knowledge to other parts of the world.
• Two great Arab physicians Al-Razi and Ibn Sina told about small-pox and tuberculosis.

Q10.List the responsible factors which enabled the Umayyad to come to power.
ANSWER:
The Umayyad dynasty was founded by Muawiya in 661 CE. Between the years 661- 750 all Caliphs were from Umayyad dynasty. Following factors enabled Umayyads to coming into power.

• With the territorial expansion, the Umma unity was broken up.
• Conflicts over the distribution of resources began to increase among the Umma.
• The Meccan character of the early Islamic state by Uthman, who packed his administration with his own men, to his exclusion of other tribes men, to secure greater central.
• Opposition of tuber men in Iraq and Egypt combined with opposition in Medina, led to assassination of Uthman. After his assassination Ali became the fourth Caliph. The rifts deepened and after his assassination Muwaiya successfully made him the next Caliph, to exclusion of Ali’s son Hussain, founding Umayyad dynasty.

Q11.Write an evolutionary note on the regime of the fourth Caliph, Ali.
ANSWER:
Ali was the fourth Caliph. He fought two wars against those who were representing the aristocracy of Mecca. As a result of these wars, the rifts among the Muslims depened. Later on his supporters and enemies got divided into two sects. These two sects were: Shias and Sunnis. Ali established himself at Kufar and defeated Aisha’s (Muhammad’s wife) army in the Battle of Camel in 657.

Although Ali won this war but he was unable to suppress the group led by Muawiya, a kinsman of Uthman and the governor of Syria. Then he fought another war with him at Siffin, which ended in a truce. After the War of Siffin, Ali’s followers got divided into two groups. Some remained loyal to them, while others who left them came to be known as Kharjis.

Q12.During Abbasids, Arab influence began to decline. Why?
ANSWER:
During Abbasids, the Arab influence began to decline on account of the following reasons:

• The Abbasids established their capital at Baghdad, near the ruins of ancient Iranian metropolis, Ctesiphon. As a result of this, the Iranian influence of culture began to increase under Abbasids.
• The Abbasids ruler strengthened the religious status and functions of the caliphate and patronized Islamic institutions and scholars.
• The army and bureaucracy were recognized on a non-tribal basis to ensure greater participation by Iraqi and Khuraseni.
• The Abbasids maintained the magnificent imperial architecture of Umayyads. They also elaborated court ceremonials of Umayyads.

Long Answer Type Question:

Q1.Describe the major beliefs and practices that characterized Sufism.
ANSWER:
Sufi’s were a group of religious minded people turned to asceticism and mysticism.
Their major beliefs and practices are given below:

• The Sufi’s laid emphasis on seeking of salvation through devotion of God.
• They laid emphasis on celibacy and ignored the rituals and observed extreme form of asceticism.
• They considered every one equal in the eyes of God. God is one and almighty. Everyone in the universe is his creation.
• They interpreted the Quran on the basis of their own experiences.
• They maintained a distance from worldly power.
• They used to go for Ziyarat. They remembered God by reciting the divine names or evoking his presence through Sama.
• They regarded Prophet Muhammad as a perfect human being and preached to follow his teachings.
• Sufi’s were in favor of Sama, singing and dance.

Q2.What do you know about the main teachings of Islam?
ANSWER:
Main teachings of Islam:

• Idol-worship is a curse, according to Islam.
• God, i.e. Allah is almighty. He is all wise and merciful.
• Islam believes in life after death, in hell or in heaven. The sinner will go to the hell and face many hardships. The religious and honest people will go to the heaven. They will be served by beautiful damsels.
• The Quran is the divine book of Islam. The sayings of Prophet Muhammad are regarded as God.
• All are equal. No one is superior or inferior. Islam preached the principle of equality and brotherhood.
• There is no restriction on keeping slaves in Islam, but Muhammad asked his followers to treat them kindly.

Q3.Write your argument to justify the following statement:
“Prophet Muhammad laid down the foundation of a new political structure.”
ANSWER:
Prophet Muhammad laid down the foundation of a new political structure as:

• He replaced the tribal organisation with a state. The state was encompassed with a number of tribes.
• Umma constituted the armed forces.
• He was a religious leader as well as a law-giver.
• His followers (The Umma) were converted into a wide community to include polytheists and Jews of Madina.
• The conquest of Mecca established him both as a religious as well as political leader.
• He maintained the independence of the state by fixing the booty to l/15th (which directly went to him).
• Tax like ‘Zakat’ was imposed on tribes who had accepted Muhammad’s leadership. All Muslim tribes had to pay it.
• With his efforts and influence, he was able to convert many Bedouins into Islam. In a short span of time, he was able to unite a large part of peninsula.

Q4.“Throughout the history of human beings their interest in religion often went hand in hand”. Justify the statement by giving examples.
ANSWER:

• From the very beginning, evidence has been traced out that Indian traders traveled to the different countries of South East Asia for trade in gold, tin, spices, etc. While travelling and trading to these nations they also took with them the ideas and practices of the religion. The ideology of Buddhism and Hinduism became the part and parcel of their culture. These two religions were adopted by the people of Jawa, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, etc.
• The Arab traders in the medieval period established their trade relations with India and many other countries of Europe and Asia. They carried with them the ideas of newly founded religion, i.e. Islam. Due to its simplicity in principle, Islam was adopted by many Indians and in the same way it spread into Spain, Syria, Iran and Iraq.
• The traders of the western countries, i.e. the traders of England, Holland, France, etc. spread their trading relations in many countries. They brought with them the ideas of Christianity. While trading, they also spread Christianity into different countries. Today this religion is adopted by the people of different countries of Asia and Africa.Keeping the above examples in mind, we can conclude that throughout the history human being’s interest in religion went hand in hand.

Q5.Discuss the main sources of income of the state in detail.
Or
What do you know about agriculture of the Central Islamic lands?
ANSWER:
Agricultural was the main occupation of the settled population, since long. It also remained a major occupation in newly acquired territories. The bulk of income of the state was derived from the agricultural land.

Land was owned by the small and big farmers and in some cases by the state. After Islamic conquests, big estates were abandoned and acquired by the state. Later on these states were handed over to Muslim elites. The chief among them were the members of Khalifa’s (Caliph’s) army.

The land conquered by the Arabs, which remained in the hands of the owners were subjected to a tax, called Kharaj, varied from 1/2 to 1/5th of the produce. While the land cultivated by the Muslims were levied 1/10th of tax, known as ushr as land
revenue. When non-Muslims started converting to Islam, the land revenue income fell dramatically. To meet the shortfall, the Caliphs decided to discourage the conversions and later adopted a uniform land revenue policy.

After 10th century, the state authorised its officials to claim salaries from the agricultural territories called Iqtas (The person who held the Iqtas came to be known as Iqtadars). Agricultural prosperity and political stability went hand-in-hand. To ensure agricultural prosperity it took several measures such as canals were constructed, dams were built, the digging of wells, etc. were done. Tax concessions were granted to those people who brought land under cultivation. By the initiatives of peasants and state support the agriculture began to increase. Many new crops such as cotton, oranges, bananas, watermelon, spinach and brinjal began to grow and even exported to Europe.