Study the given picture and answer the following questions
(i) Identify this place.
(ii) Where is it located?
(iii) The men who lived there were called ............... .
(iv) The women who lived there were called ............... .
(v) How did this place treat travellers?
Answer
(i) The place shown in the picture is the Mar Saba Monastery.
(ii) The Mar Saba Monastery is located near Jerusalem. It is one of the oldest inhabited monasteries in the world and was built in the 5th century CE.
(iii) monks
(iv) nuns
(v) Monasteries like the Mar Saba Monastery provided shelter to travellers. They also provided food and clothing to the poor. Nuns educated the children, and treated the sick and wounded. Sometimes, monks and nuns ran schools and hospitals as well.
State whether the following statements are true or false. Correct the false statements.
- Jerusalem is the only sacred site for Muslims.
- Eid is celebrated at the end of Ramadan.
- India's first contact with Islam took place in the 8th century when the Arab traders came to the Malabar Coast of India for trading.
- Raziya Sultan broke up the chahalgani during her rule.
- Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque was fully constructed by Qutbuddin Aibak.
Answer
- False
Correct Statement — Jerusalem is not the only sacred site for Muslims. The Kaaba at Mecca is one of the most sacred places for the Muslims. The Prophet's mosque in Medina is another important place. Jerusalem is also a sacred site for the Muslims, as Prophet Muhammad is said to have visited the city. - True
- False
Correct Statement — India's first contact with Islam took place in the 7th century CE when the Arab traders came to the Malabar Coast of India and began to settle there. - False
Correct Statement — Ghiyasuddin Balban broke up the chahalgani during his rule. The chahalgani was the most important group of forty nobles in the court. - False
Correct Statement — Qutbuddin Aibak initiated the construction of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque. It was one of the earliest Islamic monuments built in Delhi.
Why did Mahmud invade Indian temple towns?
Answer
Mahmud of Ghazni wanted to build a large and well-equipped army, keeping the expansion of his kingdom in mind, and also to protect it from the Central Asian tribesmen. Therefore, he invaded Indian temple towns, as their great wealth could fulfil his monetary needs.
In 1009 CE, which place did Mahmud plunder?
Answer
In 1009 CE, Mahmud plundered Nagarkot in present-day Himachal Pradesh.
Which was Mahmud's most profitable and ambitious expedition?
Answer
The attack on the Somnath Temple in Kathiawar (c. 1025 CE) was Mahmud's most ambitious and profitable expedition.