CSS Pakistan Affairs Optional History Muslim Rule in the Subcontinent (712-1707) Syllabus

Muslim Rule in the Subcontinent (712-1707) syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Muslim Rule in the Subcontinent (712-1707) in CSS Pakistan Affairs Optional History, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Advent of Islam in South Asia

   3 topics

   • Arab Conquest of Sindh
   • Spread of Islam through Trade and Sufism
   • Impact on Indian Society and Culture
2. 2

   The Delhi Sultanate

   4 topics

   • Establishment of Muslim Rule
   • Major Dynasties
   • Administration and Land Revenue System
   • Decline of the Sultanate
3. 3

   The Mughal Empire

   4 topics

   • Foundation and Consolidation
   • Mughal Administration
   • Successors of Akbar
   • Decline of the Mughal Empire
4. 4

   Muslim Society, Culture and Religious Thought

   3 topics

   • Sufi Orders and Their Influence
   • Religious Reform Movements
   • Indo-Muslim Art, Architecture and Literature

Muslim Rule in the Subcontinent (712-1707) flashcards for CSS Pakistan Affairs Optional History

25 of 50 cards from the Muslim Rule in the Subcontinent (712-1707) deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In which year did Muhammad bin Qasim conquer Sindh, and whom did he defeat?

   In 712 CE, Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Sindh by defeating Raja Dahir at the Battle of Rawar (near the Indus).

2. Under which Umayyad governor of Iraq was the Arab expedition to Sindh launched, and who ordered it?

   It was launched under Al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf, governor of Iraq, with the sanction of Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid I; Muhammad bin Qasim (Hajjaj's nephew/son-in-law) led it.

3. What incident provided the immediate pretext for the Arab invasion of Sindh in 711-712?

   The plunder by sea pirates near Debal of ships carrying gifts/Muslim pilgrims (including women) from Sri Lanka to the Caliph; Raja Dahir's refusal to make amends triggered the invasion.

4. Which two seaports/towns were the first major conquests of Muhammad bin Qasim in Sindh?

   Debal (the first town captured) and then Nerun, followed by Brahmanabad and Multan.

5. Why was Multan nicknamed by the Arabs after its conquest by Muhammad bin Qasim?

   It was called the 'City of Gold' (or House of Gold) because of the immense wealth and treasure found in its great Hindu temple.

6. What status did Muhammad bin Qasim grant to Hindus and Buddhists in Sindh, and what tax did they pay?

   He treated them as Dhimmis (protected non-Muslims), allowed freedom of worship, and levied the jizya (poll tax) in return for protection.

7. How did the career of Muhammad bin Qasim end?

   After the death of Caliph Al-Walid I and Al-Hajjaj, the new Caliph Sulayman recalled and imprisoned him; he died in captivity (c. 715 CE).

8. Besides military conquest, name two peaceful channels through which Islam spread in the subcontinent.

   Trade (Arab merchants on the Malabar/Gujarat coasts) and Sufism (preaching of Sufi saints/dervishes).

9. Why was Sufism more effective than conquest in spreading Islam among the masses of the subcontinent?

   Sufis emphasized love, equality, tolerance and devotion (in local languages), appealing to lower castes and rural people who found Islam's egalitarianism attractive.

10. Which coastal regions saw the earliest spread of Islam through Arab sea trade, even before northern conquests?

    The Malabar Coast (Kerala), Gujarat, and the Konkan coast of western/southern India.

11. List three social impacts of the establishment of Muslim rule on Indian society.

    Weakening of the rigid caste system among converts, introduction of the concept of equality before God, and emergence of a composite Indo-Muslim culture.

12. Which composite language emerged from the interaction of Persian, Arabic, Turkish and local Indian dialects under Muslim rule?

    Urdu (initially called Hindavi/Rekhta), which developed in the camps and markets where soldiers and locals mixed.

13. Who founded the Delhi Sultanate, and in what year?

    Qutb-ud-din Aibak founded the Delhi Sultanate (Mamluk/Slave dynasty) in 1206, after the death of Muhammad Ghori.

14. Name the five major dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate in chronological order.

    Mamluk (Slave) 1206-1290, Khilji 1290-1320, Tughlaq 1320-1414, Sayyid 1414-1451, and Lodhi 1451-1526.

15. Who was Razia Sultana and why is she historically significant?

    Razia Sultana (r. 1236-1240) was the daughter of Iltutmish and the first and only woman to rule the Delhi Sultanate as Sultan.

16. Which Slave-dynasty ruler is credited with consolidating the Delhi Sultanate and introducing the Iqta system, the silver tanka and copper jital?

    Iltutmish (r. 1211-1236), who organized administration, introduced the Iqta system and the standard coins tanka and jital.

17. What was the Iqta system in the Delhi Sultanate?

    A system of land assignment in which territory (iqta) was granted to nobles/officers (muqtis/iqtadars) in lieu of salary; they collected revenue and maintained troops for the Sultan.

18. Which Khilji ruler introduced sweeping market price-control reforms and the first systematic measurement-based land revenue?

    Alauddin Khilji (r. 1296-1316) introduced price controls in Delhi markets and fixed land revenue at about 50% of produce, assessed by measurement (masahat).

19. What was Alauddin Khilji's main military achievement and his approach to the Mongol threat?

    He repelled repeated Mongol invasions and led/sent campaigns (under Malik Kafur) into the Deccan and South India, extending Sultanate influence southward.

20. Name two notable administrative experiments of Muhammad bin Tughlaq that failed.

    The transfer of capital from Delhi to Daulatabad, and the introduction of token (copper/brass) currency, both of which caused chaos and were reversed.

21. Which Tughlaq ruler is remembered as a benevolent reformer who built canals, towns, and abolished many oppressive taxes?

    Firoz Shah Tughlaq (r. 1351-1388), known for irrigation canals, founding cities (e.g. Firozabad, Hisar), and welfare measures.

22. Whose invasion in 1398 devastated Delhi and hastened the decline of the Tughlaq dynasty?

    Timur (Tamerlane) sacked Delhi in 1398, leaving the Sultanate fragmented and weak.

23. Which battle in 1526 ended the Delhi Sultanate (Lodhi dynasty), and who fought it?

    The First Battle of Panipat (1526), where Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodhi, founding the Mughal Empire.

24. List three major causes of the decline of the Delhi Sultanate.

    Weak/incompetent later rulers, the rebellion of provincial governors and rise of regional kingdoms, and the devastating invasion of Timur (1398).

25. Who founded the Mughal Empire and what was his lineage?

    Babur (Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur), descended from Timur on his father's side and Genghis Khan on his mother's side, founded it in 1526.

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