Islamic Studies · Topic 3
The Umayyads, Abbasids, Muslim rule in Sindh and Spain, and the Ottomans.
Learn first
Learn the dynasties in order, with their capitals, founders and how each ended.
Practise
Try each question, then open the answer. MCQs 51–100 of 341.
51.Who founded the city of Qairowan in North Africa?
Answer: B. Uqbah bin Nafi
Uqbah bin Nafi founded Qairowan (Kairouan) in present-day Tunisia in 670 CE.
52.The Muslim advance into France was stopped at which battle in 732 CE?
Answer: B. Battle of Tours
Charles Martel defeated the Muslims at Tours (Poitiers) in 732 CE.
53.Who founded the Umayyad emirate in Spain after 750 CE?
Answer: B. Abdur Rahman I
Abdur Rahman I, an Umayyad prince, founded the emirate of Cordoba in 756 CE.
54.What was the capital of Muslim Spain under the Umayyads?
Answer: D. Cordoba
Cordoba was the capital of the Umayyads of Spain.
55.The Alhambra palace is in which city?
Answer: D. Granada
The Alhambra was built by the Nasrid rulers of Granada.
56.Muslim rule in Spain ended with the fall of Granada in which year?
Answer: B. 1492
Granada fell to Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492.
57.Who founded the Abbasid Caliphate?
Answer: A. Abul Abbas As-Saffah
Abul Abbas As-Saffah became the first Abbasid caliph in 750 CE.
58.Which Abbasid caliph founded the city of Baghdad?
Answer: C. Abu Jafar Al-Mansur
Al-Mansur founded Baghdad in 762 CE as the new capital.
59.Baghdad was founded on which river?
Answer: C. Tigris
Baghdad stands on the Tigris.
60.The Abbasid Caliphate ended in which year?
Answer: A. 1258 CE
The Mongols sacked Baghdad and killed the caliph in 1258.
61.Who led the Mongols in the sack of Baghdad?
Answer: A. Hulagu Khan
Hulagu Khan, a grandson of Chengiz Khan, destroyed Baghdad in 1258.
62.Which Abbasid caliph is famous from the tales of "The Thousand and One Nights"?
Answer: A. Harun-ur-Rashid
Harun-ur-Rashid (786–809 CE) appears in many of the tales.
63.Bait-ul-Hikmah (House of Wisdom) reached its height under which caliph?
Answer: B. Al-Mamun
Al-Mamun made the House of Wisdom a great centre of translation and science.
64.The Battle of Talas (751 CE) was fought between the Abbasids and which empire?
Answer: C. Chinese Tang empire
After Talas, papermaking spread from China to the Muslim world.
65.The Battle of Ain Jalut (1260) was fought between the Mamluks and whom?
Answer: D. The Mongols
The Mamluks of Egypt defeated the Mongols at Ain Jalut, halting their advance.
66.Which dynasty founded Cairo?
Answer: D. Fatimid
The Fatimids founded Cairo in 969 CE.
67.Al-Azhar in Cairo was founded by which dynasty?
Answer: A. Fatimid
The Fatimids founded Al-Azhar mosque in 970–972 CE; it became a famous university.
68.Who recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187?
Answer: A. Salahuddin Ayyubi
Salahuddin Ayyubi took Jerusalem after the Battle of Hattin.
69.Salahuddin Ayyubi defeated the Crusaders at which battle in 1187?
Answer: C. Battle of Hattin
The victory at Hattin opened the way to Jerusalem.
70.The Seljuks defeated the Byzantines at which battle in 1071?
Answer: A. Battle of Manzikert
Alp Arslan's victory at Manzikert opened Anatolia to the Turks.
71.Which Seljuk sultan won the Battle of Manzikert?
Answer: C. Alp Arslan
Sultan Alp Arslan defeated Emperor Romanos IV.
72.Who was the famous vizier of the Seljuks who founded the Nizamiyya schools?
Answer: C. Nizam-ul-Mulk Tusi
Nizam-ul-Mulk founded the Nizamiyya madrasas in the 11th century.
73.Who founded the Ottoman Empire?
Answer: A. Osman I
Osman I founded the Ottoman state around 1299.
74.Constantinople was conquered by the Ottomans in which year?
Answer: D. 1453
Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople in 1453.
75.Which Ottoman sultan conquered Constantinople?
Answer: C. Mehmed II (Al-Fatih)
Mehmed II earned the title Al-Fatih (the Conqueror).
76.Which Ottoman sultan is known as "the Magnificent" and "Qanuni" (Lawgiver)?
Answer: C. Suleiman I
Suleiman I ruled from 1520 to 1566, the height of Ottoman power.
77.Which Ottoman sultan brought the caliphate to the Ottomans after conquering Egypt in 1517?
Answer: D. Selim I
Selim I conquered the Mamluks and took the title of caliph.
78.The Ottoman caliphate was abolished in which year?
Answer: C. 1924
The Turkish Grand National Assembly abolished the caliphate on 3 March 1924.
79.Who abolished the Ottoman caliphate?
Answer: B. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
Mustafa Kemal's government abolished the caliphate in 1924.
80.Which Ghaznavid ruler led about 17 expeditions into India?
Answer: A. Mahmud of Ghazni
Mahmud of Ghazni led about 17 expeditions into India.
81.Mahmud of Ghazni is famous for his raid on which temple in 1025?
Answer: C. Somnath
Mahmud raided the Somnath temple in Gujarat in 1025–26.
82.Which scholar accompanied Mahmud of Ghazni and wrote "Kitab-ul-Hind"?
Answer: B. Al-Biruni
Al-Biruni studied Indian sciences and wrote Kitab-ul-Hind.
83.Which poet wrote the "Shahnama" at Mahmud of Ghazni's court?
Answer: B. Firdausi
Firdausi completed the Persian epic Shahnama.
84.Who defeated Prithviraj Chauhan at the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192?
Answer: A. Muhammad Ghori
Muhammad Ghori's victory laid the foundation of Muslim rule in Delhi.
85.Who founded the Delhi Sultanate in 1206?
Answer: C. Qutbuddin Aibak
Qutbuddin Aibak, a slave general of Ghori, founded the Slave dynasty.
86.Who began the construction of the Qutb Minar?
Answer: C. Qutbuddin Aibak
Aibak began it; Iltutmish completed the main storeys.
87.Who was the first woman ruler of the Delhi Sultanate?
Answer: C. Razia Sultana
Razia Sultana, daughter of Iltutmish, ruled from 1236 to 1240.
88.Who founded the Mughal Empire in India?
Answer: B. Zaheeruddin Babur
Babur founded the Mughal Empire after the First Battle of Panipat.
89.The First Battle of Panipat was fought in which year?
Answer: C. 1526
Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi at Panipat in 1526.
90.Who did Babur defeat at the First Battle of Panipat?
Answer: C. Ibrahim Lodi
Babur defeated Sultan Ibrahim Lodi of Delhi.
91.Which Mughal emperor was briefly driven out by Sher Shah Suri?
Answer: D. Humayun
Sher Shah defeated Humayun in 1539–40; Humayun regained Delhi in 1555.
92.Sher Shah Suri built which famous road?
Answer: A. Grand Trunk Road (Sadak-e-Azam)
Sher Shah rebuilt and extended the great road from Bengal to Peshawar.
93.Which Mughal emperor started the religion Din-e-Ilahi?
Answer: D. Akbar
Akbar announced Din-e-Ilahi in 1582.
94.Who opposed Akbar's Din-e-Ilahi and is called Mujaddid Alf Sani?
Answer: B. Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi
Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi worked to revive orthodox Islam against Akbar's innovations.
95.Which Mughal emperor built the Taj Mahal?
Answer: D. Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in Agra for Mumtaz Mahal.
96.Which Mughal emperor built the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore?
Answer: A. Aurangzeb Alamgir
Aurangzeb built the Badshahi Mosque, completed in 1673.
97.Which Mughal emperor had the compilation "Fatawa-e-Alamgiri" made?
Answer: A. Aurangzeb Alamgir
Fatawa-e-Alamgiri, a compilation of Hanafi law, was made under Aurangzeb.
98.Shalimar Gardens in Lahore were built by which emperor?
Answer: C. Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan built the Shalimar Gardens in 1641–42.
99.The tomb of Jahangir is in which city?
Answer: A. Lahore (Shahdara)
Jahangir's tomb is at Shahdara Bagh, Lahore.
100.Who was the last Mughal emperor?
Answer: B. Bahadur Shah Zafar
Bahadur Shah Zafar was deposed and exiled to Rangoon after 1857.
Test yourself
Each quiz has 50 MCQs from this topic and 50 minutes. A correct answer earns 1 mark and each wrong answer takes off 0.25; skipped questions score nothing. No password needed.
