SSC
The Arab general Muhammad bin Qasim invaded and conquered Sindh in the year:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option C — 712 CE
Detailed Solution
The Arab general Muhammad bin Qasim invaded and conquered Sindh in 712 CE, marking the first major Arab (Muslim) conquest in the Indian subcontinent.
Background:
- The Arabs had already conquered Persia and were expanding eastwards under the Umayyad Caliphate (with its capital at Damascus).
- The immediate cause of the invasion was the capture of Arab ships, carrying gifts and Muslim women, by pirates near Debal, the port of Sindh.
- When the ruler of Sindh, Raja Dahir, refused to punish the pirates or pay compensation, saying they were beyond his control, the Arabs decided to invade.
The invasion:
- Hajjaj bin Yusuf, the governor of Iraq, sent his young nephew and son-in-law, Muhammad bin Qasim, who was only about 17 years old, at the head of an army.
- Muhammad bin Qasim captured Debal, and then other towns of Sindh.
- Raja Dahir was defeated and killed in the Battle of Aror (Rawar) in 712 CE.
- Muhammad bin Qasim then captured Aror (the capital of Sindh) and Multan, which was famous for its rich Sun temple.
Administration of Sindh:
- He treated the local people with tolerance; Hindus and Buddhists were given the status of "dhimmis" (protected people) on payment of jizya.
- Local officials were allowed to continue in their posts.
The end of Muhammad bin Qasim:
He was recalled and executed in 715 CE after a change of rulers at Damascus.
Significance:
- The Arab conquest did not spread beyond Sindh and Multan, and had limited political effect on India.
- However, it led to cultural exchanges: Indian knowledge of astronomy, mathematics, medicine and literature (such as the Panchatantra and the numerals) reached the Arab world.
Source:
The main source for the conquest is the "Chachnama", a 13th-century Persian translation of an older Arabic account.
Why not the other options?
- ✗636 CE was when the Arabs first attacked the Indian coast at Thane (according to some accounts).
- ✗750 CE was when the Umayyad Caliphate was replaced by the Abbasids.
- ✗1001 CE was a later Ghaznavid campaign.
Quick tip
Remember: Arab conquest of Sindh = Muhammad bin Qasim (712 CE; defeated Raja Dahir; sent by Hajjaj bin Yusuf; Umayyad Caliphate); source = Chachnama.
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms Questions
View all ›- Q1.The Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty was founded by:
- Q2.Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni was a contemporary of which Chola ruler?
- Q3.Who was the court poet of Harshavardhana and the author of the 'Harshacharita'?
- Q4.In the battle on the banks of the Narmada, the Chalukya king Pulakeshin II defeated:
- Q5.The Shore Temple at Mamallapuram was built during the reign of:
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India from about the 7th to the 12th century: the Rajput dynasties, the tripartite struggle between the Palas, Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas, and the South Indian kingdoms of the Chalukyas, Pallavas, Cholas and Pandyas, along with the Sangam age and the temple architecture of the period. Questions often ask which dynasty built a temple (the Pallavas built the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram, and Rajaraja Chola I built the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur), the capitals of dynasties, and the local self-government of the Cholas. Learning each dynasty with its capital, greatest ruler and one monument is the quickest way to answer these questions. Practise the early medieval India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.