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Uttarakhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2010

Foreign Travelers' Accounts

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

The famous historian who visited India with Mahmud of Ghazni was-

Solution & Analysis

Answer: B

Concept Al-Beruni's visit marked the beginning of a systematic study of Indian society and science by the Islamic world, resulting in the most objective account of the medieval period.

Explanation Al-Beruni (Abu Rayhan Muhammad) accompanied Mahmud of Ghazni in the 11th century. He learned Sanskrit and authored Tahqiq-i-Hind (Inquiry into India).

Logical Breakup
Logic 1: Option B is correct. Al-Beruni is regarded as the first Indologist for his neutral and detailed observations of Indian religion and astronomy.
Logic 2: Other historians like Firishta (Option A) and Afif (Option C) belong to later periods (17th and 14th centuries respectively).

Active Recall

Question

In what language was Tahqiq-i-Hind originally written?

Answer

It was written in Arabic, which was the scientific language of the Islamic world at the time.

Core Insight

Al-Beruni provided a vital external validation of Indian scientific and philosophical progress when indigenous records were scarce.

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