Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation
The first Muslim who studied Puranas was-
Solution & Analysis
Answer: C
Concept
Intellectual curiosity in medieval India often led foreign scholars to deeply engage with Indic texts. Al-Biruni is regarded as the first 'Indologist' for his objective study of Indian sciences and religion.Explanation
Al-Biruni came to India with Mahmud of Ghazni in the 11th century. He learned Sanskrit and spent years studying the Puranas, the Gita, and the Vedas, documenting his findings in his monumental work *Tahqiq-i-Hind*.Logical Breakup
Logic 1: Option C is correct. Unlike most invaders, Al-Biruni sought to understand the 'other' through direct study of primary religious and scientific texts.
Logic 2: While Dara Shikoh (D) also translated the Upanishads, Al-Biruni’s study of the Puranas happened nearly 600 years earlier.