U.P.P.C.S. Special Mains 2004

Medieval Cultural Exchange

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

Which Sultan of Delhi established a 'Translation Department' to help both communities to understand each other's ideas better:

Solution & Analysis

Answer: B

Concept Firuz Shah Tughluq sought to foster intellectual harmony by translating ancient Indian knowledge into the administrative language of the court, Persian.

Explanation He established a Translation Department to convert Sanskrit works on religion, science, and philosophy into Persian and Arabic, allowing the Turko-Afghan elite to access Indic wisdom.

Logical Breakup

Logic 1: This was a cultural bridge-building exercise. After his conquest of Nagarkot, he found 1,300 Sanskrit books and ordered their translation.

Logic 2: One such translated work on medicine and philosophy was named *Dala'il-i-Firoz Shahi*.

Active Recall

Question

What was the result of translating these Sanskrit works?

Answer

It enriched the Persian literary tradition with Indian scientific and astronomical concepts, creating a hybrid intellectual culture.

Core Insight

Despite his religious orthodoxy, Firuz Shah recognized the practical value of traditional Indian science and literature for his administration.

Which Sultan of Delhi established a 'Translation Department' to help both communities to understand each other's ideas better:

Solution & Analysis

Active Recall

Core Insight

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