Al-Biruni's Kitab-ul-Hind was written in which language?
- A.Arabic
- B.Persian
- C.Urdu
- D.Turkish
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, Arabic. Al-Biruni, a scholar from Khwarizm in Central Asia, came to India in the train of Mahmud of Ghazni in the early eleventh century. He learnt Sanskrit, studied Indian texts and wrote Kitab-ul-Hind (full title Tahqiq ma li-l-Hind) in Arabic, completing it around 1030. Arabic was then the main language of learning in the Islamic world, which is why he chose it. The book, in eighty chapters, describes Indian religion, philosophy, festivals, astronomy, weights and measures, social customs and the caste system, and is valued for its careful and fair tone. Option B is wrong because Persian became the language of Indian court histories later, under the Delhi Sultans and the Mughals. Option C is wrong because Urdu developed centuries afterwards. Option D is wrong because Turkish was the tongue of Babur's memoirs, the Baburnama, not of Al-Biruni's work. Exam tip: Al-Biruni, Kitab-ul-Hind, Arabic; Babur, Baburnama, Turkish.
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