Terms : Hide Images
| 7765022095 | Why did the Arab warriors not want to convert large numbers of people to Islam? Select one: a. They lacked the political organization to govern them and feared insurrection by non-Arabs. b. They would have had to share their booty and would have lost tax revenues. c. Muhammad specifically stated that Islam could only be spread among the Arabs. d. They wanted to keep high religious offices among themselves. e. Conversion would have slowed down the process of conquest. | b. They would have had to share their booty and would have lost tax revenues. | 0 | |
| 7765022096 | What was the Ka'ba? Select one: a. The belief in the goodness of holy war b. The name given to Muhammad's flight from Mecca c. The tribe that dominated Mecca d. The port of Mecca e. The religious shrine that was the focus of an annual truce | e. The religious shrine that was the focus of an annual truce | 1 | |
| 7765022097 | What was the nature of citizenship within the Umayyad Empire? Select one: a. Only Muslim Arabs were first-class citizens of this great empire. b. Malawi were accorded full rights of citizenship. c. All converts to Islam, regardless of their ethnic origins, were full citizens and members of the elite. d. Arabs rapidly lost their dominance in the Umayyad Empire to the native residents of Persia. e. The Umayyads recognized all residents of their empire, whether Muslims or "people of the book" as full citizens. | a. Only Muslim Arabs were first-class citizens of this great empire. | 2 | |
| 7765022098 | The wars to defeat rival prophets and restore the unity of Islam were called Select one: a. Karbala. b. the first fitnah. c. Rihla. d. Ridda. e. dhow. | d. Ridda. | 3 | |
| 7765022099 | The Abbasids moved the political center of their empire to Select one: a. Damascus. b. Merv. c. Constantinople. d. Jerusalem. e. Baghdad. | e. Baghdad. | 4 | |
| 7765022100 | Which of the following is NOT among the "five pillars" of Islam? Select one: a. Fasting during Ramadan b. Charity c. Pilgrimage to Medina d. Hajj e. A confession of faith | c. Pilgrimage to Medina | 5 | |
| 7765022101 | Why was the caliph Uthman disliked by so many Arabs? Select one: a. He was not an Arab. b. He murdered Ali. c. He had halted the process of expansion and thus stopped the flow of booty to the tribesmen. d. He was a firm supporter of Muhammad's son-in-law and nephew, Ali. e. He was the first caliph to be chosen from Muhammad's early enemies, the Umayyads. | e. He was the first caliph to be chosen from Muhammad's early enemies, the Umayyads. | 6 | |
| 7765022102 | What was the clan into which Muhammad was born? a. Banu Hashim b. Abbasid c. Almoravid d. Umayyad e. Sassanid | a. Banu Hashim | 7 | |
| 7765022103 | What was the result of the first civil war between Ali and the Umayyads? Select one: a. Ali was killed in the conflict, but his son Hasan was named caliph and won a great victory over the Abbasids. b. Despite early successes, Ali's faction disintegrated, leading to an Umayyad victory and Ali's assassination. c. Ali was able to defeat the Umayyad clan and reduce them to political insignificance. d. Islam remained firmly united behind the heirs of Husayn and Ali. e. Ali suffered a disastrous military defeat at the Battle of Siffin, and the Umayyads emerged victorious. | b. Despite early successes, Ali's faction disintegrated, leading to an Umayyad victory and Ali's assassination. | 8 | |
| 7765022104 | The Umayyads felt threatened by all of the following developments EXCEPT a. Muhammad's destruction of the Ka'ba. b. the development of Muhammad's religion. c. raids on their caravans. d. the growing power of Medina. e. disputes between rival families. | a. Muhammad's destruction of the Ka'ba. | 9 | |
| 7765022105 | What was the nature of pre-Islamic bedouin religion? a. It was a blend of animism and polytheism. b. Most of the bedouin were Christians. c. The bedouins had no religious beliefs. d. The bedouin were monotheists who worshipped Allah. e. Most of the bedouin were Jews. | a. It was a blend of animism and polytheism. | 10 | |
| 7765022106 | Which of the following statements concerning Muhammad's flight to Medina is NOT correct? a. Once in Medina he attracted new followers to his faith. b. He fled because he was invited to mediate a dispute between the tribes of Medina. c. He fled because of the threat of assassination in Mecca. d. Muhammad fled from Mecca with nearly one quarter of the city's population. e. Muhammad fled to Medina in the year 622. | d. Muhammad fled from Mecca with nearly one quarter of the city's population. | 11 | |
| 7765022107 | Which of the following represents a mounting pressure for change in pre-Islamic society? a. Invasion from sub-Saharan Africa agricultural cultures incompatible with nomadic life b. Greater Byzantine and Sasanian control over Arabic tribes of the peninsula and Arabic migration to Mesopotamia c. The increasing scarcity of natural resources to support the life and culture of the bedouins d. The increasing influence of Hindu animism from the expansion of the Gupta Empire e. The increasing influence of polytheism throughout all cultures around the Mediterranean | b. Greater Byzantine and Sasanian control over Arabic tribes of the peninsula and Arabic migration to Mesopotamia | 12 | |
| 7765022108 | What was the date of Muhammad's flight to Medina from Mecca? a. 635 C.E. b. 711 C.E. c. 622 C.E. d. 610 C.E. e. 570 C.E. | c. 622 C.E. | 13 | |
| 7765022109 | What was the Umayyad response to Muhammad's migration to Medina and subsequent success there? a. The Umayyad rulers of Mecca ignored Muhammad as long as he was content to remain in Medina. b. War broke out between Mecca and Medina resulting in the eventual victory of the Umayyads. c. War broke out between Mecca and Medina resulting in the eventual victory of Muhammad and the Medina clans. d. The Umayyads eagerly converted to Islam and welcomed Muhammad back to Mecca. e. Reluctantly but peacefully, the Umayyads were converted to Islam. | c. War broke out between Mecca and Medina resulting in the eventual victory of Muhammad and the Medina clans. | 14 | |
| 7765022110 | When did Muhammad receive the first revelations that were eventually written down in the Quran? a. 610 C.E. b. 711 C.E. c. 550 C.E. d. 632 C.E. e. 622 C.E. | a. 610 C.E. | 15 | |
| 7765022111 | The term for non-Arab Muslim converts is a. dhimmis. b. jizya. c. umma. d. dhow. e. mawali. | e. mawali. | 16 | |
| 7765022112 | Under the Umayyads, the political center of Islam shifted to a. Constantinople. b. Baghdad. c. Merv. d. Cairo. e. Damascus. | e. Damascus. | 17 | |
| 7765022113 | Which of the following groups was responsible for the slaughter of the male descendents of the Umayyad Dynasty? a. Syrians b. Berbers c. Christians d. Abbasids e. "people of the book." | d. Abbasids | 18 | |
| 7765022114 | Which of the following statements concerning bedouin society is NOT accurate? a. Bedouins lived in highly mobile tent encampments. b. Clans were commonly congregated together in larger tribal groupings. c. Bedouins were rarely found living in urban areas. d. Bedouin herders lived in kin-related clan groups. e. Arabian society fostered strong dependence on loyalty and cooperation with kin. | b. Clans were commonly congregated together in larger tribal groupings. | 19 | |
| 7765022115 | Which of the following was NOT a reason for the early expansion of Islam beyond Arabia? a. The desire for booty b. The sense of common cause and united strength c. The desire to convert new populations to Islam d. A means to release the energies of the bedouin tribes against others than themselves e. The weakness of their adversaries. | c. The desire to convert new populations to Islam | 20 | |
| 7765022116 | Which of the following groups was NOT a component of bedouin society? a. Slaves b. Artisans c. Herders d. Free warriors e. Shaykhs | b. Artisans | 21 | |
| 7765022117 | What was the nature of the material culture of bedouin society? a. The bedouins constructed numerous temple complexes featuring monumental architecture in the form of pyramids. b. Although their nomadic lifestyle did not permit the development of monumental architectural forms, the bedouins were skilled painters and sculptors. c. Except in the sedentary agricultural communities of the South, there was little art or architecture and the chief focus of cultural creativity was oral poetry. d. Mecca was a major center for the development of art and architecture, but the desert bedouin produced little of cultural value. e. The bedouins preserved the learning of classical cultures through writings that included prose-like epics. | c. Except in the sedentary agricultural communities of the South, there was little art or architecture and the chief focus of cultural creativity was oral poetry. | 22 | |
| 7765022118 | What was the most significant of the transformations brought about by the Abbasids' rise to power? a. The destruction of Sunni influences within Islam b. The mawali were admitted as full members of the Islamic community c. Victory in the Crusades and the conquest of Spain d. The destruction of absolutism within Islamic government e. The final defeat of the Byzantine Empire with the capture of Constantinople | b. The mawali were admitted as full members of the Islamic community | 23 | |
| 7765022119 | Which of the following cultures of the Arabian Peninsula was most significant the development of Islam? a. Medieval b. Sedentary agricultural villages c. Hunting and gathering d. Urban e. Bedouin | e. Bedouin | 24 | |
| 7765022120 | Who were the ayan? a. African slaves b. A rural landholding elite c. Free artisans d. Abbasid bureaucrats e. Jewish converts to Islam | b. A rural landholding elite | 25 | |
| 7765022121 | What was the major difference between Medina and Mecca? Select one: a. Medina was located on the western side of the Arabian Peninsula, while Mecca was located on the Persian Gulf. b. Medina was engaged in long-distance caravan trade, while Mecca was not. c. Mecca was established in an oasis, and Medina was in a mountainous region. d. Political dominance in Medina was contested between a number of Jewish and bedouin tribes. e. Medina was controlled by Coptic Christians while Mecca was controlled by the Banu Hashim clan. | d. Political dominance in Medina was contested between a number of Jewish and bedouin tribes. | 26 | |
| 7765022122 | Which of the following statements most accurately describes the status of women in bedouin society prior to Islam? a. Women were regarded as little more than property with neither rights nor status. b. They enjoyed greater freedom and higher status then Byzantine and Sasanian women. c. Women were the equals of males in the rugged society of the desert bedouin. d. Descent in bedouin tribes was strictly patrilineal. e. Women were permitted to take more than one husband (with approval of their mother). | b. They enjoyed greater freedom and higher status then Byzantine and Sasanian women. | 27 | |
| 7765022123 | What was the nature of slavery within the Abbasid social system? a. Slavery was known in Abbasid cities, but was virtually unknown in the countryside where most labor was performed by a free peasantry. b. Because most unskilled labor was left to the unfree, slaves could be found in both the towns and countryside of the Abbasid Empire. c. Slavery was limited to the non-Arab converts to Islam, and died out during the period of the Abbasid Empire. d. According to the Quran, slavery could not exist in Islam, and the Abbasid freed all former slaves. e. Most slaves worked under favorable conditions but were never allowed to convert to Islam. | b. Because most unskilled labor was left to the unfree, slaves could be found in both the towns and countryside of the Abbasid Empire. | 28 | |
| 7765022124 | What was the principle advantage of the Islamic concept of the umma? a. It provided dietary restrictions that allowed for more equitable distribution of food in Arabia. b. It provided a clear principle of political succession that would provide the basis for an Islamic state. c. It provided for an annual treaty that would restore the trade routes of Arabia. d. It emphasized the value of individualism and fostered self-reliance among the bedouin tribes. e. It transcended old tribal boundaries and made possible political unity among Arab clans. | e. It transcended old tribal boundaries and made possible political unity among Arab clans. | 29 | |
| 7765022125 | What was the result of inter-clan rivalries? a. They allowed for intermarriage between clan groups, thus preventing social isolation. b. They kept population down in a region that could support few people. c. They prevented mobility and migration that would have debilitated efforts at more complex social organization. d. They strengthened be bedouin and enabled them to challenge their neighbors. e. They tended to weaken the bedouin in comparison to neighboring peoples and empires. | e. They tended to weaken the bedouin in comparison to neighboring peoples and empires. | 30 | |
| 7765022126 | The office of the political and religious successor of Muhammad was called a. wazir. b. Ayan. c. Karbala. d. Caliph. e. dhow. | d. Caliph. | 31 | |
| 7765022127 | What clan was responsible for the foundation of Mecca? a. Turks b. Abbasid c. Aghlabid d. Umayyad e. Almoravid | d. Umayyad | 32 | |
| 7765022128 | The Arabic camel nomads were referred to as a. Hashim. b. bedouin. c. fellahin. d. ayan. e. mawali. | b. bedouin. | 33 | |
| 7765022129 | Which of the following statements concerning the ethical system of early Islam is NOT correct? a. Islam stressed the dignity of all believers and their equality in the eyes of Allah. b. It recognized the truth of similar ethical ideas in Judaism and Christianity. c. A tax for charity was obligatory in the new faith. d. The teachings of the Prophet and the Quran were not formally incorporated into a body of law. e. Islam stressed the responsibility of the wealthy and strong to care for the poor and weak. | d. The teachings of the Prophet and the Quran were not formally incorporated into a body of law. | 34 | |
| 7765022130 | What was the nature of the economy of the Abbasid period? a. It was a period of general prosperity typified by urban growth and the restoration of the Afro-Eurasian trade axis. b. There was a general crisis in the agricultural economy resulting from the constant warfare of the period. c. The economic downturn of the era was typified by the breakdown in the trade between the Middle East and China. d. Trade was initiated with northern Europe, which eventually led to the rise of slave trade with Africa. e. Although commerce was generally resuscitated during the Abbasid period, artisan production dropped off significantly. | a. It was a period of general prosperity typified by urban growth and the restoration of the Afro-Eurasian trade axis. | 35 | |
| 7765022131 | Which of the following statements concerning inter-clan relationships in bedouin society is most accurate? a. Inter-clan violence was regulated by a universally recognized code of law imposed by the Quraysh in Mecca. b. Inter-clan violence over control of water and pasturage was common. c. Violence in Bedouin society was generally limited to slave uprisings. d. Arabic society was too mobile to result in many contacts between clans, and therefore violence was minimal. e. Clans within the same tribe almost never engaged in warfare, but violence between different tribes was common. | b. Inter-clan violence over control of water and pasturage was common. | 36 | |
| 7765022132 | What happened after Muhammad's death in 632? a. After a lengthy period of grief, the tribes selected a new leader based on the established principle of succession in the Quran. b. Islam remained unified under the leadership of Ali. c. A military commander, Khalid ibn al-Walid, was chosen as leader of Islam. d. Many of the bedouin tribes renounced Islam. e. Islam ceased to exist until it was reestablished under the Umayyad dynasty at Damascus. | d. Many of the bedouin tribes renounced Islam. | 37 | |
| 7765022133 | What was the primary cultural contribution of the Muslims during the Abbasid period? a. Although the material culture of the Abbasid period remained poor, Muslims were able to make some advances in music. b. The Muslims became extraordinarily adept at portraiture, focusing on depictions of Muhammad and the early caliphs. c. The Muslims were able to recover and preserve the works of the ancient philosophers as well as transmit ideas and culture from one civilization to another. d. Islamic culture combined the achievements of earlier civilizations such as the Harappan and the Aryans. e. Islamic learning was necessarily unique, as they had no access to the ancient traditions of philosophy and science. | c. The Muslims were able to recover and preserve the works of the ancient philosophers as well as transmit ideas and culture from one civilization to another. | 38 | |
| 7765022134 | Leaders of bedouin clans were called a. dhows. b. shaykhs. c. imams. d. mawali. e. wazirs. | b. shaykhs. | 39 | |
| 7765022135 | What was Muhammad's teaching with respect to the revelations of other monotheistic religions? Select one: a. Muhammad accepted the earlier Christian revelations, but rejected completely any influence from Judaism. b. Muhammad taught that monotheistic religion was compatible with polytheism. c. Muhammad stressed that only his own revelations had merit and that others were works of the devil. d. Muhammad accepted the validity of earlier Christian and Judaic revelations and taught that his own revelations were a final refinement and reformulation of earlier ones. e. Muhammad accepted the earlier Judaic revelations, but rejected completely any influence from Christianity. | d. Muhammad accepted the validity of earlier Christian and Judaic revelations and taught that his own revelations were a final refinement and reformulation of earlier ones. | 40 | |
| 7765022136 | What was the nature of the Abbasid government? a. The Abbasids outdid the Umayyads in establishing an absolutist government symbolized by the growing powers of the wazirs and the sinister presence of the executioner. b. The Abbasids continued the policies of the Umayyads virtually without change, including the maintenance of an exclusively Arabic elite. c. The Abbasid government represented a return to the principles of government in the first days of the Orthodox caliphate. d. The Abbasids abandoned the formality and absolutism of the Umayyads and established an open and representative government. e. The Abbasid government was extremely efficient due to the influence of Byzantine advisors. | a. The Abbasids outdid the Umayyads in establishing an absolutist government symbolized by the growing powers of the wazirs and the sinister presence of the executioner. | 41 | |
| 7765022137 | Which of the following areas of the Byzantine Empire was NOT conquered by the Muslims by 650 C.E.? a. Iraq b. Egypt c. Asia Minor d. Palestine e. Syria | c. Asia Minor | 42 | |
| 7765022138 | What was the Umayyad attitude to other religions? a. Christianity and Judaism were suppressed as heresies, but other communities were permitted to retain their religions. b. The Umayyads displayed tolerance towards the religions of dhimmi peoples. c. The Umayyads suppressed all religions within their territories other than Islam. d. The Umayyads converted to Christianity, but continued to permit the open worship of Islam. e. Zoroastrians and Hindus were never accepted. | b. The Umayyads displayed tolerance towards the religions of dhimmi peoples. | 43 | |
| 7765022139 | Which of the following regions was NOT affected by Islam during its early history (prior to 750 C.E.)? a. Europe b. Sub-Saharan Africa c. North Africa d. South America e. Asia | d. South America | 44 | |
| 7765022140 | What was the initial response of the Umayyads to Muhammad's new faith? Select one: a. They sought him as an ally against the Sassinians and the Byzantines. b. The Umayyads simply ignored Muhammad as an insignificant member of a weak clan. c. The Umayyads immediately accepted Muhammad as their religious and political leader and the chief power in Mecca. d. They sought to protect him from a plot on his life by the Banu Hashim. e. They regarded him as a threat to their wealth and power as he questioned the traditional gods of the Ka'ba. | e. They regarded him as a threat to their wealth and power as he questioned the traditional gods of the Ka'ba. | 45 | |
| 7765022141 | The political and theological faction within Islam that recognized only Ali and the descendants of the family of Muhammad as rightful rulers was called a. Sufis. b. Sunnis. c. Kharij. d. Fiqhs. e. Shi'a. | e. Shi'a. | 46 | |
| 7765022142 | What was the status of artisans in Abbasid cities? a. Artisans were free men who owned their own tools and who formed guild-like organizations to negotiate wages. b. Artisans found no markets for their goods and were finally incorporated into the ayan. c. Artisans were able to utilize their guild-like organizations to seize political control of most Abbasid towns. d. The number of artisans decreased along with the economic crisis of the Abbasid period. e. Handicraft industries were staffed by slave labor exclusively. | a. Artisans were free men who owned their own tools and who formed guild-like organizations to negotiate wages. | 47 | |
| 7765022143 | In pre-Islamic times, the status of Mecca was enhanced by (A) the presence in the city of a Christian bishop. (B) the Ka'aba, a religious shrine which attracted pilgrims. (C) its merchants control of trade throughout the Middle East. (D) its alliance with the Sasanid Persian Empire. (E) the freedoms given its slaves and women. | b | 48 | |
| 7765022144 | The Prophet Muhammad had knowledge of life beyond Mecca because he was (A) a merchant and had traveled. (B) well-read and well-educated as an Arab scholar. (C) exiled to Persia before his conversion. (D) a judge who frequently arbitrated disputes. (E) a traveling scholar who moved between cities teaching. | a | 49 | |
| 7765022145 | One of the strengths of Islam which made it a successful universalizing religion similar to Christianity was its (A) use of a common language, Arabic, to unite all members. (B) insistence that there was only one God. (C) support for merchants and commercial values. (D) egalitarianism that transcended previous loyalties, ethnicities, or allegiances. (E) condemnation of violence as incompatible with faith. | d | 50 | |
| 7765022146 | The issue that confronted Muslims following Muhammad's death, and the issue which eventually split Muslims into Shi'a and Sunni sects involved (A) the toleration or persecution of Christians and Jews. (B) who was Muhammad's legitimate successor. (C) the conversion of non-Arabs to Islam. (D) the morality of the holy war (jihad) against enemies of the faith. (E) the accuracy of different translations and versions of the Quran. | b | 51 | |
| 7765022147 | The Pillar of Islam which helped create the first global civilization was (A) a profession of faith. (B) charity and alms-giving to help the Muslim community. (C) the pilgrimage by the faithful to Mecca. (D) fasting during Ramadan. (E) the holy war (jihad) against unbelievers. | c | 52 | |
| 7765022148 | The reasons for the Arabs' (Muslim) successful conquest of the Middle East and north Africa was most likely due to (A) the promise of booty to be won. (B) overpopulation in the Arabian peninsula. (C) the desire to convert others to Islam. (D) the weaknesses caused by their long wars of Islam's two main adversaries, Persia and the Byzantine Empire. (E) the unity provided by their faith in Islam. | d | 53 | |
| 7765022149 | The decline of women's position within Islamic civilization was due to (A) Islamic dogma. (B) contacts with older sedentary cultures and their highly stratified urban systems. (C) the necessities of war and holy war. (D) the high death rates of males; the increased number of women in Islamic society "decreased the value" of women. (E) bedouin traditions. | b | 54 | |
| 7765022150 | As the Muslim empire grew and the Abbasid dynasty came to power (A) Muslim rulers were increasingly isolated because of advisors and harems. (B) civil wars destroyed the unity of the empires as provinces broke away. (C) the Shi'a doctrines were supported and spread by the caliphs. (D) the caliphs increasingly brought distant provinces under central control. (E) conversions to Islam declined. | a | 55 | |
| 7765022151 | As similarly compared to classical Rome, later Muslim society (A) granted women extensive rights. (B) denied merchants high social status. (C) discouraged toleration of foreigners and conversion to the official religion. (D) relied on the military to run the government. (E) used slave labor extensively and had an important landed elite. | e | 56 | |
| 7765022152 | The first flowering of Islamic civilization (A) was intolerant toward older civilizations and their learning because these cultures were pagan. (B) grew largely out of indigenous Arabia and bedouin traditions. (C) borrowed exclusively from the Chinese. (D) borrowed heavily from classical civilizations, but made significant contributions in its own areas. (E) was mostly imitative rather than creative. | d | 57 |
