Question

Read the following statements carefully regarding Al-Biruni’s ‘‘Kitab-ul-Hind’’ and choose the correct option :
I. It is a voluminous text of eighty chapters.
II. It is written in Arabic, Urdu and Hindavi.
III. Each of its chapters begins with a question.
IV. It covers many subjects like astronomy, festivals, etc.

• A. I, III and IV are correct.
• B. I, II and III are correct.
• C. I, II and IV are correct.
• D. II, III and IV are correct.

Hint:

Al-Biruni’s writing style was highly analytical and logical. Remember that his works were written in Arabic, which rules out any options mentioning Urdu or Hindavi.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Concept: Al-Biruni was a versatile eleventh-century Central Asian scholar who traveled to the Indian subcontinent in the train of Mahmud of Ghazni. His encyclopedic text, \textit{Kitab-ul-Hind}, is considered a foundational literary source for understanding early medieval Indian society, culture, and science. Step 1: Assessing Statement I and Statement IV The \textit{Kitab-ul-Hind} is an exhaustive work divided into exactly **80 chapters**. It explores an array of subjects, including Indian philosophy, religious systems, festivals, manners, customs, social stratification, weights and measures, iconography, laws, and astronomy. Thus, Statements I and IV are correct. Step 2: Assessing Statement II Al-Biruni composed this treatise entirely in **Arabic**, which was the dominant intellectual language of the Islamic world at the time. Urdu and Hindavi did not exist as formal literary media for scholarly works of this type during the early 11th century. Thus, Statement II is incorrect. Step 3: Assessing Statement III Al-Biruni adopted a highly structured, geometric approach to writing. Each chapter typically starts with a clear question, follows with a descriptive analysis based on Sanskrit traditions, and concludes with a cross-cultural comparison to Greek or other ancient cultures. Thus, Statement III is correct. Step 4: Concluding the option match Since statements I, III, and IV are correct while statement II is false, the correct combination corresponds to Option (A).