islamic culture in spain practice test

Why did Abd al-Rahman III declare himself Caliph of Córdoba?

B. To claim religious and political independence from the Abbasid Caliphate

Why did Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities thrive in Córdoba?

C. They lived under Muslim protection with relative tolerance and autonomy

What allowed Jews to flourish in Islamic Iberia?

B. They held high-ranking positions and contributed to science and trade

How did Córdoba maintain its status as a center of knowledge?

C. It cultivated vast libraries and hosted scholars from across the Islamic world

Why did the Umayyad Caliphate eventually weaken in Al-Andalus?

B. Internal power struggles and the rise of the Amiri and Hamoudi states

What role did Muhammad ibn Abi Amir (Al-Mansur) play after the Umayyads?

B. He removed the young Umayyad heir and ruled directly

What was the impact of agricultural innovations introduced by Muslims in Iberia?

B. A transformation in agriculture that increased food production and crop diversity

What made Córdoba’s literary culture significant during its golden age?

B. It combined religious and scientific knowledge

Why did Muslim rulers allow Christians and Jews to maintain their traditions?

A. To avoid rebellion and maintain tax income (jizya)

What made Ibn Hazm a unique figure in Andalusi culture?

B. He blended philosophy, poetry, and political service into one legacy

Who were the Muladies?

C. Iberian converts to Islam seeking equal rights

What is a noria used for?

B. Water-lifting in irrigation

What is a qanat in the context of Al-Andalus?

B. An underground irrigation channel

What is a fitnah in Islamic texts?

B. A trial, persecution, or test of faith

Who were the Berbers in Andalusi society?

B. North African Muslims who often lived in mountainous areas and demanded equality

What role did libraries play in Al-Andalus?

B. They preserved Roman and Greek knowledge and encouraged intellectual development

What was the main reason the Caliphate of Córdoba broke into smaller Taifa kingdoms?

B. Political fragmentation and rival dynasties emerging

What was a common characteristic of Taifa rulers?

C. They were Arab, Berber, or local Andalusian Muslims 

Why were the Taifa kingdoms militarily weak?

B. Internal rivalries and lack of unity made them vulnerable to Christian conquests

How did Taifa rulers try to protect themselves from northern Christian kingdoms?

C. By forming alliances, even with Christian kings

Why did the Almoravids come to Al-Andalus in the late 11th century?

B. At the request of Muslim Taifa rulers seeking help against Christian advances

What religious policy did the Almoravids enforce in Al-Andalus?

B. Strict Sunni orthodoxy based on the Maliki school

Who eventually overthrew the Almoravids in Al-Andalus?

B. The Almohads

What happened in Muslim Spain after the collapse of the Almohads?

C. It fractured into independent Taifas

What was a key strategy the Taifas used to survive?

B. Paid tribute to Christian kings

Who founded the Nasrid Dynasty of Granada?

B. Muhammad I ibn al-Ahmar

When was the Nasrid Dynasty established?

B. 1238

What was the relationship between the Nasrid Emirate and Castile?

B. Granada paid tribute to Castile as a vassal

When did Granada begin being referred to by its famous name?

C. 1013

Who founded the Taifa of Granada in 1013?

B. Zawi ibn Ziri

From where Zawi ibn Ziri moved the capital?

B. Medina Elvira

Why was Garnata chosen as the new capital?

C. It was defensible and had food/water

What structure was developed during Zawi’s rule?

B. Alcazaba Vieja

What did the Almoravids build in Granada?

C. Bermejas Towers

How did Al-Zuhri describe Granada?

B. Beautiful and well-defended

Almohads

A. Dynasty that replaced the Almoravids

Realejo

A. Jewish quarter later walled off by Almohads

Muldies

A. Converts to Islam living among Muslims

What is a "noria" in Andalusi agriculture?

B) A waterwheel used for irrigation

What is the "Alhambra"?

B) A famous Nasrid fortress-palace complex

What does "parias" refer to in the context of Nasrid-Castilian relations?

B) Tribute payments to Christian kingdoms

What is the meaning of "medina" in a city like Granada?

C) The urban core centered on a citadel

Who were the "Abencerrajes"?

B) A powerful noble family in Nasrid Granada

What does the term "Capitulation of Granada" refer to?

A) The surrender agreement ending Muslim rule in Granada

What does "jazīrat al-Andalus" mean to the Muslims of Granada?

C) The Arabic name for the Iberian Peninsula

What is a "citadel" in Nasrid urban planning?

B) A fortress on a high point of the city

What was the "Treaty of Granada" meant to guarantee?

B) Religious and cultural rights for Muslims under Christian rule

Why did Muhammad I choose Granada as the capital?

C) Its defensive location and fertile plains made it ideal

What natural feature made Granada a stronghold?

C) Its mountainous terrain with steep slopes

How did the Nasrids secure food supply for their kingdom?

C) By using advanced irrigation and fertile land

Which ruler is remembered for expanding the Alhambra and supporting architecture?

B) Muhammad V

How did the Nasrids maintain peace with Christian kingdoms?

C) By diplomacy and paying tribute

What led to frequent instability among Nasrid rulers?

B) Civil wars and palace coups

What was a key architectural achievement under Yusuf I?

C) The Gate of Justice and Comares Palace

What advantage did Granada’s coastal territories offer?

B) Access to maritime trade and naval defence

What caused tension between Nasrid factions in the 15th century?

B) Support for rival rulers like Muley Hacén and Boabdil

What role did Muslim artisans play in Nasrid Granada?

C) They created fine goods like glassware and woodwork

What made Nasrid silk valuable?

C) It was produced from mulberry-fed silkworms

How were Nasrid irrigation systems improved?

C) By adapting Roman systems with norias

Why were Nasrid cities hard to invade?

B) Their layout used natural slopes and strong fortifications

What is significant about the River Darro in Granada?

B) It split the medina into two parts

Why was the mountainous terrain of Granada important?

A) It created natural borders and isolated towns

How did the Nasrid economy decline in the 15th century?

B) Due to war tribute payments, and civil strife

Why did the Christian kingdoms renew their aggression?

B) Because of Muslim raids and growing religious fervor

How did Yusuf I die?

B) Assassinated while praying

What weakened the Nasrid frontier in the final years?

C) Political fragmentation and internal conflict

What prompted the War of Granada?

B) Catholic Monarchs' campaign to reclaim territory

What advantage did the Catholic Monarchs use in the final war?

B) Modern artillery and religious justification

What happened to Muslims after the fall of Granada?

C) They were allowed to stay under specific conditions

What eventually happened to those Muslims who stayed?

B) They were later forced to convert or leave

Why did Granada lose its strategic importance in trade?

B) New sea routes bypassed it

What caused Yusuf II and Muhammad VII to resume tribute payments?

C) Christian military pressure

What divided Muslims in Iberia during Nasrid times?

C) Whether they lived under Christian or Muslim rule

Why did the Nasrid court attract poets and scholars?

C) The rulers actively supported the arts

What made the Alhambra symbolically powerful?

C) Its representation of Islamic paradise and power

Why did Muhammad III lose support?

C) He raised taxes

What happened after the fall of Málaga and Bayyana?

C) Granada was left severely weakened

What was the ultimate result of internal division in the Nasrid state?

C) The fall of Granada to the Catholic Monarchs

What natural feature helped protect the city of Granada from invasion?

C) Steep hills and the Sierra Nevada mountains

What was the Alcazaba in Granada?

C) The fortified citadel at the city's heart

How was the medina of Granada typically structured?

B) A walled city centered on a citadel

What was the role of the Alhambra in the city of Granada?

C) A royal palace and administrative center

What was Santa Fe’s role in the final conquest of Granada?

B) It served as the Catholic Monarchs’ military base

How did Boabdil surrender the city of Granada?

C) He handed over the keys of the city to the Catholic Monarchs

What did the Capitulation of Granada promise Muslims in the city?

C) Protection of religion

What happened to the promises of tolerance in the Capitulation of Granada?

B) They were gradually broken and reversed

How is the fall of Granada remembered in Spanish tradition?

C) As the final triumph of the Reconquista

What was al-Andalus?

B) An Arab-Muslim civilization in Spain

2. What year marked the end of al-Andalus with the Reconquista?

B) 1492

What does “al-Jannah al-mafqudah” mean?

C) The Lost Paradise

Who were the Moriscos?

B) Muslims who remained in Christian Spain

Which religious group remained relatively prosperous after the Reconquista?

C) Jews

In what language did Ibn Gabirol and Maimonides write?

C) Arabic

What fields did Andalusian scholars contribute to?

B) Astronomy, medicine, and philosophy

What musical influence is believed to have shaped flamenco?

B) Gypsy-Moorish fusion

. What was a result of the decline of Moorish culture?

C) Displacement and marginalization

Why did some Moors and Gypsies adopt Christianity outwardly?

C) Survival

What was Ziryab’s notable innovation in instrumentation?

B) A fifth string on the lute

. What poetic-musical form originated in al-Andalus?

B) Muwashah

. Where was Andalusian music most preserved after exile?

C) The Maghreb