Who among the following Arab writers has given the description of Kalachuri ruler Gangeyadeva and his capital Tripuri?

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — C, Al-Biruni. Al-Biruni (973–1048), the Khwarezmian polymath who accompanied the era of Mahmud of Ghazni's campaigns and lived in India for over a decade, wrote 'Kitab al-Hind' (Tahqiq-i-Hind) — an 11th-century account of Indian society, science and geography. In it, he describes the contemporary Kalachuri king Gangeyadeva as ruler of the Dahala country and names his capital, Tripuri (near present-day Jabalpur).

Why the other options are wrong — (a) Not a recognised Arab chronicler of India from this period — no account of Gangeyadeva or Tripuri is attributed to this name.  (b) Al-Masudi (d. 956 CE) travelled through India in the early 10th century — nearly a century before Gangeyadeva's reign (c. 1015–1041) even began, so he could not have described him.  (d) Ibn Battuta was a 14th-century Moroccan traveller who visited India under Muhammad bin Tughlaq — three centuries after Gangeyadeva's reign, far too late to have described him.

Concept: Al-Biruni was a Khwarezmian polymath attached to the court circle around Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni, who spent over a decade in India studying Sanskrit, astronomy and society and wrote 'Kitab al-Hind' (Tahqiq-i-Hind) — an 11th-century ethnographic account of India. In it he describes several contemporary regional rulers, including the Kalachuri king Gangeyadeva of the Dahala (Chedi) country.

State PCS 2022 Q96 — Madhya Pradesh GK PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2022 Q96 — Madhya Pradesh GK PYQ with Answer