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During the 8th - 14th centuries, in the Sanskrit texts and inscriptions, which of the following terms were used to denote Muslims? 1. Turushka 2. Tajika 3. Parashika 4. Kardamaka Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Explanation
During the 8th to 14th centuries, Sanskrit texts and inscriptions rarely used the religious label 'Muslim' or 'Musalman'. Instead, they employed ethnic and regional designations to identify the new migrants [1]. 'Turushka' was used for Turkish rulers, 'Tajika' for people from Tajikistan (or Central Asian Persian speakers), and 'Parashika' for those from Persia [1]. These terms reflected the geographical origins of the groups rather than their religious affiliation. Additionally, older terms like 'Shakas' and 'Yavanas' (originally used for Greeks) were sometimes reapplied to Turks and Afghans [1]. In contrast, 'Kardamaka' refers to a specific branch of the Western Kshatrapas, an earlier dynasty of the 2nd century CE, and is not a term used to denote Muslims in the medieval period. Therefore, only terms 1, 2, and 3 are correct designations for Muslims in the specified context.
Sources
- [1] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 6: Bhakti-Sufi Traditions > 5.3 Names for communities > p. 152
SIMILAR QUESTIONS
The term apabhramsa was used in medieval Sanskrit texts to denote