Chapter 4 The Rise of Muslim States Assessment
A. Multiple Choice: Choose the letter of the best answer. Do not write on
this section of the test. (2 points each)
1. What method did the Umayyads use to govern their empire
a. Clan loyalties
b. Military law
c. A bureaucracy
d. A democracy
2. What was the impact of introducing Arabic as the language of government for
all Muslim lands?
a. People throughout the empire could communicate with one another.
b. People rebelled against having to use a language foreign to them.
c. People from all over the empire were able to go on pilgrimage to
Mecca.
d. People were more willing to move to distant parts of the empire.
3. Why did some Muslims protest against Umayyad rule?
a. They believed the Umayyad should not mix religion and government.
b. They felt the Umayyad had expanded the empire too quickly.
c. They wanted to set up their own empire in the West.
d. They believed the Umayyad did not take their religious duties
seriously.
4. What parts of the world did the Umayyad Empire include by the 700s?
a. parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe
b. all of Asia, and parts of Europe and Africa
c. all of Europe, and parts of Africa and Asia
d. parts of Asia, Africa, and the Spice Islands
5. What stopped the Umayyad expansion in the west?
a. Their armies were exhausted and could not fight on.
b. Their advance was stopped by Christian forces at the Battle of Tours.
c. They realized their empire was already too large to govern.
d. They had to turn their attention to troubles at home.
6. What happened to the last of the Umayyad leaders?
a. Only one Umayyad leader escaped death and fled to Spain.
b. Most became loyal subjects of the Umayyad rulers.
c. They were all murdered.
d. They set up an empire in the east.
Chapter 4
7.
How did the pilgrimage to Mecca help unify the Muslim Empire?
a. People from all over the empire shared their languages and cultures.
b. The Umayyads were able to spy on people as they gathered in Mecca.
c. The experience of making a long journey brought people together.
d. Only people loyal to the Umayyad rulers were allowed in Mecca.
8.
Who took control of the empire from the Umayyad?
a. The Abbasids
c. Abd al-Rahman
b. Abd al-Malik
d. the Seljuk Turks
9. Why was the establishment of Baghdad as their capital a good decision for
the Abbasids?
a. The city was located near the Euphrates River.
b. The city was located near their power base and major trade routes.
c. The city had a large and diverse population.
d. The city had strong defensive walls.
10. How did the Abbasid policy of including all people help create the empire’s
Golden Age?”
a. The most talented people were able to participate in government and
cultural life.
b. Many people were give the opportunity to work.
c. With more people working, more taxes could be collected.
d. Many more people were willing to convert to Islam.
11. Why was the human form not used in Muslim art?
a. Muslim artists were not talented in reproducing the human form.
b. Muslim artists preferred to paint pictures of flowers.
c. Muslims were not allowed to use human models to create their art.
d. Muslims believed the human form in art distracted people from their
faith.
12. How did the ability to make paper affect the Muslim Empire?
a. People came from all over the world to learn papermaking, increasing
the population of the empire.
b. Books made of paper were considered unholy by many Muslims, and
this led to a civil war.
c. Paper was an important trade good that brought great wealth to the
empire.
d. Books allowed more people to gain and pass on knowledge, leading to
a Golden Age.
Chapter 4
13. Which of the following was a contribution of Muslim scholars of the Abbasid
period?
a. discovery of the planet Mars
b. discovery of the law of gravity
c. Arabic numbering system
d. Arabic alphabet
14. Which of the following is an important contribution to medicine made by
Muslim doctors?
a. the reference book Canon of Medicine
b. the discovery of a smallpox vaccine
c. the reference book The Guide for the Perplexed
d. the discovery of a cure for measles
15. How did the Abbasids hold on to power?
a. with a huge standing army
b. with a network of spies
c. by recruiting foreign mercenaries
d. by building fortified cities
16. Why might the Fatimid believe they should be the legitimate caliphs?
a. They believed they were more religiously devout than were the
Abbasids.
b. They believed they were stronger leaders than the Abbasids.
c. They claimed to be direct descendants of Muhammad.
d. They claimed that the people had elected them to lead the empire.
17. Why were the Abbasids poor leaders?
a. They lacked education.
c. They failed to listen to their advisors.
b. They passed harsh laws. d. They ignored their responsibilities.
18. What role did the Seljuk Turks play in the decline of the Abbasids?
a. They joined forces with the Umayyad to attack the Abbasids.
b. Their attacks on merchants helped destroy trade.
c. They captured Baghdad and became rulers of the empire.
d. They conquered Egypt and elected their own caliph.
19. How did Abd al-Rahman win control of Muslim Spain?
a. He made the city of Cordoba his capital.
b. He joined forces with the Christian armies in the north.
c. He invited Muslims from throughout the empire to come to Spain to
help him.
d. He made treaties with some Muslim groups, and then attacked and
defeated ruling Muslim factions.
Chapter 4
20. Why do you think so many scholars came to the city of Cordoba?
a. It was close to Christian Europe.
b. It was located far away from the Abbasid capital of Baghdad.
c. It was a major center of commerce.
d. It was a major cultural center with many libraries.
21. What contribution did al-Zahrawi make to the Golden Age in al-Andalus?
a. He wrote geographic studies.
b. He was an important philosopher.
c. He wrote a medical encyclopedia.
d. He was a leading mathematician.
22. What was the attitude of the caliphs of Cordoba toward the Abbasid caliphs
in Baghdad?
a. They wanted to attack and destroy Baghdad.
b. They wanted to outshine the glory of Baghdad.
c. They ignored the caliphate in Baghdad.
d. They had spies watching the caliphs in Baghdad.
23. How was Cordoba different from most cities in Western Europe?
a. It was a trading center.
b. It was much larger and had paved streets.
c. It had a strong leader.
d. It was an ancient city founded by the Romans.
24. Why did the Golden Age of al-Andalus come to an end?
a. Many scholars moved from al-Andalus to Baghdad.
b. European scholars created their own Golden Age.
c. Al-Andalus began to fall apart and different Muslim factions fought for
control.
d. The rulers of al-Andalus could no longer afford to support cultural
activities.
25. What contributed to the decline of al-Andalus?
a. The Umayyad were driven out by the Abbasids.
b. Muslim factions fought for control of al-Andalus.
c. The people grew tired of the Umayyad rulers.
d. The fall of Rome due to the lack of interest in education
Turn page to complete Section B: Map Questions #26-30B.
Chapter 4
Map Skills: Using the map exhibit below, choose the letter of the best answer. (2 pts. each)
26. What time period does this map cover?
a. the Muslim Empire under the Abbasids
b. the conquests of Muhammad
c. the Muslim Empire under the Umayyad
d. the conquests of the Seljuk Turks
27. Where is Cordoba located?
a. by the Danube River
b. on the Iberian Peninsula
c. on the Arabian peninsula
d. by the Red Sea
28. Which of the following cities is farthest from Baghdad?
a. Toledo
c. Damascus
b. Alexandria
d. Tripoli
29. What cities might a pilgrim from Cordoba pass through on the way to
Mecca?
a. Alexandra, Basra, Damascus c. Baghdad, Constantinople, Kairouan
b. Baghdad, Jerusalem, Medina d. Kairouan, Tripoli, Cairo,
30. Which of the following describes Mecca’s location.
a. Mecca is exactly at the center of the empire.
b. Mecca is close to Cordoba.
c. Mecca is to the north of Baghdad.
d. Mecca is close to the Red Sea.
Chapter 4
Name:
Date:
Period:
Chapter 4: The Rise of Muslim States Assessment
Short Answer Section
C. Fill-in-the-Blank. Each typed line represents one word. Partial credit
will not be given; all or nothing. (3 points each numbered question)
31. The famous volume of stories written by Omar Khayyam is called
____________________________________ .
32. A time in which a society or culture is at its peak is called its
____________________________.
33. The Iberian Peninsula is now the countries of ____________________ and
_________________.
34. Abd al-Malik helped unify the empire by declaring ___________ the official
language of government.
35. The Umayyad used a ___________________________ to govern their empire.
Turn the page to complete the Short Answer Essay
Chapter 4
D. Short Essay Answer: Your teacher will assign which essay you are to
answer. Circle the number of the question you are assigned. Write a
complete paragraph (topic, body and closing sentences). Address all
aspects of the question. (10 points)
1. The Umayyad utilized a number of key strategies to unify their empire.
Discuss three of these and explain the impact of each.
2. Describe three separate contributions made by Muslim scholars. Explain
how each made an impact on the world.
3. How did the Muslim culture spread to Europe? (Think about Cordoba)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 4