Q. & A. 711 to 1707 with solved Papers css 1971 to date

SOCIAL LIFE
Life Style of the People
Medieval literature, which was essentially aristocratic, reflects the mode of thinking, the taste, and way of life of an elite. Little is known about the manner in which the average and poor citizen lived. Andalusian nobility and the rich lived in refinement and luxury. They enjoyed an urban life, taking pleasure in sumptuous palaces, mansions, gardens, country houses, and public baths. In the tenth century, Cordova was, perhaps, the most cosmopolitan and sophisticated city in the Muslim world and Europe. It served as a model for building and fashion. There was the great Mosque of Cordova and a number of splendid palaces, such as al-Zahra’ built by Abdur Rahman in and al-Zahirah built by Ibn Abi ’Amir. According to al-Maqqari, Cordova had under Ibn Abi ’Amir in the tenth century some 1,600 mosques: 900 public baths; 213,077 homes for the general populace; 60,300 mansions for notables, wazirs, secretaries, army commanders, and other high officials; and 80,455 shops. One is inclined to doubt these figures, since they suggest that Cordova would have had, by conservative estimate, more than one million inhabitants. However exaggerated they may be, these figures give us an idea of the high development and vigour of urban life under Muslim rule. In fact, each city came to excel in some area. Cordova was famous for its libraries and books, Malaga for its songs; and
Society and Administration 711
Seville for its musical instruments - lute, qanun, rebec, drums, which were most common for a musical ensemble.
Ordinarily, the homes of the wealthy had two stories, gardens, and running water. It was fashionable to include an ample room for a library. Men of means had also their country houses (munyah) which were located in the suburbs or the countryside. The government palaces resembled self- contained cities. They provided not only government offices and ample sleeping quarters but also storage for large amounts of food, clothing, and • furniture. In addition, they contained recreation areas and gardens with many beautiful flowers and fruit trees. To this may be added a great refinement in personal care. There was a while selection of clothes and jewels for men and women. Cleanliness was a daily practice maintained in private baths for the wealthy households or in public baths which were a major feature in every city. These public baths were well managed, and each had several attendants. Ordinarily, they were accessible to women in the morning and to men at noon.
Sports
The Andalusians enjoyed indoor and outdoor pastimes. In their homes the ruling class and the well-to-do had literary salons (majlis, pi. majalis), to which men of letters and boon-compansions gathered for serious literary discussions and lighthearted pursuits such as drinking wine, listening to music and singing, watching dancing girls, or playing chess frowned upon by the jurists and religious scholars, they were so widely pursued that the judges could hardly penalize a musician, wine drinker, or other violator. This was equally true of popular outdoor sports, such as hunting and polo Many of the rulers were so fascinated with these sports that the religious scholars grudgingly accepted them. Horse racing, marksmanship, and animal fighting were not uncommon.