THROUGH THE EYES OF A TRAVELLER

Question 1

IN FIFTEENTH CENTURY A DIPLOMAT FROM HERAT VISITED VIJAYNAGARA?

Answer 1

ABDUR RAZZAQ SAMARQANDI.

Question 2

TRANSLATIONS BY AL-BIRUNI?

Answer 2

1. PATANJALI’S WORK ON GRAMMAR- TRANSLATED FROM SANSKRIT TO ARABIC.
2. TRANSLATED THE WORKS OF EUCLID (A GREEK MATHEMATICIAN) INTO SANSKRIT.

Question 3

KITAB-UL-HIND IS WRITTEN BY?

Answer 3

AL-BIRUNI.
LANGUAGE ARABIC.

Question 4

HOW DID AL-BIRUNI ARRIVED AT GHAZNI?

Answer 4

IN 1017, WHEN SULTAN MAHMUD INVADED KHWARIZM (UZBEKISTAN), HE TOOK SEVERAL SCHOLARS AND POETS BACK TO HIS CAPITAL, GHAZNI; AL-BIRUNI WAS ONE OF THEM. HE WAS A HOSTAGE.

Question 5

METROLOGY IS THE SCIENCE OF?

Answer 5

MEASUREMENTS.

Question 6

WHO IS SOLON?

Answer 6

SOLON IS A POET, LAWMAKER AND PHILOSOPHER WHO LIVED IN THE SIXTH CENTURY. HE IS FROM ATHENS, GREECE. HE IS CONSIDERED AS THE FIRST INNOVATIVE LAWMAKER THAT SET THE GROUND FOR THE CREATION OF DEMOCRACY.

Question 7

IBN BATUTTA’S BOOK OF TRAVELS IS CALLED?

Answer 7

RIHLA WRITTEN IN ARABIC.

Question 8

HOW DID IBN BATTUTA CAME TO DELHI?

Answer 8

HE HAD HEARD ABOUT MUHAMMAD BIN TUGHLAQ, THE SULTAN OF DELHI, AND LURED BY HIS REPUTATION, HE SET OFF FOR DELHI.

Question 9

WHAT POST DID MUHAMMAD BIN TUGHLAQ GAVE TO IBN BATTUTA?

Answer 9

SULTAN WAS IMPRESSED BY HIS SCHOLARSHIP, AND APPOINTED HIM THE QAZI OR JUDGE OF DELHI.
HE FELL OUT OF FAVOUR AND WAS THROWN INTO PRISON.
ONCE THE MISUNDERSTANDING BETWEEN HIM AND THE SULTAN WAS CLEARED, HE WAS RESTORED TO IMPERIAL SERVICE, AND WAS ORDERED IN 1342 TO PROCEED TO CHINA AS THE SULTAN’S ENVOY TO THE MONGOL RULER.

Question 10

ZAYTON IN MEDIEVAL INDIA WAS PORT TOWN IN?

Answer 10

CHINA.
NOW KNOWN AS QUANZHOU.

Question 11

IBN BATTUTA ACCOUNT IS OFTEN COMPARED WITH THAT OF _______, WHO VISITED CHINA.

Answer 11

MARCO POLO.

Question 12

WHY DID IBN BATTUTA PREFFER TO TRAVEL IN CARAVANS?

Answer 12

TRAVELLING IN THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY, WAS MUCH MORE ARDUOUS AND HAZARDOUS. AND HE WAS ATTACKED BY BANDS OF ROBBERS SEVERAL TIMES.

Question 13

ABDUR RAZZAQ SAMARQANDI, MAHMUD WALI BALKHI, SHAIKH ALI HAZIN.
1. VISITED NORTH INDIA IN 1740s AND WAS DISAPPOINTED AND DISGUSTED WITH INDIA.
2. VISITED SOUTH INDIA IN THE 1440s.
3. TRAVELLED VERY WIDELY IN 1620s AND EVEN BECAME A SORT OF SANYASI FOR A TIME.
MATCH THEM.

Answer 13

1. ABDUR RAZZAQ SAMARQANDI- VISITED SOUTH INDIA IN THE 1440s.
2. MAHMUD WALI BALKHI- TRAVELLED VERY WIDELY IN 1620s AND EVEN BECAME A SORT OF SANYASI FOR A TIME.
3. SHAIKH ALI HAZIN- VISITED NORTH INDIA IN 1740s AND WAS DISAPPOINTED AND DISGUSTED WITH INDIA.

Question 14

JESUIT ROBERTO NOBILI TRANSLATED INDIAN TEXTS INTO ______.

Answer 14

EUROPEAN LANGUAGES.

Question 15

PORTUGUESE WRITER DUARTE BARBOSA WROTE A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF ______&______ IN SOUTH INDIA.

Answer 15

TRADE AND SOCIETY IN SOUTH INDIA.

Question 16

FRENCH JEWELLER ________, WHO TRAVELLED TO INDIA AT LEAST 6 TIMES.

Answer 16

JEAN BAPTISTE TAVERNIER.

Question 17

SOME OF THE TRAVELLERS LIKE THE ITALIAN DOCTOR ________, NEVER RETURNED TO EUROPE, AND SETTLED DOWN IN INDIA.

Answer 17

MANUCCI.

Question 18

________WAS A FRENCHMAN, A DOCTOR, POLITICAL PHILOSOPHER AND HISTORIAN. HE WAS IN INDIA FOR 12 YEARS FROM 1656 TO 1668 AND WAS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE MUGHAL COURT, AS A PHYSICIAN TO PRINCE DARA SHUKOH, AND LATER AS AN INTELLECTUAL AND SCIENTIST, WITH _________, AN ARMENIAN NOBLE AT THE MUGHAL COURT.

Answer 18

FRANÇOIS BERNIER.
DANISHMAND KHAN.

Question 19

THE WRITINGS OF EUROPEAN TRAVELLERS HELPED PRODUCE AN IMAGE OF INDIA FOR EUROPEANS THROUGH THE PRINTING AND CIRCULATION OF THEIR BOOKS.
LATER, AFTER 1750, WHEN INDIANS LIKE _________ AND________ VISITED EUROPE AND CONFRONTED THIS IMAGE THAT EUROPEANS HAD OF THEIR SOCIETY, THEY TRIED TO INFLUENCE IT BY PRODUCING THEIR OWN VERSION OF MATTERS.

Answer 19

SHAIKH ITISAMUDDIN AND MIRZA ABU TALIB.

Question 20

BARRIERS AS PER AL-BIRUNI THAT OBSTRUCTED UNDERSTANDING OF INDIAN SOCIETY?

Answer 20

1. FIRST IS LANGUAGE. SANSKRIT WAS DIFFERENT FROM ARABIC AND PERSIAN.
2. SECOND IS RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES.
3. THIRD IS THE SELF ABSORPTION AND CONSEQUENT INSULARITY OF THE LOCAL POPULATION.

Question 21

TRUE/FALSE.
EVEN THOUGH AL-BIRUNI WAS AWARE ABOUT THE BARRIERS THAT OBSTRUCTED UNDERSTANDING, HE DEPENDED ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY ON THE WORKS OF BRAHMANAS, OFTEN CITING PASSAGES FROM THE VEDAS, THE PURANAS, THE BHAGAVAD GITA, THE WORKS OF PATANJALI, THE MANUSMRITI ETC TO PROVIDE AN UNDERSTANDING OF INDIAN SOCIETY.

Answer 21

TRUE.

Question 22

AL-BIRUNI ACCEPTED THE BRAHMANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CASTE SYSTEM.
TRUE/FALSE.

Answer 22

TRUE, AS HE ATTEMPTED TO SUGGEST THAT SOCIAL DIVISIONS WERE NOT UNIQUE TO INDIA.
AT THE SAME TIME HE POINTED OUT THAT WITHIN ISLAM ALL MEN WERE CONSIDERED EQUAL DIFFERING ONLY IN THEIR OBSERVANCE OF PIETY.
BUT HE DISAPPROVED OF THE NOTION OF POLLUTION.

Question 23

AL-BIRUNI ON CONCEPT OF SOCIAL POLLUTION, INTRINSIC TO THE CASTE SYSTEM?

Answer 23

HE SAID IT WAS CONTRARY TO THE LAWS OF NATURE.

Question 24

TERM ANTYAJA MEANING IN MEDIEVAL INDIA?

Answer 24

THE CATEGORIES DEFINED AS ANTYAJA (LITERALLY BORN OUTSIDE THE SYSTEM) WERE OFTEN EXPECTED TO PROVIDE INEXPENSIVE LABOUR TO BOTH PEASANTS AND ZAMIDARS.

Question 25

ANTYAJA WERE OFTEN SUBJECTED TO SOCIAL OPPRESSION AND THEY WERE NOT INCLUDED WITHIN ECONOMIC NETWORKS.
TRUE/FALSE.

Answer 25

FALSE.
ALTHOUGH THEY WERE OFTEN SUBJECTED TO SOCIAL OPPRESSION, THEY WERE INCLUDED WITHIN ECONOMIC NETWORKS.

Question 26

WHICH TRAVELLER DESCRIBED THE COCONUT AS NUTS LIKE A MAN’S HEAD?

Answer 26

IBN BATTUTA.
HE ALSO DESCRIBED PAAN.

Question 27

AS PER IBN BATTUTA’S ACCOUNT OF DELHI THERE WERE 28 GATES OF THIS CITY WHICH ARE CALLED DARWAZA.
OF THESE
1. WHICH WAS THE GREATEST.
2. HAD A GRAIN MARKET INSIDE.
3. HAS AN ORCHARD ADJACENT TO IT.

Answer 27

1. BUDAUN DARWAZA- WAS THE GREATEST.
2. MANDWI DARWAZA- HAD A GRAIN MARKET INSIDE.
3. GUL DARWAZA- HAD AN ORCHARD ADJACENT TO IT.

Question 28

IBN BATTUTA DESCRIPTION OF DAULATABAD: IN DAULATABAD THERE IS A MARKET PLACE FOR MALE AND FEMALE SINGERS, WHICH IS KNOWN AS________.

Answer 28

TARABABAD.

Question 29

HE DID NOT APPRECIATE WHAT HE SAW IN THE PORT OF CALICUT (PRESENT DAY KOZHIKODE) IN KERELA.
LATER IN HIS VISIT TO INDIA, HE ARRIVED IN MANGALORE, AND CROSSED THE WESTERN GHATS. HERE HE SAW A TEMPLE THAT FILLED HIM WITH ADMIRATION.

Answer 29

ABDUR RAZZAQ SAMARQANDI.

Question 30

HOW IBN BATTUTA DESCRIBED THE POSTAL SYSTEM OF INDIA?

Answer 30

TWO KINDS.
1. ULUQ- THE HORSE POST, STATIONED AT EVERY FOUR MILES.
2. DAWA- FOOT-POST, HAS 3 STATIONS PER MILE (ONE THIRD OF A MILE).

Question 31

WHICH POST WAS FASTER ULUQ OR DAWA?

Answer 31

DAWA (FOOT POST) WAS FASTER THAN THE HORSE POST, AND OFTEN IT WAS USED TO TRANSPORT THE FRUITS OF KHURASAN WHICH WERE MUCH DESIRED IN INDIA.

Question 32

_______, A DUTCH TRAVELLER, VISITED SUBCONTINENT DURING THE EARLY DECADES OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.
LIKE BERNIER, HE WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THE WIDESPREAD POVERTY.
HOLDING THE STATE RESPONSIBLE, HE SAYS: SO MUCH IS WRUNG FROM THE PEASANTS THAT EVEN DRY BREAD IS SCARCELY LEFT TO FILL THEIR STOMACHS.”

Answer 32

PELSAERT.

Question 33

_______ WAS FAR MORE PREOCCUPIED WITH COMPARING AND CONTRASTING WHAT HE SAW IN INDIA WITH THE SITUATION IN EUROPE IN GENERAL AND FRANCE IN PARTICULAR.
HE CONSTANTLY COMPARED MUGHAL INDIA WITH CONTEMPORARY EUROPE. HIS REPRESENTATION OF INDIA WORKS ON THE MODEL OF ________, WHERE INDIA IS PRESENTED AS THE INVERSE OF EUROPE.

Answer 33

FRANÇOIS BERNIER.
BINARY OPPOSITION.

Question 34

QUESTION OF LAND OWNERSHIP. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INDIA AND EUROPE AS PER FRANÇOIS BERNIER?

Answer 34

LACK OF PRIVATE PROPERTY IN INDIA.
HE SAW CROWN OWNERSHIP OF LAND AS BEING HARMFUL FOR BOTH THE STATE AND ITS PEOPLE.
THIS PERCEPTION WAS ALSO FOUND IN THE ACCOUNTS OF OTHER TRAVELERS.

Question 35

HE CONFIDENTLY ASSERTED: THERE IS NO MIDDLE STATE IN INDIA- EITHER RICH OR POOR.
HE SAW THE MUGHAL EMPIRE- ITS KING WAS THE KING OF BEGGARS AND BARBARIANS. WHO IS HE?

Answer 35

FRANÇOIS BERNIER.

Question 36

DOCTRINE OF SEPARATION OF POWERS WAS PROPOUNDED BY MONTESQUIEU IN HIS BOOK?

Answer 36

SPIRIT OF THE LAWS.

Question 37

LIKE FRANÇOIS BERNIER TALKED ABOUT CROWN OWNERSHIP OF LAND WHAT DID THE MUGHAL’S OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS SAYS?

Answer 37

NONE OF THE MUGHAL OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS SUGGEST THAT THE STATE WAS THE SOLE OWNER OF LAND. FOR INSTANCE, ABU’L FAZL, THE SIXTEENTH-CENTURY OFFICIAL CHRONICLER OF AKBAR’S REIGN, DESCRIBES THE LAND REVENUE AS “REMUNERATIONS OF SOVEREIGNTY”, A CLAIM MADE BY THE RULER ON HIS SUBJECTS FOR THE PROTECTION HE PROVIDED RATHER THAN AS RENT ON LAND THAT HE OWNED. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT EUROPEAN TRAVELLERS REGARDED SUCH CLAIMS AS RENT BECAUSE LAND REVENUE DEMANDS WERE OFTEN VERY HIGH.

Question 38

BERNIER’S DESCRIPTIONS INFLUENCED WESTERN THEORISTS FROM THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY ONWARDS. THE FRENCH PHILOSOPHER _______, FOR INSTANCE, USED THIS ACCOUNT TO DEVELOP THE IDEA OF ORIENTAL DESPOTISM, ACCORDING TO WHICH RULERS IN ASIA (THE ORIENT OR THE EAST) ENJOYED ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY OVER THEIR SUBJECTS, WHO WERE KEPT IN CONDITIONS OF SUBJUGATION AND POVERTY, ARGUING THAT ALL LAND BELONGED TO THE KING AND THAT PRIVATE PROPERTY WAS NON-EXISTENT.

Answer 38

MONTESQUIEU.

Question 39

STAGNANT SYSTEM BY KARL MARX?

Answer 39

HE ARGUED THAT IN INDIA (AND OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES), BEFORE COLONIALISM, SURPLUS WAS APPROPRIATED BY THE STATE. THIS LED TO THE EMERGENCE OF SOCIETY THAT WAS COMPOSED OF A LARGE NUMBER OF AUTONOMOUS AND (INTERNALLY) EGALITARIAN VILLAGE COMMUNITIES. THE IMPERIAL COURT PRESIDED OVER THESE VILLAGE COMMUNITIES, REDIRECTING THEIR AUTONOMY AS LONG AS THE FLOW OF SURPLUS WAS UNIMPEDED. THIS WAS REGARDED AS THE STAGNANT SYSTEM.

Question 40

THE ONLY HISTORIAN WHO PROVIDED A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE WORKING OF THE IMPERIAL KARKHANAS OR WORKSHOPS?

Answer 40

FRANÇOIS BERNIER.

Question 41

BERNIER DESCRIBED MUGHAL CITIES AS________ BY WHICH HE MEANT TOWNS THAT OWED THEIR EXISTENCE, AND DEPENDED ON THEIR SURVIVAL ON THE IMPERIAL CAMP.

Answer 41

CAMP TOWNS.

Question 42

MERCHANTS IN WESTERN INDIA WERE CALLED_________, AND THEIR CHIEF, THE______.
IN URBAN CENTRES SUCH AS AHMEDABAD THE MAHAJANS ARE COLLECTIVELY REPRESENTED BY THE CHIEF OF THE MERCHANT COMMUNITY WHO WAS CALLED THE___________.

Answer 42

MAHAJANS.
SHETH.
NAGARSHETH.

Question 43

WHO INFORMS US ABOUT THE SLAVE WOMEN IN MUGHAL EMPIRE?

Answer 43

IBN BATTUTA.

Question 44

THE CHILD SATI IS PERHAPS ONE OF THE MOST POIGNANT DESCRIPTION BY________ WHICH TRAVELER?

Answer 44

FRANÇOIS BERNIER.

Question 45

TRAVELERS TIMELINE CHRONOLOGY?

Answer 45

AMIAA DSAM PJF
1. TENTH- ELEVENTH CENTURY
- AL-BIRUNI (UZBEKISTAN)
2. THIRTEENTH CENTURY
- MARCO POLO (ITALY).
3. FOURTEENTH CENTURY
- IBN BATTUTA (MOROCCO).
4. FIFTEENTH CENTURY
- ABDUR RAZZAQ SAMARQANDI (SAMARQAND)
- AFANASII NIKITICH NIKITIN (RUSSIA)
5. SIXTEENTH CENTURY
- DUARTE BARBOSA (PORTUGAL).
- SEYDI ALI REIS (TURKEY).
- ANTONIO MONSERRATE (SPAIN).
6. SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
- MAHMUD WALI BALKHI (BALKH).
- PETER MUNDY (ENGLAND)
- JEAN BAPTISTE TAVERNIER (FRANCE)
- FRANÇOIS BERNIER (FRANCE).