CBSE Class 12 History Through The Eyes Of Travelers Perceptions Of Society Worksheet Set 02

Key concepts in nutshell

• Al-Biruni was born in Khwarizm in present-day Uzbekistan.
• Sultan Mahmud attacked Khwarizm and took Al-Biruni to his capital, Ghazni.
• Al-Biruni wrote "Kitab-ul-Hind," also known as "Tahkik-a-Hind."
• Ibn-Battuta's travelling account "Rihla" gives very interesting information on the social and cultural life of India.
• Ibn-Battuta was attacked by bands of robbers several times.
• Whatever Bernier saw in India, he compared it with European conditions.
• Al-Biruni discussed several "barriers" to understanding Indian society.
• Ibn-Battuta wrote that Indian agriculture was very productive.
• Ibn-Battuta was greatly amazed by the Indian postal system.
• Bernier critically wrote his account "Travels in the Mughal Empire."
• Around 15% of the population in the 17th century lived in towns in India.
• Bernier called Mughal cities "camp towns," which were dependent upon imperial protection for their survival.
• Bernier's description influenced Western theorists like Montesquieu and Karl Marx.

GIST OF THE WHOLE CHAPTER

1. Al-Biruni

• Book: Kitab – Ul – Hind (Written in Arabic, consists of 80 chapters, follows a Question & Answer style).
• Birth Place: Modern Uzbekistan (Khwarizm).
• Time Period: 11th Century (Rajput Period).
• Work/Topics: Focused on the Caste System and various social/cultural aspects of India.

2. Ibn-Battuta

• Book: Rihla.
• Birth Place: Morocco.
• Time Period: 1332 – 33 C.E. (Early decades of 14th century).
• Ruler/Dynasty: Mohammad Bin Tughlaq (Tughlaq Dynasty).
• Work/Topics: Discussed the postal system (Uluq and Dawa), descriptions of cities (especially Delhi), and the slavery system in India.

3. Francois Bernier

• Book: Travels in the Mughal Empire.
• Birth Place: France.
• Time Period: 17th Century.
• Ruler/Dynasty: Mughal Period.
• Work/Topics: Focused on imperial land ownership (influenced Western theorists like Montesquieu and Karl Marx), comparison of East & West, and a picture of Urban centres.

OTQ (1 MARKS)

Question. Q1: Who was appointed as a qazi or judge of Delhi?
Answer: Ibn-Battuta.

Question. Q2: Who was ordered to proceed to China as the Sultan’s envoy to the Mongol Ruler?
Answer: Ibn-Battuta.

Question. Q3: Which French traveller travelled to India at least six times?
Answer: Tavernier.

Question. Q4: What was the profession/occupation of Tavernier?
Answer: Jeweller.

Question. Q5: What was the profession of Bernier?
Answer: He was a doctor, political philosopher, and historian.

Question. Q6: Who was the doctor of Prince Dara Shikoh?
Answer: Francois Bernier.

Question. Q7: Which traveller finally settled down in India?
Answer: Italian doctor Manucci.

Question. Q8: Description of Daulatabad was given by which traveller?
Answer: Ibn – Battuta.

Question. Q9: Name any two travellers who came to India during the medieval period (11th to 17th C.E.)?
Answer: 1. Al-Biruni (11th Century) from Uzbekistan. 2. Ibn-Battuta (14th Century) from North-western Africa, Morocco.

Question. Q10: What was Al-Biruni’s objective for coming to India?
Answer: To help those who want to discuss religious questions with them.

Question. Q11: Name the plants found in India which amazed Ibn-Battuta.
Answer:

• Coconut – He wrote that the nuts of coconut resemble a man’s head.
• Paan – He wrote that the betel has no fruit and is grown only for its leaves.

Question. Q12: When was Al-Biruni born?
Answer: Al-Biruni was born in 973 C.E.

Question. Q13: Name two Portuguese writers who came to India.
Answer: Jesuit Roberto Nobili (in 16th Century) and Duarte Barbosa.

Question. Q14: Name the book written by Al-Biruni.
Answer: Kitab-ul-Hind (also known as "Tahkik-a-Hind").

S. A. 

Question. Q15: What were the elements of the practice of Sati that drew the attention of Bernier?
Answer:

• According to Bernier, the treatment of women in Western and Eastern societies had a lot of differences.
• He noticed that child widows were forcefully burnt while screaming in agony.
• He observed the social pressures that coerced women into this practice.

Question. Q16: What does Al-Biruni write about the administration of justice in India?
Answer:

• Administration of Justice in India was crude and primitive in many ways, but also liberal and humane.
• Written complaints existed, and cases were decided on the testimony of witnesses.
• Criminal Law was relatively mild compared to other regions.
• Brahmanas were exempted from taxation and capital punishment.

Question. Q17: Give any one feature of the writing of the foreign travellers to India during the medieval period.
Answer: To some extent, the personal prejudices and interests of the travellers coloured the versions given by them. While associating historical data, the writers attempted to be impartial, focusing on the social and cultural life of India during that period.

Question. Q18: Mention any three shortcomings of Ibn-Battuta's account.
Answer:

• He didn't take notes on everything he saw daily.
• Many descriptions were written later from his memory.
• He included things he had merely heard from his friends.
• His account contains errors regarding "wrong routes" and "wrong names" of rulers.

Question. Q19: How did Ibn Battuta describe Indian cities?
Answer:

• Indian Cities were densely populated and very prosperous.
• Streets were crowded and markets were bright, colourful, and filled with a variety of goods.
• Markets served as hubs for social and cultural activities as well as economic transactions.
• Cities often had both a mosque and a temple and provided spaces for public performers.

Question. Q20: Compare and contrast the perspectives from which Ibn Battuta and Bernier wrote their accounts of their travels in India.
Answer:

• Ibn Battuta's Perspective: Used a narrative style and highlighted anything that was unfamiliar, different, or exotic to him.
• Bernier's Perspective: Belonged to a different intellectual tradition. He was concerned with comparing and contrasting India with Europe, emphasizing European superiority. He perceived differences hierarchically, often portraying India as inferior to the Western world.

Question. Q21: Analyze the evidence for slavery provided by Ibn Battuta.
Answer:

• Slaves were openly sold in the market, with different types existing for various purposes.
• Female slaves were in the service of the Sultan for domestic work.
• Female slaves were also appointed to keep an eye on the nobles of the Sultan.
• It was a tradition to present slaves as gifts to rulers or officials.

Question. Q22: Write a note on Kitab-Ul-Hind.
Answer:

• It was written by Al-Biruni in Arabic; it is simple, lucid, and easy to understand.
• It consists of 80 chapters covering varied topics such as religion, philosophy, customs, social life, and metrology.
• Most chapters begin with a question, followed by a description and a comparison with other cultures.

Question. Q23: Describe the social condition of India as described by Al-Biruni in the 11th Century.
Answer:

• Social practices like child marriage were prevalent.
• Widows were generally not allowed to remarry.
• The practice of Sati was in vogue.
• A distinction existed between the "uncultured" polytheists and the "cultured classes" who believed in one God.
• There was no single popular religion across India at that time; Hinduism was divided into numerous sects.

Question. Q24: According to Bernier, what were the evil effects of the crown ownership of land?
Answer:

• The absence of private ownership of land meant landholders could not pass land to their children.
• This led to a lack of incentive for land improvement, resulting in declining agricultural yields and the oppression of the peasantry.

L. A. 

Question. Q25: Describe the extent to which Bernier's account enables historians to reconstruct contemporary rural society.
Answer:

• Bernier claimed that in the Mughal Empire, all land was owned by the emperor, leading to a lack of private property.
• He argued crown ownership was disastrous for both the economy and society as land could not be inherited by heirs.
• Because landholders ignored improvements, it resulted in a decline in agricultural standards and living conditions for all sections of society.
• He stated there were only two classes: the rich ruling class and the poor class, with no middle class in India.
• While his account influenced many European travellers, modern historians find this to be an exaggerated or erroneous picture of reality.

Question. Q26: Discuss Al-Biruni's understanding of the caste system.
Answer:

• Al-Biruni noted the influence of Sanskrit texts on the Caste System, which recognized four Varnas: Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra.
• He compared this to ancient Persian society, which also had four categories.
• He was notably against the notion of "pollution" associated with certain castes, arguing that according to the law of nature, everything that becomes impure eventually becomes pure again.
• He realized that the practical application of the caste system was not as rigid as portrayed in the theoretical Sanskrit texts.
• He observed that "Untouchables" were expected to provide inexpensive labour to peasants and zamindars.

Resource Based Questions

Q.27..The bird leaves its nest
This is an excerpt from the Rihla:
My departure from Tangier, my birthplace, took place on Thursday ... I set out alone, having neither fellow traveller... nor caravan whose party I might join, but swayed by an overmastering impulse within me and a desire long-cherished in my bosom to visit these illustrious sanctuaries. So I braced my resolution to quit all my dear ones, female and male, and forsook my home as birds forsake their nests ... My age at that time was twenty-two years.
Ibn Battuta returned home in 1354, about 30 years after he had set out.

(i) Who was Ibn Battuta? Which book did he write?
Answer: Ibn Battuta was a Moroccan traveller; he wrote a book called Rihla, which is a description of his journey.

(ii) For how long did Ibn Battuta remain at the court of Muhammad Bin Tughlaq?
Answer: He remained at the court of Tughlaq for eight years.

(iii) Name the countries which Ibn Battuta crossed before he came to India?
Answer: Egypt, Palestine, Arabia, Persia, Oman, Eastern Africa, Mecca, and Syria, before reaching Delhi in AD 1333.

Value Based Questions

Question. Q 28: "Travels were more difficult and risky in the 14th Century". Do you agree with the statement?
Answer: Yes, because there was always the danger of robbers, and travellers often suffered from homesickness and fell ill during their long journeys.

Question. Q29: What were the main objectives of Bernier's writing behind the "Travels in the Mughal Empire"?
Answer:

• To compare India with European conditions.
• To help Europeans take "correct" decisions regarding India based on his comparisons.
• To highlight European supremacy.

Question. Q30: With which objectives did people travel?
Answer:

• In search of job opportunities.
• To expand their trade.
• To escape from threats of natural calamities.
• In the form of Soldiers and priests.