Class:- 12 History Ch:- 5 Through the Eyes of Travelers perceptions of society

Class:- 12 History 

Ch:- 5 Through the Eyes of Travelers perceptions of society 

Notes & Question Answer

Nutshell 

·          Many foreign travelers visited India during medieval period They came to India for several motives.

·         Most of the travelers who came to India wrote their accounts.

·         The accounts of these travelers dealt with various aspects. Some travelers accounts deal with the

affairs of the court whereas few accounts are focussed on religious issues.

·         Some travelers create about the contemporary style of architecture and monuments, whereas other depicts the social and economic life.

·         The travelers who visited India presented the true picture of Indian civilization in their accounts.

·         Al-Biruni, a great scholar of Central Asia came to India in the 11th century. He arrived India during the invasion of Mahmud of Ghazni.

·         Al-Biruni was born on 4 Sept. 973 at Khwarizm in Uzbekistan.

·         Al-Biruni was well-versed in many languages. Languages such as Arabic, Persian, Hebrew and Sanskrit were known to him.

·         Al-Biruni's most outstanding work 'Kitab-ul-Hind' was written in Ghazni and was concerned India. It was also known as Tarikh-ul-Hind and Tahqiq-ma-Lil-Hind.

·         Al-Biruni has thrown a light on the caste system prevailing in Hindu society.

·         According to Al-Biruni's description, India's economic condition was very good.

·         Al-Biruni's real name was Abu-Abdullah Muhammad. He was fond of traveling and wanted to increase his knowledge by establishing his contact with the people of different countries.

·         He traveled thirty years of his life.

·         The great traveler of Morocco died in 1377, but the account written by him 'Rihla' is of immense wealth. 

·         After returning to Morocco in 1354 he (Ibn Battuta) was ceremoniously welcomed by 'Sultan', Abu Iram.

·         Sultan Abu Iram appointed Ibijuzayy to help Battuta to compile his account 'Rihla'.

·         Rihla was written in Arabic In it describe whatever he saw in India.

·         Undoubtedly lihla' is considered as an invaluable source of Indian History in the 14th century.

·         Francois Bernier was a French traveler who came to India in the 17th century.

·         Francois Bernier was a great French doctor, philosopher and a historian who remained in India from 1656 to 1688 and wrote his famous book entitled. "Travels in the Mughal court".

·         Francois has given great detail about Indian Kharkhenas. Town, land ownership system and social evil, i.e. sati system.

·         Abdur Razzaq the great Iranian scholar came to India in 1 5th century He was born in 1413 and was appointed the Qazi of Samarqand under Shah Rokh Khan.

·         Abdur Razzaq stayed in the court of Vijayanagara empire diva Raya Il from 1442-1443 and gave vind description of the Vijayanagara kingdom.

·         Duarte Barbosa was a Portuguese official in south India, who traveled Vijayanagara Empire during the reign of Krishna Deva Raya in 1518.

·         Among the other important travelers who came to India in the medieval period were Antonio Monserrate, Peter Mundy, Jean Baptiste Tavernier, Franciso Pelesart and Nikolo Muncie.

Our knowledge of the past can be enriched through the descriptions of social life provided by travelers who visited the sub-continent. Generally, they recorded everyday activities and practices of common men along with the descriptions of the kings. Al-Biruni, Ibn Battuta and Francois Bernier were three famous travelers who visited the sub-continent from 11th century to 17th century.

Al-Biruni and the Kitab-ul-Hind:

·         Al-Biruni was born in 973 at Khwarizm in present-day Uzbekistan.

·         He was well-versed in different languages like Syriac, Arabic, Persian, Hebrew and Sanskrit.

·         In 1017 with the invasion of Khwarizm, he arrived in Ghazni as a hostage But gradually developed a liking for the city and interest for India.

·         When Punjab became a part of the Ghaznavid Empire, he traveled widely in the Punjab and other parts of Northern India

·         He spent years in the company of Brahmana priests and scholars by learning Sanskrit and studying religions and philosophical texts.

·         Al-Biruni wrote 'Kitab-ul-Hind' in Arabic, in a simple and lucid manner

·         It is a voluminous text including 80 chapters covering subjects like religion, philosophy, festivals, astronomy, alchemy, manners and customs, social life, weights and measures, iconography, laws and metrology.

·         Al-Biruni was familiar with translations and adaptations of Sanskrit, Pali, and Prakrit texts into Arabic.

·         However, he was also critical about the ways in which these texts were written, and clearly wanted to improve on them.

Al-Biruni's View About Indian Society:

·         According to Al-Biruni, Sanskrit was so different from Arabic and Persian that ideas and concepts could not be translated easily from one language to another

·         Al-Biruni tried to explain the caste system by comparing it with other societies. He tried to suggest that social divisions were not unique to India

·         Al-Biruni depended on the Vedas, the Puranas, the Bhagavad Gita, the works of Patanjali, the Manusmriti, etc.

·         Sanskrit texts laid down the rules of the caste system from the point of view of Brahmanas, but in real life, the system was not quite so rigid.

Ibn Battuta and his Book Rihla.

·         Ibn Battuta wrote the book 'Rihla' in Arabic. This book provides extremely rich and interesting detail about the social and cultural life in the sub-continent in the 14th century

·         Ibn Battuta went to far-off places, exploring new worlds and peoples.

·         Before coming to India, he traveled extensively to Syria, Iraq, Persia, Yemen, Oman, Mecca and a few trading ports on the coast of East Africa.

·         When he came to Delhi, Muhammad-bin- Tughlaq was the Sultan of Delhi. The Sultan was impressed by his scholarship and appointed him the 'qazi' or judge of Delhi.

·         He visited Bengal, Assam, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Sumatra and China.

·         He meticulously recorded his observations about new cultures, peoples, beliefs, values, etc.

·         Traveling was not secure at that time. During his travel, Ibn Battuta was attacked by bands of robbers several times and was severely wounded.

·         Ibn Battuta spent several years traveling through North Africa, West Asia, parts of Central Asia, the Indian sub-continent and China and recorded extensively his experiences.

Battuta's Description of Indian Society:

·         In the 14th century, the Indian sub-continent had its contact from China in the East to northwest Africa and Europe in the West. Ibn Battuta traveled through these lands and arrived at Delhi in the 14th century after visiting sacred shrines, meeting with rulers, learned men and people who spoke Arabic, Persian, Turkish and other languages. He shared ideas, information and anecdotes.

·         While describing Indian society, Ibn Battuta explained unfamiliar things like coconut and paan in a unique way.

·         Ibn Battuta found the cities of India densely populated and prosperous. According to him, Delhi was the largest city in India. He also had the same view for Daulatabad (in Maharashtra).

·         The bazaars (markets) were the places of economic transactions and also the hub of social and cultural activities. There were masjids and temples to offer prayers and also some bazaars marked with spaces for public performances by dancers, musicians and singers.

·         Ibn Battuta found Indian agriculture very productive because of the fertility of the soil where farmers tend to cultivate two crops a year.

·         Indian manufacturing flourished due to the inter-Asian network of trade and commerce. These were in great demand in both West Asia and South-East Asia where artisans and merchants were fetching huge profits.

·         Indian textiles, especially cotton cloth, fine muslins, silks, brocade and satin were also in great demand.

·         Ibn Battuta was amazed by the efficiency of the postal system which was of two kinds, the horse-post called 'uluq' and the foot-post called 'dawa'.

Francois Bernier: A French Traveller

·         A number of Portuguese, Dutch, English and French travelers came to India in the 1 6th and 17th century. Of them, Jesuit Roberto Nobili, Duarte Barbosa, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier and Manucci wrote different aspects of Indian society.

·         French doctor, political philosopher and historian Francois Bernier spent twelve years (1656 to 1668) in India and was closely associated with the Mughal court.

·         Bernier traveled to several parts of India and wrote detailed accounts by comparing the situation in India with Europe.

·         His works were published in France in 1670-71 and translated into English, Dutch, German and Italian. His writings became extremely popular.

Bernier and His View About Contemporary Society:

·         As compared to Ibn Battuta, Bernier believed in a different intellectual tradition where he was more critical. He compared and contrasted what he saw in India with the situation in Europe in general and France in particular.

·         Bernier's book 'Travels in the Mughal Empire' is marked by detailed observations, critical insights and reflection. He constantly compared Mughal India with contemporary Europe, generally emphasizing the superiority of the latter.

·         According to him, the Mughal emperor owned all the lands and distributed it among his nobles and it led to disastrous consequences for the economy and society This perception was supported by most of the travelers of that period.

·         As having no legal right over land, landholders could not pass on their land to their children. Thus, they avoid any kind of long-term investment in the sustenance and expansion of production.

·         This crown ownership system of land ruined the agriculture as well as the living standard of all sections of society, except the ruling aristocracy which oppressed the peasant class.

·         He explained that because of crown ownership of land, the Indian society has no social group or class between the poorest of the poor and the richest of the rich. He further said, "There is no middle state in India.

·         Bernier described Mughal king as the king of "beggars and barbarians". But Abul Fazl gave a different account by describing revenue as a claim made by the ruler on his subjects for the protection he provides, rather than as rent on land that he owned.

·         Bernier's descriptions influenced Western theorists from the 18th century onwards. For instance,

The French philosopher Montesquieu used this account to develop the idea of oriental despotism and in

the 1 9th century, Karl Marx used this account to develop the Asiatic mode of production.

·         He also explained that India had a more complex social reality where artisans had no incentive to improve the quality of their products as profits were appropriated by the state But at the same time, he added that the country used to exchange its manufacturing goods with the precious metals gold and silver, from outside the sub-continent Whereas he also noticed the existence of a prosperous merchant community as well.

·         There were all kinds of towns i.e. manufacturing towns, trading towns, port-towns, sacred centers, pilgrimage towns, etc.

·         The different urban groups included Mahajan, sheth, nagarsheth, hakim or vaid, pundit or mulla, wakii, painters, architects, musicians, calligraphers, etc.

Views of Travellers about Women:

·         Slaves were openly sold in markets with horses, camels and other commodities.

·         Ibn Battuta mentioned that there was considerable differentiation among slaves.

·         Slaves were generally used for domestic labor and female slaves were used for the service of Sultan

and to keep a watch on the nobles.

·         Bernier wrote about the practice of Sati'_ He noted that while some women seemed to embrace death

cheerfully, others were forced to die.

·         Women's labor was crucial in both agricultural and non-agricultural production.

·         Women from merchant, families participated in commercial activities.

·         Travelers' accounts provide us important information of that period but many aspects of social life was unnoticed by them.

Terms:-

·         Hindu: The term "Hindu' was derived from an old Persian word which was used in 6th century BCE It

referred to the region towards the east of the river Sindhu, i.e. Indus.

·         Antyaja: Those people who were included in the major four castes prevalent in the Indian society.

·         Tarababad: It means the music market in Daultabad_

·         Ulaq: Hose postal system.

·         Daw Foot postal system.

·         Camp Towns: Those towns which owed their existence and survival to the imperial camp.

Time Line:

Some Travellers who Left Accounts
Tenth-eleventh centuries 
973-1048 — Muhammad ibn Ahmad Abu Raihan al-Biruni (from Uzbekistan)

Thirteenth century 
1254-1323 — Marco Polo (from Italy)

Fourteenth century 
1304-77 — Ibn Battuta (from Morocco)

Fifteenth century 
1413-82 — Abd al-Razzaq Kamal al-Din ibn Ishaq al-Samarqandi (from Samarqand)
1466-72 (years spent in India)  — Afanasii Nikitich Nikitin (fifteenth century, from Russia)

Sixteenth century
1518 (visit to India) — Duarte Barbosa, d.1521 (from Portugal)
1562 (year of death) — Seydi Ali Reis (from Turkey)
1536-1600 —  Antonio Monserrate (from Spain)

Seventeenth century 
1626-31 (years spent in India) — Mahmud Wali Balkhi (from Balkh)
1600-67 — Peter Mundy (from England)
1605-89 — Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (from France)
1620-88 — François Bernier (from France)

# Questions and Answers with Assignment

Q.1 Name any two travellers who came India during the medieval period (11th to 17th C) ?            
 Ans. 1. Al Biruni (11th Century) from Uzbekistan
2. Ibn-Battuta (14th Century ) from North western Africa, Morocco.
3. Francois Bernier (17th Century) from France

Q.2 What was the Al-Biruni’s objective to came India?             
 Ans. (1) To help those who want to discuss religious questions with them.
(2) As a repertory of information to those who want to associate with them.

Q.3 Do you think Al-Biruni depended only on Sanskrit texts for his information and understanding of Indian society?             
 Ans. Yes, Al-Biruni depended almost exclusively on the work of Brahmanas, often citing passages from the Vedas the Purana, the Bhagavad Gita the works of Patanjali the
Manusmriti etc., to provide an understanding of Indian society.

Q.4 Name the Plants found in India which amazed Ibn-Battuta.            
 Ans. Coconut – He wrote that the nuts of coconut resembles a man’s head.
Paan – He wrote about Paan that the betel has no fruit and is grown only for the sake of his leaves...

Q5. What was the more complex social reality which Bernier’s notice in the Mughal Empire?            
 Ans. (i) He felt that artisans had not incentive to improve the quality of their manufacturers because profits were appropriated by the state. Thus production was on the verge of
decline.
(ii) At the same time, he conceded that vast quantities of the world’s precious metals (gold & silver) flowed into India in exporting manufactures.

Q.6 What were the “barriers” discussed by Al-Biruni that obstructed him in understanding India?            
 Ans. Following were the barriers he faced in understanding India –
1. Problems of Language – According to him, Sanskrit was so different from Arabic and Persian that ideas and concept could not be easily translated from one language.
2. Difference of religion beliefs and practices – He was Muslim and his religious beliefs and practices were quit different from India.
3. Self-absorption and insularity of the local population - According to him the third barrier was the isolation policy of the Indians.

Q7. According to Bernier, What were the evils-effects of the crown ownership of land?          
Ans. (1) Absence of ownership of land, landholders could not pass on their land to their children. Thus they didn’t take any interest in increasing production.
(2) It prevented the emergence of the “improving” landlords.
(3) It led to the ruination of agriculture.
(4) It brought a continuous decline in the living standard of all sections of society.
(5) It led to the excessive oppression of the peasantry.

Q8. What did Bernier write about the Sati system?          
 Ans. (i) It was a cruel practice in which the widow was made to sit on the pyre of herhusband alive.
(ii) She was forced to be sati.
(iii) The people had no sympathy even for the child widows.
(iv) The cries of the women going to be a sati did not move anyone.
(v) The Brahmans and the elderly women of the house participated in this practice.

Q9. Who wrote ‘Kitab-ul-Hind’? Throw light in its main features?          
 Ans. The book ‘Kitab-ul-Hind’ was written by Al-Biruni.
Its main features are –
1. It is written in Arabic.
2. Its language is simple and lucid.
3. It is written on the subject such as regional, philosophy, astronomy, social life, laws etc.
4. It is divided into 80 chapters.
5. Each chapter begins with a question and than description have given based in sanskritic traditions.

Q10. Analyze the evidence for slavery provided Ibn-Battuta.          
 Ans. According to Ibn-Battuta –
1. Slaves like any other commodity, were openly sold in the markets.
2. They were also regularly exchanged as gifts.
3. When Ibn-Battuta reached Sindh, he purchased horses, camels and slaves. He wanted to offer them as gifts to sultan Muhammad Bin Tuglaq.
4. When he reached to Multan, he presented salves and horses with almonds and raisins to the Governor of Multan.
5. Ibna-batuta says that Muhammad bin Tughlaq was so happy with the sermon of a preacher named Nasiruddin that he gave him”ahundred thousand tankas and
two hundred slaves.
6. The sultan employed female slaves in his service and also to keep a watch on his nobles.
7. The slaves were also engaged for domestic work. But they were given low wages.
8. Ibn-Battuta found their services particularly indispensable for carrying women and men on palanquins or dola.
9. It appears from Ibn-Battuta’s account that there was considerable differentiations among slaves.
10. Some female slaves in the service of the sultan were experts in music and dance.

11 . Source based Questions

THE SYSTEM OF VARNAS 
 This is Al-Biruni’s account of the system of varnas :         

The highest caste are the Brahmana, of whom the books of the Hindus tell us that they were created from the head of Brahman. And as the Brahman is only another name for the force called nature, and the head is the highest part of the ……body, the Brahmana are the choice part of the whole genus. Therefore, the Hindus consider them as the very best of mankind.
The next caste are the Kshatriya who were created, as they say, from the shoulders and hands of Brahman.
Their degree is not much below that of the Brahmana. After them follow the Vaishya, who were created from the thigh of Brahman. The Sudra who were created from his feet.
Between the latter two classes there is no very great distance. Much, however, as these classes differ from each other, they live together in the same towns and villages, mixed
together in the same houses and lodgings.

1. Explain Al-Biruni’s account of the system of varnas.

2. Do you consider this type of division justified? Explain with reasons.

3. How was the system not quit rigid in the real life? Explain.

Ans. (i) According to Al-Biruni, the higher caste are the Brahmana who were created from the head of brahaman. Hindus consider them as the very best of mankind. The second caste are the Kshatriya who were created from the shoulders and hands of Brahman. They are followed by the vaishya, who are created from the thigh of Brahman. Last caste was the Shudra who were created from his feet.

(ii) No, such type of division is not justified because no one is high or low by birth. Men became high or low by his own karma.

(iii) It is right that this system was not quite rigid in the real life because these castes live together in the same towns and villages, mixed together in the same house
and lodgings.

12. ON HORSE AND ON FOOT
 This is how Ibn Battuta described the postal system :          

In India the postal system is of two kinds: The horse-post called ‘Uluq’ is run by royal horses stationed at distance of every four miles. The foot-post has three stations permit. It is called ‘dawa’, that is, one third of a mile ….. Now, at every third of a mile there is well populated village, outside which are three pavilions in which sit men with girded loins ready to start. Each of them carries a rod, two cubits in length with copper bells at the top. When the courier starts from the city, he holds the letter in one hand and the rod with its bells on the other; and he runs as fast as he can. When the men in the pavilion hear the ringing of bell they get ready. As soon as the courier reaches them one of them takes the letter from his and runs at the top speed shaking the rod all the while until he reaches the next dawa. And the same process continues till the letter reaches its destination. This foot-person is quicker than the horse-post; and often it is used to transport the fruit of Khurasan which are much desired in India.

(i) Name the two kinds of postal System.

(ii) Explain how the foot post worked.

(iii) Why does Ibn-Battua think that the postal system in India was efficient?

(iv) How did the State encourage merchants in the 14th century?

Ans. (i) There were two kinds of postal system – the horse postal system and the postal system on foot.

(ii) In the postal service on foot, there were three stages. They were called the Dawa. It was one-third part of a mile. There was a village with dense population at a distance of
every three mile. There were three centres outside it. The people used to sit in these centres to start their work. Each one of them had a long rod having copper bells at its top. Whenever a messenger started his journey, he held the letter in one land and this rod with copper bells in the other hand. He would run very fast. The people sitting in the camps at once got ready when they heard the sound of the bell. As soon as the messenger reached the camp, one of the people would take the letter and run away at full speed shaking the rod. This process continued till the letter reached its destination.

(iii) According to Ibn Battuta, The journey from Sindh to Delhi was completed in fifty days. On the other hand, all the information’s given by the detectives reached the king
within five days; Ibn Battuta was quite amazed at their efficiency of the detectives reached the king within five days.

(iv) In the 14th century, the state took special steps to encourage the traders. For example, all the trade routes had serais and rest houses.

Assignment

1.      Write a note on the Kitab-ul-Hind.

2.      Compare and contrast the perspectives from which Ibn Battuta and Bernier wrote their accounts of their travels in India.

3.      Discuss the picture of urban centres that emerges from Bernier’s account.

4.      Analyse the evidence for slavery provided by Ibn Battuta.

5.      What were the elements of the practice of sati that drew the attention of Bernier?

6.      Discuss Al-Biruni’s understanding of the caste system.

7.      Do you think Ibn Battuta’s account is useful in arriving at an understanding of life in contemporary urban centres? Give reasons for your answer.

8.      Discuss the extent to which Bernier’s account enables historians to reconstruct contemporary rural society.

9.      How and when did Al-Biruni come to India? 

10.  What were the barriers of Al-Biruni? Explain Al-Biruni’s description of the caste system.

11.  How and when did Ibn Battuta come to India?                                                       

12.  Explain Ibn Battuta’s description on life in Indian cities.                                         

13.  How and when did Francois Bernier come to India?                                                

14.  Explain Francois Bernier’s description on land ownership in Mughal India and rural society.

15.  Explain Ibn Battuta’s description on use of slaves in Indian cities.              

16.  Explain Francois Bernier’s description on Practice of sati.       

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