CBSE Class 12 History HOTs Through the Eyes of Travellers Perceptions of Society

Short Answer type Questions

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

Question. What was the Al-Biruni’s objective to came India?
Answer : (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.

Question. Do you think that, Al-Biruni depended only on Sanskrit texts for his information and understanding of Indian society?
Answer :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.

Question. 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 about Paan that the betel has no fruit and is grown only for the sake of his leaves...

Question. What was the more complex social reality which Bernier’s notice in the Mughal Empire? 2
Answer : (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

4 Marks Questions

Question. What were the “barriers” discussed by Al-Biruni that obstructed him in understanding India?
Answer : 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 IndiAnswer :

Question. According to Bernier, What were the evils-effects of the crown ownership of land?
Answer : (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.

Question. What did Bernier write about the Sati system?
Answer : (i) It was a cruel practice in which the widow was made to sit the pyre of her husband 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.

Question. Who wrote ‘Kitab-ul-Hind’? Throw light in its main features?
Answer : 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(easy) .
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.

Question. How did Bernier compare East and West?
Answer : Bernier travelled to several parts of the country, and wrote frequently by comparing India with the situation in Europe.He dedicated his major writing to Louis XIV, the king of France, and many of his other works were written in the form of letters to influential officials and ministers.In every instance he saw India as weak (unwelcome) in comparison to the developments in Europe. But his assessment was not always accurate. However, later his works became extremely popular.
d) Bernier’s works were published in France
Bernier’s works were published in France in 1670-71 and translated into English, Dutch, German and Italian within the next five years.Between 1670 and 1725 his account was reprinted eight times in French, and by 1684 reprinted in English

Question. Describe Ibn Battutta’s description about the postal system in India.
Answer :  b) Postal system
Ibn Battuta was also amazed by the efficiency of the postal system which allowed merchants to not only send information and remit credit across long distances, but also to dispatch goods required at short notice.The postal system was so efficient that while it took fifty days to reach Delhi from Sind, the news reports of spies would reach the Sultan through the postal system in just five days.

Question. What were the barriers faced by Al-Biruni in understanding Indian culture?
Answer : Each traveller adopted distinct strategies to understand what they observed. Al-Biruni, for instance, was aware of the problems inherent in the task he had set himself.
He facederal several “barriers” that he felt obstructed in understanding.
1. The first amongst these was language. According to him, Sanskrit was so
Different from Arabic and Persian and its ideas and concepts could not be easily translated from one language into another.
2.The second barrier was the difference in religious beliefs and practices.
3.The the third barrier was the insularity( limited outlook) of the local population
Al-Biruni depended mainly on the works of Brahmanas,
He often cited passages from the Vedas, the Puranas, the Bhagavad Gita, the works of Patanjali, the Manusmriti to provide an understanding of Indian society

Question. Explain briefly about the description on caste system by A l- Biruni
Answer : Al-Biruni tried to explain the caste system by looking for parallels in other societies. He noted that in ancient Persia, four social categories were recognized. Those were (1) the knights and princes ;( 2) monks, fire-priests and (3) lawyers; physicians, astronomers and other scientists; and finally (4) the peasants and artisAnswer : But he suggests that social divisions were not unique to India. At the same time he pointed out that, within Islam all men were considered equal.
Though Al-Biruni accepted the Brahmanical description of the caste system, he disapproved the notion of pollution. He says that everything which falls into impurity regain its original condition of purity. The sun cleanses the air, and the salt in the sea prevents the water from becoming polluted. If it were not so, life on earth would have been impossible.The conception of social pollution was contrary to the laws of nature according to him.

8 Marks Questions

Question. “Ibn Battuta found cities in the subcontinent full of exciting opportunities” Support your answer with evidences given by him”
Answer : 1 .Ibn Battuta found cities in the subcontinent full of exciting opportunities for those who had the necessary drive, resources and skills.
2. They were densely populated and prosperous
3. These cities having streets and Markets with a wide variety of goods.
4. Delhi a vast city, with a great population, the largest in India.
5. Daulatabad (in Maharashtra) was no less, and easily rivalled Delhi in size.
6. The bazaars were not only places of economic transactions, but also the hub of social and cultural activities. Most bazaars had a mosque and a temple, and in some of them where spaces were marked for public performances by dancers, musicians and singers.
7. Historians have used his account to suggest that towns derived a significant portion of their wealth from villages.
8. The subcontinent was well integrated with inter-Asian networks of trade and commerce, with Indian manufactures.
9. Indian textiles, cotton cloth, fine muslins, silks, brocade and satin, were in great demand in the Inter National market

Question. “Ibn Battuta found cities in the subcontinent full of exciting opportunities” Support your answer with evidences given by him”
Answer : 1 .Ibn Battuta found cities in the subcontinent full of exciting opportunities for those who had the necessary drive, resources and skills.
2. They were densely populated and prosperous
3. These cities having streets and Markets with a wide variety of goods.
4. Delhi a vast city, with a great population, the largest in India.
5. Daulatabad (in Maharashtra) was no less, and easily rivalled Delhi in size.
6. The bazaars were not only places of economic transactions, but also the hub
of social and cultural activities. Most bazaars had a mosque and a temple, and in some of them where spaces were marked for public performances by dancers, musicians and singers.
7. Historians have used his account to suggest that towns derived a significant portion of their wealth from villages.
8. The subcontinent was well integrated with inter-Asian networks of trade and commerce, with Indian manufactures.
9. Indian textiles, cotton cloth, fine muslins, silks, brocade and satin, were in great demand in the Inter National market

Question. Explain Bernier’s perception about ownership of land property in India.
Answer : He constantly compared Mughal India with contemporary Europe, generally emphasising the superiority of the latter. He also ordered(arranged) the perceived differences hierarchically, so that India appeared to be inferior to the Western world
a) Lack of private property in India
According to Bernier, one of the fundamental differences between Mughal India and Europe was the lack of private property in land in India. He was a firm believer in the virtues of private property, and saw crown ownership was both the state and its people.
b) Crown ownership of all lands
He thought that the Mughal emperor owned all the land and distributed it among his nobles, this had disastrous consequences for the economy and society.
c) No inheritance no investment
Owing to crown ownership of land, land holders could not pass on their land to their children. So there had any long-term investment in the sustenance and expansion of production.
d) No improvement of Lands
The absence of private property in land had prevented the emergence of the class of “improving” landlords
e) Decline in the living standards
It had led to the uniform ruination of agriculture, excessive oppression of the easantry and a continuous decline in the living standards of all sections of society.
f) People impoverished by ruling class
As an extension of this, Bernier described Indian society as consisting of impoverished people, subjugated by a minority of a rich and powerful ruling class.
g) The king of “beggars and barbarians
Bernier confidently asserted that, “There was no middle state in India.” and the king was the king of “beggars and barbarians”; its cities and towns were ruined and contaminated with “ill air”; and its fields, “overspread with bushes” and full of pestilential marshes”.
h)Remunerations of sovereignty
For instance, Abu’l Fazl, the sixteenth-century official chronicler of Akbar’s reign, describes the land revenue as “remunerations of sovereignty.
European travelers regarded such claims as rent because land revenue demands were often very high. However, this was a tax on the crop.

Question. Analyze the evidence for slavery provided Ibn-Battuta.
Answer : 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 the governor with 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” 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 were considerable differentiations among slaves.
10. Some female slaves in the service of the sultan were experts in music and dance.

Question. 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.
Answer : (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?
(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.