Chapter - 5
Through the Eyes of Travellers
2 marks answer questions
Question 1. Write the names of any two famous travelers who visited India from the tenth century to the seventeenth century.
Ans- Two famous travelers who visited India from the tenth century to the seventeenth century were Al-Biruni and François Bernier.
Question 2. For what purpose did foreign travelers come to India?
Answer- (1) Inspired by the spirit of courage.
(ii) With the desire to earn money.
(iii) For the purpose of propagating religion.
(v) Prevention of natural calamities.
Question 3. What was the subject matter of foreign travelers who came to India?
Answer – The subject matter of foreign travelers who came to India threw light on court activities, religious subjects, architecture and social and economic life of India.
Question 4.1 Which two famous travelers visited Europe after 750 AD in India? What was his main achievement?
Answer- (i) After 1750 AD, Sheikh Itismuddin of India and Miza Abu Talib traveled to Europe.
(ii) His main achievement was to provide real information about Indian civilization to the Europeans.
Question 5. Who was Al-Biruni when he was born? Or who was al-Biruni?
Answer- (i) Al-Biruni was the greatest scholar of 11th century Central Asia.
(ii) He was born on September 4, 973 in Khwarism, located in Uzbekistan.
(iii) He composed the famous book called Kitab-ul-Hind.
(iv) In this book, he has thrown important light on 11th century Indian civilization and culture.
Question 6. Name any four languages of which Al-Biruni was well versed.
Ans- (i) Arabic (ii) Persian (iii) Sanskrit (iv) Hebrew.
Question 7. When, who and where was Al-Biruni taken prisoner?
Answer- Al-Biruni was taken prisoner in Khwarism by Mahmud Ghaznavi in 1017 AD.
Question 8. Which famous book was composed by Al-Biruni?
Answer- (i) Al-Biruni wrote the famous book called Kitab-ul-Hind or Tahqeeq-ma-lil Hind.
(ii) It was written in Arabic language.
(iii) It is our one authentic source of knowing 11th century Indian history.
Question 9. Who wrote 'Kitab-ul-Hind'?
Answer – Kitab-ul-Hind- Al-Biruni wrote.
Question 10. By what other names is Kitab-ul-Hind also known?
Answer- Kitab-ul-Hind Ki Tithi-ul-Hind and Tehqeeq Ma is also known as Lil-Hind.
Question 11. What were the two main objectives of the writing of Kitab-ul-Hind by Al-Biruni?
Answer- (1) It was written in Arabic language.
(ii) It had 80 chapters.
Question 12. Write any two features of Kitab-ul-Hind.
Answer- (i) To provide assistance to those who wanted to discuss religious matters with Hindus.
(ii) To collect information for people who wish to be associated with it.
Question 13. How did the use of the word 'Hindu' start in India?
Answer- The use of the word Hindu in India is an ancient one used in the sixth to fifth century BC and called this region 'Al-Hind' and the people 'Hindi'. Derived from the Persian word, which was used for the Indus river area. The Arabic people continued this and this area was called Al-Hind, the people here called Hindi.
Question 14. What was the status of Brahmins in Indian society according to Al-Biruni? ,
Answer- According to Al-Biruni, the status of Brahmins was highest in Indian society. He was believed to have originated from the head of Brahma. Without them any religious work was considered incomplete. He had many privileges in the society.
Question 15. What was the status of Kshatriyas in Indian society according to Al-Biruni?
Answer- According to Al-Biruni, Kshatriyas were second only to Brahmins in Indian society. Their king used to be Kshatriya at that time. Born from the arms of Brahma. His job was to administer and protect the administration of the state.
Question 16. When and where did Al-Biruni die?
Answer- Al Chiruni died in Ghazni in 1048 AD.
Question 17. Who was the most famous traveler who visited India in the 14th century? Which country was he from?
Answer- (i) The most famous traveler to India in the 14th century was Ibn Battuta.
(ii) He was a resident of Morocco.
(iii) He composed a book called Rela in Arabic.
Question 18. What was the real name of Ibn Batta? When and where was he born?
Answer- (i) Ibn Battuta's real name was Abu Abdullah Muhammad.
(ii) He was born on February 24, 1304 in Tangier, a famous Moroccan city.
Question 19. When did Ibn Batrata start his travels? What was their purpose?
Answer - (i) Ibn Battuta spent 22 years in his travels in 1325 AD.
(ii) Its purpose was to increase his knowledge. Question 20. Name any four of the countries visited by Ibn Battuta.
Ans- (i) Iraq (iii) India (ii) Oman (iv) China.
Question 21. When did Ibn Battuta come to India? Who was ruling here at that time?
Answer - (i) Ibn Battuta came to India in 1333 AD.
(ii) At that time there was the rule of Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq.
Question 22. To which post was Multan Muhammad bin Tughlaq appointed leader? How long has he served in this position?
Answer (1) Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq appointed these Battuta to the post of Qazi.
(2) He worked on it from 1334 AD to 1341 AD.
Question 23 When did he come back and when did he die?
Answer (1) Ibn Battuta returned to Morocco in 1354 AD.
(2) He died in 1377 AD.
Question 24 What is relay?
Answer – (1) Ibn Battuta wrote Rihla in Arabic language in 1354-55 AD.
(ii) Through this the author wanted to inform his readers about the unique and unfamiliar things prevalent in India.
Question 25 Who is keeping Rihla?
Answer- Rihla is the composition of ibn Battuta.
Question 26, for what purpose did these Battuta compose Rihla?
Answer- Ibn Battuta wrote Rihla to introduce his readers to unique and unfamiliar things .
Question 27. How does Ibn Battuta show that the coconut is an extraordinary fruit?
Answer- According to Ibn Battuta, the fruit of the coconut tree corresponds to the human head. In this too, like a human, there are two eyes and one mouth. Its inner part is green and it looks like a human brain.
Question 28. State any two characteristics of the description of paan given by Ibn Batta.
Answer – (i) Betel is a tree which is grown in the same way as grapevine.
(ii) Betel has no fruit and is grown only for its leaves.
Question 29: Name any two of the Indian cities described by Ibn Batta.
Answer: Dehli and Daulatabad are the names of two of the Indian cities described by Ibn Battuta.
Q30 On what basis does Ibn Battuta state that it was very unsafe to travel at that time?
Answer – At that time there was a lot of terror of robbers in the Indian highways. These robbers often robbed the passengers. Ibn Battuta himself was a victim of these robbers many times.
Question 31. What do you mean by Tarabad?
Answer- Tarabad means a music market which was located in Daulatabad. According to Ibn Battuta it was a market for male and female singers. It was one of the largest and most beautiful markets. There are many music shops here.
Question 32. What has Ibn Battuta written about Delhi?
Answer – (i) It is the largest city of India.
(ii) It is a densely populated city.
(iii) This city has 28 gates.
Question 33. What has Ibn Battuta written about Indian agriculture?
Answer – (i) The soil here was very fertile.
(ii) There was a lot of production of crops here.
(iii) Here it was possible to grow crops twice a year.
Question 34. According to Itta, which items of India were in great demand in the countries of Central and South-East Asia, in the countries of South-East Asia.
Answer- According to Ibn Battuta, India's cotton textiles, fine muslin, silk, tari and satin were in great demand in the countries of Central and South East Asia.
Q35. And what do you mean by claim?
Answer- (i) Uluk mounted postal system was called. (2) The claim was called the foot postal system.
Question 36 According to Ibn Bata, what are the two main advantages of the postal system prevalent in India.
Answer – (1) Because of this, the Sultan used to get all the important information of the empire in a short time.
(ii) Due to this the traders could send their goods to distant areas in less time.
Question 37.Who was Bernia? Name the famous book composed by him.
Answer – (i) François Banier was the most famous of the foreign travelers to India in the 17th century.
(ii) He wrote the famous book Travels in the Mughal Empire.
Question 38. Who wrote the book Tracks in the Mughal Empire?
Answer – The book called Travels in the Mughal Empire was written by François Bernier.
Question 39. When and where was François Banier born?
Answer- François Bernier was born on September 25, 1620 in a village of Joi in France.
Q40. When did François Charnier come to India? How long did he stay in India?
Answer- (1) François Bernier came to India in 1656 AD.
(ii) He lived in India till 1668 AD.
Question 41. At which port did François Bernicher reach India in 1656 AD? Which Mughal emperor was ruling India at that time?
Answer- (1) François Bernier had reached India's Surat port in 1656 AD.
(ii) At that time India was ruled by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Question 42. Name any four cities of India visited by Vanier.
Answer: The names of any four of the cities of India visited by François Bernier were- (i) Delhi (4) Kashmir (iii) Agra and (iv) Bengal.
Question 43. When did François Banier publish Travels in the Mughal Empire? In which language was it written?
Answer- (1) François Bernier published Travels in the Mughal Empire in 1670 AD.
(ii) It was written in French language.
Question 44. When and where was Travels in the Mughal Empire published? To which ruler was it dedicated?
Answer- (1) Travels in the Mughal Empire was published in 1670 AD in France.
(ii) It was dedicated to the ruler of France, Louis XIV.
Q45. What is Travels in the Mughal Empire?
Answer- Travels in the Mughal Empire was composed by François Banier in 1670 AD. It was in French language. In this, Banier has thrown important light on his visit to India.
Question 46. What was the purpose of writing Travels in the Mughal Empire by François Ania?
Answer (1) To highlight the differences in the conditions prevailing in Europe and especially in France of what he saw in India.
(ii) Influencing the policy makers of Europe so that they can take the right decisions.
Question 47. Between 1670 AD and 1675 AD Travels in the Mughal Empire was translated into?
Answer – Between 1670 AD and 1675 AD, Travels in the Mughal Empire was translated into (i) English (ii) Dutch (iii) German and (iv) Italian languages.
Question 48 Write any two features of land ownership in India according to Phanswa Banier.
Answer- (1) There was a lack of private land ownership in India.
(ii) In the Mughal Empire, the emperor was the owner of the entire land.
Question 49. What do you mean by Balahar?
Answer- By Balahar means landless laborers.
Question 50. Name any four major craftsmen mentioned by François Bernier.
Answer- (i) Embroidery (ii) Goldsmith (iii) Painter (iv) Carpenter.
3 marks answer questions
Question 1. What were the main objectives of foreign travelers visiting India?
Answer- (i) Some travelers came here in search of work after hearing the immense prosperity of India.
(ii) Some of the travelers came to India to escape the natural calamities in their country.
(ii) Some travelers wanted to trade with India.
(iv) Some travelers wanted to spread their religion in India.
(v) Some travelers wanted to study the civilization and culture of India.
Question 2. Who was Al-Biruna ear?
Answer – Al-Biruni was the greatest scholar of 11th century Central Asia. He was born on September 4, 973 in Khwarizm, located in Uzbekistan. He came to India with Mahmud Ghaznavi. He was greatly influenced by Hindu philosophy. In his famous book Kitab-ul-Hind, he has shed a wide light regarding Indian civilization and culture. It was written in Arabic language. This book is considered a valuable piece of medieval Indian history.
Question 3. Due to which reasons Al-Biruni's interest in India arose in Ghazni?
Answer- (i) Al-Biruni had studied the major texts of India available in Ghazni.
(ii) Al-Biruni came in contact with scholars brought from India to Ghazni by Mahmud of Ghaznavi.
(iii) The feeling of mutual coordination was encouraged after Punjab's joining the Ghazni kingdom.
Question 4. What difficulties did al-Biruni face in writing Kitab-ul-Hind?
Ans- (i) He was not familiar with Indian customs.
(ii) It was not easy to translate from Sanskrit to Arabic.
(iii) The Indian people were not readily ready to share their experiences with a foreign traveller.
Question 5. What steps did Al-Biruni take to better understand Indian society?
Answer- (i) He established friendship with Brahmins.
(ii) He learned Sanskrit language.
(iii) He established contact with Indian scholars.
Question 6. What is Kitab-ul-Hind?
Answer- Kitab-ul-Hind was composed by Al-Biruni in 1031 AD. It is also known by the names of Tithi-ul-Hind and Tahkok-Lil Hind. It was written in Arabic language. It had 80 chapters. In this, valuable light has been thrown on the 11th Indian civilization and culture. It is considered an authentic source of 11th century Indian history.
Question 7. Write any three characteristics of caste system prevalent in Indian society according to Al-Viruni.
Answer- (1) At that time the Indian society was divided into four major castes - Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras.
(ii) Indians were very proud of their caste. He hated foreigners very much.
(iii) Brahmins held the highest position in Indian society.
Question 8. According to Al-Biruni, what was the position of Shudras in Indian society?
Answer- According to al-Biruni, Shudras had the lowest position in Indian society. He was born at the feet of Jha. They were not given any social and religious rights of any kind. Many restrictions were imposed on him. He was treated very inhumanly by the upper caste people.
Question 9. Who was Atyaj?
Ans- Antyaj were those people who were not included in the four major castes prevalent in Indian society. Their status in the society was even lower than that of Shudras. The people of this caste were expected to provide cheap labor for the farmers and zamindars. Although they were often victims of social harassment. Yet they were included in the economic system.
Question 10. How was the condition of women in medieval society?
Answer- (1) The condition of women in medieval society was not good.
(ii) They were denied all rights.
(iii) Their status in the society was considered equal to that of men.
(iv) Their condition had become very pathetic due to the practice of child marriage, purdah system, sati system and devadasi system.
(v) Widow was humiliated a lot in the society. Therefore, most of the women preferred to become sati.
Question 11. Throw light on the Varnashrama of medieval society.
Answer- In medieval society, Hindus believed in Varnashrama as in ancient times, considering human life as 100 years, it was divided into four Ashrams. Each ashram was considered to be of 25 years. These ashrams were Brahmacharya ashram, Grihastha ashram, Vanprastha ashram and Sannyasa ashram. Living life according to these ashrams was considered ideal.
Question 12. Who was Ibn Battuta?
Answer- Ibn Battuta was the most famous traveler from Morocco to India in the 14th century. He held the post of Qazi in the court of Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq from 1334 AD to 1347 AD. He composed a famous book called Rihla in Arabic. It is considered an authentic source to know the Indian history of that period.
Question 13. What are the three characteristics of Indian cities given by Ibn Batta?
Answer- (1) Indian cities were densely populated and prosperous. (ii) The streets of these cities were very crowded.
(iii) The markets of these cities were bright and colorful
Question 14. What has Ibn Battuta written about the city of Dehli?
Answer- (i) Delhi is the largest city of India and its population is very dense.
(ii) 28 gates have been made to enter the city of Delhi. The biggest among them is the Badaun Darwaza.
(iii) A huge wall has been built around the city.
Question 15 Write any three characteristics of the Indian markets as pointed out by Ibn Bata.
Answer- (i) Indian markets were the center of social and economic activities.
(ii) In some strings, places were reserved for the public performance of dancers, lyricists and singers.
(iii) Most of the markets must have a mosque and a temple.
Question 16. What has Ibn Battuta written about Daulatabad?
Ans- " In Daulatabad there is a market for male and female singers called Tarabad. It opens in the residence of the most owner...... The shops are decorated with carpets and the shop is one of the huge and beautiful bazaars There are many shops here and in each shop there is a door which is. In the middle of the market stands a huge dome with carpets laid and decorated. is adorned and his maidservants bring him a hammock.
Question 17. What was the Indian postal system according to Ibn Battuta?
Answer- Ibn Battuta was very surprised to see a postal system prevalent in India, due to this system the Sultan could get the events of his empire in a short time, this can be estimated from the fact that from Shiva to Delhi It used to take 50 days, whereas through this postal system, all the news was conveyed to the Sultan in only 5 days by secret chains, this also benefited the merchants a lot, due to this it was possible for them to send their goods in less time, due to this they were far away. Can also do money transactions in the area of.
Question 18. What has Ibn Battuta written about slaves?
Answer- (i) 453 Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq used to get information about the activities of his Amours and other important events of the empire through these slaves.
(ii) Most of the slaves were employed for domestic labour.
(iii) Some slaves were kept by the Sultan for entertainment.
Question 19, Who was François Banier?
Answer – The name of François Bernier is most notable among foreign travelers who came to India in the 17th century. François Banier was a great French physician, politician, philosopher and a historian. He remained in India from 1656 AD to 1668 AD during the Mughal reign. The book Travels in the Mughal Pyre, composed by him in 1670 AD, became very famous. In this, he has thrown a lot of light on the reign of Aurangzeb and the social and economic condition of India at that time. Its purpose is to compare the development in India with the development in Europe and especially in France.
Question 20, According to François Bernier, what was the condition of Indian farmers?
Answer – François Bernier has described the miserable condition of the farmers of India. According to him, the farmers had to face severe hardships due to the cruel treatment of the provincial subedars and other officials. Being unable to meet the demands of their greedy masters, they were not only deprived of the means of subsistence but also had to lose their children. These children were made slaves. Farmers could not complain in front of anyone. Therefore, many farmers were compelled to leave the work of farming and eat stumbling blocks from rate to rate.
Question 21. Write any three characteristics of land ownership in India according to François Bernier.
Answer- (i) There was lack of private land ownership in India.
(2) In the Mughal Empire, the emperor was the owner of the entire land. (3) Land holders could not give land to their children.
Question 22. According to François Bernier, what were the consequences of the absence of private land ownership in India?
Answer- (i) Due to this, agriculture suffered a deep blow.
(ii) The farmers were subjected to immense oppression.
(iii) It created a state of decline in the life of all sections of the society.
Question 23. What did François Barr throw on the state factories of malls?
Answer- François Bernier has thrown a detailed light on the functioning of the royal factories of the Mughals. He calls factories the workshops of craftsmen. There were many huge halls in these factories. In each case, different craftsmen work under the control of their chief. Here they work whole day. They were not inclined to enhance themselves or enhance their quality. The reason for this was that profits were taken over by the state.
Question 24 What did Baniyar write about the practice of Sati?
Answer- François Banier has given a detailed description of the practice of Sati prevalent in India. She used this practice to be burnt alive with the concern of a husband. The woman who had to be harassed was given a bath and called it an inhuman practice. According to this custom, if the husband of an unlucky woman died, she was given clothes and ornaments. Then he was taken in a procession to the place of sato. The woman used to worship Agni Devi. Then she would burn in the pyre. Because the life of a widow was hell, most of the women preferred to commit sati on their own. The women who refused were tied their hands and feet and were forcibly thrown into the burning pyre.
Question 25. Why does François Bernier call the cities of the Mughal period as camp cities?
Answer – François Bernier calls Mughal cities as camp cities because these cities were dependent on their existing royal camp. In fact these cities were in existence with the advent of the royal court. After this court moved to some other place, it would soon disappear. The reason for this was that their social and economic foundations were not practical and they were dependent on state support.
