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Through The Eyes Of Travellers
Nuts like a man's head The following is how Ibn Battuta described the coconut:
These trees are among the most peculiar trees in kind and most astonishing in habit. They look exactly like date-palms, without any difference between them except that the one produces nuts as its fruits and the other produces dates. The nut of a coconut tree resembles a man's head, for in it are what look like two eyes and a mouth, and the inside of it what it is green looks like the brain, and attached to it is a fibre which looks like hair. They make from this cords with which they sew up ships instead of (using) iron nails, and they (also) make from it cables for vessels. Questions:
(i) Explain the uses of the coconut.
(ii) Explain the difference between coconut tree and palm tree.
(iii) How has the coconut been described similar to man's head?
(iv) Do you agree or not with the explanation given by Ibn Battuta? Explain.
(i) Coconut is used to obtained fruit, oil and fibre. Its fibre look like hair make cords with which people sew ships. In place of using iron nails people also make cables for coconut fibre for vessels. Some people prepare carpets of coconut fibre.
(ii) The nut of a coconut tree resembles a man's head for in it are what look like two eyes and a mouth, and the inside of it when it is green looks like the brain,
and attached to it is a fibre which looks like hair.
(iii) The coconut produces nut as the fruit and palm tree produces date.
(iv) I don’t agree with the explanation given by Ibn Battuta fully because he does not know complete knowledge about the trees of dates and coconut. No doubt his some point of description are correct but coconut is used by people of our country in several other ways. For example some people use it in temple at the time of worship. Some people use coconut in food. For example in south India several diets are prepared with coconut.
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Discuss Al-Biruni’s understanding of the caste system.
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.
Discuss the extent to which Bernier’s account enables historians to reconstruct contemporary rural society.
Read this excerpt from Bernier:
“Numerous are the instances of handsome pieces of workmanship made by persons destitute of tools, and who can scarcerly be said to have received instruction from a master. Sometimes they imitate so perfectly articles of European manufacture that the difference between the original and copy can hardly be discerned. Among other things, the Indians make excellent muskets, and gold fowling-pieces, and such beautiful gold ornaments that it may be doubted if the exquisite workmanship of those articles can he exceeded by any European goldsmith. I have often admired the beauty, softness and delicacy of their paintings.”
List the crafts mentioned in the passage. Compare those with the descriptions of artisanal activity in the chapter.
On an outline map of the world mark the countries visited by Ibn Battuta. What are the seas that he may have crossed?
For any one of the travellers mentioned in the chapter, find out more about his life and writings. Prepare a report on his travels, noting in particular how he described society, and comparing these descriptions with the excerpts included in the chapter.
How had Bernier described a complex social reality of the artisans under the Mughals. Give any one reason.
Name the book written by Al-Biruni. Mention its language and content.
Give a brief introduction of Francois Bernier. How long he remained in India?
Name the two women poet-saints of Tamil Nadu. Whom did they worship?
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