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Through The Eyes Of Travellers
Read the following extract carefully and answer the questions that follow :
The child sati
This is perhaps one of the most poignant descriptions by Bernier :
At Lahore, I saw a most beautiful young widow sacrificed, who could not, I think, have been more than twelve years of age. The poor little creature appeared more dead than alive when she approached the dreadful pit: the agony of her mind cannot be described; she trembled and wept bitterly; but three or four of the Brahmanas, assisted by an old woman who held her under the arm, forced the unwilling victim toward the fatal spot, seated her on the wood, tied her hands and feet, lest she should run away, and in that situation the innocent creature was burnt alive. I found it difficult to repress my feelings and to prevent their bursting forth into clamorous and unavailing rage ...
(16.1) Why did Bernier consider this treatment as a crucial marker of the difference between western and eastern societies ?
(16.2) What role did the Indian patriarchal society play towards this social evil ?
(16.3) Compare the condition of the women of the era mentioned above to that of today.
(16.1) Bernier considered this treatment as a crucial marker of difference between western and eastern society because-
(i)Women received education in the west but in the eastern society there was no education and many social evils like sati , purdah system and child marriages existed.
(ii)Eastern societies were male dominated unlike the western
(16.2) While some women seemed to embrace death cheerfully, others were forced to die.
(16.3) In medieval era women had no rights but today sati , slavery has been prohibited. There is women empowerment with economic and political rights.
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Write a note on the Kitab-ul-Hind.
Compare and contrast the perspectives from which Ibn-Battuta and Bernier wrote their accounts of their travels in India.
Discuss the picture of urban centres that emerges from Bernier’s account.
Analyse the evidence for slavery provided by Ibn-Battuta.
What were the elements of the practice of sati that drew the attention of Bernier?
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?
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