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Through The Eyes Of Travellers
Delhi
Here is an excerpt from Ibn Battuta's account of Delhi, often spelt as Dehli in texts of the period:
The city of Dehli covers a wide area and has a large population ... The rampart round the city is without parallel. The breadth of its wall is eleven cubits; and inside it are houses for the night sentry and. gatekeepers. Inside the ramparts, there are store-houses for storing edibles, magazines, ammunition, ballistas and siege machines. The grains that are stored (in these ramparts) can last for a long time, without rotting... In the interior of the rampart, horseman as well as infantrymen move from one end of the city to another. The rampart is pierced through by windows which open on the side of the city, and it is through these windows that light enters inside. The lower part of the rampart is built of stone; the upper part of bricks. It has many towers close to one another. There are twenty eight gates in this city which are called darvraza, and of these, the Budaun darwaza is the greatest; inside the Mandwi darwaza there is a grain market; adjacent to the Gul darwaza there is an orchard ... It (the city of Dehli) has a fine cemetery in which graves have domes over them, and those that do not have a dome, have an arch, for sure. In the cemetery they sow flowers such as tuberose, jasmine, wild rose, etc.; a grain market; adjacent to the Gul darwaza there is an orchard ... It (the city of Dehli) has a fine cemetery in which graves have domes over them, and those that do not have a dome, have an arch, for sure. In the cemetery they sow flowers such as tuberose, jasmine, wild rose, etc.; and flowers blossom there in all seasons
(15.1) Why has Ibn Battuta described Delhi as a vast city?
(15.2) Mention the measures taken to protect Delhi from the invasion during 14th century.
(15.3) Why was Ibn Battuta impressed with the architectural features of the city? Explain.
Or
Kings and Traders
Krishnadeva Raya (ruled 1509-29) , the most famous ruler of Vijayanagara, composed a work on statecraft in Telugu known as the Amuktamalyada. About traders he wrote:
A king should improve the harbors of his country and so encourage its commerce that horses, elephants, precious gems, sandalwood, pearls and other articles are freely imported ... He should arrange that the foreign sailors who land in his country on account of storms, illness and exhaustion are looked after in a suitable manner,..... Make the merchants of distant foreign countries who import elephants and good horses be attached to yourself by providing them with daily audience, presents and allowing decent profits. Then those articles will never go to your enemies.
(15.1) Explain the responsibilities of king mentioned by Krishnadeva Raya'.
(15.2) In what ways had Krishnadeva Raya protected articles from going to his enemies?
(15.3) Explain the measures taken by the king to improve the conditions of his country.
(15.1) Because it was densely populated, prosperous and the largest in India.
(15.2) To protect Delhi many towers were erected close to one another and eight gates were built which was known as darwaza.
(15.3) The city of Delhi had fine cemetery in which graves have domes over them and those that did not have dome had arch. In the cemetery flowers such as tuberose, jasmine and wild rose were sown which blossomed in all seasons. This impressed Battuta.
Or
(15.1) The responsibilities of king:
(i) A king should improve the harbours of his country and so encourage its commerce.
(ii) He should arrange that the foreign sailors are ill and exhausted are looked after in a suitable manner.
(iii) Foreign merchants should be provided with daily audiences, presented and allowed decent profits.
(15.2) By remaining in constant state of military preparedness.
(15.3) Built water resources, fortified palaces build roads and carried out irrigation works.
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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?
Mention Bernier’s views about private property and crown ownership of land.
Mention any two characteristics of the cities in the Indian sub-continent, as described by Ibn-Battuta.
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