Perspective of travelers about india
☆ Reasons for travel
(꒐) Search for work
(꒐꒐) To avoid disasters
(꒐꒐꒐) Motivated by the spirit of adventure
(꒐꒦) As a trader, soldier, priest and pilgrim
☆Al-Biruni and Kitab-ul-Hind:
(꒐) Birth and education of Al-Biruni: He was born in 973 AD in Khwarizm, Uzbekistan, which was an important center of education. He was a scholar of Syrian Persian, Hebrew and Sanskrit. He had studied Plato and Greek philosophers.
☆When Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi of Ghazni attacked Khwarizm in 1017, Al-Biruni was taken prisoner and brought to Ghazni. But soon he became the Sultan’s favourite due to his ability.
He stayed here till his death at the age of 70. He translated Patanjali’s grammar into Arabic. Kitabu-ul-Hind (written by Al-Biruni) is a book written in Arabic language. It is divided into 80 chapters. In which subjects like religion, philosophy, festivals, astronomy, customs, sculpture have been taken.
☆Each chapter is in a unique style which starts with a question, then there is a description based on Sanskrit traditions and finally there is a comparison with other cultures.
☆ His viewpoint regarding the writing style was critical.
☆ Origin of the word Hindu: In the 5th-6th century, on the name of the Indus river, because the Arabs pronounced ‘S’ as ‘H’, so they called the region of the Indus river ‘Al-Hind’ and the people here ‘Hindu’.
☆ Ibn Battuta (An early world traveler)
Life and travels of Ibn Battuta: He was born in the most respected and Sharia-knowing Arab family of Taizir. He wrote a book called Rihla. He acquired education in literature and scriptures at an early age.
० He was very fond of travelling. He is called a wandering, stubborn traveller.
० Before leaving for India in 1332-33, he had travelled to Mecca, Syria, Iraq, Persia, Yemen, Oman and East Africa.
० Ibn Battuta reached Sindh (India) by land route in 1333.
० He reached home in 1354, thirty years after his journey.
० Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq and Ibn Battuta (Ibn Battuta in India)
० He reached Sindh in 1333 where he left for Delhi after hearing that Muhammad Tughlaq was a patron of arts and literature.
० He reached Delhi via Multan and Uchch.
० The Sultan was impressed by his scholarship and appointed him the Qazi of Delhi.
० The Sultan, under influence, put him in jail but after the misunderstanding was cleared, he was made the Qazi again.
० In 1342, he was sent as an envoy to the Mongol ruler and ordered to go to China.
० He reached Maldives via Malabar where he worked as a Qazi for 18 months and then went to Sri Lanka.
० Before going to China, he went to Maldives, Bengal, Assam and Sumatra. From Sumatra he went to the Chinese port of Zaitan (Qawsu) and then to Beijing.
० In 1347 he decided to return home.
० His travelogue is compared to that of Marco Polo, who travelled from Venice to China and India.
० According to Ibn Battuta, it takes 40 days to reach Delhi from Multan, 10 days to reach Delhi from Daulatabad and 10 days to reach Delhi from Gwalior.
० According to Ibn Battuta, the journey was difficult because of frequent attacks by bandits (whom he fell prey to many times) and looting. On his journey from Multan to Delhi, his caravan was attacked and he barely escaped death.
० Travelogues of travellers between 1400-1800
० Abdur Razzaq Samarqandi → travelled to South India in the 1450s.
० Mahmud Wali Balkhi → travelled extensively in the 1620s.
० Sheikh Ali Hajin → came to North India in the 1740s and became a sanyasi but Hajin was disappointed with India and started hating it. Mahmud Wali was influenced by him.
० Christopher Roberto translated Indian texts into European languages.
० Duarte Barbosa → gave detailed description of trade and society in South India.Italian traveller who settled in India.
० François Bernier: A distinguished physician, François Bernier travelled to India six times. He compared India with Iran and the Roman Empire. He was a physician, politician, philosopher and historian. He stayed in the Mughal court from 1656-1668. First he became the physician of Shahjahan’s eldest son Dara Shikoh and then stayed with an Armenian Danishmand Khan as an intellectual and scientist.
० Bernier’s comparison of East and West Bernier compared whatever he saw in India with the European condition and described the Indian condition as pitiable. He gave his travelogue to the ruler of France, Louis XIV. He wrote letters to many of his important officials which were published and Bernier gained fame. His travelogues were published in 1670-71. They were published eight times in 1670-1725 and five times in China in 1684.
० Alberuni faced obstacles in understanding the Sanskrit tradition:
० Sanskrit was different from Arabic and Persian, it was difficult to translate it.
० His second obstacle was the difference in religious condition and customs.
० His third obstacle was pride because Indians did not want to share their knowledge with anyone.
० He used Vedas, Puranas, Bhagavad Gita and the works of Patanjali to understand Indian society. Indians considered themselves superior.
Alberuni is proud of the caste system. Alberuni said that Indians are proud of their caste. He also gave a philosophy of class system.
④ According to the Varna system
Brahmins were born from the head of Lord Brahma and are superior. They are the symbol of knowledge.
Kshatriyas were born from the shoulders of Lord Brahma and are below Brahmins and are the symbol of strength.
Veshyas were born from the thighs of Lord Brahma and Shuddhas were born from the feet of Lord Brahma.
Alberuni rejected the concept of impurity. According to him there was another caste called Antyaj.
They lived outside the cities and were untouchables and were included in the economic system. Pakhtu
Coconut: It is like a human head Ibnbatta describes coconut betel as Hunbah date palm It is a dry fruit It is obtained from the fruit, which is like cashew fruit It is like a human head It also has two eyes and a mouth and the inside part is the brain. Its fibers are like hair. →
Ships are stitched from its fibers and ropes are made for utensils.
Betel is grown Betel is like a vine which has no flue. It is grown only for its leaves
Before eating, betel nut is broken1. It is chewed in the mouth After this, betel is chewed. It is eaten Leaves of
Features of Indian cities Description by Ibnbatta
① Indian cities have ample opportunities for those who have the desire, means and skill.
① These are prosperous cities with dense population.
Most cities have crowded streets and dazzling colorful markets.
Delhi
0 According to Ibn Batuta, Delhi was a densely populated city. It had a wall eleven feet wide all around.
0 The windows of these walls opened outwards.
0 Inside these walls were collections of food items, arms, gunpowder and siege machines.
0 It is the largest city of India which has 24 gates.
0 The Badayuni gate is the largest.
0 There is a grain market inside the Mandvi gate.
0 There is a flower garden next to the Gul gate.
0 This city has the best graveyard on whose graves domes are built.
0 Jasmine and wild roses are grown in the graveyard.
Daulatabad
0 There is a market of male and female singers here which is called Tarabad. It is one of the largest and most beautiful cities.
0 The shops are decorated with carpets.
0 The singer sits on a swing in the middle of the shop.
0 Every Thursday morning, singers sing a chorus in a huge dome.
Bazaar
0 Bazaars were the centre of social and economic activities.
0 Every bazaar had a temple and a mosque.
0 There was a place for dancers, musicians and singers to perform.
Indian land
0 Indians grew two crops a year because of their fertile land.
0 Trade extended to Central and East Asia.
0 Fine muslin, silk, brocade and satin were in great demand abroad.
Description of communication system by Ibn Battuta
0 Ibn Battuta was amazed to see the efficiency of the postal system.
0 Information from Delhi to Sindh reached in just five days.
0 There were two types of postal systems in India.
① Horse post system – It was called Uluk. It was operated by royal horses stationed at a distance of every four miles.
② Foot post system – Foot post system in which there were three stations per mile. When a messenger went, the letter carrier would take a rod with bells in the other hand, hearing the sound of which the next messenger would get ready.
Abdul Razzaq’s travelogue written in the 1440s is an interesting mixture of emotions and insinuations. He described the people living at the Calicut port as ‘a strange’ country.
But he praised a temple in Mangalore.
② A Dutch traveler named Pelsaert visited India in the beginning of the 17th century. Holding the state responsible for the condition of the farmers, he says, “The farmers are exploited so much that they hardly get even dry bread to fill their stomachs.”
Bernier has described Europe as superior to India in his book “Travels in the Mughal Empire”.
② Bernier has given his views about land ownership which are as follows –
① There is lack of private land ownership in India which is harmful for both the state and the farmers.
① The Mughal emperor is the owner of all the land who distributes it among the rich.
①① Due to lack of land ownership, the farmers cannot pass on the land to their children, so they do not think of increasing production.
① Its lack has prevented the emergence of such a landholder class who is interested in land improvement and production.
① Due to this practice, there are no middle class people in India.
According to him, the Indian king is the king of beggars and tax payers.
① The cities here are polluted
② The fields here are full of bushes and deadly swamps.
Problems of Indian farmers according to Bernier → → In the vast area of Hindustan there is only sandy land or barren mountains, so the yield is low. → Workers die due to the bad behavior of governors → Greedy masters deprive the poor farmers of the means of livelihood. → Farmers are trapped in the clutches of debt. ← * Bernier has warned the European rulers that if they follow the Mughal structure, then they will soon become the kings of deserts and lonely places, beggars and cruel people. The air of their cities will become polluted
Abul Fazal has described land revenue as the “remuneration of kingship”. Abul Fazal was the official historian of Akbar. Foreign travelers have described the Mughal emperor as the owner of all the land, which is not completely true → According to Abul, land revenue is the remuneration of kingship why → The king protects the people of the entire kingdom in every way. A lot of money is spent for this protection, so in return the emperor takes his remuneration i.e. rent.
Condition of craftsmen according to Bernier
The condition of craftsmen was also oppressive. They did not try to increase their production because the profit was acquired by the state. Therefore, production was declining
Along with this, he also believed that gold and silver came to India from all over the world because the products were manufactured in gold and silver. There was also a rich merchant class which did long distance trade. Bernier’s opinion on state factories → At many places, there were workshops of big craftsmen. → I did it every morning till evening, but there was no improvement in his condition.
Bernier called Indian cities camps
In the 17th century, 15% of the population lived in cities
A. Bernier called Indian cities camps because these cities depended on royal camps for their existence. When the royal centers went, it would collapse. The Shree were connected by caste and business means. The merchant class was connected by ties of brotherhood. → In the West, such groups were called Mahajans and their heads were called Seths. → In Ahmedabad, they were called Nagar Seths. All other social classes included doctors, teachers, advocates (lawyers), painters, architects, musicians, calligraphers. How did Ibn Battuta describe the condition of slaves (i) Slaves were bought and sold in the markets. (ii) He gifted horses, camels and slaves to Muhammad Tughlaq. (iii) Muhammad Tughlaq, impressed by a preacher named Nasiruddin, gifted one lakh taka and two hundred slaves. Function:
Some slaves did the work of singing and dancing.
→ Slaves were generally employed in household chores. → Sultans used to appoint slaves to keep an eye on the nobles.
Bernier described the practice of Sati as follows-
(i) Some women happily embraced death.
(ii) Those who did not want to be Sati were tied to wood and burnt.
(iii) Young widows were forced to be Sati.
Women’s life
० Slave women were employed for domestic work and spying.
० Widow women were forced to commit sati.
० Women generally participated in production work along with domestic work.
