Question 12CommentGS1GS1
European travellers' accounts of the medieval period have played an important role in shaping our understanding of the empires and people of that period in India. Comment. (Answer in 250 words)
Introduction
Travellers play an important role in highlighting socio-cultural parlance of that period and provided neutral accounts of empire.
18 words
Main Body
Role of European traveller in medieval period in understanding empire and peoples
1Ibn Batuta: highlighted Tughlaq dynasty and talked about their land policies and court system
2Domingo Paes: visited vijayanagar empire and highlighted that local village system is quite prevalent in their empire.
3François Tavernier: visited during Shah-Jahan period and dares Sikh
He mentioned land-revenues, jury by King system.
He highlighted dresses worn at that time.
He mentioned about women situation at that time and culture follow by them.
4Jean Baptiste: He explored diamond culture of country and wrote about diamond mine.
5Jaco-de-Gama: come as traveler but his highlighted prevalent polity of that time. He wrote about culture of Kochi and people here. According to him gold is quite prevalent
and even male rulers used to wear gold jewellery.
6Marco Polo: He visited Kakatya kingdom and wrote about their architectural marvels.
He mentioned about pearls which are prevalent in the kingdom
ISSUE:
1He wrote as per patronage of rulers.
eg. Domingo Paes wrote 50 highly about Vijay nagar empire.
2Bias in understanding [eg: Traveller] criticised Indian rulers and compared every culture aspect with west fact (ethnocentric)
3Linguistic issue: they wrote as per their understanding. About from criticism, they provide brilliant memoire of medieval era.
(G) Unipolar world: with British as major superpower at at that time India was great economic power [23% of world trade]
5Provide source of funding that not only helped in ending Anglo-French rivality but later helped Britisher in WWI and WWII.
Yes, not that much pivotal
1just one of the was a 9t war; Battle of Buxar that provided gull recipe to them in North-
2Needs further consolidation as marathas, myore and Punjab were formidable power.
3Rise of Russia and France which are later counter.
306 words13 paragraphs3 bullet points
Answer continues on next page
- Identifies the primary role of travelers in historical understanding
- Provides specific examples with Ibn Batuta and Domingo Paes
- Mentions concrete details like land policies and village systems
- Acknowledges the value of neutral accounts
Topper
Mansi Singh
AIR 126
Subject & Paper
GS1GS1
Topic
Modern Indian History from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present
Medieval period accounts
Role of European travelers in medieval India
Writing Stats
324
Total words
13
Paragraphs
3
Bullets