Give a brief introduction of Francois Bernier. How long he remained in India?
(i) Introduction of Francois Bernier:Francois Bernier was a very popular and well known French doctor. He reached in the beginning of 1656 at Surat (Gujarat). He travelled in Hindustan far and wide. He started his travel from Ahmedabad and Agra. Later on he travelled in Kashmir and Bengal. During Bengal journey he and Tavernier (John Tavernier a very well known and popular French traveller of 17h century) remained together upto royal palace. Staying for a short span of time at Qasim Bazar, he left for Masulipattnam and Golkonda and from there he reached back at Surat (Gujarat)
(ii) He remained in India for twelve years from 1656 to 1668.
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.
How had Bernier described a complex social reality of the artisans under the Mughals. Give any one reason.
Bernier felt that artisans had no incentive to improve the quality of their manufactures, since profits were appropriated by the state. Manufactures were, consequently everywhere in decline. At the same time, he conceded that vast quantities of the world's precious metals flowed into India, as manufactures were exported in exchange for gold and silver. He also noticed the existence of a prosperous merchant community, engaged in long-distance exchange.
Indicate and write the names of places visited by Ibn Battuta in Afghanistan, Sind, Punjab and India. Write the names of other prominent places also.
Or
Without using scale draw sketch map of the Ibn Battuta from Lahari to Delhi. Use as a travel land route by Ibn Battuta.
Name the book written by Al-Biruni. Mention its language and content.
The name of the book written by Al-Biruni was the Kitab-ul-Hind and written in Arabic, is simple and lucid. It is a voluminous text, divided into 80 chapters on subjects such as religion and philosophy, festivals, astronomy, alchemy, manners and customs, social life, weights and measures, iconography, laws and metrology.
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