Ch-5
THROUGH THE EYES OF
TRAVELLERS
1.Why did people travel in the past?
Answer: People traveled in search of work, to escape natural disasters, as traders,
merchants, soldiers, priests, pilgrims, or driven by a sense of adventure.
2. What aspects of a new land did travelers often observe and record?
Answer: Travelers often noted differences in landscape, physical environment, customs,
languages, beliefs, and practices of people1. They generally recorded what they found
unusual or remarkable.
3. Why are the accounts of travelers interesting to historians?
Answer: Travelers came from vastly different social and cultural environments1. They were
often more attentive to everyday activities and practices that indigenous writers took for
granted1. This difference in perspective makes their accounts valuable.
4. What were the objectives of people traveling in the past?
Answer: People traveled for work, to escape natural disasters, to satisfy their sense of
adventure, and with multi-purpose objectives as traders, merchants, soldiers, priests, and
pilgrims.
5. Name the three travelers this chapter focuses on and their origins.
Answer: The chapter focuses on Al-Biruni from Uzbekistan, Ibn Battuta from Morocco, and
François Bernier from France.
6. Why are travel accounts useful to historians?
Answer: Travel accounts provide valuable details about the societies, politics, and cultures
of the past, offering an outsider’s view of unfamiliar lands.
Al-Biruni
7. Where was Al-Biruni born?
Answer: Al-Biruni was born in 973 in Khwarizm, which is present-day Uzbekistan.
8. How did Al-Biruni come to Ghazni?
Answer: When Sultan Mahmud invaded Khwarizm in 1017, he took several scholars and
poets back to his capital, Ghazni; Al-Biruni was among them.
9. In what languages was Al-Biruni well-versed?
Answer: Al-Biruni was well-versed in Syriac, Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, and Sanskrit.
, 10. What is the Kitab-ul-Hind?
Answer: Al-Biruni's Kitab-ul-Hind, written in Arabic, is a voluminous text divided into 80
chapters on subjects such as religion, philosophy, festivals, astronomy, weights, and
measures.
11. What writing style did Al-Biruni adopt?
Answer: Al-Biruni adopted a critical approach in his writings, beginning each chapter with a
question, providing a detailed description, and concluding with a comparison with other
cultures.
12. What were the barriers that Al-Biruni faced in understanding Indian society?
Answer: According to Al-Biruni, several barriers obstructed his understanding of Indian
society, including language differences, religious beliefs and practices, and self-imposed
seclusion.
13. Which Brahmanical texts did Al-Biruni depend on to understand Indian society?
Answer: Al-Biruni depended on the Vedas, the Puranas, the Bhagavad Gita, Patanjali’s
Mahabhasya and the Manusmriti to understand Indian society.
14. How did Al-Biruni describe the caste system in India?
Answer: Al-Biruni gave a detailed description of the Caste system in India.
15. What did Al-Biruni disapprove of in the Indian society?
Answer: Al-Biruni disapproved of the notion of pollution.
Ibn Battuta
16. Who was Ibn Battuta?
Answer: Ibn Battuta was a Moroccan traveler who traveled extensively through North Africa,
West Asia, parts of Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and China.
17. What was Ibn Battuta's profession when he was appointed by the Sultan of Delhi?
Answer: The Sultan was impressed by his scholarship, and appointed him the qazi or judge
of Delhi.
18. What did Ibn Battuta record in his writings?
Answer: Ibn Battuta meticulously recorded his observations about new cultures, peoples,
beliefs, and values.
19. What were some of the hazards Ibn Battuta faced during his travels?
Answer: Ibn Battuta faced attacks by robbers and the risk of falling ill.
20. Why was Ibn Battuta known as the "inveterate traveler"?
Answer: Ibn Battuta was called an inveterate traveler because before coming to India, he
had made pilgrimage trips to Mecca and traveled extensively in Syria, Iraq, Persia, Yemen,
and Oman.
21. What did Ibn Battuta describe Delhi as?
THROUGH THE EYES OF
TRAVELLERS
1.Why did people travel in the past?
Answer: People traveled in search of work, to escape natural disasters, as traders,
merchants, soldiers, priests, pilgrims, or driven by a sense of adventure.
2. What aspects of a new land did travelers often observe and record?
Answer: Travelers often noted differences in landscape, physical environment, customs,
languages, beliefs, and practices of people1. They generally recorded what they found
unusual or remarkable.
3. Why are the accounts of travelers interesting to historians?
Answer: Travelers came from vastly different social and cultural environments1. They were
often more attentive to everyday activities and practices that indigenous writers took for
granted1. This difference in perspective makes their accounts valuable.
4. What were the objectives of people traveling in the past?
Answer: People traveled for work, to escape natural disasters, to satisfy their sense of
adventure, and with multi-purpose objectives as traders, merchants, soldiers, priests, and
pilgrims.
5. Name the three travelers this chapter focuses on and their origins.
Answer: The chapter focuses on Al-Biruni from Uzbekistan, Ibn Battuta from Morocco, and
François Bernier from France.
6. Why are travel accounts useful to historians?
Answer: Travel accounts provide valuable details about the societies, politics, and cultures
of the past, offering an outsider’s view of unfamiliar lands.
Al-Biruni
7. Where was Al-Biruni born?
Answer: Al-Biruni was born in 973 in Khwarizm, which is present-day Uzbekistan.
8. How did Al-Biruni come to Ghazni?
Answer: When Sultan Mahmud invaded Khwarizm in 1017, he took several scholars and
poets back to his capital, Ghazni; Al-Biruni was among them.
9. In what languages was Al-Biruni well-versed?
Answer: Al-Biruni was well-versed in Syriac, Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, and Sanskrit.
, 10. What is the Kitab-ul-Hind?
Answer: Al-Biruni's Kitab-ul-Hind, written in Arabic, is a voluminous text divided into 80
chapters on subjects such as religion, philosophy, festivals, astronomy, weights, and
measures.
11. What writing style did Al-Biruni adopt?
Answer: Al-Biruni adopted a critical approach in his writings, beginning each chapter with a
question, providing a detailed description, and concluding with a comparison with other
cultures.
12. What were the barriers that Al-Biruni faced in understanding Indian society?
Answer: According to Al-Biruni, several barriers obstructed his understanding of Indian
society, including language differences, religious beliefs and practices, and self-imposed
seclusion.
13. Which Brahmanical texts did Al-Biruni depend on to understand Indian society?
Answer: Al-Biruni depended on the Vedas, the Puranas, the Bhagavad Gita, Patanjali’s
Mahabhasya and the Manusmriti to understand Indian society.
14. How did Al-Biruni describe the caste system in India?
Answer: Al-Biruni gave a detailed description of the Caste system in India.
15. What did Al-Biruni disapprove of in the Indian society?
Answer: Al-Biruni disapproved of the notion of pollution.
Ibn Battuta
16. Who was Ibn Battuta?
Answer: Ibn Battuta was a Moroccan traveler who traveled extensively through North Africa,
West Asia, parts of Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and China.
17. What was Ibn Battuta's profession when he was appointed by the Sultan of Delhi?
Answer: The Sultan was impressed by his scholarship, and appointed him the qazi or judge
of Delhi.
18. What did Ibn Battuta record in his writings?
Answer: Ibn Battuta meticulously recorded his observations about new cultures, peoples,
beliefs, and values.
19. What were some of the hazards Ibn Battuta faced during his travels?
Answer: Ibn Battuta faced attacks by robbers and the risk of falling ill.
20. Why was Ibn Battuta known as the "inveterate traveler"?
Answer: Ibn Battuta was called an inveterate traveler because before coming to India, he
had made pilgrimage trips to Mecca and traveled extensively in Syria, Iraq, Persia, Yemen,
and Oman.
21. What did Ibn Battuta describe Delhi as?
