Themes II - Chapter 1

Question 1

Who was the author of Kitab-ul-Hind?

Answer 1

Al-Biruni

Question 2

In which language was Kitab-ul-Hind written?

Answer 2

Arabic

Question 3

From which region did Al-Biruni originate?

Answer 3

Khwarizm (modern Uzbekistan)

Question 4

Who brought Al-Biruni to Ghazni?

Answer 4

Mahmud of Ghazni

Question 5

Which languages was Al-Biruni proficient in?

Answer 5

Syriac, Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, Sanskrit

Question 6

Which Greek philosophers’ works did Al-Biruni read in Arabic?

Answer 6

Plato and others

Question 7

What is the subject of Kitab-ul-Hind?

Answer 7

Indian religion, philosophy, society, astronomy, customs

Question 8

What structure did Al-Biruni often follow in Kitab-ul-Hind?

Answer 8

Question → Sanskrit tradition → Comparison

Question 9

What was Al-Biruni’s criticism of Hindu society?

Answer 9

Notions of pollution and caste rigidity

Question 10

Who authored Rihla?

Answer 10

Ibn Battuta

Question 11

Where was Ibn Battuta born?

Answer 11

Tangier, Morocco

Question 12

Which Delhi Sultan appointed Ibn Battuta as qazi?

Answer 12

Muhammad bin Tughlaq

Question 13

What year did Ibn Battuta reach India?

Answer 13

1333 CE

Question 14

What did Ibn Battuta describe as “nuts like a man’s head”?

Answer 14

Coconuts

Question 15

What was the city Ibn Battuta described as the largest in India?

Answer 15

Delhi

Question 16

What was the name of the singers’ market in Daulatabad?

Answer 16

Tarababad

Question 17

How many gates did Ibn Battuta say Delhi had?

Answer 17

28 gates

Question 18

What were the two types of postal systems mentioned by Ibn Battuta?

Answer 18

Horse-post (uluq) and foot-post (dawa)

Question 19

What did the foot-post courier carry to signal the next runner?

Answer 19

Rod with copper bells

Question 20

Which French traveller visited India during 1656–1668?

Answer 20

François Bernier

Question 21

Which Mughal prince did Bernier serve as physician?

Answer 21

Dara Shukoh

Question 22

What did Bernier claim was missing in India’s land system?

Answer 22

Private property

Question 23

What phrase did Bernier use to describe India’s king?

Answer 23

King of “beggars and barbarians”

Question 24

Which philosopher used Bernier’s account for the concept of Oriental Despotism?

Answer 24

Montesquieu

Question 25

What term did Marx use to describe Indian pre-colonial society?

Answer 25

Asiatic Mode of Production

Question 26

According to Bernier, what hampered Indian artisans?

Answer 26

State appropriation of profits

Question 27

What were *mahajans*?

Answer 27

Merchant guilds in Western India

Question 28

What was the title of the merchant chief in Ahmedabad?

Answer 28

Nagarsheth

Question 29

What was the practice of widow burning called?

Answer 29

Sati

Question 30

Who recorded the burning of a 12-year-old widow?

Answer 30

François Bernier

Question 31

What term did Al-Biruni use for the lowest social group?

Answer 31

Antyaja

Question 32

What was Al-Biruni’s biggest challenge in studying India?

Answer 32

Language barrier

Question 33

What were the sources Al-Biruni relied on?

Answer 33

Sanskrit texts like Vedas, Puranas, Manusmriti

Question 34

What was Bernier’s view of Mughal towns?

Answer 34

Camp towns dependent on imperial patronage

Question 35

What was Ibn Battuta’s motivation for travel?

Answer 35

Desire for experience and exploration

Question 36

Which ruler sent Ibn Battuta as envoy to China?

Answer 36

Muhammad bin Tughlaq

Question 37

What did Ibn Battuta find notable about Indian markets?

Answer 37

Vibrant, with temples, mosques, and performances

Question 38

According to Bernier, who was responsible for India's poverty?

Answer 38

The state and crown ownership of land

Question 39

What items were manufactured in Bengal according to Bernier?

Answer 39

Silks, cotton, indigo

Question 40

What was the significance of the imperial *karkhanas*?

Answer 40

State-run artisan workshops

Question 41

Who provided detailed descriptions of these karkhanas?

Answer 41

François Bernier