Through the Eyes of Travellers
Theme V. Medieval society through travellers’ accounts. Covers Al-Biruni; Ibn Battuta; François Bernier; Women, slaves and social life.
About this unit
This unit studies Indian society between roughly the tenth and seventeenth centuries through the accounts of foreign travellers. Al-Biruni from Uzbekistan, Ibn Battuta from Morocco and François Bernier from France each came with different backgrounds and interests. Their accounts tell us about cities, trade, politics, caste, women and slavery, but they also reflect the travellers' own assumptions.
Key ideas
- Travellers' accounts are valuable because they noticed things locals took for granted.
- Al-Biruni wrote Kitab-ul-Hind in Arabic and tried to understand Sanskrit texts.
- Ibn Battuta's Rihla describes the Delhi Sultanate under Muhammad bin Tughlaq.
- Bernier compared India with Europe and argued there was no private property in land.
- Accounts must be read critically for bias and misunderstanding.
How to prepare
Learn each traveller's homeland, period, book and main themes. Compare their perspectives. Expect extract-based questions, where you must identify the traveller or explain his view.
Topics in this chapter
Al-Biruni
Kitab-ul-Hind and his account of the caste system.
5 questionsIbn Battuta
The Rihla: cities, communication and slavery.
5 questionsFrançois Bernier
His account of land ownership, towns and the Mughal state.
5 questionsWomen, slaves and social life
What the travellers saw of everyday life.
5 questions