📘 Class 12 History – Chapter 5
Through the Eyes of Travellers (NCERT / CBSE)
✨ Purpose of Travelling (यात्रा करने के कारण)
- 🔹 Employment search – लोग रोज़गार (jobs) की तलाश में यात्रा करते थे
- 🔹 Natural calamities से बचाव – flood (बाढ़), drought (सूखा), earthquake (भूकंप) से बचने हेतु
- 🔹 Merchants, soldiers, priests, pilgrims के रूप में यात्रा
- 🔹 Adventure की भावना से प्रेरित होकर यात्रा
✨ Problems of Travelling in Ancient Times (प्राचीन काल की यात्राओं की कठिनाइयाँ)
- ⏳ Long time (बहुत समय लगता था)
- 🛑 Lack of facilities (सुविधाओं की कमी)
- ⚔️ Fear of pirates (समुद्री डाकुओं का डर)
- 🌊 Natural disasters (प्राकृतिक आपदाएँ)
- 🤒 Diseases (बीमारियाँ)
- 🧭 Fear of getting lost (रास्ता भटकने का डर)
✨ Main Travellers to Visit India (मुख्य यात्री)
- 🌍 Al-Biruni
- 🌍 Ibn Battuta
- 🌍 François Bernier
✨ Other Important Travellers (अन्य यात्री)
- ✴️ Marco Polo (Venice, 13th century) → South India की सामाजिक-आर्थिक दशा का वर्णन
- ✴️ Nikitin (Russia, 15th century)
- ✴️ Sayid Ali Reis (Turkey, 16th century)
- ✴️ Father Masaret (Spain, Akbar’s court)
- ✴️ Peter Mundy (England, 17th century)
- ✴️ Abdur Razzaq (Samarkand, 1440s) → Calicut port & Vijayanagara का वर्णन
- ✴️ Sheikh Ali Hajin (1740s) → भारत से निराश, “disgusting country” कहा
- ✴️ Mahmud Wali Balkhi (17th century) → भारत से प्रभावित होकर साधु बने
- ✴️ Duarte Barbosa (Portugal, 1518 AD)
- ✴️ Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (France, 17th century) → 6 बार भारत आए
✨ Life of Al-Biruni (973 AD – Khwarism, Uzbekistan)
- 🎓 Khwarism = education का प्रमुख केंद्र → Alberuni को श्रेष्ठ शिक्षा मिली
- 🌐 भाषाएँ: Syrian, Persian, Hebrew, Sanskrit
- 📚 Greek works (Plato आदि) Arabic translation के माध्यम से पढ़े
- 🏛️ 1017 AD – Mahmud Ghaznavi द्वारा Khwarism पर आक्रमण → Alberuni को Ghazni ले जाया गया
- 📍 Punjab & North India में लंबे समय तक रहे
- 🔄 कई संस्कृत ग्रंथों का अनुवाद → Patanjali की grammar को Arabic में, Euclid की गणित को Sanskrit में
✨ Al-Biruni’s Work – Kitab-ul-Hind
- 📖 Arabic में लिखी किताब → Simple & clear language
- 📚 80 chapters → Religion, philosophy, festivals, astronomy, social life, law, sculpture, weights & measures आदि पर
- 🧮 गणित के प्रति झुकाव = उसकी किताबों की clarity
✨ Obstacles in Understanding India (भारत को समझने में कठिनाइयाँ)
- 🗣️ Language barrier → Sanskrit ≠ Arabic/Persian
- 🙏 Religious & customary differences
- 😌 Cultural pride (अभिमान)
- 🔎 Alberuni ने mostly Brahmanical texts (Vedas, Puranas, Gita, Manusmriti) पर आधारित जानकारी ली
- 💡 उन्होंने लिखा: “Sanskrit सीखना कठिन है क्योंकि इसमें एक ही वस्तु के लिए अनेक शब्द व रूप हैं।”
✨ Features of Al-Biruni’s Writings
- ✍️ Language → Arabic
- 🧐 Style → Critical & comparative (प्रश्न → वर्णन → तुलना)
- 📚 Subjects → Astronomy, medicine, fables, culture
- 🔄 संस्कृत परंपरा की तुलना अन्य संस्कृतियों से की
✨ Al-Biruni on Caste System (भारत की वर्ण-व्यवस्था पर विवरण)
- 🔹 भारत में 4 Varnas बताए →
- Horsemen & rulers (शासक वर्ग)
- Monks, priests & physicians (साधु, पुरोहित, वैद्य)
- Astronomers & scientists (खगोलविद, वैज्ञानिक)
- Agriculturists & craftsmen (किसान, कारीगर)
- 🔹 Persia में भी 4 वर्ग मान्य थे
- 🔹 Islam में सभी बराबर → कोई जन्म-आधारित भेदभाव नहीं
- 🔹 Alberuni ने untouchability को “against nature” बताया
- 🔹 उन्होंने लिखा → “Impure चीज़ अपनी मूल स्थिति की ओर लौटकर फिर से शुद्ध हो जाती है।”
- 🔹 कहा → “Vaishya और Shudra में कोई बड़ा अंतर नहीं है, दोनों एक ही गाँव-शहर में साथ रहते हैं।”
Through the Eyes of Travellers – Ibn Battuta
✨ Life of Ibn Battuta
- 📖 His Arabic travelogue “Rihla” gives valuable information about social and cultural life (सामाजिक और सांस्कृतिक जीवन) of 14th century India.
- 🏡 Born in Tangier, Morocco, famous for Islamic law (Sharia – शरीयत).
- 🎓 Received literary and scriptural education (साहित्यिक और शास्त्रीय शिक्षा) in early life.
- ✈️ He considered travel experiences more important than books.
- 🌍 Passionate about travelling to explore new countries and people (नए देश और लोग).
✨ Ibn Battuta’s Journey
- 🛫 1332–33 AD: Left Morocco alone, without companions or caravan (Karva – काफिला), to travel towards India.
- 🌍 Before India: travelled to Mecca, Syria, Persia, Yemen, Oman, East Africa.
- 🚶 Through Central Asia, he reached Sindh (सिंध) in 1333 AD.
- 👑 Appointed Qazi (क़ाज़ी – judge) of Delhi by Muhammad bin Tughlaq.
- ⚖️ Lost Sultan’s confidence → imprisoned → later restored to service.
- 📜 1342 AD: Sent as emissary (राजदूत) to Mongol ruler (China).
- 🌴 Travelled to Malabar coast, Maldives (Qazi for 18 months), Sri Lanka, Bengal, Assam, Sumatra, and finally to Chinese port Zaytun (ज़ायतुन).
- ⚔️ Faced bandit (डाकू) attacks → preferred travelling in caravans.
- ✍️ On return, his stories were recorded by Ibn Juzayy (इब्न जुज़ैई) on local ruler’s orders.
✨ Unique Observations
🥥 Coconut (नारियल)
- Described as a strange tree (अजीब पेड़).
- Indians used its fibres for rope making (रस्सी बनाना) and for sewing ships instead of iron nails.
🍃 Betel Leaf (पान)
- Betel vine has no fruit, cultivated only for its leaves.
- He had never seen coconut or betel before coming to India.
✨ Cities Described by Ibn Battuta
- 🏙️ Delhi – Largest & wealthiest city of India, surrounded by rampart (किला-दीवार) with 28 gates.
- 🚪 Biggest gate = Badaun Darwaza.
- 🌾 Inside Mandvi Gate → Grain market.
- 🪦 Delhi described as an excellent cemetery (कब्रिस्तान) where jasmine & roses bloomed in all seasons.
- 🕌 Most cities had mosques and temples.
- 🎶 Separate areas for dancers, musicians, singers (नर्तक, गायक, वादक).
✨ Communication System (संचार प्रणाली)
- 📬 Highly efficient postal system (डाक व्यवस्था) in Delhi Sultanate.
- 🏠 Inns & rest houses (सराय) built on trade routes.
- ⚡ Messages travelled very fast – news from Sindh to Delhi (50 days journey) reached in 5 days via spies.
Types of Postal System:
- 🐎 Horse Postal System (Uluk – उलूक)
- State horses placed at every 4 miles.
- 🚶 Foot Postal System (Dawa – दावा)
- Faster than horse system.
- Used to deliver both letters & goods (पत्र और सामान).
Through the Eyes of Travellers – François Bernier
✨ Life of François Bernier
- 🌍 A resident of France, Bernier was a physician (चिकित्सक), political philosopher, and historian.
- 🏛️ Lived in the Mughal court for 12 years (1656–1668 AD).
- 👑 First served as physician to Dara Shikoh, son of Shah Jahan → Later worked with Danish Khan, a wealthy noble.
- 📖 His book: “Travels in the Mughal Empire”.
✨ Features of Bernier’s Writings
- 🎁 Dedicated his work to Louis XIV (King of France).
- ⚖️ Always compared India as inferior (निम्न) to Europe.
- 📚 Published in France (1670–71 AD) → within 5 years translated into English, Dutch, Italian, Japanese.
- 🏔️ Travelled with Mughal army → once also went to Kashmir (कश्मीर).
✨ Description of Land Ownership (भूमि स्वामित्व)
- 👑 According to him → unlike Europe, no private land ownership in India.
- 🏞️ All land belonged to the Mughal emperor, who distributed it to nobles.
- 📉 Harmful for economy → No inheritance of land → No investment in agriculture (कृषि).
- 🚫 This system blocked agricultural development (कृषि विकास).
✨ Indian Society (भारतीय समाज)
- 🏡 No middle class (मध्य वर्ग) in India.
- 🚜 Agriculture was poor & neglected due to shortage of farmers and polluted air.
- ⚠️ Warned Europe → If European rulers copy the Mughals, Europe will be ruined.
- 📖 His writings influenced:
- Montesquieu → Concept of absolutism (सर्वसत्तावाद)
- Karl Marx → Theory of Asian mode of production
- 📌 Note: No Mughal official document ever claimed that state owned all land.
✨ Craftsmen (कारीगर)
- 🛠️ Bernier wrote → Craftsmen were lazy (आलसी), working only under need or compulsion (मजबूरी).
- 💰 No incentive to improve products → Profits taken by state.
- 💎 Yet, India attracted huge amounts of precious metals (कीमती धातुएँ) from the world.
- 🏭 Bernier = Only historian to give detailed account of state factories (राजकीय कारखाने).
✨ Cities in India (भारतीय नगर)
- 🏙️ 17th century: About 15% of Indian population lived in cities → higher ratio than Europe at that time.
- ⛺ Still, Bernier called Indian cities “Camp towns (सिविर नगर)”, dependent on state patronage.
✨ Slaves and Maids (ग़ुलाम और दासियाँ)
- 🏷️ Slavery (ग़ुलामी) common in medieval India → bought & sold in markets.
- 🐪 Ibn Battuta too purchased horses, camels, and slaves for Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq.
- 🎶 Uses of slaves:
- Musicians (संगीतज्ञ) in Sultan’s court
- Maids kept to spy (जासूसी) on nobles
- Domestic labor (घरेलू काम)
- To carry nobles in palanquins/dolas (पालकी/डोला)
- Price of domestic slaves was very low
✨ Tradition of Sati (सती प्रथा)
- 🔥 Sati = religious practice where a widow self-immolated (आत्मदाह) on husband’s funeral pyre.
- 📖 Bernier described it in detail:
- Some women voluntarily (स्वेच्छा से) accepted death.
- Others were forced (बलपूर्वक) into it.
