HistoryMedieval India: Through the Eyes of Travellers

Which of the following pairs of a writer and his account of India is…

Which of the following pairs of a writer and his account of India is correctly matched?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 3

The correct answer is Option (3) → Bernier - Travels in the Mughal Empire

Option (1) Al-Biruni - Rihla — Incorrect. The Rihla is Ibn Battuta's account of his travels. Al-Biruni wrote the Kitab-ul-Hind in Arabic.

Option (2) Ibn Battuta - Kitab-ul-Hind — Incorrect. Kitab-ul-Hind was written by Al-Biruni. Ibn Battuta's account is the Rihla.

Option (3) Bernier - Travels in the Mughal Empire — Correct. Bernier's Travels in the Mughal Empire is marked by detailed observations and keeps comparing Mughal India with Europe.

Option (4) Pelsaert - Travels in the Mughal Empire — Incorrect. Pelsaert was a Dutch traveller of the early seventeenth century who wrote of the poverty he saw. Travels in the Mughal Empire is Bernier's work.

NCERT (2026-27): “6. Bernier and the “Degenerate” East …
Bernier’s Travels in the Mughal Empire is marked by detailed observations, critical insights and reflection. His account contains discussions trying to place the history of the Mughals within some sort of a universal framework. He constantly compared Mughal India with contemporary Europe, generally emphasising the superiority of the latter. His representation of India works on the model of binary opposition, where India is presented as the inverse of Europe. …”