Identify the 'barriers' which obstructed the understanding of Al-Biruni regarding the Indian subcontinent:
(A) Sanskrit was so different from Arabic and Persian that ideas and concepts could not be easily translated from one language into another.
(B) The difference in religious beliefs and practices.
(C) The self-absorption and consequent insularity of the local population.
(D) Al-Biruni's interest in Indian society.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → (A), (B) and (C) only
(A) Sanskrit was so different from Arabic and Persian that ideas and concepts could not be easily translated from one language into another. Correct. Language was the first barrier Al-Biruni named.
(B) The difference in religious beliefs and practices. Correct. This was the second barrier he identified.
(C) The self-absorption and consequent insularity of the local population. Correct. According to him, this insularity of the local people was the third barrier.
(D) Al-Biruni’s interest in Indian society. Incorrect. His interest in Indian society was the aim of his work, not a barrier to it. Though aware of the three barriers, he set out to explain Indian society, relying almost entirely on the works of Brahmanas such as the Vedas, the Puranas, the Bhagavad Gita and the Manusmriti.
NCERT (2025-26): “4.1 Overcoming barriers to understanding … Al-Biruni, for instance, was aware of the problems inherent in the task he had set himself. He discussed several ‘barriers’ that he felt obstructed understanding. The first amongst these was language. According to him, Sanskrit was so different from Arabic and Persian that ideas and concepts could not be easily translated from one language into another. The second barrier he identified was the difference in religious beliefs and practices. The self-absorption and consequent insularity of the local population according to him, constituted the third barrier. What is interesting is that even though he was aware of these problems, Al-Biruni depended almost exclusively on the works of Brahmanas, often citing passages from the Vedas, the Puranas, the Bhagavad Gita, the works of Patanjali, the Manusmriti, etc., to provide an understanding of Indian society.…” |