Slaves were generally used for domestic labour. For which task did Ibn Battuta find their services particularly indispensable?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Carrying women and men on palanquins or dola
Option (1) Guarding merchant caravans on the roads — Incorrect. Guarding caravans is not a task Ibn Battuta gives for slaves. He links their use to work in and around the household.
Option (2) Weaving silk, brocade and fine muslins — Incorrect. Silk, brocade and fine muslins were made by artisans in the imperial karkhanas Bernier described. Household slaves did domestic work.
Option (3) Ploughing the fields of village landholders — Incorrect. Ploughing is field work.
Option (4) Carrying women and men on palanquins or dola — Correct. Ibn Battuta found slaves particularly indispensable for carrying women and men on palanquins or dola, as part of their domestic labour.
NCERT (2026-27): “7. Women … |