Which of the following statements is correct about Bernier’s travels in the Mughal Empire? 

a- He constantly compared Mughal India with contemporary Europe, generally emphasizing the superiority of the latter.

b- His representation of India works on the model of binary synchronization, where India is presented as a  follower of Europe.

Only statement a is correct.

François Bernier was a French traveler who came to India during the 17th century.

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 emphasizing 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. He also ordered the perceived differences hierarchically, so that India appeared to be inferior to the Western world