Practicing Success

Target Exam

CUET

Subject

History

Chapter

Medieval India: Through the Eyes of Travellers

Question:

Who is the author of "Travels in the Mughal Empire" ?

Options:

Francois Bernier

Seydi Ali Reis

Peter Mundy

Jean-Baptiste Tavernier

Correct Answer:

Francois Bernier

Explanation:

The correct answer is Option (1) → Francois Bernier

François Bernier was a French traveler. He provided a detailed account of the working of the imperial Karkhanas or workshops. He also described Mughal cities as "camp towns", by which he meant towns that owed their existence, and depended for their survival on the imperial camp.
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.