In This Post we are providing CHAPTER 5 THROUGH THE EYES OF TRAVELLERS PERCEPTION OF SOCIETY NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS for Class 12 HISTORY which will be beneficial for students. These solutions are updated according to 2021-22 syllabus. These MCQS can be really helpful in the preparation of Board exams and will provide you with a brief knowledge of the chapter.
NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ON THROUGH THE EYES OF TRAVELLERS PERCEPTION OF SOCIETY
NCERT Solutions for Class 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7398766921532682&output=html&h=280&slotname=8380703770&adk=2839959104&adf=679976212&pi=t.ma~as.8380703770&w=728&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1642572674&rafmt=1&psa=1&format=728×280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.learncbse.in%2Fimportant-questions-for-class-12-history-chapter-5%2F&flash=0&fwr=0&fwrattr=true&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTAuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiOTcuMC40NjkyLjk5IixbXSxudWxsLG51bGwsIjY0Il0.&dt=1643128528415&bpp=2&bdt=1847&idt=172&shv=r20220119&mjsv=m202201200301&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D375d0d6278db0d5a-226174de9ccc009b%3AT%3D1634321088%3ART%3D1634321088%3AS%3DALNI_MYMCP6xL8yJkrJR0gy4vAPMxXHBOA&prev_fmts=0x0&nras=1&correlator=3794020639542&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=56497409.1634321086&ga_sid=1643128529&ga_hid=803275874&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=33&u_h=768&u_w=1366&u_ah=728&u_aw=1366&u_cd=24&u_sd=1&dmc=4&adx=517&ady=94&biw=1349&bih=657&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=42531397%2C44753738%2C21067496&oid=2&pvsid=1430799293843595&pem=133&tmod=1203926618&uas=0&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&eae=0&fc=1920&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1366%2C0%2C1366%2C728%2C1366%2C657&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7ClE%7C&abl=CS&pfx=0&fu=128&bc=31&ifi=2&uci=a!2&fsb=1&xpc=cIDMgjBWEz&p=https%3A//www.learncbse.in&dtd=182
Important Questions for Class 12 History Chapter 5 Through the Eyes of Travellers (Perceptions of Society)
December 11, 2019 by Bhagya
Important Questions for Class 12 History Chapter 5 Through the Eyes of Travellers (Perceptions of Society)
Important Questions for Class 12 History Chapter 5 – 2 Marks Questions
Question 1.
How had Bernier described a complex social reality of the artisans under the Mughals? Give one reason. (HOTS, Delhi 2011)
Answer:
Bernier projected the Mughal state as tyrannical, his descriptions hinted at a more complex social reality. He thought that artisans had no incentive to improve the quality of their manufactures as all the profits were enjoyed by the state.
Question 2.
Mention any two characteristics of the cities in the Indian sub-continent as described by Ibn Battuta. (All India 2011)
Answer:
Ibn Battuta described the cities of the sub-continent and mentioned important features of these as follows:
- These cities were densely populated and prosperous.
- These cities had crowded streets, bright and colourful markets with a wide variety of goods.
Question 3.
Name the book written by Ibn Battuta. What was his observation about female slaves in the sub-continent? (All India 2008)
Answer:
Ibn Battuta wrote the book named ‘Rihla’.
Ibn Battuta had following observation about the female slaves of Indian sub-continent:
- The female slaves excelled in music and dance and they were employed in Sultan’s service,
- They were also employed by the Sultan to keep an eye on his noble’s activities.
Important Questions for Class 12 History Chapter 5 – 4 Marks Questions
Question 4.
Examine the causes that made Al-Biruni visit India. (All India 2017)
Answer:
There are many causes that made Al-Biruni visit in India. These are:
- Al-Biruni arrived in Ghazni as a hostage by Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni. It was the place where he developed an interest for India.
- When the Punjab became a part of the Ghaznavid Empire, Al-Biruni travelled widely in the Punjab and parts of northern India.
- Al-Briuni spent years in the Company of Brahmana priests and scholars, learning Sanskrit and studying religious and philosophical texts. He read the Vedas, the Puranas, the Bhagavad Gita, the works of Patanjali, the Manusmriti, etc to understand Indian society properly.
Question 5.
“India had a unique system of communication during the fourteenth century”. Examine the statement of Ibn Battuta. (All India 2017)
Answer:
Ibn Battuta examined the unique system of communication of India which impressed him very much. He explained:
- There were two kinds of postal system in India. These were uluq (horse post) and dawa (foot-post).
- Uluq stationed at a distance of every four miles while the dawa has three stations per mile, means one-third of a mile.
- The foot-post is quicker than the horse post and often it was used to transport the fruits of Khurasan.
- Ibn Battuta was also amazed by the efficiency of the postal system which allowed merchants to not only send information and remit credit across long distances, but also to dispatch goods required at short notice.
- The postal system was so efficient that while it took fifty days to reach Delhi . from Sind, the news reports of spies would reach the sultan through the postal system in just five days. Thus, enabled the ruler to keep a strict watch over the vast empire.
Question 6.
Examine why Bernier described the Mughal .towns as the ‘Camp Towns’. (All India 2017)
Answer:
Bernier described Mughal cities as ‘camp towns’. By camp towns he mean towns that depended for their survival on the imperial court. He believed that these towns came into existence when the imperial court moved in the area and rapidly lost their importance when imperial court moved out. These towns became singificant with the royal patronage, basically they did not have any other social and economic foundations. During Mughal period, 15 per cent of the population lived in these ‘camp towns’ according to Bernier.
Question 7.
State the inherent problems faced by Al-Biruni in the task of understanding Indian social and Brahmanical practices. Mention any two sources that provided him the support. (Delhi 2016)
Answer:
Al-Biruni mentioned several ‘barriers’ that obstructed proper understanding of Indian social and Brahmanical practices. These were:
- Sanskrit was so different from Arabic and Persian that ideas and concepts could not be translated from one language to another.
- The second barrier was the difference in religious beliefs and practices.
- The self-absorption and consequent insularity of the local population constituted the third barrier.
Two sources that provided Al-Biruni support were:
- Al-Biruni depended exclusively on the Vedas, the Puranas and the Bhagavad Gita.
- Al-Biruni also mentioned the support from the works of Patanjali and Manusmriti to understand Indian society.
Question 8.
“Bernier’s description of imperial land ownership influenced Western theorists like French philosopher Montesquieu and German Karl Marx.” Justify it with suitable arguments. (Delhi 2013)
Answer:
Bernier asserted that in Mughal empire, the land was owned by the state and hence it led to the decline of agricultural production. It was harmful both for the state and its people.
This description of Bernier influenced the Western theorists from the 18th century onwards in following ways:
‘Oriental Despotism’ Theory by Montesquieu:
Montesquieu further developed Bernier’s idea into oriental despotism. According to it, the rulers in Asia exercised the full authority over their subjects. The subjects were kept in the conditions of subjugation and poverty. All land belonged to the king and private property was non-existent. According to this view, everybody except the king and nobles barely managed to survive.https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7398766921532682&output=html&h=280&adk=1731550593&adf=20262191&pi=t.aa~a.3125218112~i.36~rp.4&w=750&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1642572674&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=3683862639&psa=1&ad_type=text_image&format=750×280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.learncbse.in%2Fimportant-questions-for-class-12-history-chapter-5%2F&flash=0&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=188&rw=750&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&adsid=ChEIgNy-jwYQ6_-qqIXZk5HlARI5ACLaFk6Usd8S75EodwFzXpuD25CusXdktcdzfakOR_5grJvNw1cx8x1m98USzY-KK6p1JZoLzCgu&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTAuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiOTcuMC40NjkyLjk5IixbXSxudWxsLG51bGwsIjY0Il0.&dt=1643128529473&bpp=4&bdt=2905&idt=-M&shv=r20220119&mjsv=m202201200301&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D375d0d6278db0d5a-226174de9ccc009b%3AT%3D1634321088%3ART%3D1634321088%3AS%3DALNI_MYMCP6xL8yJkrJR0gy4vAPMxXHBOA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C728x280&nras=2&correlator=3794020639542&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=56497409.1634321086&ga_sid=1643128529&ga_hid=803275874&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=33&u_h=768&u_w=1366&u_ah=728&u_aw=1366&u_cd=24&u_sd=1&dmc=4&adx=105&ady=3451&biw=1349&bih=657&scr_x=0&scr_y=1725&eid=42531397%2C44753738%2C21067496&oid=2&psts=AGkb-H-21CD2h0T3E9PCLgdSeHbyXImItbp_WBX0czQ0o5OLPIq0saFP5Tlq1jqh_OIiVripOIEUB18WCsCY&pvsid=1430799293843595&pem=133&tmod=1203926618&uas=3&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&eae=0&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1366%2C0%2C1366%2C728%2C1366%2C657&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&jar=2022-01-25-16&ifi=3&uci=a!3&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=pCiwk3wk11&p=https%3A//www.learncbse.in&dtd=112
Karl Marx’s Concept of ‘Asiatic Mode’ of Production:
This idea was further developed as the concept of the Asiatic mode of production by Karl Marx in the 19th century.
He argued that in India and other Asian countries, the surplus was appropriated by the state. He added that this led to the emergence of a society with a large number of autonomous and egalitarian village communities. Marx thought that it was a stagnant system.
Question 9.
Explain Al-Biruni’s description of caste system.
Answer:
Al-Biruni’s description of the caste system was influenced by his study of the Sanskrit texts. These texts written by the Brahmanas and followed the four divisions of varna. Al-Biruni accepted this division. According to him, the Brahmana was created from the head of God, Brahma and regarded as the highest caste of society.
The next caste was Kashatriyas, who were created from the shoulders and hands of Brahma. After them followed the Vaishyas, who were created from the thigh of Brahma. The Shudras were created from the feet of Brahma.
However, as these classes differed from each other, they lived together in the same town and villages, mixed together in the same houses and lodgings. In real life, this system was not quite as rigid.
Question 10.
“Ibn Battuta found Delhi as a city full of exciting opportunities.” Support your answer with evidences given by him.
Answer:
Ibn Battuta arrived at Delhi in the 14th century. His description regarding Indian cities was very informative and helpful to understand the lifestyle of Indians.
He described Indian cities in the following ways:
- Indian cities were densely populated and prosperous although sometimes these were affected by the wars.
- Most cities had crowded streets and bright colourful markets with a wide variety of commodities.
- Delhi with its vast population became the largest city in India. Daulatabad was no less, easily rivalled Delhi in size.
- The rampart round the city was widely expanded. Inside the rampart, there were houses for the night sentry, gate keepers and store houses.
- The lower part of the rampart was built of stone and the upper part was of bricks. It had many towers.
- There were twenty eight gates in Delhi, which were called as ‘Darwazas’. Of these gates, Budaun darwaza, Mandi darwaza, Gul darwaza were very famous.
- The markets and bazaars of Indian cities were the places of economic transactions and social and cultural activities. Most of the bazaars had a masjid and a temple. These places also had fixed spaces for public performances by dancers, musicians and singers.
- Ibn Battuta found that many towns derived their wealth and prosperity through the appropriation of surplus from villages.
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