Chapter 14 · Topic 14.3 · Prelims + Mains3 of 3
Foreign Travellers: Reading travel accounts critically
Key points
- Using travel accounts critically.
1 PYQ 2009–2018
Prelims box: facts and traps
| Strength | Limitation |
|---|---|
| Fresh eyes: note everyday life, prices, roads | Language gaps and dependence on interpreters |
| Compare with other lands | Bias: judging India by home standards (Bernier) |
| Independent of court flattery | Short stays; hearsay; love of the marvellous |
| Describe women, slaves, markets | Mostly saw cities and courts, not villages. |
- For Mains-style answers, pair a traveller with a theme: Ibn Battuta for communication and towns, Paes and Nuniz for Vijayanagara's court and women, Bernier for land and the state, Tavernier for crafts and the diamond trade.
Reading travel accounts critically
| Strength | Limitation |
|---|---|
| Fresh eyes: note everyday life, prices, roads | Language gaps and dependence on interpreters |
| Compare with other lands | Bias: judging India by home standards (Bernier) |
| Independent of court flattery | Short stays; hearsay; love of the marvellous |
| Describe women, slaves, markets | Mostly saw cities and courts, not villages |
For Mains-style answers, pair a traveller with a theme: Ibn Battuta for communication and towns, Paes and Nuniz for Vijayanagara’s court and women, Bernier for land and the state, Tavernier for crafts and the diamond trade. Then add one line on the limits of the source.
Mains box: analysis and answer points
| Strength | Limitation |
|---|---|
| Fresh eyes: note everyday life, prices, roads | Language gaps and dependence on interpreters |
| Compare with other lands | Bias: judging India by home standards (Bernier) |
| Independent of court flattery | Short stays; hearsay; love of the marvellous |
| Describe women, slaves, markets | Mostly saw cities and courts, not villages. |
- For Mains-style answers, pair a traveller with a theme: Ibn Battuta for communication and towns, Paes and Nuniz for Vijayanagara's court and women, Bernier for land and the state, Tavernier for crafts and the diamond trade.
- Likely next angle: Bias and limits
Practice
Prelims PYQs on this topic (1)
Which one of the following foreign travellers elaborately discussed about diamonds and diamond mines of India ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Jean-Baptiste Tavernier wrote about diamonds (b). Tavernier was a French jewel merchant who made six trips to India between 1640 and 1667. In his Travels, he described the Golconda diamond mines, such as Kollur on the Krishna, along with how they were mined and traded. He sold the large blue "Tavernier Blue" to Louis XIV; it was later recut into the Hope Diamond. Bernier (a) was a doctor who wrote on Mughal politics and argued there was no private land ownership. Thevenot (c) wrote about western and southern India. Carré (d) wrote on politics and French trade.
Notice the famous Golconda diamonds: the Koh-i-Noor and the Daria-i-Noor.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Write an answer
In 150 words, explain the significance of Foreign Travellers with one recent example.
Flashcards (1)
Main limitation of travel accounts?
Bias, language gaps, short stays.
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