Chapter Exam

Chapter-5 Through the Eyes of Travellers — Online MCQ Test

Q: Al-Biruni was a renowned scholar and traveller who visited India during the reign of which ruler?

Answer: B. Mahmud of Ghazni — Al-Biruni visited India in the early 11th century during the reign of Mahmud of Ghazni, accompanying him on his military campaigns.

Q: Ibn Battuta was a traveller from which region?

Answer: B. Morocco — Ibn Battuta was born in Tangier, Morocco, and is known as one of the greatest medieval Arab travellers.

Q: Which of the following was NOT a major work of Al-Biruni?

Answer: C. Akbar Nama — Akbar Nama was written by Abul Fazl, not Al-Biruni. Al-Biruni's major works include Al-Hind and Chronology of Ancient Nations.

Q: François Bernier was a traveller from which European country?

Answer: B. France — François Bernier was a French traveller and physician who spent several years in India during the Mughal period.

Q: Ibn Battuta served in which official capacity in the Delhi Sultanate?

Answer: C. Qazi (Judge) — Ibn Battuta served as a Qazi (Islamic judge) in the court of Muhammad ibn Tughluq in Delhi.

Q: François Bernier's account is particularly valuable for understanding which aspects of Mughal society?

Answer: B. Agricultural practices and land revenue system — Bernier provided detailed observations on Mughal agricultural practices, land revenue systems, and economic structures during the 17th century.

HISTORY · Grade 12 · CBSE(NCERT)

Practice Chapter-5 Through the Eyes of Travellers with a free chapter-wise online MCQ test for CBSE(NCERT) Grade 12 HISTORY. This chapter covers: Al-Biruni - Ibn Battuta - François Bernier - travel accounts - medieval society. AI-generated questions from basic to board-exam level, with instant results and explanations.

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Chapter-5 Through the Eyes of Travellers — Important Questions & Answers (FAQ)

Frequently asked questions from CBSE(NCERT) Grade 12 HISTORY — Chapter-5 Through the Eyes of Travellers, with answers and explanations. These are sample questions; the exam has its own separate question set.

Al-Biruni was a renowned scholar and traveller who visited India during the reign of which ruler?

A. Akbar
B. Mahmud of Ghazni ✓
C. Muhammad of Ghor
D. Aurangzeb

Answer: B. Mahmud of Ghazni
Al-Biruni visited India in the early 11th century during the reign of Mahmud of Ghazni, accompanying him on his military campaigns.

Ibn Battuta was a traveller from which region?

A. Persia
B. Morocco ✓
C. Egypt
D. Syria

Answer: B. Morocco
Ibn Battuta was born in Tangier, Morocco, and is known as one of the greatest medieval Arab travellers.

Which of the following was NOT a major work of Al-Biruni?

A. Al-Hind (Book on India)
B. Kitab-ul-Hind
C. Akbar Nama ✓
D. Chronology of Ancient Nations

Answer: C. Akbar Nama
Akbar Nama was written by Abul Fazl, not Al-Biruni. Al-Biruni's major works include Al-Hind and Chronology of Ancient Nations.

François Bernier was a traveller from which European country?

A. England
B. France ✓
C. Portugal
D. Spain

Answer: B. France
François Bernier was a French traveller and physician who spent several years in India during the Mughal period.

Ibn Battuta served in which official capacity in the Delhi Sultanate?

A. Court historian
B. Military commander
C. Qazi (Judge) ✓
D. Revenue administrator

Answer: C. Qazi (Judge)
Ibn Battuta served as a Qazi (Islamic judge) in the court of Muhammad ibn Tughluq in Delhi.

François Bernier's account is particularly valuable for understanding which aspects of Mughal society?

A. Ancient Sanskrit literature
B. Agricultural practices and land revenue system ✓
C. Buddhist philosophy
D. Pre-Islamic Indian kingdoms

Answer: B. Agricultural practices and land revenue system
Bernier provided detailed observations on Mughal agricultural practices, land revenue systems, and economic structures during the 17th century.

Al-Biruni's approach to studying Indian civilization was distinguished by which methodology?

A. Purely theological analysis
B. Systematic observation combined with critical analysis of sources ✓
C. Reliance only on oral traditions
D. Mathematical calculations without empirical evidence

Answer: B. Systematic observation combined with critical analysis of sources
Al-Biruni combined systematic observation with critical analysis, comparing Indian knowledge systems with his own understanding of mathematics and astronomy.

How did Ibn Battuta's religious identity influence his interpretation of Indian society?

A. It had no influence on his observations
B. It led him to view only Hindu practices critically while praising Islamic practices
C. It provided him with a framework to understand Islamic institutions but potentially biased his view of Hindu practices ✓
D. It prevented him from making any observations about religious matters

Answer: C. It provided him with a framework to understand Islamic institutions but potentially biased his view of Hindu practices
Ibn Battuta's Islamic background provided context for understanding Islamic structures but may have created biases in how he perceived and reported on Hindu and other non-Islamic practices.

What methodological challenge is posed by using travel accounts written in different time periods (11th, 14th, and 17th centuries) to understand medieval India?

A. They all describe the exact same period without variation
B. Historical developments and changes across these centuries must be carefully considered when comparing observations ✓
C. The accounts cannot be compared at all
D. Each account only applies to the year it was written

Answer: B. Historical developments and changes across these centuries must be carefully considered when comparing observations
These accounts span six centuries, requiring historians to carefully distinguish between observations of different periods and account for historical changes in administration, society, and economy.

How should a historian reconcile contradictions between Al-Biruni's 11th-century observations and Ibn Battuta's 14th-century descriptions of Indian social practices?

A. Accept whichever account seems more familiar
B. Reject both accounts entirely
C. Consider them as potential evidence of historical change across the three-century gap, while accounting for observer bias ✓
D. Assume one traveller was always truthful and the other always lied

Answer: C. Consider them as potential evidence of historical change across the three-century gap, while accounting for observer bias
Apparent contradictions between these accounts separated by 300 years may reflect actual historical changes in Indian society, combined with differences in what each traveller observed and how they interpreted their observations.

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