Mughal Period: Miscellaneous

François Bernier was physician to

[amp_mcq option1=”Prince Murad” option2=”Princess Jahanara” option3=”Emperor Shah Jahan” option4=”Prince Dara Shikoh” correct=”option4″]

The correct answer is D) Prince Dara Shikoh.

François Bernier, a French physician and traveller, came to India in 1658 and resided at the Mughal court for about twelve years. He initially served as a physician to Prince Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Emperor Shah Jahan.

After Dara Shikoh’s defeat and execution, Bernier managed to gain favour with Aurangzeb, the new emperor, and also served Danishmand Khan, a Mughal noble. His book, ‘Travels in the Mogul Empire’, is a valuable account of life, society, and politics in India during the Mughal period.

Which European traveller had observed, “A Hindu woman can go anywhere alone, even in the most crowded places, and she need never fear the impertinent looks and jokes of idle loungers”?

[amp_mcq option1=”Francois Bernier” option2=”Jean-Baptiste Tavernier” option3=”Thomas Roe” option4=”Abbe J. A. Dubois” correct=”option4″]

The observation about the safety and respect accorded to Hindu women traveling alone is made by Abbe J. A. Dubois.

Abbe J. A. Dubois was a French missionary who lived in India for many years in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He wrote extensively about Indian society, customs, and manners based on his direct observations.

His book ‘Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies’ provides a detailed, albeit sometimes biased, account of Indian life during his time. The quote reflects a specific observation he made about the societal norms and safety environment for women in the regions he visited, which stands in contrast to some other accounts or later perceptions influenced by colonial narratives or changing social conditions. Francois Bernier and Jean-Baptiste Tavernier were French travelers in the 17th century, and Sir Thomas Roe was an English ambassador in the early 17th century; while they wrote about India, this particular observation is specifically attributed to Dubois.

Consider the following statement:
“So much is wrung from the peasants, that even dry bread is scarcely left to fill their stomachs.”
Who among the following European travellers had made the above statement about the condition of peasantry in the Mughal Empire?

[amp_mcq option1=”Francisco Pelsaert” option2=”Francois Bernier” option3=”Jean-Baptiste Tavernier” option4=”Niccolao Manucci” correct=”option1″]

The correct answer is (A) Francisco Pelsaert.

The statement, “So much is wrung from the peasants, that even dry bread is scarcely left to fill their stomachs,” is a well-known quote describing the harsh condition of the peasantry in the Mughal Empire, attributed to the Dutch traveller Francisco Pelsaert. Pelsaert was associated with the Dutch East India Company and resided in Agra between 1620 and 1627.

Pelsaert’s work, ‘Remonstrantie’ (Memoirs), provides a detailed, albeit critical, account of economic and social conditions in the Mughal Empire during the reign of Jahangir. Francois Bernier also provided significant accounts of the Mughal Empire but this specific quote is from Pelsaert.