Mughal & Travellers — Set 4

Correct Answer: C. Chaghatai Turkic

• **Chaghatai Turkic** = Babur wrote his autobiography 'Baburnama' in this language, which was his mother tongue. • **Baburnama** — This memoir is famous for its frank observations on nature and politics, offering a personal account of his life. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Persian]: The 'Baburnama' was translated into Persian later during Akbar's reign, but this was not the original language; [Arabic]: This was not Babur's native language, nor the language he chose for his personal memoirs; [Urdu]: This language developed much later and was not the medium for Babur's autobiography in the 16th century.

Correct Answer: D. Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana

• **Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana** = He was a prominent noble and poet in Akbar's court who translated Babur's memoirs into Persian, naming it 'Tuzk-e-Baburi'. • **Akbar's court** — He was one of the Navaratnas and translated the original Turkic work into Persian to make it accessible to the Mughal elite. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Abul Fazl]: He was the author of 'Akbarnama' and 'Ain-i-Akbari', not the translator of 'Baburnama'; [Badauni]: He wrote 'Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh', a contemporary history, but did not translate Babur's memoirs; [Faizi]: A poet and scholar in Akbar's court, he was Abul Fazl's brother but not the translator of 'Baburnama'.

Correct Answer: D. Akbarnama

• **Akbarnama** = 'Ain-i-Akbari' is the third volume of this larger historical work, which is the official history of Akbar's reign. • **Third volume** — 'Ain-i-Akbari' specifically deals with the administration, regulations, and detailed statistical information of the 16th-century Mughal empire. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Tarikh-i-Firishta]: This is a general history of India by Firishta, not related to the 'Akbarnama'; [Humayun-nama]: This is a biography of Humayun written by Gulbadan Begum, not the work containing 'Ain-i-Akbari'; [Tabaqat-i-Akbari]: This is a distinct general history written by Nizamuddin Ahmad, not the larger work of which 'Ain-i-Akbari' is a part.

Correct Answer: C. Domingo Paes

• **Domingo Paes** = This Portuguese traveler visited the Vijayanagara Empire and famously compared the grandeur of the city of Hampi to Rome. • **Krishna Deva Raya** — Paes visited Hampi during his reign, and his accounts provide a detailed description of the city's defenses and markets. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Abdur Razzaq]: He was a Persian traveler who also visited Vijayanagara, but is not credited with the specific comparison of Hampi to Rome; [Nicolo Conti]: An Italian merchant, he visited Vijayanagara earlier in the 15th century, before Paes; [Fernao Nuniz]: Another Portuguese chronicler, he visited Vijayanagara after Paes and focused more on the history of its kings.

Correct Answer: B. Ibn Battuta

• **Ibn Battuta** = This Moroccan traveler and scholar served as a Qazi (judge) in the court of Muhammad bin Tughlaq in Delhi. • **14th century** — He arrived in India during this period and recorded his extensive experiences in the famous book 'Rihla', providing details about Sultanate social and political life. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Al-Biruni]: He was a Persian scholar who visited India in the 11th century, much earlier than Ibn Battuta; [Al-Masudi]: An Arab historian and geographer from the 10th century, he was not known to have served in India; [Ibn Khaldun]: A North African Arab historiographer, he was not known to have served as a Qazi in India.

Correct Answer: B. Ziauddin Barani

• **Ziauddin Barani** = He was a political thinker and historian who authored 'Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi', a major source for the Delhi Sultanate. • **14th century** — His work covers the period from Ghiyasuddin Balban's reign to Firoz Shah Tughlaq, offering a critical analysis of administrative and economic reforms. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Amir Khusrau]: A poet and scholar contemporary to Barani, he wrote works like 'Khazain-ul-Futuh' but not 'Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi'; [Minhaj-us-Siraj]: He wrote 'Tabaqat-i-Nasiri', which covers the early Delhi Sultanate up to 1260, an earlier period; [Afif]: While he also wrote a 'Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi' specifically on Firoz Shah, Barani's work is the broader and more comprehensive 'Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi' spanning multiple rulers.

Correct Answer: C. Jahangir

• **Jahangir** = This Mughal Emperor wrote his autobiography, 'Tuzk-e-Jahangiri' or 'Jahangir-nama', in Persian. • **'Chain of Justice'** — His memoir highlights his interest in painting, botany, and legal innovations like this symbolic chain he installed for direct petitions. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Babur]: He wrote his autobiography 'Baburnama' in Chaghatai Turkic, not Persian; [Humayun]: His biography 'Humayun-nama' was written by his sister Gulbadan Begum, not by him; [Shah Jahan]: No known autobiography was written by Shah Jahan himself; 'Shahjahannama' was written by court historians.

Correct Answer: B. Khafi Khan

• **Khafi Khan** = He was the historian who wrote 'Muntakhab-ul-Lubab', a famous history of the Mughal Empire, secretly covering Aurangzeb's reign. • **Aurangzeb** — He banned the writing of history, prompting Khafi Khan to compile this comprehensive account secretly, which details later Mughal administrative challenges. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Badauni]: He wrote 'Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh', which covered earlier Mughal history during Akbar's time, not Aurangzeb's; [Abul Fazl]: He authored 'Akbarnama' for Akbar's reign, not a history covering Aurangzeb; [Bernier]: A French physician and traveler, he wrote 'Travels in the Mughal Empire', which is a travelogue, not 'Muntakhab-ul-Lubab'.

Correct Answer: B. Al-Biruni

• **Al-Biruni** = This traveler is famous for describing the caste system and the practice of Sati in India in his scholarly work 'Kitab-ul-Hind'. • **11th century** — He visited India during this period, offering an objective study of Indian society, religion, and philosophy, and is often called the first Indologist. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Ibn Battuta]: He visited India in the 14th century, much later than Al-Biruni; [Marco Polo]: He visited South India in the late 13th century, focusing on trade and local customs, not primarily a scholarly analysis of social systems; [Abdur Razzaq]: He visited Vijayanagara in the 15th century, a different period and focus.

Correct Answer: B. Inayat Khan

• **Inayat Khan** = He wrote the 'Shahjahannama', a detailed chronicle that documents the rule of Shah Jahan, the builder of the Taj Mahal. • **'Golden Age' of Mughal architecture** — His work is an essential source for this period, focusing on Shah Jahan's military campaigns and magnificent architectural projects. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Abdul Hamid Lahori]: He also wrote a 'Padshahnama' (history of Shah Jahan), but Inayat Khan's 'Shahjahannama' is a distinct and often cited work; [Muhammad Waris]: He was another historian who continued Lahori's 'Padshahnama'; [Dara Shikoh]: Shah Jahan's son, he was a scholar and mystic, but not the author of 'Shahjahannama'.