Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation
Who stated that 5,000–20,000 men worked 40 years to build the palace of 40 pillars at Allahabad?
Solution & Analysis
Answer: C
Concept
European travelers provided the primary labor statistics for Mughal construction projects, often expressing awe at the sheer scale of the manpower used by the Emperors.Explanation
William Finch, an English merchant who visited India during the reign of Jahangir (1608–1611), recorded the massive scale of Akbar's building projects. He specifically mentioned that between 5,000 and 20,000 men labored for 40 years to complete the grand palace of forty pillars within the Allahabad Fort.Logical Breakup
Logic 1: Finch's observations are vital for understanding the economic and labor history of the Mughal period, as he noted details that court historians often summarized.
Logic 2: He also visited Ayodhya and Agra, providing one of the earliest English first-hand accounts of the Mughal heartland.