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UPSC CSE Prelims 2018

Travelers in Medieval India

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

Which one of the following foreign travellers elaborately discussed about diamonds and diamond mines of India?

Solution & Analysis

Answer: B

Concept European travelers in the 17th century often visited India with specific commercial interests. Their journals provide detailed accounts of India's natural resources and trade.

Explanation NCERT Class XII highlights Tavernier as a French jeweler who visited India six times during the reigns of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb. His work *Travels in India
is famous for describing the Golconda diamond mines.

Logical Breakup
Logic 1: Tavernier was a merchant and jeweler; hence his focus was on high-value trade items like gemstones.
Logic 2: He is famously linked to the 'Hope Diamond' (Tavernier Blue) and provided the first detailed western descriptions of the Kollur Mine in Guntur.

Active Recall

Question

Why was the Deccan region specifically attractive to travelers like Tavernier?

Answer

The Deccan, particularly the Kingdom of Golconda, was the primary source of the world's finest diamonds during the medieval period.

Core Insight

Tavernier's accounts shifted European interest from simple spice trade to the more lucrative gem and textile industries of the Mughal Empire.

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