Which one of the following foreign travellers elaborately discussed about diamonds and diamond mines of India?
- Francois Bernier
- Jean-Baptiste Tavernier
- Jean de Thevenot
- Abbe Barthel Carre
Explanation
Option (b) is correct
- Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (jeweller by profession) was the French traveller of the seventeenth century. He attended court in Agra during the reigns of Shah Jahan (r. 1628–58) as well as Aurangzeb (r. 1658-1707), and is believed to have been granted an audience with both emperors. He had made seven trips to the east, out of which he came to India six times. He elaborately discussed diamonds and the diamond mines of India in his works. He travelled extensively across India to places like Surat, Burhanpur, Agra, Dhaka, Goa, and Golconda, where he explored diamond mines.
- His travel account, Nouvelle Relation du Searcilda Grand Signior (1675), and The Six Voyages (1676) became popular and were translated into multiple languages. His descriptions include insights into Mughal administration, courts, octroi houses, and interactions with foreign powers such as the Dutch.
Option (a) is incorrect
- François Bernier was a French physician, traveller, political philosopher and historian. He was in India for twelve years, from 1656 to 1668. He was closely associated with the Mughal court as a physician to Prince Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Emperor Shah Jahan. After Dara Shikoh’s demise, he was attached to the court of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. He wrote Travels in the Mughal Empire, which is mainly about the reigns of Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb. He criticized the lack of scientific academies and Indian interest in Western science.
Option (c) is incorrect
- Jean de Thévenot (1633–1677) was a French traveller, linguist, and naturalist. His travelogue documented his journeys across the Ottoman Empire, the Aegean Sea islands, Egypt, Palestine, and India. He arrived in India in 1666 and spent thirteen months.
Option (d) is incorrect
- Abbé Barthélemy Carré was a French traveller and priest who embarked on a journey to the East during the 17th century. The Travels of Abbe Carré documents Carré’s journey through India and surrounding regions between 1672 and 1674.
