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Introduction:

Throughout history, India’s rich cultural heritage, economic weightage attracted many foreign travellers. Their accounts provided unique perspectives and insights about the society, polity, economy and other aspects of life. Example- Ibn Batuta’s Rihala.

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Significance of foreign travellers’ accounts in comprehending Indian history:

• Cross-cultural perspectives: For instance, the accounts of Fa-Xian provide valuable information about ancient Indian society, politics, and religion, including details about the Gupta Empire.
• Historical chronicles: The memoirs of European travellers like Jean-Baptiste Tavernier and Niccolao Manucci in the 17th century provide valuable accounts of the Mughal Empire’s courtly life, architecture, and trade networks.
• Emphasis on minor details: Like food, clothing which were more likely to be neglected by indigenous accounts. Example- Ibn Batuta’s description of ‘Paan’ and ‘Coconut’.
• Complement historical knowledge: They provided indigenous historical literature when indigenous content is missing. Example- Describing the widespread poverty in subcontinent, Pelsaert (a Dutch traveller) writes- “So much is wrung from the peasants that even dry bread is scarcely left to fill their stomach”
• Political power situation: They provide information about the political power situation in their period, e.g. Xuan Xang mentions that Pulakesin II defeated Harsha.
• Information about society: E.g. Al-Biruni’s accounts show that Indians did not like muslim invasions.

Limitations of foreign travellers account in shaping historical narratives:

• Cultural Bias: As accounts were written for consumption of local audiences, e.g.Bernier described almost all Indian conditions as inverse of Europe.
• Language Barrier: For example, the accounts of early European explorers in India were influenced by their limited understanding of local languages, resulting in misunderstandings and distorted portrayals.
• Selective Observation: They mostly ignored common people and focused on administration, life of nobles, kings etc. Example – Bernier held that in Mughal India, there was no concept of private property.
• Inaccuracies in depiction : As they had limited understanding, e.g. Megasthenese divided Indian society on the basis of class.
• Dependency: Because of the language barrier they depended on certain sections for information,
  e.g. Al-Biruni almost exclusively depended on the work of Brahmins.

Conclusion:

While foreign travellers’ accounts provide valuable insights, it is essential to critically evaluate their limitations and corroborate their claims with multiple sources to obtain a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of Indian history.

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