François Bernier on Mughal India

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Questions and Answers

What did Bernier suggest about the motivation of artisans in the Mughal state?

Bernier suggested that artisans lacked motivation to improve their products due to the state appropriating their profits.

How does Bernier describe the agricultural output of the Bengal region compared to Egypt?

Bernier described the Bengal region as extraordinarily fertile, outpacing Egypt in the production of rice, corn, and essential goods.

What role did the merchant class play in the economy according to Bernier's account?

Bernier observed a flourishing merchant class engaged in extensive trade, suggesting a vibrant economic activity.

What types of commercial products did the region cultivate, according to Bernier?

The region cultivated commercial products such as silks, cotton, and indigo, which were absent in Egypt. Signup and view all the answers

How did gold and silver flow into India as per Bernier's account?

Bernier highlighted that gold and silver eventually flowed into India from other parts of the world as a result of trade. Signup and view all the answers

What factors contribute to the lack of laborers in the Hindustan Empire according to Bernier?

The lack of laborers is primarily due to the harsh treatment by Governors, which leads to many laborers perishing. Signup and view all the answers

How does Bernier describe the relationship between landlords and peasants?

Bernier describes landlords as rapacious, depriving peasants of their means of subsistence and forcing the enslavement of their children. Signup and view all the answers

What does Bernier suggest about social stratification in Indian society?

He suggests that Indian society lacks a middle class, resulting in a sharp divide between the impoverished masses and the wealthy ruling class. Signup and view all the answers

What warning does Bernier intend to convey regarding private property?

Bernier's description serves as a warning to those unfamiliar with private property, emphasizing its merits in preventing exploitation. Signup and view all the answers

In what way does Bernier's account reflect the conditions of the countryside in the Hindustan Empire?

Bernier's account reflects a largely barren and poorly cultivated countryside, exacerbated by the excessive tyranny of the ruling class. Signup and view all the answers

How did François Bernier's perspective on Mughal India differ from that of Ibn Battuta?

Bernier focused on comparing Mughal India negatively with Europe, highlighting its perceived deficiencies, whereas Ibn Battuta expressed his excitement and admiration for the novel aspects of India. Signup and view all the answers

What was Bernier's view on landownership in Mughal India, and how did it differ from European practices?

Bernier believed that the lack of private property in land in Mughal India hindered economic growth and societal development, unlike the system of private ownership that encouraged investment in Europe. Signup and view all the answers

What consequences did Bernier associate with the crown ownership of land in the Mughal Empire?

Bernier argued that it resulted in widespread poverty and a lack of investment in land, as landholders could not pass on property to their heirs. Signup and view all the answers

How did Pelsaert's observations of poverty in the Mughal Empire complement Bernier's views?

Pelsaert noted extreme poverty and attributed it to the state’s exploitation of peasants, reinforcing Bernier's criticism of the economic conditions under crown ownership of land. Signup and view all the answers

In what way did Bernier structure his representation of India compared to Europe?

Bernier used a model of binary opposition to represent India as inferior to Europe, establishing a hierarchical difference between the two societies. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

A Warning for Europe

Bernier warned that if European kings followed the Mughal model, their kingdoms would be far from well-cultivated and populated.
He saw the Mughal Empire as a land of beggars and barbarians.
Its cities and towns were ruined and filled with ill-air and pestilential marshes.
Surprisingly, none of the Mughal official documents suggest that a state was the sole owner of land.
The official chronicler of Akbar's reign suggested that the state was the sole owner of the land.
Bernier's observations contained critical insights and reflection.
His account contains discussions trying to place the history of the Mughals within a universal framework.
He constantly compared Mughal India with contemporary Europe.
He also ordered the perceived differences hierarchically, so that India appeared to be inferior to the Western world.

The Poor Peasant

An excerpt from Bernier's description of the peasantry in the countryside:
Of the vast tracts of country constituting the empire of Hindustan, many of them are little more than sand, or barren mountains, badly cultivated and thinly populated.
Even a considerable portion of the good land remains untilled for want of labourers, many of whom perish in consequence of the bad treatment they experience from Governors.
The poor people, when they become incapable of discharging the demands of their rapacious lords, are not only often deprived of the means of subsistence, but are also made to lose their children, who are carried away as slaves.
In this instance, Bernier was participating in contemporary debates in Europe concerning the nature of state and society, and intended that his description of Mughal India would serve as a warning to those who did not recognise the "merits" of private property.
Bernier described Indian society as consisting of undifferentiated masses of impoverished people, subjugated by a small minority of a very rich and powerful ruling class.
There was no social group or class worth the name.
Bernier confidently asserted: "There is no middle state in India".

Widespread Poverty

Pelsaert, a Dutch traveller, visited the subcontinent during the early decades of the seventeenth century.
He was shocked to see widespread poverty.
"poverty so great and miserable that the life of the people can be depicted or accurately described only as the home of stark want and the dwelling place of bitter woe".
Holding the state responsible, he says: "So much is wrong from the peasants that even dry bread is scarcely left to fill their stomachs".

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Description

Explore the insights of François Bernier regarding the Mughal state, including his observations on artisans, agricultural output in Bengal, and the role of merchants. This quiz delves into Bernier's accounts of social stratification, labor issues, and landownership in Mughal India compared to earlier perspectives like that of Ibn Battuta.