QUESTION 2
GS1
10 marks
Assess the importance of the accounts of the Chinese and Arab travellers in the reconstruction of the history of India.
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Assess how Chinese and Arab travellers' accounts help reconstruct Indian history.
AssessWeigh the evidence and say how far the claim holds.
Demand-wise check
- 1Chinese: Fa-Hien (Gupta India), Hiuen Tsang (Harsha, Nalanda), I-Tsing — Buddhism, society, administration≈30 words
- 2Arab/Persian: Al-Biruni (Kitab-ul-Hind, 11th century), Ibn Battuta (Tughlaq era), Al-Masudi, Sulaiman — science, caste, trade, polity≈30 words
- 3Value: outsiders' view, dates, details missing in Indian texts≈30 words
- 4Limits: religious bias, language barriers, limited travel≈30 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
Chinese accountsArab accountsValueLimitsAssessment
Where marks usually go
- Listing travellers without what they tell us
- No caveats: Hiuen Tsang's Buddhist bias, Al-Biruni's text-based view, language gaps
Draw this
- Table: traveller → period → key information
Value addition
- ExampleHiuen Tsang described Nalanda's scale and Harsha's assembly at Kannauj and Prayag.Si-Yu-Ki
- ExampleAl-Biruni's Kitab-ul-Hind discussed Indian sciences, philosophy and caste, and noted Indians' reluctance to share knowledge.Al-Biruni, c.1030
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Ajay R Raj · AIR 109 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Akansh Dhull · AIR 3 · Page 23 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Monika Srivastava · AIR 16 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 7 minutes, then get it checked.