Which one of the following foreign travellers elaborately discussed about diamonds and diamond mines of India?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam 2018 Prelims]
(a) Francois Bernier
(b) Jean-Baptiste Tavernier
(c) Jean de Thevenot
(d) Abbe Barthelemy Carre
Answer: (b)
Explanation:
- Jean-Baptiste Tavernier:
- He was a 17th-century French gem merchant and traveller.
- Tavernier made six voyages to Persia and India between the years 1630 and 1668, covering 60,000 leagues at his own expense.
- He discovered or purchased the Tavernier Blue diamond in 1666, which weighed 116 carats.
- He elaborately discussed the diamonds and diamond mines of India.
- Jean De Thevenot:
- He was one of the first French travellers who wrote about India.
- In his book Remonstrantie, he graphically described the cultivation and extent of indigo cultivation in India.
- Francois Bernier:
- He was a Frenchman who wrote the book Travels in the Mughal Empire.
- In his book, he described the life of the peasantry, their poor conditions, towns, industries, life in the countryside, urban culture, and major manufactures of India.
- Abbe Carre:
- He was a Frenchman who visited Mughal India between 1672 and 1674.
- In his book “The travels of Abbe Carre” in India and the Near East, he wrote about the port towns and the role of the newly formed French East India Company.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
