CUET UG History Booster Test 2 - Ibn Battuta
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QUESTION 1 OF 20
Ibn Battuta's travelogue Rihla provides rich details about the 14th-century subcontinent. From which specific city in Morocco did he begin his solo journey at the age of twenty-two?
QUESTION 2 OF 20
True to the tradition of his family, Ibn Battuta received ________ education when he was quite young, distinguishing his expertise in Islamic religious law.
QUESTION 3 OF 20
Assertion (A): Unlike most members of his class, Ibn Battuta considered experience gained through travels to be a more important source of knowledge than books.
Reason (R): Before setting off for India, he had made pilgrimage trips to Mecca and travelled extensively in Syria, Iraq, and Persia.
QUESTION 4 OF 20
Arrange Ibn Battuta's arrival route to Delhi in the correct chronological sequence:
1. Sind
2. Multan
3. Uch
4. Delhi
QUESTION 5 OF 20
Consider the following statements about Ibn Battuta in Delhi:
1. He was appointed as a qazi by Muhammad bin Tughlaq.
2. He remained in the position without any disruption until his departure to China.
QUESTION 6 OF 20
What was the primary reason Ibn Battuta initially set off for Delhi to meet Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq?
QUESTION 7 OF 20
Match the locations in List 1 with Ibn Battuta's travel sequence/status in List 2:
| List I | List II |
|---|---|
| 1. Delhi | a. Proceeded here after an 18-month stay in Maldives |
| 2. Maldives | b. Travelled through here to reach the Maldives |
| 3. Malabar Coast | c. Served as qazi before falling out of favour |
| 4. Sri Lanka | d. Stayed for eighteen months as the qazi |
QUESTION 8 OF 20
Why did Ibn Battuta finally travel to China in 1342 after being restored to imperial service?
QUESTION 9 OF 20
Ibn Battuta's travelogue, the Rihla, is often compared by historians with the account of which other famous traveller who visited China and India in the late thirteenth century?
QUESTION 10 OF 20
According to Ibn Juzayy's introduction, what was the primary purpose of dictating the Rihla as directed by the ruler?
QUESTION 11 OF 20
According to the text, what was Ibn Battuta's primary strategy to deter highway robbers, which unfortunately failed during his journey from Multan to Delhi?
QUESTION 12 OF 20
Identify the incorrect statement regarding Ibn Battuta's physical and emotional hardships during his travels:
QUESTION 13 OF 20
Which city in Maharashtra did Ibn Battuta describe as being vastly populated and easily rivalling Delhi in size?
QUESTION 14 OF 20
According to Ibn Battuta, what typically stood at the centre of a shop belonging to a female singer in the Tarababad market of Daulatabad?
QUESTION 15 OF 20
Ibn Battuta noted that the fibre of a coconut was used by locals to make cords. What were these cords primarily used for, instead of iron nails?
QUESTION 16 OF 20
Ibn Battuta highlighted that the betel tree has no fruit. For what specific part of the plant is it grown?
QUESTION 17 OF 20
Based on Ibn Battuta's account, Indian textiles were in great demand globally. Which of the following textiles were specifically mentioned as highly sought after?
QUESTION 18 OF 20
QUESTION 19 OF 20
QUESTION 20 OF 20
How long did it take for news reports of spies to reach the Sultan through the highly efficient postal system, compared to the normal fifty days it took to travel from Sind to Delhi?
Test Complete!
Answer Review
1 Ibn Battuta's travelogue Rihla provides rich details about the 14th-century subcontinent. From which specific city in Morocco did he begin his solo journey at the age of twenty-two?
�� Ibn Battuta was born in Morocco. �� He began travelling at age twenty-two. �� Tangier was his hometown and starting point.
Ibn Battuta started his famous journey from Tangier, a city in present-day Morocco, in 1325. His travels eventually covered vast regions of Africa, West Asia, Central Asia, India, and China. Option D is correct. Cairo and Tunis were places he later visited, while Quanzhou was in China.
- �� Option A → Cairo was visited during his travels, not his birthplace.
- �� Option B → Tunis was a stop on his journey, not his starting city.
- �� Option C → Quanzhou was a Chinese port reached much later.
Used: Direct Recall
Application: Recall Ibn Battuta's birthplace and departure point.
Final Logic: Tangier was both his hometown and journey's beginning.
Battuta = Tangier Traveller
2 True to the tradition of his family, Ibn Battuta received ________ education when he was quite young, distinguishing his expertise in Islamic religious law.
�� His family specialized in Islamic law. �� He received formal scholarly training. �� Education prepared him as a legal expert.
Ibn Battuta belonged to a respected family known for expertise in Islamic religious law. Following family tradition, he received literary and scholastic education from an early age. This training enabled him to become a qazi later in life. Therefore, Option C is correct.
- �� Option A → Military education was not his specialization.
- �� Option B → Engineering was unrelated to his career.
- �� Option D → He was not trained primarily as a physician.
Used: Contextual/Tonal Matching
Application: Connect expertise in Islamic law with scholarly education.
Final Logic: Legal scholarship required literary and scholastic training.
Law Family → Scholarly Learning
3 Assertion (A): Unlike most members of his class, Ibn Battuta considered experience gained through travels to be a more important source of knowledge than books.
Reason (R): Before setting off for India, he had made pilgrimage trips to Mecca and travelled extensively in Syria, Iraq, and Persia.
�� Ibn Battuta valued travel experience. �� He travelled widely before reaching India. �� Travel history supports but does not explain the belief.
The Assertion is true because Ibn Battuta regarded travel experience as a major source of knowledge. The Reason is also true since he travelled extensively before arriving in India. However, these journeys are evidence of his travels, not the direct explanation for why he valued experience over books. Therefore, Option B is correct.
- �� Option A → The reason does not directly explain the assertion.
- �� Option C → The reason is historically correct.
- �� Option D → The assertion is also true.
Used: Elimination
Application: Check both statements separately and test causal connection.
Final Logic: Both are true, but no direct explanatory relationship exists.
Travel ≠ Explanation
4 Arrange Ibn Battuta's arrival route to Delhi in the correct chronological sequence:
1. Sind
2. Multan
3. Uch
4. Delhi
�� Ibn Battuta first entered Sind. �� He then passed through Uch and Multan. �� Delhi was reached afterward.
After reaching the subcontinent through Sind, Ibn Battuta travelled onward to Uch, then Multan, and finally Delhi. This route is described in NCERT while tracing his journey toward the Sultan's court. Therefore, Option C correctly arranges the sequence.
- �� Option A → Places Multan before Uch.
- �� Option B → Starts with Multan instead of Sind.
- �� Option D → Begins with Uch before entering Sind.
Used: Elimination
Application: Arrange locations according to the recorded travel route.
Final Logic: Sind → Uch → Multan → Delhi.
S-U-M-D
5 Consider the following statements about Ibn Battuta in Delhi:
1. He was appointed as a qazi by Muhammad bin Tughlaq.
2. He remained in the position without any disruption until his departure to China.
�� Muhammad bin Tughlaq appointed him qazi. �� His career in Delhi faced interruptions. �� He later lost favour before restoration.
Statement 1 is correct because Muhammad bin Tughlaq appointed Ibn Battuta as a qazi. Statement 2 is incorrect because his service was not uninterrupted; he experienced political difficulties, imprisonment, and periods of uncertainty before being restored to favour. Therefore, only Statement 1 is correct.
- �� Option B → Statement 2 is incorrect.
- �� Option C → Both statements are not correct.
- �� Option D → Statement 1 is definitely correct.
Used: Elimination
Application: Evaluate each statement independently.
Final Logic: First statement true, second false.
Qazi Yes, Smooth Career No
6 What was the primary reason Ibn Battuta initially set off for Delhi to meet Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq?
�� Muhammad bin Tughlaq was famous. �� Scholars were attracted to his court. �� Ibn Battuta sought opportunities there.
Muhammad bin Tughlaq's reputation as a generous patron of scholars, intellectuals, and men of learning attracted Ibn Battuta to Delhi. Expecting royal patronage and opportunities, he journeyed to the Sultan's court. Therefore, Option B correctly identifies the main reason.
- �� Option A → He was not fleeing Moroccan authorities.
- �� Option C → Mapping trade routes was not his purpose.
- �� Option D → He carried no such diplomatic mission initially.
Used: Contextual/Tonal Matching
Application: Link scholar-traveller motives with Delhi's reputation.
Final Logic: Patronage attracted Ibn Battuta.
Scholar + Generous Sultan = Delhi
7 Match the locations in List 1 with Ibn Battuta's travel sequence/status in List 2:
| List I | List II |
|---|---|
| 1. Delhi | a. Proceeded here after an 18-month stay in Maldives |
| 2. Maldives | b. Travelled through here to reach the Maldives |
| 3. Malabar Coast | c. Served as qazi before falling out of favour |
| 4. Sri Lanka | d. Stayed for eighteen months as the qazi |
�� Delhi was his qazi appointment centre. �� Maldives saw an 18-month stay. �� Sri Lanka followed Maldives.
Delhi corresponds to serving as qazi before political troubles (c). Maldives matches his eighteen-month tenure as qazi (d). He travelled through the Malabar Coast to reach the Maldives (b). After Maldives, he proceeded to Sri Lanka (a). Thus, Option D is correct.
- �� Option A → Several place-status pairings are reversed.
- �� Option B → Delhi and Maldives are mismatched.
- �� Option C → Sri Lanka and Maldives are incorrectly assigned.
Used: Option Grouping
Application: Match each location with the corresponding event.
Final Logic: Only Option D correctly links all four pairs.
Delhi–Qazi, Maldives–18, Sri Lanka–After
8 Why did Ibn Battuta finally travel to China in 1342 after being restored to imperial service?
�� He regained royal favour. �� The Sultan assigned him a diplomatic mission. �� China became his next destination.
After being restored to service, Ibn Battuta was appointed envoy by Muhammad bin Tughlaq and sent to China on a diplomatic mission. His journey was undertaken on behalf of the Sultan. Therefore, Option C is the correct answer.
- �� Option A → Trade was not the purpose.
- �� Option B → Postal systems interested him but were not the mission.
- �� Option D → He travelled under royal orders, not as a refugee.
Used: Direct Recall
Application: Recall the purpose of the China expedition.
Final Logic: He travelled as an official envoy.
China = Envoy Mission
9 Ibn Battuta's travelogue, the Rihla, is often compared by historians with the account of which other famous traveller who visited China and India in the late thirteenth century?
�� Both were famous travellers. �� Both wrote detailed travel narratives. �� Marco Polo travelled earlier.
Historians often compare Ibn Battuta's Rihla with the account of Marco Polo because both travellers left detailed descriptions of Asian societies. Marco Polo travelled in the late thirteenth century and wrote extensively about the regions he visited. Therefore, Option D is correct.
- �� Option A → Bernier belonged to the seventeenth century.
- �� Option B → Al-Biruni's work had a different focus.
- �� Option C → Samarqandi belonged to a later period.
Used: Direct Recall
Application: Recall the traveller commonly compared with Ibn Battuta.
Final Logic: Rihla is often compared with Marco Polo's narrative.
Battuta ↔ Polo
10 According to Ibn Juzayy's introduction, what was the primary purpose of dictating the Rihla as directed by the ruler?
�� The ruler wanted a record of travels. �� The narrative was informative and enjoyable. �� It aimed to delight readers and listeners.
According to Ibn Juzayy, the ruler ordered the compilation of the Rihla so that readers and listeners could enjoy accounts of distant lands, peoples, and customs. The work combined information with entertainment. Therefore, Option A correctly reflects its intended purpose.
- �� Option B → Military documentation was not the objective.
- �� Option C → It was not a legal treatise.
- �� Option D → It was broader than a trade manual.
Used: Direct Recall
Application: Recall Ibn Juzayy's stated purpose in the introduction.
Final Logic: The Rihla aimed to inform and delight audiences.
Rihla = Delight + Knowledge
11 According to the text, what was Ibn Battuta's primary strategy to deter highway robbers, which unfortunately failed during his journey from Multan to Delhi?
�� Highway robbers were a major danger. �� Caravans provided collective security. �� Even caravans sometimes faced attacks.
Ibn Battuta preferred travelling in caravans with companions because large groups offered protection against robbers. However, during his journey from Multan to Delhi, even this precaution failed when the caravan was attacked. Thus, Option B is correct. The other options are not mentioned in NCERT as his preferred safety strategy.
- �� Option A → Ibn Battuta did not employ Mongol mercenaries.
- �� Option C → Night travel is not cited as his primary method.
- �� Option D → He never relied on disguises for protection.
Used: Direct Recall
Application: Recall the specific precaution mentioned in the NCERT account.
Final Logic: Caravan travel was his preferred defense against robbers.
Battuta + Caravan = Safety
12 Identify the incorrect statement regarding Ibn Battuta's physical and emotional hardships during his travels:
�� Ibn Battuta faced many hardships. �� Illness and loneliness affected him. �� Robbers were not the only danger.
Ibn Battuta experienced several difficulties during his travels, including loneliness, homesickness, illness, and attacks by robbers. NCERT specifically mentions fever and emotional distress alongside physical dangers. Therefore, Option C is incorrect because robbers were only one among many challenges he faced.
- �� Option A → This incident is described in his travel narrative.
- �� Option B → Fever forced him to tie himself to his saddle.
- �� Option D → He recorded weeping until greeted by another pilgrim.
Used: Extreme Word Filter
Application: The word "only" often signals an incorrect absolute statement.
Final Logic: Multiple hardships existed, not just robbery.
Robbers ≠ Only Problem
13 Which city in Maharashtra did Ibn Battuta describe as being vastly populated and easily rivalling Delhi in size?
�� Daulatabad impressed Ibn Battuta greatly. �� He praised its size and prosperity. �� It rivalled Delhi in population.
Ibn Battuta described Daulatabad as one of the largest and most prosperous cities of the subcontinent. He noted that it rivalled Delhi in size and population. Therefore, Option D is correct. The other cities were not described in this particular context.
- �� Option A → Surat became important later as a port city.
- �� Option B → Pune was not discussed in this context.
- �� Option C → Vijayanagara belonged to a different historical setting.
Used: Direct Recall
Application: Recall Ibn Battuta's observations about major urban centres.
Final Logic: Daulatabad was compared directly with Delhi.
Delhi's Rival = Daulatabad
14 According to Ibn Battuta, what typically stood at the centre of a shop belonging to a female singer in the Tarababad market of Daulatabad?
�� Tarababad was a singers' market. �� Female performers occupied decorated shops. �� A swing was a distinctive feature.
Ibn Battuta described the Tarababad market of Daulatabad as a lively cultural centre. Shops of female singers typically contained a swing on which the performer sat while entertaining visitors. This vivid detail makes Option A the correct answer.
- �� Option B → Rose-water fountains are not mentioned.
- �� Option C → Permanent stages were not the defining feature.
- �� Option D → Bronze bells were unrelated to these shops.
Used: Direct Recall
Application: Recall Ibn Battuta's unique urban observations.
Final Logic: The swing was the distinctive detail in Tarababad.
Tarababad = Singing Swing
15 Ibn Battuta noted that the fibre of a coconut was used by locals to make cords. What were these cords primarily used for, instead of iron nails?
�� Coconut fibre produced strong cords. �� Coastal communities used them extensively. �� They helped fasten ships together.
Ibn Battuta carefully described unfamiliar products such as coconuts. He noted that coconut fibre was twisted into cords and used for sewing ships together instead of iron nails. This observation highlights maritime technology in the Indian Ocean world. Therefore, Option B is correct.
- �� Option A → Palanquin construction is not mentioned.
- �� Option C → Ramparts were not built using coconut cords.
- �� Option D → Carpet weaving was not their primary use.
Used: Direct Recall
Application: Recall the specific use of coconut fibre described by Ibn Battuta.
Final Logic: Coconut cords replaced iron nails in ships.
Coconut → Ship Cord
16 Ibn Battuta highlighted that the betel tree has no fruit. For what specific part of the plant is it grown?
�� Betel has no significant fruit. �� Cultivation focused on leaves. �� Leaves were chewed with areca nut.
Ibn Battuta explained that betel was cultivated solely for its leaves. These leaves were chewed together with areca nut and chalk, forming a popular social custom in the subcontinent. Therefore, Option C correctly identifies the part of the plant valued by cultivators.
- �� Option A → Roots were not the cultivated product.
- �� Option B → Bark was not the desired part.
- �� Option D → Sap was not the focus of cultivation.
Used: Direct Recall
Application: Recall Ibn Battuta's detailed botanical description.
Final Logic: Betel was grown exclusively for its leaves.
Betel = Leaf
17 Based on Ibn Battuta's account, Indian textiles were in great demand globally. Which of the following textiles were specifically mentioned as highly sought after?
�� India exported luxury textiles. �� Fine muslins were especially famous. �� Global demand boosted trade.
Ibn Battuta emphasized the popularity of Indian textiles across West and Southeast Asia. Cotton cloth, fine muslins, silks, brocade, and satin were highly valued commodities. Fine muslin was particularly expensive and associated with nobles and wealthy people. Hence, Option B is correct.
- �� Option A → These textiles are not listed in Ibn Battuta's account.
- �� Option C → These were not the luxury exports highlighted.
- �� Option D → Synthetic dyes did not exist in this context.
Used: Option Grouping
Application: Identify the group that contains all historically attested textile exports.
Final Logic: Only Option B matches NCERT descriptions.
Muslin + Silk = Export Wealth
18
�� Ibn Battuta admired Indian agriculture. �� Fertile soil increased productivity. �� Two crops could be grown annually.
Ibn Battuta attributed India's agricultural productivity primarily to the fertility of its soil. This natural advantage enabled farmers in many regions to harvest two crops annually. The factor was not slave labour, landownership patterns, or royal grants. Therefore, Option D is correct.
- �� Option A → Slave labour was not the cited reason.
- �� Option B → Private property was discussed by Bernier, not here.
- �� Option C → Agricultural grants are not mentioned.
Used: Contextual/Tonal Matching
Application: Link agricultural productivity with the factor highlighted by Ibn Battuta.
Final Logic: Fertile soil enabled multiple annual harvests.
Fertile Soil = Two Crops
19
�� Dawa was the foot-post system. �� Three stations existed per mile. �� Each station was one-third mile apart.
The passage explicitly states that the foot-post, called dawa, had three stations per mile. Therefore, the distance between consecutive stations was one-third of a mile. Option C directly follows from the information provided in the passage and is the correct answer.
- �� Option A → Four miles refers to horse-post stations.
- �� Option B → The interval was shorter than one mile.
- �� Option D → Two cubits refers to rod length, not distance.
Used: Substitution
Application: Convert "three stations per mile" into station spacing.
Final Logic: One mile ÷ three = one-third mile.
Dawa = 1/3 Mile
20 How long did it take for news reports of spies to reach the Sultan through the highly efficient postal system, compared to the normal fifty days it took to travel from Sind to Delhi?
�� Postal communication was highly efficient. �� Information travelled faster than people. �� Spy reports reached Delhi in five days.
Ibn Battuta praised the efficiency of the Delhi Sultanate's communication network. Although travelling physically from Sind to Delhi required around fifty days, intelligence reports sent through the postal system could reach the Sultan in only five days. Hence, Option A is correct.
- �� Option B → Longer than the time specified by Ibn Battuta.
- �� Option C → Not mentioned in the source.
- �� Option D → Still much slower than the recorded postal speed.
Used: Direct Recall
Application: Recall the numerical comparison given in NCERT.
Final Logic: Fifty-day journey, five-day message delivery.
50 Travel → 5 Message
