Which fourteenth-century traveller described how Indian chieftains fortified themselves using bamboo groves and rugged terrains for defence?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is option 2 i.e. Ibn Battuta.
In his famous travelogue, Rihla, the Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta provides a vivid description of the defense strategies used by Indian chieftains during the 14th century. He observed that they fortified themselves in mountainous, rugged areas or inside dense bamboo groves. He noted that these bamboo forests were so thick and interwoven that they were fire-resistant and acted as a natural, impenetrable fortress. Even inside these groves, chieftains lived with their cattle and crops, collecting rainwater for self-sufficiency during sieges.
Other options:
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Al-Biruni: An 11th-century scholar from Uzbekistan who accompanied Mahmud of Ghazni; he wrote Kitab-ul-Hind, focusing primarily on Indian philosophy, religion, and science.
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Marco Polo: A 13th-century Venetian traveller who visited South India; his accounts focused more on the pearl trade, spices, and social customs of the Pandya kingdom.
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Megasthenes: A Greek ambassador from the 4th century BCE (Mauryan period); his book Indica describes the administration and social classes under Chandragupta Maurya.