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Question 11 of 73 · Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule
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The French jeweller who travelled to India six times during the Mughal period and sold a famous blue diamond to King Louis XIV was:

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Answer: Option B — Jean-Baptiste Tavernier

Detailed Solution

Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605-1689), a French jeweller and merchant, travelled to Persia and India six times between 1630 and 1668, during the reigns of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb.

About Tavernier:

  • He was born in Paris, in a family of mapmakers and engravers.
  • He traded in precious stones, especially diamonds, and visited the diamond mines of Golconda (Kollur) in the Deccan.
  • He visited the Mughal court and saw the Peacock Throne and other treasures of the emperor.
  • He sold a large blue diamond (the "Tavernier Blue") to King Louis XIV of France in 1668; it was later recut, and part of it is believed to be the famous "Hope Diamond", now in the Smithsonian Institution, Washington.
  • Louis XIV gave him a title of nobility.

His account:

  • His book, "Les Six Voyages" ("The Six Voyages"), was published in 1676.
  • It describes the trade, roads, coins, precious stones and customs of Persia and India.

NCERT on Tavernier:

  • NCERT notes that Tavernier described the busy trade and the large number of merchants in India.
  • He noted that every village had moneychangers (sarrafs) who acted as bankers.
  • He was struck by the efficiency of Indian merchants and bankers, and the use of bills of exchange (hundis).

Other European travellers of the 17th century:

  • Francois Bernier: a physician who described the Mughal court and politics.
  • Niccolao Manucci: an Italian who lived in India for many years and wrote "Storia do Mogor".
  • Peter Mundy: an English trader who visited India during Shah Jahan's reign.
  • Sir Thomas Roe and William Hawkins: Englishmen at Jahangir's court.

About diamonds in India:

  • India was the only known source of diamonds in the world until the 18th century.
  • The Golconda mines produced famous diamonds, such as the Koh-i-Noor, the Hope Diamond and the Darya-i-Noor.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Bernier was a physician.
  • ✗Manucci was an Italian.
  • ✗Peter Mundy was English.

Quick tip

Remember: Tavernier = French jeweller ("Les Six Voyages", 1676; six visits to India; sold the "Tavernier Blue" diamond to Louis XIV; Golconda mines).

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Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the arrival of the Portuguese, Dutch, English, Danes and French in India, the growth of the East India Company, and the battles, wars and treaties through which British power expanded, including the Battles of Plassey and Buxar, the Anglo-Mysore, Anglo-Maratha and Anglo-Sikh wars, and policies such as subsidiary alliance and the doctrine of lapse. Typical questions ask which battle was fought in which year and between whom, which treaty ended which war, and which Governor-General introduced a policy. For example, the Battle of Plassey (1757) was fought between Robert Clive and Siraj-ud-Daulah, and the Treaty of Allahabad (1765) gave the Company the diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Practise the arrival of Europeans and expansion of British rule questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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