French Traveller Bernier’s Account

Which French traveller described seventeenth-century Bengal as richer than Egypt?

Correct Answer Explanation

The French traveller Bernier described seventeenth-century Bengal as richer than Egypt, noting its exports of cottons, silks, rice, sugar, and butter.

Key Points:

• He described Bengal's agricultural prosperity — wheat, vegetables, grains, fowls, ducks, geese, pigs, sheep, goats, and fish.
• Mentioned immense number of canals from Rajmahal to the sea.
• Highlights India's pre-colonial prosperity vs. colonial-era stagnation.