Question

Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched?
(Travellers) --- (Country)

• A. Abdur Razzaq --- Morocco
• B. Seydi Ali Reis --- Turkey
• C. Mahmud Wali Balkhi --- Uzbekistan
• D. Muhammad ibn Ahmad Abu Raihan al-Biruni --- Afghanistan

Hint:

Always remember the direct origins of major medieval travelers to India:
• Al-Biruni: Uzbekistan (Khwarizm)
• Ibn Battuta: Morocco (Tangier)
• François Bernier: France
• Seydi Ali Reis: Turkey

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Evaluating Option (A):
Abdur Razzaq Samarqandi was a prominent diplomat and historian who traveled to India from Herat (modern-day Afghanistan/Iran region) as an ambassador sent by the Timurid ruler Shah Rukh. He was not from Morocco. (Morocco was the birthplace of Ibn Battuta). Hence, pair (A) is incorrect.

Step 2: Evaluating Option (B):
Seydi Ali Reis was a $16^{\text{th}}$-century Ottoman Turkish admiral, vigator, and writer who visited the Mughal Empire under Humayun and documented his travels in his book Mirat ul Memalik (The Mirror of Countries). He came from Turkey (the Ottoman Empire). Hence, pair (B) is correctly matched.

Step 3: Evaluating Options (C) and (D):
Mahmud Wali Balkhi was a $17^{\text{th}}$-century traveler who came from Balkh in modern-day Afghanistan, not Uzbekistan. Al-Biruni was born in Khwarizm (modern-day Uzbekistan), not Afghanistan (though he later traveled to India under the patroge of Mahmud of Ghazni). Thus, both pairs (C) and (D) are incorrectly matched.

Step 4: Conclusion:
The only correctly matched pair is Seydi Ali Reis --- Turkey, corresponding to option (B).