Q.Read this excerpt from Bernier: “Numerous are the instances of handsome pieces of workmanship made by persons destitute of tools, and who can scarcely be said to have received instruction from a master. Sometimes they imitate so perfectly articles of European manufacture that the difference between the original and copy can hardly be discerned. Among other things, the Indians make excellent muskets, and fowling-pieces, and such beautiful gold ornaments that it may be doubted if the exquisite workmanship of those articles can be exceeded by any European goldsmith. I have often admired the beauty, softness, and delicacy of their paintings.” List the crafts mentioned in the passage. Compare these with the descriptions of artisanal activity in the chapter.

The crafts mentioned in Bernier's passage are: the making of muskets and fowling-pieces (gun-making), gold ornament work (goldsmithing), and painting. Each of these is a specialised, skilled craft.

Comparing these with the chapter's descriptions of artisanal activity, several points stand out. First, the chapter emphasises that most artisanal work in Mughal India was organised within the karkhanas (royal workshops) or through village-based caste networks — not through independent master-apprentice systems as in Europe. Bernier's observation that craftsmen were "destitute of tools" and "scarcely… received instruction from a master" suggests a lack of formal training, which aligns with the chapter's point that skills were passed down within families or castes rather than through guilds. …

The crafts mentioned in Bernier’s excerpt are: muskets and fowling-pieces (firearms), gold ornaments, and paintings. These are not just random examples—they represent three distinct spheres of artisanal work: metalworking (weapons), jewellery-making, and visual arts. Bernier’s tone is one of genuine admiration, but he also notes a striking paradox: these exquisite items were made by people who “can scarcely be said to have received instruction from a master” and who worked “destitute of tools.” This observation sets up a key tension in understanding artisanal activity in Mughal India.

When we compare this with the descriptions of artisanal activity in the chapter (likely from the NCERT Class 12 History textbook, Themes in Indian History, Part II, Theme 5, “Through the Eyes of Travellers”), we see a more layered picture. The chapter discusses how artisans in Mughal India were often part of a hereditary system—skills passed down within families or castes, not through formal apprenticeship like in Europe. This explains Bernier’s remark about “scarcely… received instruction from a master”: training was informal, embedded in daily life, not in a guild or workshop with a clear master-apprentice hierarchy. Yet the results were anything but amateurish.

The chapter also emphasises that Indian artisans were highly specialised and produced goods for both local elites and export. For instance, the gold ornaments Bernier praises were not just decorative—they were part of a vast network of luxury production that supplied the Mughal court and nobility. Similarly, muskets and fowling-pieces were not mere copies; they were adapted to local needs and materials, showing that Indian smiths could reverse-engineer European designs with remarkable precision. The paintings Bernier admired—likely Mughal miniatures—were produced in imperial kitabkhanas (libraries/workshops) under royal patronage, where artists like Basawan and Daswanth worked collaboratively, often without individual fame.

A crucial point from the chapter is the social status of artisans. Unlike in Europe, where guilds gave craftsmen some collective power, Indian artisans were often tied to patrons (the court, nobles, or temples) and had limited mobility. They worked in karkhanas (royal workshops) or in urban neighbourhoods, but their labour was rarely celebrated as individual genius—hence Bernier’s surprise that such skill could exist without formal training. The chapter also notes that many artisans were peasants who practised crafts seasonally, blurring the line between rural and urban production. …