Ibn Battuta’s Rihla

An Early Globe-Trotter

Ibn Battuta was a Moroccan traveler who was born in Tangier into a family known for their expertise in Islamic religious law or shari‘a. Ibn Battuta’s book of travels, called Rihla, written in Arabic, provides extremely rich and interesting details about the social and cultural life in the subcontinent in the fourteenth century. He just loved traveling, and went to far-off places, exploring new worlds and peoples. Before he set off for India in 1332-33, he had made pilgrimage trips to Mecca and had already traveled extensively in Syria, Iraq, Persia, Yemen, Oman, and a few trading ports on the coast of East Africa. Battuta reached Sind in 1333 travelling through Central Asia. Muhammad bin Tughlaq, the Sultan of Delhi, was impressed by his scholarship and appointed him the qazi or judge of Delhi. In 1342, he was sent to proceed to China as the Sultan’s envoy to the Mongol ruler. He then proceeded to the Malabar coast through central India. From Malabar, he went to the Maldives, where he stayed for eighteen months as the qazi. He then proceeded to Sri Lanka and Maldives Before resuming his mission to China, visited Bengal and Assam as well. He took a ship to Sumatra and from there another ship to the Chinese port town of Zaytun (now known as Quanzhou). He traveled extensively there. He meticulously recorded his observations about new cultures, peoples, beliefs, values, etc. According to him, it took forty days to travel from Multan to Delhi and about fifty days from Sind to Delhi. The distance from Daulatabad to Delhi was covered in forty days, while that from Gwalior to Delhi took ten days. Ibn Battuta was attacked by bands of robbers several times. So,he preferred travelling in a caravan. While travelling from Multan to Delhi his caravan was attacked and many of his fellow travellers lost their lives; Battuta, including other survivors were severely injured....

The “enjoyment of curiosities”

As we’ve seen, Ibn Battuta was a prolific traveler, journeying through North Africa, West Asia, parts of Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and even possibly Russia, before returning to Morocco. Upon his return, the local ruler commissioned Ibn Battuta to dictate an account of his travels. Ibn Juzayy, tasked with recording Ibn Battuta’s stories, described how the ruler instructed him to recount the cities visited, memorable events, encounters with rulers, learned individuals, and holy men. Ibn Battuta’s narrative, filled with intriguing details and marvelous accounts, provided entertainment and enlightenment, captivating listeners with its rich content....

Ibn Battuta and Indian Cities

He found the cities in the subcontinent with full of exciting opportunities for those who had the necessary drive, resources and skills. They were densely populated and prosperous. Most cities had crowed streets and bright and colourful markets with wide variety of goods. He describes Delhi as a vast city, with a great population, the largest in India. Daulatabad was equal in size of Delhi. The bazaars were not only places of economic transactions, but the hub of social and cultural activities. Most bazaars had a mosque and a temple and space were marked for public performances by dancers, musicians and singers. He found Indian agriculture very productive because of the fertility of soil....

A Unique System of Communications

The state evidently took special measures to encourage merchants. All trade routes were well supplied with inns and guest houses. He was amazed by the efficiency of the postal system which allowed merchants to not only send information and remit credit across long distances, but also to dispatch goods required at short notice....

Conclusion – Class 12 History Notes Chapter 5 Ibn Battuta’s Rihla

Ibn Battuta’s Rihla, or book of travels, offers a fascinating glimpse into the social and cultural life of the subcontinent during the fourteenth century. Born into an educated family in Tangier, Morocco, Ibn Battuta received a scholastic education but believed that experiences gained through travel were more valuable than book knowledge....

Chapter 5 Ibn Battuta’s Rihla- FAQs

What was the unique system of communication by Ibn Battuta?...