Ibn Battuta

Ibn Battuta (1304–1369) was a renowned Moroccan traveler and scholar from Tangier. His extensive travels, covering approximately 75,000 miles across the Islamic world and beyond, are documented in his famous travelogue, the Rihla (The Journey). He arrived in the Delhi Sultanate during the reign of Muhammad bin Tughlaq in 1333 AD via the mountain passes of Afghanistan. His accounts remain one of the most critical primary sources for understanding the socio-political, economic, and cultural landscape of the 14th-century Delhi Sultanate.

Service Under Muhammad bin Tughlaq

Muhammad bin Tughlaq, a patron of arts and a scholar himself, was known for welcoming foreign intellectuals to his court. Recognizing Ibn Battuta’s legal scholarship, the Sultan appointed him as the Qazi (Chief Judge) of Delhi.

• Ibn Battuta served in this high-ranking judicial capacity for approximately seven to eight years.
• He gained unique insight into the Sultan’s personality, describing him as a “mixture of opposites”—a ruler capable of extreme generosity and profound cruelty.
• He was eventually sent as the Sultan’s official ambassador to the court of the Yuan dynasty emperor of China (Togon Temür) in 1342.

Observations on Tughlaq Administration

The Rihla provides granular detail regarding the administrative experiments and governance style of Muhammad bin Tughlaq.

• Capital Transfer: Ibn Battuta recorded the forced migration of Delhi’s population to Daulatabad. He described Delhi as being left almost entirely empty, noting that even the blind and the bedridden were compelled to make the arduous journey.
• Token Currency: He documented the failure of the copper and brass token currency. He observed that the Sultan’s palace was filled with a massive heap of bronze coins, which were essentially worthless because the state had failed to prevent private minting.
• Doab Taxation: He noted the plight of the peasantry in the Doab region, highlighting that the excessive taxation, coupled with famine, led to widespread rural abandonment and revolt.
• State Patronage: He described the Sultan’s practice of granting immense favors to foreign scholars and travelers, which was a deliberate policy to bolster the Sultanate’s prestige as a center of Islamic learning.

Socio-Cultural Insights of 14th Century India

Ibn Battuta’s account offers a 360-degree view of life in medieval India beyond the royal court.

• Postal System: He provided a highly detailed description of the Sultanate’s postal system, which operated in two parts: the Dawa (horse-post) and the Gawa (foot-post). He noted that the foot-post was remarkably efficient, often faster than the horse-post, due to the presence of relay stations every few miles.
• Trade and Commerce: He observed the flourishing trade in commodities like coconut, betel leaf, and silk. He noted that the Indian subcontinent was a hub for international maritime trade.
• Social Customs: His observations included details on the Sati practice, the caste system, and the various religious groups, including the Sufis and the Hindu yogis whom the Sultan frequented.
• Communication: He noted that travel was often hazardous due to highway robbers, requiring travelers to move in large, well-protected caravans.

Summary of Key Observations in Rihla

Trivia and Historical Significance

• Ibn Battuta’s account is the only contemporary source that details the complete destruction of Delhi’s social fabric during the capital transfer to Daulatabad.
• His appointment as an ambassador to China highlights the global diplomatic reach of the Delhi Sultanate during the Tughlaq period.
• The Rihla is considered a “contemporary eyewitness” account, making it more reliable in certain aspects than the court chronicles written by Ziauddin Barani, who was often biased by his own administrative grievances.
• Ibn Battuta survived several near-death experiences during his travels, including shipwrecks and attacks by rebels, providing a vivid picture of the dangers inherent in medieval global travel.