What did Ibn Battuta see in Delhi?
Ibn Battuta served as a qadi in Delhi for seven years under Muhammad ibn Tughluq — one of the most volatile rulers of the 14th century. His descriptions of Delhi's scale, beauty, and danger are unmatched.
5 passages from 2 books in the library
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 2 books by Ibn Battuta — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
14th century · Tangier, Morocco
The Riḥlah — a 30-year, 75,000-mile journey across three continents, and the most important travel account of the pre-modern world.
More on Ibn Battuta →
· Provenance →
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"When a ship arrives from India or elsewhere, the sultan's slaves go to the coast, board a small boat to meet the ship, and present full attire to the ship's owner, captain, and secretary."
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"I questioned him about this, and he explained that these were his townsfolk returning to inform his family and relatives that he ventured to India with gifts."
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"Later, I heard from India that when he reached the city of Malacca, the last land of Transoxiana and the first of China, he stayed there."
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"Their wheat, called ales, is a type of barley, and they import most of their rice from India, forming the bulk of their diet."
14th century · Tangier, Morocco
The Riḥlah — a 30-year, 75,000-mile journey across three continents, and the most important travel account of the pre-modern world.
More on Ibn Battuta →
· Provenance →
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"We disembarked and were hosted most generously for three days in honor of the Sultan of India and to foster trade relations with us."
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