A traveller par excellence
By Gur Rattan Pal Singh

IBN Batuta was perhaps the second person in the world who sought enlightenment through travelling. The first one being Iben Jubayr, an Andalusian scholar, who visited Egypt, Hijaz and Syria in the 12th century. The African traveller, Ibn Batuta, was born at Tangier on February 24, 1304. He left his birthplace on June 14, 1325, and continuously travelled for 30 years in north Africa, Middle and Far-East and reached India on September 12, 1333 during the reign of Muhammad bin Tughlaq who ruled from 1325 to 1351 A.D.

He spent 30 years of his life (1325-55) travelling some 75,000 miles (more than 1,20,000 km). His trips were to almost all the Muslims countries as well as to regions as far as China and Sumatra.

Ibn Batuta, whose proper name was Abn Abudullah Mohammed, was from a family that produced a number of judges (Qazis). He received the traditional juristic and literary education in his native town of Tangier. In 1325, at the age of 20, he started his travels by undertaking a pilgrimage to Mecca. At first his purpose was to fulfil his religious duty and to broaden his education by studying under famous scholars in the near East (Egypt, Syria, and Hijaz).

Ibn was first brought into prominence by the translation of an abridged text by Dr Samuel Lee in 1829.

H.A.R. Gibb, a lecturer in Arabic, School of Oriental Studies, University of London, faithfully and beautifully translated and selected Ibn Batuta’s travels in Asia and Africa (1325-1354). He was a curious observer who was interested in the peoples’ social, cultural and political ways of life in various countries. He narrates his experiences with a humane and realistic approach that is rarely encountered in official historiography.

A few discrepancies in the chronology of events recorded in his travels were more due to lapses of memory than due to intentional fabrication.

Batuta was not a sycophant of the Delhi ruler who had appointed him as the chief Qazi of Delhi. This office, he continued to hold until his appointment to China as an Ambassador in July 1342. He had the courage to call a spade a spade. Ibn Batuta highlights the administration of justice in the ruler of the Delhi darbar: "One of the Indian noble men claimed that the Sultan had put his brother to death without cause, and cited him before the qazi. The Sultan walked on foot and unarmed to the qazi’s tribunal, saluted him and paid obeisance, having previously commanded the qazi not to rise before him or move when he entered his court, and remained standing before him.

The qazi gave a judgement against the Sultan. The judgement was to the effect that he must compensate to his adversary for the blood of his brother, and he did so. At another time, a certain Muslim claimed that the Sultan owned him a sum of money. They carried the matter before the qazi, who gave a judgement against the Sultan for the payment of the debt, and he paid it."

Details given about the practice of Sati by Batuta are interesting and equally revealing: "The burning of the wife after her husband’s death is regarded by them as a commendable act, but is not compulsory: only when a widow burns herself, her family acquires a certain prestige by it and gain a reputation for fidelity.

Each one of the widows was then given an unsown garment of coarse cotton and a part of it was tied round her waist and part over her head and shoulders. The fires had been lit near her basin in a low-lying spot, and oil of sesame poured over them, so that the flames increased. There were about 15 men there with faggots of thin wood and about 10 others with heavy pieces of wood. The drummers and trumpeters were standing by, waiting for the woman’s coming.

The fire was screened off by a blanket held by some men, so that she should not be frightened by the sight of it. I saw one of them on coming to the blanket, pull it violently out of the men’s hands, saying to them with a smile "Do you frighten me with the fire? I know that it is a fire, so let me be alone."

Thereupon she joined her hands above her head in salutation to the fire and cast herself into it. At the same moment the drums, trumpets and bugles were sounded. The men threw their firewood on her and the others put the heavy wood on top of her to prevent her from moving. Cries were raised and there was a loud clamour."

According to Batuta, it was a common practice with the Sultans and noble men to maintain both male and female slaves. He interestingly narrates marvellous or magical feats:

When in China, Batuta refers to an incident showing that there was no limit to madness. "While this Sultan was sitting in audience, I saw a man with a knife in his hand resembling a book-binder’s tool. He put this knife to his own neck, and delivered a long speech which I did not understand, then gripped it with both hands and cut his own throat. So sharp was the knife and so strong his grip, that his head fell to the ground.

I was amazed at his action. The Sultan said to me, "Does anyone do this in your country?" I replied "I have never seen such a thing." Then he laughed and said "These are our slaves, who kill themselves for love of us."

Batuta died in Morocco either in 1368 or 1369, leaving behind a mine of information and a rich record of events which shall continue to enthral the readers the world over for all times to come.