The bird leaves its nest

[This is an excerpt from the Rihla] “My departure from Tangier, my birthplace, took place on Thursday. I set out alone, having neither fellow-traveller .... nor caravan whose party I might join, but swayed by an overmastering impulse within me and a desire long-cherished in my bosom to visit these illustrious sanctuaries. So I braced my resolution to quit all my dear ones, female and male and forsook my home as birds forsake their nests. My age at that time was twenty-two years.” Questions:

1. What was Ibn Battuta’s desire that made him leave home?

2. Where did he travel before and after coming to India?

3. Why did he find travelling arduous in India?

4. What did he write about Indian cities?

1. Ibn Battuta was swayed by an overmastering impulse within him and a desire long-cherished in his bosom to visit several fine places and countries. He considered experience gained through travels to be a more important source of knowledge than books. He just loved travelling and went to far-off places, exploring new worlds and peoples.

2. Before Ibn Battuta set off for India in 1332-33, he had made pilgrimage trips to Mecca, and had already travelled extensively in Syria, Iraq, Persia, Yemen, Oman and a few trading ports on the coast of East Africa. After coming India he proceed to China (in 1342) as the Sultan's envoy to the Monglol ruler. With the new assignment Ibn Battuta proceeded to the Malabar coast through Central India. From Malabar he went to the Maldives and later on decided to proceed to Sri Lanka.

3. Ibn Battuta found travelling arducus in India due to following reasons :

(a) He was travelling in the 14th century, When it was much more arduous and hazardous to travel than it is today. According to Ibn Battuta, it took forty days to travel from Multan to Delhi and about fifty days from Sind to Delhi. The distance from Daultabad to Delhi was cove red in forty days, while that from Gwalior to Delhi took ten days.

(b) Robbers were not the only hazard on long journeys, the travellers could feel homesick or fall ill. He was attacked by the fever during his journey.

4. (a) Ibn Battuta found cities in the subcontinent full of exciting opportunities for those who had the necessary d rive, resources and skills. They were den sely populated and prosperous, except for the occasional disruptions caused by wars and invasions.

(b) It appears from Ibn Battuta’s account that most cities had crowded streets and bright and colourful markets that were stacked with a wide variety of goods.