History of the Qaraunah Turks in India c14.11

c14.11

Another contemporary work of great value is the *Tuḥfat-al-nazzar fī gharāib-al-amṣār wa ‘ajāib-al-Safar* of Ibn Baṭūṭah who writes his full name as Abu ‘Abdullah Muḥammad bin ‘Abdullah bin Muḥammad bin Ibrāhīm of Lavat of Tanjah (Tangiers). Ibn Baṭūṭah was born at Tangiers on Monday, the 27th Rajab, 703 A.H., March 5, 1304 A.D. From his early youth he had a passion for voyages and started from home, leaving his parents who were living at the time on Thursday, the 2nd Rajab, 725 A.H. (January 14, 1325 A.D.) when he was only 22 years of age and did not return home until he was nearly fifty in Zi-al-Ḥijjah, 754 A.H. (December 1353 A.D.). Ibn Baṭūṭah writes that he had lost all his notes during the voyage and wrote the account of his travels from memory. This was completed on Zi-al-Ḥijjah 3, 756 A.H. (December 13, 1355 A.D.) The present *Safarnāmah* is an abridgment of Ibn Baṭūṭah's book made by Ibn Juzzī who describes him as the greatest traveller among Muslims. Ibn Juzzī finished his summary in the month of Safar, 757 A.H. (February, 1356 A.D.).