History of the Qaraunah Turks in India c14.13

Language: English

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the regard which the Tartars showed for their women, he proceeded towards Constantinople. From there he traversed across the desert to Khwarizm and Bokhara and to Transoxiana where he stayed for 54 days with Tarmāshirīn of whom he writes a detailed notice. After this he proceeded to Khorasan and Afghanistan and passing through the passage of the Hindukush he entered Sindh and reached the bank of the Indus on Muharram 1, 734, A.H. (September 12, 1333 A.D.) This is the commencement of his Indian voyage of which he has given a detailed account in his Safarnamah. When Ibn Batūtah reached Dihli, the Sultān (Muhammad Tughluq) had gone towards Kanauj. He was hospitably received by the Queen-mother Makhdum Jahan who bestowed valuable gifts upon him. The Wazir Khwajah Jahan presented the traveller with 2,000 dinars as his sarshasti (for washing the head) allowance. A khil'at of silk and rewards for his companions and servants according to their rank. The Sultan who had been informed of the traveller's arrival sent an order that a jagir, yielding an income of 5,000 dinars a year should be granted to him. This was done and three villages Bawali (Badali), Basī (Basahi) and half of Balrah which were 16 krohs from the capital in the sadi of Hindpat (Sonpat) were assigned to him for his maintenance. Ibn Batūtah was called Maulana Badr-al-Din in Hindustan.

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When the Sultan came back to the capital, he received the traveller kindly and appointed him Qazi of Dihli on a salary of 12,000 dinars per annum. Ibn Batūtah, who, all of a sudden, began to bask in the sunshine of royal favour, forgot the limitations of his purse and cultivated extravagant habits. So much so indeed, that on one occasion his debts amounted to 55,000 dinars to pay which he had recourse to shifty devices notwithstanding his dignity as a high judicial officer of the state. He remained in the service of the Sultan for eight years and during this period he took part in several important transactions. When the Sultan left for Ma'bar, he left Ibn Batūtah at Dihli in charge of the monastery of Qutb-al-Din which had a large establishment to manage. Towards the close of his residence in India, Ibn Batūtah fell out of favour and the cause of this royal displeasure was his visit to Shaikh Shihāb-al-Din bin Shaikh Jām who had offended the Sultan by calling him a tyrant. He was placed under surveillance which caused him much anxiety. He began to fast and pray for days together in order to escape from royal wrath and gave up all thought of worldly enjoyments and pleasures. When the Sultan heard of his asceticism in Sindh whither he had gone to suppress a local rebellion, he summoned him in his presence and offered him service again in Jamād-al-ākhir, 742 A.H. (Nov. 1341 A.D.). Ibn Batūṭah declined and began to practise religious observances as before.

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After forty days he was again called by the Sultan who expressed his intention to send him on an embassy to China. Ibn Batūṭah obeyed the command and started on his journey on the 17th Safar, 743 A.H. (July 22, 1342 A.D.) with a large number of costly presents of all kinds for the emperor of China. By a circuitous route in describing which he has made much confusion he reached the port of Qandhar and took ship for China. On the way the party met with a serious mishap. The ship in which Ibn Batūṭah and his companions were sailing was sunk and all were killed including Amir Zahīr-al-Dīn and the slave Kāfūr. After the accident the Moor went to Hanaur where he was coldly received by Sultan Jamāl-al-Dīn. He left the place after two months and went back to Calicut where he took ship for the Maldive islands. From the Maldives he proceeded to Ceylon and thence to Ma‘bar where he was well received by his relative Ghiyās-al-Dīn Damghānī. He stayed at Madura for some time and enjoyed the hospitality of the Sultan. After long wanderings in Bengal he started on his voyage to China via Java, Sumatra, and the islands of the Indian Archipelago. Colonel Yule doubts whether Ibn Batūṭah ever went to China, but it appears from the detailed account of that country given by him and corroborated by other historians that he did visit China, though he could not fulfil the mission with which Muhammad had entrusted him.

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On his return from China he again came to India and stayed at Calicut for some time. Fearing the wrath of the Sultan of Dihli, he did not go to Dihli and embarked on boardship and finally reached home towards the close of 755 A.H. (1354 A.D.). Here he recorded those observations which have entitled him to be placed in the forefront of the world's greatest travellers. Ibn Batūṭah died at the age of seventy-three in 1377-78 A.D.