“Following his travels, he dictated a report he called “A Gift to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Traveling,” known simply in Arabic as the Rihla.
This dramatic document provides a firsthand account of the nascent globalization brought by the spread of Islam and the relationship between the Western world and India and China in the 14th century.
As an Islamic legal scholar, Ibn Battuta served at high levels of government within the vibrant Muslim network of India and China. In the Rihla, he shares insights into the complex power dynamics of the time and provides commentary on the religious miracles he encountered.The result is an entertaining narrative with a wealth of anecdotes, often humorous or shocking, and in many cases touchingly human.
Critique:Ably translated into English for the benefit of a new general of American readers by the late Noel Q. King (University of California), and edited by Albion M. Butters (University of Turku), “The Travels of Ibn Battuta: To India, the Spice Islands, and China” is an inherently fascinating and impressively informative read from beginning to end. “The Travels of Ibn Battuta” is an especially recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library Historical Travelogue, Middle Eastern History, Asian History, and World History collections and supplemental studies lists.”–Midwest Book Review