Ibn Battuta (Abū Abd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Abd Allāh Al-Lawātī, 1304–c.1368 CE) was a 14th-century Maghrebi traveler, scholar, and judge whose journeys across the Islamic world and beyond remain among the most remarkable in history. Over a span of nearly thirty years, he covered approximately 75,000 miles (120,000 kilometers), visiting North and West Africa, the Middle East, Persia, Central Asia, India, Southeast Asia, and China. His travels reflected both the vast interconnectedness of the Islamic world under Mongol and post-Mongol rule and the personal devotion of a Muslim jurist seeking knowledge and adventure within the framework of Dar al-Islam (“the Abode of Islam”).
After his return to Morocco, Ibn Battuta dictated his experiences to the scholar Ibn Juzayy, resulting in The Rihla (“The Journey”)—a monumental travelogue that serves as one of the most comprehensive ethnographic records of the medieval Afro-Eurasian world. His accounts reveal the economic systems, governance, and cultural practices of the regions he visited, from the Malian Empire and Delhi Sultanate to the Yuan dynasty in China. While parts of his narrative may blend observation with embellishment, The Rihla remains an invaluable primary source for understanding the complexity, diversity, and interconnectedness of the 14th-century world.
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APA Style
Netchev, S. (2024, May 09). Map of Ibn Battuta’s Travels, 1325-1354. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18929/map-of-ibn-battutas-travels-1325-1354/
Chicago Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of Ibn Battuta’s Travels, 1325-1354." World History Encyclopedia, May 09, 2024. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18929/map-of-ibn-battutas-travels-1325-1354/.
MLA Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of Ibn Battuta’s Travels, 1325-1354." World History Encyclopedia, 09 May 2024, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18929/map-of-ibn-battutas-travels-1325-1354/.
