Read Online Stories from Islamic History by Nayab Naseer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Nayab Naseer
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another
twelve thousand dinars.
However Ibn Battuta soon discovered that he
too could find himself on the wrong side of this mercurial ruler,
whose character clearly fascinated him. He says: “When severe drought reigned over the lands of India and
Sind...the sultan ordered that the whole population of Delhi should
be given six months' supplies from the [royal] granary.... [Yet] in
spite of all that we have related of his humility,...the sultan
used to punish small faults and great, without respect of persons,
whether men of learning or piety or noble descent. Every day there
are brought to the audience-hall hundreds of people, chained,
pinioned, and fettered, and those who are for execution are
executed, those for torture are tortured, and those for beating,
beaten.”
There were administrative errors as well.
Once Tughlaq misconstrued Chinese texts about finance and decreed
that since silver was in short supply, coins should thenceforth be
made of copper. Such coins were backed by the sultan's gold, and
copper was abundant. Counterfeiters had a field day at the expense
of the sultan.
Ibn Battuta was eventually denounced at court
for his association with a teacher whom Ibn Tughlaq suspected to be
a plotter. Afraid for his life, Ibn Battuta disguised himself as a
mendicant. The sultan’s agents nevertheless located him, and sent
him "saddled horses, slave girls and boys, robes and a sum of
money."
This was clearly a summons.
Ibn Battuta presented himself to Tughlaq, and
he was no doubt thunderstruck to hear words he never forgot: “I
have expressly sent for you to go as my ambassador to the king of
China, for I know your love of travel."
Ibn Battuta, the qadi was caught
unawares. He was to accompany fifteen Chinese envoys then in
residence in Delhi and somehow oversee the transport and
presentation to the king of China of a gift of a hundred
thoroughbred saddled and bridled horses, one thousand two hundred
pieces of various kinds of cloth, a hundred male slaves, a hundred
singing-and dancing-girls, and fifteen eunuchs.
Ibn Battuta set forth on 17 Safar 743 AH (22
July 1342 CE), with an escort of a thousand horsemen. The plan was
to reach Calicut by land and put the embassy on one of the Chinese
dhows waiting there.
The trouble that was to dog him for the next
five years began almost the moment he set foot outside Delhi.
In the Doab and downwards, Ibn Tughlaq's rule
was breaking down rapidly. Rebels roamed the roads, sometimes as
guerrilla armies, other times as brigands. Near the town of
al-Jalali, the ambassador's retinue battled with about a thousand
cavalry and three thousand foot soldiers. Sporadic skirmishes
occurred over the next few days, and at one point Ibn Battuta fell
from his horse and was separated from his retinue. He ran for his
life—straight into the arms of one of the rebel bands. Their leader
ordered Ibn Battuta executed, but for unknown reasons the rebels
dithered and let him go. He hid in a swamp for seven days. The
locals who saw him refused him food. A village sentry took away his
shirt. He came to a well, tried to use one of his shoes as a
bucket, and lost the shoe in the depths. As he was cutting the
other in two to make sandals, a man happened along.
He asked Ibn Battuta in Persian who he was,
and Ibn Battuta replied warily, "A man astray."
The man replied, “So am I."
He then carried Ibn Battuta, fainting with
exhaustion, to a village where he recovered. In time, Ibn Battuta
regained his caravan, and eventually reached Calicut.
The gifts and the slaves were put aboard the
hired Chinese dhow while Ibn Battuta stayed ashore to attend
prayers. Then he decided he was unwilling to travel on the dhow as
the cabin was small and unsuitable. His personal retinue, including
a pregnant concubine transferred to a smaller kakam that would sail
with the dhow.
In the night, a storm came. Ibn Battuta says
“.... We spent the Friday night on the seashore, unable to embark
on the kakam and those on
twelve thousand dinars.
However Ibn Battuta soon discovered that he
too could find himself on the wrong side of this mercurial ruler,
whose character clearly fascinated him. He says: “When severe drought reigned over the lands of India and
Sind...the sultan ordered that the whole population of Delhi should
be given six months' supplies from the [royal] granary.... [Yet] in
spite of all that we have related of his humility,...the sultan
used to punish small faults and great, without respect of persons,
whether men of learning or piety or noble descent. Every day there
are brought to the audience-hall hundreds of people, chained,
pinioned, and fettered, and those who are for execution are
executed, those for torture are tortured, and those for beating,
beaten.”
There were administrative errors as well.
Once Tughlaq misconstrued Chinese texts about finance and decreed
that since silver was in short supply, coins should thenceforth be
made of copper. Such coins were backed by the sultan's gold, and
copper was abundant. Counterfeiters had a field day at the expense
of the sultan.
Ibn Battuta was eventually denounced at court
for his association with a teacher whom Ibn Tughlaq suspected to be
a plotter. Afraid for his life, Ibn Battuta disguised himself as a
mendicant. The sultan’s agents nevertheless located him, and sent
him "saddled horses, slave girls and boys, robes and a sum of
money."
This was clearly a summons.
Ibn Battuta presented himself to Tughlaq, and
he was no doubt thunderstruck to hear words he never forgot: “I
have expressly sent for you to go as my ambassador to the king of
China, for I know your love of travel."
Ibn Battuta, the qadi was caught
unawares. He was to accompany fifteen Chinese envoys then in
residence in Delhi and somehow oversee the transport and
presentation to the king of China of a gift of a hundred
thoroughbred saddled and bridled horses, one thousand two hundred
pieces of various kinds of cloth, a hundred male slaves, a hundred
singing-and dancing-girls, and fifteen eunuchs.
Ibn Battuta set forth on 17 Safar 743 AH (22
July 1342 CE), with an escort of a thousand horsemen. The plan was
to reach Calicut by land and put the embassy on one of the Chinese
dhows waiting there.
The trouble that was to dog him for the next
five years began almost the moment he set foot outside Delhi.
In the Doab and downwards, Ibn Tughlaq's rule
was breaking down rapidly. Rebels roamed the roads, sometimes as
guerrilla armies, other times as brigands. Near the town of
al-Jalali, the ambassador's retinue battled with about a thousand
cavalry and three thousand foot soldiers. Sporadic skirmishes
occurred over the next few days, and at one point Ibn Battuta fell
from his horse and was separated from his retinue. He ran for his
life—straight into the arms of one of the rebel bands. Their leader
ordered Ibn Battuta executed, but for unknown reasons the rebels
dithered and let him go. He hid in a swamp for seven days. The
locals who saw him refused him food. A village sentry took away his
shirt. He came to a well, tried to use one of his shoes as a
bucket, and lost the shoe in the depths. As he was cutting the
other in two to make sandals, a man happened along.
He asked Ibn Battuta in Persian who he was,
and Ibn Battuta replied warily, "A man astray."
The man replied, “So am I."
He then carried Ibn Battuta, fainting with
exhaustion, to a village where he recovered. In time, Ibn Battuta
regained his caravan, and eventually reached Calicut.
The gifts and the slaves were put aboard the
hired Chinese dhow while Ibn Battuta stayed ashore to attend
prayers. Then he decided he was unwilling to travel on the dhow as
the cabin was small and unsuitable. His personal retinue, including
a pregnant concubine transferred to a smaller kakam that would sail
with the dhow.
In the night, a storm came. Ibn Battuta says
“.... We spent the Friday night on the seashore, unable to embark
on the kakam and those on
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