Arabian & Arabic Writers

Arabian & Arabic Writers

A Sulaiman (851 AD)

• A Sulaiman (851 AD) was an Arab merchant. He was the first Arab traveller whose travel account is available. He sailed to all coastal areas of India.

• He came to India in 851 AD during the reign of the Pratihar king Mihir Bhoja-1 (836-85 AD).

• He stayed at the court of Amoghavarsha (815-77 AD), the Rashtrakuta ruler, and was very impressed with his might and prosperity.

• He wrote a book, namely "Silsila--ut-Tawarikh". He described the conditions of the early half of the 9th Century.

• He gives an interesting account of the Pala, Pratihara & Rashtrakuta kings. He called the Pala empire "Ruhama" (i.e, Dharma or Dharmapala).

• He called the Gurjar Pratihara "Jurz". He wrote that the Jurz had the finest horses. He called the king of Deccan "Balhara" (identified as Vallabharaja).

• He called Hind Mahasagar (Indian Ocean) "Dariya-i-Hargand".

Ibn Khurdadhbih (864 AD)

• Ibn Khurdadhbih (864 AD) was an Arab geographer.

• He wrote a book, namely "Kitab-al-Masalik-wa-Mamalik," i.e., the Book of Roads and Kingdoms. In this book, he gives important information about the intercommunication system of the 9th Century.

• He was the first person among Arab geographers who spoke about the seven castes of Hindus.

Al Biladuri (died-892 AD)

• Al Biladuri (died-892 AD) wrote "Futuh-ul-Buldan". It describes the Sindh conquest by Arabs (Muhammad bin Qasim).

Al Masudi (died-956 AD)

• Al Masudi (died 956 AD) was an Arab traveller.

• He visited India in 915 AD during the reign of Gurjar Pratihara king Malipala-I.

• He called the Gurjar dynasty "Al Gujar" and their rulers "Barua".

• He wrote "Muruz-ul-Jahab". In this text, he described the horses and camels of Mahipala-1, the Pratibara king. He described Paan (beetal leaf) in detail.

• He gives a fairly good account of the Arab principalities of Multan and Mansura.

Ibn Hawkal (943-79 AD)

• Ibn Hawkal (943-79 AD) was a merchant of Baghdad.

• He came from Baghdad to India via different regions of Europe and Africa. He visited the state of Rashtrakutas.

• He wrote Askal-al-vilad. He made a cartographic map of Sindh.

• He was the first person among Arab geographers who attempted to define the length and breadth of India. This was the first attempt by any foreigner to define the boundaries of India.

Alberuni (973-1048 AD)

• His full name was Abu Rayhan Muhammad ibn Ahmed Alberuni, but he was popularly known as "Alberuni", meaning "Ustad" (i.e., Teacher/Master).

• He was born in Khwarizm (modern Khiwa) of Uzbekistan.

• He was captivated by Mahmud Ghazanavi, the sultan of Ghazanı during the Khiwa battle (1017 AD).

• Mahmud Ghazanavi brought him to Ghazani and was very impressed by his multifarious talent.

• So, Mahmud Ghazanavi appointed him "Najumi" (court-astrologer).

In 1019 AD, Alberuni came to India with his patron Mahmud Ghazanavi and stayed in Punjab for many years.

He learnt the Sanskrit language and studied many books concerned with Philosophy and other subjects. He was given the title "Vidyasagar" (i.e., the ocean of knowledge) by Hindus.

After his return to Ghazani, he compiled a book in the Arabic language, Tebqiq-i-Hind (i.e., Enquiry into India or Reality of India) in 1029-30 AD.

• This book is also called Tarikh-i-Hind (i.e., History of India) or Kitab-ul-Hind (i.e., The Book of India). Like an encyclopedia, this book contains detailed information about Indian society and culture and other fields of knowledge.

• It is believed that this is the best foreign account of India. Such an extensive and authentic study of Indian society and culture had not been done before. Therefore, Alberuni is called "The First Real Indologist".

• He was given the title "The Real Founder of Indology". (Note: Megasthenese was believed to be the "Beginner of Indology").

There are two shortcomings of this book—firstly, Alberuni says practically nothing about the political condition of India during his time, and secondly, he wrote from what he read and not from what he saw. His information is not based on his knowledge but on what he read in books.

This book has been translated into English as Alberuni's India by Edward C. Sachau.

In the words of Jarret: "This book is a magic island of quite impartial research in the midst of a world of clashing swords, burning towns and plundered temples".

Ibn Batuta (1304-69 AD)

• The full name of Ibn Batuta was Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Abdullah Lawal-ut-Tangi ibn Batuta.

• He was born in 1304 AD at Tangier in Morocco of Africa.

• He was a Moroccan (African) traveller. In 1333 AD, he came to India in the reign of Muhammad bin Tughlaq, the Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate.

• Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq welcomed him and appointed him Qazi (i.e., Judge) of Delhi.

• Ibn Batuta held this post till 1342 AD, when he was sent to China as an ambassador of the Delhi Sultanate, but unfortunately, he did not reach China due to a shipwreck.

• He wrote a travel account of India in which he gives valuable information about life and the period of Muhammad bin Tughlaq.

• He described the reasons and the circumstances of the transfer of capital from Delhi to Devagiri (Daulatabad).

• In 1345 AD, he stayed in the court of Gayasuddin Muhammad Damghan Shah, the Sultan of Madurai.

• In 1353 AD, he returned to his native place, Tangiers in Morocco. In 1355 AD, he wrote a book in the Arabic language, Rihla (i.e., Travel). He died in 1369 AD.

Sthabal Dinumari (1348 AD)

• Sthabal Dinumari (1348 AD) was a resident of Damascus (Syria).

• He had never come to India, but on the basis of information received from the India-returned persons, he wrote a book, Masalika Absari Mamalika Asar in 1348 AD.

• It throws light on the socio-economic conditions.

Abdurrazzaq (1413-82 AD)

• Abdurrazzaq (1413-82 AD) was born in Herat (Afghanistan) in 1413 AD.

• He was a Qazi at the court of Shah Rukh, the son of Timur Lang and Sultan of Samarkand (Persia).

• He was sent by Shaharukh as an ambassador to the Zamorin of Calicut in 1442 AD.

• In April 1443 AD, he visited Vijayanagara during the reign of Devaraya-II. He stayed in the capital city of Vijayanagara for 6 months.

• He was overawed by the size and grandeur of the city of Vijayanagara. He says: "The city is such that the eye has not seen nor the ear heard of any place resembling it upon the whole earth".

• He gives valuable information on the topography, administration, and social life of Vijayanagara.

• Besides this, his text Malta-us-Sadan-wa-Mazama-ul-Bahrain (i.e., The rising of two pious stars and conjunction of two seas) describes the maritime trade through Hind Mahasagar (Indian Ocean) during the 14th–15th centuries.

Final Thoughts

The accounts of Arab travellers and writers such as Alberuni, Ibn Batuta, and Abdurrazzaq provide valuable insights into India's historical, cultural, and socio-economic conditions during different periods.

Their observations serve as important external sources for reconstructing early and medieval Indian history.

For UPSC aspirants, especially those focusing on history and general studies, understanding these travellers' contributions can enhance both objective and analytical preparation.

These narratives help bridge the gap between indigenous records and foreign perspectives, making them essential for a well-rounded understanding of India's past.