Question

ibn battuta and the excitement of the unfamiliar​

Answer 1

Answer:

Ibn Battuta and the Excitement of the Unfamiliar

Among his many experiences, Ibn Battuta chose to highlight those which may be unfamiliar to his readers.Some of the best examples of his strategies of representation are evident in the ways in which he described the coconut and the paan, two kinds of plant produce that were completely unfamiliar to his audience.

Ibn Battuta and Indian cities

1. found cities in the subcontinent full of exciting opportunities for those who had the necessary drive, resources and skills
2. they were densely populated and prosperous, except for the occasional disruptions caused by wars and invasions.
3. most cities had crowded streets and bright and colorful markets that were stacked with a wide variety of goods.
4. Ibn Battuta described Delhi as a vast city, with a great population, the largest in India. Daulatabad (in Maharashtra) was no less, and easily rivaled Delhi in size.
5. The bazaars were places of economic transactions, and hub of social and cultural activities.
6. Most bazaars had a mosque and a temple, spaces were marked for public performances by dancers, musicians and singers.
7. suggested that towns derived a significant portion of their wealth through the appropriation of surplus from villages.
8. Ibn Battuta found Indian agriculture very productive because of the fertility of the soil, which allowed farmers to cultivate two crops a year.
9. noted that the subcontinent was well integrated with inter-Asian networks of trade and commerce, with Indian manufactures being in great demand in both West Asia and Southeast Asia, fetching huge profits for artisans and merchants. Indian textiles, particularly cotton cloth, fine muslins, silks, brocade and satin, were in great demand. Ibn Battuta informs us that certain varieties of fine muslin were so expensive that they could be worn only by the nobles and the very rich.

A unique system of communication

The state evidently took special measures to encourage merchants. Almost all trade routes were well supplied with inns and guest houses.  Efficiency of the postal system allowed merchants to not only send information and remit credit across long distances, but also to dispatch goods required at short notice. The postal system was so efficient that while it took fifty days to reach Delhi from Sindh, the news reports of spies would reach the Sultan through the postal system in just five days.

Explanation: