Ibn Battuta’s Observations on India from a Historical Religious Perspective: Examples of Beliefs and Cultural Practices

Travelogues are essential for the history of religions as they are the records of travelers observing firsthand different cultures, belief systems, and religious practices. Travelers observed and recorded religious and cultural life, forms of worship, holy places, the role of clergymen, the people's perspectives on beliefs, and their customs and traditions in the regions they visited. One of them is Ibn Battuta (1304-1369), who is a world-famous Muslim traveler. In 1325, Ibn Battuta set out on a pilgrimage, which evolved into a world journey, and over the course of about thirty years, he traveled across a vast geography that extended to Africa, the Middle East, Anatolia, Central Asia, India, China, and Al-Andalus. Ibn Battuta, who came to India with the invitation of Sultan of Delhi Muhammad bin Tughluq, stayed here for about seven years, undertook important duties under him, and served the sultan. During this time, he had the opportunity to closely observe Indian culture, beliefs, and the people’s relations with one another. Later, in his work “Rihlatu Ibn Battuta”, Ibn Battuta described Hindu temples, the impact of the caste system on social life, and various Indian rituals, and provided information about the beliefs and traditions of the local people. This study aims to examine Ibn Battuta's observations about India, one of the most essential travelers of the 14th century, in his work Rihlatu Ibn Battuta from the perspective of the history of religions. Ibn Battuta’s travelogue is taken as a primary source and analyzed through content analysis.