Jignasa Journal Of History Of Ideas And Culture Part 02

Author(s): Vibha Upadhyaya and Others
Publisher: University of Rajasthan

Page 70

286
/ Jijnäsa
After reaching Amjeri town, he describes the fight between the locals and the rebels, in which three local Hindus died whose wives wished to commit sati, Ibn Battuta writes,
*The self burning of widows is considered praise worthy by the Hindus without. however, being obligatory. When a widow burns herself, her kinsfolk acquire glory and her faithfulness is highly esteemed. If she does not burn herself she puts on coarse clothes and lives with her relatives as one who is despised for faithlessness. But she is not compelled to burn herself". Those three widows who wished to commit sati, passed three days preceding the burning - eating and drinking amidst music and joys as if they wished to bid farewell to the world. Women came from all parts to see them. On fourth day, they mounted on horses. In the right they held coconut and in the left a mirror in which they saw their faces. The Brahmins stood around them, and
their relatives accompanied them". Further Ibn Battuta has given the detailed description.
Similarly, Jauhar which was performed by the family of Rai Kampila and his amirs has been minutely observed and finds place in Battuta's narrative.
From Ajodhan, Battuta and his party reached the city of Sarsuti which was a big city producing a great quantity of fine rice. From Sarsuti, they reached Hansi, a thickly populated city. It had a huge rampart built by a non-muslim ruler, namely Tura.
From Hansi, they reached Masudabad, ten miles distance from Delhi. Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq was away to Kanauj. Makhduma Jahan, Sultan's mother and his Vezir Khwaja Jahan named Ahmad bin Aiyaz of Turkish origin, were in the capital. The Vezir sent men of equal ranks to welcome Battuta and his party. Among them was Sharif Mazindrani, chamberlain of the foreigners (hajib-ulghuraba). The Sultan was also informed by a letter taken by dawa, the foot post. Within three days, reply came from the Sultan. Then the visiting party started from Masudabad and encamped in the vicinity of village Palam. Next day they reached to Delhi. He writes,
"Next day, in the morning, we reached Delhi, the imperial residence and capital of the country of India. It is a magnificent and huge city; its buildings are both beautiful and solid. The city has a rampart which is unmatched in the whole world. It is the largest
of the cities of India, and even of all the cities of Islam in the east". On reaching Delhi, he starts with the description of four cities built by different rulers. He writes,
"The city of Delhi covers a wide area and has a large population. It is now a combination of four adjacent and contiguous cities. The first of them goes by the name of Delhi. It is the ancient city founded by the Hindus. Its conquest took place in A.D. 584. The second city is known as Siri, which is also known as the dar-ul-Khilafa ("house of caliphate). It was given by the Sultan to Ghiyas-ud-din, the grandson of al-Mustansir, the Abbasid caliph when he visited his court. In it had lived Sultan Alaud din, and his son Qutb ud-din. The third is named Tughlaqabad after its founder Sultan Tughlaq, the father of the Sultan of India whose court we visited. The reason for its construction is this. One day Tughlag was standing before Sultan Qutbuddin and said to him, 'Your Majesty! it would be highly befitting you to build a city on this site'. The Sultan replied mockingly, You will build it if you become king'?. It so happened by the pre-determination of God that he did become king. He, therefore, built it and named it after himself. The fourth is known as Jahanpanah, a city particularly