Ibn Battuta in Bengal: A Traveler's Glimpse of the Sultanate

In this episode of The History of Bangladesh, Lucas and Luna explore the brief but fascinating visit of the Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta to Bengal in the mid-14th century. Drawing from his Rihla, we follow his journey from the port of Chittagong to the court of Sultan Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah in Sonargaon. Along the way, we encounter the lush delta landscape, the thriving maritime trade, and the unique blend of Islamic and local traditions that defined the independent Bengal Sultanate. Lucas highlights Battuta's meeting with the Sufi saint Shah Jalal in Sylhet, his description of the region's abundance of rice and fish, and his observations on the political independence of Bengal from the Delhi Sultanate. The episode also touches on the contested accuracy of Battuta's account, including the famous claim that he saw the Mughal emperor Muhammad bin Tughlaq's slave army in Bengal. This is a fresh look at medieval Bengal through the eyes of one of history's greatest travelers, offering a vivid snapshot of a period often overshadowed by later events.

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