14th Century International Travel

International Travel in the 14th Century

International travel was a dangerous affair during the 14th century. Without the conveniences of modern luxuries, traveling was often difficult and expensive. Most people of the 14th century did not travel further than their villages, but in the Islamic world international travel was expected by every able-bodied Muslim through the haji. The hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, brought thousands to the arabian peninsula from all corners of the Islamic world.

Ibn Battuta was a traveler during the 14th century who completed the hajj and then went on to visit most of the arabian peninsula, north and east africa, India, China, and various other places. This incredible 73,000 mile journey took him from his home

Poorer travelers would seek to earn money by trading goods along the way or performing odd jobs for coin. However, Ibn Battuta does not have to rely on these methods due the sacred Islamic pillar of almsgiving. Almsgiving states that everyone must give a portion of their wealth to others, including the poor, orphans, prisoners, and wayfarers. As a traveler, Ibn Battuta was considered a wayfarer and was thus given money and gifts from the pious people he met along his journey. The first gift came from the governor of Constantine, who presented him with two gold dinars and a woolen mantle. Another reason why people were so generous was because of Ibn Battuta’s status as an educated man. Though muslims are required to give alms to certain people, Ibn Battuta’s status as an educated man made him seem more worthy of tokens and gifts than the average beggar, which likely led to more generous donations.

Ibn Battuta benefited from donations from many pious individuals, and he was also given lodging and food. A Sufi anchorite gave Ibn Battuta a blessing and a fish dinner, and while in Shiraz he stayed in the lodging of the shaykh, Majd al-Din. This generosity is present throughout Ibn Battuta, and makes it easy to understand why this momentous journey was possible in the Islamic world. The overwhelming generosity made it possible for Ibn Battuta to travel light, which allowed him faster travel time and made him less of

Though one can assumed he traveled on foot for a portion of his journey, little mention is made of it. Instead most of his travel is described as him riding something. It is mentioned that he sold his donkey early on in his travels, so one must assume he rode a horse for the duration of his trip. Later in his journey he is able to travel by wagon, though this seems to have been an expensive option for the usual traveler. Ibn Battuta was unique in that he spent a majority of his journey in the presence of royalty, government officials, and religious leaders, most of whom were willing to present him with lavish gifts and help him with his journey. Some even went so far as to allow Ibn Battuta to travel in their name, thus affording them all the protections their name would