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Scope Of Ibn Battuta’s Travels
- Ibn Battuta travelled widely across North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa, Central Asia, India and beyond.
- His journeys covered roughly 73,000 miles and are unusually comprehensive for the 14th century.
Background And Social Standing
- Ibn Battuta came from a reasonably educated, middling religious scholarly family in Tangier.
- He spoke Arabic, had local tribal roots, and was not extremely wealthy but could work his way through positions.
Pilgrimage As A Travel Norm
- Pilgrimage (hajj) was a socially acceptable pretext for long-distance travel.
- Young scholars commonly travelled to major Islamic learning centres to study and gain prestige.