Pax Mongolica and Ibn Batutta Essay Sample free essay sample

Our universe has been mostly shaped by audacious adventurers and travellers who dared the unknown and the unfamiliar to enlarge our cognition of the universe. Much of our political and cultural history was defined by adventurers at a clip when the universe was much bigger than it is today. One of these travellers is Ibn Battuta. a celebrated Muslim traveller in the 14th century. Ibn Battuta was born four old ages into the 14th century. He was born in Tangier. Morocco from a comfortable Islamic household. As a Muslim. the desire to go to the Holy City of Mecca was ingrained in Ibn Battuta. When he was 21 old ages old. Ibn Battuta so took the hajj pilgrims journey of some three thousand stat mis to make Mecca. During this pilgrims journey. Batutta became captivated by the sights and sounds that he experienced. Ibn Batutta was neer the same since so and on the route. he found his true naming at last. Batutta decided to go forth behind his preparation as a justice and Islamic bookman and to give his full life to going. vowing to go merely to Muslim topographic points and to neer take the same way twice. ( Dunn 2004. 9 ) Ibn Batutta is likely the most celebrated Muslim traveller and adventurer. His journeys straddled a period of three decennaries. and covered a distance of over a 100 1000 kilometres. His travels took him to three continents. Africa. Asia. and Europe. covering every known Muslim state at that clip. The travels of Marco Polo. Ibn Batutta’s more popular coeval. were much lesser in range and magnitude. All histories of Ibn Battuta’s travels were documented by another bookman. Ibn Juzayy. Juzayy’s certification along with personal memoirs from Batutta himself remains the primary beginning of Batutta’s noteworthy narrative of geographic expedition and find. Batutta’s travel narratives have been compiled in a individual volume known as Rihla. which means journey in English. The Rihla is likely one of the most thorough beginnings of the Muslim universe in the 14th century ( Dunn 2004. 10 ) . The Rihla contains first-hand histories from Ibn Batutta himself. interspersed with some fictional elements to do it more interesting. Ibn Battuta first geographic expedition lasted twenty old ages. His first path was the oil-rich lands of the Middle East. traveling to Saudi Arabia and saw the relics of the ancient civilisations in Iran and Iraq. After some five old ages. Ibn Batutta so went to the land of Africa and so instantly proceeded to India. In India he stayed for about a decennary before go forthing for China. From China he returned place and stayed place in Morocco for three old ages. after which. he left once more for his 2nd moving ridge of geographic expedition. ( Dunn 2004. 16 ) . It might be said that Ibn Batutta lived in an auspicious clip. The fortunes of the universe when he was born made it an ideal clip for travel. When Batutta was born. the Mongols ruled Persia and most of Central Asia. At that clip. the Mongol swayers were change overing to the Muslim religion. ( Dunn 2004. 11 ) As such. Ibn Batutta grew up at a clip when the Mongols provided protection for the Muslims and gave them safe transition all throughout the imperium. Ibn Batutta travelled under the protections of the Islam faith. He was non identified as a Moroccan. but as a Muslim looking to rent the universe of the Islamic people. advancing peace and integrity among brothers of the religion. The Mongolian Empire that dominated the thirteenth and 14th century was able to set up some sense of peace and stableness in all countries of their rule. largely in Eurasia. While by and large considered as barbaric. the ruthless and oftentimes cruel Mongol soldiers succeeded in uniting a big swath of land that has long been pine awaying in struggle and economic depression. At the tallness of the Mongol Empire. its rule covered the largest immediate district in history. It was spearheaded by Temujin. who in 1206 ascended the Mongol throne. Under his leading. the Mongols were united and began their quest to occupy adjacent lands. The strength and pitilessness of the Mongols easy cut into Eurasia. By the early 15th century. after two centuries of conquering. the Mongol imperium ruled over a district that covers about 25 per centum of the world’s entire land country. ( Dunn 2004. 18 ) . Scholars refer to this period of peace and stableness all throughout the Mongolian Empire as Pax Mongolica. based on the construct of Pax Romana. Pax Mongolica gave a renewed revival of trade along the Silk Road. This reclamation of growing and development of Silk Road commercialism under Pax Mongolica was chiefly a consequence of the safe travel conditions that the Mongols provided for its citizens. Protection from force and offense encouraged more people to take to the route and explore. The trade paths along the Silk Road resulted in the exchange of thoughts and civilization among its participants. This exposure to different civilizations accelerated the cultural development of the participants. with each one affecting and enriching the other. Safe transition. This was the chief status that allowed Ibn Batutta to go and research. Under Pax Mongolica. Ibn Batutta was able to travel from one Muslim topographic point to another without any menace of injury. Under the Mongols. it was purely prohibited to steal and damage private belongings. From terminal to stop of the Mongolian Empire. felons and stealers were punished. and everyplace. people upheld the Mongol jurisprudence. A applaudable trait of the Mongols was their tolerance for all sorts of spiritual patterns. Religious prosecution was expressly outlawed. and rough penalty will be fleetly given to those found guilty of such. ( Dunn 2004. 15 ) The rule of the Mongol Empire was purely governed by a codification of jurisprudence that was designed Genghis Khan. which reflected his liberalism and tolerance for other civilizations. This tolerance may hold been mostly a astute military maneuver as he was able to be in good footings with different leaders of the Muslim universe. Genghis Khan’s codification of jurisprudence imposed rough penalties to those found guilty of interrupting its commissariats. As a consequence. there was stiff subject all across the Mongol Empire that made their districts highly safe and well-organized. Dunn therefore describes Pax Mongolica. The conditions of order and security that attended the Pax Mongolica of the ulterior thirteenth and early 14th centuries gave freer drama than of all time to the motion of Muslims back and forth across Eurasia. ( 2004. 11 ) It was in these conditions that Ibn Batutta set out on his journeys. Ibn Batutta made his singular travels during the ulterior portion of Pax Mongolica. Harmonizing to Dunn. Ibn Batutta was able to go under the pretense of four different individualities. First Batutta was a pious Islam who traveled to the Muslim Holy Land of Mecca and Medina. Second. Batutta travelled as a bookman. who went from topographic point to topographic point. prosecuting in erudite and philosophical conversations among the people he finds company with. Third. Batutta travelled as a fan of Mystical Islam or Sufism. and he went to topographic points of celebrated mystics to inquire for counsel and have their approvals. Last. Batutta travelled for leisure and cultural instruction. ( 2004. 11 ) Having been born to an flush household. Batutta belonged to the elite in society who can afford to go for travel’s interest. To ease trade and commercialism and communicating in the huge Mongol Empire. the swayers invested to a great extent on edifice roads and developing a sophisticated mailing system. Travelers were non merely assured of safety. they were besides given commissariats to stay in contact with their loved 1s back place. For Ibn Batutta. this allowed him to be invariably in touch with the people he has met in all his travels every bit good as to the people at place who awaited updates and histories of his travel. It may be said that Pax Mongolia was a consequence of economic and commercial concerns. The Mongols regarded their economic dealingss with adjacent states because they recognized that this was the lone manner to keep peace across the imperium. Peoples who lived in prosperity and peace are less likely to take up weaponries and Rebel. For the Mongols. to promote trade was one of the best ways to protect the imperium it has fought so difficult to set up. Pax Mongolica was a consequence of the demand to merchandise and merchandise necessitated Pax Mongolica. As such. Pax Mongolica facilitated all manners of cultural and economic exchanges from terminal to stop of the huge imperium. Of class a treatment of Ibn Batutta and Pax Monglica would non be complete without undertaking the bubonic pestilence that may hold really good signaled the terminal of the Mongol Empire. The safe transition and protection for travellers along the Silk Road and in and out of Islamic states that allowed Ibn Batutta to research the Muslim universe besides served as vectors for all sorts of diseases. Fortunately for Batutta. he was able to return to Morocco before the oncoming of the bubonic pestilence. Traveling by Dunn’s history. the pestilence started in the bosom of the Mongolian imperium. among the pastoral husbandmans of Central Asia. In 1331 the disease spread outward along the trade paths ( 2004. 271 ) . As Asia smartly traded with European states. merchandisers and travellers exchanged non merely goods and stuffs. the trade paths along the Silk Road resulted in the exchange of thoughts and civilization among its participants. This exposure to different civilizations acce lerated the cultural development of the participants. with each one affecting and enriching the other. The trade routes that Pax Mongolica protected allowed more and more people to take part in trade and commercialism. However. this flourishing of the trade path besides facilitated the spread of diseases. Among the deadliest of these diseases was the bubonic pestilence that swept Eurasia. killing about half of the full population. This pandemic known as the Black Plague killed more people than all of the old wars combined. The Black Plague sliced thorough Europe and Asia. go forthing a trail of some 75 million people dead. The bubonic pestilence came from Asia and spread to Europe along the trade path. It was this really trade path ; the Sellerss and purchasers who were responsible for the spread and development of civilization. were besides the vectors that spread diseases that halted cultural development. States became wary of aliens because of the fright that they may convey infective diseases. Trade became limited to neighbouring countries. ensuing in the stray development of local civilization sans the influence of foreign states. The one time booming trade path became awful beginnings of atrocious and fatal diseases. When the pestilences hit. this interaction slowed down for several grounds. Those who survived the pestilence became wary of aliens for fright of catching another dangerous unwellness. Furthermore. the ruinous loss of life made trade less feasible. There were fewer people willing to purchase. as most were preoccupied with reconstructing their lives. When trades slowed down. merchandisers used to mongering their goods looked for other agencies to sell their wares. Rather than travel. they set up stores where people went to purchase what they need. The bubonic pestilence changed the face of the universe as it was one time. And the one time mighty Pax Mongolica started t o crumple and fall by the roadside. as it was with all other mighty imperiums of history. As Dunn so puts it. â€Å"The Black Death was the grimly dry monetary value the universe paid for the trans-hemispheric integrity of the Pax Mongolica. † ( 2004. 271 ) The universe that Ibn Batutta knew no thirster exists and it shall neer be one time once more. Destiny may hold conspired to fix the route for Ibn Batutta to safely go sop that this brilliant universe will be known for all clip to come. Mentions: Dunn. R. ( 2004 ) . The Adventures of Ibn Battuta. a Muslim Traveler of the Fourteenth Century. University of California Press