Arabic writer- Arabic traveler, geographer, and historian attracted to India after the 8th century. Early Arab writers wrote more about the inhabitants and the country, instead of writing about India’s history.
Albaruni (1017-20):
- He came to India with Mahmood Ghaznavi. His book Kitab-ul-Hind or Tahakik-e-Hind (the discovery of India), written in Arabic. It is an important source to know about history.
- It is a detailed source that is divided into 80 chapters based on topics such as religion and philosophy, festivals, astronomy, customs and practices, social life, weight and measurement methods, sculpture, law, measurement science, etc.
- It mentions society, religion, rituals, politics, etc. of the Rajput – period. This book has been translated into Hindi and English.
- The compositions of Albaruni are written in Arabic. Albaruni was a scholar of Syria, Sanskrit, Greek, etc. languages apart from Arabic. He also wrote many compositions – al-Kanoon al-Masood, Kanoon al-Masoodi, Al Haiyat al Najoom.
- Albaruni gave the formula to measure the radius of the Earth.
- Mahmud Ghajnavi did several campaigns in India and Albaruni was in many of them.
- Albaruni was a Persian scholar, writer, scientist, thinker, theologian.
Ibn Battuta (1333 AD):
- He wrote his travelogue in Rihla (in the Arabic language). He gave abundant and interesting information about the social and cultural life of 14th-century Indian sub-continent in his travelogue.
- When Ibn Battuta went to Delhi in 1333 AD, Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq impressed by his scholarship and appointed him a Judge.
- He came to India in the period of Muhammad Tughlaq. Ibn Battuta was a resident of Moroccan Africa.
- His full name was Muhammad bin Abdullah Ibn Battuta. Ibn Battuta was the greatest of the Muslim passengers.
- Muhammad Tughlaq sent him to the court of China as an ambassador.
Other leading authors –
Sulaiman-
- The Arabic traveler, Sulaiman has mentioned a detailed description of the then social, economic information, while mentioning the Pratihar rulers in his travelogue.
- Suleiman and Al-Masudi wrote in his travel details that “whose name is Varah (Mihir Bhoja) is the biggest enemy of Islam religion and the Arabs.”
Al-Masudi -(915-16)
- Baghdad traveler Almsudi gives important information about Raashtrakoot and Pratihaar rulers in his travel details.
- He came to India in the period of Mahipal Pratham.
Taranath-
- He was a Tibetan writer. He composed the book Kangyur and Tangyur. These get information about Indian history. He has given information about Buddhism in his book “History of Buddhism”.
Markopolo-
- He came at the end of the 13th century to travel the Pandya nation. His description is useful for studying Pandya history.
Referece : https://www.indiaolddays.com/
