Faith, Commerce, and Cultural Exchange in the World of Ibn Battuta by Panakkal, Abbas;

Long description:

This book offers a nuanced historical analysis of the connections and impact made on Asia, Africa, and Europe by Ibn Battuta’s fourteenth-century journeys in these regions and his subsequent travel memoir, The Rihla. The Rihla documents his personal experiences and serves as a lens through which we can examine the complex interrelations of faith, commerce, and cultural exchange.

This volume adopts integrative perspectives from history to explore the enduring legacy of his observations. In particular, it considers the economic networks of Ibn Battuta’s travels, particularly the Indian Ocean trade routes; the history of religious pilgrimage, especially the Hajj, in facilitating the movement of people, ideas, and religious practices; the spread of jurisprudence and cultural practices across the Indian Ocean world, and the ways in which Ibn Battuta’s journey helped shape regional legal systems and social norms; the relevance of Ibn Battuta’s insights to contemporary global issues, such as international trade, health, and sustainability; and his lasting legacy as a historian and figure of cultural exchange.

Table of Contents:

Introduction:Navigating Faith, Commerce, and Culture in the World of Ibn Battuta.- Part 1: Historical Accounts of Travel and Tradition.- Chapter 1. Ibn Battuta on the Muslim Frontiers.- Chapter 2. Revisiting Ibn Battuta as an African Historian.- Chapter 3. History of Integrated Crossroads: Ibn Battuta’s Observations on the Integration of Traditional Practices in South and Southeast Asia.- Chapter 4. Historical Echoes: Ibn Battuta’s Observations and the Evolution of Islamic Finance in The Maldives.- Chapter 5. Ibn Battuta’s Calicut: An Archaeological Investigation Through Ibn Battuta’s and Other Historical Accounts.- Part 2: Textual Tradition, Jurisprudence and Cultural Exchange.- Chapter 6. A Panoramic Account of Ibn Battuta’s Voyage to India, Maritime Southeast Asia, and China.- Chapter 7. Graded Bodies, Sacred Texts: Muslim Travellers and the Caste Order in Precolonial Malabar.- Chapter 8. Ibn Battuta’s Travels in the Malay Peninsula: Influence on Socio-Cultural, Commercial, and Jurisprudential Developments in Modern Malaysia.- Chapter 9. Ottoman Travelers and Southeast Asia: A Two-Way Exchange of Culture and Religion.- Chapter 10. The Ramayana and the Spread of Hindu-Islamic Synthesis in Indonesia.- Part 3: Pilgrimage, Faith, and Identity Across Borders.- Chapter 11. Women, Culture, and Religion in Ibn Battuta's Chronicles of India: An Analysis from Historical and Contemporary Perspectives.- Chapter 12. The Synergy Of Spirituality And Identity: The Impact Of The Sayyids From Arabia On The Social Landscape Of Malabar.- Chapter 13. Bengal in Ibn Battuta’s Rihla: A Résumé.- Chapter 14. Pilgrimage And Revivalism In Islam: The West African Experience.- Chapter 15. The Wandermusikant (German Traveling Musician) Meets the Indian Acrobats: Michael Gilcher and His Encounter with Mahomet Cassim and Mahomet Abdallah in Australia in the 1860s.