Question

“India had unique system of communication during the 14^th century” Examine the statement made by Ibn Battuta.

Answer 1

• Ibn Battuta was amazed by the efficiency of the Communication system present in the Fourteenth century in India.
• He described that the postal system which allowed merchants to not only send information and remit credit across long distances, but also to dispatch goods required at short notice.
• According to him the India the postal system is of two kinds. The horse post, called uluq, is run by royal horses stationed at a short distance of every four miles, and the other was the foot-post which has three stations per mile; it is called dawa.
• The postal system was so efficient that while it took fifty days to reach Delhi from Sind, the news reports of spies would reach the Sultan through the postal system in just five days.
• At every third mile outside a village were three pavilions in which men used to sit with girded loins ready to start. Each of them carries a rod, two cubits in length, with copper bells at the top. When the courier starts from the city, the man holds the letter in one hand and the rod with its bells on the other; and he runs as fast as he can. When the men in the pavilion hear the ringing of the bell, they get ready. As soon as the courier reaches them, one of them takes the letter from his hand and runs at top speed shaking the rod all the while until he reaches the next dawa, the same process continues till the letter reaches its destination. This foot-post is quicker than the horse-post.