Making sense of an Alien World: Al-Biruni and the Sanskritic Tradition:

Overcoming barriers to understanding: Each traveller adopted distinct strategies to understand what they observed. There were several barriers that Al-Biruni felt that obstructed his understanding.First barrier was language, because of the vast difference between Arabic and Persian language it was not easy to translate.The next barrier he noticed was the gap between religious beliefs and it’s practises. Another barrier was the self absorption and consequently insularity of the local people. He was majorly depended  on the works of Brahmanas, were they often cited passages from the Vedas, the Puranas, the Bhagavad Gita, the text of Patanjali, the Manusmriti, and various others to give him an in depth view of Indian society.Caste system as given by Al-Biruni: Al-Biruni tried to explain the caste system by looking for parallels in other societies. According to his research  in ancient Persia, there were four social categories: 

1. Knights and princes
2. Monks, fire-priests and lawyers
3. Physicians, astronomers and other scientists
4. Peasants and artisans.            

He tried  to explain  that the cast system did not exist only in India. Al-Biruni did not approve the notion of pollution even though he accepted  the Brahmanical description of the caste system.He conveyed that everything which comes  into a state of impurity strives to achieve it’s authentic  condition of purity.As in his perception the conception of social pollution, intrinsic to the caste system, was contrary to the laws of nature.

Ibn-Battuta and The Excitement of The Unfamiliar:

Travels of Ibn-Battuta are documented. Anything that was unfamiliar was particularly highlighted in order to ensure that the reader was suitably impressed by accounts of distant yet accessible worlds.

• The Betel leaf (paan) and the coconut : He explained the coconut and the paan, two kinds of plant produce that were completely unfamiliar to his audience

• Coconut Tree: According to him it was one of the most peculiar trees

• They look exactly like palm trees
• A man’s head looks very similar to the fruit of a coconut tree

• The Paan: According to him, the betel tree was cultivated exactly like the grape vine. It was grown only for the sake of its leaves

• India and Ibn-Battuta: Often these cities must have congested streets as well as vibrant colors marketplaces piled high with a wide variety of goods
• According to him Delhi is a vast city, with a huge population, the biggest in India

•  In the state of Maharashtra, a city named Daulatabad which  was no smaller, than Delhi
• The Indian bazaars acted as a central point for economic activities and, also as the junction of social and cultural activities
• The Indian region was well connected with inter-Asian networks of trade and commerce
•  Indian manufacturers were in great demand in both West Asia and Southeast Asia

• A unique system of communication: 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 only five days  The postal system was of two kinds:

• The uluq is a hosrepost, they are stationed at a distance of every four miles and run by royal horses.
• There are three stops in foot-post per mile; it is named dawa, that is one-third of a mile.

Conclusion

The narratives of foreign travellers aid in recreating India’s history from the 10th to the 17th centuries.

The majority of the travellers came from widely varied socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. As a result, they were more attentive to daily routines and practises. Indigenous authors took them for granted. Their differing points of view adds to the intrigue of their stories. Their stories include legal matters, religious concerns, architectural aspects, and monuments.