Question
Document C: Ross Dunn
Published in 1986, Ross Dunn’s The Adventures of Ibn Battuta attempts to reconstruct Ibn Battuta’s journey. In a footnote, Dunn, a professor of history at San Diego State University, notes that Ibn Battuta’s account of his journey may not have been entirely accurate. In this excerpt, he focuses on the problems with Ibn Battuta’s account of his journey to the city of Bulghar, in modern day Russia.
At this point in the narrative Ibn Battuta claims to have made a journey within the month of Ramadan . . . to Bulghar and back . . . a total distance of 800 miles. [Historian] Stephen Janiscek argued convincingly that this trip never took place. Janiscek shows that Ibn Battuta’s description of Bulghar is based on earlier geographic writings in Arabic. He also points out that Ibn Battuta could not possibly have made the journey in anywhere near the time he allots to it and that he says virtually nothing about his route, his companions, his personal experiences, or the sights he would have seen along the way. The Bulghar trip is the only section of the Rihla whose falsity has been proven almost beyond any doubt, though the veracity of some other journeys may be suspected.
Source: Ross Dunn, The Adventures of Ibn Battuta: A Muslim Traveler of the Fourteenth Century, 1986.
Vocabulary
falsity: untruthfulness
veracity: truthfulness
Ross Dunn
8. What is Ross Dunn’s claim about Ibn Battuta’s travels?
9. What two pieces of evidence does Dunn offer to support his claim that Ibn Battuta did not actually take this trip?
10. After reading the Dunn excerpt, do you think we can still use Ibn Battuta’s travel accounts to learn about what life was like in the Muslim world during the 14th century? Why or Why not?
Published in 1986, Ross Dunn’s The Adventures of Ibn Battuta attempts to reconstruct Ibn Battuta’s journey. In a footnote, Dunn, a professor of history at San Diego State University, notes that Ibn Battuta’s account of his journey may not have been entirely accurate. In this excerpt, he focuses on the problems with Ibn Battuta’s account of his journey to the city of Bulghar, in modern day Russia.
At this point in the narrative Ibn Battuta claims to have made a journey within the month of Ramadan . . . to Bulghar and back . . . a total distance of 800 miles. [Historian] Stephen Janiscek argued convincingly that this trip never took place. Janiscek shows that Ibn Battuta’s description of Bulghar is based on earlier geographic writings in Arabic. He also points out that Ibn Battuta could not possibly have made the journey in anywhere near the time he allots to it and that he says virtually nothing about his route, his companions, his personal experiences, or the sights he would have seen along the way. The Bulghar trip is the only section of the Rihla whose falsity has been proven almost beyond any doubt, though the veracity of some other journeys may be suspected.
Source: Ross Dunn, The Adventures of Ibn Battuta: A Muslim Traveler of the Fourteenth Century, 1986.
Vocabulary
falsity: untruthfulness
veracity: truthfulness
Ross Dunn
8. What is Ross Dunn’s claim about Ibn Battuta’s travels?
9. What two pieces of evidence does Dunn offer to support his claim that Ibn Battuta did not actually take this trip?
10. After reading the Dunn excerpt, do you think we can still use Ibn Battuta’s travel accounts to learn about what life was like in the Muslim world during the 14th century? Why or Why not?
Answers
GPT-4o mini
8. Ross Dunn’s claim about Ibn Battuta’s travels is that his account of the journey to Bulghar is likely fabricated and does not reflect an actual trip that he undertook.
9. Dunn offers two pieces of evidence to support his claim that Ibn Battuta did not actually take the trip to Bulghar:
- Historian Stephen Janiscek argues that Ibn Battuta’s description of Bulghar is based on earlier geographic writings in Arabic, suggesting that he may have relied on existing texts rather than personal experience.
- Janiscek also points out that the journey Ibn Battuta claims to have made within a month during Ramadan is logistically impossible in the time frame he describes, and that he provides virtually no details about the route, his companions, personal experiences, or sights seen during the trip.
10. After reading the Dunn excerpt, it is reasonable to conclude that while Ibn Battuta’s travel accounts may contain inaccuracies or be embellished, they can still provide valuable insights into the broader context of life in the Muslim world during the 14th century. His writings may reflect the cultural, social, and economic conditions of the time, even if specific journeys, such as the one to Bulghar, may not be factual. Therefore, these accounts should be approached critically, recognizing their potential limitations while also acknowledging their historical significance.
9. Dunn offers two pieces of evidence to support his claim that Ibn Battuta did not actually take the trip to Bulghar:
- Historian Stephen Janiscek argues that Ibn Battuta’s description of Bulghar is based on earlier geographic writings in Arabic, suggesting that he may have relied on existing texts rather than personal experience.
- Janiscek also points out that the journey Ibn Battuta claims to have made within a month during Ramadan is logistically impossible in the time frame he describes, and that he provides virtually no details about the route, his companions, personal experiences, or sights seen during the trip.
10. After reading the Dunn excerpt, it is reasonable to conclude that while Ibn Battuta’s travel accounts may contain inaccuracies or be embellished, they can still provide valuable insights into the broader context of life in the Muslim world during the 14th century. His writings may reflect the cultural, social, and economic conditions of the time, even if specific journeys, such as the one to Bulghar, may not be factual. Therefore, these accounts should be approached critically, recognizing their potential limitations while also acknowledging their historical significance.