MY TRAVELS WITH THE AMBASSADOR TO HINDOOSTAN AND BIDJANAGAR

In the name of Allah the most Gracious and the Most Merciful

Calicut, on the Coast of Malabar from James Forbes's Oriental Memoirs, London, 1813

It is the creator of the world and the seas, that has tamed to us the oceans and seas, so that we may earn sustenance and joy from lands and seas unheard of and unspoken about. Hence by the Decree of the omnipotent power and the order of Providence this humble slave of God, by virtue of the request made by Abdur Razzaq, the Ambassador of Happy Khakan (hereafter mentioned ‘my brother’) to Calicut, I prepared for a journey to the land of Hindoostan. On the first of the holy month of Ramadan, seeking the blessing of the almighty and the sacred month, we started our journey to obey the decrees and wishes of the aforementioned by the Route of Kohistan

We reached the city of Kerman on  the 18th day of my journey, to find to my brother’s slight disappointment the absence of the governor of this city. This predicament led us to sojourn in this city until and after the 1st of Shawwal; the day of the feast. An Amir, who was the son of the most illustrious person of the town had just returned at this time from Hindoostan;  showered us with his kindness until the 4th of Shawwal when this humble slave decided to leave for Ormuz.

Ormuz is a port of no equals. Merchants from lands around the globe came here to find and bargain for all they desire. Some bring with them articles of precious nature, which the whole world had conspired to bring to perfection. Some barter and others pay for whatever it is that they desire, and for this, they pay a tenth of the value as a duty to the officials. We found no injustice in this city populated by people of all religions. I was amazed by its sense of justice and security as my brother did. 

It was the decree of the all-knowing Lord that I sojourn here for the whole of two months, before attempting to depart through the precarious and dangerous seas of late Monsoon. That the governors sought to delay the departure of my brother from their esteemed city is no more than part of his all-knowing plan. Nevertheless, we set sail towards the end of monsoon, a time when the seas were precarious, teeming with pirates and danger, in multiple sails, by virtue of the size of our cargo. 

What came over my brother we don’t know yet. Perhaps more skilled men would be able to explain. Just as we entered the mighty oceans, my brother slipped into a stupor, one that looked as if caused by (god forbid) drunkenness. We would have said our prayer and resorted to burying him in the depths of the ocean had it not been for the light rising of his chest. For three days we busied ourselves with the act of Navigation, which had started to become increasingly perilous. On the third day, all praise be to the creator, my brother came to himself. The joy of this moment was overshadowed however by the grim decision to dock at the port of Muscut owing to unfavourable conditions. The losses we suffered we decided were not greater than the risk of losing our precious lives. 

Before describing any further let me explain to you in better detail the circumstances of this journey to Hindoostan. 

Through the descriptions of some ambassadors leaving Bengal, the prince of Calicut had come to know about the greatness of the His Majesty Khakan. Awed by the universal centrality of this esteemed monarch amidst other monarchs of this vast globe, and his Majesty’s ability to resolve conflicts troubling other such kingdoms, the prince of Calicut sent to him a messenger bearing gifts and a dispatch that read “In this port, on every Friday and every solemn feast day, the Khotbah is celebrated, according to the prescribed rule of Islamism. With your majesty's permission, these prayers shall be adorned and honoured by the addition of your name and of your illustrious titles." The messenger from Calicut additionally requested the Happy Khakan, an ambassador to his prince, who would also invite the prince to the light of Islam. His Majesty accepted this demand and appointed my brother Abdur Razzaq as his ambassador, who as mentioned earlier by myself; requested my humble company in his travels. 

After overcoming the struggles of travel since we departed Homruz; by the grace of the all-knowing creator, we reached the harbour in Calicut.  The Harbour has in abundance, vessels from various land including the occasional vessel from the holy land of Mecca. Cargoes of enormous value and proportions are unloaded here without fear of security. Unlike Ormuz, a levy of one-fortieth is applicable only in the case of a sale. Calicut is a harbour of adventurous traders, whose vessels are let alone by the pirates. It is a harbour that has everything one would desire, except for the flesh of the cow. It is a land of Infidels, living amongst them a population of Musalmans. They are Shafi Muslims and gather in their two masjids on Fridays to offer prayers. It is to my amazement and my brother Abdur Razzaq’s amazement that even in this land of infidels the Kutbah was celebrated every Friday.

My brother Abdur Razzakk received a dismal audience from the court, hence the harbour town remained a disagreeable place for us until Abdur Razzak was by divine decree, invited by the king of Bidjanagar. We departed by sea this kingdom of proposed magnificence. We docked again at the port of Mangalore, and travelled on foot to Bidjanagar, crossing temples and villages of unparalleled magnificence, whose description would lead you to believe me as an exaggerating man. After sojourning in villages on the way, we reached Bidjanagar by the end of Zou’lhidjah. 

Hampi in Vijayanagra

Like myself; my brother Abdur Razzak confided in me that he was to yet see or hear of such a grandiose city. It is a city of 7 fortresses, each enclosing varied institutions. It includes agricultural lands, markets, the king's residence and even multiple prostitution houses. Canals of chiselled stone carry water through the city. My learned brother explained to me the kinds of writing used here and the multiple currencies in use here. The kingdom also boasts a large number of elephants, including one of white complexion owned by the king. The sight of this animal is considered a good omen in the kingdom and hence every morning is led out to the sight of the monarch.

The infidels of Bidjanagar also celebrate a festival, regarding which Abdur Razak spoke to me in great detail. The details of this I shall mention another time if the almighty wills that I am able to. 

This is a semi-fictional account of Abdur Razzaq’s opinion of India, from the viewpoint of his fictional travel companion

Bibliography

India in the fifteenth century : being a collection of narratives of voyages to India, in the century preceding the Portuguese discovery of the Cape of Good Hope, Internet Archives, https://archive.org/details/indiainfifteenth00majo/page/n112/mode/1up, pg 107 of 254