Late Middle Ages · South Asia · Exploration
1342
Ibn Battuta reaches the court of Muhammad bin Tughluq
1342
The Moroccan traveler, after years on the road crossing deserts and mountain passes, was appointed qadi of Delhi by the eccentric and dangerous sultan. He served eight years on a generous salary and constant edge of execution, watching the sultan's moods swing between scholarly generosity and sadistic cruelty, before escaping the court by accepting a diplomatic mission to Yuan China.