A newly released historical documentary revisits the extraordinary 14th-century journey of Moroccan explorer Ibn Battuta, tracing his travels across modern-day Pakistan and India during the height of the Delhi Sultanate. Drawing on Battuta’s own Rihla (Travelogue), the film illuminates one of the most detailed eyewitness accounts of medieval South Asia.
Born in 1304 in Tangier to a family of Islamic scholars, Ibn Battuta set out at the age of 21 on what was meant to be a pilgrimage to Mecca. Instead, it evolved into a near three-decade odyssey covering an estimated 75,000 miles across Africa, Central Asia, and the wider Islamic world. By 1333, his route led him through Afghanistan and the treacherous Hindu Kush, where he documented the harsh mountain climate and the suffering of enslaved people being transported across the passes.
After descending into the plains of Hindustan, Battuta encountered a vibrant and densely populated world. Travelling through Multan, Sindh, and Punjab, he recorded bustling bazaars stocked with tropical fruits, spices, textiles, and opium. His visit to the shrine of the Sufi saint Baba Farid in Pakpattan stands out as one of the most spiritual moments of his South Asian journey, which he described as passing through a “gateway to paradise”.
His arrival in Delhi marked a dramatic turning point. Welcomed into the glittering court of Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq, Battuta was appointed Qadi, serving the Sultan while navigating a court renowned for both extravagant generosity and unpredictable violence. His writings offer vivid insights into Tughluq’s personality, public works, and the multicultural life of Delhi, then one of the major capitals of the Islamic world.
The documentary also examines the explorer’s observations of Hindu customs, religious festivals, and local governance, revealing both his admiration and disapproval. It further follows his perilous departure from Delhi as part of an embassy to China, during which he survived bandit attacks, captivity, and shipwreck.
By weaving together landscapes, court politics, spiritual sites, and everyday life, the documentary positions Ibn Battuta as a central chronicler of medieval India and Pakistan, offering an unparalleled window into a world of cultural exchange, imperial ambition, and human resilience.