3.

IBN BATUTA'S TRAVELS IN CEYLON.*

WHEN we sailed, however, (from the Maldive Islands) the wind changed upon us, and we were near being lost; but arrived at last at the island of Ceylon, a place well known, and in which is situated the mountain of Serendíb. This appeared to us like a pillar of smoke, when we were at a distance of nine days from it. When we got near the land, we saw a harbour, into which we endeavoured to put, but were threatened by the Reis, who was in the ship. The reason of this was, the harbour was in a district belonging to an infidel prince, who had no intercourse with the captains of Mohammedan vessels, as other infidel princes had. He

* Professor Lee's translation, from which this chapter is taken, is not from the original MS., but from three copies of an abridgement, or what "Mohammed Ibn Fat'h Allah El Bailúní states that he extracted from the epitome of the Kátib Mohammed Ibn Jazzi El Kelbí, (upon whom be the mercy of God,) from the travels of the theologian Abu Abd Allah El Lawátí of Tangiers, known by the surname of Ibn Batuta." The date of his arrival at Ceylon is not stated; but it may be very nearly ascertained from several circumstances elsewhere mentioned. He resided for some time at Delhi, where he was appointed a Judge, and in 1342 was sent by the Emperor of Hindustan on an Embassy to the Emperor of China. On his way he met with many adventures and detentions, before reaching Kalicut, where he waited three months for the ship that was to convey him to China. Then, after hav. ing embarked his suite, and the presents with which he was entrusted, while

was likewise a very stupid being. He had also ships with which he occasionally transported his troops against the Mohammedans. Besides all this, we were in danger of drowning, unless we could enter the port: I said to the Reis, therefore, Allow me to come on shore, and I will ensure thy safety, and that of those about thee, with the King. To this he consented, and myself, with some of my followers only, were brought on shore. The infidels then came about us and said: What are you? I answered, I am a relation of the King of the Maabar districts, and am on a voyage to visit him whatever is in the ship, is a present for the King of Maabar. They then went to their king, and told him this. He therefore sent for me, and I went to him. He is the king of the city of Battála,* which is small, and surrounded by two wooden fences. The whole of its shore abounds with cinnamon wood, bakam, and the kalanjí aloe; which, however, is not equal to the Kamári, or the Kákulí, in scent. The merchants of Maabar and the Maabar districts transport it without any other price than a few articles of clothing, which are given as presents to the king.

performing his devotions previous to embarking himself, a great storm arose, and the ship was driven to sea without him. This caused another long detention. But at last, ascertaining that the vessel had reached China, after a further delay he made his way to the Maldive islands. There he settled down, married four wives, and was made a Judge. A child was born to him, and he became a magnate in the land. But his prosperity became his bane; for the Vizier, dreading his own loss of influence, grew so hostile, that he resolved to visit the "Maabar districts of Hindostan," whose king was married to a sister of one of his wives. Taking all the above circumstances into account, he could scarcely have reached Ceylon before 1347; the probability indeed is that it was later; for the capital of the island was, at the time of his visit, Kankár, or Ganga-sri-pura, the modern Gampola, which city was not made the capital until 1347.

* Puttalam.

This may be attributed to the circumstance, that it is brought down by the mountain torrents, and left in great heaps upon the shore. Between this city and the Maabar districts, there is a voyage of one day and night. The king of Ceylon, Ayarí Shakarí* by name, has considerable forces by sea. When I was first admitted to his presence, he rose and received me honourably, and said: You are to be my guest for three days. Security shall be forwarded to the people of the ship, because your relation, the king of the Maabar, is my friend. After thanking him, I remained with him, and was treated with increasing respect.

One day, when I was admitted to his presence, he had with him a great number of pearls, which had been brought from the

It is not quite clear who the individual here called the king of Ceylon was. Perhaps Ibn Batúta assigned to him the rank of king from the meaning of the name; 'Arya,' signifying in the Sanskrit, noble; and 'chakra-varti,' universal monarch. Major Forbes, in the Epitome of the History of Ceylon appended to vol. ii. of his work, mentions that in the reign of Bhuwanekabáhu I (A. D. 1303—1314,) Kulasékara the king of Pándi, sent an army commanded by A'rya-Chakra-varti to invade Ceylon; and that he took the capital Yápahu, and carried off the Dalada, which he presented to his sovereign. This relic was recovered by Prakramabahu III. the succeeding king, who went in person to treat with the king of Pándi for its restitution. It is not stated whether the Pándian king retained possession of Puttalam or not. The Malabars or Tamils of Ceylon were settled in considerable numbers along the northwest coast, and the leading man, or chief, may have been named Chakra-varti, which is a common enough name to this day amongst the Jaffnese; or the Pándian General may have remained at Puttalam as the representative of the king of Pándi. In the reign of a subsequent monarch, Bhuwanekabáhu IV. (A. D. 1347-1361,) the capital of Ceylon was removed to Gangá-siripura or Gampola, which may have been the Kankár, referred to by Ibn Batuta further on; but as the words mean only "the royal river city," they may have been applied to other cities on the banks of a river as well as Gampola.

pearl-fishery, and these his companions were sorting. He asked me, whether I had ever seen pearl-diving, in any country which I had visited. I said, yes, I had, in the island of Fínas. He said: Do not be shy; ask for what you wish. I answered: My only desire in coming to this island was, to visit the blessed foot of our forefather Adam; whom these people call Bábá, while they style Eve, Mámá. This, replied he, is easy enough. We will send some one with you, who shall conduct you thither. The ship (said I) which brought me here, shall return to the Maabar; and when I return, you shall send me there in one of your ships. He answered, It shall be so. When I told this to the commander of the ship, he refused to accede to it; and said, I will wait for you, should you be absent a whole year. This I told to the King, who said: He may stay at my charge until you return. He then gave me a palanquin, which his servants carried upon their shoulders. He also sent with me four Jogees, who were in the habit of visiting the foot-mark every year; with these went four Brahmins, and ten of the King's companions, with fifteen men carrying provisions. As to water, there is plenty of it to be found on the road. We then proceeded on our journey: and on the first day crossed a river in a boat made of reeds, and entered the city of Manár Mandalí,* which is handsome, and situated at the extremity of the territory of the infidel king, who had entertained and sent us out. We then proceeded to the port of Saláwát, which is a small town. The roads, however, over

*

Probably Annemadooe. Sir J. E. TENNENT says Minneri Mundal. But this lies in an opposite direction to the route to Chilaw, while Annema dooe is about midway between Puttalam and that town.

+ Chilaw.

which we travelled, were rough and abounding with water. In these there were many elephants: but they never touched either pilgrims or strangers, in consequence of the blessing obtained by the Sheikh Abu Abd Allah Ibn Khafif, the first who opened this road of pilgrimage to the foot. The infidels would not formerly allow the Mohammedans to make this pilgrimage, but injured them; nor would they either sell, or give them any thing to eat. But when it happened that the elephants killed all the companions of this Sheikh, one of them sparing and carrying him on his back from among the mountains to an inhabited district, the infidels ever after thought highly of the Mohammedans, admitted them into their houses, and fed them.* And to this very day they speak of the Sheikh in the most extravagant terms of respect, and call him "the greatest Sheikh." After this we arrived at the city of Kankár, which is the seat of the Emperor of Ceylon. It is built in a valley between two hills, upon an estuary called the estuary

* In this statement Ibn Batuta is fully borne out by Robert Knox, who says, speaking of the charity of the Sinhalese, in his chapter "concerning their religious doctrines, opinions and practices," part iii. ch. 5. Nor are they charitable only to the poor of their own nation; but as I said to others, and particularly to the Moorish beggars, who are Mahometans by religion; these have a temple in Kandy. A certain former king gave this temple this privilege-that every freeholder should contribute a ponnam (fanam, 11⁄2d.) to it; and these Moors go to every house in the land to receive it [except in Dolosbáge]; and, if the house be shut, they have power to break it open, and to take of goods to the value of it. They come very confidently when they beg, and say they come to fulfil the people's charity; and the people do liberally relieve them for charity's sake....These Moors pilgrims have many pieces of land given to them, by well disposed persons, out of charity, where they build houses and live; and this land becomes theirs from generation to generation, for ever."