Question

Read the following statements regarding Ibn Battuta's description of Delhi:
I. Delhi was a vast city.
II. Delhi was a populous city.
III. Delhi had colourful markets.
IV. Delhi was isolated from Asian trade.
Which of the following options are correct?

• A. I, II and III are correct.
• B. I, III and IV are correct.
• C. II, III and IV are correct.
• D. I, II and IV are correct.

Hint:

Ibn Battuta was so impressed by Delhi's size and grandeur that he noted in his Rihla that the city's thick defensive wall had small rooms inside for night watchmen and storage of food and ammunition.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Alyzing Statements I, II, and III:
Ibn Battuta visited India during the reign of Muhammad bin Tughlaq in the $14^{\text{th}}$ century. In his travelogue, Rihla, he described Delhi as a city of vast geographical area with a massive, dense population. He wrote that Delhi was the largest city in the eastern part of the Islamic world at the time, surrounded by a great defensive wall with twenty-eight gates, and had beautiful, vibrant, and highly active markets. Thus, Statements I, II, and III are correct.

Step 2: Alyzing Statement IV:
Ibn Battuta highlighted that Delhi was highly integrated into wide-ranging Asian trade and communication networks. He noted that merchants, scholars, and commodities traveled extensively between Delhi, Central Asia, Chi, and the Middle East. The city was certainly not isolated from Asian trade. Thus, Statement IV is incorrect.

Step 3: Matching Options:
Since I, II, and III are correct and IV is incorrect, the correct option is (A).