"Ibn Batuta was amazed by the efficiency of Indian postal system." Explain the statement with examples.
"Ibn Batuta was amazed by the efficiency of Indian postal system." Explain the statement with examples.
Official answer
Ibn Battuta, the 14th-century Moroccan traveller, marvelled at the speed and organisation of India's postal system.
Two kinds of postal system:
- Horse-post (uluq): run by royal horses stationed at intervals of about every four miles, used for official despatches.
- Foot-post (dawa): had three stations per mile; each station had couriers ready to run.
How it worked (examples of efficiency):
- Runners carried a rod topped with copper bells; hearing the bells, the next courier stood ready and took over the letter in a relay, so messages sped along without pause.
- The foot-post was faster than the horse-post for carrying news.
- It was so efficient that even fruits from Khurasan (Central Asia) could be transported to the Sultan, and news, remittances and even criminals could be despatched quickly across the empire.
Marking scheme
- 1.1 mark: two types of postal system — horse-post (uluq, royal horses every four miles) and foot-post (dawa, three stations per mile).
- 2.1 mark: working of the relay — runners with bell-topped rods passing letters from courier to courier so news moved without delay, foot-post faster than horse-post.
- 3.1 mark: concrete example of efficiency — fresh fruits from Khurasan carried to the Sultan, and swift transmission of news, money and even criminals.
Hint
Name the two systems (horse-post uluq and foot-post dawa), the short station intervals, the bell-signalled relay of runners, and the fruit-from-Khurasan example.
Quick oral answer
Ibn Battuta admired India's postal system for its speed: horses (uluq) every four miles and foot-runners (dawa) three stations per mile passed letters in a bell-signalled relay, even carrying fresh fruit from Khurasan to the Sultan.
Common mistakes
- 1.Writing only that the postal system was 'fast and good' without giving the two types (uluq and dawa) or the relay mechanism.
- 2.Omitting a concrete example such as fruits from Khurasan being carried to the Sultan, which examiners expect in an 'explain with examples' answer.
- 3.Confusing which system was faster — Ibn Battuta noted the foot-post was quicker for news than the horse-post.
Analysis and explanation
This 3-mark source-linked question is from Ibn Battuta's account in 'Through the Eyes of Travellers'.
Concept:
- Ibn Battuta, coming from Morocco, was astonished because India's communication network was faster and better organised than what he had seen elsewhere. The relay system — couriers stationed at short intervals passing letters from hand to hand — is the heart of the answer. The signalling by bells meant no time was wasted waiting.
Exam trap:
- Do not merely say 'the postal system was fast'. Score by naming the two types (horse-post uluq and foot-post dawa), the short intervals between stations, the bell-signalled relay, and a concrete example such as fresh fruit from Khurasan reaching the Sultan.
Application:
- The account shows how a strong state used efficient communication to bind a vast territory — the same logic behind modern courier and postal networks.
Interesting facts
Ibn Battuta reported that the foot-post could carry the Sultan's favourite fruits, such as grapes and melons from Khurasan, fresh to Delhi.
Ibn Battuta himself was appointed Qazi (judge) of Delhi by Muhammad bin Tughlaq, giving him first-hand access to the workings of the Sultanate.
Question details
Q24 of 41 questions
- Board
- CBSE
- Class
- Class 12
- Subject
- History
- Year
- 2026
- Section
- Section B
- Marks
- 3
- Type
- Short Answer
- Chapter
- Through the Eyes of Travellers: Perceptions of Society
- Topic
- Ibn Battuta and the efficiency of the Indian postal system
- Bloom's level
- understand
- Syllabus topic
- Theme 5: Through the Eyes of Travellers — Ibn Battuta's Account of the Indian Postal System
- Author
- CBSE
- Reviewed by
- Padhantu Academic Team
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Frequently asked questions
What were the two types of postal system Ibn Battuta described?
He described the horse-post called uluq, run by royal horses stationed about every four miles, and the foot-post called dawa, which had three stations per mile where runners waited to carry letters in relay.
What example showed the postal system's efficiency?
Ibn Battuta noted that the foot-post was so efficient it could carry fresh fruits from Khurasan to the Sultan in Delhi, and it transmitted news even faster than the horse-post — a striking sign of its speed.