An Analytical Comparison of the Representation of Women's Roles in the Travelogues of Nasir Khusraw and Ibn Battuta

Abstract:

Travelogues, serving as historical-literary documents, unveil aspects of the social life of societies that often remain hidden in other sources. Employing an analytical-comparative approach, this study examines attitudes towards women in two prominent works of classical Islamic travel literature: the Safarnama of Nasir Khusraw (5th century AH) and the Rihla of Ibn Battuta (8th century AH). Through the extraction and analysis of all references to women in both texts, the findings indicate that Nasir Khusraw, influenced by Ismaili religious bias and a focus on the moral dimensions of travel, largely overlooks women or marginalizes them within the narrative. Their presence is restricted to rare and indirect instances, such as allusions to wealth or association with aristocratic status. In contrast, Ibn Battuta, exhibiting greater freedom, heightened anthropological curiosity, and broader access to social spheres, portrays women in diverse roles, including political spies, professional weavers, among others. However, the study's findings reveal that both authors primarily define women through criteria such as beauty, wealth, or association with rulers. Such perspectives reflect the enduring patriarchal structure of the Islamic world. These differences stem not only from the authors' personalities and ideological positions but also indicate relative evolutions in gender discourse among writers in the Islamic world between the 5th and 8th centuries AH.