What do you think?
Rate this book
Library of Arabic Literature
رحلات أخبار الصين والهند وكتاب ابن فضلان
يجمع كتاب “رحلات” اثنين من النماذج الرائعة لأدب الرحلات العربي والذين تم تأليفهما بنفس الحقبة، إلا أنهما يؤرخان بشكل عشوائي لتجارب متشعبة.
كتاب “أخبار الصين والهند” يجمع بين التقارير والحكايات عن أراضي وشعوب المحيط الهندي، من رؤوس الصومال إلى الصين وكوريا.
شهدت القرون الأولى من العصر العباسي شبكة كبيرة من التجارة البحرية ــ الخلفية التاريخية لحكايات سندباد. في هذا الكتاب، نسافر أولاً إلى الشرق لاكتشاف الفسيفساء البشرية النشطة بما في ذلك وصف للمجتمع والحكومة الصينية، والطقوس الدينية الهندوسية، والحياة الطبيعية من السمك الطائر إلى غزلان المسك التبتية والأحجار الكريمة السريلانكية.
بالمقارنة، خلق هذا الكتاب صورة بانورامية لعالم لا يختلف عن مفاهيمنا؛ عالم في طريقه إلى العولمة: في موانئه، نجد كنزاً هائلاً من المعلومات التي لا تقدر بثمن؛ يجد هنا أول وصف غريب للشاي والخزف الصيني ومشهداً من الطقوس الاجتماعية النادرة وسكان جزر من أكلة لحوم البشر ورجال الدين الهنود – عالم دنيوي، في نص أقصر من رواية.
في كتاب أحمد ابن فضلان “بعثة إلى نهر الفولغا”، نتحرك شمالاً في بعثة دبلوماسية من بغداد إلى الروافد العليا لنهرالفولغا وهو ما يعرف الآن بوسط روسيا.
يحكي كتاب “ابن فضلان” الوثائقي تجارب ومحن الدبلوماسيين وبعثات الدعاة التي بعث بها الخليفة المقتدر من أجل إيصال تعاليم سياسية ودينية إلى ملك البلغار الذي اعتنق الإسلام مؤخراً.
خلال أحد عشر شهراً من السفر المرهق، يسجل ابن فضلان الأعاجيب التي شهدها خلال رحلته، بما في ذلك الشفق القطبي وليالي الشمال البيضاء.
والأهم من ذلك، يقدم إبن فضلان وصفا للفايكنغ روس، بما في ذلك عاداتهم وملابسهم ووشمهم، و يقدم القصة الملفتة لجنازة على سفينة. كما أن كتاب “أحمد بن فضلان (بعثة إلى نهر الفولغا)” هو أقدم مثال باق لقصص الرحلات يقوم بها أول شخص باللغة العربية – نص رائد ذو قيمة تاريخية وأدبية لا نظير له.
تنير الأخبار في كتاب “رحلات” عالماً نابضاً بالحياة من التنوع خلال ذروة الامبراطورية العباسية، تمت روايتهما بالكثير من الفضول والحماس كما كان ينظر إليها من قبل حاملي راياتها الملتزمين.
In Mission to the Volga, we move north on a diplomatic mission from Baghdad to the upper reaches of the Volga River in what is now central Russia. This colorful documentary by Ibn Fadlan relates the trials and tribulations of an embassy of diplomats and missionaries sent by caliph al-Muqtadir to deliver political and religious instruction to the recently-converted King of the Bulghars. During eleven months of grueling travel, Ibn Fadlan records the marvels he witnesses on his journey, including an aurora borealis and the white nights of the North. Crucially, he offers a description of the Viking Rus, including their customs, clothing, tattoos, and a striking account of a ship funeral. Mission to the Volga is also the earliest surviving instance of sustained first-person travel narrative in Arabic--a pioneering text of peerless historical and literary value.
Together, the stories in Two Arabic Travel Books illuminate a vibrant world of diversity during the heyday of the Abbasid empire, narrated with as much curiosity and zeal as they were perceived by their observant beholders.
كتاب “أخبار الصين والهند” يجمع بين التقارير والحكايات عن أراضي وشعوب المحيط الهندي، من رؤوس الصومال إلى الصين وكوريا.
شهدت القرون الأولى من العصر العباسي شبكة كبيرة من التجارة البحرية ــ الخلفية التاريخية لحكايات سندباد. في هذا الكتاب، نسافر أولاً إلى الشرق لاكتشاف الفسيفساء البشرية النشطة بما في ذلك وصف للمجتمع والحكومة الصينية، والطقوس الدينية الهندوسية، والحياة الطبيعية من السمك الطائر إلى غزلان المسك التبتية والأحجار الكريمة السريلانكية.
بالمقارنة، خلق هذا الكتاب صورة بانورامية لعالم لا يختلف عن مفاهيمنا؛ عالم في طريقه إلى العولمة: في موانئه، نجد كنزاً هائلاً من المعلومات التي لا تقدر بثمن؛ يجد هنا أول وصف غريب للشاي والخزف الصيني ومشهداً من الطقوس الاجتماعية النادرة وسكان جزر من أكلة لحوم البشر ورجال الدين الهنود – عالم دنيوي، في نص أقصر من رواية.
في كتاب أحمد ابن فضلان “بعثة إلى نهر الفولغا”، نتحرك شمالاً في بعثة دبلوماسية من بغداد إلى الروافد العليا لنهرالفولغا وهو ما يعرف الآن بوسط روسيا.
يحكي كتاب “ابن فضلان” الوثائقي تجارب ومحن الدبلوماسيين وبعثات الدعاة التي بعث بها الخليفة المقتدر من أجل إيصال تعاليم سياسية ودينية إلى ملك البلغار الذي اعتنق الإسلام مؤخراً.
خلال أحد عشر شهراً من السفر المرهق، يسجل ابن فضلان الأعاجيب التي شهدها خلال رحلته، بما في ذلك الشفق القطبي وليالي الشمال البيضاء.
والأهم من ذلك، يقدم إبن فضلان وصفا للفايكنغ روس، بما في ذلك عاداتهم وملابسهم ووشمهم، و يقدم القصة الملفتة لجنازة على سفينة. كما أن كتاب “أحمد بن فضلان (بعثة إلى نهر الفولغا)” هو أقدم مثال باق لقصص الرحلات يقوم بها أول شخص باللغة العربية – نص رائد ذو قيمة تاريخية وأدبية لا نظير له.
تنير الأخبار في كتاب “رحلات” عالماً نابضاً بالحياة من التنوع خلال ذروة الامبراطورية العباسية، تمت روايتهما بالكثير من الفضول والحماس كما كان ينظر إليها من قبل حاملي راياتها الملتزمين.
In Mission to the Volga, we move north on a diplomatic mission from Baghdad to the upper reaches of the Volga River in what is now central Russia. This colorful documentary by Ibn Fadlan relates the trials and tribulations of an embassy of diplomats and missionaries sent by caliph al-Muqtadir to deliver political and religious instruction to the recently-converted King of the Bulghars. During eleven months of grueling travel, Ibn Fadlan records the marvels he witnesses on his journey, including an aurora borealis and the white nights of the North. Crucially, he offers a description of the Viking Rus, including their customs, clothing, tattoos, and a striking account of a ship funeral. Mission to the Volga is also the earliest surviving instance of sustained first-person travel narrative in Arabic--a pioneering text of peerless historical and literary value.
Together, the stories in Two Arabic Travel Books illuminate a vibrant world of diversity during the heyday of the Abbasid empire, narrated with as much curiosity and zeal as they were perceived by their observant beholders.
93 pages, ebook
First published November 4, 2014
7 people are currently reading
362 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 18, 2014
These are two short but interesting travelogues. I think for an undergraduate class, they might be an easy short assignment - probably the most interesting aspect of this of course is the way that the authors see other cultures, and thus reflect on their own culture. I was amused for example that both authors comment, with a little shock, that other cultures eat out of individual plates instead of a communal plate - something I've seen European travelers to the Arab world comment on, but it reverse.
The quality of the footnotes varies between the two books - the first I found had very helpful footnotes that contextualize the work, and add some interesting additional commentary. The second book had somewhat more 'erudite' footnotes that weren't quite as useful.
The Arabic text is nice to have, and generally matches the position of the English on the page, so it's pretty easy to skip between the two. The font/design used is a bit ligature happy, and this doesn't always really help readability- for example, the kaaf-taa ligature (e.g. in kitaab) leaves the dots floating about the kaaf and with a tiny tooth for the taa, it's easy to read the word wrong when skimming. I appreciate a less simplistic font, but it's not really all that pleasant to read.
The quality of the footnotes varies between the two books - the first I found had very helpful footnotes that contextualize the work, and add some interesting additional commentary. The second book had somewhat more 'erudite' footnotes that weren't quite as useful.
The Arabic text is nice to have, and generally matches the position of the English on the page, so it's pretty easy to skip between the two. The font/design used is a bit ligature happy, and this doesn't always really help readability- for example, the kaaf-taa ligature (e.g. in kitaab) leaves the dots floating about the kaaf and with a tiny tooth for the taa, it's easy to read the word wrong when skimming. I appreciate a less simplistic font, but it's not really all that pleasant to read.
March 17, 2023
This book includes two accounts of early Arab travellers - "Accounts of China and India" by Abū Zayd al-Sīrāfī, and "Mission to the Volga" by Aḥmad ibn Faḍlān. The books are interesting as they relate exactly what the travellers of the time saw.
The accounts of China and India (actually two books) concentrate on the major trade route between Siraf (now a small village) and Khānfū (present Guangzhou), carried out by vessels called the China ships. Major ports along the route were Kūlam Malī in southwestern India and Kalah Bār on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula.
The trade resulted in a major Muslim presence in China. At the time of the first book (851–52), times were peaceful and organized. The ruler of China had appointed a Muslim man to settle cases arising between the Muslims who go to that region.
However, by the time of the second book (after 884), a revolution had occurred in China resulting in the voyages to China being abandoned and the country itself ruined, "... leaving all traces of its greatness gone and everything in utter disarray." A rebel, known as Huang Chao, from outside the ruling dynasty had marched on the great cities of China. Experts on Chinese affairs reported that the number of Muslims, Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians massacred by him was 120,000. Subsequently, all the provinces were taken over by warlords.
The books also includes observations from visits to other countries along the shipping route, including the island of al-Zābaj (Java) and the Land of al-Qamār (Cambodia).
The Mission to the Volga occurred in 851–52. The reason for the journey was that "The king of the Volga Bulghārs had embraced Islam. He was asking to be accepted as one of the caliph’s loyal emirs — the caliph’s name would be proclaimed as part of Friday prayers in Bulghār territory. The king petitioned the caliph to send him instruction in law and in how he and his people were to correctly perform religious devotions as proper Muslims."
The narrative relates the parties interactions with various Turkish tribes, the Bulghars and eventually the Rūsiyyah. The later are apparently Scandinavians who moved into the Volga area in the 8th century to participate in trade, being an early part of the Viking expansion.
"Mission to the Volga" was the basis for Michael Crichton's fictional "Eaters of the Dead" and the movie "The 13th Warrior". The editor notes "I especially remember the Icelander who lost his patience with me when I tried to explain that Crichton’s Eaters of the Dead was a fantasy novel.
The accounts of China and India (actually two books) concentrate on the major trade route between Siraf (now a small village) and Khānfū (present Guangzhou), carried out by vessels called the China ships. Major ports along the route were Kūlam Malī in southwestern India and Kalah Bār on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula.
The trade resulted in a major Muslim presence in China. At the time of the first book (851–52), times were peaceful and organized. The ruler of China had appointed a Muslim man to settle cases arising between the Muslims who go to that region.
However, by the time of the second book (after 884), a revolution had occurred in China resulting in the voyages to China being abandoned and the country itself ruined, "... leaving all traces of its greatness gone and everything in utter disarray." A rebel, known as Huang Chao, from outside the ruling dynasty had marched on the great cities of China. Experts on Chinese affairs reported that the number of Muslims, Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians massacred by him was 120,000. Subsequently, all the provinces were taken over by warlords.
The books also includes observations from visits to other countries along the shipping route, including the island of al-Zābaj (Java) and the Land of al-Qamār (Cambodia).
The Mission to the Volga occurred in 851–52. The reason for the journey was that "The king of the Volga Bulghārs had embraced Islam. He was asking to be accepted as one of the caliph’s loyal emirs — the caliph’s name would be proclaimed as part of Friday prayers in Bulghār territory. The king petitioned the caliph to send him instruction in law and in how he and his people were to correctly perform religious devotions as proper Muslims."
The narrative relates the parties interactions with various Turkish tribes, the Bulghars and eventually the Rūsiyyah. The later are apparently Scandinavians who moved into the Volga area in the 8th century to participate in trade, being an early part of the Viking expansion.
"Mission to the Volga" was the basis for Michael Crichton's fictional "Eaters of the Dead" and the movie "The 13th Warrior". The editor notes "I especially remember the Icelander who lost his patience with me when I tried to explain that Crichton’s Eaters of the Dead was a fantasy novel.
July 12, 2025
The book's too short but considering how rare first person narratives are from the Ninth and Ten Centuries (especially from outside of present day Europe) it's lucky these accounts have survived at all. The Chinese descriptions were more interesting to me personally because that information was harder to access while parts of the Ibn Fadlan narrative have appeared in most history books about the Vikings over the half century. Don't skip it here though just because you've read excerpts from it elsewhere. This is a much longer version and includes some very intriguing background information about the chronicler and his times.
4 stars
4 stars
Read
July 8, 2024First half by unknown 851/2
second half by Abū Zayd al-Sīrāfī 943/4?? Or late 9th/early 10th ?? After 884??
second half by Abū Zayd al-Sīrāfī 943/4?? Or late 9th/early 10th ?? After 884??
October 3, 2015
Essentially two travel books in one - four vast regions accounted for by two diversely different tellings of such fascinating encounters and cultural exchanges - this is the Abbasid era at it's best - curiously vivid yet unexplained. Al-Sarafi's account is a patchwork of fascinating encounters (e.g. Cannibal Islands) and specific descriptions of the socio-political order of the day (e.g. in China) covering the whole of the Indo-Chinese coast, it's lands, peoples cultures and goods (e.g. Tea, Porcelain, Gems and Musk). The retelling is as varied as interesting - an exciting mix of a globalised past. Ibn Fadlan's account is more up close and personal - his journey is arduous, risking life and limb to witness marvels (e.g. aurora borealis) and bringing us fascinating descriptions of past peoples and lost lifestyles and customs. I preferred this rendering of Ibn Fadlan's account over and above the "Ibn Fadlān and the Land of Darkness: Arab Travellers in the Far North" by Penguin Classics - which I also read and reviewed not so long ago.
Read
December 29, 2016Amazing capture of very old worlds. reader travels through time imagining how those people lived and survived by us today.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews