الهند في أدب الرحلات العربية والغربية: الرحالة فارتيما (874 -922هـ/1470-1517م) نموذجًا ........................ India in Arabic and Western Travelogues: A Case Study of the Travelogue of Ludovico di Varthema (1470-1517)
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the travelogue of Ludovico di Varthema about fifteenth century India. The paper studied the contents of his book Itinerario de Ludouico de Varthema Bolognese to understand religious, social, and political circumstances of India, especially the south India, during the period under review. The paper first attempts to explain the reasons for Europeans’ voyages to the Indian subcontinent in particular and to the East in general. Then, it outlines a brief comparative analysis of different travelogues of Arab maritime geographers and travelers who visited India in different times. Finally, the paper addresses the reasons, which led European countries, especially Portugal, to send travelers and explorers to the East in general and to India in particular, explaining main objectives of these navigations, voyages, and discoveries in light of the contents of the book of Varthema which was published in 1510 after his return from India in 1509. It is important to note that Varthema is considered the first European traveler who visited the two holy Mosques in Hijaz. Moreover, the descriptions and comments about India depicted in his travelogue significantly differ from those recorded by Vasco de Gama and other contemporary travelers.
Keywords: Arab travelers, India, European travelers, Ludovico di Varthema.
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