Travels of Ibn Baṭṭūṭa
Delhi (Dihlī)
Title
The Sultan's Gates and the ceremonial observed therein
Short description
At the Sultan's Gates in Delhi, guests are announced by voice and playing musical instruments. The author's account presents a few discrepancies with al-ʿUmarī's. According to the latter, were there seven gates (Siddiqi et al., 1971, p.55).
Text on source
ودار السلطان بدهلي تسمى دار سرى (بفتح السين المهمل والراء)، ولها أبواب كثيرة، فأمَّا الباب الأول فعليه جملة من الرجال موكلون به، ويقعد به أهل الأنفار والأبواق والصرنايات، فإذا جاء أمير أو كبير ضربوها ويقولون في ضَرْبِهم جاء فلان جاء فلان، وكذلك أيضًا في البابين الثاني والثالث [ص. ٣١٧]
English translation
The Sultan's palace at Dihli is called Dār Sarā and contains many gates. At the first gate there are posted a number of men in charge of it, and beside it sit straight trumpet-players [ahl al-anfār], coiled trumpet-players [ahl al-abwāq] and zurna-players [ahl al-ṣurnāyāt]. When any amīr or person of note arrives, they sound their instruments and say during this fanfare 'So-and-so has come, so-and-so has come.' The same takes place also at the second and third gates.
Folios/Pages
658
Date
1335 circa
Observations on the events description
Al-ʿUmarī presents this ceremonial as a measure for the safety of the sultan, he adds that no one was allowed in the sultan's presence with any weapons, while the trumpets were sound so that the sultan could be alert (Siddiqi et al., 1971, p.55).
The dots on the map indicate the places where sound and music events were described. They don't represent travel stages.
Participants
Name
Role
Notes
Edit
Delete
Ibn Tughluq, Muhammad
Viewer
King
How to quote
Pintimalli A., "The Sultan's Gates and the ceremonial observed therein" (Event description), Echos. Sound Ecosystems in Travelogues. Published 2024 07 16.doi: 10.25430/echos.travels.130
This work is licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0 
