INDIA AS DESCRIBED BY "CHINA-INDIA NEWS"

الهند كما يصفها "أخبار الصين والهند"

Abstract

The Arabs have visited India and its outskirts since the ancient time. They first visited it for their business. That’s because there were strong trade relations between India and Arabia. But when Islam came into light and its influence spread the Muslims brought this new religion to India as well and subsequently the Muslims stretched their political boundaries which caused the existence of war. In the meanwhile the Arabs took interest in observing the country which was ruled by their ancestors. In due course several travelers visited India to observe its land. These travelers not only visited our mother land but also wrote what they saw in this country and also noted down what they went through. Thus their travelogues became like their personal diaries as well as the history of the country they visited and also it proved to be a guide for those wished to visit. Among such diaries is the book entitled ‘Akhbar al-Sin wa al-Hind’. It was written by Sulaiman al-Tajir and was revised and completed by Abu Zaid al-Sirafi. The following article is a survey for this book and counts the authors’ observations regarding India and its outskirts.