Written pieces of evidence from Pre-Medieval/medieval Africa are few and far between, making the full book of Ibn Battuta's travels in Africa a one of a kind piece. The book focuses on Ibn’s travels throughout the world but has a major piece on the civilizations in North/Western Africa, which for 14th century Africa is almost unheard of. Ibn Battuta’s piece, focused on Africa, has been proclaimed as one of the most prolific African documentaries of all time. While this piece is a major part of history, Batutta’s view of Africa and the world around him was tainted by his religion, experiences, and biases due to his birthplace. These biases lead to a question of evaluation into his writing and whether he is a primary source for medieval African …show more content…
A prime example is the belief in spirits and the spiritual world becoming a major piece in African Muslim practice. This belief began in Ancient Africa across the Saharan, and when Islam spread into Africa, this belief remained with the cultures that inherited it. Battuta practiced Islam, the belief that they were the true followers of Muhammed, and followed his “exact traditions,” as it was the profit himself who passed down the beliefs. Due to his belief that he and his fellow Sunni Muslims were the true prophets of Muhammad himself, it can be inferred that he was to think of himself as superior to other forms of Islam. Therefore, when he witnessed the changes enacted by African civilizations, Battuta would have judged them harshly as they were not following the “exact Commandments.” Battuta, however, was one of the very few travelers to visit the Malian Empire, and therefore, his claims are neither confirmed nor denied, but his words must be taken as truth. A third topic that brings Battuta’s analysis into question is the depth into which he dove into the true reasoning for the empire's