French Orientalist Views on Ibn Battuta's Journey: A Critical Historical Study

Abstract

This study examines French Orientalist views of Ibn Battuta’s Rihla, focusing on their assessment of its historical, geographical, and civilizational value and on the criteria used to accept, criticize, or question particular accounts. Special attention is given to the French editing and translation of the Rihla and to debates over the credibility of some distant itineraries, especially the journey to East Asia and China. The study distinguishes historical French Orientalists from later scholars working within French academic traditions and treats Beniamino Raffaello Sanguinetti only in relation to his direct participation in the French publication project. Methodologically, the research combines historical analysis with comparative source criticism by examining original French writings and reassessing their judgments in light of the Rihla and relevant modern scholarship. The findings show that there was no single French position: responses ranged from strong recognition of the work’s scholarly value to partial criticism and skepticism toward specific routes. The Defrémery-Sanguinetti edition proved foundational for the European reception of Ibn Battuta, while also functioning as a textual and translational intermediary that influenced later interpretations. The study concludes that French assessments should be judged according to the quality of their textual criticism and comparative evidence, and that Ibn Battuta’s narrative must be evaluated by distinguishing eyewitness observation, transmitted information, editorial intervention, and translation.