Dawa
Also called: Foot-post · Topic: Medieval India through Travellers' Eyes · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 1 "Through the Eyes of Travellers"
Meaning
The dawa was the foot-post (a postal service carried by runners) of the Delhi Sultanate. Ibn Battuta described it in the 14th century. There were three stations in every mile, so each runner covered only one-third of a mile. Each runner carried a rod about two cubits long with copper bells on top. At each station he handed the letter to the next runner. Because of these short, fast relays, the dawa was faster than the horse-post.
Example
Ibn Battuta noted that under Muhammad bin Tughlaq the foot-post was so efficient that it even carried fresh fruits of Khurasan (in Central Asia) to India.
Don't confuse with
- Uluq: the horse-post, with royal horses stationed every four miles. It was slower than the dawa. Exams often reverse the two.