Sulaiman the merchant
Also called: Sulaiman al-Tajir · Topic: Medieval India through Travellers' Eyes · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Sulaiman was an Arab merchant who traded by sea with India and China in the 9th century. His account, written c. 851, is one of the earliest Arab descriptions of India. It describes the sea trade and names the big Indian kingdoms of his time. It is a key source for the three-way struggle among the Palas, Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas.
Example
Sulaiman called the Rashtrakuta king Balhara the greatest king of India and one of the four great kings of the world. He called the Pratihara kingdom Jurz (from "Gurjara") and said it had the finest cavalry and was hostile to the Arabs. He also named the Pala kingdom of Bengal, which he called Rahma.
Don't confuse with
- Al-Masudi: also an Arab writer who praised the Balhara, but he was a 10th-century historian. Sulaiman was a 9th-century merchant.