Ibn Fadlan, on his trip to Bulghar, stops in Khwarazm, where he makes many comments on these people’s customs and culture. Fadlan started his journey in Baghdad, setting out for Bulghar. His total trip length to get to and from Bulghar was about a year and a half. According to the provided map, it was a little over 900 miles to get to Khwarazm from Baghdad. We know it took at least forty-one days to reach Khwarazm, but it most likely took longer (as Fadlan only gives information about how long he stayed in each place, not the travel time). Fadlan doesn’t state exactly how long he stayed in Khwarazm, but we know it was at least three days. In his journey to Khwarazm, we know he was accompanied by a “caravan”; the exact number of people he traveled with is not known. He states they took a boat to Khwarazm; they hired a boat to go up the river, which I assume means someone else was steering the boat. He states that it was so cold they had to break up the trip into multiple days. We don’t know how long this boat ride lasted, but he stated it was “200 farsakhs” from where they rented the boat (6).

            Khwarazm is one of the only places in his travels where we get a glimpse of his lodging situation. Fadlan states that when they arrived in Khwarazm, they went to find the “ruler of the town.” (7) The ruler allowed them to stay in a house in the town. “He admitted us to his presence and lodged us in a house” (7). He describes no other aspect of the house he stays in. We know the weather was very cold on the boat trip to Khwarazm; however, he states that the cold lasted until Khwarazm. Fadlan doesn’t give any other information about the weather there. However, the statement about the cold ending at Khwarazm shows it had to be warmer than on the river.

            In Khwarazm, Fadlan heavily focuses on the coinage and the language of the people; Basically, neglecting any other information about this place. He tells the names of their money: Ki’ab, Dawamat, and Tazja’s. He compares their money directly to his own currency. He states that their Tazja is equivalent to the Dirham. He also reports on the weight of the Tazja, which is four and a half Danaqs; a Danaq was a unit of mass and a kind of currency. When discussing the language, he only passes judgment on the way they speak, rather than giving details about their language. They say that their language sounds like “ the cries of starlings.” (8) This is the only statement he makes regarding their language.

            As stated in the last post, Fadlan was working for the Calif in a position where he was attempting to convert the people he came in contact with. His audience is the calif who is of the opinion that all these people are bad and different. In this, we see Fadlan pass judgment on the people he encounters. His descriptions of language are quite rude throughout his accounts. He also compares all of their currency in terms he is familiar with. This makes sense as the frame of reference that his audience has is less broad than Fadlan’s. The best way to convey his discoveries is in terms his audience understands. The last thing Fadlan tells us about the Khwarazm people is their disbelief in the “ legitimacy of the commander of the faithful.” (8) In other places, he spends a lot of time discussing their religious practices and beliefs. In Khwarazm, however, he spends one sentence describing their beliefs. To me, this shows that he throws in that information for the sake of the Calif, rather than including it because he is personally perturbed. In Khwarazm, Fadlan is fairly nice about their culture and customs. The farther north he gets, the more judgmental he becomes, which makes sense as that is consistent with the Islamic view of the world at this time. In Khwarazm, he isn’t that judgmental, presumably because it is more southern.