Abstract
The Waqai-i Manazil-i Rum is an important Indian document of the late 18th century. An incomplete account of Tipu Sultan of Mysore’s embassy to the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid I, it provides a fascinating insight into the travails of sea voyages of the time, as well as descriptions of local conditions along the Persian Gulf. Of note is its frankness in reporting the internal squabbling, desertions and difficulties endured by the mission. A reassessment of the text, in the context of recent scholarly interest in travel writing, reveals similarities with other Muslim travelogues. In addition, questions are raised regarding the diary’s authorship, in the light of Tipu’s recently translated instructions to his envoys.
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