Which of the following were features of the postal system of India as described by Ibn Battuta ? 1. The foot post carries a ringing bell in one hand. 2. The horse post is called uluq, stationed at a distance of every four miles. 3. The foot post or dawa has one station at every four kos of distance. 4. The foot post is quicker than horse post. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

The correct answer is A, 1, 2 and 4. Ibn Battuta, who served under Muhammad bin Tughlaq, described a two-part postal system in which statements 1, 2 and 4 hold.

In his travel account, the Rihla, Ibn Battuta wrote that the horse post, called uluq, used royal horses stationed every four miles. The foot post, called dawa, had three stations to every mile. At each station runners waited ready; a runner carried the letter in one hand and a rod with copper bells on top in the other, and the ringing warned the next runner to get ready. He noted with surprise that the foot post was quicker than the horse post, and merchants used it to send news and bills of credit.

B is wrong because it leaves out statement 4, which is correct. C is wrong because statement 3 is false; the dawa had three stations per mile, not one station every four kos. D is wrong because it includes the false statement 3 and leaves out statement 2.

Exam tip: uluq is the horse post every four miles, dawa is the foot post with three stations a mile, and the foot post was faster.