844-8 A.D. IBN-KHURDADBEH

XVIII. 844-8 A.D. IBN-KHURDADBEH

(A) Route to the East

Narmechireh,¹ the boundary between Persia and Sind, is 7 days’ journey by water (from Ormuz);—From there to Daibal, 8 days. This town is two parasangs from the Mouth of the Mehrān (Indus). The country of Sind produces the costus (costus speciosus), cane and bamboo. From the river Mehran to (Yeksir?)² where Indian territory begins, 4 days. They gather cane in the mountains and corn³ in the plains; the people, divided into tribes, live by brigandage. Two farsakhs beyond, there lives another people the Meyd,⁴ who also apply themselves to stealing. From there to Koul (or Koula), 2 parasangs. From Kaoul to Sendān, where you have the teakwood (sadj) and cane, 18 parasangs. From Sendān to Mely (Malabar), land of pepper and bamboo, 5 days. The sailors say that every bunch of pepper is covered up by a leaf which shelters it from the rain; when the rain ceases, the leaves turn off; if it starts raining again, they cover the fruit once more. From Mely to Balin,⁵ 2 journeys. From there to the great gulf (sea) 2 days. At Balin, the route divides itself (into two). Following the coast, we reach Baneh (or Bas), which produces rice which they carry to Serandib, 2 days. Sandy and Askan, land producing rice, 2 days. Koura, where many rivers empty themselves, 3 parasangs. Kilakān (Kilkayan), Louar and Kendjeh, 2 days. This country produces wheat and rice; they send aloes by way of the fresh water,⁶ from countries situated at a distance of 15 days, such as Kamoul and other places. From Semender to Ourtasir,⁷ great kingdom where abound the elephant, the horse, the buffalo and all sorts of products, 12 parasangs. From Ourtasir to Aīneh, where again we find elephants, 4 days. From Houbalin (?) to Serendib, 2 days.

Serendib (Ceylon) is 80 parasangs in length and breadth. We find there the mountain on which Adam was thrown (after having been chased from the earthly paradise). The summit is lost in the clouds, and it is perceived by navigators from a distance of about twenty days (sic). The Brahmans, who are the pious people of India, show on this mountain the impress of one of the feet of Adam; the other is found in India, at a distance of two or three days from the first. They gather in this mountain aloes, pepper, and many kinds of aromatic stuff and perfumes. We find in the neighbourhood different varieties of rubies and other precious stones; in fine, in the valley, a mine of diamonds and musk-goats (des chèvres à musc). The people of India say that the foot of Adam has left only one mark on the rock, and that a flame leaps up incessantly on the summit of the mountain like lightning. Serendib produces cocoanut and emery which serves to polish the metals; we find in its rivers rock-crystals and along its coasts are established the pearl-fisheries.

—Le Livre des Routes et des Provinces: ed. C. Barbier de Meynard. JA.: 6: v: pp. 283-6. (Cf. Elliot and Dowson i, pp. 15-16.)

(B) Principal Kings of India: Elephants

The kings and the peoples of India abstain from wine; but they consider adultery a lawful act with the exception of the king of Komar who abstains from both. On the contrary the king of Serendib gets the wines of Irak for his use. All the kings set great store on the elephant, and they compete for its acquisition at gold prices. The maximum height of this animal is 9 cubits. However, in Ghobb⁸ one could find elephants which are 10 or 11 cubits high. The most powerful sovereign of India is the Balharaj whose name signifies ‘King of Kings.’ On his ring is engraved this motto: “Anything undertaken with passion always ends in success.” After him come the King of Tafen, the King of Djabah (Java); the King of Djozr (Gujarat?) where the dirhems called the tatherides are current; the King of Anah, and Rahma. The states of the last named are far from all the others by a year’s journey.⁹ Rahma possesses 50,000 elephants, cotton stuffs and aloes. After him comes the King of Kamroun, whose kingdom touches China and abounds in rhinoceroses. This animal has a horn in front, one cubit long and the thickness of two palms. We find a sort of figure marked in the direction of its length. When it is slit, inside one could find standing out in white on a black background, the image of a man, horse, fish, peacock or some other bird. The Chinese buy them to make waist bands of which the price varies from two hundred dinars up to three or four thousand.

All the kings of whom we have just spoken, have their ears bored. The king of Zabedj is named Maharaja. He possesses in his states an Island named Dhou-Tail, which resounds with the sounds of tambours and timbals. According to the report of sailors, in these parts one finds a horse which resembles the species of horse found among us, but whose mane is so long that it drags on the ground. The Maharaja collects each day a contribution of 200 pieces of Gold. He melts this sum into a single ingot and throws it into the water saying, “Here is my treasury.” There is in this sea an Island in which there are monkeys that have tails like that of an ass.

—J.A.: ibid. pp. 289-91.

(C) Castes

There are seven castes in India :

1. The Sabekferya (B. the Sabiens, Ed. Sakrya). This is the caste of the nobility and of the king. All the other castes prostrate before them, but they do not render this homage to any one.
2. The Brahmans, who drink neither wine nor any fermented liquor.
3. The Kesrya (Kṣatriya). They drink 3 cups of wine only. They cannot marry into Brahman families, but the latter marry their daughters.
4. The Soudarya (Śūdra) or cultivators.
5. Meisera (Vaiśya) artisans and labourers.
6. The Sandalya (Chaṇḍāla) servants and escorts.
7. The Zenya (musicians and jugglers).

There are 42 religious sects among the Hindus. Some believe in God (may His holy name be glorified) and in the mission of the prophets; others reject the prophets, yet others reject all these beliefs alike.

In this country is found a class of magicians who realize everything that they wish for, by their spells and heal all sickness. Versed in the occult sciences and in the art of divination, they exercise an absolute authority, do good and evil, conjure up apparitions and phantoms which strike the spirit with fear, and command rain and hail.

—J.A.: ibid. pp. 295-6 (cf. Elliot and Dowson i. pp. 16-17).

1. The Saṅghāṭi, which is translated by the ‘double cloak.’
2. The Uttarāsaṅga, which is translated by the ‘upper garment.’
3. The Antarvāsa, which is translated by the ‘inner garment.’ The above three are all called cīvara. In the countries of the North these priestly cloaks are generally called kāṣāya from their reddish colour. This is not, however, a technical term used in the Vinaya.
4. Pātra, the bowl.
5. Niṣīdana, something for sitting or lying on.
6. Parisrāvaṇa, a water-strainer. A candidate for Ordination should be furnished with a set of the six Requisites. The following are the thirteen Necessaries:
7. Saṅghāṭī, a double cloak.
8. Uttarāsaṅga, an upper garment.
9. Antarvāsa, an inner garment.
10. Niṣīdana, a mat for sitting or lying on.
11. Nivāsana, an under garment.
12. Prati-nivāsana (a second nivāsana).
13. Saṅkakṣikā, a side-covering cloth.
14. Prati-sankakṣikā (a second sankakṣikā).
15. Kāya-proñchana, a towel for wiping the body.
16. Mukha-proñchana, a towel for wiping the face.
17. Keśapratigraha, a piece of cloth used for receiving hair when one shaves.
18. Kaṇḍupraticchādana, a piece of cloth for covering itches.
19. (Bheṣajapariṣkāracīvara), a cloth for defraying the cost of medicine in case of necessity,” [rather—a cloth for filtering medicine]—pp. 54-5.