The Travels of Ibn Battuta

Source

Source: The Travels of Ibn Batuta, trans. Samuel Lee from the abridged Arabic manuscripts (London: Oriental Translation Committee, 1829), via the Internet Archive (b28406084) Source URL: https://archive.org/details/b28406084 Translator: Samuel Lee (1829) Public domain basis: Public-domain translation of the abridgement (1829); the translator's preface, footnotes and appendix are omitted. OCR text.

Chapter I

Kabis — Tripoli — Meslata, Sfc.

IlM THE NAME OF THE COMPASSIONATE AND MERCIFUL GoD.

Praise be ascribed to God the lord of worlds ; and the blessing of God be upon our Lord Mohammed, and upon all his posterity and companions. But to proceed : The poor, and needy of the forgiveness of his bountiful lord, Mohammed Ibn Fat,h Allah El Bailuni states, that the following is what he extracted from the epitome of the Katib Mohammed Ibn Jazzi El Kelbi (upon whom be the mercy of God), from the travels of the theologian “Abu Abd Allah Mohammed Ibn Abd Allah El Lawatl* of Tanjiers known by the surname of Ibn Batuta : f and, that he did not extract any'

the following account of two places, to one of which this patronymic is undoubtedly to be referred. ^ jJ\ ^ ^Llb AjIjJ . Lawata is a district of

Karish in Spain. It is also the name of a tribe of the Berbers. According to the same work Jazza is a place in Khorasan ^ to which the patronymic Jazzi is probably to be referred.

f Mr. Burckhardt writes this name Ibn Batouta, adopting the French pronunciation of ou I suppose. I have thought it more conformable with our orthography and pronunciation to write

B A R B A R Y.

thing except what was strange and unknown, or, known by report, but not believed on account of its rarity, and the frequent carelessness of historians in delivering down what has been reported, but what he himself considered as true, in consequence of the fidelity of the Traveller, and because he had written what he believed to be credible from histories of various nations and countries ; and, because that which has been reported by faithful witnesses, generally receives credit and excites inquiry. Some of his statements, indeed, are opposed to the statements of others ; as, for instance, his accounts of what he saw of the aromatic roots of Hindustan, which differ from those given by the physicians : and yet his accounts are probably the true ones.

The Sheikh Ibn Batata, the author of these travels, left his native city, ^Tanjiers,'^ for the purpose of performing the pilgrimage in the 725th year

Batuta. “ There are two abridgments of these travels,” says Mr. Burckhardt, “ one by Ibn Djezy el Kelby ( ), tbe other by Ibn Fathallah el Beylouny (JjLJi printed by mistake aJh ; the latter I possess.” He tells us in the same page that he possessed two copies of this abridgment; but the fact is, there are three among his books bequeathed to the University of Cambridge, all of which present the same text : the few variations found have evidently originated in the mistakes of the transcribers. Mr. Burckhardt writes Djezy, giving Dj for the Arabic . I have adopted Pococke’s method of giving our j for this letter, with which it exactly corresponds. In this word some of the MSS. have doubling thej z, which I have no doubt is the true orthography. From the extracts printed in Germany by Professor Kosegarten and Mr. Apetz, it is quite certain that Mr. Seetzen’s copy, which they probably used, is nothing more than an abridgment of the great work of Ibn Batuta ; and although it presents some varieties with our copies, it is most likely a copy of the same abridgment. I may remark here, once for all, that, as the proper names of places are extremely erroneous in Mr. Burckhardt’s abstract (Travels in Nubia, Appendix III), I shall not in future notice them ; but shall give such words in this work as correctly as I can from the documents in my hands.

Uc^

. The regions of the west consist of three divisions, the most western of which is

B A R B A R Y.

of the Hejira (A.D. 1324-5). I shall mention here only the names of some of the districts through which he passed, although this may contribute but little towards impressing the reader with the greatness of his courage, his religious confidence, or his indefatigable perseverance, in overcoming the difficulties of passing deserts and of crossing mountains.

The first city, therefore, at which he arrived, was "Tilimsan*; the next “'Milyana; the next *E1 Jazaer (Algiers): the next -^Bijaya ; the next ^Kosantinaf known by “ the Extreme West.” This part extends from the shores of the ocean to Tilimsan, considered in an eastward or westward direction : and again, from Subta to Morocco and thence to Sijilmasa with the parts adjacent, considered from north to south. The second division is known by “ the Middle West,” and it extends from the east of Wahran, which is one day’s journey from Tilimsan eastward, to the boundaries of the kingdom of ^ijaya. The third and eastern division is termed Africa, and this extends from Barca to the boundaries of Egypt. Abulfeda places Algiers in Bijaya, and states the longitude and latitude to be respectively 20° 58', 33° 30', reckoning the longitude eastward from the cljI perpetual islands, z. e. from

Ferro, the most westward of the Canary Islands 17° 52' west of Greenwich. The

Kosantina of our traveller is by him written Kosatina, but the ^ n has probably been omitted by the copyist. He makes the longitude and latitude, according to the Atwal, 28° 30', 31 30'; Ibn Said 24 40', 33° 22' respectively.

^ In the have

&c. i. e. Tilimsan : some pronounce it Tinimsan with an n instead of the I : they are two walled and neighbouring cities in the west, between which there is the distance of a stone’s throw : the one is ancient, the other modern — The word is probably a dual. I notice this, because I find M. de Sacy writing it Telmisan. ' f We have s .U-....; Kosantinla, in the Jusl ^ , with this account of the place, ajj

^ ^ ^ tower, the latter of which is termed Kosantinla el Hawa. It is an extremely large and high tower, so that the birds cannot get to it without considerable effort. It is situated in the boundaries of Africa which limit the western parts, upon three large rivers navigated by ships.” This place is also styled by El Harawi, in his book of pilgrimages, Costantina El Hawa, in which he says was a most wonderful bridge having only one arch, and that with a span of 150 paces : the only building like it was another in Khuzistan. ^ ^ l§j LjX<

B A 11 B A R Y.

the next '‘Buna; the next ‘Tunis*; the next'^Sawsa; the next 'Safakus.

. iU-

<sj^

Jil d Ua:

j IjU j^AiU U As-lj 1$1a< . In this place is a bridge, to which there is no equal in the countries of Islamism for its wonderful construction : it consists of one arch of 150 paces in extent between two piers, if we except that at the gates of Arjan upon the borders of Khuzistan, which is referred to El Dailatnl the physician of El Hejaj.

Of this other wonderful bridge we find some account in the work of Mr. Ulenbroek, taken from Ibn Haukal (p. 44), as follows: Ulj k (J^ ^ Jli:l h hy

4^AX£ j^\ lJ' liT* ^ which he thus translates : “ ad fluvios Persidis quod attinet, habet bonas aquas orientes in confiniis Isphahanse ejusque montibus, et apparentes in regione A1 Sardan postquam transierunt tractum A1 Bordj. Sese exonerant in fluvium Masen, qui itidem e tractu Isphahanae versus ilium Sardani procedit. Conjunguntur prope vicum iVfasen dictum ; neque desinit aqua fluere uberius quam incolarum necessitates postulant, usque ad postam al Radjan sub ponte Tsakan ; qui pons inter Persidem et Khouzistanum exstans paucos sibi pares babet, ita ut, me quidem judic, opere praestantior sit ponte Condubae et ex laudatissimis Persiae rebus. Rigat pagum et urbem, deinde incidit in mare prope confinia Schiniz.” It may be remarked here, that the place termed by El Harawl, is given by Mr. Ulenbroek . The former, however, is the reading given in the Calcutta edition of the Kamoos, thus j , ?. e. El Arjan, a district in Ears.

Abulfeda gives , but says that it is also written with Instead of too,

Abulfeda givesj.-. . . , (See also pp. 31, 88 in Mr. Ulenhroek’s Translations).

(A .tbo jb) liMji] Sij Tunis is a large modern city in Africa, situated upon the sea-shore. It was built from the ruins of Carthage which is two miles from it. It has been called Tarsis also. Its walls are said to enclose twenty-one thousand cubits. It is now a village of Africa. They drink from wells and canals supplied by rain water. The port is towards its eastern part. Upon the authority of the geographical work entitled the Moshtarik Carthage, says Abulfeda, Jb^k ^ i'jJo jUji) ^jj)!b bi4 jii jb) u^y ^y

C-?jbj -ciVi- It is a town in the districts of Africa near Tunis, but now in ruins : there are in it many marks of ancient splendour. He also says, that this is the name of a city in Spain in the district of Tadmlr, which was overflowed by the sea and destroyed.

BARB ARY.

Ibn Jazzi El Kelbi states, that on this place the following verses were written by ™Ibn Habib El Tenukhi.*

May sliowers enrich thy happy soil,

Fair land, where fanes and towers arise :

On thee let sainted pilgrims pour The richest blessings of the skies.

The wave that round thy bosom plays.

Conscious of its endeared retreat.

When the rude tempest rocks thy domes.

In sighs resigns its happy seat.

Yet urged another glance to steal Of thy loved form so good so fair.

Flies to avoid the painful view Of rival lovers basking thence.

And, on the other hand, ”Abu Abd Allah Mohammed Ibn Abi Temim f has said:

This verse is a species of that termed U^... or expanded. See Clarke’s Arabic Prosody, p. 51. The measure will be found at page 60, as follows, rU with its varieties. Tenukh is the name of a tribe in Bahrein, from which this poet probably took his origin. I have not been able to find any particulars respecting him. j The following are the original lines :

The verse is of the species termed U.... J] , expanded, and may be measured by , with its varieties. See Clarke’s Prosody, p. 52.

The author is probably <UJt .j given at n. 628 of Tydeman’s Conspectus operis Ibn Chalicani. Lugd. Batav. 1809.

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See the swelling angry tide,

Rage and beat against her side :

But, only ask a moment’s stay, —

It hisses, foams, and rolls away.

The next city was that of “Kabis; the next ^Tarabulus (Tripoli). Ibn Batuta has stated, that he then passed on to ’Meslata and ’’Mesurata, and ^Kasura Surt (or Palaces of Surt). We then passed, says he, the low grounds* (which may also mean the Forest), and proceeded to the palace of "Barsis the devotee, to the "Kubbat El Islam, and to the city of “’Alexandria, where we saw one of its most learned men, the judge "Fakhr Oddln El Riki, whose grandfather is said to have been an inhabitant of ^ Rika. This man was exceedingly assiduous in acquiring learning : he travelled to ""Hejaz, and thence to Alexandria, where he arrived in the evening of the day. He was rather poor, and would not enter the city until he had witnessed some favour-

<ia.'

V.- •• ' a city situated between Tripoli and Safakus near El Mehdiyat, upon the shore of the western sea. In it is a station for ships from all parts : it is three miles distant from the sea — El Harawl writes this name above ; and, in mentioning this place, stops to give an account of Etna as it was in his day, i. e. early in the thirteenth century. He says J.La: jUl

|*Lks)l klj

“ In the island of Sicily is there a fiery mountain, which hangs over the sea. It is very high in the air, and during the daytime smoke is seen arising out of it, and in the night fire. One of the learned men of the country told me, that he saw an animal like a quail of a leaden colour fly out of the middle of this fire and again return to it. This he said was a samandal (salamandar). For my part, I saw nothing but black perforated stones, like the stone of the pes columbinus, falling from this mountain on the part near the sea. They say, that there is a similar mountain in Fargana which burns stones, the' ashes of which are sold three ounces for the dirhem, and with this they whiten their clothes.” From this it should seem, that salamandar is a corruption of samandal, an Arabic compound signifying

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able omen. He sat, accordingly, near the gate, until all the persons had gone in, and it was nearly time for closing the gate. The keeper of the gate was irritated at his delay, and said to him ironically, enter Mr. Judge. He replied, yes, judge ! if that be God’s will. After this he entered one of the colleges, and attended to reading, following the example of others who had attained to eminence, until his name and reputation for modesty and religion reached the ears of the king of Egypt. About this time the judge of Alexandria died. The number of learned men in Alexandria who expected this appointment was large : but of these, the sheikh was one who entertained no expectations of it. The Sultan, however, sent it to him ; and he was admitted to the office, which he filled with great integrity and moderation ; and hence obtained great fame.

Chapter II

One of the greatest saints in Alexandria, at this time, was the learned and pious Imam, Borhan“ Oddin El Aaraj, a man who had the power of working miracles.* I one day went in to him, when he said, I perceive that you are fond of travelling into various countries. I said yes ; although I had at that time no intention of travelling into very distant parts. He replied, you must visit my brother * Farid Oddin in India, and my brother *Rokn Oddin Ibn Zakarya in Sindia, and also my brother Borhan Oddin in China : and, when you see them, present my compliments to them. I was astonished at what he said, and determined with myself to visit those countries : nor did I give up my purpose till I had met all the three mentioned by him, and presented his compliments to them.

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Another singular man was the Sheikh Yakut, the Abyssinian, disciple of the Sheikh ^Abu Abbas El Mursi. This Abu Abbas was the disciple of the servant of God, ■'Abu El Hasan El Shadali, &c. author of the ^Hizb El Bahr,'!' famous for his piety and miracles. I was told by the Sheikh Yakut, from his preceptor Abu El Abbas El Mursi, that the Sheikh Abu El Hasan El Shadhali performed the pilgrimage annually, making his way through Upper Egypt, and passing over to Mecca, in the month of Rejeb, and so remaining there till the conclusion of the pilgrimage : that he visited the holy tomb, and returned by the '“great passage to his city. On one of these occasions, and which happened to be the last, he said to his servant. Get together an axe, a casket, and some spice, and whatever is necessary for the interment of a dead body. The servant replied : and why. Sir, should I do this ? He rejoined, you shall see 'Homaitara. Now Homaitara is situated in Upper Egypt ; it is a stage in the great desert of *Aidhab, in which there is a well of very pernicious and poisonous water. When he had got to Homaitara the Sheikh bathed himself, and had performed two of

. JiWi

j &c. where also several other definitions, all tending to the same point, are adduced. In the chapter

I ti j given a little farther on, we have the different degrees of these worthies pointed out.

In the first volume of M. de Sacy’s Chrestomathie Arabe (9d edit. p. 481), we have an account of the death of this Sheikh, taken from the Jahan Nama, a little different from this : and, what is the most curious part of it, the discovery of coffee is attributed to a communication made by him after his death to one of his disciples. Works by this Sheikh are to be found in the libraries of both Cambridge and Oxford : but they appear to be of no great use.

f In a bibliographical work entitled the J preserved in

Mr. Burckhardt’s collection, we have, under the word, ... ^ the Hizb El Bahr by the Sheikh Abiil Hasan El Shadhali El Jemeni.

J On this place see the “ Index Geographicus in vitam Saladini ” by Schultens under the word Aidabum, and Burckhardt’s Travels in Nubia, Appendix III. p. 519.

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the prostrations of his prayers, when he died : he was then buried there. Ibn Batuta states that he visited the tomb, and saw upon it an inscription tracing his pedigree up to Hosain the son of Ali.

I heard, continues the Traveller, in Alexandria, by the 'Sheikh El Salih El Aabid * El Munfik, of the character of Abu Abd Allah El Murshidi, and that he was one of the great interpreting saints f secluded in the Minyat of Ibn Murshed : and that he had there a cell, but was without either servant or companion. Here he was daily visited by emirs, viziers, and crowds of other people, whose principal object it was to eat with him. He accordingly gave them food, such as they severally wished to have, of victuals, fruit, or sweetmeats : a circumstance which has seldom taken place in any days but his. To him also do the learned come for patents of office, or dismissal. These were his constant and well-known practices. The Sultan of Egypt too, El Malik El Nasir, often visited him in his cell.

I then left Alexandria (says the Traveller) with the intention of visiting this Sheikh (may God bless him), and got to the village of™Taruja, then to the city of "Damanhur the metropolis of the Delta ; then to "Fawwah not far from which is the cell of the Sheikh Abu Abd Allah El Murshidi. I went to it and entered, when the Sheikh arose and embraced me. He then brought out victuals and ate with me. After this I slept upon the roof of

. ajUI! ^U=11

E G P T.

his cell, and saw in a dream the same night, myself placed on the wings of a great bird, which fled away with me towards the temple at Mecca. He then verged towards Yemen ; then towards the east : he then took his course to the south. After this he went far away into the east, and alighted with me safely in the regions of darkness (or arctic regions), where he left me.

I was astonished at this vision, and said to myself, no doubt the Sheikh will interpret it for me, for he is said to do things of this sort. When the morning had arrived, and I was about to perform my devotions, the Sheikh made me officiate ; after this, his usual visitors, consisting of emirs, viziers, and others, made their calls upon him, and took their leave, after each had received a small cake from him.

When the prayer at noon was over he called me, I then told him my dream, and he interpreted it for me. He said, you will perform the pilgrimage, and visit the tomb of the Prophet ; you will then traverse the countries of Yemen, ^Irak, Turkey, andHndia, and will remain in these some time. In India you will meet with my brother "Dilshad, who will save you from a calamity, into which you will happen to fall. He then provided me with some dried cakes and some dirhems, and I bade him farewell. Since I left him, I experienced nothing but good fortune in my travels ; but never met with a person like him, except my Lord 'El Wall Mohammed El Mowwalla, in India.

I next came to the city of “El Nahriiriat, then toTlMohalla El Kobra (or the great station), from this I went to ^E1 Barlas, then to “Damietta, in which is the cell of the Sheikh “Jamal Oddln El Sawl, leader of the sect called ^Karenders.* These are they who shave their chins and eyebrows.

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It is said, that the reason which induced the Sheikh to shave off his beard and eyebrows was the following. He was a well made and handsome man ; one of the women of Sawah consequently fell in love with him ; after this she was constantly sending to the Sheikh, presenting herself to him in the street, and otherwise soliciting his society : this he completely resisted. When she was tired of this, she suborned an old woman to stop him on his way to the mosque, with a sealed letter in her hand. When the Sheikh passed by her she said. Good Sir, can you read? Yes, he replied. She said, this letter has been sent to me by my son ; I wish you would read it for me. He answered, I will. But when she had opened the letter she said. Good Sir, my son has a wife who is in yonder house ; could I beg the favour of your reading the letter at the door, so that she may hear ? To this he also assented; but, when he had got through the first door, the old woman closed it, and out came the woman with her slaves, and hung about him. They then took him into an inner apartment, and the mistress began to take liberties with him. When the Sheikh saw that there was no escaping, he said, I will do what you like : shew me a sleeping room. This she did : he then took in with him some water and a razor which he had, and shaved

. HjLs '

Makrizi, moreover, two sects of these are noticed ; the last of which, termed Melametl, pay very great regard to their actions and carriage in society.

The account given of these sects in the King of Oude’s Persian Dictionary, entitled the Seven Seas, is as follows : The term Kalender (or Karender), signifies a being, perfectly relieved from the forms and objects of earthly usages, which do not confer happiness ; and who is so far advanced m spiritual acquirements, as to be entirely freed from the restraints of custom or address. Having freed both body and soul from every person and thing, the Kalender seeks nothing but the beauty and glory of the Deity; and this he believes he obtains. But, such an one, feeling the least inclination to any thing existing, is termed a reprobate, not a Kalender. The difference between a Kalender, a Melametl, and a Sufi, consists in this : the Kalender labours to be freed and removed from all forms and observances. The Melametl, on the other hand, conceals his devotions from others, as he does every thing else tending to virtue ; while he conceals nothing that is bad and vicious. The Sufi is that person, who allows his feelings to be affected by no created being, and has no liking or dislike to them. The degree of the Sufi is the highest ; for perfectly separated and simplified as they are from worldly concerns, they nevertheless obey their spiritual senior, and walk in the footsteps of him and of the prophet. See also d’Herbelot, Bib. Or., under the word Calendar, and d’Ohsson’s Tabl. Emp. Ott., tom. ii. p. 315, as cited by M. de Sacy.

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off his beard and both his eyebrows. He then presented himself to the woman, who, detesting both his person and his deed, ordered him to be driven out of the house. Thus, by divine providence, was his chastity preserved. This appearance he retained ever after; and every one who embraced his opinions also submitted to the shaving off of his beard and both his eyebrows.*

It is also said of the Sheikh Jamfd Oddin, that after he had gone to Damietta, he constantly attended the burial-grounds of that place. There was at that time in Damietta a judge, known by the surname of Ibn Omaid, who, attending one day at the funeral of one of the nobles, saw the Sheikh in the burial-ground, and said to him, you are a beastly old fellow. He replied. And you are a foolish judge, who can pass with your beast among the tombs, and know at the same time, that the respect due to a dead man, is just as great as that due to a living one. The judge replied, worse than this is your shaving off your beard. | The Sheikh said, mark me : he then rubbed a little alkohol on his eye-brows, and lifting up his head, presented a great black beard, which very much astonished the judge and those with him, so that the judge descended from his mule.j: The Sheikh applied the alkohol the second time, and, lifting up his head, exhibited a beautiful white beard. He then applied the alkohol the third time ; and, when he lifted up his head, his face was beardless as before. The judge then kissed his hand, became his disciple, and building a handsome cell for him, became his companion for the rest of his life. After a while the Sheikh died, and was buried in the cell ; and when the judge died, he was buried, as it had been expressed in his will, in the door-way of the cell, so that every one who should visit the tomb of the Sheikh, would have to pass over his grave.

f From this, as well as from what is related above about this woman, it may be seen how exceedingly reproachful it is considered in the East to shave off the beard. Compare Leviticus, xix. 27 ; xxi. 5. 2 Sam., x. 5. 1 Chron., xix. 5.

f Rebecca, we find, alighted from her camel (Gen. xxiv. 64), in order to pay respect to her future husband Isaac, just as the Judge here did to the Sheikh.

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I then proceeded from this place to the city of ''Fariskur, then to ® Ashmun El Romman, then to the city of ■'^Samanud, then to ^Misr (Cairo), the principal city of its district. The Nile, which runs through this country, excels all other rivers in the sweetness of its taste,* * * § the extent of its progress, and the greatness of the benefits it confers. It is one of the five great rivers of the world, which are, itself, the * Euphrates, the 'Tigris, the *Sihun, the 'Jaihun (or Gihon). Five other rivers too may be compared with them, namely, the river of “ Sindia, which is called the” Panj ab (or five waters) ; the river of India, which is called the ®Gung (or Ganges), to which the Indians perform their pilgrimages, and into which they throw the ashes of their dead when burnt : they say it descends from Paradise ; also the river ^Jun (or Jumna): the river ®Athil (Volga) in the desert of ’’Kifjak, and the river *Sarv in Tartary, upon the bank of which is the city of ‘Khan Balik,'!' and which flows from that place to “El Khansa, and thence to the city of "Zaitun in China, of which we shall give accounts in their proper places. The course of the Nile, moreover, is in a direction from the south to the north, contrary to that of all other rivers.

When I entered Egypt the reigning prince was “"El Malik El Nasir Mohammed Ibn El Malik El Mansur Kalawun. J The learned men then in Egypt were, "'Shams Oddln El Isphahanl,'^ the first man in the world in metaphysics; ^Rokn Oddin Ibn El Karia, one of the leaders in the same

Chrestomathie Arabe, tom. ii. p. 15.

f Pekin, as will be shewn hereafter.

X See D’Herbelot, under Nasser Ben Calaoun: Annales Muslem., tom. v. p. 116, 331, &c.

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science:* and the Sheikh ^Athir Oddin Abu Haian of Granada, the greatest grammarian-t

Chapter III

Upper Egypt — Baush — Dilas — Biba — Bahnasa Minyat Ibn Khaslb — Manlavn — Marifalut — Esoyut — Ekhmim — Hawwa — Kana — Kaus — El Aksar — Armanat — Esna—E^u — Ajarna El Ell — El Atwarii — Dugain — Homaitara — Aidhab — Cairo.

The traveller continues: I then left Cairo, with the intention to go on the pilgrimage by way of “Upper Egypt, and came to the '“Der El Tin (or monastery of clay). From this place I went to ‘'Baush, then to ‘^Dilas, then to Biba, then to •^Bahnasa, then to the ^Minyet of Ibn Khasib,J which was formerly attached to the government of Cairo. It is said, that one of the Califs of the house of Abbas was displeased with the people of Egypt, and took it into his head to place over them one of the meanest of his slaves, by way of punishment, and that he might afford an example to others. At this time Khasib was the lowest slave in the palace, and his business was to get the baths warmed. He was accordingly appointed to the government, with the hope that he would sufficiently punish them by his tyranny, as it is usual with those who have not been brought up for such a station. But when Khasib was established in Egypt, his conduct was exemplary in the extreme ; and, for this, his fame was spread far and wide : the consequence was, he was visited by the relations of the Calif, and other persons attached to the court, and these he loaded with presents. Upon one of these occasions the Calif missed some of his relations, and upon

t This place is noticed in an extract given in M. de Sacy’s Cbrestoniathie Arabe, tom. ii, pp. i and 3 of the French translation; as also in the Annales Muslemici, vol. iii. p. 750, where, as well as in the Appendix to M. de Sacy’s Relations d’Egypt, by Abd el Latif, the first of these words is written Moniat or Monyet. It could have been wished that M. de Sacy had, in his Chrestomathie, given his reasons for changing his orthography.

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inquiry found, that one of them had absented himself. After a time this man presented himself to the Calif, who interrogated him as to his absence. The man replied, that he had been paying a visit to Khasib in Egypt : he then told him of the gifts he had received, which were indeed of great value. This enraged the Calif so that he ordered the eyes of Khasib to be put out, that he should be expelled from Egypt, and cast out into one of the streets of Bagdad. When the order for his apprehension arrived, it was served upon him by an artifice, at some distance from his palace. He had with him, however, a large ruby, which he had hidden by sewing it up in his shirt during the night. His eyes were then put out, and he was thrown out in a street of Bagdad. Upon this occasion a poet happened to pass by, who said, O Khasib, it was my intention to visit thee in Egypt, in order to recite thy praises : but thy coming hither is the more suitable to me. Will you then allow me to recite my poem ? How, said Khasib, shall I hear it? You know what circumstances I am in. The poet replied, my only wish is that you should hear it : but as to reward — may God reward you, as you have others ! Khasib then said, go on with your verse. The poet proceeded :

Thy bounties like the swelling Nile,*

Made the plains of Egypt smile, &c.

When he had got to the end of the poem Khasib said, open this seam. He did so. Khasib then said. Take this ruby. The poet refused ; but being

Thou art khasib (or plentiful year, for the word has this meaning), and this Egypt increases and abounds with plenty, like the Nile. The poini of this distich seems to consist in the play upon the word khasib, which could not be transfused into the English translation, unless by some such circumlocution as the following :

Stores of the richest bounty ! This thy name.

Spreads like the Nile, at once its blessings and thy fame, &c.

I notice this merely to shew how difficult it is to preserve the spirit of this kind of poetry in a translation. The thirty-ninth story of the first book of Saadi’s Gulistan (Persian Rose-garden) is founded on the history of this man. In some of the editions the name is erroneously pointed

L, L Khosaib for l. Khasib.

The line above cited is of the species ^ and of the measure with its varieties. See Clarke’s Prosody, p. 60.

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adjured to do so, he complied; he then went to the street of the jewellers, and offered it for sale. He was told that such a stone could belong to none but the Calif. The account of it was accordingly carried to him, who ordered the poet to be brought into the presence. When he came there, he was interrogated on the subject, and his answers developed the whole matter. The Calif was then sorry for what he had done to Khasib, and ordered that he should be brought before him. When he came, the Calif gave him some splendid presents, and ordered that he should have whatever he might wish. Khasib requested to have this Minyet given to him, which was done ; and he resided there till the time of his death. After this his descendants held it, until the family became extinct. — I then proceeded to the city of * Manlawl, then to 'Manfalut, then to^Esoyut, then to ^Ekhmlm, and then to ™Hawwa. Here I visited the Sheikh, Sayyud ”Abu Mohammed Obaid Allah El Hasanl, who was one of the great saints. When he asked me what my object was, I told him, that it was my wish to perform the pilgrimage by way of "Judda. He replied, you will not succeed in this, upon this occasion ; you had better return, therefore : for, the first pilgrimage you will perform, will be by the plain of ^ Syria. When I left him, I made no effort to follow his advice, but proceeded on my way till 1 arrived aCAidhab, and found that I could not go on. I then returned to ’’Cairo, and after that to * Syria (or Damascus) ; and the way I took, in my first pilgrimage, was just as the ‘Sherif had told me, by the plain of Syria.

From Hawwa, therefore, I proceeded to“Kana, then to ’’"Kaus, then to the city of ^E1 Aksar, then to “Armanat, then to “Esna, then to *'Edfu, then to “’Ajarna El Fil, then to the village of "^El Atwanl, in company with a tribe of Arabs known by the name of ®Dugaim. Our course was through a desert, in which there were no buildings, for a distance of fifteen days. One of the stages at which we halted was -^Homaitara, the place in which the grave of ^E1 Wall Abu’l Hasan El Shadhell is situated. After this we

Jilih

EGYPT.

came to the city of *Aidhab, the inhabitants of which are the 'Bejah,* who are blacks. Among these people the daughter never succeeds to property.

. (lego The Berbers are another people whose country is situated upon the southern sea, between the districts of the Abyssinians and those of the Zinj ; they are called Berbera. They are blacks, and are the people who make the dower for wives (this) that they (the men, not the women, as Mr. Hamaker proposes, by inserting the reading ) shall cut off the virilia of a man (perhaps an enemy), and also steal. They are more like beasts than men. Mr. Hamaker seems to have forgotten, that in the East, the person who marries a wife must provide the dower, just as gentlemen in this country make the jointure. Something like this seems formerly to have prevailed in Palestine ; see 1 Sam., xviii. 25, 27 ; 2 Sam., hi. 14* ; and if these Berbers are actually of the same stock with those on the north of Africa, which Mr. Hamaker thinks to be the case, it is not improbable that this custom was brought with them from Palestine, as it is very probable these people are a part of those formerly expelled that country by Joshua. No one, perhaps, has taken so much pains to examine this question as Ibn Khaldun has done; and his opinion decidedly is, that the Berbers are derived from Palestine, and descendants of Canaan. He also affirms that they are brothers to the Abyssinians, Copts, and Nubians; his words are:^( Ij j>j^\ i 1;;, bU-yi Jb c-jbb' (j ^ jjI Jlii bbi Wj b^

,bjo

. ^btib yj As to their genealogy {i. e. the Zenata tribe) among the Berbers, there is no discrepancy among the genealogists, that they are of the posterity of Shana ; and to him is their origin referred. As to this Shana, Abu Mohammed Ibn Hazim has said, in the book called the Jamharat (or collection), some have affirmed that this person is Jana, son of Yahya, son of Bidyan, son of Canaan, son of Ham, which is the truest statement. Of these are the tribe of Zenata and others, as we have already said ; but they are the brothers of the Berbers because they all trace their descent up to Canaan the son of Ham. But, as to his (a certain writer) entering the pedigree of Goliath in that of the Berbers, since he is of

EGYPT.

At this time, two-thirds of the revenue of Aidhab went to the king of the Bejah, whose name was *E1 HadrabI, the remaining third to the king of Egypt. The cause of our not proceeding thence to Judda, was a war that had broken out in these parts between the 'Bejahand ™Barnau people. I accordingly returned with the Arabs to ”Kaws in Upper Egypt, and descended by the Nile to Cairo, where I lodged one night, and then set out for Syria. This happened in the month ” Shaaban in the year twenty-six (A. H. 726 — A. D. 1326).

Chapter IV

Balbis — El Salihia —El Sa'wada — El Warid —Kafia—Matilab — El Arish — El Kharuba — Rqfaj —

Gaza — El Khalil.

After this I arrived at “Balbis,* then at ''El Salihia. From this place I entered the sands (Desert), in which are the stages “El Sawada, ‘'El Warid, the posterity of Madaghls and Sakat, it is an error ; and, in the same manner, is his tracing them to the Amalekites (also an error). For the truth is, Goliath is of the sons of Philistin, son of Kasluhim, son of Misraim, son of Ham, one of the nations of Ham the son of Noah : but these are the brothei’s of the Copts, Berbers, Abyssinians, and Nubians, as we have said in the genealogy of the sons of Ham. Between these Philistins, however, and the children of Israel, there were many wars ; for there were in Syria many of the Berbers, their (u e. the Philistines) brothers, and of the rest of the descendants of Canaan. Ibn Khaldun explodes the opinion held by IdrIsI (see part i. dim. 3) and others, that the Berbers are descended from the Himyarites of Arabia Felix. See an extract to the same effect in Pococke’s Specim. Hist. Arab., by M. de Sacy, pp. 462, 340. A very curious article on this subject, too, is to be found ^n the Descriptio Africae by Leo Africanus (pp. mihi 12, 13), where he states the opinions of IdrIsI, and in almost the same words, of these people coming from Arabia Felix, as well as that held by Ibn Khaldun of their coming from Palestine; adding, that they were driven out by the Assyrians, which must put every body in mind of the story of Phenician Dido. We are told somewhere in the discourses of Psalmezer, that an inscription formerly appeared on a column in one of the Barbary states, saying, that the people who had erected it had been expelled from Palestine by Joshua. It is highly probable, I think, that the Tuarick of Major Denham’s Narrative are Berbers, as the letters he gives at page Ixviii are, as far as they can be traced, evidently Phenician. (See also The Universal History, vol. xvii. p. 220, &c. ed. 1748.)

SYRIA.

®Katia, ■'’El Matilab, ^El Aarish,| *E1 Kharuba, and ‘Rafaj. At each of these there is an inn, which they call ^E1 khan. Here the travellers put up with their beasts : here are also watering camels, as well as shops, so that a traveller may purchase whatever he may want either for himself or his beast.

I next arrived at 'Gaza, and from thence proceeded to the city of “El Khalil Ibrahim {Abraham the friend). In the mosque of this place is the holy cave, and in this are the tombs of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with those of their wives. This cave I visited. As to the truth of these being the graves of those persons, the following is an extract made by me, from the work of Ali Ibn Jaafar El Razi, entitled El Musfir Lilkulub, on the true position of the graves of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ;* and which rests on a tradition from "Abu Horaira, who has said. It was related by the prophet, that when he was on his night journey to Jerusalem, Gabriel took him by the grave of Abraham and said, descend and perform two prostrations, for here is the tomb of Abraham thy father. He then took him by Bethlehem h

Jo See an interesting note on this place in Hamaker’s Liber de expugnatione

Memphidis, &c., pp. 48, 49. The following from Makrizi I cannot forbear copying and translating :

UJ ^ (Jf Wj (I read (jIaU-) i^j\ f j do- WIj

^ J-Jj (jjUUiq Balbls is called, in the law of Moses, Jashan (Goshen), and is the place to which Jacob went down after he had presented himself to his son Joseph. So he went down to the country of Jashan (Goshen), which is Balbis, to the pasturage on account of their cattle. Ibn Said, who was governor of this place, has said, that its territory extends to El Waridat, which is the extreme limit of Egypt. To this place is the common silver coinage current : but beyond it, and to El Arlsh, which is the first place of Syria, but as some say, the last of Egypt, are the fulus {i. e. a sort of small copper coin) in circulation.

f The name of the author with the whole title runs thus ; jAxo ' 4".^

SYRIA.

and said, perform two prostrations, for here was born thy brother Jesus. He then went on with him to El Sakhrat, and so on, as recorded in the tradition.

In the city of El Khalil was the aged saint and Imam, "Borhan Oddln Ei Jaabari, him I asked respecting the truth of the grave of Abraham being there. He answered. Every learned man I have met with has considered it as the fact, that these three graves are the graves of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ; and that the three graves opposite to them are those of their wives ; nor does any one, continued he, think of contradicting accounts so generally received from the ancients, but the heretics.

Chapter V

Jerusalem — Askelon — El Ramlah — Naplous — Baivad — El Ghaur — El Kosair — Acca — Tyre — Sidon — Tiberias — Bairut — Tripoli — Emessa — Hamah — Maarrat El Nooman — Sarmin — A leppo — Tizin — Antioch — Sahyun — Jabala — Laodicea — Mount Libanus — Baalbek — Damascus.

I THEN passed on to Jerusalem, and on the road visited the tomb of Jonas, and Bethlehem the birth-place of Jesus. But, as to the mosque of Jerusalem, it is said, that there is not a greater upon the face of the earth : and in sacredness, and privileges conferred, this place is the third. From Jerusalem I paid a visit to “Askelon, which was in ruins. In this place was the meshhed,^ famous for the head of Hosain,'|' before it was removed to Egypt. Without Askelon is “ the valley of bees,” said to be that mentioned in the Koran. I next proceeded to *'E1 Ramlah, then to 'Naplous, J then to ‘^Eglon, From this place I set out for the maritime parts of Syria, passing by the route of 'Bawad between two mountains, and called "^El Ghawr. Here was the tomb of the guardian saint of this people, ^Abu Obeidat Aamir Ibn El Jarfdi, which I visited : and then passed by a village

I The principal town of the Samaritans.

SYRIA.

called El Kosair, in which was the tomb of '‘Moadh Ibn Jabali, which I also visited.

From this place I proceeded to‘Acca: in this is the tomb of * Salih the prophet, which I visited. After this I arrived at the city of 'Tyre, which is a place wonderfully strong, being surrounded on three sides by the sea. Its harbour is one of those which have been much celebrated. I next visited “Sidon, and from this place went into the parts of "Tiberias, whidi it was my wish to see. The whole was, however, in ruins, but the magnitude of it was sufficient to shew that it had been a large place. The place is Wonderfully hot, as are also its waters.* The lake is well

“ The baths of Tiberias, which are said to be one of the wonders of the world, are not those which are near the gates of Tiberias and upon the side of the lake, for many like these are to be seen elsewhere ; but those which are described as wonders are in a place to the east of the city called El Hosainiya, and situated in a valley. It is evidently an ancient structure, and is said to have been built by Solomon. It consists of a pile of building, from the front of which issues water- It came formerly from twelve places, each of which was appropriated to the cure of some disease, so that when any one thus afflicted washed himself, he recovered by divine permission. This water is excessively hot, and is very pure and sweet, both to the taste and smell. To this place come many afflicted persons, maimed, aged, or those affected with bad smells, and wash themselves in it. Its fountains run into a large and handsome place, and in this the people bathe. The advantages it affords are evident ; nor have we ever seen any thing like it except the Thermae (baths) which are in the confines of Constantinople.” We are told a little farther on, that on the road from Tiberias to Acca is Kafar Manda, and that this is said to be Midian : and that the writer also visited Midian, which is to the east of Sinai ; the words are : ^ j ^ jj '^3 (*bc.) j (JA h Ji y Jliu blc <U jJa

&c. That a Midian was formerly found in both these parts appears from the Hebrew bible ; but whether they were connected, or if they were, how, I believe no one can tell.

SYRIA.

known : its length is six parasangs ; its width three. In the town is a mosque, known by “ the mosque of the prophets and in this is the tomb of "Shoaib (Jethro) which I visited. I also visited the well of Joseph, which is famous in these parts.

I next arrived at^Bairut which is on the sea-shore, and then set out to visit the tomb of ® Abu Yaakub Yusuf, who is supposed to have been one of the kings of the west. It is situated in a place called ’’Kark Nuh, and upon it is a cell endowed by the sultan *Salah Oddin Ibn Ayub.* It is said, that this Abu Yaakub lived by weaving mats : it is also said, that he was hired to keep some orchards in Damascus, for the sultan ‘Nur Oddin the martyr, the preceptor of Salah Oddin. After he had been some time in this situation, Nur Oddin happened to come into the orchard, and to ask the keeper for a pomegranate. He brought several, one after another, each of which, however, had the appearance of being sour. It was said to him, have you been all this while in the orchard, and do not yet know a sweet pomegranate from a sour one ? He replied, I was hired to keep the orchard, not to eat the pomegranates. By this the sultan knew who he was, and sent for him accordingly : for he had had a dream, in which he thought he met Abu Yaakub, and derived some advantage from him. When he was come, he believed he knew his countenance too, and said, are not you Abu Yaakub ? He replied, I am. The sultan then rose and embraced him, and made him sit by his side. After this Abu Yaakub took the sultan to his house, and entertained him out of his honest earnings : and with him the sultan remained some days. After this Abu Yaakub escaped, and could no where be found. The weather was at that time exceedingly cold, and Abu Yaakub had betaken himself to a village, where he was honourably entertained by one of the villagers. This man had a daughter whom he wished to dispose of in marriage, and on this account represented to Abu Y aakub the difficulty he experienced in affording him support. Upon this he was ordered to bring together all the copper furniture he had provided for her dower, and moreover, to borrow as much as he could from his neighbours.

SYRIA.

The villager accordingly got together a considerable quantity of this metal. Abu Yaakub then dug a pit and put the whole into it. Upon this he made a fire which fused the metal, he then took out some elixir which he had with him, and putting it upon the metal, the whole became pure gold. When the next morning had arrived, Abu Yaakub wrote a letter to his host for Nur Oddin the martyr, telling him to take out of this gold as much as would make a handsome portion for the young woman ; also to give as much as would be sufficient to her father, and to expend the remainder in pious uses. He then made his escape by night. With this gold Nur Oddin built the infirmary which is in Damascus.

I next arrived at “Tarabalas (Tripoli) in Syria, which is a large city, and may be compared with Damascus. From this place I went to the fortress of the Kurds, then to '’Emessa, and visited the tomb of ^Khalid Ibn El Walid,* which is in its environs. I next arrived at the city of Hamah. f — The epitomator Ibn Jazzi El Kelbi says that the following verses were composed on this place by “ Abu’l Hasan Ibn Said of Granada, t May heaven from the seat of fair Hamah divide

The breath, thought, or glance, which may make her repine ;

Wreak its vengeance on him who would part from her side.

For the smiles of the fair or the juice of the vine.

But when through her streets rolls triumphant along Rebellion's foul tide, all in current so fair ;

Then who shall refrain from the glass and the song.

When the banquet is spread and so plentiful there ?

Yet, when the full goblet goes round, let me view Her breasts flow with sweets for her children within :

Mark the tear of the mother — then say O how true,

' How vile, yet how lovely’s the city of Sin !

f The Hamath of Scripture.

\Jla\xc ‘kill

\iya (jolc

S Y R I A.

The following too has been composed on the same place :

Yours my theme, my tribute, praise :

Of you, the recollections sweet Hang on my heart, and still we meet.

And should forgetfulness tlespoil The flowret reared with so much pain,

A simmer’s tears shall drench the soil.

And then ’twill sweetly bloom again.

The '’Aasi (sinner or rebel) is a river of Hamah. I next went to the city of '"Maarrat El Ndoman, the place from which the patronymic of “^Abu El Ala El Maarlf is derived. It was named Maarrat El Ndoman because "El Ndoman Ibn Bashir the Ansar and companion of the Prophet, lost a son there, when he held the government of Emessa. Before this time it was called ^Dhat El Kiisur (i. e. endued with 'palacts) . It is also said, that it is so

(j>) Iftkxll jj-j’

{a) With the or mills, they draw up water out of wells in order to supply gardens, &c.

The word also means a vein pouring out blood ; and hence the allusion in the text is not unlike k4iakspeare’s “ life-rendering pelican.” For some account of the author of these lines, see M. de Sacy’s Chrestomathie Arabe, 2d edit., tom. i. p. 240-3.

(b) This verse is of the species termed Jj long. The measure with the usual varieties will be ijy=^ Clarke’s Prosody, p. 35, &c.

i'jU; b

UjUs

Where the play is in these, as in the preceding lines, on the name of the river Aasi ( )’ which signifies sinner or rebel.

f This was a very celebrated poet and commentator, named generally Abu’l Ala El Tenukhi, and siirnamed El MaarrI. TenCikh is, according to Jurhari, the name of a tribe in Yemen, and this Soyuti places in Rahrein. The author of the Kamiis and Pococke say generally, that it is the name of a tribe. See Pococke’s Sec. Hist. Arab. p. 42-141. Chrestom. Arabe, tom. iii. p. 89.

SYRIA.

called from a mountain named ^Ndoman, which overhangs it. Without this place is the tomb of ^Omar Ibn Abd El Aziz, commander of the faithful. After this I arrived at *Sarmin, then at * Haleb (Aleppo). Its citadel is large and strong ; and within it is a meshhed, in which Abraham is said to have performed his devotions.* On this place El Khalidi, the poet of 'Saif El Doulat Ibn Hamdan, has said :

Land of my heart, extended wide,

Rich in beauty, great in pride :

Around whose head to brave the storm.

The rolling clouds a chaplet form.

Here ’tis the empyreal fires glow.

And dissipate the gloom below.

Li)

citadel is the station of Abraham the friend (of God), and in it is also a chest in which there , is a piece of the head of John the son of Zachariah. It was observed in the year 4)35, i. e. A.D. 1043. A little lower down we have an account of a custom, which will in some degree illustrate the homage, if not the idolatrous worship, formerly addressed to the pillars called in the Hebrew bible The first account we have of these is in Gen. xxviii. 18, where we are told that Jacob set one of them up and poured oil on the top of it. Here, says the traveller, jAcl cAlIj Uj)!)j Jbjj (h c. at Aleppo). Without the gate of the

Jews there is a stone upon the road : to this vows are made, and upon it they pour rose-water and perfumes; both Mohammedans and Christians have faith in the practice. It is said that the grave of some prophet is under it ; but God knows best. This work I shall occasionally cite. See a very interesting note on this subject in the Specimen Hist. Arab, by Pococke, ed. 1806, p. 102-3, where, 1. 15, read appellabatur Saturnus, not “ appellabatur vir iste." This very learned writer, having been betrayed into the very mistake which he corrects at the foot of the page in De Dieu. Edrisi mentions a similar custom as prevailing in the islands of the Indian sea, sect. vii. dim. i. His words are jL j>~\ ...

Barwah is the last of those belonging to the infidels who believe in nothing, but who take stones which they set up on their ends, pour the oil of fish upon them, and then worship them.

SYRIA.

About thy breast in harmless blaze,

The lightning too for ever plays;

And like the unveiling beauty’s glance,

Spreads round its charms t’astonish and entrance.*

The following lines are by "'Jamal Oddln Ali Ibn Abu Mansub :

f Thy milky towers in proud array,

Stop in its course the galaxy :

When see, the children at thy side Rise and sip the ambrosial tide :

See too thy flocks the glories share,

And crop the gems| that glitter there.

JU-

For some account of Saif El Doulat, see M. de Sacy’s Chrestomathie Arabe, tom. iii. p. 33. ed. 2, and the authorities there cited. But, as the countenance he afforded to the poets and other geniuses of his times, has not been mentioned by M. de Sacy, or the authorities referred to, I will give an extract on this subject here, from my own copy of the y\

Abu Monsur El Thaalabl. After stating that he was descended from noble ancestors, it is said tul Jlihj j jJLeill j .X^aiLio &j presence was the object of travel, and source of liberality ; the temple of hope and the inn of the traveller ; the concourse of the polite, and the banquet of poets. It is said that there assembled at the door of no king, since the times of the Califs, a number so great of the poets and geniuses of his time, as there did at his.” From this, as well as other passages in this work, it should seem, that he was one of the greatest patrons of polite literature the world ever saw. He was himself a tolerable poet, and an excellent judge of the merits of those who attended at his court. The author of these verses, said here to be El Khalidi, is probably one of the two poets mentioned by that name by M. de Sacy, Chrestomathie Arabe, tom. ii. p. 333, edit. 2.

The verses are these, the measure of which is U... JV See Clarke, p. 52, &c.

^‘^J3 jl The word star signifies also in Arabic any small plant, and hence the play upon the word here.

SYRIA.

I then left Aleppo for "Tizin, and soon after came to "Antioch, before which is the river ^E1 Aasi. In this place is the tomb of ® Habib El Najar, which I visited. After this I arrived at the fortress of ’ Bugras, next at that of *E1 Kosair, then at that of *E1 Shaghar. I next came to the city of “Sahyun, then to the fortress of ‘'El Kadmus, then to that of *'E1 Aalikat, next to that of El Manikat, next to that of “ Masyaf, then to that of '' El "Kahf. These fortresses all belong to a people called the "Ismailiah; they are also called the ‘*Fidawia. No person can go among them except one of their own body.* These people act as arrows for El Malik El Nasir ; and by their means he comes at such of his enemies as are far removed from him, as in Irak and other places. They have their various offices ; and, when the Sultan wishes to despatch one of them to waylay any enemy, he bargains with him for the price of his blood. If then the man succeeds and comes safely back, he gets the reward ; but if he fails it is then given to his heirs. These men have poisoned knives, and with these they strike the persons they are sent to kill.

From the fortresses of the Fidawla I went to the city of " Jabala, where I visited the tomb of the Sheikh •^El Wall El Salih Ibrahim Ibn Adham,j' who had not succeeded to the kingdom from the father’s, but from the mother’s side. The father was originally one of the pious wandering Fakirs : his story of giving up the throne is generally known. I then proceeded to ^Laodicea, the king of which is said to seize by violence every ship within his power. I then proceeded to the fortress of *E1 Markab, then to the mountain ’ El Akraa, then to * Mount Libanus, which is the most fruitful mountain in the world : and on which are various fruits, fountains of water, and leafy shades. Nor is it destitute of those who have retired from the

SYRIA.

world and devoted themselves to God, numbers of whom I myself saw. From this place I proceeded to 'Baalbek, and thence to “Damascus, in the month of Ramazan, and in the year twenty-six (?. e. A.H. 726, A.D. 1326). It has been said by the Epitomator, Ibn Jazz! El Kelbl, that ”Sharf Oddln Ibn Anin wrote the following lines on this place Damascus ! though the slanderer fill Worlds with thy blame, I love thee still.

Spot, where alone the travller meets Balmy winds and pearly streets :

Where tearful streamlets weavef their chains.

Yet joy and freedom bless the plains :

Where too the gales with lusty love Fan into bloom the fainting grove.

The following was written on the same place by the eminent judge, "Abd El Rahim El Baisani.;]:

S!Li lisjUo (a j f The orientals, instead of saying that a stream is rippling, say that or forms chains;

hence the comparison of the chaining of the rivers with the freedom of the plains.

J Some notice is taken of this writer in M. de Sacy’s Chrestomathie Arabe, tome i. pp. 233, 505. The original verse is as follows, and is of the species U See Clarke’s Prosody, pp. 52, 53, &c.

\^\ Jjbsr’®

El Harawl says of this place. JJ j (J ^ (Ji}\ jUAi CuG jb JA j Ub JA j tAlU ^ UL>

Damascus abounds with high buildings, such as have not elsewhere been constructed. It was built by Dimashik, son of KabI, son of Malik, son of Sham, son of Noah : it is also said that b b^3 t- ** ^ (.XC

Abej

Wb jjb m ^j\

SYRIA.

Lightning ! with thy pouring rain,

How dost thou befriend the plain ?

Why, ’ere the morning’s dawn arise,

Spread’st terror through Damascus’ skies ?

Is’t that thy flames may bid her glow.

Or gild her flow’rets opening blow ?

Or, that her plains refreshed be seen,

Filled with fruits, and clothed in green ?

Yes, ’tis that blessings round may spring,

And verdure make the vallies sing.

The mosque of Damascus, termed ^E1 Amawl, is too well known to need description here. Of its learned men, professors, and theologians, of the sect of Hanbal, ®TakI Oddin Ibn Timla may be mentioned as one in great repute for his lectures, if we except a few of his peculiarities. The people of Damascus, however, think very highly of him. In many instances he has preached things to which the theologians have objected ; and, hence an information was laid against him to ’’El Malik El Nasir, who sent for him to Egypt, and there imprisoned them. When in prison he published a commentary on the Koran in forty volumes, entitled ' El Bahr El Muhit* * After this he was liberated ; but, going again to Damascus, he returned to his old practices of preaching heterodoxy. I happened one Friday to be present when he was addressing a congregation from the pulpit, and this was one of his assertions : God came down, said he, to the heaven of this

Zohak built it, and also that it was the residence of Noah. There is a passage in the book of Genesis (chap. xv. v. 2) in which our authorized version has “ This Eliezer of Damascus,” and which I believe to be erroneous. The original stands thus : not ’piyQiri as the version gives it. My opinion is, that this is the proper name of Abraham’s servant and nothing more : Damascus might, indeed, have been built by him, but of this we have no knowledge. A little farther on we are told, that there is a column in the mosque near the little gate, to which pilgrimages and vows are made : this is probably one of the ancient of which we so often read in the Hebrew bible. His words are these jtkoj A . . . JyeU ^ .

SYRIA.

world, just as I now go down : and upon this he descended one of the steps of the pulpit. A theologian of the sect of Ibn Malik, happening to be present, contradicted this ; for which he was beaten by the congregation. The opponent, however, lodged an information with El Malik El Nasir, who again cited the Sheikh, and put him in prison, where he continued till his death. He was afterwards buried at Damascus.

Without the gate called ^ El Jabiat are the tombs of “ Om Habiba wife of the prophet, of her brother ^ Moawia, of ^ Balal the Moazin of the prophet, and of ^ Awis El Karani.* The grave of the last, however, is said to be in a burying- ground between the city and Syria, in which there is no building. It is also said to be in “Siphin with that of Ali. It is said by Ibn Jazzi El Kelbi the epitomator, that the latter is the truer opinion. Ibn Batuta proceeds : without Damascus on the way of the pilgrimage, is the “ '’mosque of the foot,” which is held in great estimation, and in which there is a stone having upon it the print of the foot of Moses. f In this mosque they offer up their prayers in times of distress. I myself was present at this mosque in the year 746 (A.D. 1345), when the people were assembled for the purpose of prayer against the plague : which ceased on that very day. The number that died daily in Damascus had been two thousand : but, the whole daily J number, at the time I was present, amounted

< >1::.^ ) this patronymic (i. e. karani), is derived from one Karan of the tribe of Morad ; he was the son of Ridman, son of Nahia, son of Moriid. This Awls was sonof Aamerof this family ; he was a great saint, and is said to have been killed among the infantry of Ali at Sifin ; others say he died at Mecca, others at Damascus. The passage is this.

aJi alii f There can be no doubt, I think, that these marks of the foot, whether we find them at Damascus, in Ceylon, among the Burmese, at Mecca, or wherever else, are nothing more than remains of Buddhai'sm. The best relique of this superstition to be seen in Europe is, perhaps, the mark of the foot of Buddha placed in the hall of the British Museum by Captain Marryat.

:j; The passage, which I suspect is erroneous, stands thus : ajtjjl Ull ^ jLs.t. The words daily, are perhaps adscititious.

SYRIA.

to twenty-four thousand. After prayers, however, the plague entirely ceased. On the north of Damascus is the mountain “ Kasayun, in which is the cave where Abraham was born. From this (cave) he saw the sun, moon, and stars.* * * § There is also a village in Irak called ® Burs, between •^El Hilla and Bagdad, which is said to be the birth place of Abraham. This is the truer notion. On the farther part of the Kasayun is the mount of flight and assistance,! the asylum of Jesus.

Chapter VI

El Arils — N^'d — El Kadesia — Meshhed All — Basra — Khqfaja — Khaviarnalc — Wasit — El Oballa Abbadan — El Ear — Irah — Magun — Ramin — Tostar.

Wh EN things were ready, the Syrian pilgrims proceeded on their pilgrimage, and I myself with them, with the same intention. This turned out well ; for, thank God, I duly performed the pilgrimage ; and, then proceeded with the pilgrims of Irak to the tomb of the prophet at Medina. After three (days) we descended into the valley of ^ El Arus.! We then entered the territory of * Nejd, and proceeded on in it till we came to ^ El Kadisla§ the place in which the remarkable event happened, by which the fire-worship of Persia was extinguished, and the interest of Islamism advanced. This was, at that time, a great city, but it is now only a small village. We next proceeded to the city of ^ Meshhed Ali, where the grave of Ali is thought to be. It is a handsome place and well peopled ; all

f It is doubtful whether we ought to read j\J^\ cjG or j\^\ cul j, as the MSS. have both readings ; if the latter, then residence must be substituted in the translation for flight.

t The name of a fortress in Yemen, according to the Kamoos : but this can hardly be the place mentioned here.

IRAK.

the inhabitants, however, are of the Rafiza (or Shiah) sect. There is no governor here, except a sort of tribune. The inhabitants consist chiefly of rich and brave merchants. About the gardens are plastered walls adorned with paintings, and within them are carpets, couches, and lamps of gold and silver. Within the city is a large treasury kept by the tribune, which arises from the votive offerings brought from different parts : for when any one happens to be ill, or to suffer under any infirmity, he will make a vow, and thence receive relief. The garden is also famous for its miracles ; and hence it is believed that the grave of Ali is there. Of these miracles, the night of revival”* is one ; for, on the 17th day of the month Rejeb, cripples come from the different parts of ”Fars, "Room, ^Khorasan, ^Irak, and other places, assemble in companies from twenty

“ night of revival,” among the Yezidl sect, is a night on which they worship the devil. I should doubt whether Mr. Wolfe did not misunderstand the accounts he might have heard of this matter. In the Book of Pilgrimages, by Ali Ibn Abubeker of Herat, we have a similar account given of a place in the lieutenancy of Aleppo, his words are :

Ub JU3-

. Borak is one of the villages of its lieutenancy, in which there is a sacred place visited by the aged and infirm of various places, and in it they lodge. Now, if such person should see (in his dream) some one saying to him, such or such a thing is thy remedy; or if he should see him rubbing his hand over him, he will then be well, as the people of that place report.” And further on where the city of Balat (Uj is noticed, we are told, that this Author saw a man who had been lame many years, but had been recovered merely by bathing, according to the injunctions of Ali which he had received in a dream. His words are m

Ub ^ lb* ijL»~sb CS^ l^L J«syU . That such miracles (if such they may be called) can be performed, without any extraordinary effort being exerted, has long been known. A strong persuasion of the mind has always proved wonderfully efficacious : and to this the Mohammedan, as well as the Roman Catholic, hierarchy owes perhaps more than half its authority.

IRAK.

to thirty in number. They are placed over the grave soon after sun-set. People then, some praying, others reciting the koran, and others prostrating themselves, wait expecting their recovery and rising, when, about night, they all get up sound and well. This is a matter well known among them; I heard it from creditable persons, but was not present at one of these nights. I saw, however, several such afflicted persons, who had not yet received, but were looking forwards for, the advantages of this “ night of revival.”

I next arrived at ’’ Basra, and proceeded on with the Badawin Arabs of *Khafaja, for there is no travelling in these parts, except with them. We next came to ‘Khawarnak, the ancient residence of “El Ndoman Ibn Mondhor, whose progenitors were kings of the tribe "'Beni Ma El Sama, (sons of heavenly seed). There are still traces of his palace to be seen.^ It is situated in a spacious plain, and upon a river derived from the Euphrates. We left this place, and came next to the city of Wasit. It is surrounded by an extensive tract of country, and abounds with gardens and plantations. Its inhabitants are the best of all Irak. From this place I set out to visit the tomb of El Wall El Aarif, my Lord Ahmed of Rephaa']', which is

f The following is an abstract of the account given of this devotee in the CjIsA"* Nafahat El Ins, by Jam! : the miraculous intercourse, &c. there ascribed to him, I have not thought it worth while to copy out.

^ IsMl

(jV Sheikh my lord Ahmed

Ibn Abu El Hasan El Raphai, may God sanctify (a word wanting'). His rank as a saint and confessor was high. By him God performed many miracles, and converted to him many persons (rf distinction. He also did many wonders. Of his disciples, some are good, others bad. Some of them will enter fires, and play with serpents. This is what the Sheikh the head of saints taught them. God protect us from Satan, He was one of the sons of the great Imam Musa Kazim, upon whom be peace. He resided at Om Obaida, and died on the Thursday the 22d of the first Jumada, in the year (of the Hejira) 578, A. D. 1182.

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situated in a village called “Om Obaida, at the distance of a day from Wasit. At this place I arrived, and found that the grandson of the Sheikh, upon whom the dignity of Sheikh had also devolved, had come thither before me for the same purpose. He was also named Sheikh Ahmed, and held the dignity of his grandfather, which he exercised in the cell formerly occupied by him. In the afternoon, and after the reading of the koran, the religious attached to the cell got together a great quantity of wood, to which they set fire : they then walked into it, some eating it, others rolling in it, and others trampling upon it, till they had entirely extinguished it. Such is the sect called El Rephala, and this the custom by which they are particularized. Some of them too will take great serpents in their teeth and bite the head off. It happened that, when I was in a certain part of India, there came to me a company of the religious of the ‘'Hydarla sect,^ having in their hands and about their necks iron chains. Their leader was a black of a filthy colour. They requested me to solicit the governor of the place to bring them some wood to which they may set fire, and then sing and walk into it. I did so, and he brought them ten bundles; they then set fire to it, and commencing their song, went into it : nor did they cease dancing and rolling about in it until they had extinguished it. The leader then asked me for a shirt. I gave him a very fine one, which he put on, and then proceeded to’ roll about in the fire, and to strike it with his sleeves, until he had put it out. He then brought me the shirt, upon which the fire had not made the least impression. At this I very much wondered.

After visiting this Sheikh I proceeded to Basra, a place much abounding with palms. The inhabitants are so friendly to strangers that a traveller has nothing to fear among them. We have here the mosque of Ali, in which prayers are said every Friday : it is then closed till the next. This was formerly in the middle of the town ; but is situated two miles']' from its

-|- As the term mile ( will occasionally occur in this work, we shall here determine its extent. According to the Succardan ofibn Hajila, a mile is = 1,000 baas, a baa = 4> cubits; a cubit = 24> digits ; a digit : 6 barley-corns placed side by side : and a barleycorn . 6 hairs taken out of the tail of a mule. A Parasang = 3 miles ; a band = 4> parasangs

PERSIA.

' 35 present population. In this is the koran which Othman had sent (for the use of the inhabitants), and in which he was reading when he was killed. The marks of his blood are still visible in the words aJJi , &c. I then went on board a ‘'Sambuk (Turkish 'Senbuki) which is a small boat, and proceeded to ■'^El Oballa,* which was once a large city, but is now only a village ;

•^\Ji ^ J . In Golius, sub voce , we have “ mensura itineraria XII. milliarlum, seu III. parasangarum,” where for III we ought to read IV. Now, in order to determine the relative value of an Oriental with an English mile, I take 18f parasangs to the degree, as given in the preface to Koehler’s Syria of Abulfeda ; and getting rid of the fractions the ratio will be, that of 112 to 139 : and inverting this, the Oriental mile will be to the English one, as 139 to 112; and, if this be correct, the Oriental mile will contain 2, 184f English yards. From this the value of the other measures mentioned above maybe known. According to the author of the Kamoos, however, the mile (J^) is a perfectly lax and vague measure, and differing just as the parasang did in ancient and times.

. ^'LJ! !jlsr b! jy=r !Ali ^ Ibn Hawkal states, that Oballa is a small, strong, and well peopled city. Its river, the Oballah, after issuing from the Tigris which is over against the city, makes its way to it, and thence to Basra. The channel of this river reaches to the sea, and to Abbadan. The length of its course to Basra is four parasangs, upon the banks of which are palaces and gardens, so close to each other, that they appear to form one garden passing on in a direct line : its palms also spread out in like manner in an extended line. All the gardens too of these parts are so situated one by another, that when the tide of the sea comes out towards them, it passes into all the channels until it comes to their palms, and into their valleys without the least difficulty : and, when it ebbs, it rolls back, leaving the gardens and palm-plantations. The channels here mentioned are, according to Dr. Russell, Nat. Hist. Aleppo, generally so contrived as to bring the water into the gardens, and then, out of these still smaller channels are cut, which carry the water into the several parterres and divisions of the gardens. The Psalmist seems to have had these channels in view when he speaks of the “ tree planted by the rivers of waters,” better, the divisions of the waters, the original being

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which, with its gardens about it, is about ten miles from Basra. I then sailed from El Oballa in an arm of the Persian gulf, and arrived the next morning at ^AbbMan,* * which is a village situated in a salt marsh. It was my intention to have gone to Bagdad ; but a person at Basra advised me to go on to the country of ^ El Ear, then to ‘ Irak El Ajam,'|' then to Arabian Irak : and I did so. I then proceeded from Abbadan by sea ; and after four days, arrived at the city of * Magun (or Magul, of the quantity Fa-til, with the g pronounced hard). This is a small town on the Persian gulf. I passed from this by land, during a journey of three days, through

D'D which exactly corresponds with Dr. Russell’s description. — See also Asseman’s Biblioth. Orient., tom. iii., P. 2, p. dccvi, and D’Herbelot under Obollah.

Abulfeda says this place is in the longitude 74° 30', lat. 25° 20' according to the Atwal : but others give 75° 55', and 75° 30' longitude. He then thus describes it after Ibn Said.

. has said that Abbadan is on the sea of Ears, which encircles it, leaving only a small part of land (or isthmus). On the south-east of this place the Tigris joins the sea. Others have said, that Abbadan is upon the mouth of the Tigris towards its east, and on the sea of Ears. Erom it to the shores of Mehruban is about four stages. Erom Basra it is a stage and a half. It has been said too, that on the south and east of Abbadan are the Khushbab, i. e. marks placed in the sea for the purpose of limiting the approach of vessels, and beyond which they never pass, lest upon the ebbing of the tide they should strike upon the ground. Khushbab < Castell tells us, are moderately sized ropes : if so, they are here so placed as to mark the places to which ships may safely come. See also Asseman’s Biblioth Orient, tom. iii. P. 2. p. dccvi ; Sir Wm. Ouseley’s Oriental Geography, p. 11, &c. ; and D’Herbelot sub voce Abadan.

f The geography of these parts has been well illustrated by Ulenbroek in his Iracse Persicae descriptio, &c. Lugduni Batavorum, 1822. See pp. 4 and 5. Asseman’s Biblioth. Orient, tom. iii-, P. 2, p. dccxlv.

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a plain inhabited by Kurds, and came to the city of ' Ramin,* * * § a beautiful place abounding with fruit and rivers. I then proceeded on through a plain, in which were villages of the Kurds, and in three days arrived at the city of ”‘Tostar,t which is at the extremity of this plain. On the first of the mountains there is a large and beautiful city, abounding with fruits and rivers, surrounded by a river, known by the name of ” El Azrak the blue. This river is wonderfully clear, and is cold in the summer season.

Chapter VII

Idhaj—El hur — Ushturlcan — Fairuzan — Tashnia Flruz — Shiraz — Katil — Yezd Khas — Majd Oddin, founder of the College El Mnjdia — Mohammed Khuda Banda becomes a Sunni — Abu Is-hak —His liberality — Abu Ahd Allah Khafif the first Mohammedan iioho went from India to Ceylon — Kazerun—El Zaidain—El Hawaiza — Kufa.

I THEN travelled for three days over high mountains, and found in every stage, in these countries, a cell with food for the accommodation of travellers. I then came to the city of "Idhaj,J which belongs to the '’Sultan Atabek Afrasiab.§ With these people the word Atabek means any one governing a district. The country is called ’El Lur.|l It abounds with high mountains and ha^ roads cut in the rocks. The extent in length is seventeen days journey ; in breadth ten. Its king sends presents to the king of Irak, and sometimes comes to see him. In every one of the stations in this country, there are cells provided for the religious, enquirers, and travellers : and,

.jjjir

Orient, tom. iii., P. 2, p. dcclxxii, which he writes in Arabic : — or perhaps the ^ d\j or of Mr. Ulenbroek, see p. 65, Arab, text.

f See Asseman’s Biblioth. Orient., tom. iii. P. 2., p. dcclxxxi.

X See Ulenbroek Iracae Pers. descriptio, p. 25, Arab. text.

|] See Mr. Ulenbroek’s “ Iracas descriptio,” pp. 4 and 5, and Arab. text.

PERSIA.

for every one who arrives, there are bread, flesh, and sweetmeats : I travelled for ten days in this country over high mountains, with ten other religious, one of whom was a priest, another a moazin (a person who calls the people to prayers), and two professed readers of the koran. The Sultan sent me a present, containing money for travelling expences, both for myself and my companions. Having finished the districts belonging to this king on the tenth day, we entered those of Isphahan, and arrived at the city of ’ Ushtorkan : after this at ^Fairuzan, *' the name of which had been ‘TashniaFiruz : and then at Isphahan, one of the cities of Irak El Ajam. This is a large and handsome city : I remained in it some days. I then set out for “Shiraz, between which and Isphahan there are twenty stations, with the intention of visiting the Sheikh Majd Oddin, at that place. In my journey, I passed by the towns oPKalil and ^ Yezd Khas, the latter of which is small, and arrived at Shiraz. It is an extensive, and well built city, though inferior to Damascus, in the beauty of its streets, gardens, and waters. The inhabitants are people of integrity, religion, and virtue, particularly the women. For my own part, I had no other object than that of visiting the Sheikh Majd Oddin the paragon of saints and worker of miracles. I came accordingly to the college called ^E1 Majdia, which had been founded by him. He was then judge of the city ; but, on account of his age, the duties of the office were discharged by his brother’s sons-t I waited on him. When he came out, he shewed me great kindness, and, embracing

At length, by the mediation of the Kazi Majd Oddin Ismail Ibn Yahya, who was one of the great saints and men of eminence, an agreement took place ; and the Emir Pir Hosain Jubani entered the city in the greatest splendour and delight. This is related as taking place in the year of the Hejira 740.

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me, asked me about different places : to which I gave suitable answers. I was then taken into his college. The Sheikh is much honoured by the Emirs of these parts, insomuch, that when they enter his company, they take hold of both their ears, a ceremony of respect paid only to the king. They, therefore, pay him the respect due to their king. The reason of this is, that when the king of Irak, “Mohammed Khuda Banda, received Islamism, he had a favourite of the Rafiza (followers of Ali), named "Jamal Ibn Mutahhar, who induced him to join the Shiah sect, which he willingly did. The king then wrote to Bagdad, Shiraz,'^ and other places, inviting them to be of this sect. The people of Bagdad and Shiraz, however, refused to do so, and continued to be of the sect of the Sonnee. He then commanded the judges of these districts to be brought to him : and the first who arrived was this of Shiraz. The king ordered him to be thrown to some great dogs which he had, and which were kept with chains about their necks, for the purpose of tearing to pieces any one, with whom the Sultan should happen to be angry. When, therefore, the Kazi Majd Oddin was thrown to the dogs, they came, and looking upon him, began to wag their tails, making no onset upon him, nor, in any way molesting him. This was told to the Sultan ‘'Khuda Banda, who came running to him in a great fright. He then kissed his hands, and stripping off all his own robes put them upon the Sheikh. He then took him by the hand, and led him to his mansion. This, therefore, became the source of great dignity to the Sheikh, his children, and to all belonging to him : which is the case with every one, upon whom the Sultan puts all his robes. The king then gave up the Shiah sect, and became a Sonnee, and to the Sheikh he gave a hundred villages in the district of Shiraz. Thus both the king and his courtiers bestowed the greatest honours upon the Sheikh and upon his successors. I also visited this Sheikh after my return from India, in the year 748 of the Hejira (A.D. 1347) ; and, for this purpose, I travelled a distance of five and thirty days. I once saw the Sultan of Shiraz Abu •'Is-hak holding his ears before him, by way of respect. The Sultan of

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Shiraz, on my first arrival at that place, was Mohammed Abu Is-hak Ibn Shah Yanju. He was one of the best of princes. His father Shah Yanju was governor of Shiraz, under the King of Irak:* but when he died, the government was put into the hands of another. When, however, the King of Irak died, and left no issue, each of the governors assumed the government of the district over which he had been placed : and, in this way, the government of Shiraz, &c. came under the control of Abu Is-hak. He was a man much beloved on account of his courage and good conduct ; and possessed a territory of a month and a half’s journey, with an army of fifty thousand men.f

In liberality Abu Is-hak imitated the king of India : for, on one occasion, he gave to a person, who had come before him, the sum of seventy thousand dinars. No one, however, can be compared to the king of India :* for he

And, that in the districts of Shiraz and Shabankara, he had possessions to such an extent as to bring him in annually 100 tumans; which, he goes on to say, was the cause of his being brought i nto disgrace at the court of Abusald. A little lower down we are told that Abu Is-hak was one of the sons of Mahmud Shah Anju. ^ iti j^\

The sons of Emir Mahmud Shah fled from Tebriz, the Emir Mahmud Shah went to Room, and the Emirs Mahmud and Sheikh Abu Is-hak betook themselves to the service of the Emir All, the king. What power Abu Is-hak exercised in Shiraz is not mentioned in the historians ; but that he had great power there can be no doubt. In 742 he succeeded to the government of Isphahan, and in 743 he vigorously opposed the descent of Malik Ashraf upon Shiraz, and by the help of the citizens forced him to retire. Khondemir, under this date. This author’s account of Abu Is-hak agrees exactly with that given by our traveller. His words are ;

jUl 1*1^ jl jLi-l (^ICe The Emir Abu Is-hak was distinguished among the rulers of the world, by his extreme liberality, and the politeness o>f his address.

t The accounts given of the liberality of Mohammed Slndi, who was the reigning emperor when Ibn Batuta entered India exceed all description. Dow (Hindustan, vol. i. pp. 313, &c.) has noticed some instances, and Ferishta many more. He also says, that nobles, learned men, and persons who had suffered shipwreck, came with the hope of relief from Khorasan, Irak, Mawara,

PERSIA.

will give sums equal to this many times in the same day, particularly to those who come from the parts of Khorasan. He once said to one of his courtiers, Go into the treasury and bring as much gold as you can carry at once. The courtier filled thirteen purses with gold ; and, tying them on his shoulders, attempted to go out, but fell through the weight of the purses. The king then commanded him to take and weigh it, which he did, and found it to be thirteen ®maunds of Dehli, the maund of Dehli being equal to five and twenty -Gratis of Egypt. On another occasion, he placed one of his Emirs, namely, ^ Sharf U1 Mulk Emir Bakht of Khorasan, in a pair of scales, putting gold in the opposite part, till the gold preponderated. He then gave him the gold and said, give alms out of this for your own salvation. He also appointed to the theologian and collector of traditions, ^Abd El Aziz El Ardablll, for his daily expenses, the sum of one hundred dinars of silver : five and twenty of which are equal to the golden dinar. Upon one occasion the above mentioned Sheikh entered into the presence of the king, who rose ; and, having kissed his feet, poured upon his head with his own hand a vessel full of gold, and said, both the gold and the vessel, which is gold, are thine.

The most famous meshhed of Shiraz is that of Ahmed Ibn Musa, the brother of * *E1 Riza, which is indeed held in the highest estimation. In this is the tomb of the Imam ^ El Kotb El Wall Abu Abd Allah Ibn Khaflf,* and ^ *

El Nahr, Arabia, and Turkey, to Hindustan.

Av.;l..v' &c. and received more than they had imagined they should. I cite this merely to show the minute accuracy of our traveller.

In vol. i. p. 546, of the Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society, I have made some allusion to this Sheikh, supposing it probable that his grave may be that of the person mentioned in an inscription there translated. The traveller, however, here says that his tomb is in Shiraz : and, if that be the fact, there is an end to the probability ; but we shall find, when we get to Ceylon, that there is a belief of his grave being in that country. We have no account, however,

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who is the great exemplar of all the region of Fars. This Abu Abd Allah is the person, who made known the way from India to the mountain of Serendib, and who wandered about the mountains in the island of 'Ceylon. Of his miracles, his entering Ceylon, and wandering over its mountains in company with about thirty fakeers is one : for when these persons were all sutfering from extreme hunger, and had consulted the Sheikh on the necessity of slaughtering and eating an elephant,^ he positively refused and forbade the act. They, nevertheless, impelled as they were by hunger, transgressed his commands, and killed a small elephant, which they ate. The Sheikh, however, refused to partake. When they had all gone to sleep, the elephants came in a body, and smelling one of them, put him to death. They then came to the Sheikh, and smelled him, but did him no injury. One of them, however, wrapt his trunk about him, and lifting him on his back, carried him off to some houses. When the people saw him, they were much astonished. The elephant then put him down and walked off. The infidels were much delighted with the Sheikh, treated him very kindly, and took him to their king. The king gave credit to his story, and treated him with the greatest kindness and respect. When I of his having founded a college or any thing of the sort ; although, from the estimation in which he appears to have been held at court, he might have had it in his power to do so. Upon turning over the lives of the saints by JamI C-'Ls--") I find that this Sheikh died A.H. 331 ; and according to the inscription, this endowment was made in the year 317 ; and the: inscription itself written in 337. So that he might have been in Ceylon in 317, and obtained the privileges here adverted to, from the king : and if he died in 331, the inscription might have been written in 337. JamI, however, gives no such name as Khalid Ibn Abu Bakaya, &c. ; he only tells us that his name was Mohammed Ibn Khaflf Ibn Isfikshar El ZabI (under l ajfi Xyr

Abu Abd Allah Ibn Khaflf of Shiraz), where he says ^

}\ The date of his death is given in these words, jJ* iJ J jl dcjjj ibUiby in the j^ear 331 he left the world. “ A certain former king,” says Knox, in his Ceylon, “ gave this temple (i. e. a mosque in Candy) this privilege, that every freeholder should contribute a ponnam to it,” p. 171. I am disposed to believe, therefore, that my conjecture respecting this Sheikh is just ; and that he was the first who obtained securit}' for the property of the Mohammedans in this island.

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entered Ceylon I found them still infidels, although they had given great credit to the Sheikh. They also very much honour the Mohammedan Fakeers, taking them to their houses and feeding them, contrary to the practice of the infidels of India ; for they neither eat w^ith a Mohammedan, nor suffer him to come near them.

I then left Shiraz intending to make “ Kazerun, situated at the distance of two days’ journey, in order to visit the tomb of the Sheikh ” Abu Is-hak El Kazeruni."* This Sheikh is held high in esteem both in India and China : and even the sailors, when labouring under adverse winds, make great vows to him, which they pay to the servants of his cell, as soon as they get safely to shore. I accordingly visited the tomb of the Sheikh.

I then left Kazerun and went to the city "El Zaidain (the city of the two Zaids). It was so called, because ^Zaid Ibn Thabet and ? Zaid Ibn Arkam,t two of the companions of the prophet, were buried there. I then went to ’’El Huwaiza,j: a small town inhabited by Persians, between which and Basra is the distance of four days: but from Kufa, that of five. From this place I went to Kufa through a desert, in which water was only to be found at one of its stages. This is one of the mother cities of Irak : but, it is now very much in ruins. In the mosque is the oratory,

. al

:|: This name is given in the . El Huwaiza thus : t<j^\ la-y ^1? ijy • It is a place situated between Wasit, Basra, and

Khuzistan, in the marshes.

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in which Ali was killed by the vile *Ibn Moljim. In the back part of the mosque, is the place in which Noah is said to have grown warm from the oven in the time of the 'deluge.*

A ^ ^.v -:':'^-w . They have related from Ali, the commander of the faithful, that the meaning of the oven’s heat is, the appearance of the dawn of the morning. Some have said that the meaning of “ and the oven became hot,” is the boiling up of the water from the surface of the earth. Kotada says, that it was a high place of the earth, from which the water boiled up. But generally it is held, that by “ the oven” is meant the oven of a baker, in which the wife and daughter of Noah baked their bread, and which came to him by hereditary right. This oven was situated near the gate El Kenda of the mosque at Kufa, and from this place Noah took his seat in the ark. Mokatel says that it was in Syria, in a place which they call “ the Fountain of the Rose ” near Baalbec ; some say that it is in India ; others, that Noah was standing at the door of a baker’s shop, when the baker said by way of jest, where is the water you have been frightening us about, and from what place is it to come ? Noah replied, from your own oven : and, at the same moment, water began to boil out of his oven. El Harawi gives a similar account under his mention of Kufa, but it is not worth copying.

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Chapter VIII

El Hilla — Karbela— Bagdad — Abu Said, now King Irak — Ibn Batuta accompanies his army —

Samarra — Tekrit —Island of Ibn Omar — Nisibin — Sinjar — Dara — Mardin — Bagdad — Mosul —Mecca.

I NEXT arrived at the city of “El Hilla,* which runs far along by the side of the Euphrates. Its inhabitants are all followers of the twelve Imams. We have here a mosque, over the gate of which is an extended veil of silk. They call it the Mosque of the last ’'Imam. It is said, that Mohammed Ibn El Hasan El Askari entered this mosque, and became concealed in it. This person is, according to them, the Imam Mehdi (or leader), who has long been expected. It is a practice with them to come daily, armed to

Imamla (followers of the Imams), that the Imam" Mohammed Ibn Askari is still alive, but that he is invisible. This they term the less, and greater concealment. The less concealment lasted seventy-three years, and happened in the times of Muatamid of the house of Abbas, in the year 266 (A. H.). The greater concealment happened in the time of RazI, the son of Muktadir, of the house of Abbas. The difference between these two concealments is this : that in the less, a book and ministers were mediatorial between the Imam and the pious of the people : but in the greater, all communication was cut off. The first Wakeel was Othman Ibn Said El Omari; and, after him, by command of the Imam of his time, it was transferred to his son Abu Jaafar Mohammed, w'ho executed the office about fifty years. After him Abu El Kasim Hosain Ibn Ruh Ibn Abi Bahr Nawbakhti, who afterwards left it by will to Abu El Hasan Ali Ibn Mohammed El Samari ; and he was the last

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the number of a hundred, to the door of this mosque, bringing with them a beast saddled and bridled, a great number of persons also with drums and trumpets, and to say. Come forth. Lord of the age, for tyranny and baseness now abounds ; this then is the time for thy egress, that, by thy means, God may divide between truth and falsehood. They wait till night, and then return to their homes. I next came to Karbela, and there visited the meshhed of the Imam El Hosain, the son of Ali.^ This is one of the greatest meshheds. The inhabitants are of the sect of the twelve Imams.

• V of the Wakeels. When he was sick the Shiah asked him, who should hold this sacred office after him ; upon which he drew out an instrument forbidding a will, which is this :

(al Jjb <_v?.' Aai cJo’bj

L::.-^3b cu;lij LUiijj ^ . “ In the name of the compassionate and merciful God. O Ali, son of Mohammed of Samaria, may God increase the reward of thy brethren by thee : but thou art a dead man : between me and thee are (only) six days. Arrange thy matters, therefore, and turn towards no one for supplying thy place after thy death : for now has happened the complete concealment : nor shall there be a revelation, except by the permission of God, whose memorial be reverenced, till after the duration of the age, and hearts shall be hardened, and the earth shall be filled with violence. But there shall come out of my people one who shall lay claim to a testimony. He, however, who shall lay claim to this before the outgoing of El Sofyanl and the shout, that man is the antichrist, the corrupter. There is no power or virtue except in the great God.” He died in the middle of the month Shaaban, An. Hej. 328. See my Persian Controversies, p. 433. I have been the more particular in explaining this passage, in order to shew the great similarity there is, between the Shiah and our own Millenarians in this respect. The Shiah expect the Mehdi to appear, when^ Mohammed and Jesus are also to descend from heaven, and this is to happen at the end of an age or dispensation, when the world shall be filled with oppression and sin. Upon this occasion, they further tell us, there is to be a general resurrection of the wicked, and then a horrible slaughter is to ensue : and after this the earthly Paradise is to commence. It is my intention hereafter to shew, that the Mohammedans have retained this from the early heretics, as well as many other things peculiar to one or other of their sects.

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I next arrived at Bagdad, which, notwithstanding the injuries it has sustained, is still one of the largest of cities. Its inhabitants are mostly of the sect of Hanbal. In this place is the grave of "^Abu Hanifa, over which is a cell, and a mosque. Not far off is the grave of the Imam ^Ahmed Ibn Hanbal as also that of 'El Shiball,'j' of “Sari El Sakti,J of ^Bashar El Hafi,§ of “Baud El Tai,|| and of Abu Kasim El '^Jonaid,^ all of them Imams of the Sufis. When I entered Bagdad, the Sultan of the two Iraks and Khorasan was “Abu Said Bahadur Khan, son of Mohammed Khuda

f JamI calls him ^ OjXvJl and tells us, that he was contemporary with Jonaid.

In his history, which occurs in the last quarter of the we have some very strange miracles recorded of him, which, however, are not worth copying out.

t This saint, according to the culs.^, where his history will be found a little from the beginning, was the preceptor of Jonaid, and the rest of the enlightened of Bagdad. His full name was ^Uo...U jjAall surname ( jjU He was contemporary with the following.

^ Thefullnameofthis saint, according to the culs.^ a little from the beginning, where his history will be found, is (Jlsll eVr- ^ j-‘-> and the surname jjI

Bashar Ibn El Harith Ibn Abd El Rahman, surnamed Abu Nasr; he died A. H. 227 — A. D. 841.

II See the Annales Muslem. tom. ii. p. 41. In the Itinerary of El Harawl, the graves of these worthies are placed ajyJjAJb in the part of Bagdad termed Shunizia, and they receive the titles of Jljol Abdal, Awlia, pious persons, and martyrs. In the we are told, that is the burying ground situated on the west side of Bagdad, and that several of the above-mentioned saints are buried there : and that there is a mosque and inn for the Sufis in this ground.

^ This, according to JamT, is a saint of the second class : his surname was Abul Kasim (ci-wl his title Kawarirl, Zajaj, and Khazaz

He was one of the three who flourished, A. H. 298-9 (A. D. 910-11) who in intellectual powers are without a fourth ^ Ail

(^^^1 CulsA') &c.

TURKEY IN ASIA.

Banda,* * * § which last was one of those Tartar kings who embraced Islamism, and with his brother-^ Kazan, '|' ruled in these parts. When this Abu Said died, he left no issue, and the consequence was, his Emirs, each claimed and exercised the rule in those parts in which he had been placed. J When Abu Said left Bagdad for his own country, I travelled for ten days with him, and saw, the wonderful arrangement of their march, and their numerous army. I then went with one of his Emirs to ^Tebrlz, which is a large and beautiful city.§ In this I lodged one night ; but, when an order came from the Sultan commanding the Emir ^‘Ala Oddin’s presence in the camp, he set out the next day, and took me with him. The Sultan, however, became acquainted with my being there, and sent for me accordingly. I presented myself to him, and was honoured with a dress and other large presents. The Emir Ala Oddin told him, that it was my intention to go on the pilgrimage ; he accordingly ordered such conveyances and provisions for me as would be necessary for the undertaking. He also wrote to the same effect to the Emir of Bagdad. I then returned to Bagdad, and claimed the royal bounty from the Emir. But, as the time for the pilgrimage was distant, I set out for 'Mosul and '‘Diarbeker. I then went from Bagdad to the city of ^Samarra,l| which was jn ruins. There had been a ^meshhed

f See D'Herbelot, art. Gazan, and Annales Muslemici, tom. v. p. 190.

I So De Guignes and others. “ La puissance de ces Moguls finit avec le regne d’ Abousa’id bahadour Khan. Les princes de la Dynastie des Dgioubaniens mettoient sur le trone, et deposoient a leur gre les Khans ses successeurs.” tom. i. p. 283. See Mirkhond, vol. v. sub. an. Hej; 736, &c., and D’Herbelot sub voce Abou-Said.

II Abulfeda says, cUkc ir;

TURKEY IN ASIA.

in it, dedicated to the last Imam by the Rafiza, as in ” El Hilla. I then proceeded to "Tekrit,* a large city; then, after many stages, to Mosul. This is an ancient and strong place. Its citadel ^E1 Hadba is splendid. From this I went to the island of ®Ibn Omar,f where I arrived after two days. This is a large city surrounded by a valley, and has thence been called the Island. The greatest part of it is now in ruins. The inhabitants are well informed, and are kind to strangers. From this place I went to *Nisibin,:{; where I arrived after a journey of two days. This is an ancient city ; but is now mostly in ruins. It abounds in water and gardens, and is surrounded by a river as with a ^bracelet. Rose-water incomparable in scent is made here.

I then went to the city of “Sinjar,§ a place abounding with fountains

.jAS. ^ ^

U&liJ

. Sarmar Ray, also called Samar, has its longitude according to the Atwal in 69° 8', lat. 34° 8' ; according to the Kanan in 69° 45', 34° 50' ; the Rasam 60° 45', 34° 8'. It is said in the Lobab, that Sarmar Ray is a city in Irak above Bagdad : it is a wellknown place. People have abridged its name and called it Samarra. El Moatasim built it, but it was soon destroyed. It is said in El AazizI that from Sarmar Ray to Okbara is twelve farsangs : it is also said to be on the eastern shore of the Tigris. The air and soil of this place are pure ; but it is said to be now without inhabitants, except in a very few instances, like a village. Ibn Said says, that El Moatasim built it, and El Wathik added to it the city El Harunia, and El Mutawakkel the city El JaaferTa, and very much enlarged it. See also D’Herbelot under Samara. ^ Annales Muslem. tom. ii. pp. 169, 205, 221.

-j- “ Le Geziret ben Omar,” says De Guignes (tom. i. p. 257) “ est une ville batie par les descendans d’Omar dans une isle du Tigre, au-dessus de Moussoul. Elle etoit de la dependance du Royaume de Moussoul, sous le regne de Seifeddin gazi.” See D’Herbelot, art. Gezirat ; Asseman, Bibl. Orient., tom. iii. P. II. p. dccli. “ Qui Ibn-omar qualis fuerit non liquet,” says Mr. Ewald in his Mesopotamia of El Wakedl.

X For an account of this place under the Christians, see Asseman’s Biblioth. Orient., tom. iii. P. II, pp. dcclxvii-viii. El Harawl tells us, that there is a jujube tree here, about which strange things are said, and also a Greek inscription which will cure pains in the back, &c. ejusdem farinse. See also D’Herbelot under Nassibin.

TURKEY IN ASIA.

and rivers, much like Damascus. The inhabitants are Kurds, a generous and warlike people. At this place I saw the Sheikh ^E1 Salih El Wall El Aabid Abd Alla El Kurd!, the theologian : I met him with a party on the highest part of the mountain. They say, that he does not break his fast of forty days,* except with a crust of barley-bread. Many miracles are ascribed to him. I then went to the city of “'Dara;j' then to^^MardlnJ in which there is a very celebrated and strong citadel. The Sultan of Mardin, at the time I entered it, was El Melik El Salih the son of ^ El Melik El Mansur. § This is a very generous prince, and much praised by the poets, on whom he bestows splendid gifts.

I now returned through Mosul to Bagdad, and there found the conveyances ready for the pilgrimage. With these I proceeded, and arrived

. j*h:i <dllj Sinjar is a mosque of Ali the son of Abu Talib. This is upon the mountain, and within it is the hill of Kambar. It is said that the ark of Noah struck upon an eminence (tooth of the mountain, and thence received a fracture : the place was hence called Sinjar, because he resided (jU- jara) upon it. But the truth is, the city was built by Sinjar, son of Malik, son of El Dhaar, and to him the name relates. In like manner Amid is named after Amid son of El Somaid, because he built it ; and Roha (Edessa) received its name from Roha the daughter of Bolaid, son of Malik, (son) of El Dhaar, because it was built by him.” I have deemed it important to make this extract to shew among other things, that according to the Orientals, places take their names from persons, and not the contrary, as some, with the great Bochart at their head, have supposed. See Asseman, Biblioth. Orient,, tom. iii. P. II, p. dcclxxix, and Mr. Ewald’s Mesopotamia of El Wakedi, p. xv. Annal. Muslem., tom iii. p. 702. D’Herbelot, art. Sangiar.

f Here, according to El Harawl, are ruins to be seen, which may be referred to the times of Darius . Oy y See Mr. Ewald’s “ Libri Wakedii de

Mesopotamise expugnatae Historia,” p. xiv.

J See Asseman’s Biblioth. Orient., tom. iii. P. II, p. dcclxii.

TURKEY IN ASIA.

at Mecca in the same year ; and remained there during another. In the second year arrived the caravan from Irak, v^ith a great quantity of alms for the support of those ^vho w^ere staying at Mecca and Medina.

Chapter IX

At this time, that is, in the year 729 (A.D. 1328), prayer was made, during the sermon, for the King of Irak ^Abu Said, and after that for “El Melik El Nasir. I remained there during the third year also, and then left Mecca* with the intention of visiting Yemen. I arrived accordingly at

^^3 'hy^3 'hy^3

“ From the western side one and thirty cubits, and from the pillar in which the black stone is found, to that which is opposite to it on the south, were two and twenty cubits, and from the northern opposite part, twenty cubits. Its circumference was one hundred and five cubits, and thus it remained, until destroyed and rebuilt by the Koreish in the times of the prophet. They also made it smaller than it was at first, so that there remained six cubits and a half in its capacity (internal length and breadth I suppose). Its height they increased by nine cubits, so that it became eighteen cubits. Its building consisted of a layer of wood and another of stone ; so

ARABIA.

.JUJr •

. jAc. ® that there were fifteen courses of wood, and sixteen of stone. Within it were six columns, as also images of the angels, the prophets, the tree, and of Abraham the friend, with the divining arrows in his hand : there was also an image of Jesus and another of his mother Mary. But in the year of victory the prophet ordered them all to be destroyed. There were also in it, the horns of the ram which Abraham sacrificed (in lieu of his son). They were hung up within the temple, and thus they remained to the times of Ibn El Zobair, and then they were burnt.” That this temple was at first the residence of some of the patriarchs seems to me extremely probable, and as it was at first larger than it is now, it might then have been quite sufficient for all the purposes of a shepherd. If, indeed, it contained an image of Abraham, the ram’s horns, &c. as here mentioned, a curious proof is afforded to the truth of the original history : and if there was an imao-e of our Lord and his mother, it should seem that the Christians of Arabia had

O adopted images before the times of Mohammed, for from them the pagans must have taken them.

f See Ouseley’s Oriental Geography, p. 13.

Abulfeda puts this place, according to the Atwal, in long. 66° 20', lat. 13° 50' ; according to the Kanun, long. 66° 50'. He then says JIj iuj Lii-w)

. Hall is one of the parts of Yemen : El EdrIsI says, that any one who wishes to pass the desert from Tahama to Senaa, let him go about six stages fi-om Sirrain, and in those parts (he will find) the city of Hall.

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the town of * * * § Sarja, a small place inhabited by merchants of Yemen, a liberal and hospitable people. From this place I went to the city of-^ Zabid,* where I arrived in two days. This is one of the primary cities of Yemen ; it is large and handsome, and abounding with every commodity. The inhabitants are generous, well-informed, and religious. In its environs the village of ^Ghasanaf is the grave of El Wali El Salih Ahmed ^Ibn El Ojail El Yemeni. The doctors of Zabid told me of one of his miracles, which was this : The doctors and great people of the Zaidia:}: sect once came to his cell. The Sheikh sat without the cell, and received and returned their salutations. At length a question arose on the subject of predestination ; the Zaidia affirming, that there was no such thing, and that every man was the author of his own actions. The Sheikh replied: If the matter be as you say it is, get up from the place where you are now sitting. They all endeavoured to rise, but not one of them could do so. The Sheikh left them in this situation, and went into his cell. They accordingly remained in this state, subject to the burning rays of the sun and lamenting their sad condition, till after sunset, when some of the Sheikh’s companions going in to him told him, that the people had repented and turned from their corrupt creed. He then came out to them; and, taking them by the hand, joined them in their conversion to the truth, and dereliction of error. They arose and entered the cell, where he hospitably entertained them, and sent them home. I went to the village in order to visit the grave of the Sheikh, which I did, and met his son ”‘E1 Khashia Ismail, who entertained me very hospitably. I then went to "Jabala,§ which is a small

f This, according to the Marasid El Itlaa (^^^1 is the name of several lakes in

Arabia, on one of which the Beni Mazin resided ; of another at the obstruction of Maarab in Yemen, which is said to be near Jahfa, and perhaps of another in Yemen, between .... and Zabid, (JUuj 1^. tip jj • • • * t See D’Herbelot art. Zeidiah, and Annales Muslem., tom. iii. p. 734).

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town ; and from that to the city of ^Tiazz,"* *" the residence of the King of Yemen. This is one of the most beautiful and extensive cities of Yemen. The Sultan of this place was El Malik El Mojahid Nur Odden Ali, son of the Sultan ’ El Mawayyid Baud, son of ’’ Rasul, | {sent or commissioned). The grandfather of these sultans was called Rasul, % because one of the Califs of the house of Abbas had sent or commissioned him as the Emir of Yemen, after which his descendants kept possession of his government. I was introduced to the king with the KazI of the place. Their situated between Aden and Senaa, in the mountains. It stands upon two rivers, and hence has been called the city of the two rivers. It is modern, and was built by the Sulaihl when they had power in Yemen. Some respectable travellers have stated that Jubla is less than a day from Tiazzinan eastern direction, inclining a little to the north. The passage is c/* [_g^j *■' , gix

Jl^H ^ n\4}i <iJt jLj jJi Jlftj l.]‘ ^ L S * f We are told in the Annales Muslemici, tom. v. p. 348-9 that the father of this prince died at Tiazz yCj which Reiske writes Teez) A.D. 1321 ; and, that on this occasion, his son, Ali received the title of El Malik El Mojahid Saif El Islam, and succeeded to his throne : hut, as he was very young and inexperienced, he was near losing it with his life more than once (p. 357, 361, &c.) He nevertheless continued in power, and was, no doubt, king of Yemen when our traveller was there.

4 A title of this sort seems to have originated the Prester John of Abyssinia, of which the missionary accounts said so much. A Tartar king seems also to have assumed this title, which in Persian was translated ^ Rerishta Jan, John the Angel, probably, because he had received Christianity. Hence the European Prester John : but, how this became ascribed to the King of Abyssinia it is not easy to say, unless he had assumed the title mentioned here by our traveller which belonged to the king of Yemen. See Asseman’s Biblioth. Orient, tom. ii. P. II, p.404.

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custom in saluting their king is this : any person coming before him, first places his fore-finger on the ground, and then, putting it on his head, says, “ May God perpetuate thy power.” I was received very courteously, and then invited to a banquet.

After this I travelled to the city of ® Senaa,* * * § the capital of Yemen. It is a large and well-built city. From this place I went to the city of ^Aden,| which is situated on the sea- shore. This is a large city, but without either seed, water, or tree. They have, however, reservoirs, in which they collect the rain-water for drinking. Some rich merchants reside here : and vessels from India occasionally arrive here. The inhabitants are modest and religious. I then went from Aden by sea, and after four days came to the city of “Zaila.lj; This is a city of the Berbers, a people of Soudan, of the Shafia sect. Their country is a desert of two months’ extent. The first part is termed Zaila, the last "'Makdashu.§ The greatest part of the inha-

f For an account of this place, see the geographical Index appended to the life of Saladin, by Schultens, sub voce Adenum, Asseman, Biblioth. Orient, tom. iii. P. II. p. dccvii, and D’Herbelot, sub voce Aden.

On this place see Rinck’s Tract, containing extracts from Makrizi and Abulfeda on Abyssinia, Lugd. Batav. 1790, p. 9, Arab, text, and p. 10 Lat. trans. Also p. 12, Arab, text from Abulfeda; also Eichhorn’s Africa, p. 31, which I thus translate: Ibn Said has said, that Zaila is a well-known city of the Abyssinians. Its inhabitants are Moslems. It is situated upon a canal which comes from the sea, and is low : its heat is excessive. Its waters are sweet, and are got from wells. The people have no gardens, and know nothing of fruits. Zaila is said in the Kanun to be a port of Abyssinia not far from Yemen ; and to be a place of scarcity. It is situated between the equinoctial line and the first climate. Those who have seen it have stated, that it is a small city nearly the size of Aidhab. It is situated upon the shore, and is governed by Sheikhs. Merchants frequent the place, who are treated with hospitality and traded with. See also D’Herbelot, art. Habasch.

Z ANGUEBAR.

bitants of Zaila, however, are of the Rafiza sect. Their food is, for the most part, camel’s flesh and fish. The stench of the country is extreme, as is also its filth, from the stink of the fish, and the blood of camels which are slaughtered in its streets. I then proceeded by sea for fifteen days, and came to Makdashu, which is an exceedingly large city. The custom here is, that whenever any ships approach, the young men of the city come out, and each one addressing himself to a merchant, becomes his host. If there be a theologian or a noble on board, he takes up his residence with the Kazl. When it was heard that I was there, the Kazi came with his students to the beach : and I took up my abode with him. He then took me to the Sultan, whom they style Sheikh. Their custom is, that a noble or a theologian, must be presented to the Sultan, before he takes up his abode in the city. When, therefore, the Kazi came to the palace, one of the King’s servants met him. The Kazi was then "’Borhan Oddin El Misri (of Egypt), and to him he mentioned my having come. The servant then went to the Sultan, and informed him : but soon returned to us with a basket of vegetables, and some " fawfel nut. These he divided among us, and then presented us with rose-water ; which is the greatest honour done among them to any one. He then said: It is the command of the King, that this person should reside in the student’s house. The Kazi then took me by the hand, and conducted me to it. It was near the palace, was spread with carpets, and prepared for a feast. The servants then brought meats from the palace.

Their meat is generally rice roasted with oil, and placed in a large wooden dish. Over this they place a large dish of elkushan, which consists of flesh, fish, fowl, and vegetables. They also roast the fruit of the ^plantain, and afterwards boil it in new milk : they then put it on a dish, and the curdled milk on another. They also put on dishes, some of preserved Hemon, bunches of preserved pepper-pods salted and pickled, as also grapes, which are not unlike apples, except that they have stones. These, when boiled, become sweet like fruit in “general, but are crude before this : they are preserved by being salted and pickled. In the same

ZANGUEB AR.

manner they use the ^ green ginger. When, therefore, they eat the rice, they eat after it these salts and pickles. The people of Makdashu are very corpulent : they are enormous eaters, one of them eating as much as a congregation ought to do.

The Sultan then sent for me and for each of my companions a dress ; after which I was presented to him. Their custom in giving a salute is the same with that among the kings of Yemen. I remained some days the King’s guest, and then set out for the country of the ®Zanuj,* proceeding along the sea- shore. I then went on board a vessel and sailed to the island of '^Mambasa,t which is large, abounding with the ® banana, the lemon, and the -^ citron. They also have a fruit which they call the ^jammoon (jambu). It is like the olive with a stone except that this fruit is exceedingly sweet. There is no grain in this island; what they have is brought to them from other places. The people are generally religious, chaste, and honest, and are of the sect of Shafia. After lodging there one night, I set out, by sea, for the city of ^ Kulwa, which is large, and consists of wooden houses. The greater part of the inhabitants are Zunuj of the sect of Shafia, of religious and peaceful habits. The king of this place, at the time I entered it, was *Abu El Mozaffir Hasan, a person who had obtained great victories over the countries of the infidel Zunuj. He gave much away in alms. The greatest gift bestowed by the people of these countries is ivory, which is the elephant’s tooth : they seldom give gold. I then proceeded to the city of -^ Zafarj: by sea : this is the farthest city of Yemen,

-]- This is the Mombas of Hamilton. India, chap. i.

:j; Asseman’s Biblioth. Orient., tom. iii. P. 2, p. dcclxxv.; and D’Herbelot under Dhafar. Abulfeda puts this place in the following longitudes and latitudes, viz. after the Atwal in long. 66° 30', lat. 13° 30'; the Kanun, long. 67° 8', lat. 13° 30'; Ibn Said, 73° 8'; the Rasam, 73° 8'. No reliance can be placed on the other numbers given, I therefore omit them. He then describes the place thus :

ZANGUEBAR.

and situated on the shore of the Indian sea. From this place they carry horses to India ; and when the wind is fair they pass from it to the Indian shores in a full month.' Between Zafar and Aden, by land, is the distance of a month ; but between it and Hadramaut that of sixteen days; and between it and 'Amman | twenty days. This city of Zafar stands alone in a large plain, in which there is no other village or governed district. It is a filthy place, and full of flies on account of the great quantity of fish and dates which are sold there. They feed their beasts and flocks also with fish, a custom witnessed by me no where else. Their money is made of copper and tin : they bathe several times in the day on account of the heat of their country. Their diseases are generally the elephantiasis and hernia. The greatest wonder among them is, that they injure no one unless he have previously injured them. Many kings have attempted their country, but have been forced to return, with the effects of their devices upon their own necks. At the distance of half a day from this place is the city of “El Ahkaf,j: the residence of the people of

^ ^.3 JUj jUb JUij jUb , &c. Zafar is a city standing upon the margin of an estuary which stretches out from the southern sea, and makes an indenture into the land in a southern direction for about one hundred miles ; upon a part of this estuary therefore is Zafar. No vessel leaves Zafar and this estuary but by a land breeze ; but there clear out from it vessels for India. Zafar is a principal city of the districts of El Shajr, and in its lands are found many of the productions peculiar to India, such as the cocoa-nut and the betel leaf. To the north of Zafar are the sand banks of Ahkaf : between it too and Sanaa is a distance of twenty-four farsangs. According to some this place is on the shores of Yemen, and abounds with gardens, &c.

f We have, in the Marasid El Itlaa, this word pronounced Oman, and the place is said to be a westerly tract of land on the shore of the sea of Yemen, and on the east of Hajar ; that it contains two towns ; its heat is proverbial, and its inhabitants of the Ibazia sect of heretics.

'jr .

J This word means sand-hills or banks, as mentioned in the note on Zafar. The author of the Marasid El Itlaa says on it J-^1 u-iib-

ARABIA.

As to the ‘ cocoa nut, it is the same with the “Indian nut. The tree is very rare and valuable. It is something like the palm. The nut is like a

El Ahkaf is the plural of Hikf, sand, and it is taken to signify a crooked sand-bank. But the Ahkaf which is mentioned in the Koran is a valley between Omman (al. Amman) and the country of Mahrat ; it is also said to be between Omman and Hadramout : they are sand-banks which approach the sea.

t As this passage appears obscure to me, I give the original t Knox says ; “ the tree that bears the betel-leaf, so much loved and eaten in these parts, grows like ivy, twining about trees or poles which they stick in the ground for it to run up by, and as the betel grows, the poles grow also.” Ceylon, p. 34).

ARABIA.

man’s head ; for it has something like two eyes and a mouth ; and within, when green, is like the brains. Upon it too is a fibre like hair. From this they make cords with which they sew their vessels together, instead of iron nails. They also make great ropes for their anchors out of it.^

The properties of this nut are, to nourish and quickly to fatten the body, — to make the face red, and greatly to stimulate to venery. Milk, oil olive, and honey, are also made out of it. They make the honey thus : having cut off the tendril on which the fruit would be formed, leaving it, however, about the length of two fingers, they then suspend a larger or smaller pot to it, and into this a kind of water drops, which they collect morning and evening. They then expose it to the fire, just as they do dried grapes, and it becomes stiff, and exceedingly sweet, honey : out of this they make sweetmeats.'!' As to the making of milk, they open a side of the nut, take out the whole of the inside with a knife, and put it on a plate. This they macerate well in water. It then becomes milk, both as to taste and colour : and is eaten as such. The oil-olive is thus made : When the nut is ripe and has fallen from the tree, they peel off the bark and cut it

When newly drawn the liquor is clear, and in taste resembles fresh must. In a very short time it becomes turbid, whitish, and somewhat acrid, and quickly runs into a viscous fermentation, acquiring an intoxicating quality. A still larger quantity is immediately applied to the purpose of yielding sugar. With this view the liquor is boiled to a syrup, and thrown out to cool in small vessels, the form of which it takes, and in this shape it is sold in the markets.” The manner of making the oil is also mentioned by Mr. Crawfurd, pp. 381, 382.

ARABIA.

into pieces ; it is then placed in the sun, and when it is withered they heat it in a potj and having extracted its oil, eat it with their breakfast and other meals. The Sultan of Zafar is ®E1 Malik El Mogith, uncle’s son to the King of Yemen.

Leaving Zafar, I proceeded by sea towards “ Amman, and on the second day put into the port of ^ Hasik ; where many Arab fishermen reside. We have here the ^ incense tree.^ This tree has a thin leaf, which when scarified produces a fluid like milk : this turns into gum, and is then called Hoban, or frankincense. The houses are built with the bones of fish, and are covered with the skins of camels.

Leaving this place, we arrived in four days at the mountain of “ Lomaan, which stands in the middle of the sea. On the top of it is a strong edifice of stone, and on the outside of this there is a reservoir for the rain-water.

After two days I arrived at the island of '’Tair, in which there is not a house: it abounds with such birds as the '^sparrow. After this I came to a large island, in which the inhabitants have nothing to eat but fish. I then arrived at the city of '^ Kulhat,'j' which is situated on the top of a mountain. The inhabitants are Arabs, whose language is far from elegant, and who are, for the most part, ® schismatics. This, however, they keep

-j- This is written Kalhat Lulgij by the author of the Marasid El Itlaa, who says, . , . C->1^

A city in

Amman upon the sea shore, which is well inhabited and populous : the inhabitants, however, are all schismatics of the Ibazia sect, which they openly profess. As some further notices will occur of this sect, I will here give what the author of the Kamoos with Jawharl says about it.

Ibn Ibaz of the tribe of Beni Temim, after whom the Ibazia schismatics are named. Jawhari’s explanation is : cT* ^4/ i- e. “ the

Ibazia are a sect of the schismatics, the followers of Abd Allah Ibn Ibaz El Temimi,” who, as our traveller will presently tell us, is, according to them, the saint who is to put an end to error.

ARABIA.

secret, because they are subject to the King of Hormuz, who is of the Sonnee sect.

I then set out for the country of ^ Amman, and after six days’ journey through a desert, arrived there on the seventh. It abounds with trees, rivers, gardens, with palms, and various fruit trees. I entered one of the principal cities of these parts, which is ^'Nazwa.* * * § This is situated on a hill, and abounds with gardens and water. The inhabitants are schismatics of the *lbazla sect. They fall in with the opinions of the base-^ Ibn Moljam,j' and say, that he is the saint who shall put an end to error. They also allow the Califats of Abu Beker and Omar, but deny those of Othman and Ali. Their wives are most base ; yet, without denying this, they express nothing like jealousy on the subject.

The Sultan of Amman is an Arab of the tribe of ^E1 Azd,;{: named ^Abu Mohammed Ibn Nahban ; but Abu Mohammed is with them a general title, given to any ruler, just as Atabek, and other titles are, to Sultans of other places. § The inhabitants eat the flesh of the domestic ™ass, which is sold in the streets, and which they say is lawful.

J^Ub ... (l read i^\j\ . Our copy reads J-^bJb but this I cannot understand, unless it means that there is not a number of large villages, ^. e. a number of small ones. I prefer however, omitting .

f See the Annales Muslemici, tom. i., pp. 332-3, &c.

X See D’Herbelot, under Azd.

ARABIA.

Chapter X

Hormuz — Harauna — Janja Bal — Kuzistan — Lar — Kaisa or Sir^—Fars — Pearl Fisheries

' Kosair and Hoair — El Kotaif- — Hajar or Hasa — Yemama — Fas Da'wair — Aidhab Esypt-—

Cairo — Syria — El Ramla — Tripoli — Jahala — Ladhilda — Koom — El Alayd.

From this place I went to Hormuz,* * * § which is a city built on the seashore ; opposite to which, but within the sea, is ” New Hormuz. This is an island, the city of which is called " Harauna. It is a large and beautiful place, and here the King resides. The island is in extent about a day’s journey : but the greatest part of it consists of salt earth, and of hills of '' Darani salt.^ The inhabitants subsist upon fish and dates, the latter of which is brought from Basra or Amman. They have but little water. The most strange thing I saw here, was the head of a fish, which might be compared to a hill. Its eyes were like two doors, so that people could go in at the one, and out at the other. The Sultan of Hormuz was at this time ^ Kotb Oddin Tamahtas, son of ’’ Turan Shah, a most generous and brave prince. Under his control were the pearl fisheries.

From Harauna I proceeded to * Janja Bal,§ for the purpose of visiting a

f According to the author of the Kamoos, this patronymic is irregularly formed, but refers to i'lTjlo Darayydt, a town in Syria, vol. i. p. 6fA> ®dit. Calcutta. Jami tells us in the^^^l that it is referred to Dara, one of the villages of Damascus : his words are : J jK . .

1^0 . See also Mr. Hamaker’s “ Liber de expugnatione Memphidis,” &c., who derives it from Ijl .

J De Guignes has given a list of the Kings of Ormuz (tom. i. p. 345), from Texeira, which he had some suspicion was not very correct. In this Touran Shah is placed in 1378 : but our traveller places a son of this prince upon the throne before 1340, and gives him a name not to be found in Texeira’s list ; the suspicion of De Guignes is therefore well-founded.

In the Marasid El Itlaa this place is given Jargdnbdn, and is said to be a large village between Sawa and Aldl L Js .

PERSIA.

certain saint. I accordingly crossed the sea, and then hired some Turkomans, who inhabit these parts, and without whose assistance there is no travelling, on account of their courage and knowledge of the roads. We have now a waterless desert, four days in extent, over which the Badawin Arab caravans travel. In this the Somoom blows during the months of June and July, and kills every one it meets with, after which his limbs drop otf. Over this I travelled, and arrived at the country of ^Kauristan (Kuzistan), which is small. From this place I proceeded for three days over a desert like the former, till I came to " Lar,* which is a large and beautiful city, abounding with rain water and gardens. I now went to the cell of the holy Sheikh ’'Abu Dolaf, the person whom I intended to visit at Janja Bal. In this cell was his son “"Abd El Rahman, with a number of Fakeers. In the same place resides a Sultan, whom they call Jalal Oddin El Turkoman!.

I next went to the city of Janja Bal, in which the Sheikh Abu Dolaf resided. I went to his cell, and found him alone sitting on the side of it upon the ground, and clothed in an old woollen ^garment. f I saluted him; he returned the salute, and then asked me about my coming thither, and of my country. He afterwards made me stay with him, and, by one of his sons, who is a pious, humble, abstemious, and very good man, he sent me meat and fruits. This Sheikh is an astonishing man. He has a very large cell, and bestows costly presents ; and moreover clothes and feeds all who visit him. I saw no one like him in these parts, nor is it known whence his income is derived, unless it is brought to him by the brotherhood, j: Most people, however, think that it is from miraculous operations. § The people of these parts are of the sect of Shafia.

f Jubbati Suf. Hence, as it is generally believed, the Sufis have received their name. See Tholuck’s Ssufismus &c. Berolini, 1821, p. 26, &c.

t Of this brotherhood, or society, some notice will be taken hereafter.

PERSIA.

I then bade farewell to the Sheikh, and travelled on to the city of ^ Kaisa, which is also called “Siraf.* It is situated on the shore of the Indian ocean, and near to the sea of Yemen, *Fars is a good and extensive district : its gardens are wonderfully rich in scented herbs. The inhabitants are Persians : those, however, who dive for the pearls are Arabs. The pearl-fisheries which are between Siraf and ‘’Bahrein are situated in a quiet gulf of the sea, not unlike a large valley. To this place comes a great number of boats, and in these are the divers, with the merchants of Pars and Bahrein. When one of the divers intends to go down, he places something upon his face made out of tortoise-shell, and in this a place for the nose is cut out; he then ties a rope round his middle and goes down. The time they will remain under water varies ; some will remain an hour, others two, others less. When the diver gets to the bottom of the sea, he finds the shells firmly fixed in the sand among trees (of coral). He then either tears them off with his hands, or cuts them away with an iron knife, and puts them into a leathern bag which hangs to his neck. When he begins to experience a difficulty of remaining under water, he shakes the rope, and the man who holds it draws him up, and puts him into the boat. The bag is then taken and the shells opened, and they find in each a piece of flesh, which being cut away with a knife and exposed to the air, hardens and becomes a pearl. After this both great and small are collected together, and one-fifth goes to the King : the rest are sold to the merchants present. To many of these merchants, however, the divers are generally in debt, and in this case the pearls are taken by way of payment.

I next proceeded from Siraf to the city of ‘*Bahrein,'|' which is a large and handsome place, abounding in gardens and water. It is wonderfully hot, and so very sandy, that the houses will sometimes be overwhelmed with sand. There is at both the eastern and western side of it, a hill (or bank) : the one they call ^Kosair, the other -^Hoair, and on these they

f See D’Herbelot, art. Baharein.

ARABIA.

have an adage, and say : “ Kosairand Hoair, and, indeed, every opponent brings advantage” * ^

I then travelled to the city of “Kotaif,f (as if it Avere a ’word of the diminutive form from Kotf). It is, ho’wever, a large and handsome place, inhabited by Arabs of the Rafiza sect, extremely enthusiastic, publishing their sentiments and fearing no one. From this place I proceeded to the city of ‘Hajar, ’which, however, is now called El Hasa. We have here a greater abundance of dates than is to be found elsewhere, and which are used as fodder for the beasts. The inhabitants are Arabs of the tribe of ^Abd El Kais. From this place I travelled to^Yemama, which is also called Hajr, J a beautiful and fertile city, abounding with water and gardens.

jLkiiil ^

Ugjl^ U3b^. U3rt^\}^3 ^_5^ • “The two hills Kosair and Hoair, are close to the shore of Yemen ; and opposite to these hills is the place called the vortex. The sea here is called the sea of Azrat. The vortex is a place in which the water continually whirls round like a mill-stone without the least remission or rest ; and should a vessel, or any thing else come into it, it would continue to whirl round until it would be lost This is a narrow place near the two hills (or banks) Kosair and Hoair, into which small ships may pass, but not the ships of China. These two hills, moreover, lie concealed under the water, so that no part of them is seen. The pilots know their places and avoid them.” — The meaning of the adage seems to be, that public opposition tends to promote public good. Mention is made of these rocks by the two Mahommedan travellers of the ninth century. Pinkerton, vol. vii. p. 185. f Edrisi says of this place, sect. vi. Clim. iii. j L_a-ks]l i. e. as to the city of Kotaif, it is close to the sea, and is in itself large. From Kotaif to El Ahsa are two stages, and from the same place to Hamas a distance of two days, and this place is also situated on the Persian Gulf.

I In speaking of this place Edrisi says : j*j Xis«y« jJ ^

^ Us>yo . Then to El Ahsa one stage, thence to Hamas one stage, thence to the shore of Hajar one stage ; and all these stages, &c. In the 6th sect, of the 2d climate this place is also mentioned, as is likewise Yamaraa : the words are

ARABIA.

The inhabitants are, for the most part, of the tribe "BeniHanifa; they are the ancient possessors of this district. From this place I went on pilgrimage and arrived at Mecca, in the year 733 of the Hejira (A. D. 1332). In this year the Sultan of Egypt El Malik El Nasir, also performed the pilgrimage. After finishing the pilgrimage, I proceeded towards ® Judda, intending to go by way of Yemen to India : but in this I failed. I then proceeded by sea towards ^Aidhab, but was driven by the wind into a port called ® Ras Dawair. From this place I travelled by land with the ’’Beja, and passed over a desert, in which there was a great number of ostriches and gazelles, and some Badawln Arabs subject to the Beja. After a journey of nine days I arrived at * Aidhab ; and leaving this place, and

. And with the northern country of El Yemama, and of its cities is Hajar, which is now in ruins. In this country resided the queen

Yemama in her times From the shores of Hajar there is a road to Basra along the shore, but uninhabited. See also Annales Muslemici, tom. i., p. 173. Abulfeda, however, places El Ahsa (L=-^0 in long- '^'3° (or 8) 30', lat. 22° 8', and says CL>\6 ^ ti t " *’ iSL)

A Iv.gh ^ . This is a small city abounding with palms and running water : its springs are exceedingly hot. El Ahsa is in the desert, and is from Kotaif (Katif) in a south western direction about two stages. Its palms are as numerous as those in the vale of Damascus, and they are all round it. It is said in the Moshtarik, that Ahsa is the plural of Hisa, which means sand, into which the water sinks, and proceeds until it comes to the hard earth, which retains it. In this the Arabs dig and draw out the water. El Ahsa, therefore, has become the proper name of a place among the districts of the Arabs. This is the Ahsa of the tribe Beni Saad of Hajar, and is a residence of the Karamata (heretics so called) in Bahrain. It is also said, that the Ahsa of the Beni Saad, is a different place from that of the Karamata. El Ahsa has no walls. Between it and Yemama is a distance of four days. The people both of Ahsa and Kotaif carry fruits to El Kharj, a valley of Yemama, and for every camel-burden of fruit, they buy another of wheat.

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passing through district after district in Upper Egypt, arrived at last at Cairo, where I remained some days. Hence I proceeded to Syria, and then to Jerusalem. From this place I went to ^E1 Ramla, “Acca, ^Tripoli, “Jabala,^ and El Ladhikia (Laodicea). And from this I went by sea to the country of ^Room, which has been so called, because it formerly belonged to the Romans ; and, even now, they are here in considerable numbers, under the protection of the Mohammedans. Here are also many Turkomans. I next arrived at'^ElAlaya, which is a large city upon the sea shore, inhabited by Turkomans. The present Sultan is “Yusuf Beg, son of ^Karman. I was introduced to him. Our meeting was pleasant, and he furnished us with provisions.;):

Chapter XI

Anatolia — Burdur — Sabarta — Akridur — Akshahar — Kara Hisar — Ladhik — Fortress of Tawas — Milas — Kunia, the grave of Mawlana Rumi — Laranda — Aksara — Nikda — Sivas — Amasia —Sunusa — Kumash — Arzanjan — Arzerrum — Birki, remarkable piece of meteoric stone seen here — Tira — Ayasaluk — Yazmir — Magnesia — Bergama — Burma — Yaznik — Bustuni — Bull — Barlu Kastamunia.

Fro SI this place 1 proceeded to the district of “ Anatolia, § which contains some handsome cities. In all the Turkoman towns there is a Brotherhood of ‘^youths, one of whom is termed (my brother, i.e. the word brother A joined with the pronoun of the first person singular my). No people are more courteous to strangers, more readily supply them with food

.vAJlU .III"'

•j- See D’Herbelot, under the article Roum.

J Of this prince De Guignes gives us no account whatever.

$ According to the Marasid El Itlaa olb ^ ^

® well-known and handsome district of Room, situated on the sea-shore ; it is strong, contains many villages and inhabitants, and is near the gulf of Constantinople. See also Annales Muslemici, tom. iv. p. 220-1.

ROOM.

and other necessaries, or are more opposed to oppressors than they are. The person who is styled the Brother is one, about whom persons of the same occupation, or even foreign youths, who happen to be destitute, collect and constitute their president. He then builds a cell, and in this he puts a horse, a saddle, and whatever other implements may be wanting. He then attends daily upon his companions, and assists them with whatever they may happen to want. In the evening they come to him and bring all they have got, which is sold to purchase food, fruit, &c. for the use of the cell. Should a stranger happen to arrive in their country, they get him among them, and with this provision they entertain him ; nor does he leave them till he finally leaves their country. If, however, no traveller arrive, then they assemble to eat up their provisions, which they do with drinking, singing, and dancing. On the morrow, they return to their occupations, and in the evening return again to their president. They are therefore styled “ the Youths,'" their president “ the Brother"

In this city I went to the college of its Sheikh, ®Shahab Oddin El Hamawi ; and, on the second day, one of this society came to me. He was addressed by the Sheikh in Turkish. The Sheikh told me that this man came to invite us to a feast. I was much astonished, and said to the Sheikh, This is a poor man, how can he afford to feast us, who are many. The Sheikh was surprised at my reply, and said: This is one of the Brotherhood, a society consisting of two hundred silk merchants, who have a cell of their own. I consented, therefore, and went to the cell, and witnessed the astonishing attention, kindness, and liberality which they shewed their guests. May God reward them ! The Sultan of Anatolia was •^Khazir Beg Ibn Yunus the Turkoman. I was presented to him. He was then sick. He behaved very liberally towards us, gave us provisions, and sent money for our travelling expenses.

I next proceeded to the town of ^ Burdur, which is small, and surrounded by trees and gardens. I first went to the house of the ^ Khatib (the preacher), and there met the society of the Brotherhood, who invited us to their feast.

ROOM.

The Khatib refused to go : they therefore gave us a feast in a garden without the town, I was truly astonished at their wish to shew us every respect and attention, although we were ignorant of their language, and they of ours.

From this place I went to the town of ' Sabarta, which is handsomely built, and has good streets. I next went to the city of ^Akridur, which is large, and abounding with trees and water. A lake of sweet water adjoins it, over which vessels pass, in the space of two days, to the town of^ Akshahar, and to other places. I here put up at the lecturer’s, ™E1 Fazil Moslih Oddin, who treated me very respectfully. The Sultan of this place was "Abu Is-hak Beg, one of the greatest princes of these parts. He gave us protection in his district throughout the month of Ramadan. During my residence I was introduced to him ; after this he sent me a horse and some money. He is a condescending and excellent prince.

I then went to the city of "Kara Hisar.* It is small, and surrounded by water on every side. The Sultan is ^ Mohammed Chelebi. He is the brother of Abu Is-hak, King of Akridur. I was introduced to him, and he treated me with great respect, and gave me some provisions. After this I proceeded to the city of ^ Ladhik, which is a large and fine city, abounding with water and gardens. As soon as I had entered it, a number of persons who were in the streets got up and seized upon the bridles of our horses ; after which others came and contested the point with them. We were much alarmed at this ; but a person coming up who could speak Arabic, said they were contending only as to who should entertain us, as they were of the society of Youths. Upon this I felt safe. They then cast lots, and we proceeded to the cell of the party on whom the lot fell, and on the day following, to that of the other. Both the parties shewed us the greatest respect. The Sultan "Yataj Beg, who is one of the greatest princes of these parts, hearing of us, sent for us and treated us with great respect.

ROOM.

I then proceeded to the fortress of * * * §Tawas, then to the city of * Milas, which is large and beautiful. Its Sultan is “Urkhan Beg, ^Ibn El Mantasha. When I was introduced to him he treated me with great respect : he is a very excellent prince.* I proceeded from this place to the city of ^Kunia,t which is large and handsome, and abounds with water and gardens. This district belongs to the Sultan "" Badr Oddin Ibn Karman ; over which, however, the King of Irak has occasionally had the rule, on account of its proximity to some of his states which are in these parts. I put up at the cell of its Kazi, who is known by the name of ^ Ibn Kalam Shah.- He is a member of the society of Youths. His cell is most beautiful ; and he has a great number of disciples, who trace the authorities for their judicial decisions as high as Ali Ibn Abi Talib. They are clothed as the Sufis are with the khirka,j: and close trowsers.

In this place is the tomb of the holy Sheikh ^ JalM Oddin, better known by the title of “Mawlana§ (our Mawla). He is very highly esteemed. It is said, that he was at first a mere lecturing doctor who had a large number of pupils : but upon a certain day a stranger came into his lecture-room with a basket of sweetmeats, which he had for sale, upon his head; the Sheikh said to him, bring your basket here. The man took a piece of sweetmeat and gave it to the Sheikh, who ate it. He then went out, no one else having tasted the sweetmeat ; the Sheikh became agitated and went out after him, giving up his reading, and leaving his pupils in a state of expectation. At length, however, they set out in quest of him, but failed to discover the place of his retreat. Some years after, he returned with his mind deranged, and speaking nothing but Persian verses. These

% A coarse ragged garment worn by the religious beggars of the east.

j and in the by Jam!,, not far from the end.

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his pupils, as they followed him, noted down and published under the title of the * * * § Mathnavi, a book highly esteemed in these parts.

I next proceeded to the city of ‘'Laranda,* the Sultan of which is'^El Malik Badr Oddin Ibn Karman, who makes this place his capital. I met him, and was entertained with the greatest kindness as his guest.

I then proceeded to ® Aksara, which is one of the finest districts of Room, and subject to the king of Irak. I next went to the city of -^Nikda, then to ^Kisaria (Caesarea), both of which are subject to the king of Irak. I next proceeded to the city of ^ Sivas, which is also subject to the king of Irak. It is a large place, and now the rendezvous of the greater part of the king’s army. I next went to the city of ' Amasia,! then to-^ Simusa, then to^Kumash, then to ^Arzanjan, then to Arzerrum; all of which are subject to the king of Irak. In '“Arzerrum I saw the brother ” Tuman, one of the Society of Youths, whose age exceeded one hundred and thirty years. He was still in possession of all his faculties, and could walk wherever he wished. After receiving his blessing I proceeded to the city of " BirkI, the king of which was Mohammed Ibn ^Aidin ; I was, in company with the lecturer of this place ^Mohyi Oddin, one of the most celebrated and reputable men of his age, introduced to the presence.

The king one day said to me, have you ever seen a stone that came down from heaven ?j: I answered, No. He continued, such a stone has fallen in the environs of our city. He then called some men and ordered them to bring the stone, which they did. It was a black, solid, exceedingly hard, and shining, substance. If weighed it would probably exceed a talent. § He then ordered some stone-cutters to come in, when four came forward. He commanded them to strike upon it. They all struck together upon it

. al. al. ^ al.

t For some very interesting accounts of other phenomena of this sort, see the second edition of M. De Sacy’s Chrestomathie Arabe, tom. iii. pp. 437-441.

ROOM.

accordingly with an iron hammer four successive strokes, which, however, made not the least impression upon it. I was much astonished at this. The king then ordered the stone to be taken to its place. He sent fruit and food to us during the time we remained there ; and, when I had bidden him farewell, he sent me a thousand dirhems with one hundred mithkals of gold, as also clothing, two horses, and a slave. He also sent for my companions some dirhems and clothing separately.

I then proceeded to the city of ®Tlra, which belongs also to this prince. It is large, and abounds with gardens and water. From this place I went to the city of ‘Ayasuluk, the Emir of which is the Sultan “Mohammed Ibn Aidin, son of the Sultan of “Birki; then to the city of “Yazmir, which belongs to the Sultan of Birki ; its Emir is "'Omar Beg, one of the Sultan’s sons, and a most excellent prince. I then proceeded to the city of ^Magnesia, the Sultan of which is called "Saru Khan. I then went to the city of “Bergama (Pergamos), of which the philosopher Plato is said to have been an inhabitant. His house is still seen here. The Sultan of this place is styled ^Bakhshl Khan. I next went to the city of ‘'Ball Kasra, which is large and beautiful. Its governor is called ‘^Damur Khan. I then went to the city of ® Burusa,* •* which is a large place, and governed by •^Ikhtiyar Oddin Urkhan Beg, son of ^Othman Juk. This is one of the greatest, richest, and most extensive in rule, and commanding the greatest army of all the Turkoman kings. His practice is, constantly to be visiting his fortresses and districts, and to be inquiring into their circumstances. It is said that he never remained a month in any one place. His father had cona\.j^ “ . ^ ‘ *

Lj jJ Jbuj uSijj &C. This I notice to shew, that the copies diflPer considerably in some instances, and to warn the reader, that, where my translation differs from Mr. Kosegarten’s, he must not immediately conclude that either of us is wrong.

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quered the city of Burusa, and had besieged that of ^Yaznlk,* nearly twenty years, but did not take it ; after this his son besieged it for twelve years and took it. In this place I met him; he received me very respectfully, and provided me with a considerable number of dirhems. I next went to Yaznlk. It has a large lake eight miles in length ; the city is also surrounded with water and trees. I then left this place, and after some days arrived at the city of *Bustuni;'f' after this at the city of Bull, the king of which is '"Shah Beg. I then went to the city of ^Burlu, which belongs to the governor of “Kastamunia. I then went to Kastamunia, which is a very large and beautiful city, abounding with every delicacy, which may be purchased at a very low rate. I saw an aged Sheikh among its inhabitants, whose age, as I was told, amounted to that of one hundred and si xty-two years. Its Sultan was "Suleiman Badshaw, a splendid, but aged man ; he is a respectable and respected person. I was introduced to him, and received very honourably.

Chapter XII

Saniih — Crim — Kirash — The Desert of Kifjak — El Kafa, subject to Mohammed Uzbek Khan — El Sarai — Azak — El Majar — Bish Tag, the Camj) of Mohammed Uzbek — Ceremonies observed here — Bulgar — Mode of travelling here — Astrachan — Permission to visit Constantinople — Ukak — Mountains qf the Russians — Surdak — Baba Saltuk.

I THEN went on to the city of "Sanub, which is large, and belongs to the governor of Kastamunia, Soleiman Badshaw. I remained here some time. Leaving this place I proceeded by sea for the city of El Kiram (Crim),

• Muturnl al. Bustuni) ’ sea)

-j- So Mr. Kosegarten, which he writes Materni.

:j: Mr. K. J»j Boli. Our MSS. present here large additions to that of Mr. Kosegarten.

T A R T A R Y.

but suffered considerable distress in the voyage, and was very near being drowned. We arrived, however, at length, at the port of ® El Kirash, which belongs to the desert country of ’ KiQak.* This desert is green and productive : it has, however, neither tree, mountain, hill, nor wood in it. The inhabitants burn dung. They travel over this desert upon a cart, which they call *Araba. The journey is one of six months ; the extent of three of which belongs to the Sultan * Mohammed Uzbek Khan;+ that of three more to the infidels. I hired one of these carts for my journey from the port of Kirash to the city of “El Kafa, which belongs to Mohammed Uzbek. The greater part of the inhabitants are Christians,:|: living under his protection. From this place I travelled in a cart to the city of “El Kiram, which is one of the large and beautiful cities of the districts of the Sultan Mohammed Uzbek Khan. From this place I proceeded, upon a cart which I had hired, to the city of “El Sarai,§ the residence of Mohammed Uzbek. The peculiarity of this desert is, that its herbs serve for fodder for their beasts : and on this account their cattle are numerous. They have neither feeders nor keepers, which arises from the severity of their laws against theft, which are these : When any one is con-

t “ Uzbek Khan, fils de Toghtagou, meurt, selon les Russes en 1341.” De Guignes, Hist, gen. de Huns, tom. i. p. 287. He must, therefore, have been living when our traveller visited these parts. In tom. iv. however, pp. 284-5, it is stated that he died in 1335 or 6, and what is still more decisive the author proceeds : “ on remarque que I’epoque de sa mort est celle de la naissance du fameux Tamerlan. Les Arabes ont design^ cette annee par ce mot de leur langue Loudh qui signifie r^uge, pour fair voir que les hommes avoient besoin d’asyle dans si grandes calamites. Les lettres qui forment ce mot, en les prenent selon leur valeur numerique, designent I’annee 736 de I’Hegire.” He was descended of the Mogul dynasty of Kifjak (De Guignes, Captchaq). For some account of the movements of this prince about this time, see D’Herbelot, art. Abou-Said, and of his successors, art. Uzbek.

X These Christians were generally Nestorians, and were well treated for the most part under Mohammed Uzbek Khan. See Asseman’s Biblioth. Orient., tom. iii. P. 2, pp. ci. and cxxi, &c., where we have some very valuable notices respecting them. See also D’Herbelot, under the articles Crim, and Solgat.

T A R T A R Y.

victed of having stolen a beast, he is compelled to return it with nine others of equal value. But, if this is not in his power, his children are taken. If, however, he have no children, he is himself slaughtered just like a sheep.

After several days’ journey I arrived at ® Azak,"^ which is a small town situated on the sea-shore. In it resides an Emir on the part of the Sultan Mohammed, who treated us with great respect and hospitality. From this place I proceeded to the city of ^'El Majar, which is a large and handsome place. The Turkish women of these parts are very highly respected, particularly the wives of the nobles and kings. These women are religious, and prone to almsgiving and other good works. They go unveiled, however, with their faces quite exposed.

I next set out for the camp of the Sultan, which was then in a place called "Bish Tag, or Five Mountains, and arrived at a station to which the Sultan with his retinue had just come before us : at this place, which is termed the urdu, or camp, we arrived on the first of the month Ramadan. Here we witnessed a moving city, with its streets, mosques, and cooking-houses, the smoke of which ascended as they moved along. \Yhen, however, they halted, all these became stationary. This Sultan Mohammed Uzbek is very powerful, enjoys extensive rule, and is a subduer of the infidels. He is one of the seven great kings of the world ; which are, the Sultan of the West, the Sultan of Egypt and Syria, the Sultan of the two Iraks, the Sultan of the Turks Uzbek, the Sultan of Turkistan and “ Mawara El Nahar, the Sultan of India, and the Sultan of China.

It is a custom with Mohammed Uzbek to sit after prayer on the Friday, under an alcove called the “ golden alcove,” which is very much ornamented : he has a throne in the middle of it, overlaid with silver plate, which is gilded and set with jewels. The Sultan sits upon the throne ; his four wives, some at his right hand,')' others at his left, sitting also upon the

'jrr

•t We have here a fine illustration of the regal pomp exhibited in the 45th Psalm, where we find the queen also enjoying the honour due to her rank, very unlike the practice of the Mohammedans, among whom they are never allowed to appear in public. We shall hereafter find something similar to this witnessed by our traveller in the island of Sumatra.

TART ARY.

throne. Beneath the throne stand his two sons, one on his right, the other on his left ; before him sits his daughter. Whenever one of these wives enters, he arises, and taking her by the hand, puts her into her place upon the throne. Thus they are exposed to the sight of all, without so much as a veil. After this, come in the great Emirs, for whom chairs are placed on the right and left, and on these they sit. Before the King stand the princes, who are the sons of his uncle, brothers, and near kinsmen. In front of these, and near the door, stand the sons of the great Emirs ; and behind these, the general officers of the army. People then enter, according to their rank; and saluting the King, return and take their seats at a distance. When, however, the evening prayer is over, the supreme consort, who is Queen, returns ; the rest follow, each with their attendant beautiful slaves. The women, who are separated on account of any uncleanness, are seated upon horses ; before their carriages are cavalry, behind them beautiful Mamluks. Upon this day I was presented to the Sultan, who received me very graciously, and afterwards sent me some sheep and a horse, with a leathern bag of kimiz, which is the milk of a mare ; and very much valued among them as a beverage.

The wives of this King are highly honoured. Each one has a mansion for herself, her followers, and servants. When the Sultan wishes to visit one of them, he sends word, and preparation is made. One of these wives is a daughter of ^Takfur, the Emperor of Constantinople. I had already visited each of them, and on this account the Sultan received me : this is a custom among them ; and whoever fails in observing it, suffers the imputation of a breach of politeness.

I had formerly heard of the city of '^Bulgar,* and hence I had conceived a desire to see it; and to observe, whether what had been related of it, as to the extremity of the shortness of its nights, and again of its days, in the opposite season of the year, were true or not. There was, however,

.jUL

T A R T A R Y.

between that place, and the camp of the Sultan, a distance of ten days. I requested the Sultan, therefore, that he would appoint some one who would bring me thither and back, which he granted.

When, therefore, I was saying the prayer of sun-set, in that place, which happened in the month of Ramadan, I hasted, nevertheless the time for evening prayer came on, which I went hastily through. I then said that of ''midnight, as well as that termed ®E1 Witr; but was overtaken by the dawn.* In the same manner also is the day shortened in this place, in the opposite season of the year. I remained here three days, and then returned to the King.

In Bulgar, I was told of the land of darkness, and certainly had a great desire to go to it from that place. The distance, however, was that of forty days. I was diverted, therefore, from the undertaking, both on account of its great danger, and the little good to be derived from it. I was told that there was no travelling thither except upon little sledges, which are drawn by large dogs; and, that during the whole of the journey, the roads are covered with ice, upon which neither the feet of man, nor the hoofs of beast, can take any hold. These dogs, however, have nails by which their feet take firm hold on the ice. No one enters these parts except powerful merchants, each of whom has perhaps a hundred of such sledges as these, which they load with provisions, drinks, and wood : for there we have neither trees, stones, nor houses. The guide in this country is the dog, who has gone the journey several times, the price of which will amount to about a thousand dinars. The sledge is harnessed to his neck, and with him three other dogs are joined, but of which he is the leader. The others then follow him with the sledge, and when he stops they stop. The master never strikes or reprimands this dog ; and when he proceeds to a meal, the dogs are fed first : for if this were not done, they would become enraged, and perhaps run away

T A R T A R y.

and leave their master to perish. When the travellers have completed their forty days or stages through this desert, they arrive at the land of darkness ; and each man, leaving what he has brought with him, goes back to his appointed station. On the morrow they return to look for their goods, and find, instead of them, sable, ermine, and the fir of the -^sinjab.* If then the merchant likes what he finds, he takes it away; if not, he leaves it, and more is added to it : upon some occasions, however, these people will take back their own goods, and leave those of the merchant’s.! In this way is their buying and selling carried on ; for the merchants know not whether it is with mankind or demons that they have to do ; no one being seen during the transaction. It is one of the properties of these firs, that no vermin ever enters them.

I returned to the camp of the Sultan on the 28th of Ramadan ; and, after that, travelled with him to the city of ®^Astrachan, which is one of his cities. It is situated on the banks of the river '‘Athal,! which is one of the great rivers of the world. At this place the Sultan resides during the very cold weather ; and when this river, as well as the adjoining waters, are frozen, the King orders the people of the country to bring thousands of bundles of hay, which they do, and then place it upon the ice, and upon this they travel.

When the King had arrived at Astrachan, one of his wives, who was daughter to the Emperor of Constantinople, and then big with child, requested to be allowed to visit her father, with whom it was her intention to leave her child and then to return : this he granted. I then requested to be permitted to go with her, that I may see Constantinople ; and was refused, on account of some fears which he entertained respecting me. I flattered him, however, telling him that I should never appear before her but as his servant and guest, and that he need entertain no fear whatsoever. After this he gave me permission, and I accordingly took my leave. He gave me fifteen

t Mr. Kosegarten has a small addition here, which he translates : Principes Sinenses hene ex iis augurantur, et summopere eas appetunt, ita ut mille circiter dinaris ibidem aestimuntur.” Immediately after this our text presents a large addition.

t The Volga. See D’Herbelot, under the article Etel.

TART ARY.

hundred dinars, a dress of honour, and several horses. Each of his ladies also gave me some pieces of bullion silver, -which they call El Suwam from the singular sawma as did also his sons and daughters.

I set out accordingly on the 10th of the month Shawal, in company with the royal consort ’Bailun, daughter to the Emperor of Constantinople. The Sultan accompanied us through the first stage, in order to encourage her, and then returned. The Queen was attended in her journey by five thousand of the King’s army, about five hundred of which were cavalry, as her servants and followers. In this manner we arrived at-^ Ukak,* which is a moderately sized town but excessively cold. Between this place and '‘El Sarai which belongs to the Sultan, there is a distance of ten days. At the distance of one day from this place are the mountains of the Russians, who are Christians, with red hair and blue eyes, an ugly and perfidious people. They have silver mines : and from their country is the 'suwam, i. e. the pieces of silver bullion brought. With these they buy and sell, each piece weighing ”*five ounces. After ten days’ journey from this place we arrived at the city of ”Sudak,j' which is one of the cities of the desert of "Kifjak, and situated on the sea-shore. After this we arrived at a city known by the name of ^ Baba Saltuk. Saltuk, they say, was a diviner. This is the last district (in this direction) belonging to the Turks ; between which, however, and the districts of Room, is a distance of eighteen days, eight of which are over an uninhabited desert without water ; but as we entered it during the cold season, we did not want much water.

ROOM.

Chapter XIII

Fortress^ of Mahtuli — Constantinople— Ceremonies, SfC. — Return to Tartary — Astrachan — El Sardi — Khavdrezm — Sardi Juk — Bokhara — El Kat — Wabkana — Jengiz Khans Origin and Progress — Nakhshab — Camp of Tarmashlrin Khdn — Occurrence at the Mosque — The Yasak, or Regulations of Jengiz Khdn — Samarkand — Nasaf — Tirmidh — Balkh — Kuistdn — Herat — Nisabur — Jam — Tus — Saj-akhas — Zdva — Bastam — Kundus — Baghtdn — Barxuan — Hindu Kush — El Jarkh — Ghizna — Jfghdns — Kabul — Kirmdsh — Shish Nagdr — The Panj Ab.

On the occasion of my preparing to enter this desert, I presented myself before the Queen, and paid my respects to her both in the morning and evening. She received me very graciously, and sent to me a good part of every present which then came to her. I then made known to her my want of some horses : and she ordered fifteen to be given to me. After this we arrived at the fortress of ’Mahtuli, which is the first in the districts belonging to Room, but between which and Constantinople is a distance of two and twenty days.

Before this time, the news of her approach had reached her father, who sent out ladies and nurses to meet her at this fortress, with a large army. From this place to Constantinople they travel with horses and mules only, on account of the unevenness of the roads ; she, therefore, left her carriages behind her. The Emir who attended her husband’s troops returned when we had arrived at this place, and she was now attended by her own followers only. At this place I also dismissed my carriages, and a number of my attendants and companions, recommending them (to the returning party), who received and treated them courteously.

The Queen had vdth her a mosque, which she set up at every stage, just as her husband used to do. In this she had daily prayers. She left it, however, at the fortress. After this the office of the Moiizin ceased : wine was brought into the banquet and of this she drank. I was also told, that she ate swine’s flesh with them : nor did one who prayed remain with her ; some, however, of her Turkish servants daily prayed with us. Thus were the tastes changed by entering into the territories of infidelity. The Queen, however, ordered the officer who had come out to meet her, to pay every attention and respect to me. When we had arrived within a day’s journey of the city, her younger brother came out to meet her, accompanied by

ROOM.

about five thousand cavalry, all in armour. He met her on foot, on account of his being her junior. When she had kissed his head, he passed on with her. On the next day her second brother, who is the heir-apparent, met her, having with him ten thousand horse. Both parties in this case dismounted ; and after they had met they remounted and went on. When at length she approached Constantinople, the greatest part of its inhabitants, men, women, and children, came out attired in their best clothes, either walking or riding, beating drums and shouting as they proceeded. The Sultan, also, with his queen, the mother of this lady, attended by the officers of state and nobles, came to meet her. When the Emperor drew near both the parties mixed, and such was the pressure that it was impossible for me to pass between them. I was therefore obliged, at the peril of my life, to see to the carrying of our lady and her companions. I was told, that when she met her parents she alighted and kissed the ground before them, as well as the hoofs of their horses.

We entered Constantinople about sun-set; they were then ringing their bells at such a rate, that the very horizon shook with the noise. When we came to the gate of the Emperor, the porters refused to admit us without a permission from the Emperor ; some of her followers, therefore, went and told her our case, and she requested permission of her father, stating our circumstances to him. We were then allowed to enter, and were lodged in a house adjoining that of our lady, who sent our provisions morning and evening. The King also granted us a letter of safe conduct, permitting us to pass wherever we pleased about the city. On the fourth day after our arrival, I was introduced to the * Sultan Takfur, son of George, king of Constantinople. His father George was still living, but had retired from the world, become a monk, and given up the kingdom to his son.* When I arrived at the fifth gate of the palace, which

ROOM.

was guarded by soldiers, I was searched, lest I should carry any weapon with me; which is submitted to by every citizen, as well as stranger, who wishes to be introduced to the King. The same is observed by the Emperors of India. I was introduced, therefore, and did homage. The Emperor was sitting upon his throne with his Queen, and daughter, our mistress; her brothers were seated beneath the throne. I was kindly received, and asked, as to my circumstances and arrival ; also about Jerusalem, the Temple of the Resurrection,*' the Cradle of Jesus,'|' Bethlemanagement of John Catacuzenus : but, then, this is said to have been of his own daughter. Vol. v. p. 278, ed. 1826. We are told in Mr. Savage’s abridgment of Knolls and Rycaut’s Turkish History, that Amurath the First married the Emperor of Constantinople’s daughter, but this must be a totally different affair. The death of Andronicus the elder is placed by Gibbon in 1332. As Mr. Ulenbroek has given a very interesting note on this subject in his Iracae Descriptio, I may perhaps be excused in giving it in this place (p. 80, proleg.) “ Hinc semel iterumque, affinitate etiam ablata, Impp. Graeci Principes Mohammedanos sibi devincire studuerunt. Sic Imp. Andronicus Palaeologus senior filiam suam obtulit Cazano Mogolorum (vel uti Graeci agunU Tocharorum) Persicorum Khano, A. 1304. Cf. Pachymeres Andronici Hist. lib. v. c. 16. Fatemur interim dubitari posse, an Cazanus veris Moslemis sit annumerandus. Cf. de Guignes Hist, des Huns, tom. iv. p. 267, 270. Graeci certe ilium Christianorum fautorem habuisse videntur. Cf. Pachym. lib. vi. c. 1. At de Islamismo successoris Cazani fratrisque, Gaiatseddini Mohammedis Khodabendeh, alias Kharbenda et corrupte a Pachymere appellati, nulla certe dubitatio est. Huic tamen Maria Imperatoris soror A. 1308 desponsata fuit. Cf. Pachym, lib. vii. c. 33. Nec multo interjecto tempore nupserat etiam alia Maria filia notha Imp. Andronici Toghtagou Khano Mogolorum Kapschakensium Khano, Guignesio teste, tom. i. p. 350. Hujus quoque successor! filioque Mohammed! Uzbekkhano, Moslemicis sacris deditissimo, uxorem fuisse filiam Andronici Junioris colligas ex Kosegarteni V. C. Commentatione de Mohammedis Ibn Batutce Tingitani itinerario...Yi?e.c, igitur acciderunt inter A. 1333 et 1341...Denique baud ita multo post, decessorum exemplum imitatus Joannes Cantacuzenus, circa A. 1346, filiam suam Theodoram sive Mariam... Orkhano uxorem dedit, &c.” Hence Mr. Ulenbroek thinks it probable, that Mohammedan places of worship had been tolerated before and after this time at Constantinople. I will merely remark, that if so, it is extraordinary that neither El Harawi, who visited this city in the thirteenth century, nor Ibn Batuta, who visited it in the fourteenth, has made any mention of the fact.

The great church, known by “ the Church of

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hem, and the city of Abraham (or 'Hebron), then of Damascus, Egypt, Irak, and the country of Room; to all of which I gave suitable replies. A Jew was our interpreter. The King was much surprised at my tale ; and said to his sons: Let this man be treated honourably, and give him a letter of safe conduct. He then put a dress of honour on me, and ordered a saddled horse to be given me, with one of his own umbrellas, which with them is a mark of protection. I then requested that he would appoint some one to ride about with me daily into the dilFerent quarters of the city, that I might see them. He made the appointment accordingly, and I rode about with the officer for some days, witnessing the wonders of the place. Its largest church is that of ’‘Saint Sophia.* 1 saw its outside only. Its interior I could not, because, just within the door there was a cross which every one who entered worshipped. It is bj uyicc cro^itz. ' (jA&h ibjJoc or Hebron.

JUj . In this place are statues of brass and marble, pillars and wonderful talismans,

Lw' as well as the minarets already mentioned, and other monuments (of greatness) to which no equal can be found in the habitable world. Here is also Ayia Sophia {Ayia 2o^(«) which is the greatest church they have. I was told by Yakut Ibn Abd Allah, the merchant of Mosul, that he had entered it, and that it was just as I had described it. In it are 360 doors, and they say, that one of the angels resides in it. Round about his place they have made fences of gold ; and the story about him is very strange, which we shall relate in its place, when I shall speak of the arrangement of this church, its size, height, its doors and their height, its length, breadth, and the pillars that are in it : also of the wonders of the city, its order, the sort of fish found in it, the gate of gold, the towers of marble, the brazen elephants, and all its monuments and wonders : and all the kindness shewn me by the king Emanuel (which I shall do), in, the book of wonders D. V. as already mentioned. This city, which is greater than its fame, may God of his bounty and grace make the capital of Islamism !

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said, that this church is one of the foundations of ’'Asaf, the son of Barachias, and nephew of Solomon. The churches, ’"monasteries, and other

When it appeared to the Turks, who had accompanied our mistress, that she still professed the religion of her father, and wished to remain with him, they requested permission to return to their own country, which she granted. She also gave them rich presents, and appointed persons to accompany them to their homes. She also requested me, that she might commend these attendants to me, giving me, at the same time, 300 dinars, with 2,000 dirhems in money ; likewise dresses both of woollen and cotton cloth, as well as horses, on the part of her father. I returned, therefore, after a stay in Constantinople of one month and six days, to the place where I had left my companions, carriages, and other goods : and, from this place we travelled upon these carriages, until we arrived at Astrachan, where I had formerly left the Sultan Mohammed Uzbek Khan. But here I found that he had gone with his court to '‘ El Sarai, to which I also proceeded . When I was admitted to his presence, he asked me of our journey, of Constantinople and its king, of all which I told him. He then reimbursed my travelling expenses, as is his usual custom. This city of ’'El Sarai is very handsome and exceedingly large. Of its learned men is the Imam, the learned " Nodman Oddm, " El Khavarezmi. I met him in this place. He is a man of the most liberal disposition, carries himself majestically with the king, but humbly with the poor, and with his pupils. The sultan visits him every Friday, sits before him, and shews him every kindness ; while he behaves in the most repulsive manner.

I then travelled on to * Khavarezm, between which and this place is a journey of forty days, through a desert in which there is but little water and grass. There are carriages in it, which are drawn by camels. After ten days I arrived at the city of " Sarai Juk, which is situated upon the banks of a large and full river, which they call the Ulu su or great water. Over this is a bridge joining its nearest parts, like the bridge of Bagdad. From this place I travelled for three days with all the haste places of worship within the city, are almost innumerable.

T A R T A R Y.

possible, and arrived at Khavarezm. This is the largest city the Turks have, and is very much crowded, on account of the multitude of its- inhabitants. It is subject to the sultan Uzbek Khan, and is governed on his part by a great Emir, who resides within it. I have never seen better bred, or more liberal, people than the inhabitants of Khavarezm, or those who are more friendly to strangers. They have a very commendable practice with regard to their worship, which is this : When any one absents himself from his place in the mosque, he is beaten by the priest in the presence of the congregation ; and, moreover, fined in five dinars, which go towards repairing the mosque. In every mosque, therefore, a whip is hung up for this purpose.

Without this city is the river ^Gihon, one of the four rivers which flow from Paradise. This river, like the Athal, freezes over in the cold season and remains frozen for five months, during which time people travel over it. Without this city also, is the grave of the Sheikh ^ Najm Oddin the Great, one of the great saints, over which there is a cell. Here also is the grave of the very learned ^ Jar Allah El Zamakhsharl.* Zamakhshar is a village at the distance of four days from Khavarezm. The prevailing sect at Khavarezm, is that of the Schismatics. I This, however, they keep secret, because the Sultan Uzbek is a Soonnee.

They have in Khavarezm a melon to which none, except that of ' Bokhara, can be compared : the nearest to it is that of Isphahan. The peel of this melon is green, the interior red It is perfectly sweet and rather hard. Its most remarkable property is, that it may be cut in oblong pieces and dried, and then put into a case, like a fig, and carried to India or China. Among dried fruits there is none superior to this. It is occasionally used as a present to their kings.

f On the origin and peculiarities of this sect, see Pococke's Specimen Hist. Arab. pp. 20, 214, ed. 1808. M. de Sacy’s Chrest. Arab. tom. i. p.351. Their principal dogma is a denial of predestination, and a belief that man can do either good or evil just as he pleases. They are also termed Kadarites ( jj) because they deny predestination.

TARTARY.

From Khavarezm I set out for ^ Bokhara, and, after a journey of eighteen days through a sandy and uninhabited desert, arrived at the city of Ei Kat* which is but small, then at ^ W abkana : then, after one stage, we came to Bokhara, which is the principal city of the country beyond the Gihon. After it had been ravaged by the Tartars, it almost entirely disappeared : I found no one in it who knew any thing of science.

It is said that Jengiz Khan,! who came with the Tartars into the countries of Islamism and destroyed them, was in his outset a blacksmith in the country of Khota. He was a liberal-minded, powerful, and corpulent

cT®

Kath is a large city of Khavarezm (or Kharezm), on the eastern parts of the Jaihun (or Oxus), nor is there any other eastward of it in the districts of Khavarezm.

-(- Our copies constantly read not with Mr. Kosegarten’s. Whatever might have been the intention of the copyist in w-riting his, I think there can be no doubt, that our traveller did not intentionally write “ porcorum regem,” as he supposes, p. 25.

The accounts given of the origin of this extraordinary man by Abulfeda (Annales Muslemici, vol. iv. p. 278-9) and others, differ in many respects from this. It is not improbable, however, that if we were in possession of all the particulars, they could be reconciled much easier than accounts of much later date, and of events which have taken place much nearer home. See the Rauzut El Safa, vol. v. ; the History of Ghengiz Khan, by Petis La Croix ; and D’Herbelot, under Genghizhan ; also Marco Polo’s account, (Travels by Mr. Marsden, chap, xliv. p. 194, with the notes). The accounts given by these travellers agree much better with one another, than either of them does with the historians.

For accounts of the battles between Jengiz Khan, Khavarezm Shah, and his son Jalal Oddin, see Abulfeda, vol. iv. pp. 294-5, 368-9, &c. Histoire des Mongols, Paris, 1824 : liv. i. ch. V. &c.

J In the very valuable notes of Mr. Marsden, on the Travels of Marco Polo, he gives it as his opinion, that llaA-, or Khota, Khotai, or Kotai, is the same with Chinese

Tartary, and appeals to the Oriental geographers as being of this opinion. I can only say from all I have seen of them, that they speak very vaguely on the situation of these places. Abulfeda, for example, who is no mean geographer, says (Ann. Mus. vol. iv. p. 228)

. Iksll i. e. “ he passed the river (Gihon)

and went into Khota : aird there was beyond Khota on the borders of Chinese Tartary,” &c. which plainly marks the places as distinct. Again, in our text, we have Khota and China mentioned as distinct places. Edrisi, too, speaks of Chinese Tartary, and the ^jOj\ as distinct places, meaning the towns, &c. which are evidently to be found in Khota.

T A R T A R Y.

person. His practice was, to assemble and feast the people ; who in consequence joined him in considerable numbers, and made him their leader. He then conquered the district in which he lived ; and, with this accession of strength and followers, he next subdued the whole country of " Khota, then China : after this the countries of" Khashak, Kashgar, and ^ Malik.* At this time ’ JairdOddin Sanjar, son of * Khavarezm Shah, was king of Khavarezm, * Khorasan, and Mawara El Nahr, a powerful and splendid prince. Jengiz Khan, on account of an affair which had happened among the merchants, and in which some property had been taken, invaded his territories.'!' This is well known. When, however, Jengiz Khan had entered upon the frontiers of Jalfil Oddin’s countries, he was met by the king’s army, which, after some fighting, was put to the route. After this Jalfd Oddln himself met him, and some such battles took place, as have never been witnessed among the Mohammedans.

In the event, however, Jengiz Khan got possession of Mawara El Nahr, and destroyed Bokhara, Samarkand, and ^E1 Tirmidh; killed the inhabitants, taking prisoners the youth only, and leaving the country quite desolate. He then passed over the Gihon, and took possession of all “Khorasan and ’ Irak, destroying the cities and slaughtering the inhabitants. He then perished, having appointed his son ^ Hulaku to succeed him. Hulaku (soon after) entered Bagdad, destroyed it, and put to death the “ Calif El Mostaa-

India “

Asseman seems to me to have determined this question justly. Biblioth. Orient, tom. iii. P. II, . . . . .. ^ ^ p. 512. “ Primo, provinciam Mangi, qua Abulpharagio Manzi, aliis ^ Masin,

Mascin, et Macin dicitur, Sinam esse proprie dictam, cujus notissimse urbes Nankin, et Confu Abulpharagio et Paulo memorantur,” &c. Secundo, Chatajse Sinaeque nomine a Syris, Arabibus, Persis, Turcisque scriptoribus septentrionalem Sinam intelligi, hoc est, earn Sinae partem, quae ad celeberrimum murum, quo Tartar! a Sinis dividuntur, accedit. Tertio, Chan-Balek urbem, in qua Coblaius sedem regni fixit, quam M. Paulus Cambalu vocat, eandem esse ac Pekinum, ut Herbelotius et Renaudotius recte monent.”

f See an account of this alFair in the Histoire des Mongols, tom. i. liv. i. chap. v. p. 14B-9, &c. Paris, 1 824.

T A R T A R Y.

sem of the house of Abbas, and reduced the inhabitants.* He then pro'ceeded with his followers to Syria, until divine Providence put an end to his career : for there he was defeated by the army of Egypt, and made prisoner. Thus was their progress in the Mohammedan countries put an end to.

The epitomator Ibn Jazzi El Kelbi states, that he has been told by the Sheikh “ Ibn El Haji, who had heard it from ^ Abd Allah Ibn Roshaid, who had met Nur Oddin Ibn El Zajaj one of the learned men of Irak, with his brother’s son in Mecca, and who told him as they were conversing together, that in the war with the Tartars in Irak not fewer than four and twenty thousand learned men perished ; and that himself, and that man, pointing to his brother’s son, were the only learned men who had escaped.

I next proceeded from Bokhara for the camp of the Sultan ^ Ala Oddin Tarmashirln,'}' and, in my way, passed by ^ Nakhshab, the place to which the patronymic of the Sheikh Abu Turab El Nakhshabi* is referred.

f This is, probably, the Tirim Siri Khan Dow and Ferishta, who invaded Hindustan A. H. 727, with a numerous army, but retired without making a conquest of it, after receiving great wealth from Mohammed Shah. Dow, vol. i. p. 314. See also the extract from De Guignes a little lower down. Some account of the exploits of this prince in the neighbourhood of Ghizna, is also to be found in the first volume of the jJiaKe by under the date of 732 of the Hegira, A.D. 1331. This name is written in the Tarlkhi BadayunI •

J A short account of this recluse is given in the of which the following is an extract : j*li l** ^

T A R T A R Y.

From this place I proceeded to the camp of the Sultan, the king of Mawara El Nahr. This is a powerful prince, who has at his command a large army, and is remarkable for the justice of his laws. The territories of this king occupy a middle station among those of the four great kings of the world, who are, the king of China, that of India, that of Irak, that of the Turks Mohammed Uzbek Khan : all of whom send presents to him, give him the place of honour, and very highly respect him. He succeeded to the kingdom after his brother Jagatai, who was an infidel, and had succeeded to his elder brother ^ Kobak, who was also an infidel : he was, nevertheless, just, and much attached to the Mohammedans, to whom he paid great respect.

It is said that this king Kobak was one day talking with the doctor and preacher ^ Badr Oddin El Maidanl, when he said to him : you say that God has left nothing unmentioned in his book. The preacher replied, it is even so. Shew me, then, said he, where my name is to be found. The reply was. In the passage ti ) “ In which form he pleased hath he fashioned thee.”^ This astonished him, and he said, Bakhshi, that is, well done ! I spent some days in the camp of Tarmashlrln. Upon a certain day, however, I went to the mosque, which was in the camp (the camp they call the Urdu) for I had heard that the Sultan was to be in the mosque. When the service was ended, I approached in order to pay my respects to him, as he had heard of my arrival. He was pleased with me, and treated me very respectfully. After this he sent for me. I went to

Nakshabi, may God sanctify his mystery, was (a saint) of the first class ; his name was Askar Ibn Hasin : they also say, that Askar Ibn Mohammed Ibn Hasin was one of the Sheikhs of Khorasan, famous for his knowledge of decisions, piety, and faith. He was associated with Abu Hatim Attar of Basra, and Hatim Asamm. He was also the preceptor of Abu Abd Allah Jallad, and of Abu Obeid Allah Basari. This Abu Turab went with three hundred Rukwah Dars [i. e. I suppose, persons clothed in rags as religious). Two of these remained with him, namely, Abu Abd Allah Jallad, and Abu Obeid Basari, all the rest returned. It is one of his sayings : That is an enlightened man, whom nothing perplexes, and with whom every thing is clear. He was at his prayers in the desert, when he was scorched by the samoom, and remained for a whole year standing on his feet ; this happened in the year 24<5, the year in which Dhu El Nun departed this life.

T A R T A R y.

him, and found him in his tent, and there paid my respects to him. He then asked me of Mecca, Medina, J erusalem, Damascus, and Egypt ; as also of El Malik El Nasir, the kings of Irak, and Persia. To all of which I gave suitable answers, and received marks of distinction. One of the odd things that happened respecting him, was, that once when the hour of prayer had arrived, and the people were assembled in the mosque, the Sultan delayed. One of his young men coming in, said to the priest ''Hasam Oddin El Yaghi, the Sultan wishes you to wait a little. Upon this the priest got up and said : I ask, are prayers had here for the sake of God, or of Tarmashlrin ? He then ordered the Moazin to proclaim the prayers. So the Sultan came in after two prostrations had been performed, and went through his prayers at the extremity of the part in which the people stand, and which is near the door of the mosque where they usually leave their mules, and there went through what he had missed. He then came and seized the hand of the priest, who laughed heartily at him. He then sat down in the oratory, the priest by his side, and I by the side of the priest. He then addressed me. . When, said he, you go back to your own country say, that a doctor of the Persians sat thus with the Sultan of the Turks (al. that a poor man of the poor of the Persians thus did with the Sultan of the Turks). This priest it was who succeeded in reducing the King to the observance of all the positive and negative commands. The Sultan very much respected, loved, and obeyed him. But the Sheikh accepted of no gifts from the King ; nor did he eat any thing but what he acquired by the labour of his own hands. This King, when I wished to travel on, provided me with 700 dinars for my journey. We broke up our intercourse, therefore, and I set out accordingly.

This Tarmashlrin (it may be remarked) had broken some of the statutes of his grandfather Jengiz Khan, who had published a book entitled ^ E1 Yasak^, the prohibition, which enacted, that whosoever should oppose

.jLJP

Makrizi mentions this work as containing the regulations of Jengiz Khan, and calls it L:b yasa, and > yasak. From this word, according to him, originated the word Siyasat, now in use among the Arabs to signify government, or punishment. See the Chrestomathie Arabe of M. de Sacy, tom. ii. pp. 6^ and 160, edit. 2, where we have a short account

TART ARY.

any one of these statutes, should be put out of office. Now, one of the statutes was this, that the descendants of Jengiz, the governors of the several districts, the wives of the nobles, and the general officers of the army, should assemble upon a certain day in the year which they call ”'E1 Tawa, i.c. the feast; and, that should the Emperor have altered any one of these statutes, the nobles should stand up and say. Thou hast done so and so upon such and such a day, and hast made an alteration in the statutes of El Yasak {i. e. that which is not to be changed), and, therefore, thy deposition is a necessary consequence. They are then to take him by the hand, and remove him from the throne, and to place in it another of the descendants of Jengiz Khan. And, should any one of the nobles have committed any crime, he is to be duly adjudged on this occasion.

■ Now, Tarmashirin had entirely abolished the observance of this day, which gave very great offence. Some time, therefore, after we had left the country, the Tartars, together with their nobles, assembled and deposed him, appointing for a successor one of his relations : and to such an extent was the matter pressed, that Tarmashirin took to flight and was put to death.'* * I then proceeded to Samarkand, which is a very large and beautiful city. Without it is the tomb of ” Kotham, son of Abbas, who was martyred on the day the city was taken. After this I arrived at the city of " Nasaf,j~ of these regulations. See also tom. v. des Notices et Extraits des Manuscrits de la Bibliotheque du Roi, pp. 592, &c. The author of the Histoire des Mongols, Paris, 1824, says, tom. i. p. 296, “ Ses statuts ne sont point parvenus jusqu’a nous; on n’en trouve que quelques extraits dans les auteurs de cette epoque,” &c.

f This place, according to the Marasid El Itlaa, is ^

T A R T A R Y.

to which the patronymic of Abu Jaafar Omar El Nasafi is referred. I then went on to the city of ^ Tirmidh, to which is referred the patronymic of Abu Isa Mohammed El Tirmidhi, author of the ^ Jamia El Kebir.* * This is a large and beautiful city, abounding with trees and water. We then passed over the Gihon into Khorasan ; and, after a journey of a day and half over a sandy desert in which there was no house, we arrived at the city of ’’ Balkh,t which now lies in ruins. It has not been rebuilt since its destruction by the cursed Jengiz Khan. The situation of its buildings is not very discernible, although its extent may be traced. It is now in ruins, and without society.

Its mosque was one of the largest and handsomest in the world. Its pillars were incomparable : three of which were destroyed by Jengiz Khan, because it had been told him, that the wealth of the mosque lay concealed

^ city great in inhabitants and independent villages, and situated between the Jaihun (Oxus river) and Samarcand. It has a citadel, suburbs, and four gates, and it is in a plain. The hills are about two farsangs from it, and adjoining Kashar. It has many villages but no river except one which runs through the middle of the city. It fails however in some seasons of the year. Their tillage and gardens are near wells.

V ^ i," --A > &c. Abu Bekr El Warak El Tirmidhi was (a saint) of the second rank.

His name was Mohammed Ibn Omar El Hakim El Tirmidhi. He was originally of Tirmidh (Termed of our maps), and his grave is now there, but was in Balkh. He was the paternal uncle of Abu Isa of Tirmidh, author of the Musnad ( a-..—., or book of cases) ; which is probably the work styled^./!) Batuta. A copy of this work is to be found at Oxford. See

Uri’s Catalogue, No. clxxxvii ; D’Herbelot, art. Giame al. Kebir ; and Ann. Muslem. tom. in p. 275.

f A well known city in Khorasan, famous in history and for its wealth : between this place and Tirmidh is a distance of twelve farsangs.

T A R T A R Y.

under them, provided as a fund for its repairs. When, however, he had destroyed them, nothing of the kind was to be found ; the rest, therefore, he left as they were.

The story about this treasure arose from the following circumstance. It is said, that one of the Califs of the house of Abbas was very much enraged at the inhabitants of Balkh, on account of some accident which had happened, and, on this account, sent a person to collect a hea\'y fine from them. Upon this occasion, the women and children of the city betook themselves to the wife of their then governor, who, out of her own money, built this mosque ; and to her they made a grievous complaint. She accordingly sent to the officer, who had been commissioned to collect the fine, a robe very richly embroidered and adorned with jewels, much greater in ^"alue than the amount of the fine imposed. This, she requested might be sent to the Calif as a present from herself, to be accepted instead of the fine. The officer accordingly took the robe, and sent it to the Calif ; who, when he saw it, was surprised at her liberality, and said : This woman must not be allowed to exceed myself in generosity. He then sent back the robe, and remitted the fine. When the robe was returned to her, she asked, whether a look of the Calif had fallen upon it ; and being told that it had, she replied : No robe shall ever come upon me, upon which the look of any man, except my own husband, has fallen. She then ordered it to be cut up and sold ; and with the price of it she built the mosque, with the cell and structure in the front of it. Still, from the price of the robe there remained a third, which she commanded to be buried under one of its pillars, in order to meet any future expenses which might be necessary for its repairs. Upon Jengiz Khan’s hearing this story, he ordered these pillars to be destroyed ; but, as already remarked, he found nothing.

In the front of the city is, as it is reported, the tomb of *Akasha Ibn Mohsin El SahabI ; who, according to what is related in the ^Athar (a book so called), entered paradise without rendering up an account (of his deeds).

After this I travelled from Balkh for seven days, on the mountains of " Kiihistan, which consist of villages closely built. In these there are

KHORASAN.

many cells of religious, and others who have retired from the world. I next came to the city of ^ Herat, which is the largest inhabited city in Khorasan. Of the, large cities of this district there are four : two of these are now inhabited, namely, Herat and ^ Nisabur ; and two in ruins, namely Balkh and -Meraw. The inhabitants of Herat are religious, sincere, and chaste, and are of the sect of “ Hanifa. The King of Herat was at this time the Sultan, the great Hosain son of the Sultan ^Giath Oddln El Gauri, a man of tried valour.* From Herat I went to ‘‘Jam,'}' which is a moderate sized city, abounding with water and plantations. From this place I went to ‘^Tus, one of the largest cities of Khorasan. In this the Imam ®Abu Hamed El Ghazali:{: was born, and in it we still find his tomb. From this place I went to the Meshhed of -^El Riza, i. e. of ®^Ali Ibn

Jbj i_iblc iUj , &c. “ In the year of the death of Abu Said, it was the fourth in which the king Moi'z Oddln Husain had reigned in Herat. After the death of the Sultan [i. e. Abu Said), the Governors of Irak and Khorasan refused submission to each other ; and hence a pretender set up his head in every corner, as did every ultra become vain in every part, and hence the nobles and gentry of every district betook themselves to Herat, a place where justice, kindness, and safety, was to be found ; and under the shadow of the king Mo'iz Oddln Husain they were quiet. This personage was of laudable and prepossessing manners, and protected and amply provided for all who sought refuge with him.” This confirms Ibn Batuta’s account, see p. 48.

The birth-place of the celebrated Jami, author of various Persian and Arabic works.

;J: A celebrated writer on the Mohammedan sects, often cited by the author of the Dabistan and the learned Pococke. See Specimen Hist. Arab, p. 356, edit. 1806.

KHORASAN.

Musa El Kazim son of Jaafar Siidik. It is a large and well peopled city, abounding with fruits. Over the Meshhed is a large dome, adorned with a covering of silk, and golden candlesticks. Under the dome, and opposite to the tomb of El Riza, is the grave of the Calif Harun El Rashid.* Over this they constantly place candlesticks with lights. But when the followers of Ali enter, as pilgrims, they kick the grave of El Rashid, but pour out their benedictions over that of El Riza. From this place I went to the city of ^ Sarakhas,| then to *Zava, the town of the Sheikh ^Kotb Oddin Haidar, from whom the Fakeers of the sect called the Haidaria,J take their name. These men place an iron ring on their hands and their necks ; and, what is still more strange, on their virilia, in order to prevent intercourse with women.

From this place I went to ^Nisabur, one of the four principal cities of Khorasan. It is also called the Little Damascus, on account of the abundance of its fruits. The city is handsome, and is intersected by four rivers. I here met the Sheikh ”'Kotb Oddin El Nisaburl, a learned and accomplished preacher, and he took me to his house. It happened that I had

t Written according to the Sarakhas and Sarkhas ((j*,.:i^and It is, it is added, an ancient and large city in Khorasan, in the mid-way between Nisabur and Meraw. It is much subject to drought, having only one river, which is dry a great part of the year. The people generally drink water from wells. ^ ...

J I have not been able to find any other particular account, either of this Sheikh or of his sect. In M. de Sacy’s Chrestomathie Arabe, we have an account of a Sheikh Haider, who appears to have been the leader of a sect in Khorasan, and who discovered the use of the intoxicating herb called the khashisha ; but it may be doubted whether this is the person meant by Ibn Batata, because we have a different name given here from that given by him. See direst. Arabe, tom. i. p. VV;z. e. in Ibn Batuta we have 5 but in M.

deSacy i if the title in the traveller is not a mere epithet. M. de Sacy says in his notes (p. 244) that he has not been able to find any particulars respecting the life of this sheikh.

KHORASAN.

purchased a slave. The Sheikh said to me : Sell him, for he will not suit you ; and I sold him accordingly. I was told, after a few days, that this slave had killed some Turkish childrens, and had been executed in consequence. This was one of the Sheikh’s great miracles.

From this place I proceeded to ” Bastam, the town to which the patronymic of "Abu Yezid El Bastami is referred.* His grave is also here, under the same dome with that of one of the sons of Jaafar Sadik. I next proceeded to ^ Kundus and Baghlan, which are villages with cultivated lands adjoining each other. In each of these is a cell for the sainted and recluse. The land is green and flourishing, and its grass never withers. In these places I remained for some time for the purpose of pasturing and refreshing my beasts.

After this I proceeded to the city of ^ Barwan, j* in the road to which is a high mountain, covered with snow and exceedingly cold ; they call it the ’’ Hindu Kush,;]: i. e. Hindoo-slayer, because most of the slaves brought thi-

P Piy P CP ^

culij

JoAJ (jTjA j^c jIa^, &c. Abu Yezid Bastami, may God sanctify his spirit, was (a saint) of the first class. His name was Taiafur (Pococke Taifur) Ibn Isa Ibn Sarushan. His grandfather was a Guebre, but became a Mussulman. He was contemporary with Ahmed Ibn Khizrawa, Abu Hafiz, and Yahya Maadh ; and he saw Shakiki Balkhi. His death happened in the year 261. They also say in the year 234, but the first is the most correct. His preceptor was Kardawl. He mentioned it as his will, that his grave should be made deeper than that of his master ; this was done out of respect to him. He was a man of opinion, and the leader of a sect, which however never became general. Notices of the other persons here mentioned occur within a page or two in the same work.

t Perhaps the Budaoon of Dow (vol. i. p. 157) and the of Ferishta.

% This Mr. Burckhardt gives in his abstract of these Travels in Nubia, p. 535, Hindwahh, where he has not only disregarded the vowels given in the MSS., but has shewn that he must have been an entire stranger to the Persian language, as accurately given and translated heire by our traveller.

KABUL.

ther from India die on account of the intenseness of the cold. After this we passed another mountain, which is called * Bashai. In this mountain there is a cell inhabited by an old man, whom they call * Ata Evlia, that is, the Father of the Saints. It is said that he is three hundred and fifty years old. When I saw him he appeared to be about fifty years old. The people of these parts, however, very much love and revere him. I looked at his body : it was moist, and I never saw one more soft. He told me, that every hundredth year he had a new growth of hair and teeth, independently of the first, and that he was the Raja “Aba Rahim Ratan of India, who had been buried at '' Multan,*' in the province of Sindia. I asked him of several things ; but very much doubted as to what he was, and do so still.

I next arrived at the city of Barwan. In this place I met the Turkish Emir ^ Barantay, the largest and fattest man I had ever seen. He treated me very respectfully, and gave me some provisions. I then went on to the village of 'El Jarkh, and thence to “Ghizna, the city of the warrior of the faith, and against India, the victorious Mahmud, son of ^Subuktagm.t His grave is here. The place is exceedingly cold : it is ten (al. three) stages distant from ' Kandahar. It was once a large city ; but is now mostly in ruins. I then went on to Kabul, which was once a large city; but is now, for the most part, in ruins. It is inhabited by a people from Persia whom they call the Afghans. J Their mountains are difficult of access.

f An abridgment of Ferishta’s reign of Mahmood will be found in Dow’s Hindostan, vol. i. p. 52, &c.

t These people, according to their own statements, are descended from the house of Israel, and of the family of Saul the first Israelitish king. Ibn Shah Aalam of the tribe of Kot’h Khail, author of the Kholasut El Ansab, himself an Afghan, and a most sedulous enquirer, as he tells us, into their history, gravely affirms, that nothing can be more certain than that this is them origin. He then goes on to say, that they originally resided on Solomon’s mount in Syria ; but upon some emergency migrated to Candahar, whence many of them made their wa)" into Hindustan, and were of considerable use in assisting Mahmud of Ghizna, to make his first conquest in that country. He also tells us, that his ancestors, hearing in Candahar of the teaching of Mohammed, sent a deputation to him into Arabia, to inquire whether he was or not, the last

KABUL.

having narrow passes. These are a powerful and violent people ; and the greater part of them highway robbers. Their largest mountain is called the mountain of Solomon. It is said that when Solomon had ascended this mountain, and was approaching India from it, and saw that it was an oppressive country, he returned refusing to enter it. The mountain was therefore called after his name : upon this the king of the Afghans resides.

We next left Kabul by the way of ^ Kirmash which is a narrow pass situated between two mountains, in which the Afghans commit their robberies. We, thank God, escaped by plying them with arrows upon the heights, throughout the whole of the way. The next place we arrived at was “ Shish Naghar, which is situated at the extremity of the Turkish dominions. From this place we entered the great desert, which is fifteen days in extent. In this no one can travel except in one season out of the four, on account of the Samoom, by which putrefaction takes place, and the body as soon as dead falls to pieces in its several members. We got to the ^Panj Ab, (i. e. the five waters,) in safety. This is the junction of five different rivers, and which waters all the agriculture of the district. We were comfortable enough when we got on the river, which happened in the beginning of the month Moharram, A.H. 734, (A.D. 1332). From this place the informers wrote of our arrival to the court of the Emperor of India. It is a custom with them, that every one who enters India with a wish to see the Emperor, must be described in writing from this place, stating the particu-

Prophet mentioned in the law and the gospels ; and that, upon being assured of this, the whole nation at once received the faith. If there were the least possible approximation to truth in the story of their descent, it is reasonable to suppose, that their language would either be pure Hebrew, or a dialect very nearly approaching it : but the truth is, as far as I can learn, that nothing like this is the fact : but quite the contrary. This boasted descent is, therefore, a fable ; as very probably their early attachment to the faith of Mohammed is. Some, indeed, liave been credulous enough to believe this story of descent ; and thence to imagine, that in them they had discovered the ten tribes of the house of Israel ; which, however, is more than the Afghans themselves imagine. That part of all the twelve tribes of Israel returned from the captivity, except such has had become real heathens, the New Testament will not allow us for a moment to doubt. (See Acts xxvi. 7. James i. I.) I do not, therefore, see the least probability of finding them either in Candahar or elsewhere. Some part of the modern history of the Afghans may probably be true.

HINDUSTAN.

lars of his person and the objects he has in view, which is sent off by a courier. For no one is allowed to appear at court, unless the Emperor has been previously acquainted with all the circumstances of his case.

Chapter XIV

The River Sinde — Multan — Jarai—El Samira a Hindu Sect — Sivastan~Natural Productions —Description of Couriers — Lahari — Bakar — Uja — The Bow a measure of Strength — Abuhar — Natural Productions of Hindustan — Passes a Desert infested by Hindu Robbers — Ajudahan — The Custom of burning Widows — Drowning in the Ganges— Sarsati — Masud Abad — Dehli, description of.

The river (just mentioned) is the Sinde : it is the greatest river in the world, and overflows during the hot weather just as the Nile does ; and at this time they sow the lands. Here also commence the territories of the Emperor of Sindia and India, who was at this time Mohammed Shah. From this place also is the description of persons arriving sent in writing to the Emir of ‘^Sindia to Multan. Their Emir, at this time, was one of the Mamluks of the Sultan ‘^Mohammed Sar Tiz Shah, i.e. sharp-head, by name ; who reviews the armies of the Emperor. I next proceeded to the city of ® Janai,* in which is a people called El Samira. f They never eat

•j- The name of a sect of Hindoos, of which we find occasional mention in the Dahistan. They are perhaps called Samira, as being a sort of legalists, samarat ( t •• ) according to the

Dabistan, signifying law . We are told by the author of that work, that he saw one of them, and him he describes very nearly in the words of Ibn Batuta :

D 1 ^ ^ a.viilc.C.1, . Uf this sect, the writer saw Sri ManI Rama the Brahman in the capital of Lahore, who would take no eatable from a Mohammedan, nor would associate with any of another persuasion. They said too, that one of the Mussulman Emirs ofiered him three lacks of rupees, which, however, he would not accept of.

HINDUSTAN.

with strangers, nor are seen eating by them : nor do they contract affinities, or suffer any one to contract affinities with them. It was here I met the Sheikh ^E1 Salih El Aabid the religious Baha Oddin El Korashi (see p. 7), one of the three, of whom the Sheikh El Wall Borhan Oddin El Aahraj said in Alexandria, that I should meet them in my travels : and I certainly did meet them. May God be praised.

I then proceeded to the city of Sivastan, which is large. Without it is a desert, and in this is there no tree except the * Egyptian thorn, nor do they sow any thing on the banks of its river except the melon. They generally live upon a sort of '"millet, 'peas, fish, and milk of the buffalo : for the buffalo is here in great abundance. The place is exceedingly hot : from Multan, the capital of Sindia, it is at a distance of ten days ; but from Multan to Dehli, the residence of the Emperor of Hindustan, is a distance of fifty ; which, however, will be traversed by the courier with his despatches in five.

There are in Hindustan two kinds of couriers ; horse and foot : these they generally term ™E1 Wolak.^ The horse courier, which is part of the Sultan’s cavalry, is stationed at the distance of every four miles. As to the foot couriers, there will be one at the distance of every mile, occupying three (consecutive) stations, which they term ”E1 Davah, and making (in the

<75 I ~ 7 z i y

. al.

I* T used here, or (which is perhaps an erroneous reading for the Persian word for runner.) This will elucidate an obscure passage in the 19th Psalm, v. 5. where we have “ rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.” The word answering to strong man, is in the original "liAil, which means hero. In the translation too we have a race ; but, as we know of no races among the Hebrews, we are reduced to some difficulty as to what could here have been intended by the writer. In the original, however, we have n*li< which means nothing more than a way, road, or path : and the sense is, rejoiceth as a hero to run the road ; i. e., to bear the^espatches of his master with the greatest possible celerity and safety. This makes the whole passage easy and plain : it exhibits the sun as an officer honoured by the Almighty to bear the announcement of his powers, through every clime of his dominion, in a language silent but expressive, and equally intelligible to all.

HINDUSTAN.

whole) three miles : so that there is, at the distance of every three miles, an inhabited village ; and without this, three sentry-boxes, in which the couriers sit, prepared for motion, with their loins girded. In the hand of each is a whip about two cubits long, and upon the head of this are small bells. Whenever, therefore, one of the couriers leaves any city, he takes his despatches in the one hand, and the whip which he constantly keeps shaking in the other. In this manner he proceeds to the nearest foot-courier ; and, as he approaches, he shakes his whip. Upon this out comes another, who takes the despatches, and so proceeds to the next. For this reason it is, that the Sultan receives his despatches in so short a time. In Sivastan I met the aged Sheikh Mohammed of "Bagdad,* who told me, that his age was then one hundred and forty years ; and, that he was present when the Calif ^E1 Mostaasem was killed by the Tatars in the environs of Bagdad.

I then proceeded by the Sinde to the city of '^Urdiari,']' which is situated upon the shores of the Indian sea, where the Sinde joins it. It has a large harbour, into which ships from Persia, Yemen, and other places put. At the distance of a few miles from this city, are the ruins of another, in which stones in the shape of men and beasts almost innumerable are to be found. The people of this place think, that it is the opinion of their historians, that there was a city formerly in this place, the greater part of the inhabitants of which were so base, that God transformed them, their beasts, their herbs, even to the very seeds, into stones ; and indeed stones in the shape of seeds are here almost innumerable.

I next proceeded to ’’Bakar,,]: which is a handsome city, divided by an

f This is, no doubt, the Larry Bundur of Major Rennell, see bis map of Hindustan, with the Memoir, pp. 285, &c. Mr. Kosegarten has h ybi Lahariat.

t Of this place we have no notice in Major Rennell, either in the Memoir or the map. It may have been destroyed, however, since the times of Ibn Batuta, and the name only survive in the Puckar river, one of the arms of the Sinde which meets the sea in those parts, and which may have run through the town when our traveller was there.

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arm of the river Sinde. Here I met the religious and pious Sheikh * Shams Oddin Mohammed of Shiraz. This was one of the men remarkable for age. He told me that he was something more than one hundred and twenty years old. I then proceeded on to the city of *Uja,^ which is a large city, situated on the Sinde. The governing Emir, at the time of my arrival, was “ El Malik El Fazil El Sharif Jalal Oddin El Kabjl, a very brave and generous prince. Between myself and him a friendship arose and was confirmed. After this we met in Dehli. I next travelled on to ’'Multan, which is the principal city of Sindia, before the Emir of which the Sultan’s soldiers are obliged to appear.

This Emir had always before him a number of bows of various sizes, and when any one, who wished to enlist as a bowman, presented himself, the Emir threw one of these bows to him, which he drew with all his might. "!■ Then, as his strength proved to be, so was his situation appointed. But when any one wished to enlist as a horseman, a drum was fixed, and the man ran with his horse at full speed, and struck the drum with his spear. Then, according to the effect of the stroke, was his place determined.

There were many persons, Emirs, nobles, and learned men, who came to this place before us, and with us, all intending to be presented to al. ’’

f We find an allusion to this custom In the 18th Psalm, where David says that his arms can break a bow of steel. The word, however, rendered steel, means in the original copper and, probably, should be understood only as a part of the bow, either the middle limb, to which pieces of horn, or of any other elastic substances were fastened, or the firula, or clasps, by which this and the horn, &c. were combined.

The bow was among our own ancestors considered as a criterion of strength, as we find in one of the songs in Robin Hood’s Garland : vol. ii. London, 1795, p. 13.

That ever a boy so young.

Should bear a bow before our king.

That’s not able to draw one string.

See also Bishop Hall’s preface to his “ Revelation unrevealed.”

That the strength of a man was thus measured among the ancient Arabians, may be seen in the “ Historia imperii vetustissimi Joctanidarum in Arabia Eelice,” by A. Schultens, pp. 133-5.

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the Emperor. After a few days, therefore, one of the chamberlains of the Sultan arrived here, in order to conduct these persons to the presence. We then hasted on to Dehli, between which and Multan there is a distance of forty days ; throughout which, however, are many contiguous houses, and at these we were honoured by being invited every morning and evening to feasts, prepared by those who came out to meet such as were proceeding to be presented to the Emperor. The first city we entered belonging to Hindustan was ^Abuhar, which is the first Indian city (in this direction). It is small and closely built, and abounds with water and plantations.

There are not in Hindustan any of the trees peculiar to our country, if we except the "lote tree, which, however, is larger in the trunk than it is with us ; and, its seeds are like those of a great “ gall apple, exceedingly sweet. They have likewise large trees not known among us. Of their fruit trees, the grape* is one, which resembles the orange tree, except that its stem is larger, and its leaves more numerous. Its shade, too, is extensive and very dense, and is apt to alfect with fever those who sleep under it. The fruit is about the size of the large ^ Damask prunef, which when green and not quite ripe they take, of those which happen to fall, and salt and thus preserve them, just as the lemon is preserved with us. In the same manner they preserve the ginger while green, as also the pods of pepper : and this they eat with their meals. When the grape is ripe, which is in the autumn, its seed becomes yellow, and this they eat like the apple : it is sweet, but during mastication acquires some acidity. It has rather a large stone, which they sow like the orange seed, and from this a tree grows up.

Of their fruits are those termed the ‘'Shakij: and Barki, the trees of which

. jyi,

:j: This is commonly called the jack, or bread-fruit. Crawfurd says, in his History of the Indian Archipelago, vol. i. p. 422 : “ of the jack fruit (autocarpus integrifolia) two species occur in the Indian islands, the common jack and the ChampSdak. These two fruits of monstrous size grow, unlike most others, from the trunk and larger branches of the tree. The first grows often to an enormous size : the taste, though too strong to be agreeable to Europeans, is remarkably suited to the native palate. Containing a large quantity of saccharine and glutinous matter, the jack is highly nutritious.” He tells us a little lower down, that its

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are high, and their leaves are like the Jawz (or Indian nut): the fruit grows out from the bottom of the tree, and that which grows nearest to the earth is called the Barki ; it is extremely sweet and well flavoured in taste ; what grows above this is the ®Shaki. Its fruit resembles that of the -^great gourd, its rind the skin of an ox (leather ?) When it grows yellow in the autumn, they gather and divide it : and in the inside of each is from one to two hundred seeds. Its seed resembles that of a cucumber, and has a stone something like a large bean. When the stone is roasted, it tastes like a dried bean. These, i. e. the ShakI and Barki, are the best fruits found in Hindustan.

They have another sort of fruit, which they call ^E1 Tand : this is the fruit of the ^Pipercula. Its * *seed is the size of that of an ■^ Armenian peach, to which its colour may also be compared ; it is exceedingly sweet. They also have the ^Jummun,')' which is a high tree: the fruit resembles that of the olive, and is black ; as does likewise its stone. They have also the sweet orange in great abundance ; but the acid orange is more esteemed They also have one between the sweet and sour, which is exceedingly good. They have too the fruit called the ^Mahwa : the tree is tall, and the leaves

. al. al. ^ or name in the archipelago is probably a corruption of the Telinga jaka : our word ShakI (or shaka, perhaps) seems to be another corruption of the same word. Mr. Kosegarten has

Shaki. Mr. Marsden adds, in his History of Sumatra, p. 99: “ The outer coat is rough, containing a number of seeds or , kernels (which, when roasted, have the taste of chesnuts) inclosed in a fleshy substance of a rich, and to strangers, too strong a smell and flavour, but which gains upon the palate.” The Champadak of Mr. Crawfurd is, probably, the Bark! (^j^) of our traveller : the name, however, is preserved in Knox’s Ceylon, in the word Warracha. “ Before they be full ripe,” says he, “ the inhabitants call them Cose; and when ripe Warracha or Kellas : but with this difference, that the Warracha is hard, but the Kellas as soft as pap, both looking alike to the eye, but they are distinct trees,” p. 26, edit. 1817.

t This is, probably, the Jambu (Eugenia) of Mr. Crawfurd. See History of the Indian Archipelago, vol. i. pp. 428-9. See also Marsden’s Hist. Sumat. p. 99. Mr. Kosegarten has here which he gives Dschauk, It is, no doubt, an error.

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are like those of the Jawz, except that there is a mixture of yellow and red in them. The fruit resembles the small "prune, and is very sweet. Upon the head of each of its berries is a small seed, not unlike the grape both in shape and taste ; but they who eat it generally experience the head-ache. When dried in the sun, its taste is like that of the fig. This berry they call “El Angur. The grape, however, is seldom found in Hindustan, and then only in Dehli and a few other places. It produces fruit twice in the year. The fig is not found in Hindustan.

They also have a fruit, which they call ^Kosaf,^' which is round and very sweet. About the tree they dig (and heap) the earth, just as they do about the chesnut. They also have in India fruit common with us which is the pomegranate, and which bears fruit twice in the year. The grain which they sow for subsistence, is sown twice in the year ; and, that which is for the autumn, about Midsummer when the rains fall, which they reap in sixty days from the time of sowing it. Of this grain one is termed the ^Kodru, which is a sort of ’’ millet. This is the most plentiful grain in use among them ; and of it are the * Kal and the ^ Shamakh, the latter of which is smaller than a bean. The Shamakh however often grows without culture, and is the food of the religious, the abstemious, the fakeers, and the poor generally, who go out and gather what thus grows spontaneously, and live upon it the year round. When this is beaten in a wooden mortar, the rind falls off, and then the kernel, which is white, comes out. This they boil in the milk of the buffalo, and make it into a stew, which is much better than when baked. Of their grain, one is the ” Mash, j' which is a sort of pea ;

^ib bAc! . The mash they also call maj, but in the Shirazi (dialect) hitumash, and bitusiyah. They say that its matter is nearly allied to

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and of this the ""Munjam* is a species. The seed is oblong, and of a clear green colour. This they cook with rice, and then eat it with oil. It is called ^ El Koshira and taken daily for breakfast. Another species of this is the 'Lubia,f and another the “Murut, which resembles the Kodru, except that its seed is smaller, and is used for fodder for cattle : it is pulse. They also feed the beasts with the leaves of the mash, instead of green corn. All these are their autumnal grains. And when they cut these, they sow the spring grain, which consists of ^ wheat, ^ barley, '^lentiles, and^pulse,:}:

.bjUr -pii"

that of the bakila (bean) but is less flatulent. The best time to use it is the summer : and the best of it, are those which are large, green, and plump. Its nature is cold at first, but moderate. Of its skin they make the chicn mukashshar, and say that it is dry at first. The chyle produced by it is good ; and it digests sooner than the bakila (or bean). The property of its churi mukashshar is, to be advantageous in poulticing for pains in the limbs, &c. The term chun mukashshar, means like something barked or peeled : but here seems to be applied as a compound word, as the name of something, but what it is I have not been able to discover. Nor am I quite certain about the syllables bitu, in bitusiyah, as the diacritical points in the MS. are not very plainly written : but as I could find nothing else so suitable, I have taken that, which according to Meninski means exposed to the sun, &c.

f To M. de Sacy’s notes on the Loubia (Relat, de I’Egypte, p. 38, &c.) may be added the following from the dictionary of Hosain. y jJg-J jjlj jp lSj ... djui i_jj

^l3 \jJ^^ Jci' cJb ijAso . The lubia, which they also call luba and thamar, is easier of digestion and ejection than the mash. It is less productive of flatulency than the bakila (bean). The best of it is that which is red, but is not eaten. Its nature is warm at the first, but in moisture and dryness is moderate. They also say, that it is cold and dry .... The second property of the red sort is, that it assists in puerperal complaints, expels the urine and makes the body plump. It is also valuable in pulmonary diseases.

J Of this, according to Hosain, there is, the white, the black, the karsani, the wild, and the garden, pulse. The wild is the most scarce, and the garden pulse is eaten. Jjar

&c. Then follow its medicinal properties.

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on the ground from which the autumnal grain had been gathered. The soil of the country is exceedingly good.

As to the rice, they sow it three times during the year on the same ground : it is much in use among them. The sesam^ and sugar-cane they cultivate along with the autumnal grain.

I at length left the town of Abuhar, and proceeded for one day through a desert enclosed on both sides by mountains upon which were infidel and rebel Hindoos. The inhabitants of India are in general infidels ; some of them live under the protection of the Mohammedans, and reside either in the villages or cities : others, however, infest the mountains and rob by the highways. I happened to be of a party of two and twenty men, when a number of these Hindoos, consisting of two horsemen and eighty foot, made an attack upon us. We, however, engaged them, and by God’s help put them to flight, having killed one horseman and twelve of the foot.

After this we arrived at a fortress, and proceeding on from it, came at length to the city of Ajudahan* which is small. Here I met the holy Sheikh ^ Farid Oddln El Bodhawondl, of whom the Sheikh El Wall Borhiin Oddin El Aaraj had spoken to me in the port of Alexandria, telling me that I should meet him. I therefore did meet him, and presented him with the Sheikh’s salutation, which surprised him ; He said, I am unworthy of this. The Sheikh was very much broken by the temptations of the Devil. He allowed no one to touch his hand or to approach him ; and, whenever the clothes of any one happened to touch his, he washed them immediately. His patronymic is referred to ^Bodhawond, a town of * El Sambal.

In this part, I also saw those women who burn themselves when their husbands die.^ The woman adorns herself, and is accompanied by a

f It will not be necessary here to notice what has been written on this inhuman practice by more modern travellers, or by our own countrymen resident in Hindustan ; but, as some curious matter is found in the Dabistan, a Persian book not yet translated, it may not be amiss here to give an extract on this subject : jyi, ^ ^ u' 7^ <u n3jj\ [)j^3^ eiP' ‘t’' cf* i^33^- J3j‘- ^33'^

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cavalcade of the infidel Hindoos and ^Brahmans, with drums, trumpets, and men, following her, both Moslems and Infidels for mere pastime. The fire had been already kindled, and into it they threw the dead husband. The wife then threw herself upon him, and both were entirely burnt. A woman’s burning herself, however, with her husband is not considered as absolutely necessary among them, but it is encouraged ; and when a woman burns herself "with her husband, her family is considered as being ennobled, and supposed to be worthy of trust. But when she does not burn herself, she is ever after clothed coarsely, and remains in constraint among her relations, on account of her want of fidelity to her husband.

The woman who burns herself with her husband is generally surrounded by women, who bid her farewell, and commission her with salutations for

. l^l3j:^\l ^^1 “ They say, that the woman who becomes a Sattee after the death of her husband, obtains pardon both for her own and her husband’s sins, so that they may both remain long in paradise : and even if the husband should have gone to hell, just as a snake-catcher draws out a snake from his hole, so would the woman draw her husband out of hell, and place him in paradise. Every woman, too, who becomes a Sattee, should she again have a body, would have that of a man, not that of a woman. But, if she did not become a Sattee, but remain a widow, she would never in the metempsychosis have any other body but that of a woman. It is considered the duty of a woman to enter the fire in which her husband is burning, unless she be pregnant. A Brahman’s wife must burn with her husband in the same fire, and so become a Sattee : others may burn elsewhere. It is not considered right, however, to force a woman into the fire : and, in like manner, a woman desiring to become a Sattee, is not to be kept back from her purpose. The doctors have said, that the original intention of becoming a Sattee was this : that a woman should, after the death of her husband, consume all her desires, and thus die (to the world) before her natural death : for in the language of mysticism taoman means desire ; and the intention is, that she should cast away her desire, not that she should throw herself as a dead carcase into the fire, which is abominable,” The word Sattee (in the Sanscrit means saint, &c.

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their former friends, while she laughs, plays, or dances, to the very time in which she is to be burnt.

Some of the Hindoos, moreover, drown themselves in the river Ganges, to which they perform pilgrimages ; and into which they pour the ashes of those who have been burnt. When any one intends to drown himself, he opens his mind on the subject to one of his companions, and says: You are not to suppose that I do this for the sake of any thing worldly ; my only motive is to draw near to ™KisaI, which is a name of God with them. And when he is drowned, they draw him out of the water, burn the body, and pour the ashes into the Ganges.

After four day’s journey, I arrived at the city of “Sarsati* * * §. It is large and abounds with rice, which they carry hence to Delhi. And after this at "Hansl,t which is a very beautiful and closely built city, with extensive fortifications. I next came to ^’Masud Abad,j; after two days travelling, and remained there three days. The Emperor Mohammed, whom it was our object to see, had at this time left his residence in Dehli, and gone to Kinnoje,§ which is at the distance of ten days from that place. He sent his Vizier, however, Khaja Jahanjl Ahmed Ibn Ayas, a native of Room, with a number of kings, doctors, and grandees, to receive the travellers, (an Emir is with them termed king.) The Vizier then so arranged the procession, that each one had a place according to his rank.

We then proceeded on from Masud Abad till we came to Dehli, the capiai.

f Perhaps the Hassengur of Rennell, or the of Ferlshta, which is certainly near the river Suruste, mentioned in the account of the battle between Shahab OddTn and the Hindoo chiefs, A. H. 588. Dow writes it Hafsi, p. 169 : (A. H. 752).

J This place I do not find in the maps.

II Chaja Jehan was, according to Dow, high in power with Mohammed Shah at this time. Hindustan, vol. i. p. 318 ; and Ferishta says, that Ahmed Ayaz received the title of Khaja Jahan, and was made commander of the forces of Guzerat upon the king’s accession, j jj\j\

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tal of the empire. It is a most magnificent city, combining at once both beauty and strength. Its walls are such as to have no equal in the whole world. This is the greatest city of Hindustan ; and indeed of all Islamism in the East. It now consists of four cities, which becoming contiguous have formed one. This city was conquered in the year of the Hejira 584 (A.D. 1188).* * * § The thickness of its walls is eleven ’’cubits. They keep grain in this city for a very long time without its undergoing any change whatever. I myself saw rice brought out of the treasury, which was quite black, but, nevertheless, had lost none of the goodness of its taste. The same was the case with the kodru, which had been in the treasury for ninety years. Flowers, too, are in continual blossom in this place. Its mosque is very large ; and, in the beauty and extent of its building, it has no equal. Before the taking of Dehli it had been a Hindoo temple, which the Hindoos call *E1 Bur Khana (But Khanaf) ; but, after that event, it was used as a mosque. In its court-yard is a *cell, to which there is no equal in the cities of the Mohammedans ; its height is such, that men appear from the top of it like little children. In its court, too, there is an immense pillar, which they say, is composed of stones from seven different quarries. Its length is " thirty cubits ; its circumference eight : which is truly miraculous. J Without the city is a reservoir for the rain-water ; and out of this the inhabitants have their water for drinking. § It is two miles in length, and one in width.

JoU

... cJjU aj y>- . When Pithura was slain in the field of battle of Shahab Oddin, Dehli, as will hereafter appear, in the latter part of the year 388 passing from the power of infidels, went into the government of the kings of Ghaur and their followers. According to the Aini Akbarl, however, Dehli was first taken by Mahmood of Ghizna :

f This sort of temple is constantly termed But khana ? abut house or house of

Budda) by Ferishta.

J Is it the pillar of Firozshah ?

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About it are pleasure-gardens to which the people resort, (al. the nobles of the city.)

Chapter XV

Conquest of Dehli — Abstract of the History of Hindustan, from this time to that in 'which

Ibn Batuta visited this place.

The city of Dehli was conquered by the Emir "Kotb Oddin Aibak, one of the Mamluks of the Sultan ^ Shahab Oddin Mohammed Ibn Siim El Ghauri* * king of Ghizna and Khorasan, who had overcofne ^ Ibrahim Ibn Mahmood Ibn Subuktagin| the beginner of the conquest of India. This Emir Kotb Oddin » resided here as governor, on the part of Shahab Oddin: but when Kotb Oddin died, his»son, "" Shams Oddin Lalmish,:}: became governor. After this. Shams Oddin became possessed of the kingdom here, having been appointed thereto by the general consent of the people ; and he governed India for twenty years. He was a just, learned, and religious prince. After his death, his son, ^Rokn Oddin, took possession of the throne j but polluted his reign by killing his brothers, and was.

England,” (p. 236) that “ the water of the Jumna, and of the wells, which they are now obliged to drink (i. e. the inhabitants of Delhi) is so much impregnated with natron, otherwise called soda, as to prove at times very injurious.” Our traveller was in India before the time of Shah Jahan, and consequently before the canal for supplying purer water (mentioned in the same page by the Colonel) had been made : and hence the necessity for this reservoir.

J This is, no doubt, a mistake of the copyist: Shams Oddin A 1 tarnish was, according to Ferishta, the name of this king; see Dow, p, 176. And by this account he reigned twenty-six years. The word for six, however, might have been omitted by our traveller’s copyists.

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therefore, killed himself.* Upon this, the army agreed to place his sister ^E1 Malika Razia, upon the throne, who reigned four years. ' This woman usually rode about among the army, just as men do. She, however, gave up the government, on account of some circumstances that presented themselves.

After this, her younger brother, Nasir Oddin,'|' became possessed of the government, which he held for twenty years. This was a very religious prince ; and so much so, that he lived entirely on what he got by writingout and selling copies of the Koran. He was succeeded by his Nawab, ^Ghiath Oddin Ahmed, one of his fathers’ Mamluks, who murdered him.J This man’s name was originally ® Balaban ; his character had been just, discriminating, and mild : he filled the office of Nawiib of India, under Nasir Oddin, for twenty years : he also reigned twenty years. § One of his

. til.

“ Although Razia is a woman in form, she is a, man in understanding.”

f A similar account of him is given by Dow from Ferishta, where (p. 203) we have an anecdote about one of the copies of the Koran, which in his industry he had copied out ; and another in which we are told, that his queen (for he had but one, and no concubines) one day complainingof her hands being injured {j!j\dj\j\ ^ which Dow translates, burnt her fingers, ” in baking his bread, and requesting to have a maid to help her, was told, “ that he was only a trustee of the state, and that he was determined not to burthen it with needless expenses. He therefore exhorted her to proceed in her duty with patience, and God would reward her in the end.” Two reigns, according to Ferishta and the Tabakati Akbarl, intervene here, of which Ibn Batuta makes no mention : the rqason probably is, that they possess no partis cular interest.

J Nothing of this is mentioned in Ferishta.

^ According to Ferishta he ascended the throne A. H. 664) and died in 685. See Dow, p. 208-221. At the outset of this section, we have an abstract of his origin according to the historians of Hindustan, which differs in some respects from that of our traveller. Here, as already remarked, he is erroneously named Balin for Balabmi. Ferishta thinks, that as several persons of the name of Balaban occur in history, it probably may be the name of a Turkish tribe. His words are: tSujUs i— iiOwSib It is curious enough, that in the Tabakati Akbari, which was composed before the times of Ferishta, Balaban is said to have been called Balaban the Dwarf: the words are

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pious acts was, his building a house which was called the House of Safety f for whenever any debtor entered this, his debt was adjudged ; and in like manner, every oppressed person found justice ; every man-slayer deliverance from his adversary ; and every person in fear, protection. When he died he was buried in this house, and there I myself visited his grave. The history of his beginnings is surprising, which is this ; When a child he lived at Bokhara in the possession of one of the inhabitants, and was a little despicable ill -looking wretch. Upon a time, a certain Fakeer saw him there, and said: “ You little ^Turk!’' which is considered by them as a very reproachful term. The reply was : I am here, good Sir. This surprised the Fakeer, who said to him : Go and bring me one of those pomegranates, pointing to some which had been exposed for sale in the street. The urchin replied: Yes, Sir; and immediately, taking out all the money he had, went and bought the pomegranate. When the Fakeer received it, he said to Balaban : We give you the kingdom of India. Upon which the boy kissed his own hand, and said : I have accepted of it, and am quite satisfied.

It happened, about this time, that the Sultan Shams Oddin sent a merchant to purchase slaves from Bokhara and Samarkand. He accordingly bought a hundred, and Balaban was among them. When these Mamluks were brought before the Sultan, they all pleased him except Balaban, and him he rejected, on account of his despicable appearance.

If

Balaban the D’warJ', the whole of the Emirs and Governors of the city placed upon the throne of empire, in the white palace.” This appellation is not given to him by Ferishta, but must have been fresh in memory in the times of our traveller, and perhaps when the Tabakati Akbari was composed.

‘‘ He was buried in the House of Safety”

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Upon this, Balaban said to the Emperor: Lord of the world! why have you bought all these slaves ? The Emperor smiled, and said : For my own sake, no doubt. The slave replied : Buy me then for God’s sake. I will, said he. He then accepted of him, and placed him among the rest; but, on account of the badness of his appearance, gave him a situation among the cup-bearers.

Some of the astrologers, who were about the king, were daily in the habit of saying to him: “ One of the Mamluks will one day overcome thy son, and take the kingdom from him. To this the Emperor, on account of the justice and excellency of his own character, paid no regard, till they also told it to the Queen-Mother ; who soon made an impression on his mind respecting it. He accordingly summoned the astrologers before him, and said: Pray can you tell which of the Mamluks it is, who is to take the kingdom from my son, if you see him ? They said, we have a mark whereby we can distinguish him. The Emperor then ordered all the Mamluks to be present; who came accordingly, station after station, as commanded. Upon these the astrologers fixed their eyes; but did not discover the person looked for, until* the day began to draw towards the close. At this time the cup-bearers said one to another, we are getting rather hungry, let us join and send some one into the street to buy us something to eat. They did so ; and Balaban, as the most despicable, was sent to make the purchase. Balaban accordingly sallied forth, but could find nothing in that street which would suit him ; he then went on into another, during which time the turn of the cup-bearers came on to be presented. But, as Balaban was not forthcoming, they took a little pitch and whatever else was necessary for their purpose, and daubing it over a child, took him with them in the place of Balaban ; and when his name was called over, this child was presented ; and the business of the day was closed, without the astrologers finding their mark upon any one ; which was a providential circumstance for Balaban.

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At last Balaban made his appearance ; but not till the business of the day was over. The cleverness of Balaban was afterwards noticed, and he was made head of the cup-bearers. After this he was placed in the army, and soon became a general officer. After this the Sultan Jalal Oddln married his daughter, which was before he had been made king. But when he was, he appointed Balaban to the office of Nawab or Viceroy, which he filled for twenty years. He then killed his master, and seized the empire. This Balaban had two sons; one of these, namely, ^‘El Khan El Shahid, he appointed as his own successor, and governor on his part in the provinces of Sindia : he resided at Multan. He was killed, however, in an affair with the Tartars,* leaving two sons, Kaikobadf and 'Kaikhosru. Balaban’s second son, named ^Nasir Oddin, was appointed to govern the districts of ^Laknoutl and “Bengal. When, however, the heir-apparent El Khan El Shahid had been killed, Balaban appointed El Khan El Shahid’s son Kaikhosru, his successor, passing over his own son Nasir Oddin.

Nasir Oddin, however, had a son named "Moizz Oddin residing at the court of his grandfather at Dehli, the person who eventually became successor to Balaban. This at length came to pass on account of Giath Oddin Balaban’s dying in the night, when his own son Nasir Oddin was out of the way in the district of Laknouti. On this occasion he appointed Kaikhosru his grandson, the son of El Khan El Shahid, as already mentioned.

The king, however (or chief) of the Emirs and Nawab to the Sultan Balaban, happened to have conceived a strong enmity against Kaikhosru,

f The Tabakati Akbarl and Farishta give the name of Kaikobad to the son of this Nasir Oddin, and who is here termed MoTzz Oddin. All agree, however, in making the son of Nasir Oddin eventually to succeed to Balaban in the empire. Which of our writers is correct in the other particulars I have not the means of determining, nor is it of much importance ; but, from the accounts given below by Ibn Batuta, and no where else to be found, I am disposed to believe, that he had access to documents not in existence in the times of the historians referred to : and if so, his story bids the fairest for being the true one. The title of Balaban’s second son Baghera Khan lyb) as given by Ferishta and Dow, is constantly in the Tabakati

Akbarl Bakera Khan .

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on this account he had recourse to a stratagem, which gained him his end : it was this : He forged a letter in the name of the Emirs, stating that they had declared Moi'zz Oddin son of Nasir Oddin, king. With this he goes to Kaikhosru by night, as if wishing to advise with him, and says : The Emirs have proclaimed thy uncle’s son ; and I very much fear for thy safety. The reply was: What am I to do? He said, save thyself by escaping to the districts of Sindia. But, replied he, how am I to get through the gates of the city,, which are already barred. The keys, answered -the Emir, are here in my possession. I will open the gates for you. The young man thanked him for this, and then kissed his hand. The Emir said: Mount immediately. He accordingly did, with his nobles and slaves; and the Emir opened the gates, let them out, and immediately closed them again.

He next went to Moi'zz Oddin, son of Nasir Oddin, and asked permission to enter; which being granted, he proclaimed him Emperor. “ But, how is this,” replied Mo’izz Oddin, “ since Kaikhosru my uncle's son was appointed successor ?” The Emir told him of his stratagem, and how he had got rid of Kaikliosru. Mo'izz Oddin thanked him for this, and then took him to the palace ; where, sending for the rest of the Emirs and nobles, they invested him with the supreme authority during the night. In the morning this was confirmed by the people generally ; and Mo'izz Oddin took possession of the throne.

His father, however, was living at this time in the provinces of Bengal and Laknouti : and, when the news of his son’s being made Emperor reached him, he said : I am heir to the crown, how then can my son exercise this authority during my lifetime ? He accordingly set out with his army for Dehli,in order to make war upon his son Mo'izz Oddin. Mo'izz Oddin too marched out with his troops to give battle to his father. They both arrived at the same time at the city of "Karra,* which is situated on the banks of the Ganges, took their stations on opposite sides of the river, and prepared for the onset. It was the will of divine Providence, however, to spare the blood of the faithful ; and hence the heart of the father

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Nasir Oddln began to relent towards his son ; for he said to himself, surely as long as my son is king, I shall partake of his glory. Mo'izz Oddin too felt in his mind that someting of submission was due to his father. Each of them, therefore, as if by instinct, left his army and rode directly into the middle of the river and met there. Here the Emperor kissed the feet of his father, and asked his forgiveness. His father replied, I give you my kingdom ; and so invested him with the authority of Emperor. He then wished to retire to his districts ; but his son said : Nay, but you must come with me to mine. He accordingly accompanied him to Dehli ; and, entering the palace, seated his son upon the throne, and took his own station before him. This day is therefore called, the day of meeting ; because they had this happy rencontre in the middle of the river, no blood beingshed, and the kingdom mutually given and accepted.*

After this, Nasir Oddin returned to his districts; where after two years he died, leaving a family behind him. The kingdom was thus confirmed to Moizz Oddin, which continued for four years, during which the inhabitants

I bs^ Cl — ? I f b 1 jub;- ^1' ** Sultan, at the instigation of the Vizier Nizam Oddin, providing himself with an army, and other appurtenances of royalty, set out for Oude. When the Sultan Nasir Oddin was acquainted with this, knowing that tlie Vizier Nizam Oddin had originated it, he also set out with an army, elephants, and great pomp towards his son. Each of the armies took its station on each side of the Sirve (Soorjew or Gogra). When three days were spent in sending and receiving letters, as to how the meeting was to be arranged, it was at length agreed, that the son should retain the throne; and that Nasir Oddin should pass the river, and do homage to his son upon it.” I make this extract, because Dow introduces certain matters into the account not to be found either in Ferishta or the author cited. Such as the armies waiting for some days in hourly expectation of an action ; the old man finding his army inferior to that of his son, and the like : when the fact seems to be, that a negociation was set on foot immediately, and that the father had no intention or wish to give his son battle. What authority our traveller had for placing this meeting upon the Ganges it is not easy to say.

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may be said to have enjoyed a continual holiday. After this he was affected by a complaint, by which one of his sides became quite withered, * and for which the physicians could find no remedy. At this time, his Nawab, ^'Jalal Oddin Firoz Shah El Khilaji, revolted, taking his station upon a high mount without the city. Moizz Oddin sent his Emirs for the purpose of giving him battle ; but they all, one after another, joined him, and proclaimed him Emperor. Jalal Oddin then entered the city, and enclosing Moizz Oddin within his palace for three days, overcame him, put him to death, and took possession of his kingdom. j" This Jalal Oddin was a mild and well-informed prince; he governed India for two years. He had a son and a daughter. The daughter he married to his brother’s son Ala Oddin, a daring, bold, and powerful man. His wife, however, so much harassed him, that he was obliged to complain to her father, in order to have an end put to their disputes. +

The uncle had given him the government of MCarra and Manikbur,§ containing two of the most populous districts in India. Ala Oddin, however, had an eye to the kingdom. The only difficulty he had to contend with was, his want of money ; for he had none, except what he got by his sword in making new conquests. Upon one of these expeditions, his horse happened to stumble against a stone as he went along, and from this a kind of ringing noise proceeded. He immediately ordered his men to dig ; and here they found an immense quantity of wealth. H This he divided among his followers, and hence acquired considerable power. It happened that his uncle undertook an expedition against him, and summoned him before him, but he refused to appear. The uncle then prepared to go to iu, 1/ ' . JIU- "

f Here the Khiliji dynasty originated, and that of Ghaur ended. Dow, ib. pp. 229-231.

t Noticed by Dow, p. 243

II This wealth seems to have been acquired in an expedition into the Deccan. Dow, ib. p. 245 and 247. In countries like those of the East, however, subject to a perpetual change of masters, it is not at all to be wondered at, that much treasure is often buried j and, perhaps, this will in some measure account for the stories we so often meet with, of great treasures being found in the earth.

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him ; for he said, This young man is as my son, I will therefore go to him. The nephew accordingly met him, which happened upon the banks of the Ganges, in the very place where Moizz Oddin and Nasir Oddin had formerly met : and, like them, each rode into the middle of the river. Ala Oddin, however, had commanded his followers, that, at the time he should embrace his uncle Jalal Oddin, they were to kill him. When, therefore, the parties met, and the nephew was in the act of embracing the uncle, the followers of the nephew killed him, which put Ala Oddin in possession of his uncle’s army, and all proclaimed him Emperor.^' After this he governed Hindustan for twenty years. He was just, and looked to the affairs of his subjects in person. Now he also had a nephew named "Soleiman Shah, and as he was one day engaged in the chase, this nephew conceived the intention of destroying him, just as he had of destroying his own uncle. He shot him, accordingly, with an arrow in an unguarded moment, and the uncle fell from his horse, j The nephew was c;

•f Dow, ib. pp. 267-209. But here the name of Akit Khan occurs ; if, however, we turn to Ferishta, we shall find Soleiman Shah, just as we have it in our traveller: and as we have another variety, it may not be amiss to cite the passage: .'•.j dzij

X J^X^ ^ ^^33^ i^X J‘3 ^ ji jX ‘■^xi" (j^baLiC A..aaj Kit^X ^ sXci tcj , &c, “ The Sultan was enraged, and in his own person proceeded towards that part in regal pomp. When he arrived at Tibet (according to the Tabakati Akbari at Til Pfiiit), and had resided there a few days, and went daily into the desert to hunt the kamurgah, upon one of these he happened to have lost time, so that he could not get to the army, but remained out. On the next day, before sun-rising, he ordered the hunting to commence, white he, with a

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about to make up to him, when he was told by his slave that he need not do so, as he was quite dead. He left him, therefore, and returned to the palace j and took possession of the government. A little while after Ala Oddln, recovering from his stupor, got up and mounted a horse, which the army perceiving joined him. He then entered the city, and besieged his nephew Soleiman Shah in the palace ; who, feeling his weakness, betook himself to flight, but was taken and put to death by his uncle Ala Oddln. After this he never rode a hunting, to divine service, or to the celebration of any public holiday.

He had five sons, the younger of whom were ^Sliahab Oddin and Kotb Oddin : the eldest he had, during his life time, ordered to be kept in prison.^ When taken with his last sickness (the anger of the young man on account of his imprisonment not having abated), and when the disease was making rapid advances, he sent for this son in order to name him as his successor ; but, he delaying to come in consequence of this irritation, the Mamluks, the head of whom hated this son, together with the principal Nuwa,b, placed the younger son Shahab Oddln upon the throne, as soon as the Emperor was dead : and the appointment was confirmed by the people. The three elder children, however, were ordered to be imprisoned and their eyes to be put out : and thus was the government established.

few others, went aside and sat upon a height, so that when the Kamurgah should be started be might engage in the hunt. All on a sudden, however, Soleiman Shah the Sultan’s nephew, who was styled Alikh Khan, and was keeper of the Door, having in his mind the affair of Jalal Oddln and Ala Oddin, with a few horsemen who were his old servants and had lately become Mohammedans, parading as it were for his amusement, made for the Sultan ; who, when they had attacked him with their arrows, fell from the height, &c.” The place where this occurred is called Jilput, by Dow, which is, perhaps, an error of the press for Tilput, as found in the Tabakati Akbarl. Of the Vakeel Muttaluk, as in Dow, we have in both histories . j IN. Vakili Dar.

• c-.-'lb \jj \j^ He gave permission to Khazir Khan to make a hunting excursion to Amrohe, saying, when I shall have recovered my health, I will' send for you. See also id. p. 293, where Ferishta does not say one

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Upon this the Queen sent for two of the most powerful of her husband’s Mamluks, the name of one of whom was * * * * § Bashir, that of the other, “ Mubashshir, and with tears complained of the conduct of the principal Nuwab towards her children, soliciting their assistance, and stimulating them to put the chief Nuwab to death ; and affirming, that it was his intention to murder her younger son Kotb Oddln. They accordingly agreed to kill him, which they did by stratagem while he was in his house. ^ They then brought forth Kotb Oddin to his brother Shahab Oddln, who held the reins of government. Kotb Oddln remained for some time in the situation of his Nuwab, but at length deposed his brother, and took possession of the kingdom ; which he held for some time.

After this he took a journey to ^ Dawlat Abad, between which and Dehli is a distance of forty days. The road is from first to last inclosed with ^willow and other trees, so that a traveller seems to be in a garden throughout all this distance. f Besides, there are at the distance of every three miles the stations of the foot couriers, at which there are also inhabitants, as already mentioned. From this place to El Telingana,j; and ^E1 Maabar,§ is a distance of six months. In all these stations there is a word about trying his affections or seeing him weep, as stated by Dow, but that the Emperor embraced him affectionately, and allowed him to go into the haram to see his mother, &c.

&c. i. e. they returned and told the affair to the Mubashshir and the Bashir, who were the heads of the Eunuchs. Where we also learn that these are names of office.

f We are told by Ferishta, and after him by Dow, Hind. vol. i. p. 319, that the emperor planted both sides of the road from Dehli to Dawlatabad with trees, for the purpose of shading the inhabitants when passing from the one place to the other.

:j: This is, no doubt, the of Ferishta and Tilling of Dow ; the reading of our MSS.

is evidently wrong.

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lodging for the Emperor, with cells for his suite, and for travellers generally. There is no necessity, therefore, for a poor man’s carrying any provisions with him on this road.

When, therefore, the Sultan Kotb Oddin was on this journey, and had with him “Khazir Khan, the son of his elder brother who was in prison, some of the Emirs formed a conspiracy, by which it was their intention to depose the Emperor, and to proclaim this son of his elder brother. But the Emperor discovering this, instantly put his nephew and his nephew’s father to death, as well as his other brothers, who were then confined in the fortress of ''Kaliyur.*

This fortress is situated on the top of a high hill, and seems as if it had been cut out of the rock : opposite to it is no other mount. Within it are reservoirs filled with rain-water ; and about it are numerous walls,

• ^ [*V.^ Said has said, that the Maabar is well-known and often mentioned. From it is brought the Las (unwashed silk), on the washing of which a proverb has been formed. On the north of this place are the mountains adjoining the districts of Balhara king of the kings of India. On the west of it does the river Sulian discharge itself into the sea. The Maabar is to the east of Kawlam (Coulan), about three or four day’s journey : to the south of which if must be necessarily placed. Again, the longitude and latitude are said to be, according to Ibn Said, east 142° 8'; lat. 17° 45'. Where the first, allowing about 17° west for the difference of calculation, is evidently too great. And if any reliance can be placed on the last, the conjecture of M. de Sacy, that the Maabar probably extends as far north as the mouths of the Ganges, cannot be true. If we could ascertain where the districts of Balhara commence, we may, probably, be able to determine this question. The reader should be informed, that in many cases in which Ferishta has

Maabar, Col, Dow not knowing, I suppose, what to make of the word, has translated it by Malbar. Hist. Hind. vol. i. p. 300, &c. Again, it is said, ^ Si: Jb’

• I— b ^ <— j*«3) He has said, the first (part) of the districts of El Maabar, on the part of Manibar (Malabar), is Cape Komhori (Comorin), with o after m without any vowel, o after h, i after r, &c. In this case Cape Comorin is the southern limit, and the latitude given above, the northern.

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upon which warlike engines are planted. This is their strongest fortress : beneath it, is a small town.

When, however, Kotb Ocldin had killed his brothers, and so purified his kingdom that no one seemed left to contend with him, divine Providence gave the supreme power to one of his most powerful and choice friends, namely, ‘^Nasir Oddin Khosru Khan, who killed him, and took possession of the empire; but this he held only for a short time.* The reason was, that when he had taken possession of the throne, he sent dresses of honour to the governors of the several provinces ; which they all put on, as a mark of obedience, if we except '^Toglik Shfdi, father of the present Emperor of Hindustan Mohammed Slifdi. This person was then governor of ®Debalbur,j' and would neither put on the dress, nor tender his obedience. The consequence was, an army was sent against him, which he put to flight. The Emperor then sent his brother against him : him also he routed, and put to death : and so far did matters proceed, that Toglik also slew Nasir Oddin Khosru Khan and seized his empire.

This Nasir Oddin had originated some great abominations during his reign, :j: of which the forbidding oxen to be slaughtered is one, and which is one of the regulations of the infidel Hindoos. For among them, no one is allowed to slaughter an ox ; and, in case he should do so, he is ordered to be stitched up in its skin, and to be burnt. The reason is, they so much esteem the ox that they drink its urine, both to promote prosperity and to recover health. They also daub their walls with the dung of these ani-

f The province of this name. We have in Dow, vol. i. p. 305, the first intimation of this, where we are told, that this chief was governor of Lahore and Debalpur; and that his son was appointed master of the horse in Dehli, as noticed by our traveller a little lower down. Toglik, however, is styled in Dow, Ghazi Malluk.

;f Nothing is said in Dow of this; but in Ferishta some intimations of it are found, viz.

. U 1^1 began to practise idolatry with the Hindoos, so that the Koran was occasionally placed as a stool and sat upon.”

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mals.' Hence it was that Nasir Oddin became so hateful to the Mohammedans, that they stimulated ^ Toglik Ghiath Oddin, to put him to death, and to take possession of the kingdom.

This Toglik was originally descended from the Turks who inhabit the mountains in the district of Sindia.^' He was very poor ; but, betaking himself to the cities of these parts, he got employment in feeding cattle. After this he became a foot soldier, and then a horse soldier : in the next place, as his abilities appeared he was made a ^commanding officer. After this the Emperor Kotb Oddin appointed him governor of Debrdbur; and his son, who is now Emperor, keeper of the horse. Toglik was brave, warlike, honourable, and just : and, as his son was stationed at Dehli as keeper of the horse, when the father had determined to rebel,

. xjAT A-=ry 3J^ tjltiLjj “ The historians of Hindustan, both ancient and modern, have neglected to give any particular account of the origin and descent of Toglikshah. Mohammed Kasim Ferishta, however, the writer of these pages, when he arrived at Lahore, during the times of the Emperor Nur Oddin Mohammed Jahangir, on the part of the Sultan of his time Ibrahim Aadil Shah, enquired of the persons of that place, whose desire it was to investigate the history of the Kings of Hindustan, what was the origin and descent of the family of Toglikshah. They said ; We have found no clear account of it in any book whatever. In this State, however, there is a report, that the King Toglik, father of the Emperor Ghiath Oddin Toglikshah, obtained a situation among the Turkish slaves of the Sultan Balaban : and contracting an intimacy with the Jit tribe, who are stipendiaries upon this kingdom, married a daughter of one of them ; and from him descended the Sultan Ghiath Oddin.” We have a sketch of this in Dow, vol. i. p. 308, where, instead of Balaban we read Bolin. My two copies of Ferishta, however, the Tabakati Akbarl, and Ibn Batutu, are constant in giving Balaban, which is undoubtedly the true reading: and, as Ibn Batuta lived much nearer the time of Toglikshah than Ferishta did, it is very likely that his account of his origin is the true one.

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he corresponded with this son, who cajoled the Emperor Khosru Khan ; sometimes, for example, appearing at his post without the city, and then returning to his father. After some days, however, he was missing till after sunset, which giving some suspicion to Nasir Oddin, he sent for him, but could not find him : on this occasion he had escaped, and taken all the best of the Emperor’s horses to his father.^

The Emir of Multan, '‘Kashlu Khan, joined Toglik in his rebellion, in order to avenge Kotb Oddin, son of Nasir Oddin, their common master. When, however, the two conspirators entered Dehli, and Nasir Oddin had betaken himself to flight with only a few Hindoo fakeers, Toglik said' to Kashlu Khan : You shall be Emperor. But he refused; and Toglik took possession of the government. After this, Nasir Oddin was taken and put to death ; and the kingdom was purged, and remained so for four years.

After this the Emperor sent his son, who is now Emperor, to reduce the provinces of Telinga, [' which are at the distance of three months from

&c. In the mean time, after two months and a half, Juna, finding an opportunity in the middle of the night, mounted with two or three confidential friends, and took the road from Dehli to Debalpur with all haste. Khosru Khan being (thus) awakened from his sleep of negligence, became anxious as to the decline of his power, &c. The particulars, however, differ a little.

f Our MSS. here read which is a manifest mistake of the copyist, for t,:! the orthography of Ferishta, and which Dow writes. Tilling, vol. i. p. 309, where we have an abridgment of the account given by Ferishta of this rebellion. But as Dow’s mode of writing the proper names, &c. differs very materially from that found in my MSS. it may not be amiss to notice it. Ferishta’s words are these, (al. CJicj

“ But Malik Fakhar Oddin

Junala (al. Juna) his eldest son, he appointed as his successor, and lifted his head almost to the skies, by giving him a royal umbrella. He also gave him the title of Alif Khan.” "Wfith this my MSS. agree; Dow, however, gives Aligh Khan, (he probably read where I have 1 pUy

For some account of Telingana, (occasionally written by Ferishta) the place here meant, see Rennell’s Memoir to his Map of Hindustan, p. cxi. &c.

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Dehli ; but when he had arrived at a certain part of the way, one of the courtiers thought proper to rebel, and to possess himself (if possible) of the kingdom. For this purpose he circulated a report, that the Emperor was dead ; supposing that the Emirs would now immediately proclaim him king. When they heard this, however, every one of them struck his drum, and betook himself to his own part (i. e. to rebellion) so that the prince was left with his particular friends alone. f The Emirs, moreover, intended

t As the account of this mutiny is not given correctly by Dow (vol. i. p. 309, &c.) I shall here give it in the words of Ferishta- Jf ^ j\ ^j\ iXjiXui I, I jb

ScMb jd C**^)

t 0 SI ^ S)

j^UaL.) tXJwirfllti i—JjM

(S lSi3\i3 j\jS ^ i3y>~ jO '^j 3 jI^ Jj Jo yj ^J &C" During this interval, from the corrupt state of the water and air of those parts, and as various diseases had appeared, a great number of men, horses, and elephants, perished ; and, besides, the soldiers had circulated false reports. At the same juncture, as the roads had been stopped up, and no news had arrived from Dehli for about a month (two couriers usually arriving weekly) the Sheikh Zada DimashkI, and Obeid the Poet, who had lately come to Hindustan, and waited on the prince’s person, raised an insolent and false report, that the Emperor Toglik Shah was dead, that another king was already upon the throne, and that the greatest confusion was prevailing in Dehli; but not content with this, the two insurgents went to the quarters of Malik Timur, Malik Mai Afghan, Malik Kafur, the keeper of the seals, and Malik Tagin, who \vas chief in command, and said : The affairs of Dehli are in this state ; and, as Alif Khan knows you to have been the great men of Ala Oddin, and participators in his rule, he has made up his mind to seize upon you all four in one day, and to strike off your heads. When they heard this, they were much alarmed ; and, as great fear already existed in the army, each of them made up his mind and fled. The account given in the Tabakati Akbarl agrees with this as to matter, except that it gives jj) Aligh Khan, for 4_aJ) Alif Khan.

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to kill him ; but from this they were diverted by one of the great men of their body, whose name was ' Timur. The prince then fled to his father with ten of his friends, whom he styled ^‘Yaran (i. c. friends in the Persic); but, when he came to him, was immediately sent back on his journey with a large army. Upon this, the Emirs, who had intended to put him to death, fled; but some of them were taken, and put to death. Thus the matter terminated, and he returned to his father.

The father himself then undertook an expedition against the province of UaknoutI,* in which resided at that time the Sultan Shams Oddin son of Ghiath Oddin Balaban : to whom had fled the Emirs of Toglik, as just mentioned. About this time, however. Shams Oddin died, having first bound his son, Shahab Oddin (by contract), who accordingly took possession of the throne. His younger brother, however, “Ghiath Oddin Bahadur Bura, overcame him, and seized upon the kingdom. He then killed all the rest of his brothers, except Shahab Oddin, who had been bound to mount the throne, and Nasir Oddin : for they fled to Toglik imploring assistance. He allowed them, therefore, to march with his army, in order to give battle to Ghiath Oddin. Toglik had also appointed his son Mohammed to the office of Nuwab in Dehli during his own absence on this expedition. He proceeded therefore, and gained possession of the province of Laknouti, having put Ghiath Oddin to the rout, after which, however, he took him prisoner, and carried him to Dehli.

Jsi.lk.wO j\)'^ 1 J.ol jjy <0 &c. “ In the year 724 accounts came from LakhnoutI and Sanarganw, stating that the Emirs and magistrates of that place were exercising great cruelties and injustice upon the inhabitants. Upon this the Emperor Toglikshrih getting an army together, and appointing Alif Khan for his Viceroy in Dehli, set out for the eastern parts of Hindustan: and when he arrived at Turhat, the Sultan Nasir Oddin, son of the Sultan Ghiath Oddin Balaban, &c.

When he had got near to Dehli, he sent to his son Mohammed, requesting him to build him a "kushka, that is, a palace, which he did, and constructed one, well built of wood, in the space of three days. But Mohammed the son made an. agreement with the geometrician who planned it, that the steps leading to it should be made sufficiently broad to allow t.he elephants * to ascend them, in order to their being presented to the

UL

. Jkiial) -vbi* jjU- (w_iL!) 4^^ Oo “ He made for his capital, using every possible endeavour to expedite bis progress, not at all aware that his end was so near. When Alif Khan had heard that his father was coming in great haste, he erected a palace for him nearj Afghanpur, in the space of three days; so that when the Sultan should have arrived at that, place, he might lodge there for the night ; and in the morning, when the city should be adorned, and every thing prepared to receive him, he should enter it with great pomp. The Sultan accordingly arrived there, and believing tbe reason given for erecting this palace to be the true one, he took up his lodging there. On the day following Alif Khan, with the rest of the Emirs of Dehli, happy at the intimation of the king’s arrival, with the company who came to welcome him sat down in the palace to a feast. When the eatables were removedj and the company was aware that the Sultan would soon mount, they got up, not waiting even to wash their hands. The Sultan, however, delayed as long as washing his hands would require, s

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Emperor Toglik. A place also was so constructed, that when the foot of the elephant should come in contact with it, the whole palace should fall down upon all who may happen to be in it. When, therefore, the Emperor arrived at his palace, he had it carpetted and furnished, and took up his residence within it. Now, the Emperor had a second son, who was a great favourite with him. In consequence of this, the elder brother.

but during this time the roof of the palace fell in, and the Sultan with five others perished. In some of the histories it is said, that since the palace was new and fresh built, and as some persons made the elephants which the Emperor had brought with him from Bengal race round it, as the weight of the elephants made the ground sink, the palace on this account fell. Others say, that this useless palace was built merely because Alif Khan had a design upon his father.” This opinion, however, Ferishta rejects as improbable, and inclines to another, given by the Haji Mohammed of Kandahar, that the palace was struck by lightning. The author of the Tabakati Akbarl, however, who is followed by the Farhat El Nazirin er after giving the same account with Ferishta of this circumstance, concludes by ascribing it to the same cause with Ibn Batuta. His words areijj JwIJ t "y.-.-"” Ji j (AAU jSJ JciAS ^ ^

It will not be concealed from the minds of intelligent men, that the making of this otherwise useless palace, was for the purpose of furthering a scheme which Aligh Khan had devised against his father, and which is evident enough. And, as the author of the Tarlkhi Firoz Shahi, published his work in the time of Firoz Shah, who had a very unreasonable faith in Mohammed Shah, it is on this account, as I have often heard from credible persons, that he said nothing about this circumstance. Abul Fazl speaks of this event in the following terms : Jj&jo j jiJ ^1

“ Having arranged matters in Bengal, he came to Dehli. Mohammed Khan, his son, at the head of a party in Dehli, built a palace in three days, and with much solicitation got the Sultan to come to it. The roof, however, fell in, and his matters were brought to a conclusion ; and although Zia BarnI labours to give a good name to this prince, yet to have built such a receptacle, and to have used such diligence to get the Sultan to it, must bring to mind the badness of his character.” (A-ini Akbari.) This Zia Barni, it should be remembered, was a favourite with Mohammed Shah, and wrote his history under the immediate inspection of Mohammed’s son Firoz Shah, as the author of the Tabakati Akbari has judiciously remarked. There can be no doubt, therefore, that Ibn Batuta’s account of this event is the true one. An account of this transaction, similar to those above given, is also found in the Ji U

Maathari Rahimi, by Abd El Baki.

HINDUSTAN.

Mohammed, very much feared lest he should be appointed successor to the throne. When, therefore, the different orders, as well as those who had come to welcome the Sultan, had concluded the banquet, the elephants were presented before him : but, when the elephant’s foot came in contact with the place appointed, down came the palace upon the head of the Sultan Toglik, his favourite son, and the courtiers who were assembled before him, and all perished. Mohammed, the present Emperor, accordingly took possession of the throne, having been proclaimed by the Emirs and people, and thus was the kingdom purged of his enemies.