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0033 Cathay and the Way Thither : vol.2
Cathay and the Way Thither : vol.2 / Page 33 (Color Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000042
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UNDER THE MONGOLS.   273

GOLDEN-TEETH.1 Here there are no enemies excepting on a point occupied by Kutlugh Khwaja and his army.

1 "Zar-dandan" (Pers.), the name used literatim by Polo for this people, and a translation of the term Kin-chi by which they were known to the Chinese. Polo places them five days ponent or west of the city of Caraian (or Carazan of some copies), which Pauthier identifies with Tali-fu. He ascribes to them the eccentric custom, found among various wild races ancient and modern, which sends the husband to keep his bed for a season when the wife has given birth to a child, and fixes their chief city at ÿociam (Yung-chang). Passages nearly but not quite identical with one another which Quatremère has quoted from the history of Benaketi and from another part of the Jami'-ut-Tawcrikh of Rashid speak of this

people.   To the south-west of Cathay," they say in substance, lies
Karajang, an extensive country lying between Tibet, Tangut, the mountains of India, Mongolia, Cathay, and the Country of the Gold Teeth. The Indians call it Kandar, and we (Persians, etc.) Kandahar, the Chinese Dailiu (Tali ?) The king is called Mahara or Great Prince; the capital Yachi (Jaci of Polo). Among its people part are black (whence KaraJang or Black Jang), part white, called Chagan-Jang or White Jang"...It is not improbable that the Kara-Jang and Chagan-Jang (compare with Karazan of Polo) represent Black Shans and White Shclns, and that the colours refer not to complexion but to dress. We always knew the Shans at Amarapura by their coats of black calico. "North-west of China is the frontier of Tibet and of the Gold-Teeth, who lie between Tibet and Karajang." These people cover their teeth with a gold case which they take off when they eat." There is another passage of Rashid among Elliot's extracts in which this people is mentioned, a passage which would be most interesting if the names were not so mangled. Speaking of Maabar, the historian says that two ways to China diverge thence. The first is by Sarandip (Ceylon), Lam'cri, the country of Sumatra, and Darband Nids, a dependency of Java, Champa and Haitam (qu. Hainan ?), subject to the Kaan, and so to DTahachin (Canton), Zaitun, and Khinsd. "With respect to the other road which leads from Maabar by way of Cathay, it commences at the city of Cabal (read Kail), then proceeds to the city of Gosj'a and Sabjic, dependencies of Cabal, then to Tamlifatan, then Karoramawdr, then to Hawarduran, then to Dakli, then to Bijaldr, which from of old is subject to Dehli, and at this time one of the cousins of the sultan of Dehli has conquered it and established himself, having revolted against the sultan. His army consists of Turks. Beyond that is the country of Katban, then ÏTman, then ZARDANDAN, so called because the people have gold in their teeth. They puncture their hands and colour them with indigo. They eradicate their beards so that they have not a sign of hair on their faces. They are all subject to the Kaan. Thence you arrive at the borders of Tibet, where they eat raw meat and worship images, and have no shame respecting their wives (see Polo, i, 44, 45).