IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| Cathay and the Way Thither : vol.2 |
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Citation Information
450 IBN BATUTA'S TRAVELS IN BENGAL AND CHINA.
NOTE D. (SEE PAGE 418).
THE MEDIEVAL PORTS OF MALABAR.
It seems worth while to introduce here a review of the Ports of Malabar as they are described to have existed from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century. Many of these have now altogether disappeared, not only from commercial lists but from our maps, so that their very sites are sometimes difficult to identify. Nor are the books (such as F. Buchanan's Journey and others), which might serve to elucidate many points, accessible where this is written. But still this attempt to illustrate a prominent subject in the Indian geography of those centuries will I trust have some interest.
We shall take the Goa River as our starting point, though Malabar strictly speaking was held to commence at Cape Delly. Had we taken the whole western coast from Gujarat downwards the list would have been enlarged by at least a half.
The authorities recurring most frequently will be indicated thus :B stands for Barbosa (beginning of the sixteenth century) in Ramusio; BL for the Lisbon edition of Barbosa ; DEB for Debarros (to whom I have access only in an Italian version of the two first Decades, Venice, 1561, and in Ramusio's extracts); IB for Ibn Batuta; s for the anonymous Sommario dei Regni in Ramusio.
Sandabur, Chintabor, etc., see note B, supra.
Bathecala, a flourishing city on a river, a mile from the sea ( Varthema) ; BEITKUL, in the now again well known bay of Sedasheogarh. I do not find it mentioned by any other of the early travellers, but in the seventeenth century it was the seat of a British factory under the name of Carwar, the name (Carwar Head) still applied to the southern point of the bay.
Anjediva (Varth.) ; ANCHEDIVA, an island a little south of Carwar Head, which was a favourite anchorage of the early Portuguese, the island affording shelter and good water.
Cintacola (B), Cintacora (BL), Centacola (Varthema), Ancola ? (DEB) ; ANKOLAH ? a fortress on a rock over the river Aliga, belonging to the Sabaio of Goa (B), the residence of many Moorish merchants (Varth.).
MergeoRiver (B), Mergeu (BL and DEB), Mirgeo (s). A great export of rice ; the river north of KUMTAH, on the estuary of which is still a place called MIRJAU, the Meeijee or Meerzah of Rennell. Of late years I believe the trade has revived at Kumtah, chiefly in the export of Dharwar
cotton.
Honor (B), Onor (DEB and Cesar Federici), Hintlwar (IB), Hannaur (AbuFeda), Manor and Hunawur of Abdurrazzak, probably Nandor of the Catalan Map, HUNAWAR or ONORE (properly Hunicr ?). A fine place with
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