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CHAP. XVI.   SUNDAR BANDI DEVAR

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graphers, and the earliest use of it that I am aware of is in Abdallatif's account of Egypt, a work written about 1203-1204. (De Sacy, Rel. de l'Eg pte, p. 31.) Abulfeda distinctly names Cape Comorin as the point where Malabar ended and Ma'bar began, and other authority tó be quoted presently informs us that it extended to Nilczwar, i.e. Nellore.

There are difficulties as to the particular locality of the port or city which Polo visited in the territory of the Prince whom he calls Sondar Bandi Davar ; and there are like doubts as to the identification, from the dark and scanty Tamul records, of the Prince himself, and the family to which he belonged ; though he is mentioned by more than one foreign writer besides Polo.

Thus `Vassáf : " Ma'bar extends in length from Kaulam to Niláwar, nearly 300 parasangs along the sea-coast ; and in the language of that country the king is called Devar, which signifies, ` the Lord of Empire.' The curiosities of Chín and Máchín, and the beautiful products of Hind and Sind, laden on large ships which they call junks, sailing like mountains with the wings of the wind on the surface of the water, are always arriving there. The wealth of the Isles of the Persian Gulf in particular, and in part the beauty and adornment of other countries, from 'Irak and Khurásán as far as Rúm and Europe, are derived from Ma'bar, which is so situated as to be the key of Hind.

"A few years since the DEVAR was SUNDAR PANDI, who had three brothers, each of whom established himself in independence in some different country. The eminent prince, the Margrave (111arzbdn) of Hind, Taki-uddin Abdu-r Rahmán, a son of Muhammad-ut-Tíbí, ' hose virtues and accomplishments have for a long time been

•   the theme of praise and admiration among the chief inhabitants of that beautiful country, was the Devar's deputy, minister, and adviser, and was a man of sound judgment. Fattan, Malifattan, and Káil * were made over to his possession. . . . In the months of the year 692 H. (A.D. 1293) the above-mentioned Devar, the ruler of Ma'bar, died and left behind him much wealth and treasure. It is related by Malikul-Islám Jamáluddín, that out of that treasure 7000 oxen laden with precious stones and pure gold and silver fell to the share of the brother who succeeded him. Malik-i ' Azam Taki-uddin continued prime minister as before, and in fact ruler of that kingdom, and his glory and magnificence were raised a thousand times higher." t

Seventeen years later (1310) Wassáf introduces another king of Ma'bar called Ii alesa Devar, who had ruled for forty years in prosperity, and had accumulated in the treasury of Shahr-Mandi (i.e., as Dr. Caldwell informs me MADURA) entitled by the Mahomedan invaders Shahr-Pandi, and still occasionally mispronounced Shalzr-lllandi) 1200 crores (!) in gold. He had two sons, SUNDAR BANDI by a lawful wife, and Pirabandi (Vira Pandi ?) illegitimate. He designated the latter as his successor. Sundar Bandi, enraged at this, slew his father and took forcible possession of ShahrMandi and its treasures. Pirabandi succeeded in driving him out ; Sundar Bandi went to Aláuddin, Sultan of Delhi, and sought help. The Sultan eventually sent his general Ilazárdinári (alias Malik Káfúr) to conquer Ma'bar.

OE: ,.40'

a. Wassáf has Fitan, Mali Fitan, Kt-EMI, and meant the names so, as he shows by silly puns. For my justification in presuming to correct the naines, I must refer to an article, in the/. K. As. Soc., N.S. IV. p. 347, on Rashiduddin's Geography.

t The same information is given in almost the same terms by Rashiduddin. (See Elliot, I. 69.) But he (at least in Elliot's translation) makes Shaikh Jumalua'din the successor of the Devar, instead of merely the narrator of the circumstances. This is evidently a mistake, probably of transcription, and Wassaf gives us the true version.

The members of the Arab family bearing the surname of At-Thaibi (or Thíbí) appear to have been powerful on the coasts of the Indian Sea at this time. (I) The Malik-ul-Islám Jamáluddin Ibrahim At Thaibi was Farmer-General of Fars, besides being quasi-independent Prince of Kais and other Islands in the Persian Gulf, and at the time of his death (1306) governor of Shiraz. He had the horse trade with India greatly in his hands, as is mentioned in a note (7) on next chapter. (2) The son of Jamáluddin, Fakhruddin Ahmed, goes ambassador to the Great Kaan in 1297, and dies near the coast of Ma'bar on his way back in 1305. A Fakhruddin Ahmed Ben Ibrahim at-Thaibi also appears in Hammer's extracts as ruler of Hormuz about the time of Polo's return. (see ante, vol. i. p. 121); and though he is there represented as opposed by Shaikh Jumáluddin (perhaps through one of Hammer's too frequent confusions), one should suppose that he must be the son just mentioned. (3) Takiuddin Abdurrahmán, the Wazír and Marzbàn in Ma'bar ; followed successively in that position by his son Surajuddin, and his grandson Nizamudd;n. (llchan. II. 49-5o, I97.198, 2o5-2o6 ; Elliot, III. 32,

34'35) 45-47.)

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