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0067 Sino-Iranica : vol.1
Sino-Iranica : vol.1 / Page 67 (Grayscale High Resolution Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000248
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THE GRAPE-VINE   241

  1.  A $ mi-li-ye, *mei-li (ri) -ya, answering to Sanskrit maireya, explained as a wine mixed from roots, stems, flowers, and leaves.'

  2.  *c rE mo-t`o, *mwab-do, Sanskrit madhu, explained as "grape-wine" (ptu-ttao tsiu). The latter word, as is well known, is connected with Avestan maôa (Middle Persian niai, New Persian mei), Greek JL OV, Latin temetum. Knowledge of grape-wine was conveyed to India from the West, as we see from the Periplus and Tamil poems alluding to the importation of Yavana (Greek) wines.' In the Raghuvathça (iv, 65), madhu doubtless refers to grape-wine; for King Raghu vanquished the Yavana, and his soldiers relieve their fatigue by enjoying madhu in the vine regions of the Yavana country.

According to W. AINSLIE,3 the French at Pondicherry, in spite of the great heat of the Carnatic, are particularly successful in cultivating grapes; but no wine is made in India, nor is the fruit dried into raisins as in Europe and Persia. The Arabians and Persians, particularly the latter, though they are forbidden wine by the Koran, bestow much pains on the cultivation of the grape, and suppose that the different kinds possess distinguishing medicinal qualities. Wine is brought to India from Persia, where, according to TAVERNIER (1605-89), three sorts are made: that of Yezd, being very delicate; the Ispahan produce, being not so good; and the Shiraz, being the best, rich, sweet, and generous, and being obtained from the small grapes called ki§mi§, which are sent for sale to Hindustan when dried into raisins.' There are two brands of Shiraz wine, a red and a white, both of which are excellent, and find a ready market in India. Not less than four thousand tuns of Shiraz wine is said to be annually sent from Persia to different parts of the world.' The greatest quantity is produced in the district of Korbal, near the village of Bend Emir.' In regard to Assam,

1 Compare above (p. 222) the. wine of the   According to BOEHTLINGK,

maireya is an intoxicating drink prepared from sugar and other substances.

2 V. A. SMITH, Early History of India, p. 444 (3d ed.).

3 Materia Indica, Vol. I, p. 157.

4 Compare above, p. 231.

5   "Wines too, of every clime and hue,

Around their liquid lustre threw;

Amber Rosolli,—the bright dew

From vineyards of the Green-Sea gushing;

And Shiraz wine, that richly ran

As if that jewel, large and rare,

The ruby, for which Kublai-Khan

Offer'd a city's wealth, was blushing

Melted within the goblets there!"

THOMAS MOORE, Lalla Rookh.

6 AINSLEE, Z.G., P. 473.