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| 0389 |
The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 |
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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 1293-1294. (De Sacy, Rel. de l'Egypte, p. 31.) Abulfeda distinctly names Cape Comorin as the point where Malabar ended and Ma'bar began, and other authority to be quoted presently informs us that it extended to Nilawar, 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 Tamil 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 Wassaf: "Ma'bar extends in length from Kaulam to Nilawar, 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 Chin and Mâchin, and the beautiful products of Hind and Sind, laden on large ships which they call Jumbs, 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 Khurâsân as far as Rûm 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 FANDI, who had three brothers, each of whom established himself in independence in some different country. The eminent prince, the Margrave (Marzbân) of Hind, Taki-uddin Abdu-r Rahmân, a son of Muhammad-ut-Tibi, whose 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, Mallafatun, and Kâil* 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 Malik-ul-Islâm Jamâluddin, that out of the 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."†
Seventeen years later (1310) Wassaf introduces another king of Ma'bar called Kalesa 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 Shahr-Mandi) 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 Shahr-Mandi and its treasures. Pirabandi succeeded in driving him out; Sundar Bandi went to Alâuddin, Sultan of Delhi, and sought help. The Sultan eventually sent his general Hazârdinârî (alias Malik Kâfûr) to conquer Ma'bar.
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