Marco Polo in Central Asia: 10: Persia continued

Persia is a vast country.[1] There are eight kingdoms in Persia: Casum, Cardistan, Lor, Cielstan, Instanit, Cerazi, Soucara, and Tonocain, which is on the remotest frontier. In this last are many fine horses of high value, which are taken in large numbers to be sold in India; and greater part of them are worth two hundred livres tournoise each.[2]  They have also the finest asses in the world, one of which is worth full thirty mares of a silver.  The men of that country lead these horses to two entities on the banks of the sea of India called Chisi and Curmoss, and find there merchants who buy them and carry them into distant countries.[3]. In these kingdoms there are many cruel men, who are constantly killing one another, and but for the fear of the Eastern Tartars, who now rule this land they would remain merchants. As it is unless the latter are well provided with arms and bows, they often kill them or hurt them severely.  All these men hold the law of Mohammed.  In the city are industrious merchants.  They make robes of silk and gold of various fashions, and raise also plenty of cotton.  The country abounds in wheat, barley, millet as well as vines and other fruits.  Some may imagine that Saracens do not drink wine, as being forbidden by their law, but they have found out a way to break their law.  They boil the wine over the fire, which render it mild and sweet, and drink it without breaking their law.  Changing its taste, they change its name, no longer call it wine, though it is really wine.  Let us now leave them, and go for Yasdi.

Notes:- 
1. Persia: There are multiple matches for Persia. Modern day Iran in West Asia. Persia or Persia proper is historic region in southwestern Iran. Marco Polo refers it in both senses. Interestingly there is a village in Gonda District of U.P. by the name Persiya.

Marco Polo's account of the kingdoms of Persia may not be entirely accurate because they may have been based on earlier accounts or hearsay. Out of these Cerazi, probably may be the province of Kerman in Iran.

2. Livres tournoise: a unit of currency.

3. Chisi and Curmoss: Modern day Kish and Qeshm in Persian Gulf off the coast of Iran. Kish is a small island of around 90 sq. kilometres. It is 19 kilometres south of mainland Iran It has been mentioned variously as Kamtina, Arakia, Arakta and Ghiss in different periods. 
East of Kish off the coast of Bandar Abbas is Qeshm island. It is an arrow shaped island having an area of about 1500 sq kilometres. It is the largest island in the Persian Gulf. Names such as Qeshm, Keshm, Kish and Tunb mark Elamite presence, spanning several centuries BC. On account of its strategic geopolitical position near the mouth of Persian Gulf it had been attacked by Elamites, Umayyads, Abbasids, as well as Portuguese, English and Dutch. It was a stopover for merchants to China India and Eastern Africa

End of the Section 

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