Marco Polo in Central Asia: 36: The City of Kamul [1]

Kamul is a province, formerly a kingdom containing cities and castles, with a capital of the same name.  It stands between two deserts, the great one already described, and the smaller one, extending three days journey.  The people are all idolators and have a peculiar language.  They live by the fruits of the earth, having enough to eat, and the remaining, they sell to the passengers. They are men of great gaiety, thinking nothing but to sound musical instruments, to sing, dance, and delight their hearts.  When a stranger comes to lodge in a house, the master is highly pleased, leaves him with his wife, desiring her to treat the guest in every respect, and the master of the house goes and spends two or three days elsewhere.  All the men of the province proceed in this manner, do not account it any disgrace.  The women are handsome, gay and fond of diversion.  When Mangou Khan reigned as Sire of the Tartars, it was reported to him how the people of Kamul gave over their wives to strangers, he send orders to prohibit this custom and announced severe penalty in case his order is breached.
The people were grieved at this order, held a council.  They made up a large present and sent it to Mangou, praying that he would allow them to treat their wives according to the custom handed down to them by their ancestors, who, for this kindness to strangers, had gained the favour of their idols, and their corn and other crops had greatly multiplied. When the Khan heard of this message, he said, "since you are so bent on your own shame, let it be so." He allowed them, therefore, to do as they pleased, and hence they have always maintained this custom.[2]


1. Kamul: Hami, a city located in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. It was an important stopover on Silk Road 

2. This custom was not unique to Hami people. Similar customs of hospitality and guest-sharing of wives have been documented in various cultures throughout history, particularly among nomadic and tribal communities. Marco Polo was influenced by the moral concepts of chastity and virginity which had its roots in agrarian socites.

End of the Section 

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