EARLY ARAB GEOGRAPHERS.
12. Mansúra, and the adjacent countries,[1] which are Sind, India, and part of the Muhammadan territory; 13. A′zarbaiján; 14. the district of the Jibál; 15. Dailam: 16. the sea of the Khazar (i.e. the Caspian); 17. the steppes between Fárs and Khurásán; 18. Sijistán and the adjacent countries; 19. Khurásán ; 20. Máwáráu-n nahr.” Of every one of the above countries there seems to have been originally a map, but two have been lost (viz., Nos. 6 and 10), and some have been transposed (as well as several leaves of the text) by the bookbinder. It was copied in A.H. 689, as it is stated in the postscript, from a very correct copy, and with great care. The copyist has added in a few instances marginal notes, which prove that he took an interest in what he wrote, and that he was acquainted with the subject. On comparing this work with the “Book of Roads and Kingdoms” of Ibn Haukal, I find it almost verbatim the same, so much so, as to leave no doubt that it is a copy of Ibn Haukal’s work under an unusual name. As there are only two copies in Europe, one of which is very bad, this MS. is of considerable value[2] The following extract is translated from the Ashkálu-l Bilád, followed by a passage from Ibn Haukal, in the part where the Lucknow manuscript was deficient, or which probably the transcriber neglected to copy. [The map is from the Ashkálu-l Bilád, and is very similar to that of Istakhrí, as published by Moeller.]
[The real name of Ibn Haukal was Muhammad Abú-l Kásim, and he was a native of Baghdád. When he was a child the power of the Khalifs had greatly declined, and Baghdád itself had fallen into the hands of the Turks. On attaining manhood he found himself despoiled of his inheritance, so he resolved to gratify a natural taste, and to seek to mend his fortunes by travelling and trading in foreign countries. He left Baghdád in 331
- ↑ Here a space of about six inches square is left blank, and in the margin are the words “This space is for the map of the world, but it is not large enough, therefore the copyist has deviated from the original from which he transcribed, and it stands in the preceding page.”
- ↑ [Uri Bodl. Codd. MSS., Cat., p. 209.]
