Sulaiman al-Tajir, the Persian merchant who traveled to both India & China

[Indus Pakistan]

These are accounts of Sulaiman al-Tajir, the Persian merchant who traveled to both India & China in the year 850 AD.

Source: https://www.amazon.in/Mohammedan-Travellers-Translated-Illustrations-Inquiries/dp/1140729454



Sulaiman al-Tajir, the Persian merchant who traveled to both India & China sometime in the year 850 CE made some interesting observations on both countries. He starts by saying India is twice the size of China, but not as densely populated.
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He says the chinese had no religious science of their own. Each of their philosophies was borrowed from India. The chinese held Indians as their teachers. (2)

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On differences between how houses were built. Chinese mostly used wood. Indians built houses made of stones, plaster & bricks. (3)

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Regarding personal hygiene. Indians paid high importance to bathing everyday, sometimes several times in a day & also oral hygiene. Indians wouldn't eat without cleaning mouth. Also the Chinese were NOT known to clean up after doing the (4)

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On dietary & praying habits. 1) Rice was the staple diet of both countries.
2) Sulaiman found chinese praying style closer to his own religion
3) Indians grew long facial hair. (5)

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Note: All these were recorded when India was being ruled by 3 great empires. Pratihara, Pala & Rashtrakuta.

What does he say about Pakistan? And before you even open your mouth there was no country called India either.

 

[Sine Nomine]

Wrong, it includes parts of present day India as well as Pakistan.

It's Epicentre?
It's even in Parts of Afghanistan,what's your point?

 

[KedarT]

What does he say about Pakistan? And before you even open your mouth there was no country called India either.

It's a rough reference to parts of present day India and Pakistan. It's a shared history.

 

[Indus Pakistan]

What does he say about Pakistan? And before you even open your mouth there was no country called India either.

I am sure the original is written in Persian. The person who translated it to English transliterated "India". This was probably done by some Englishman during the time of the British Raj when the entire geography from modern modern Pakistan, modern India, modern Bangla, modern Myanmar was under British rule and tagge as "India" by them.

If this book was translated in 2021 it would have to be updated by using appropriate referances and contemperory realities.

 

[KedarT]

It's Epicentre?
It's even in Parts of Afghanistan,what's your point?

What do you even mean by epicenter? Do you mean Solaiman who travelled as far as Assam refers to just present day Pakistan? Isn't it obvious that he is talking about the region as a whole which includes present day India and Pakistan and even Bangladesh?

 

[Indus Pakistan]

It's a rough reference to parts of present day India and Pakistan. It's a shared history.

Shared in as we were under rule of one crown or as in we are all human beings?

 

[Saiful Islam]

On what basis have you arrived at that conclusion? He visited as far as Bengal and Assam apart from Northern India.

Well he mentions Pala, which is a Buddhist empire hailing from Bengal.

 

[KedarT]

Shared in as we were under rule of one crown or as in we are all human beings?

In 9th century, which is the period that is being currently referenced, he is talking about the regions he visited which include India and Pakistan. Just because it's 'India' that has been mentioned, it doesn't mean that he isn't talking about present day Pakistan as well. Calm down.

 

[Indus Pakistan]

Highly possible that Our Farsi traveler was exploring NW Indian part which is now Southern and Eastern Pakistan.

Also 9th century means that two iranic waves into Indus valley or NW India were rather more fresh. First being IE + BMAC Iranics =Aryan or pure Iranic Sychtians. Both groups went into NW with their genes and provided Indus valley (Iranic Neolithic farmers) civilization with iranic male lineage haplogroups like R1, J2 (prevalent among pakistanis now)

How Interesting!

South Asia is a huge region. The Indians play this game of using that name to take 'ownership' of everything with that space. It would be like Russia naming itself as "Europe" and then laying claim to all of Europe.

Just a reminder to remind ourselves of this huge geography bigger and more diverse than Europe. Indus Valley is analogous to Pakistan.

 

[The Eagle]

Ask today's Tajir who travels more often, if luckily makes it alive out of India being Muslim; will tell you a whole set of new story. Point being made, you can just dig few accounts from the past to settle your today's grudge/enmity but you have to look towards inside and see if your not inviting an open accountability of your act & conduct in today's age. Instead of trying to show them down having your rivalry, at-least try to progress in your society.

Regards,