Such Are Lar, Laran, Khutl,
Khutlan, Etc., A Class To Which Badakhshan, Wakhan, Shaghnan, Mungan,
Chag-Hanian, Possibly Bamian, And
Many others have formerly belonged, as
the adjectives in some cases surviving, Badakhshi, Shaghni, Wakhi, etc.,
show[2] The change
Exemplified in the induration of these gentile
plurals into local singulars is everywhere traced in the passage from
earlier to later geography. The old Indian geographical lists, such as are
preserved in the Puranas, and in Pliny's extracts from Megasthenes, are,
in the main, lists of peoples, not of provinces, and even where the real
name seems to be local a gentile form is often given. So also Tochari
and Sogdi are replaced by Tokharistan and Sughd; the Veneti and
Taurini by Venice and Turin; the Remi and the Parisii, by Rheims and
Paris; East-Saxons and South-Saxons by Essex and Sussex; not to
mention the countless -ings that mark the tribal settlement of the
Saxons in Britain.
Abulfeda, speaking of this territory, uses exactly Polo's phrase, saying
that the districts in question are properly called Kil-o-Kilan, but by
the Arabs Jil-o-Jilan. Teixeira gives the Persian name of the sea as
Darya Ghilani. (See Abulf. in Buesching, v. 329.)
[The province of Gil (Gilan), which is situated between the mountains and
the Caspian Sea, and between the provinces of Azerbaijan and Mazanderan
(H. C.)], gave name to the silk for which it was and is still famous,
mentioned as Ghelle (Gili) at the end of this chapter. This Seta
Ghella is mentioned also by Pegolotti (pp. 212, 238, 301), and by Uzzano,
with an odd transposition, as Seta Leggi, along with Seta Masandroni,
i.e. from the adjoining province of Mazanderan (p. 192). May not the
Spanish Geliz, "a silk-dealer," which seems to have been a puzzle to
etymologists, be connected with this? (See Dosy and Engelmann, 2nd ed.
p. 275.) [Prof. F. de Filippi (Viaggo in Persia nel 1862,... Milan,
1865, 8vo) speaks of the silk industry of Ghilan (pp. 295-296) as the
principal product of the entire province. - H. C]
The dimensions assigned to the Caspian in the text would be very correct
if length were meant, but the Geog. Text with the same figure specifies
circuit (zire). Ramusio again has "a circuit of 2800 miles." Possibly
the original reading was 2700; but this would be in excess.
NOTE 8. - The Caspian is termed by Vincent of Beauvais Mare Seruanicum,
the Sea of Shirwan, another of its numerous Oriental names, rendered by
Marino Sanuto as Mare Salvanicum. (III. xi. ch. ix.) But it was
generally known to the Franks in the Middle Ages as the SEA OF BACU. Thus
Berni: -
"Fuor del deserto la diritta strada
Lungo il Mar di Bacu miglior pareva."
(Orl. Innam. xvii. 60.)
And in the Sfera of Lionardo Dati (circa 1390): -
"Da Tramontana di quest' Asia Grande
Tartari son sotto la fredda Zona,
Gente bestial di bestie e vivande,
Fin dove l'Onda di Baccu risuona," etc.
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