On the photograph: The Kyrgyz Khaganate on Abu Ishaq al-Istakhri’s map (lower left corner).
Mentions of Seas
“The Land of Chin (China)”
“Its length is a journey of four months, and its width is three months of travel. If one starts at the mouth of the gulf and travels until reaching the Muslim territories at the borders of Mavarannahr, this would take a journey of three months.
If one travels from the eastern border, passing through the western border, approaching the lands of the Nubians, crossing through the lands of the Kyrgyz and Toguzghuz, until reaching the Kimaqs and the sea, this would take four months. In the land of Chin, there are various languages.
As for Turkestan, the Toguzghuz, Kyrgyz, Kimaqs, Oguz, and Hazladj all share one language and originate from one another. The capital of the state of Chin is called Humdan, much like the state of Rum is associated with Constantinople, the Islamic lands with Baghdad, and Hindustan with Kannauj.
The Turkic lands are distinct. As for the Oguz lands, their borders stretch from the Khazars to the Kimaqs, and to the lands of the Hazladj and the Bulgars. The Muslim borders stretch from Jurjan to Parab and Sapidjab.
If one passes through the Kimaqs, one will reach the Hazladj lands in the northern regions. The Kimaqs are situated between the Oguz and the Kyrgyz, behind the Saqaliba (Slavs). To the north lies the land of Yajuj (Gog), beyond the Saqaliba and the Kimaq borders. The dimensions of their land and their numbers are known only to God.
As for the Kyrgyz, their location is between the Oguz and Kimaqs, the ocean, and the Hazladj lands. The land of Tibet lies between the Kyrgyz and the land of Chin. The land of Chin is between the sea and Tibet, and Chin itself is a region.
The other areas of Turkestan are associated with it, just as the state of Rum is referred to as Constantinople, and the Islamic countries as Iran-Shahr, which includes Babylon.
Tibet lies between the lands of Chin and Hindustan, the Hazladj lands, the Toguzghuz, and the Persian Gulf. A part of Tibet belongs to the state of Chin, and another part to Hind. It is said that Tibetans have a king descended from the Toba dynasty.”
Mention of the Khazar Lands
“The Itil River flows from the Kyrgyz border, passes through the Kimaqs, enters the Oguz lands, reaches the Bulgars, and flows into the sea at the borders of the Burtas.”
Notes on the Russian Translation History
The Persian translation of Istakhri’s work dates back to the first version of this composition, written between 930–933 CE. The translator’s name remains unknown. Some scholars have speculated that it might have been the renowned astronomer Nasir al-Din Tusi, while others suggest it could have been Ibn Savaji (Abu al-Mahasin Muhammad ibn Sa’d ibn Muhammad Nakhchivani), the scribe of a Persian manuscript copy. However, both theories are considered unlikely, as the language and style of the translation suggest it belongs to the 11th–12th centuries.
The early translation, done with great precision and in clear Persian, holds significant value for reconstructing Istakhri’s original text, which was often distorted by later copyists.
The Persian translation also has scientific value due to its inclusion of details absent in the surviving Arabic text. Some researchers have even suggested that Istakhri’s original work might have been written in Persian.
The Russian translation of excerpts from the Persian Kitab Masalik al-Mamalik was based on a critical edition of the Persian text published in Tehran in 1961. The editor, the prominent Iranian philologist Iraj Afshar, used 17 manuscript copies, including the earliest one dated 1422–23 CE.
The Russian translation also utilized a manuscript held by the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (LO IVAN) under catalog number С 610, with discrepancies and additions noted in the commentary.
コメント