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Abu Ali Muhammad Bal'ami, was a Persian historian, writer, and vizier.

He was born in Lashjerd in the district of Merv. The date of his death is unknown. Bal'ami most famous work is the Tarikhnama, a historical text that spans a period beginning with the dawn of creation through to the Islamic age. Bal'ami claims it is a translation of al-Tabari's History but it is actually an independent work. Contrary to al-Tabari, Bal'ami's version is presented from a Persian (mainly Khorasanian) point of view. Hardly any knowledge of East Africa.

 

Taken from : Chronique de Abou-Djafar-Mohammed-ben-Djarir-ben-Yezid Tabari traduite sur la version persane d'Abou-Ali Mohammed Bel'Ami, d'après les manuscrits de Paris, de Gotha, de Londres et de Canterbury, par M. Hermann Zotenberg, Volume 1

 

Chapter XLI History of the prophet Noa

One day Noah was asleep, the wind lifted his clothes and discovered his sexual parts without him noticing. Japheth passed by Noah, whose sexual parts he saw; he burst out laughing, and ridiculing his father, without covering him. Cham, Japheth's brother, came next; he looked at Noah, burst out laughing and joking, and went on, leaving his father as he was. Shem came after his brothers, and seeing Noah in an indecent posture, he turned away his eyes and hid the nakedness of his father. Then Noah awoke, and asked Shem how things had gone; When they heard that Ham and Japheth had passed by him, and laughed, he cursed (1) them, saying: May the most high God change the seed of your loins! After that, all the men and the fruits of Ham's land became black. Black grapes are among the latter.

The Turks, Slavs, Gog, and Magog (2), and those unimportant nations unknown to us, descend from Japheth. Cham and Japhet were punished in this way for laughing when they saw their father's sexual parts. God knows very well what is right.

Note: In one of the versions of the manuscript there is no curse of Ham at all, in this both Ham and Japhet are cursed.

 

Chapter CXI History of Dara, son of Dara (3)

Not far from the country of the Greeks was that of the Ethiopians. As soon as Alexander ascended the throne, he attacked the king of the Ethiopians and put him to flight, made many prisoners, and killed many of the Ethiopians; then he returned to his country. Then he stopped sending the tribute to Dara.(3)

Note: the Persian text (http://download.ghbook.ir/downloads/pdf/12000/8549-fa-tarekh-nameh-tabari-j2.pdf) does not use the word Ethiopians but Zanj and Zanzibar.

 

Taken from: Angelo M. Piemontese; Codice Marciano delle Tarix-i-Tabari ; Annali, Volume 37

 

Clime1

(Si kuh si rud panjah sahr) 30 mountains, 30 rivers, 50 cities. Regions: Zangistan (4) Hind and Sind (5), Zafar (6), Hadramawt (7), Safa, Adan, Qinnawj. Multan (8), Mara, Niyala siyah, Qulzum (9), Habasa (10), Mansura, Bahr az Nil, Misr (11), Barbar, Kalif- Ard latitude 132 tul longitude 8255 farsang.(12)