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Ning Xian Wang (Zhu Quan) I Yu Thu Chih (1430) (The Illustrated Record of Strange Countries)
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Taken from: http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/mulu/

00fc2465ind.html

(website of cambridge uiversity)

 

Left the zebra; Fu lu  福鹿  in this book

 

Note : I Yu Thu Chih (The Illustrated Record of Strange Countries) a compilation of the people and places known to the Chinese in 1430. Most probably written by the Ming prince Ning Xian Wang (Zhu Quan) in 1430. (The only known copy

of the book is in Cambridge)

The book has 132 illustrations in appendix including a fu-lu = Zebra fol2r; ch'i-lin = giraffe fol2v; Hsi niu = rhinoceros fol 4r;

 

 


 

 

 

 

Left: Da shi bi ba luo guo  大食弼琶罗国  Berbera of the Arabs folio 32r

 

The translation is my own

 

 

Da shi bi pa luo country (1), there are four main countries with no kings but with local rulers As to marriage, they cut the tail of a cow who is with calf, the family of the groom has to bring a human penis (of a slain enemy) to prove his masculinity as a betrothal gift to bride's family, the bride's family being overjoyed, welcomes it by the music. (5)

 

In this country there is the Camel Crane, six or seven feet long, has wings to fly, eat debris, or burning red hot copper and iron.
Eggs, such as coconut eggs, broken they are used as jars. People are good in hunting, animal husbandry and can stand the heat.

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Left: 昆仑层期国 Kunlun ceng qi guo Madagascar folio 37r

 

The translation is mine.

 

 

 

Kunlun ceng qi country (2)

 

In the southwest sea, behind the sea, on an island there is the Peng bird if it flies it covers the sun and it can eat camels. Some people picked up their feathers, when you cut the pipe (of a feather) it can be used as a bucket (6). They are wild man, painted, with curly hair; they lure people with cloth and food, to sell them to the barbarians for slavery.

 (4)


 

Da shi guo 大食国  Arabs: folio 54v

The kingdom has such things as yellow lions, white sable robes, two-footed camels (ostriches?), and wild asses with horns.

 


 

 

 

 

 

Left: Bo ba li guo  拨拔力国 Berbera folio 58r

 

Taken from: J.R.A.S., I925, pp. 247-6I Some Foreign Birds and Beasts in Chinese Books By Arthur Christopher AC Moule

Pi-p'a-lo (Berbera). 

The land produces lo-t'o ho (3) six or seven tens of feet long. They have wings and can fly. They eat various things, and men even
heat copper or iron red-hot and give it them to eat. They lay eggs like cocoa-nuts. If you break them they are like earthenware vessels with a musical ring. The men of the country are fond of hunting and daily shoot and eat wild animals.

 


 

 

 

 

Left; a Qi lin  麒麟 

Giraffe folio 2v


Jin xian bao  金线豹  Golden panther

Shi zi  狮子  Lion 


Xi niu  犀牛  Rhinoceros

Xuan bao  玄豹  Black panther


 

Hei jian guo 间国 (tributary to Tibet)
Ban fan guo 般番国 Surat Thani (Thailand)?
Ben tuo lang guo 奔沱浪国 Panduranga (Phanrang)
Chi shang guo 赤上国 Songkla?
Lan wu li guo 兰无里国 Lamuri (Sumatra)
Pen heng guo 湓亨国 Pahang (Malaysia)
Su men ta la 苏门[塔(-土)]剌 Sumatra?
Wa li guo [穴(上)瓜]里国 (dependency of Cambodia?)
Hong lan guo 红兰国 Ceylon (Sri Lanka)?
Bai hua guo 白花国 (an island in the sea)
Bai qi guo 白杞国 unidentified
Di cheng guo 地城国 unidentified
Di su guo 地涑国 unidentified
Di zhu guo 地主国 unidentified
Ding xiang guo 丁香国 unidentified
E jin guo 遏今国 unidentified
He yi luo guo 贺屹罗国 unidentified
Huo tu guo 火土国 'land of fiery earth'
Li guo 离国 unidentified
Luo dian guo 罗殿国 unidentified
Ma lan guo 麻兰国 unidentified
Mi she guo 弥舍国 unidentified
Nan luo guo 南罗国 (land rich in jewels)
Pu huang guo 莆黄国 unidentified
Qi luo guo 奇罗国 unidentified
Ri guo 日国 'Land of the Sun'
San bo guo 三泊国 'Land of the Three Lakes'
Shi pu guo 石朴国 unidentified
Shuai yu guo 帅鱼国 unidentified
Xi zha guo 西栅国 unidentified
Zhan bo luo guo 詹波罗国 unidentified
Gao li guo 高丽国 Korea
He xiang (ding) 鹤项(=顶) Hornbill
Ba chi ji 巴赤吉 (forest-dwelling horse-breeders)
Fu lu 福鹿 Zebra
Bao shi 包石 (urban-dwelling sheep-breeders)
Qi lin 麒麟 Giraffe
Ri ben guo 日本国 Japan
Bai lu 白鹿 White deer
Da liu qiu guo 大琉球国 Ryukyu
Shi zi 狮子 Lion
Xiao liu qiu guo 小琉球国 Taiwan?
Xi niu 犀牛 Rhinoceros
Huang mi li gao 黄米里高 (Yellow Mi li gao)
Nü zhen 女真 Jurchen
Xian luo guo 暹罗国 Thailand (Siam)
Jin xian bao 金线豹 Golden panther
Hei qi dan 黑契丹 Kara Khitai
Ha la hu la 哈剌虎剌 (three-clawed horned animal)
Xuan bao 玄豹 Black panther
Xiong nu 匈奴 Huns
Ma ha shou 马哈兽 Markhor?
Qing mi li gao 青米里高 (Grey Mi li gao)
A si 阿思 (urban-dwellers)
Wu liang ai da 吾凉爱达 Uriankhit
Mi li gao 米里高 (cloven-hoofed animal)
Wu lian meng gu 无连蒙古 (island-dwellers)
A dan yang 阿[艹单]羊 Fat-tailed sheep
Tu ma 土麻 Tumat
Nü mu le 女暮乐 (urban-dwelling skin-clad people)
A li che lu 阿里车卢 (forest-dwelling farmers)
Ge lu guo 虼鲁国 unidentified
Shen lie da 深列大 (akin to Tatars)
Bai li huang 摆里荒 (akin to Tatars)
Da luo guo 大罗国 (girdled like Tatars)
Cai ya jin biao 采牙金彪 (tribe in Gansu Province?)
Wu yi guo 乌衣国 'Land of black clothes'
Hou yan guo 后眼国 People with one eye at the back of their heads
Tie dong 铁东 (breeders of camels and horses)
Xie ji 歇祭 (domesicated farmers and horse-breeders)
Bo li 波利 (domesticated farmers)
Gu li guo 骨利国 Kurikan
Qi hei qi 乞黑奚 (akin to Tatars)
Mu si xi de 木思奚德 (akin to Tatars)
Mie ji li 灭吉里 Merkit
A li (hei) jiao 阿里(=黑)骄 (forest-dwelling hunters)
Gou guo 狗国 'Land of Dogs'
Chang mao guo 长毛国 Long-haired people
Zhan cheng guo 占城国 Champa(pura) (Vietnam)
Pan hu 盘瓠 unidentified
Jiao zhi 交趾 Hanoi (Annam)
Lao wo guo 老挝国 Laos
Hong yi guo 红夷国 'Red barbarians'
Tian zhu guo 天竺国 India
Zhu nian guo 注辇国 Chola (Coromandel)
Liao (tribe in Yunnan and Guizhou provinces)
Mu zhi (er) yi 木直(=耳)夷 (black-skinned pygmies)
Xi yang guo 西洋国 Calicut
Wu fu (zhang) bu guo 乌伏(=仗)那国 Udyana (Swat)
Zhen la guo 真腊国 Cambodia
Gua wa guo 爪哇国 Java
Dao ming guo 道明国 Vietnam?
Jin fo guo 近佛国 Srivijaya (Kinabutan)
Wen shen guo 文身国 Etorofu (Kuril Islands)?
Da han guo 大汉国 Kamchatka?
San fo qi guo 三佛齐国 Zabedj (Java)
Po deng guo 婆登国 Java?
Fo luo an guo 佛罗安国 Beranang
Yu tian guo 于阗国 Khotan
Da shi wu ba guo 大食勿拔国 Mirbat
Da shi bi ba luo guo 大食弼琶罗国 Berbera
Bao tong long guo 宝童龙国 Panduranga (Phanrang)
Po (=suo) luo guo 婆(=娑)罗国 Brunei?
San shou guo 三首国 People with three heads
San shen guo 三身国 People with three bodies
Chang ren guo 长人国 'Land of Giants' (Woki (Japan)?)
Sha bi cha guo 沙弼茶国 Djabulsa (Land of the Setting Sun)
Man (pu) gan guo 满(=蒲)甘国 Pagan (Burma)
Si jia li ye guo 斯伽里野国 Sicily
Mu lan pi guo 木兰皮国 Murabit
Kun lun ceng qi guo 昆仑层期国 Komr (Madagascar)
Du bo guo 都播国 Tuva
Wu fu guo 无腹国 People with no stomach
Xiao ren guo 小人国 Pygmies
Nie er guo 聂耳国 Big-eared folk
Jiao jing guo 交胫国 People with Crossed legs
Chang bi guo 长臂国 Long-armed people
Chang jiao guo 长脚国 Long-legged people
Chuan xiong guo 穿胸国 People with perforated chests
Nü ren guo 女人国 'Land of Women'
Li guo 利国 (one-armed one-legged people)
Yu min guo 羽民国 Feathered folk
Sha hua gong guo 沙华公国 Nagarakretagama (Sebuku) (Java)
Pu jia long 莆家龙 Pekalongan
Dun xun guo 顿逊国 Tenasserim (Burma)
Da she po guo 大[门者]婆国 Jangala (Surabaya)
Bai da guo 白达国 Baghdad
Ji ci ni guo 吉慈尼国 Ghazni
A sa guo 阿萨国 Khazars
Po mi lan guo 婆弥烂国 Pamir
Ma li ba guo 麻离拔国 Malabar
Dan ma guo 单马国 Tambarlinga (Ligor)
Jiao pu guo 缴濮国 (people with tails)
Da qin guo 大秦国 Baghdad?
Dong yin du guo 东印度国 Eastern India
Xiao yi guo 孝臆国 Suit (Upper Egypt)?
Qi hong guo 奇肱国 (people who ride in aerial chariots)
A ling guo 阿陵国 Kalinga (India)
Mei lu gu guo 眉路骨国 Constantinople?
Zang guo 藏国 (Land of Big Willows)
Ma jia guo 麻嘉国 Mecca
Mo jia la guo 默伽腊国 Morocco
Gu lin guo 故临国 Quilon
Da shi guo 大食国 Tazi (Arabia)
San man guo 三蛮国 (earth-eaters)
Bu si guo 不死国 'Land of Immortals'
Deng liu mei guo 登流眉国 Sri Dharmaraja (Ligor)?
He ling guo 诃陵国 (to the south of Cambodia)
Xuan du guo 悬度(=渡)国 Yasin valley (Gilgit)
Wu chang guo 乌苌国 Udyana
Bo ba li guo 拨拔力国 Berbera
Bo si guo 波斯国 Besi (Sumatra)?
Yan tuo man guo 晏陀蛮国 Nicobar (Andamans)
Mo jia guo 默伽国 Mecca
Kun wu guo 昆吾国 Hami
Po luo zhe guo 婆罗遮国 unidentified
Yi qu guo 义渠国 Yih Ju (Inner Mongolia)
Wu qi man 五溪蛮 upper reaches of River Yuan (Hunan)
Da shi wu si li guo 大食勿斯离国 Mosul
Wu si li guo 勿斯里国 Misr (Egypt)
Nan ni hua luo guo 南尼华罗国 Naharawara (Gujarat)
Gan tuo guo 乾驼国 Gandhara
Su du shi ni guo 苏都识匿国 Sutrishna (Uratupe)
Qiu ci guo 龟兹国 Kucha
Ma (yan) qi guo 马(=焉)耆国 Yanqi county (Xinjiang)
Wu sun guo 乌孙国 Ili (Xinjiang)
Xin qian li guo 新千里国 (land rich in fossils)
Yu rui guo 玉瑞国 (breeders of cattle and sheep)
Zhan bo guo 担波国 Anga (India)?
Qiao guo 悄国 (part of Sharbar)
Ding ling guo 丁灵国 Baikal?
Hou sun guo 猴孙国 'Land of Monkeys'
Ru bu guo 入不国 (domesticated pepper-growers)
Xi nan yi 西南夷 'South-west barbarians'
Di ren guo 氐人国 'Land of Mermen'
Xi fan guo 西番国 Sharbar?
Jiu ni luo guo 鸠尼罗国 (part of Sharbar)
Ke zhi guo 可只国 Kesh (Shahrisabz)
Ma luo guo 马罗国 Maru (Merv)
Yan man 蜒蛮 Tanka (boat people)
Ye ren guo 野人国 Wild men
Yin du dan 印都丹 Hindustan
Tui bo guo 退波国 (black monks)
Hei an guo 黑暗国 (buffalo-breeders)
Ri meng guo 日蒙国 (domesticated ginger-growers)
Ma a ta 麻阿塔 Mahrattas?
Fang lian mu man 方连暮蛮 (breeders of horses and donkeys)
E mu 讹暮 (dwellers in log cabins)
Hun wu san seng 昏吾散僧 (mountain and forest-dwelling farmers)
Hei meng guo 黑蒙国 (urban-dwelling farmers)
Guo mu guo e 果暮果讹 (urban-dwelling horse-breeders)
Jie bin lang guo 结宾郎国 (urban-dwelling farmers)
Yi bi guo 一臂国 One-armed folk
Qi fan 七番 (tribe in Sichuan province)
Long mu lang 陇木郎 Kingdom of Da Zhao?
Wu qi guo 无[启(口→月)]国 'People with no entrails'
Di la pu la guo 的剌普剌国 (urban-dwelling pearl-fishers)
Bu la 不剌 (dependency of Sharbar)
Hui hu 回鹘 Uighurs
Tu bo 吐蕃 Tibet
Yi mu guo 一目国 One-eyed folk
Dian jia si guo 点戛斯国 (green-eyed red-haired people)
Qu du mei guo 驱度寐国 (swift-running troglodytes)
Chan guo 禅国 hippocephali
Hua guo 滑国 (furriers)
Yan da guo 厌达国 (polyandrous people)
Bo he guo 钵和国 Wakhan?
San tong guo 三瞳国 People with three pupils
Da lu ni 大庐尼 (anthropoid ornithocephalous horses)
Xi nü guo 西女国 'Western women' (west of Belur Tagh range)
Tu huo luo 吐火罗 Tokhara?
Xia yi guo 虾夷国 Ainus?
Gui guo 鬼国 'Land of Demons'
Ye cha guo 夜叉国 Goblins
Fu sang guo 扶桑国 Sakhalin?
San fu tuo guo 三伏驮国 (east of Vietnam)

(1) Da shi bi pa luo: Dashi= Arabs; bipaluo=Barbara

(2) Kunlun ceng qi country: Madagascar.

(3) lo-t'o ho: ostrich.

(4) ALL THE FOLLOWING CHINESE SOURCES SPEAK ABOUT SELLING SLAVES BY THE PEOPLE FROM MADAGASCAR: Ch'en Yuan-Ching (late12 century); Chao Ju-Kua (1226); Chou Chih-Chung (1366); Ning Xian Wang (1430); Wang Khi (1607).

(5) Other authors who write about emasculating enemies:

Buzurg ibn Shahriyar (955)

Ch'en Yuan-Ching (late12 century)

Chou Chih-Chung: (1366)

Zare'a Ya'kob ruler of Ethiopia (1445)

Yakut (or Jakut) al Hamawi (1220)

Al Marvazi (1120)

Ibn Nasir al-Din (d1438)

Ning Xian Wang (1430)

(6) That the tube of the feathers of the Roc bird are big enough to be used as buckets is found in: Buzurg ibn Shahriyar (955); Li Kung-Lin (d1106); Chou Ch'u-fei (1178); Ch'en Yuan-Ching (late12 century); Chao Ju-Kua (1226); Ibn Said al Maghribi (1250); Luo Miandao (fl. ca. 1270); Marco Polo (1295); Al-Dimashqi (1325); Chou Chih-Chung (1366); Ning Xian Wang (1430); Ibn Al Wardi (1456); Alf layla wa Layla (15th); Wang Khi (1609).