In the spring of 1468, Afanasy Nikitin, a middle-income merchant from Tver, equipped two ships and headed along the Volga to the Caspian Sea to trade with his fellow countrymen. Expensive goods were brought for sale, including “soft junk” - furs that were valued in the markets of the Lower Volga and the North Caucasus.
2 Nizhny Novgorod
Having passed by water past Klyazma, Uglich and Kostroma, Afanasy Nikitin reached Nizhny Novgorod. There, for safety reasons, his caravan had to join another caravan led by Vasily Papin, the Moscow ambassador. But the caravans missed each other - Papin had already gone south when Afanasy arrived in Nizhny Novgorod.
Nikitin had to wait for the Tatar ambassador Khasanbek to arrive from Moscow and go with him and other merchants to Astrakhan 2 weeks later than planned.
3 Astrakhan
The ships safely passed Kazan and several other Tatar settlements. But just before arriving in Astrakhan, the caravan was robbed by local robbers - these were Astrakhan Tatars led by Khan Kasim, who was not embarrassed even by the presence of his compatriot Khasanbek. The robbers took away all the goods bought on credit from the merchants. The trade expedition was disrupted, Afanasy Nikitin lost two of the four ships.
The two remaining ships headed to Derbent, got caught in a storm in the Caspian Sea, and were thrown ashore. Returning to their homeland without money or goods threatened the merchants with debt and shame.
Then Afanasy decided to improve his affairs by engaging in intermediary trade. Thus began the famous journey of Afanasy Nikitin, which he described in travel notes entitled “Walking across Three Seas.”
4 Persia
Nikitin went through Baku to Persia, to an area called Mazanderan, then crossed the mountains and moved further south. He traveled without haste, stopping for a long time in villages and engaging not only in trade, but also studying local languages. In the spring of 1469, “four weeks before Easter,” he arrived in Hormuz, a large port city at the intersection of trade routes from Egypt, Asia Minor (Turkey), China and India. Goods from Hormuz were already known in Russia, Hormuz pearls were especially famous.
Having learned that horses that were not bred there were being exported from Hormuz to Indian cities, Afanasy Nikitin bought an Arabian stallion and hoped to resell it well in India. In April 1469, he boarded a ship bound for the Indian city of Chaul.
5 Arrival in India
The voyage took 6 weeks. India made a strong impression on the merchant. Not forgetting about the trade affairs for which he, in fact, arrived here, the traveler became interested in ethnographic research, recording in detail what he saw in his diaries. India appears in his notes as a wonderful country, where everything is not like in Rus', “and people walk around all black and naked.” It was not possible to sell the stallion profitably in Chaul, and he went inland.
6 Junnar
Athanasius visited a small town in the upper reaches of the Sina River, and then went to Junnar. I had to stay in the Junnar fortress no longer of my own free will. The “Junnar Khan” took the stallion from Nikitin when he learned that the merchant was not an infidel, but an alien from distant Rus', and set a condition for the infidel: either he converts to the Islamic faith, or not only will he not receive the horse, but will also be sold into slavery. Khan gave him 4 days to think. It was on Spasov Day, on the Assumption Fast. “The Lord God took pity on his honest holiday, did not leave me, a sinner, with his mercy, did not allow me to perish in Junnar among the infidels. On the eve of Spasov's day, the treasurer Mohammed, a Khorasanian, arrived, and I beat him with my brow so that he would work for me. And he went to the city to Asad Khan and asked for me so that they would not convert me to their faith, and he took my stallion back from the khan.”
During the 2 months spent in Junnar, Nikitin studied the agricultural activities of the local residents. He saw that in India they plow and sow wheat, rice and peas during the rainy season. He also describes local winemaking, which uses coconuts as a raw material.
7 Bidar
After Junnar, Athanasius visited the city of Alland, where a large fair was taking place. The merchant intended to sell his Arabian horse here, but again it didn’t work out. Only in 1471 Afanasy Nikitin managed to sell the horse, and even then without much benefit for himself. This happened in the city of Bidar, where the traveler stopped while waiting out the rainy season. “Bidar is the capital city of Gundustan of Besermen. The city is big and there are a lot of people in it. The Sultan is young, twenty years old - the boyars rule, and the Khorasans reign and all the Khorasans fight,” this is how Afanasy described this city.
The merchant spent 4 months in Bidar. “And I lived here in Bidar until Lent and met many Hindus. I revealed my faith to them, said that I was not a Besermen, but a Christian of the Jesus faith, and my name was Athanasius, and my Besermen name was Khoja Yusuf Khorasani. And the Hindus did not hide anything from me, neither about their food, nor about trade, nor about prayers, nor about other things, and they did not hide their wives in the house.” Many entries in Nikitin's diaries concern issues of Indian religion.
8 Parvat
In January 1472, Afanasy Nikitin arrived in the city of Parvat, a sacred place on the banks of the Krishna River, where believers from all over India came for the annual festivals dedicated to the god Shiva. Afanasy Nikitin notes in his diaries that this place has the same meaning for Indian Brahmins as Jerusalem for Christians.
Nikitin spent almost six months in one of the cities of the “diamond” province of Raichur, where he decided to return to his homeland. During all the time that Afanasy traveled around India, he never found a product suitable for sale in Rus'. These travels did not give him any special commercial benefit.
9 Way back
On his way back from India, Afanasy Nikitin decided to visit the east coast of Africa. According to entries in his diaries, in the Ethiopian lands he barely managed to avoid robbery, paying off the robbers with rice and bread. He then returned to the city of Hormuz and moved north through war-torn Iran. He passed the cities of Shiraz, Kashan, Erzincan and arrived in Trabzon, a Turkish city on the southern shore of the Black Sea. There he was taken into custody by the Turkish authorities as an Iranian spy and stripped of all his remaining property.
10 Cafe
Afanasy had to borrow money on his word of honor for the journey to the Crimea, where he intended to meet compatriot merchants and with their help pay off his debts. He was able to reach Kafa (Feodosia) only in the fall of 1474. Nikitin spent the winter in this city, completing notes on his journey, and in the spring he set off along the Dnieper back to Russia.
Afanasy Nikitin. Sailing across three seas.
1 (20%) 2 vote[s]Nikitin Afanasy Nikitich was born around 1474, a traveler, a Tver merchant, the first European to visit India for scientific purposes, twenty-five years before the opening of the trade route by the Spaniard Vasco De Gammo. Information about the real purposes of Afanasy Nikitin’s journey in the 1960s towards three seas: the Caspian, Arabian and Black, far to the east, where no European had ever reached before, is extremely scarce.
The exact start date of the journey is also unknown. In the 19th century I.I. Sreznevsky dated it 1466–1472, modern Russian historians (V.B. Perkhavko, L.S. Semenov) believe the exact date is 1468–1474. According to their data, a caravan of several ships, uniting Russian traders, set off from Tver along the Volga in the summer of 1468. The experienced merchant Nikitin had previously visited distant countries more than once - Byzantium, Moldova, Lithuania, Crimea - and returned home safely with overseas goods.
This journey also began smoothly: Afanasy received a letter from the Grand Duke of Tver, Mikhail Borisovich, intending to expand wide trade in the region of modern Astrakhan (this message gave some historians reason to see the Tver merchant as a secret diplomat, a spy for the Tver prince, but there is no documentary evidence of this).
In Nizhny Novgorod, Nikitin was supposed to join the Russian embassy of Vasily Papin for safety reasons, but he had already gone south and the trade caravan did not find him.
Having waited for the Tatar ambassador Shirvan Hasan-bek to return from Moscow, Nikitin set off with him and other merchants two weeks later than planned. Near Astrakhan itself, a caravan of embassy and merchant ships was robbed by local robbers - the Astrakhan Tatars, without taking into account that one of the ships was sailing “one of their own” and, moreover, an ambassador. They took away from the merchants all the goods purchased on credit; returning to Rus' without goods and without money threatened a debt hole.
Afanasy's comrades and himself, in his words,
“They cried and dispersed in all directions: whoever had anything in Rus' went to Rus'; and whoever should, but he went where his eyes took him.”
The desire to improve matters through intermediary trade drove Nikitin further south. Through Derbent and Baku he entered Persia, crossed it from Chapakur on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea to Hormuz on the shores of the Persian Gulf and sailed along the Indian Ocean to India by 1471. There he spent three whole years, visiting Bidar, Junkar, Chaul, Dabhol and other cities. He didn’t make any money, but he was enriched with indelible impressions.
On the way back in 1474, Nikitin had a chance to visit the coast of East Africa, the “land of Ethiopia,” reach Trebizond, then end up in Arabia. Through Iran and Turkey he reached the Black Sea. Arriving in Kaffa (Feodosia, Crimea) in November, Nikitin did not dare to go further to his native Tver, deciding to wait for the spring merchant caravan. His health was undermined by the long journey. Perhaps he acquired some kind of chronic disease in India.
In Kaffa, Afanasy Nikitin, apparently, met and became close friends with wealthy Moscow “guests” (merchants): Stepan Vasiliev and Grigory Zhuk.
When their joint caravan set off (most likely in March 1475), it was warm in Crimea, but as they moved north the weather became colder. A. Nikitin's poor health made itself felt, and he died unexpectedly.
Smolensk is conventionally considered the place of his burial.
Wanting to tell others what he saw himself, A. Nikitin kept travel notes, which he gave literary form and gave the title Voyage across Three Seas.
Judging by them, he carefully studied the life, way of life and occupations of the peoples of Persia and India, drew attention to the political system, governance, religion (described the worship of Buddha in the sacred city of Parvata), spoke about diamond mines, trade, weapons, mentioned exotic animals - snakes and monkeys, the mysterious bird “gukuk”, which supposedly foreshadowed death, etc. His notes testify to the breadth of the author’s horizons, his friendly attitude towards foreign peoples and the customs of the countries where he visited. A businesslike, energetic merchant and traveler not only looked for goods needed by the Russian land, but also carefully observed and accurately described life and customs.
He also vividly and interestingly described the nature of exotic India.
However, as a merchant, Nikitin was disappointed with the results of the trip: “I was deceived by the infidel dogs: they talked about a lot of goods, but it turned out that there was nothing for our land... Cheap pepper and paint. Some transport goods by sea, others do not pay duties for them, but they will not allow us to transport [anything] without duty. But the duty is high, and there are many robbers at sea.”
Missing his native land and feeling uncomfortable in foreign lands, A. Nikitin sincerely called for admiration for the “Russian land”: “May God save the Russian land!
There is no country like it in this world. And although the nobles of the Russian land are not fair, may the Russian land be settled and may there be [enough] justice in it!”
Unlike a number of European travelers of that time (Nicola de Conti and others), who adopted Mohammedanism in the East, Nikitin was faithful to Christianity to the end (“he did not leave his faith in Rus'”), and gave all moral assessments of morals and customs based on categories Orthodox morality, while remaining religiously tolerant.
A. Nikitin's walk testifies to the author's well-readness, his command of business Russian speech and at the same time very receptive to foreign languages. He cited in his notes many local - Persian, Arabic and Turkic - words and expressions, and gave them a Russian interpretation.
The circulations, delivered by someone in 1478 to Moscow to the clerk of the Grand Duke Vasily Mamyrev after the death of their author, were soon included in the chronicle of 1488, which in turn was included in the Second Sofia and Lviv Chronicles. The walk has been translated into many languages of the world. In 1955, a monument to its author was erected in Tver on the banks of the Volga, at the place from where he set off “across the three seas.”
The monument was installed on a round platform in the shape of a rook, the bow of which is decorated with a horse's head.
In 2003, the monument was opened in Western India. The seven-meter stele, faced with black granite, with inscriptions in Russian, Hindi, Marathi and English engraved in gold on four sides, was designed by the young Indian architect Sudip Matra and built with local donations with financial participation from the administrations of the Tver region and the city of Tver.
In the year 6983 (1475) "...". In the same year, I received the notes of Afanasy, a merchant of Tver; he was in India for four years, and writes that he set off on the journey with Vasily Papin. I asked when Vasily Papin was sent with gyrfalcons as an ambassador from the Grand Duke, and they told me that a year before the Kazan campaign he returned from the Horde, and died near Kazan, shot with an arrow, when Prince Yuri went to Kazan. I couldn’t find in the records in what year Afanasy left or in what year he returned from India and died, but they say that he died before reaching Smolensk. And he wrote the notes in his own hand, and those notebooks with his notes were brought by merchants to Moscow to Vasily Mamyrev, the clerk of the Grand Duke.
For the prayer of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, your sinful servant Afanasy Nikitin’s son.
I wrote here about my sinful journey across three seas: the first sea - Derbent, Darya Khvalisskaya, the second sea - Indian, Darya Gundustan, the third sea - Black, Darya Istanbul.
I went from the golden-domed Savior with his mercy, from my sovereign Grand Duke Mikhail Borisovich Tverskoy, from Bishop Gennady Tverskoy and from Boris Zakharyich.
I swam down the Volga. And he came to the Kalyazin monastery to the Holy Life-Giving Trinity and the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb. And he received a blessing from Abbot Macarius and the holy brethren. From Kalyazin I sailed to Uglich, and from Uglich they let me go without any obstacles. And, sailing from Uglich, he came to Kostroma and came to Prince Alexander with another letter from the Grand Duke. And they let me go without any obstacles. And he arrived in Plyos without any obstacles.
And I came to Nizhny Novgorod to Mikhail Kiselev, the governor, and to the exile Ivan Saraev, and they let me go without obstacles. Vasily Papin, however, had already passed through the city, and I waited in Nizhny Novgorod for two weeks for Hasan Bey, the ambassador of the Shirvanshah of the Tatar. And he rode with gyrfalcons from Grand Duke Ivan, and he had ninety gyrfalcons. I swam with them down the Volga. They passed Kazan without obstacles, did not see anyone, and Orda, and Uslan, and Sarai, and Berekezan sailed and entered Buzan. And then three infidel Tatars met us and gave us false news: “Sultan Kasim is lying in wait for the merchants on Buzan, and with him are three thousand Tatars.” The Shirvanshah's ambassador, Hasan-bek, gave them a single-row caftan and a piece of linen to guide us past Astrakhan. And they, the unfaithful Tatars, took one line at a time, and sent the news to the Tsar in Astrakhan. And I and my comrades left my ship and moved to the embassy ship.
We sail past Astrakhan, and the moon is shining, and the king saw us, and the Tatars shouted to us: “Kachma - don’t run!” But we haven’t heard anything about this and are running under our own sail. For our sins, the king sent all his people after us. They overtook us on Bohun and started shooting at us. We shot a man, and we shot two Tatars. But our smaller ship got stuck near the Ez, and they immediately took it and plundered it, and all my luggage was on that ship.
We reached the sea on a large ship, but it became aground at the mouth of the Volga, and then they overtook us and ordered the ship to be pulled up the river to the point. And our large ship was robbed here and four Russian men were taken prisoner, and we were released with our bare heads across the sea, and were not allowed back up the river, so that no news was given.
And we went, crying, on two ships to Derbent: in one ship, Ambassador Khasan-bek, and the Teziki, and ten of us Russians; and in the other ship there are six Muscovites, six Tver residents, cows, and our food. And a storm arose on the sea, and the smaller ship was broken on the shore. And here is the town of Tarki, and people went ashore, and the kaytaki came and took everyone prisoner.
And we came to Derbent, and Vasily arrived there safely, and we were robbed. And I beat Vasily Papin and the Shirvanshah’s ambassador Hasan-bek, with whom we came, with my brow, so that they could take care of the people whom the kaytaks captured near Tarki. And Hasan-bek went to the mountain to ask Bulat-bek. And Bulat-bek sent a walker to the Shirvanshah to convey: “Sir! The Russian ship crashed near Tarki, and the kaytaki, when they arrived, took the people prisoner and plundered their goods.”
And the Shirvanshah immediately sent an envoy to his brother-in-law, the Kaitak prince Khalil-bek: “My ship crashed near Tarki, and your people, coming, captured the people from it, and plundered their goods; and you, for my sake, people came to me and collect their goods, because those people were sent to me. And what do you need from me, send it to me, and I, my brother, will not contradict you in anything. And those people came to me, and you, for my sake, let them come to me without obstacles.” And Khalil-bek released all the people to Derbent immediately without obstacles, and from Derbent they were sent to the Shirvanshah at his headquarters - koytul.
We went to the Shirvanshah’s headquarters and beat him with our foreheads so that he would favor us rather than reach Rus'. And he didn’t give us anything: they say there are a lot of us. And we parted, crying in all directions: someone who had something left in Rus' went to Rus', and whoever had to, went wherever he could. And others remained in Shemakha, while others went to Baku to work.
And I went to Derbent, and from Derbent to Baku, where the fire burns unquenchable; and from Baku he went overseas - to Chapakur.
And I lived in Chapakur for six months, and I lived in Sari for a month, in Mazandaran land. And from there he went to Amol and lived here for a month. And from there he went to Damavand, and from Damavand - to Ray. Here they killed Shah Hussein, one of the children of Ali, the grandchildren of Muhammad, and the curse of Muhammad fell on the killers - seventy cities were destroyed.
From Rey I went to Kashan and lived here for a month, and from Kashan to Nain, and from Nain to Iezd and lived here for a month. And from Yazd he went to Sirjan, and from Sirjan to Tarom, livestock here is fed with dates, and a batman of dates is sold for four altyns. And from Tarom he went to Lar, and from Lar to Bender - that was the Hormuz pier. And here is the Indian Sea, in Persian Daria of Gundustan; It's a four mile walk from here to Hormuz-grad.
And Hormuz is on an island, and the sea attacks it twice every day. I spent my first Easter here, and came to Hormuz four weeks before Easter. And that’s why I didn’t name all the cities, because there are many more big cities. The heat of the sun in Hormuz is great, it will burn a person. I was in Hormuz for a month, and from Hormuz after Easter on the day of Radunitsa I went in a tawa with horses across the Indian Sea.
And we walked by sea to Muscat for ten days, and from Muscat to Dega for four days, and from Dega to Gujarat, and from Gujarat to Cambay. This is where paint and varnish are born. From Cambay they sailed to Chaul, and from Chaul they left in the seventh week after Easter, and they walked by sea for six weeks in a tawa to Chaul. And here is the Indian country, and people walk naked, and their heads are not covered, and their breasts are bare, and their hair is braided in one braid, everyone walks with bellies, and children are born every year, and they have many children. Both men and women are all naked and all black. Wherever I go, there are many people behind me - they are amazed at the white man. The prince there has a veil on his head and another on his hips, and the boyars there have a veil over their shoulder and another on their hips, and the princesses walk with a veil over their shoulder and another veil on their hips. And the servants of the princes and boyars have one veil wrapped around their hips, and a shield, and a sword in their hands, some with darts, others with daggers, and others with sabers, and others with bows and arrows; Yes, everyone is naked, and barefoot, and strong, and they do not shave their hair. And women walk - their heads are not covered, and their breasts are bare, and boys and girls walk naked until they are seven years old, their shame is not covered.
From Chaul they went overland, walked to Pali for eight days, to the Indian mountains. And from Pali they walked ten days to Umri, an Indian city. And from Umri there are seven days' journey to Junnar.
The Indian khan rules here - Asad Khan of Junnar, and he serves Melik-at-Tujar. Melik-at-Tujar gave him troops, they say, seventy thousand. And Melik-at-Tujar has two hundred thousand troops under his command, and he has been fighting the Kafars for twenty years: and they have defeated him more than once, and he has defeated them many times. Assad Khan rides in public. And he has a lot of elephants, and he has a lot of good horses, and he has a lot of warriors, Khorasans. And horses are brought from the Khorasan land, some from the Arab land, some from the Turkmen land, others from the Chagotai land, and they are all brought by sea in tavs - Indian ships.
And I, a sinner, brought the stallion to Indian land, and with him I reached Junnar, with God’s help, healthy, and he cost me a hundred rubles. Their winter began on Trinity Day. I spent the winter in Junnar and lived here for two months. Every day and night - for four whole months - there is water and mud everywhere. These days they plow and sow wheat, rice, peas, and everything edible. They make wine from large nuts, they call it Gundustan goats, and they call them mash from tatna. Here they feed the horses peas, and cook khichri with sugar and butter, and feed the horses with them, and in the morning they give them hornets. There are no horses in the Indian land; bulls and buffaloes are born in their land - they ride on them, carry goods and carry other things, do everything.
Junnar-grad stands on a stone rock, is not fortified by anything, and is protected by God. And the path to that mountain day, one person at a time: the road is narrow, it is impossible for two to pass.
In Indian land, merchants are settled in farmsteads. The housewives cook for the guests, and the housewives make the bed, and sleep with the guests. (If you have a close connection with her, give two inhabitants, if you do not have a close connection, give one inhabitant. There are many wives here according to the rule of temporary marriage, and then a close connection is for nothing); but they love white people.
In winter, their common people wear a veil on their hips, another on their shoulders, and a third on their head; and the princes and boyars then put on ports, a shirt, a caftan, and a veil on their shoulders, gird themselves with another veil, and wrap a third veil around their heads. (Oh God, great God, true God, generous God, merciful God!)
And in that Junnar, the khan took the stallion from me when he found out that I was not a Besermen, but a Rusyn. And he said: “I will return the stallion, and I will give a thousand gold coins in addition, just convert to our faith - to Muhammaddini. If you don’t convert to our faith, to Muhammaddini, I will take the stallion and a thousand gold coins from your head.” And he set a deadline - four days, on Spasov Day, on the Assumption Fast. Yes, the Lord God took pity on his honest holiday, did not leave me, a sinner, with his mercy, did not allow me to perish in Junnar among the infidels. On the eve of Spasov's day, the treasurer Mohammed, a Khorasanian, arrived, and I beat him with my brow so that he would work for me. And he went to the city to Asad Khan and asked for me, so that they would not convert me to their faith, and he took my stallion back from the khan. This is the Lord's miracle on Savior Day. And so, Russian Christian brothers, if anyone wants to go to the Indian land, leave your faith in Rus', and, calling Muhammad, go to the Gundustan land.
The Besermen dogs lied to me, they said that there is a lot of our goods, but there is nothing for our land: all the goods are white for the Besermen land, pepper and paint, then they are cheap. Those who transport oxen overseas do not pay duties. But they won’t let us transport goods without duty. But there are many tolls, and there are many robbers on the sea. The Kafars are robbers; they are not Christians and are not irreligious: they pray to stone fools and know neither Christ nor Muhammad.
And from Junnar they left for Assumption and went to Bidar, their main city. It took a month to reach Bidar, five days from Bidar to Kulongiri, and five days from Kulongiri to Gulbarga. Between these large cities there are many other cities; every day three cities passed by, and other days four cities: as many cities as there are cities. From Chaul to Junnar there are twenty kovas, and from Junnar to Bidar forty kovas, from Bidar to Kulongiri there are nine kovas, and from Bidar to Gulbarga there are nine kovas.
In Bidar, horses, damask, silk and all other goods and black slaves are sold at the auction, but there are no other goods here. The goods are all Gundustan, and only vegetables are edible, but there are no goods for the Russian land. And here the people are all black, all villains, and the women are all walking, and sorcerers, and thieves, and deception, and poison, they kill the gentlemen with poison.
In the Indian land, all Khorasans reign, and all the boyars are Khorasans. And the Gundustanians are all on foot and walk in front of the Khorasans, who are on horses; and the rest are all on foot, walking quickly, all naked and barefoot, with a shield in one hand, a sword in the other, and others with large straight bows and arrows. More and more battles are fought on elephants. In front are foot soldiers, behind them are Khorasans in armor on horses, themselves in armor and horses. They tie large forged swords to the heads and tusks of the elephants, each weighing a centar, and they dress the elephants in damask armor, and turrets are made on the elephants, and in those turrets there are twelve people in armor, all with guns and arrows.
There is one place here - Aland, where Sheikh Alaeddin (a saint, lies and a fair). Once a year, the whole Indian country comes to trade at that fair; they trade here for ten days; from Bidar there are twelve kovs. They bring horses here - up to twenty thousand horses - to sell and bring all sorts of goods. In the land of Gundustan, this fair is the best, every product is sold and bought on the days of memory of Sheikh Alaeddin, and in our opinion, on the Intercession of the Holy Virgin. And there is also a bird called gukuk in that Åland, it flies at night and shouts: “kuk-kuk”; and on whose house she sits, the person will die, and whoever wants to kill her, she lets fire out of her mouth at him. Mamons walk at night and grab chickens, and they live on hills or among rocks. And monkeys live in the forest. They have a monkey prince who goes about with his army. If someone offends monkeys, they complain to their prince, and he sends his army against the offender, and when they come to the city, they destroy houses and kill people. And the army of monkeys, they say, is very large, and they have their own language. Many cubs are born to them, and if one of them is born as neither the mother nor the father, they are abandoned on the roads. Some Gundustanis select them and teach them all sorts of crafts; and if they sell, then at night, so that they cannot find their way back, and they teach others (to amuse people).
Spring began for them with the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God. And they celebrate the memory of Sheikh Alaeddin and the beginning of spring two weeks after the Intercession; The holiday lasts eight days. And their spring lasts three months, and summer three months, and winter three months, and autumn three months.
Bidar is the capital city of Gundustan of Besermen. The city is big and there are a lot of people in it. The Sultan is young, twenty years old - the boyars rule, and the Khorasans reign and all the Khorasans fight.
A Khorasan boyar, Melik-at-Tujar, lives here, so he has two hundred thousand of his army, and Melik Khan has one hundred thousand, and Farat Khan has twenty thousand, and many khans have ten thousand troops. And with the Sultan comes three hundred thousand of his troops.
The land is populous, and the rural people are very poor, but the boyars have great power and are very rich. The boyars are carried on silver stretchers, in front of the horses they are led in golden harness, up to twenty horses are led, and behind them are three hundred horsemen, and five hundred foot soldiers, and ten trumpeters, and ten people with drums, and ten dudars.
And when the Sultan goes for a walk with his mother and his wife, he is followed by ten thousand horsemen and fifty thousand foot soldiers, and two hundred elephants are brought out, all in gilded armor, and in front of him there are one hundred trumpeters, one hundred dancers, and three hundred dancers. riding horses in golden harness, and a hundred monkeys, and a hundred concubines, they are called gauryks.
There are seven gates leading to the Sultan’s palace, and at the gates sit one hundred guards and one hundred Kaffar scribes. Some write down who goes into the palace, others - who leaves. But strangers are not allowed into the palace. And the Sultan’s palace is very beautiful, there are carvings and gold on the walls, the last stone is very beautifully carved and painted in gold. Yes, in the Sultan’s palace the vessels are different.
At night, the city of Bidar is guarded by a thousand guards under the command of a kuttaval, on horses and in armor, and each holding a torch.
I sold my stallion in Bidar. I spent sixty-eight feet on him and fed him for a year. In Bidar, snakes crawl along the streets, two fathoms long. I returned to Bidar from Kulongiri on the Filippov fast, and sold my stallion for Christmas.
And I lived here in Bidar until Lent and met many Hindus. I revealed my faith to them, said that I am not a Besermen, but a Christian (of the Jesus faith), and my name is Athanasius, and my Besermen name is Khoja Yusuf Khorasani. And the Hindus did not hide anything from me, neither about their food, nor about trade, nor about prayers, nor about other things, and they did not hide their wives in the house. I asked them about faith, and they told me: we believe in Adam, and the buts, they say, are Adam and his whole race. And all the faiths in India are eighty and four faiths, and everyone believes in Buta. But people of different faiths do not drink with each other, do not eat, and do not marry. Some of them eat lamb, chickens, fish, and eggs, but no one eats beef.
I stayed in Bidar for four months and agreed with the Hindus to go to Parvat, where they have a butkhana - that is their Jerusalem, the same as Mecca for the Besermen. I walked with the Indians until Butkhana for a month. And at that butkhana there is a fair that lasts five days. The buthana is large, half the size of Tver, made of stone, and the deeds of the buthana are carved in the stone. Twelve crowns are carved around the butkhana - how the but performed miracles, how he appeared in different images: the first - in the form of a man, the second - a man, but with an elephant trunk, the third a man, and the face of a monkey, the fourth - half man, half fierce beast, all appeared with tail. And it is carved on a stone, and the tail, about a fathom long, is thrown over it.
The whole Indian country comes to that butkhana for the Butha festival. Yes, old and young, women and girls shave at the butkhana. And they shave off all their hair, shave both their beards and their heads. And they go to the butkhana. From each head they take two sheshkens for buta, and from the horses - four feet. And all the people (twenty thousand lakhs, and sometimes one hundred thousand lakhs) come to the butkhana.
In the buthan, the buthan is carved out of black stone, huge, and his tail is thrown over it, and his right hand is raised high and extended, like Justinian, the king of Constantinople, and in his left hand there is a spear in the buthan. He is wearing nothing, only his thighs are wrapped in a bandage, and his face is like a monkey. And some butovs are completely naked, they don’t have anything on (their shame is not covered), and the butov’s wives are cut out naked, with shame and with children. And in front of the bute there is a huge bull, carved from black stone and all gilded. And they kiss his hoof and sprinkle flowers on him. And flowers are sprinkled on the buta.
Hindus do not eat any meat, neither beef, nor lamb, nor chicken, nor fish, nor pork, although they have a lot of pigs. They eat twice during the day, but at night they don’t eat, and they don’t drink wine or have enough to eat. And they don’t drink or eat with besermen. And their food is bad. And they don’t drink or eat with each other, not even with their wife. And they eat rice, and khichri with butter, and they eat various herbs, and they boil them with butter and with milk, and they eat everything with their right hand, but they do not take anything with their left. They don't know a knife or a spoon. And on the way, to cook porridge, everyone carries a bowler hat. And they turn away from the besermen: none of them would look into the pot or at the food. And if the Besermen looks, they don’t eat that food. That’s why they eat covered with a scarf so that no one can see.
And they pray to the east, like the Russians. Both hands will be raised high and placed on the crown of the head, and they will lie prostrate on the ground, all stretched out on the ground - then they bow. And they sit down to eat, wash their hands, feet, and rinse their mouths. Their buthans have no doors, face east, and the buthans face east. And whoever dies among them is burned and the ashes are thrown into the river. And when the child is born, the husband accepts it, and the father gives the name to the son, and the mother to the daughter. They have no good morals and know no shame. And when someone comes or leaves, he bows like a monk, touches the ground with both hands, and everything is silent. They go to Parvat, to their buta, during Lent. Here is their Jerusalem; What is Mecca for the Besermen, Jerusalem for the Russians, is Parvat for the Hindus. And they all come naked, only a bandage on their hips, and the women are all naked, only a veil on their hips, and the others are all in veils, and there are a lot of pearls on their necks, and yahonts, and gold bracelets and rings on their hands. (By God!) And inside, to the butkhana, they ride on bulls, each bull’s horns are bound with copper, and there are three hundred bells on its neck and its hooves are shod with copper. And they call bulls achche.
Hindus call the bull father and the cow mother. They bake bread and cook food on their ashes, and with that ashes they make marks on the face, on the forehead and all over the body. On Sunday and Monday they eat once a day. In India, there are a lot of walking women, and therefore they are cheap: if you have a close connection with her, give two residents; if you want to waste your money, give six residents. That’s the way it is in these places. And slave-concubines are cheap: 4 pounds - good, 6 pounds - good and black, black-very black amchyuk small, good).
I arrived from Parvat to Bidar in fifteen days of pre-Beserman Ulu Bayram. And I don’t know when Easter, the feast of the resurrection of Christ, is; I’m guessing by signs that Easter is coming nine or ten days earlier than Besermen Bayram. But I have nothing with me, not a single book; I took the books with me to Rus', but when I was robbed, the books disappeared, and I did not observe the rites of the Christian faith. I don’t observe Christian holidays - neither Easter nor Christmas - and I don’t fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. And living among non-believers (I pray to God, may he protect me: “Lord God, true God, you are a god, a great God, a merciful God, a merciful God, the most merciful and most merciful, Lord God”). God is one, the king of glory, the creator of heaven and earth.”
And I’m going to Rus' (with the thought: my faith is lost, I fasted with the Besermen fast). The month of March passed, I began fasting with the Besermen on Sunday, fasted for a month, did not eat any meat, did not eat anything modest, did not take any food from the Besermen, but ate bread and water twice a day (I did not lie with a woman). And I prayed to Christ Almighty, who created heaven and earth, and did not call on another god by name. (Lord God, merciful God, merciful God, Lord God, great God), God the King of Glory (God the creator, God the most merciful, it’s all you, O Lord).
From Hormuz by sea it is ten days to go to Qalhat, and from Qalhat to Deg six days, and from Deg to Muscat six days, and from Muscat to Gujarat ten days, from Gujarat to Cambay four days, and from Cambay to Chaul twelve days, and from Chaul six days to Dabhol. Dabhol is the last Besermen pier in Hindustan. And from Dabhol to Kozhikode there are twenty-five days' journey, and from Kozhikode to Ceylon it is fifteen days, and from Ceylon to Shabbat it is a month's journey, and from Shabbat to Pegu it is twenty days, and from Pegu to South China it is a month's journey - by sea all that way. And from South China to North China it takes six months to travel by land, and four days to travel by sea. (May God give me a roof over my head.)
Hormuz is a big pier, people come here from all over the world, all sorts of goods are available here; whatever is born in the whole world, everything is in Hormuz. The duty is large: they take a tenth of every product.
Cambay is the harbor of the entire Indian Sea. Here they make alachi, motleys, and kindyaks for sale, and they make blue paint here, and varnish, and carnelian, and salt will be born here. Dabhol is also a very large pier; horses are brought here from Egypt, from Arabia, from Khorasan, from Turkestan, from Ben der Hormuz; From here it takes a month to travel by land to Bidar and to Gul-barga.
And Kozhikode is the haven of the entire Indian Sea. God forbid any ship to pass by it: whoever lets it pass will not pass safely further along the sea. And there will be pepper, and ginger, and nutmeg flowers, and nutmeg, and calanfur-cinnamon, and cloves, spicy roots, and adriak, and a lot of all kinds of roots will be born there. And everything is cheap here. (And male and female slaves are numerous, good and black.)
And Ceylon is a considerable pier on the Indian Sea, and there on a high mountain lies the forefather Adam. And near the mountain they mine precious stones: rubies, fatis, agates, binchai, crystal, and sumbadu. Elephants are born there, and they are priced according to their height, and cloves are sold by weight. And the Shabat pier on the Indian Sea is quite large. Khorasans are paid there a salary of tenka per day, both large and small. And when a Khorasanian marries, the prince of Shabat gives him a thousand teneks for sacrifice and a salary of fifty teneks every month. On Shabbat, silk, sandalwood, and pearls will be born - and everything is cheap.
And Pegu is also a considerable pier. Indian dervishes live there, and precious stones are born there: manik, yes yakhont, and kirpuk, and the dervishes sell those stones. The Chinese pier is very large. They make porcelain there and sell it by weight, cheaply. And their wives sleep with their husbands during the day, and at night they go to visiting strangers and sleep with them, and they give the strangers money for their maintenance, and bring with them sweet foods and sweet wine, and feed and water the merchants so that they will be loved, and they love merchants, white people, because the people of their country are very black. If a wife conceives a child from a merchant, the husband gives the merchant money for maintenance. If a white child is born, then the merchant is paid three hundred teneks, and a black child is born, then the merchant is not paid anything, and whatever he drank and ate was (for free, according to their custom). Shabbat is three months' journey from Bidar; and from Dabhol to Shabbat it takes two months to go by sea, and to South China from Bidar it takes four months to go by sea, they make porcelain there, and everything is cheap.
It takes two months to get to Ceylon by sea, and a month to go to Kozhikode.
On Shabbat, silk will be born, and inchi - ray pearls, and sandalwood; Elephants are priced according to their height. Ammons, rubies, fatis, crystal, and agates will be born in Ceylon. In Kozhikode pepper, nutmeg, cloves, fufal fruit, and nutmeg flowers will be born. Paint and varnish will be born in Gujarat, and carnelian will be born in Cambay. In Raichur, diamonds will be born (from the old mine and the new mine). Diamonds are sold for five rubles per kidney, and very good ones for ten rubles. A kidney of a diamond from a new mine (five kenyas each, a black diamond - four to six kenyas, and a white diamond - one tenka). Diamonds are born in a mountain of stone, and they pay for the cubit of that mountain of stone: a new mine - two thousand pounds of gold, and an old mine - ten thousand pounds. And Melik Khan owns that land and serves the Sultan. And from Bidar there are thirty kovs.
And what the Jews say that the inhabitants of Shabbat are their faith is not true: they are not Jews, not non-Jews, not Christians, they have a different faith, Indian, and neither with Jews nor with Jews do they drink, do not eat, and do not eat any meat. Everything is cheap on Shabbat. Silk and sugar will be born there, and everything is very cheap. They have mamons and monkeys walking through the forest, and they attack people on the roads, so because of the mamons and monkeys they don’t dare drive on the roads at night.
From Shabbat it is ten months to travel by land, and four months by sea. They cut the navels of domestic deer - musk will be born in them, and wild deer drop their navels across the field and forest, but they lose their smell, and the musk is not fresh.
On the first day of the month of May, I celebrated Easter in Hindustan, in Besermen Bidar, and the Besermen celebrated Bayram in the middle of the month; and I began fasting on the first day of the month of April. O faithful Russian Christians! He who sails across many lands gets into many troubles and loses his Christian faith. I, God’s servant Athanasius, have suffered according to the Christian faith. Four Great Lents have already passed and four Easters have passed, and I, a sinner, don’t know when Easter or Lent is, I don’t observe the Nativity of Christ, I don’t observe other holidays, I don’t observe Wednesdays or Fridays: I have no books. When I was robbed, they took my books. And because of many troubles, I went to India, because I had nothing to go to Rus' with, I had no goods left. I celebrated the first Easter in Cain, and the second Easter in Chapakur in the land of Mazandaran, the third Easter in Hormuz, the fourth Easter in India, among the Besermen, in Bidar, and here I grieved a lot because of the Christian faith.
Bessermen Melik strongly forced me to accept the Bessermen faith. I told him: “Sir! You pray (you pray and I also pray. You pray five times, I pray three times. I am a foreigner, and you are from here).” He tells me: “It is truly clear that you are not a Germanic, but you also do not observe Christian customs.” And I thought deeply and said to myself: “Woe to me, wretched one, I have lost my way from the true path and I no longer know which path I will take. Lord, Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth! Do not turn your face away from your servant, for I am in sorrow. God! Look upon me and have mercy on me, for I am your creation; Lord, do not let me turn away from the true path, guide me, Lord, on the right path, for in need I was not virtuous before you, my Lord God, I lived all my days in evil. My Lord (protector god, you, God, merciful Lord, merciful Lord, merciful and merciful. Praise be to God). Four Easters have already passed since I was in the land of Besermen, and I have not left Christianity. God knows what will happen next. Lord my God, I trusted in you, save me, Lord my God.”
In Bidar the Great, in Besermen India, on the Great Night on the Great Day, I watched how the Pleiades and Orion entered at dawn, and the Big Dipper stood with its head to the east. On Besermen Bayram, the Sultan made a ceremonial departure: with him twenty great viziers and three hundred elephants, dressed in damask armor, with turrets, and the turrets were bound. In the turrets there were six people in armor with cannons and arquebuses, and on large elephants there were twelve people. And on each elephant there are two large banners, and large swords weighing a centar are tied to the tusks, and on the neck there are huge iron weights. And between his ears sits a man in armor with a large iron hook - he uses it to guide the elephant. Yes, a thousand riding horses in golden harness, and a hundred camels with drums, and three hundred trumpeters, and three hundred dancers, and three hundred concubines. The Sultan wears a caftan all trimmed with yakhonts, and a cone hat with a huge diamond, and a golden saadak with yakhonts, and three sabers on it, all in gold, and a golden saddle, and a golden harness, all in gold. The infidel is running in front of him, skipping, leading the tower, and behind him there are many foot soldiers. Behind him is an angry elephant, dressed all in damask, driving people away, with a large iron chain in his trunk, using it to drive away horses and people so that they don’t come close to the Sultan. And the Sultan’s brother sits on a golden stretcher, above him is a velvet canopy, and a golden crown with yachts, and twenty people carry him.
And the makhdum sits on a golden stretcher, and above him there is a silk canopy with a golden crown, and he is carried by four horses in golden harness. Yes, there are a great many people around him, and singers walk in front of him and there are many dancers; and all with naked swords and sabers, with shields, javelins and spears, with large straight bows. And the horses are all in armor, with saadaks. And the rest of the people are all naked, only a bandage on their hips, their shame covered.
In Bidar, the full moon lasts for three days. There is no sweet vegetable in Bidar. There is no great heat in Hindustan. It is very hot in Hormuz and Bahrain, where pearls are born, in Jeddah, in Baku, in Egypt, in Arabia, and in Lara. But it’s hot in the land of Khorasan, but not like that. It is very hot in Chagotai. It’s hot in Shiraz, Yazd, and Kashan, but there is wind there. And in Gilan it is very stuffy and steamy, and in Shamakhi it is steamy; It’s hot in Baghdad, and it’s hot in Khums and Damascus, but it’s not so hot in Aleppo.
In the Sivas district and in the Georgian land, everything is in abundance. And the Turkish land is abundant in everything. And the Moldavian land is abundant, and everything edible there is cheap. And the Podolsk land is abundant in everything. And Rus' (God save it! God save it! God save it! There is no country like it in this world, although the emirs of the Russian land are unjust. May the Russian land be established and may there be justice in it! God, God, God, God !). Oh my God! I trusted in you, save me, Lord! I don’t know the way - where should I go from Hindustan: to go to Hormuz - there is no way from Hormuz to Khorasan, and there is no way to Chaghotai, there is no way to Baghdad, there is no way to Bahrain, there is no way to Yazd, there is no way to Arabia . Everywhere the strife knocked out the princes. Mirza Jehan Shah was killed by Uzun Hasan-bek, and Sultan Abu Said was poisoned, Uzun Hasan-bek Shiraz subjugated, but that land did not recognize him, and Muhammad Yadigar does not go to him: he is afraid. There is no other way. To go to Mecca means to accept the Besermen faith. That is why, for the sake of faith, Christians do not go to Mecca: there they convert to the Besermen faith. But to live in Hindustan means to spend a lot of money, because here everything is expensive: I’m one person, and food costs two and a half altyns a day, although I haven’t had a drink of wine or been full. Melik-at-Tujar took two Indian cities that were plundered on the Indian Sea. He captured seven princes and took their treasury: a load of yachts, a load of diamonds, rubies, and a hundred loads of expensive goods, and his army took countless other goods. He stood near the city for two years, and with him there were two hundred thousand army, one hundred elephants, and three hundred camels. Melik-at-Tujar returned to Bidar with his army on Kurban Bayram, or in our opinion - on Peter’s Day. And the Sultan sent ten viziers to meet him ten kovs, and in a kov - ten miles, and with each vizier he sent ten thousand of his army and ten elephants in armor,
At Melik-at-Tujar, five hundred people sit down to a meal every day. Three viziers sit down with him for a meal, and with each vizier there are fifty people, and another hundred of his neighbor boyars. In the stable of Melik-at-Tujar they keep two thousand horses and a thousand horses saddled day and night in readiness, and a hundred elephants in the stable. And every night his palace is guarded by a hundred men in armor, and twenty trumpeters, and ten men with drums, and ten large tambourines - beaten by two men each. Nizam-al-mulk, Melik Khan and Fathullah Khan took three large cities. And with them there were a hundred thousand men and fifty elephants. And they captured countless yachts, and many other precious stones. And all those stones, yachts, and diamonds were bought on behalf of Melik-at-Tujar, and he forbade the craftsmen to sell them to the merchants who came to Bidar for the Dormition.
The Sultan goes for a walk on Thursday and Tuesday, and three viziers go with him. The Sultan's brother leaves on Monday with his mother and sister. And two thousand wives ride out on horses and on gilded stretchers, and in front of them are one hundred riding horses in golden armor. Yes, there are many foot soldiers, two viziers and ten viziers, and fifty elephants in cloth blankets. And on the elephants sit four naked people, only a bandage on their hips. And the women on foot are naked, they carry water for them to drink and wash, but one does not drink water from the other.
Melik-at-Tujar with his army set out from the city of Bidar against the Hindus on the day of remembrance of Sheikh Alaeddin, and in our words - on the Intercession of the Holy Virgin, and his army came with fifty thousand, and the Sultan sent his army fifty thousand, and they went with them three viziers and with them another thirty thousand warriors. And a hundred elephants in armor and with turrets went with them, and on each elephant there were four men with arquebuses. Melik-at-Tujar went to conquer Vijayanagar, the great Indian principality. And the prince of Vijayanagara has three hundred elephants and a hundred thousand troops, and his horses are fifty thousand.
The Sultan set out from the city of Bidar in the eighth month after Easter. Twenty-six viziers left with him - twenty Besermen viziers and six Indian viziers. The army of one hundred thousand horsemen, two hundred thousand foot soldiers, three hundred elephants in armor and with turrets, and one hundred fierce beasts on double chains marched out with the Sultan of his court. And with the Sultan’s brother, a hundred thousand horsemen, a hundred thousand foot soldiers, and a hundred elephants in armor came out to his court.
And with Mal-khan came twenty thousand cavalry, sixty thousand foot, and twenty armored elephants. And with Beder Khan and his brother came thirty thousand cavalry, one hundred thousand foot, and twenty-five elephants, in armor and with turrets. And with Sul Khan came ten thousand horsemen, twenty thousand foot soldiers, and ten elephants with turrets. And with Vezir Khan came fifteen thousand horsemen, thirty thousand foot soldiers, and fifteen armored elephants. And with Kutuval Khan, fifteen thousand horsemen, forty thousand foot soldiers, and ten elephants came out to his court. And with each vizier there came out ten thousand, and with some even fifteen thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers.
With the prince of Vijayanagar came his army of forty thousand cavalry, and one hundred thousand foot soldiers and forty elephants, dressed in armor, and on them four people with arquebuses.
And twenty-six viziers came out with the Sultan, and with each vizier ten thousand cavalry and twenty thousand foot soldiers, and with another vizier fifteen thousand horse men and thirty thousand foot men. And there were four great Indian viziers, and with them came an army of forty thousand cavalry and one hundred thousand foot. And the Sultan was angry with the Hindus because few people came out with them, and he added twenty thousand more foot soldiers, two thousand horsemen, and twenty elephants. Such is the power of the Indian Sultan, Besermensky. (Muhammad's faith is good.) And the rise of days is bad, but God knows the right faith. And the right faith is to know one God and to call upon his name in every clean place.
On the fifth Easter I decided to go to Rus'. He left Bidar a month before the Besermen Ulu Bayram (according to the faith of Muhammad, the messenger of God). And when Easter, the resurrection of Christ, I don’t know, I fasted with the Besermen during their fast, broke my fast with them, and celebrated Easter in Gulbarga, ten miles from Bidar.
The Sultan came to Gulbarga with Melik-at-Tujar and his army on the fifteenth day after Ulu Bayram. The war was unsuccessful for them - they took one Indian city, but many people died and they spent a lot of treasury.
But the Indian Grand Duke is powerful and has a large army. His fortress is on a mountain, and his capital city Vijayanagar is very large. The city has three moats, and a river flows through it. On one side of the city there is a dense jungle, and on the other side the valley is suitable - an amazing place, suitable for everything. That side is not passable - the path goes through the city; The city cannot be taken from any direction: there is a huge mountain there and an evil, thorny thicket. The army stood under the city for a month, and people died of thirst, and a lot of people died of hunger and thirst. We looked at the water, but didn’t go near it.
Khoja Melik-at-Tujar took another Indian city, took it by force, fought with the city day and night, for twenty days the army neither drank nor ate, stood under the city with guns. And his army killed five thousand of the best warriors. And he took the city - they slaughtered twenty thousand males and females, and twenty thousand - both adults and children - were taken captive. They sold prisoners for ten tenki per head, some for five, and children for two tenki. They didn’t take the treasury at all. And he did not take the capital city.
From Gulbarga I went to Kallur. Carnelian is born in Kallur, and here it is processed, and from here it is transported all over the world. Three hundred diamond workers live in Kallur (they decorate their weapons). I stayed here for five months and went from there to Koilkonda. The market there is very big. And from there he went to Gulbarga, and from Gulbarga to Aland. And from Aland he went to Amendriye, and from Amendriye - to Naryas, and from Naryas - to Suri, and from Suri he went to Dabhol - the pier of the Indian Sea.
The large city of Dabhol - people come here from both the Indian and Ethiopian coasts. Here I, accursed Athanasius, slave of the Most High God, creator of heaven and earth, thought about the Christian faith, and about Christ’s baptism, about the fasts established by the holy fathers, about the apostolic commandments, and I set my mind on going to Rus'. He went up to the tawa and agreed on the ship's payment - from his head to Hormuz-grad two gold dals. I sailed on a ship from Dabhol-grad to the Besermen post, three months before Easter.
I sailed in the sea for a whole month, not seeing anything. And the next month I saw the Ethiopian mountains, and all the people cried out: “Ollo pervodiger, ollo konkar, bizim bashi mudna nasin bolmyshti,” and in Russian it means: “God, Lord, God, God the Most High, the King of Heaven, here judged us you will die!
We were in that land of Ethiopia for five days. By the grace of God, no evil happened. They distributed a lot of rice, pepper, and bread to the Ethiopians. And they didn’t rob the ship.
And from there they walked twelve days to Muscat. I celebrated the sixth Easter in Muscat. It took nine days to get to Hormuz, but we spent twenty days in Hormuz. And from Hormuz he went to Lar, and was in Lar for three days. From Lar to Shiraz it took twelve days, and in Shiraz it was seven days. From Shiraz I went to Eberka, I walked for fifteen days, and it was ten days to Eberka. It took nine days from Eberku to Yazd, and eight days in Yazd. And from Yazd he went to Isfahan, walked for five days, and was in Isfahan for six days. And from Isfahan I went to Kashan, and I was in Kashan for five days. And from Kashan he went to Qom, and from Qom to Save. And from Save he went to Soltaniya, and from Soltaniya he went to Tabriz, and from Tabriz he went to the headquarters of Uzun Hasan-bek. He was at headquarters for ten days, because there was no way anywhere. Uzun Hasan-bek sent forty thousand troops to his court against the Turkish Sultan. They took Sivas. And they took Tokat and burned it, and they took Amasia, and plundered many villages, and went to war against the Karaman ruler.
And from Uzun Hasan Bey’s headquarters I went to Erzincan, and from Erzincan I went to Trabzon.
He came to Trabzon for the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary and was in Trabzon for five days. I came to the ship and agreed on payment - to give gold from my head to Kafa, and for grub I borrowed gold - to give it to Kafa.
And in that Trabzon the subashi and pasha did me a lot of harm. Everyone ordered me to bring my property to their fortress, to the mountain, and they searched everything. And what little good there was - they all robbed it. And they were looking for letters, because I was coming from the headquarters of Uzup Hasan-bey.
By the grace of God I reached the third sea - the Black Sea, which in Persian is Darya of Istanbul. We sailed by sea for ten days with a fair wind and reached Bona, and then a strong north wind met us and drove the ship back to Trabzon. Because of a strong headwind, we stood in Platan for fifteen days. We went out to sea from Platana twice, but the wind blew against us and did not allow us to cross the sea. (True God, patron God!) Besides him, I don’t know any other god.
We crossed the sea and brought us to Balaklava, and from there we went to Gurzuf, and we stood there for five days. By the grace of God I came to Kafa nine days before the Philippian fast. (God is the creator!)
By the grace of God I crossed three seas. (God knows the rest, God the patron knows.) Amen! (In the name of the merciful, merciful Lord. The Lord is great, the good God, the good Lord. Jesus the spirit of God, peace be with you. God is great. There is no god but the Lord. The Lord is the Provider. Praise be to the Lord, thanks be to the all-conquering God. In the name of the merciful, merciful God. He is a god besides whom there is no god, who knows everything secret and obvious. He is merciful, merciful. There is no god besides the Lord, He is the king, the holiness, the preserver, the judge of good and evil, the omnipotent, the healing, the exalting. , creator, creator, imager, he is the absolver of sins, the punisher, the resolver of all difficulties, the nourisher, the victorious, the omniscient, the punishing, the corrective, the preserving, the elevating, the forgiving, the overthrowing, the all-hearing, all-seeing, right, just, good.)
In the summer of 6983 <...>. In the same year, I found the writing of Ofonas Tveritin, a merchant who had been in Ynda for 4 years, and went, he says, with Vasily Papin. According to the experiments, if Vasily went from Krechata as an ambassador from the Grand Duke, and they said that a year before the Kazan campaign he came from the Horde, if Prince Yuri was near Kazan, then they shot him near Kazan. It is written that he did not find it, in which summer he went or in which summer he came from Yndey and died, but they say that, dey, he died before reaching Smolensk. And he wrote the scripture with his own hand, and it was his hands who brought those notebooks to the guests to Vasily Mamyrev, to the clerk to the Grand Duke in Moscow.
Per year 6983 (1475)(...). In the same year, I received the notes of Afanasy, a merchant of Tver; he was in India for four years, and writes that he set off on the journey with Vasily Papin. I asked when Vasily Papin was sent with gyrfalcons as an ambassador from the Grand Duke, and they told me that a year before the Kazan campaign he returned from the Horde, and died near Kazan, shot with an arrow, when Prince Yuri went to Kazan. I couldn’t find in the records in what year Afanasy left or in what year he returned from India and died, but they say that he died before reaching Smolensk. And he wrote the notes in his own hand, and those notebooks with his notes were brought by merchants to Moscow to Vasily Mamyrev, the clerk of the Grand Duke.
For the prayer of the saints, father onOur Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, your sinful servant Afonasya Mikitin’s son.
For the prayer of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, your sinful servant Afanasy Nikitin’s son.
Behold, you have written your sinful journey across the three seas: 1st Sea of Derbenskoye, Doria Praises bckaa; 2nd Indian Sea, Gundustanskaya Doria, 3rd Black Sea, Stebolskaya Doria.
I wrote here about my sinful journey across three seas: the first sea - Derbent, Darya Khvalisskaya, the second sea - Indian, Darya Gundustan, the third sea - Black, Darya Istanbul.
I died from the golden-domed Savior and by his mercy, from my sovereign, from Grand Duke Mikhail Borisovich Tversky, and from Bishop Genady Tversky, and Boris Zakharyich.
I went from the golden-domed Savior with his mercy, from my sovereign Grand Duke Mikhail Borisovich Tverskoy, from Bishop Gennady Tverskoy and from Boris Zakharyich.
And went down the Volga. And he came to the Kolyazin monastery to the Holy Life-Giving Trinity and to the holy martyr Boris and Gleb. And he blessed the abbot, Macarius and the holy brethren. And from Kolyazin I went to Uglech, and from Uglech they released me voluntarily. And from there I left, from Uglech, and came to Kostroma to Prince Alexander with the new diploma of the Grand Duke. And he let me go voluntarily. And coming to Pleso you are voluntarily.
I swam down the Volga. And he came to the Kalyazin monastery to the Holy Life-Giving Trinity and the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb. And he received a blessing from Abbot Macarius and the holy brethren. From Kalyagin I sailed to Uglich, and from Uglich they let me go without any obstacles. And, sailing from Uglich, he came to Kostroma and came to Prince Alexander with another letter from the Grand Duke. And he let me go without any obstacles. And he arrived in Plyos without any obstacles.
And I came to Novgorod in Nizhnyaya to Mikhailo x Kiselev, to the governor, and to the duty officer to Yvan to Saraev, and they released me voluntarily. And Vasily Papin passed by the city for two weeks, and I waited in Novgorod in Nizhny for two weeks for the ambassador of the Tatar Shirvanshin Asanbeg, and he was driving from the Krechats from Grand Duke Ivan, and he had ninety Krechats.
And I came to Nizhny Novgorod to Mikhail Kiselev, the governor, and to the exile Ivan Saraev, and they let me go without obstacles. Vasily Papin, however, had already passed through the city, and I waited in Nizhny Novgorod for two weeks for Hasan Bey, the ambassador of the Shirvanshah of the Tatar. And he rode with gyrfalcons from Grand Duke Ivan, and he had ninety gyrfalcons.
And I came with them to the bottom of the Volga. And we passed Kazan voluntarily, we didn’t see anyone, and we passed the Horde, and Uslan, and Sarai, and Berekezans We've passed. And we drove into Buzan. Then three filthy Tatars came at us and told us false news: “Kaisym Saltan is guarding the guests in Buzan, and with him are three thousand Tatars.” And the Shirvanshin ambassador Asanbeg gave them one piece of paper and a piece of canvas to lead them past Khaztarahan. And they, the filthy Tatars, took one by one and gave the news to the king in Khaztarahan. And I left my ship and climbed onto the ship for the message and with my comrades.
I swam with them down the Volga. They passed Kazan without obstacles, did not see anyone, and Orda, and Uslan, and Sarai, and Berekezan sailed and entered Buzan. And then three infidel Tatars met us and gave us false news: “Sultan Kasim is lying in wait for the merchants on Buzan, and with him are three thousand Tatars.” The Shirvanshah's ambassador, Hasan-bek, gave them a single-row caftan and a piece of linen to guide us past Astrakhan. And they, the unfaithful Tatars, took one line at a time, and sent the news to the Tsar in Astrakhan. And I and my comrades left my ship and moved to the embassy ship.
We drove past Khaztarahan, and the moon was shining, and the king saw us, and the Tatars called to us: “Kachma, don’t run!” But we didn’t hear anything, but fled like a sail. Because of our sin, the king sent his entire horde after us. They caught us on Bogun and taught us to shoot. And we shot a man, and they shot two Tatars. And the ship is ours less it became difficult, and they took us and immediately plundered us, and my little junk was all in a smaller ship.
We sail past Astrakhan, and the moon is shining, and the king saw us, and the Tatars shouted to us: “Kachma - don’t run!” But we haven’t heard anything about this and are running under our own sail. For our sins, the king sent all his people after us. They overtook us on Bohun and started shooting at us. We shot a man, and we shot two Tatars. But our smaller ship got stuck near the Ez, and they immediately took it and plundered it, and all my luggage was on that ship.
And in a large ship we reached the sea, but at the mouth of the Volga we became aground, and they took us there, and ordered us to pull the ship back up before I'll go. And here is our ship more The Russians robbed us and took four of our heads, but they sent us over the sea with our bare heads, and the news of the affair did not let us go up.
We reached the sea on a large ship, but it became aground at the mouth of the Volga, and then they overtook us and ordered the ship to be pulled up the river to the point. And our large ship was robbed here and four Russian men were taken prisoner, and we were released with our bare heads across the sea, and were not allowed back up the river, so that no news was given.
And I went to Derbent, crying, two ships: in one ship Ambassador Asanbeg, and Teziks, and ten of us Rusak heads; and in another ship there are 6 Muscovites, and six Tverians, and cows, and our food. And the truck arose on the sea, and the smaller ship crashed on the shore. And there is the town of Tarkhi, and people came ashore, and the kaytaks came and caught all the people.
And we went, crying, on two ships to Derbent: in one ship, Ambassador Khasan-bek, and the Teziki, and ten of us Russians; and in the other ship there were six Muscovites, six Tver residents, cows, and our food. And a storm arose on the sea, and the smaller ship was broken on the shore. And here is the town of Tarki, and people went ashore, and the kaytaki came and took everyone prisoner.
And we came to Derbent, and Vasily came back in good health, and we were robbed. AND beat you brow to Vasily Papin and Ambassador Shirvanshin Asanbeg, that I am with him They came to grieve for the people who were caught near Tarkhi Kaitaki. And Asanbeg was sad and went to the mountain to Bulatubeg. And Bulatbeg sent a fast walker to shirevan Shibeg that: “Sir, a Russian ship was broken up near Tarkhi, and the kaytaki, when they arrived, people caught them, and their goods were plundered.”
And we came to Derbent, and Vasily arrived there safely, and we were robbed. And I beat Vasily Papin and the Shirvanshah’s ambassador Hasan-bek, with whom we came, with my brow, so that they would take care of the people whom the kaytaks captured near Tarki. And Hasan-bek went to the mountain to ask Bulat-bek. And Bulat-bek sent a walker to the Shirvanshah to convey: “Sir! The Russian ship crashed near Tarki, and the kaytaki, when they arrived, took the people prisoner and plundered their goods.”
And Shirvanshabeg at the same hour sent an envoy to his brother-in-law Alil-beg, the Kaitachevo prince, saying: “The ship is my it was defeated near Tarkhi, and your people, when they came, captured people and plundered their goods; and so that, while sharing me, you would send people to me and collect their goods, those people were also sent in my name. And what do you need from me, and you came to me, and I don’t bother you, your brother. And those people came in my name, and you would have released them to me voluntarily, sharing me.” And Alilbeg of that hour the people sent everyone to Derbent voluntarily, and from Derbent they sent them to the Shirvanshi in his yard, Koitul.
And the Shirvanshah immediately sent an envoy to his brother-in-law, the prince of the Kaitak Khalil-bek: “My ship crashed near Tarki, and your people, coming, captured the people from it, and plundered their goods; and you, for my sake, people came to me and collect their goods, because those people were sent to me. And what do you need from me, send it to me, and I, my brother, will not contradict you in anything. And those people came to me, and you, for my sake, let them come to me without obstacles.” And Khalil-bek immediately released all the people to Derbent without obstacles, and from Derbent they were sent to the Shirvanshah at his headquarters - koytul.
And we went to Shirvansha in Koitul and beat him with his forehead so that he would favor us rather than get to Rus'. And he didn’t give us anything, but there are a lot of us. And we burst into tears and dispersed in all directions: whoever had anything in Rus' went to Rus'; and whoever should, and he went where his eyes took him. And others remained in Shamakhi, and others went to work for Baka.
We went to the Shirvanshah’s headquarters and beat him with our foreheads so that he would favor us rather than reach Rus'. And he didn’t give us anything: they say there are a lot of us. And we parted, crying in all directions: whoever had what was left in Rus' went to Rus', and whoever had to, went wherever he could. And others remained in Shemakha, while others went to Baku to work.
And Yaz went to Derbenti, and from Derbenti to Baka, where the fire burns unquenchable, and from Baki he went overseas to Chebokar.
And I went to Derbent, and from Derbent to Baku, where the fire burns unquenchable; and from Baku he went overseas to Chapakur.
Yes, here I lived in Chebokar for 6 months, and I lived in Sara for a month, in the Mazdran land. And from there to Amili, and here you lived for a month. And from there to Dimovant, and from Dimovant to Rey. And they killed Shausen, the Aleev children and the Makhmetev grandchildren, and he cursed them, and 70 other cities collapsed.
And I lived in Chapakur for six months, and I lived in Sari for a month, in Mazandaran land. And from there he went to Amol and lived here for a month. And from there he went to Damavand, and from Damavand to Ray. Here they killed Shah Hussein, one of the children of Ali, the grandchildren of Muhammad, and the curse of Muhammad fell on the killers - seventy cities were destroyed.
And from Drey to Kasheni, and here I lived for a month, and from Kasheni to Nain, and from Nain to Ezdiya, and here I lived for a month. And from Dies to Syrchan, and from Syrchan to Tarom, and funiki to feed the animals, batman for 4 altyns. And from Torom to Lar, and from Lar to Bender, and here there is the Gurmyz shelter. And here there is the Indian Sea, and in the Parse language and Hondustan Doria; and from there go by sea to Gurmyz 4 miles.
From Rey I went to Kashan and lived here for a month, and from Katan to Nain, and from Nain to Yazd and lived here for a month. And from Yazd he went to Sirjan, and from Sirjan to Tarom, livestock here is fed with dates, batman dates are sold for four altyns. And from Tarom he went to Lar, and from Lar to Bender - then the Hormuz pier. And here is the Indian Sea, in Persian Daria of Gundustan; It's a four mile walk from here to Hormuz-grad.
And Gurmyz is on the island, and every day the sea catches him twice a day. And then I took the first Great Day, and I came to Gurmyz four weeks before the Great Day. Because I didn’t write all the cities, there are many great cities. And in Gurmyz there is a sunburn that will burn a person. And I was in Gurmyz for a month, and from Gurmyz I went across the Indian Sea along the Velitsa days to Radunitsa, to Tava with the conmi.
And Hormuz is on an island, and the sea comes on it twice every day. I spent my first Easter here, and came to Hormuz four weeks before Easter. And that’s why I didn’t name all the cities, because there are many more big cities. The heat of the sun in Hormuz is great, it will burn a person. I was in Hormuz for a month, and from Hormuz after Easter on the day of Radunitsa I went in a tawa with horses across the Indian Sea.
And we walked by sea to Moshkat for 10 days; and from Moshkat to Degu 4 days; and from Dega Kuzryat; and from Kuzryat to Konbaatu. And then paint and paint will appear. And from Konbat to Chuvil, and from Chuvil I am went in the 7th week according to Velitsa days, and we walked in the tava for 6 weeks by sea to Chivil.
And we walked by sea to Muscat for ten days, and from Muscat to Dega for four days, and from Dega to Gujarat, and from Gujarat to Cambay. This is where paint and varnish are born. From Cambay they sailed to Chaul, and from Chaul they left in the seventh week after Easter, and they walked by sea for six weeks in a tawa to Chaul.
And here there is an Indian country, and people walk around all naked, and their heads are not covered, and their breasts are naked, and their hair is braided in one braid, and everyone walks with their bellies, and children are born every year, and they have many children. And the men and women are all naked, and all black. Wherever I go, there are many people behind me, and they marvel at the white man. And their prince has a photo on his head, and another on his head; and the boyars have a photo on the shoulder, and a friend on the guzna, the princesses walk around with a photo on the shoulder, and a friend on the guzna. And the servants of the princes and boyars - a photo on the guzne, and a shield, and a sword in their hands, and some with sulits, and others with knives, and others with sabers, and others with bows and arrows; and everyone is naked, barefoot, and big-haired, but they don’t shave their hair. And the women walk around with their heads uncovered and their nipples bare; and boys and girls walk naked until they are seven years old, not covered in rubbish.
And here is the Indian country, and people walk naked, and their heads are not covered, and their breasts are bare, and their hair is braided in one braid, everyone walks with bellies, and children are born every year, and they have many children. Both men and women are all naked and all black. Wherever I go, there are many people behind me - they are amazed at the white man. The prince there has a veil on his head and another on his hips, and the boyars there have a veil over their shoulder and another on their hips, and the princesses walk with a veil over their shoulder and another veil on their hips. And the servants of the princes and boyars have one veil wrapped around their hips, and a shield, and a sword in their hands, some with darts, others with daggers, and others with sabers, and others with bows and arrows; Yes, everyone is naked, and barefoot, and strong, and they do not shave their hair. And women walk around - their heads are not covered, and their breasts are bare, and boys and girls walk naked until they are seven years old, their shame is not covered.
And I went dry from Chuvil for 8 days until Pali, to Indian Mountains. And from Pali to Die there are 10 days, and that is an Indian city. And from Umri to Chuner there are 7 days.
From Chaul they went overland, walked to Pali for eight days, to the Indian mountains. And from Pali they walked ten days to Umri, an Indian city. And from Umri there are seven days' journey to Junnar.
There is Asatkhan Chunerskya Indian, and the slave is Meliktucharov. And he holds say, seven themes from meliktochar. And the meliqtuchar sits at 20 tmah; and he fights with the Kaffarah for 20 years, then they beat him, then he beats them many times. Khan As rides on people. And he has a lot of elephants, and he has a lot of good horses, and he has a lot of Khorosan people. And they are brought from the Khorosan lands, and some from the Orap lands, and others from the Turkmen lands, and others from the Chebotai lands, and they bring everything by sea in tavs - Indian ships.
The Indian khan rules here - Asad Khan of Junnar, and he serves Melik-at-Tujar. Melik-at-Tujar gave him troops, they say, seventy thousand. And Melik-at-Tujar has two hundred thousand troops under his command, and he has been fighting the Kafars for twenty years: and they have defeated him more than once, and he has defeated them many times. Assad Khan rides in public. And he has a lot of elephants, and he has a lot of good horses, and he has a lot of warriors, Khorasans. And horses are brought from the Khorasan land, some from the Arab land, some from the Turkmen land, others from the Chagotai land, and they are all brought by sea in tavs - Indian ships.
And the sinful tongue brought the stallion to the Yndei land, and I reached Chuner: God gave me everything in good health, and became me a hundred rubles. It has been winter for them since Trinity Day. And we spent the winter in Chuner, and lived for two months. Every day and night for 4 months there was water and dirt everywhere. On those same days they yell and sow wheat, and Tuturgan, and nogot, and everything edible. They make wine in great nuts - goats of Gundustan; and the mash is repaired in Tatna. The horses are fed with nofut, and the kichiris is boiled with sugar, and the horses are fed with butter, and they are given hornets to wound them. In the Yndei land they will not give birth to horses, in their land oxen and buffaloes will be born, and goods are also ridden on them, other they drive, they do everything.
And I, a sinner, brought the stallion to Indian land, and with him I reached Junnar, with God’s help, healthy, and he cost me a hundred rubles. Their winter began on Trinity Day. I spent the winter in Junnar and lived here for two months. Every day and night - for four whole months - there was water and mud everywhere. These days they plow and sow wheat, rice, peas, and everything edible. They make wine from large nuts, they call it Gundustan goats, and they call mash from tatna. Here they feed the horses peas, and cook khichri with sugar and butter, and feed the horses with them, and in the morning they give them hornets. There are no horses in the Indian land; bulls and buffaloes are born in their land - they ride on them, carry goods and carry other things, do everything.
Chyunerey city is on a stone island, not covered with anything, created by God. And they walk up the mountain every day, one person at a time: the road is narrow, and two people can’t get water.
Junnar-grad stands on a stone rock, is not fortified by anything, and is protected by God. And the path to that mountain day, one person at a time: the road is narrow, it is impossible for two to pass.
In the Yndeyskaya land, guests set up food in the courtyard, and food is cooked for the guests of the lady, and the bed is made for the guests of the lady, and they sleep with the guests. Sikish iliresen strangler of Beresin, sikish ilimes ek resident of Bersen, dostur avrat chektur, and sikish mufut; but they love white people.
In Indian land, merchants are settled in farmsteads. The housewives cook for the guests, and the housewives make the bed, and sleep with the guests. If you have a close connection with her, give two residents, if you do not have a close connection, give one resident. There are many wives here according to the rule of temporary marriage, and then a close relationship is for nothing; but they love white people.
In the winter they have People photo on the head, and another on the shoulder, and the third on the head; and the princes and boyars lift themselves up trousers, and a shirt, and a caftan, and a photo on the shoulder, and gird another one, and turn the head with a third one. A se olo, olo abr, olo ak, ollo kerem, ollo ragim!
In winter, their common people wear a veil on their hips, another on their shoulders, and a third on their head; and the princes and boyars then put on ports, a shirt, a caftan, and a veil on their shoulders, gird themselves with another veil, and wrap a third veil around their heads. O God, great God, true Lord, generous God, merciful God!
And in Chuner, the Khan took a stallion from me, and found out that Yaz was not a Besermenian - a Rusin. And he says: “I will give a stallion and a thousand golden ladies, and stand in our faith - on Mahmet Day; If you don’t join our faith, on Mahmat Day, I’ll take a stallion and a thousand gold coins on your head.” And the term was imposed for four days, in Ospozhino shit on Spasov Day. And the Lord God had mercy on his honest holiday, did not leave his mercy on me, a sinner, and did not order me to perish in Chyuner with the wicked. And on the eve of Spasov, the hostess Makhmet Khorosanets came and beat him with his forehead so that he would grieve for me. And he went to the khan in the city and asked me to leave so that they wouldn’t convert me, and he took my stallion from him. This is the miracle of the Lord on Savior Day. Otherwise, brother Rusti Christians, who wants to go to the Indian land, and you leave your faith in Rus', and cry out to Mahmet and go to the Gundustan land.
And in that Junnar, the khan took the stallion from me when he found out that I was not a Besermen, but a Rusyn. And he said: “I will return the stallion, and I will give a thousand gold coins in addition, just convert to our faith - to Muhammaddini. If you don’t convert to our faith, to Muhammaddini, I will take the stallion and a thousand gold coins from your head.” And he set a deadline - four days, on Spasov Day, on Assumption Sunday. Yes, the Lord God took pity on his honest holiday, did not leave me, a sinner, with his mercy, did not allow me to perish in Junnar among the infidels. On the eve of Spasov's day, the treasurer Mohammed, a Khorasanian, arrived, and I beat him with my brow so that he would work for me. And he went to the city to Asad Khan and asked for me, so that they would not convert me to their faith, and he took my stallion back from the khan. This is the Lord's miracle on Savior Day. And so, Russian Christian brothers, if anyone wants to go to the Indian land, leave your faith in Rus', and, calling Muhammad, go to the Gundustan land.
The Besermen dogs lied to me, but they said there was only a lot of our goods, but there was nothing for our land: all the white goods for the Besermen land, pepper and paint, were cheap. Others are transported by sea, and they do not give duties. But other people won’t let us carry out duties. And there are a lot of duties, and there are a lot of robbers on the sea. And all the Kafars, not the peasants, not the besermen, are defeated; but they pray like a stone blockhead, but they don’t know Christ or Makhmet.
The Besermen dogs lied to me, they said that there is a lot of our goods, but there is nothing for our land: all the goods are white for the Besermen land, pepper and paint, then they are cheap. Those who transport oxen overseas do not pay duties. But they won’t let us transport goods without duty. But there are many tolls, and there are many robbers on the sea. The Kafars are robbers; they are not Christians and are not irreligious: they pray to stone fools and know neither Christ nor Muhammad.
And I from Chunerya went out on Ospozhin day to Beder, to their great city. And we walked for a month to Beder; and from Beder to Kulonkerya 5 days; and from Kulonger to Kolberg 5 days. Between those great cities there are many cities; Every day there are three cities, and sometimes four cities; Kokokov, just hail. From Chuvil to Chyunery there are 20 kovs, and from Chuner to Beder there are 40 kovs, and from Beder to Kulonger there are 9 kovs, and from Beder to Kolubergu 9 miles.
And from Junnar they left for Assumption and went to Bidar, their main city. It took a month to reach Bidar, five days from Bidar to Kulongiri, and five days from Kulongiri to Gulbarga. Between these large cities there are many other cities; every day three cities passed, and other days four cities: as many cities as there were cities. From Chaul to Junnar there are twenty kovas, and from Junnar to Bidar forty kovas, from Bidar to Kulongiri there are nine kovas, and from Bidar to Gulbarga there are nine kovas.
In Beder, there is trading for horses, for goods, and for damask, and for silk, and for all other goods, and buy in it People black; and there are no other purchases in it. Yes, all their goods are from Gundustan, and all food is vegetables, but there is no goods for the Russian land. And all the black people, and all the villains, and the wives are all whores, yes And, yes dad, yes a lie, yes a potion, having given the gift, they drink the potion.
In Bidar, horses, damask, silk and all other goods and black slaves are sold at the auction, but there are no other goods here. The goods are all Gundustan, and only vegetables are edible, but there are no goods for the Russian land. And here the people are all black, all villains, and the women are all walking, and sorcerers, and thieves, and deception, and poison, they kill the gentlemen with poison.
In the Yndey land, all Khorosans reign, and all the boyars are Khorosans. And the Gundustanians are all pedestrians, and the Khorosans walk in front of them on horses, and others are all on foot, walking like greyhounds, and all are naked and barefoot, with a shield in their hands, and a sword in the other, and others with great bows with straight arrows. And all of them are elephants. Yes, the foot soldiers are allowed to go ahead, and the Khorosans are on horseback and in armor, and the horses themselves. And to the elephant they knit great swords to the snout and to the teeth according to the centar of forged ones, and cover them in damask armor, and towns are made on them, and in the towns there are 12 people in armor, and everyone with guns and arrows.
In the Indian land, all Khorasans reign, and all the boyars are Khorasans. And the Gundustanians are all on foot and walk in front of the Khorasans, who are on horses; and the rest are all on foot, walking quickly, all naked and barefoot, with a shield in one hand, a sword in the other, and others with large straight bows and arrows. More and more battles are fought on elephants. In front are foot soldiers, behind them are Khorasans in armor on horses, both themselves and horses in armor. They tie large forged swords to the heads and tusks of the elephants, each weighing a centar, and they dress the elephants in damask armor, and turrets are made on the elephants, and in those turrets there are twelve people in armor, all with guns and arrows.
They have one place, shikhb Aludin pir yatyr bazaar Alyadinand. For a year there is one bazaar, the whole Indian country comes to trade, and they trade for 10 days; from Beder 12 kovs. They bring horses, they sell up to 20 thousand horses, they bring all kinds of goods. In the land of Gundustan, the trade is the best, all kinds of goods are sold and bought in memory of Shikh Aladin, and in Russian for the Protection of the Holy Virgin. In that Alyanda there is a bird called kukuk, which flies at night and calls: “kuk-kuk,” and on which the khoromine sits, then a person will die; and whoever wants to kill her, otherwise fire will come out of her mouth. And mamons walk around all night and have chickens, but live in a mountain or in a stone. And the monkeys live in the forest. And they have a monkey prince, and he leads his army. But whoever hides it, and they complain to their prince, and he sends his army against him, and when they come to the city, they will destroy the courtyards and beat the people. And their army, they say, is many, and they have their own language. And they will give birth to many children; Yes, who will be born neither as father nor mother, and they are tossed along the roads. Some Gundustanians have them and teach them all kinds of handicrafts, while others sell nights so that they don’t know how to run back, and others teach mikanet bases.
There is one place here - Aland, where Sheikh Alaeddin, the saint, lies and a fair. Once a year, the whole Indian country comes to trade at that fair; they trade here for ten days; from Bidar there are twelve kovs. They bring horses here - up to twenty thousand horses - to sell, and they bring all sorts of goods. In the land of Gundustan, this fair is the best, every product is sold and bought on the days of memory of Sheikh Alaeddin, and in our opinion, on the Intercession of the Holy Virgin. And there is also a bird called gukuk in that Åland, it flies at night and shouts: “kuk-kuk”; and on whose house she sits, the person will die, and whoever wants to kill her, she lets fire out of her mouth at him. Mamons walk at night and grab chickens, and they live on hills or among rocks. And monkeys live in the forest. They have a monkey prince who goes about with his army. If someone offends monkeys, they complain to their prince, and he sends his army against the offender, and when they come to the city, they destroy houses and kill people. And the army of monkeys, they say, is very large, and they have their own language. Many cubs are born to them, and if one of them is born as neither the mother nor the father, they are abandoned on the roads. Some Gundustanis select them and teach them all sorts of crafts; and if they sell, then at night, so that they cannot find their way back, but they teach others amuse people.
It's spring for them Intercession Holy Mother of God. And they celebrate Shiga Aladin, in the spring for two weeks according to the Intercession, and they celebrate for 8 days. And spring lasts 3 months, and summer lasts 3 months, and winter lasts 3 months, and autumn is 3 months.
Their spring began with the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God. And they celebrate the memory of Sheikh Alaeddin and the beginning of spring two weeks after the Intercession; The holiday lasts eight days. And their spring lasts three months, and summer three months, and winter three months, and autumn three months.
In Bederi their table is for Gundustan of Besermen. But the city is great, and there are many great people. But the saltan is not long - 20 years, but the boyars hold it, and the Khorosans reign, and all the Khorosans fight.
Bidar is the capital city of Gundustan of Besermen. The city is big and there are a lot of people in it. The Sultan is young, twenty years old - the boyars rule, and the Khorasans reign and all the Khorasans fight.
There is a Khorosan meliktuchar boyar, but he has two hundred thousand of his army, and Melikhan has 100 thousand, and Faratkhan has 20 thousand, and many of those khanoz have 10 thousand troops. And three hundred thousand of their army come out with the saltan.
A Khorasan boyar, Melik-at-Tujar, lives here, so he has two hundred thousand of his army, and Melik Khan has one hundred thousand, and Farat Khan has twenty thousand, and many khans have ten thousand troops. And with the Sultan comes three hundred thousand of his troops.
And the earth is crowded with velmi, and the rural people are naked, and the boyars are strong and kind and lush velmi. And everyone carries them on their beds on silver, and horses lead in front of them. gear gold up to 20; and behind them there are 300 people on horseback, and five hundred people on foot, and 10 pipe makers, yes Nagarnikov 10 people, and 10 flute players.
The land is populous, and the rural people are very poor, but the boyars have great power and are very rich. The boyars are carried on silver stretchers, in front of the horses they are led in golden harness, up to twenty horses are led, and behind them are three hundred horsemen, and five hundred foot soldiers, and ten trumpeters, and ten people with drums, and ten dudars.
Saltan goes out for fun with his mother and his wife, or with him there are 10 thousand people on horses, and fifty thousand on foot, and two elephants are brought out, dressed in gilded armor, and in front of him there are a hundred pipe-makers, and a hundred dancers, and simple horses 300v gear gold, and behind him a hundred monkeys, and a hundred whores, and all of them are gauroks.
And when the Sultan goes for a walk with his mother and his wife, then ten thousand horsemen and fifty thousand foot soldiers follow him, and two hundred elephants are brought out, all in gilded armor, and in front of him there are a hundred trumpeters, and a hundred dancers, and they lead three hundred riding horses in golden harness, one hundred monkeys, and one hundred concubines, they are called gauryks.
In Saltanov’s courtyard there are seven gates, and in each gate sits a hundred guards and a hundred Kaffar scribes. Who goes, they write down, and who goes out, they write down. But the Garips are not allowed into the city. And his courtyard is wonderful, everything is carved and painted in gold, and the last stone is carved and described in gold. Yes, there are different courts in his yard.
There are seven gates leading to the Sultan’s palace, and at the gates sit one hundred guards and one hundred Kaffar scribes. Some write down who goes into the palace, others - who leaves. But strangers are not allowed into the palace. And the Sultan’s palace is very beautiful, there are carvings and gold on the walls, the last stone is very beautifully carved and painted in gold. Yes, in the Sultan’s palace the vessels are different.
The city Thigh They guard thousands of Kutovalov men at night, and ride on horses in armor, and everyone has a light.
At night, the city of Bidar is guarded by a thousand guards under the command of a kuttaval, on horses and in armor, and each holding a torch.
And he sold his stallion’s tongue in Bederi. Yes, you gave him sixty and eight hundred pounds, and you fed him for a year. In Bederi, snakes walk along the streets, and their length is two fathoms. He came to Beder to plot about Filipov and Kulonger, and sold his stallion about Christmas.
I sold my stallion in Bidar. I spent sixty-eight feet on him and fed him for a year. In Bidar, snakes crawl along the streets, two fathoms long. I returned to Bidar from Kulongiri on the Filippov fast, and sold my stallion for Christmas.
And then I went to the Great Messenger in Bederi and got acquainted with many Indians. And I told them my faith that I am not a besermenian and a Christian, but my name is Ofonasei, and the besermenian name of the owner is Isuf Khorosani. And they did not learn to hide from me about anything, neither about food, nor about trade, nor about manaza, nor about other things, nor did they learn to hide their wives.
And I lived here in Bidar until Lent and met many Hindus. I revealed my faith to them and said that I am not a Germanless person, but faith of Jesus Christian, and my name is Afanasy, and my Besermen name is Khoja Yusuf Khorasani. And the Hindus did not hide anything from me, neither about their food, nor about trade, nor about prayers, nor about other things, and they did not hide their wives in the house.
Yes, everything is about faith about their trials, and they say: we believe in Adam, but the buty, it seems, is Adam and his entire race. A believe In India there are 80 and 4 faiths, and everyone believes in Buta. And faith with faith neither drink, neither eat, nor marry. And others eat boranin, and chickens, and fish, and eggs, but there is no faith in eating oxen.
I asked them about faith, and they told me: we believe in Adam, and the buts, they say, are Adam and his whole race. And all the faiths in India are eighty and four faiths, and everyone believes in Buta. But people of different faiths do not drink with each other, do not eat, and do not marry. Some of them eat lamb, chickens, fish, and eggs, but no one eats beef.
In Bederi there were 4 months and the Indians decided to go to the First, then their Jerusalem, and according to the Besermensky Myagkat, G de their butkhana. There he died with the Indians and there will be a dry month. And the butkhana trades for 5 days. But the butkhana velmi is as big as half of Tver, stone, and rubble deeds are carved on it. Near it all 12 crowns were cut, how he worked miracles, how he showed them many images: first, he appeared in a human image; another, a man, and the nose of elephants; third, a man, but the vision is a monkey; fourthly, a man, but in the image of a fierce beast, and being him all with tail And it is carved on a stone, and the tail through it is fathoms.
I stayed in Bidar for four months and agreed with the Hindus to go to Parvat, where they have a butkhana - that is their Jerusalem, the same as Mecca for the Besermen. I walked with the Indians until Butkhana for a month. And at that butkhana there is a fair that lasts five days. The buthana is large, half the size of Tver, made of stone, and the deeds of the buthana are carved in the stone. Twelve crowns are carved around the butkhana - how the butkhana performed miracles, how it appeared in different images: the first - in the form of a man, the second - a man, but with an elephant trunk, the third - a man, and the face of a monkey, the fourth - half man, half fierce beast, appeared all with a tail. And it is carved on a stone, and the tail, about a fathom long, is thrown over it.
The whole Indian country comes to Butkhan for the miracle of Butovo. Yes, old and young, women and girls shave at the butkhan. And they shave all their hair - beards, heads, and tails. Let them go to the butkhan. Yes, from every head they collect two sheshkens of duty on buta, and from horses, four feet. And all people come to the butkhan bysty azar lek vah bashet sat azar lek.
The whole Indian country comes to that butkhana for the Butha festival. Yes, old and young, women and girls shave at the butkhana. And they shave off all their hair, shave both their beards and their heads. And they go to the butkhana. From each head they take two sheshkens for buta, and from the horses - four feet. And all the people come to the butkhana twenty thousand lakhs, and sometimes one hundred thousand lakhs.
And with the Sultan came twenty-six viziers, and with each vizier ten thousand cavalry and twenty thousand foot soldiers, and with another vizier fifteen thousand horsemen and thirty thousand foot men. And there were four great Indian viziers, and with them came an army of forty thousand cavalry and one hundred thousand foot. And the Sultan was angry with the Hindus because few people came out with them, and they added twenty thousand more foot soldiers, two thousand horsemen, and twenty elephants. Such is the strength of the Indian Sultan, Besermensky. Muhammad's faith is good. And the growth is bad, but God knows the right faith. And the right faith is to know the one God and to call upon his name in every clean place.
On the fifth Great Day we set our sights on Rus'. Idoh from Beder city a month before the ulu bagryam of Besermen Mamet Denis Rozsulal. And the Great Day of the peasants I did not know the resurrection of Christ, but they were shitty because of the besermen, and I broke my fast with them, and the Great Day took 10 kovs from Bederi in Kelberi.
On the fifth Easter I decided to go to Rus'. Left Bidar a month before Besermen Ulu Bayram according to the faith of Muhammad, the messenger of God. And when Easter, the Resurrection of Christ, I don’t know, I fasted with the Besermen during their fast, broke my fast with them, and celebrated Easter in Gulbarga, ten miles from Bidar.
The Sultan came and meliktuchar with his army 15 day along the street, and in Kelberg. But the war was not successful for them, they took one Indian city, but many of their people were killed, and a lot of treasuries were lost.
The Sultan came to Gulbarga with Melik-at-Tujar and his army on the fifteenth day after Ulu Bayram. The war was unsuccessful for them - they took one Indian city, but many people died and they spent a lot of treasury.
But the Indian saltan kadam velmi is strong, and he has a lot of troops. And he sits in the mountain in Bichiniger, and his city is great. There are three ditches around it, and a river flows through it. And from one country his zhengel is evil, and from another country he came, and the place is wonderful And please on All. There is nowhere to come to the same country, there are roads through the city, and there is nowhere to take the city, a great mountain has come and a forest of evil is ticking. The army melted under the city during the month, and the people died without water, and many heads died from hunger and lack of water. And he looks at the water, but there is nowhere to take it.
But the Indian Grand Duke is powerful, and he has a lot of troops. His fortress is on a mountain, and his capital city Vijayanagar is very large. The city has three moats, and a river flows through it. On one side of the city there is a dense jungle, and on the other side the valley approaches - an amazing place, suitable for everything. That side is not passable - the path goes through the city; The city cannot be taken from any direction: there is a huge mountain there and an evil, thorny thicket. The army stood under the city for a month, and people died of thirst, and a lot of people died of hunger and thirst. We looked at the water, but didn’t go near it.
But the city took the Indian Melikyan owner, and took him by force, day and night he fought against the city for 20 days, the army neither drank nor ate, stood under the city with cannons. And his army killed five thousand good people. And he took the city, and slaughtered 20 thousand of the male and female livestock, and took 20 thousand of the great and small livestock. And they sold a full head for 10 teneks, and another for 5 teneks, and the shy ones are two tenks each. But there was nothing in the treasury. But he didn’t take more cities.
Khoja Melik-at-Tujar took another Indian city, took it by force, fought with the city day and night, for twenty days the army neither drank nor ate, stood under the city with guns. And his army killed five thousand of the best warriors. And he took the city - they slaughtered twenty thousand males and females, and twenty thousand - both adults and children - were taken captive. They sold prisoners for ten tenki per head, some for five, and children for two tenki. They didn’t take the treasury at all. And he did not take the capital city.
And from Kelbergu I walked to Kuluri. But in Kuluri the akhik is born, and they make it, and ship it from there to the whole world. And in Kuril there are three hundred diamond miners sulyakh mikuneT. And the same was five months, and from there Kaliki disappeared. The same bozar velmi is great. And from there he went to Konaberg, and from Kanaberg he went to shikh Aladin. And from shikh Aladin he went to Amendriya, and from Kamendriya to Nyaryas, and from Kinaryas to Suri, and from Suri he went to Dabyli - the haven of the Indian Sea.
From Gulbarga I went to Kallur. Carnelian is born in Kallur, and here it is processed, and from here it is transported all over the world. Three hundred diamond miners live in Kallur, weapons are decorated. I stayed here for five months and went from there to Koilkonda. The market there is very big. And from there he went to Gulbarga, and from Gulbarga to Aland. And from Aland he went to Amendriye, and from Amendriye - to Naryas, and from Naryas - to Suri, and from Suri he went to Dabhol - the pier of the Indian Sea.
Dabil is a great city, and besides, the whole Indian and Ethiopian seaside comes together. The same accursed slave of Athos the Most High God, the creator of heaven and earth, conceived the faith of the peasants, and the baptism of Christ, and the holy father of God, according to the commandments of the apostles, and set his mind on going to Rus'. And take a breath same in tawa, and talk about ahead by ship, and from its head two gold to Gurmyz grad date. I got into the ship from Dabyl city to Velik in three months of besermensky shit.
The large city of Dabhol - people come here from both the Indian and Ethiopian coasts. Here I, accursed Athanasius, slave of the Most High God, creator of heaven and earth, thought about the Christian faith, and about Christ’s baptism, about the fasts established by the holy fathers, about the apostolic commandments, and I set my mind on going to Rus'. He went up to the tawa and agreed on the ship's payment - from his head to Hormuz-grad two gold dals. I sailed on a ship from Dabhol-grad to the Besermen post, three months before Easter.
I walked on the sea for a month and saw nothing. The next month, when they saw the Ethiopian mountains, the same people all shouted: “Ollo pervodiger, ollo konkar, bizim bashi mudna nasin bolmyshti,” and in Russian they said: “God bless, God, the Most High God, the king of heaven, here he judged us thou shalt perish!”
I sailed in the sea for a whole month, not seeing anything. And the next month I saw the Ethiopian mountains, and all the people cried out: “ Ollo pervodiger, ollo konkar, bizim bashi mudna nasin bolmyshti”, and in Russian this means: “God, Lord, God, Most High God, King of Heaven, here you destined us to perish!”
I spent five days in the same land of Ethiopia. By God's grace no evil was committed. Having distributed a lot of cheese, pepper, and bread to the Ethiopians, don’t rob the ship whether.
We were in that land of Ethiopia for five days. By the grace of God, no evil happened. They distributed a lot of rice, pepper, and bread to the Ethiopians. And they didn’t rob the ship.
And from there I walked 12 days to Moshkat. In Moshkat he took the sixth Great day. And I walked to Gurmyz for 9 days, and stayed in Gurmyz for 20 days. From Gurmyz I went to Lari, and spent three days in Lari. It took 12 days from Lari to Shiryaz, and 7 days in Shiryaz. And it took 15 days from Shiryaz to Vergu, and 10 days to Velergu. And from Vergu I went to Ezdi for 9 days, and to Ezdi for 8 days. And go away to Spagani 5 days, and to Spagani 6 days. A is Pagani Kashini died, and there were 5 days in Kashini. And Is Kashina went to Kum, and Is Kuma went to Sava. And from Sava I went to Sultan, and from Sultan I went to Terviz, a is Terviza I went to the Asanbeg horde. There were 10 days in the horde, but there was no way anywhere. And he sent the army of his court 40 thousand to Tursk. Ini Sevast was taken, and Tokhat was taken and burned, Amasia was taken, and many villages were plundered, and they went to Karaman in war.
And from there it took twelve days to reach Muscat. I celebrated the sixth Easter in Muscat. It took nine days to get to Hormuz, but we spent twenty days in Hormuz. And from Hormuz he went to Lar, and was in Lar for three days. From Lar to Shiraz it took twelve days, and in Shiraz it was seven days. From Shiraz I went to Eberka, I walked for fifteen days, and it was ten days to Eberka. From Eberku to Yazd it took nine days, and in Yazd he spent eight days, and from Yazd he went to Isfahan, he walked for five days, and in Isfahan he spent six days. And from Isfahan I went to Kashan, and I was in Kashan for five days. And from Kashan he went to Qom, and from Qom to Save. And from Save he went to Soltaniya, and from Soltaniya he went to Tabriz, and from Tabriz he went to the headquarters of Uzun Hasan-bek. He was at headquarters for ten days, because there was no way anywhere. Uzun Hasan-bek sent forty thousand troops to his court against the Turkish Sultan. They took Sivas. And they took Tokat and burned it, and they took Amasia, plundered many villages and went to war against the Karaman ruler.
And Yaz from the horde went to Artsitsan, and from Ortsitsan he went to Trepizon.
And from Uzun Hasan Bey’s headquarters I went to Erzincan, and from Erzincan I went to Trabzon.
The Holy Mother of God and the ever-virgin Mary came to Trebizon for the Intercession, and spent 5 days in Trepizon. And he came to the ship and talked about a tax - a gold payment from his head to Kafa; and the golden one took it for grub, and gave it to the Cafe.
He came to Trabzon for the Protection of the Holy Mother of God and the Ever-Virgin Mary and was in Trabzon for five days. I came to the ship and agreed on payment - to give gold from my head to Kafa, and for grub I borrowed gold - to give it to Kafa.
And in Trapizon, my Shubash and Pasha committed a lot of evil. They brought all my rubbish to the city up the mountain, and searched everything - what little change they had, or robbed it all. And they are searching for letters that came from the horde of Asanbeg.
And in that Trabzon the subashi and pasha did me a lot of harm. Everyone ordered me to bring my property to their fortress, to the mountain, and they searched everything. And what little good there was - they all robbed it. And they were looking for certificates, because I was coming from Uzun Hasan-bey’s headquarters.
By the grace of God I came to the third sea Chernago, and in the Parsi language Doria Stimbolskaa. We walked along the sea in the wind for 10 days, reached Vonada, and there we were met by a great midnight wind, which returned us to Trabizon, and we stood in Platan for 15 days, the wind was great and evil. And the plane trees went to the sea twice, And An evil wind meets us and will not allow us to walk on the sea. Ollo aka, ollo bad first digger! I don’t know the development of that other God.
By the grace of God I reached the third sea - the Black Sea, which in Persian is Darya of Istanbul. We sailed by sea for ten days with a fair wind and reached Bona, and then a strong north wind met us and drove the ship back to Trabzon. Due to a strong headwind, we stood in Platan for fifteen days. We went out to sea from Platana twice, but the wind blew against us and did not allow us to cross the sea. True God, patron God! Besides him, I don’t know any other God.
And the sea passed away, and take us in They went to Balikaya, and from there to Tokorzov, and they stayed there for 5 days. By the grace of God I came to Kafa 9 days before Philip’s plot. Ollo first digger!
We crossed the sea and brought us to Balaklava, and from there we went to Gurzuf, and we stood there for five days. By the grace of God I came to Kafa nine days before the Philippian fast. God is the creator!
By the grace of God he passed through three seas. Diger is bad, ollo first diger is given. Amen! Smilna rahmam ragim. Ollo akbir, akshi khodo, ilello aksh hodo. Isa ruhoalo, aaliqsolom. Ollo akber. And iliagail ilello. Ollo the first digger. Ahamdu lillo, shukur khudo afatad. Bismilnagi razmam rragim. Huvo mogu go, la lasailla guiya alimul gyaibi va shagaditi. Fuck Rakhman Rahim, fuck I can lie. La ilyaga or Lyakhuya. Almelik, alakudosu, asalom, almumin, almugamine, alazizu, alchebar, almutakanbiru, alkhalik, albariu, almusaviryu, alkafaru, alkalhar, alvazahu, alryazaku, alfatag, alalimu, alkabizu, albasut, alhafiz, allrraviya, almavizu, almuzil, alsemil, albasir, alakamu, aladul, alyatufu.
By the grace of God I crossed three seas. God knows the rest, God the patron knows. Amen! In the name of the merciful, merciful Lord. The Lord is great, the good God, the good Lord. Jesus Spirit of God, peace be with you. God is great. There is no God but the Lord. The Lord is a Provider. Praise be to the Lord, thanks be to the all-conquering God. In the name of the merciful, merciful God. He is God, besides whom there is no God, who knows everything secret and obvious. He is merciful, merciful. He has no one like him. There is no God but the Lord. He is the king, holiness, peace, guardian, appraiser of good and evil, omnipotent, healing, exalting, creator, maker, imager, he is the absolver of sins, the punisher, the solver of all difficulties, nourishing, victorious, omniscient, punishing, correcting, preserving, exalting, forgiving, overthrowing, all-hearing, all-seeing, right, just, good.
In the same year I discovered the writing of Ofonas Tveritin the merchant...— This entry, dating back to 1474-1475, most likely belongs to the compiler of an independent chronicle of the 80s. XV century
...in Yndey for 4 years...- Afanasy Nikitin stayed in India, as we can assume, from mid-1471 to early 1474; see the following news from Indian chronicles about the time of the capture of the cities mentioned by Nikitin, and indications of the relationship between the dates of the Russian calendar and the Muslim lunar calendar.
...if Prince Yuri was near Kazan, then he was shot near Kazan. — We are obviously talking about the campaign of Russian troops against Kazan led by Ivan III’s brother, Prince Yuri Vasilyevich Dmitrovsky, which ended in September 6978 (1469); Outside the commented monument, there is no information about Vasily Papin in Shirvan after Ivan III.
...He didn’t reach Smolensk and died.— Smolensk was part of the Lithuanian state until 1514.
Vasily Mamyrev (1430—1490)- Grand Duke's clerk, left by Ivan III together with I. Yu. Ryapolovsky in Moscow during the invasion of Khan Akhmat in 1480 and supervised the construction of fortifications in Vladimir in 1485.
For prayer... Afonasy Mikitin's son. — The patronymic (“last name”) of the author of “Walking the Three Seas” is mentioned only in the initial phrase of the monument, filled in in the edition according to the Trinity list (it is not in the chronicle).
...Derbenskoye Sea, Doria Khvalitskaa...- Caspian Sea; Daria (pers.) - sea.
...the Indian Sea, the Gundustan Road...- Indian Ocean.
...Doria Stebolskaya. - The Black Sea is also called Stebolsky (Istanbul) after the Greek folk and Turkish name of Constantinople - Istimpoli, Istanbul.
...from the Holy Golden-Domed Savior...— The main cathedral of Tver (XII century), according to which the Tver land was often called “the house of the Holy Savior.”
Mikhail Borisovich- Grand Duke of Tver in 1461-1485.
Bishop Gennady- Bishop of Tver in 1461-1477, former Moscow boyar Gennady Kozha.
Boris Zakharyich- a governor who led the Tver troops that helped Vasily the Dark in the fight against his opponent Dmitry Shemyaka, a representative of the Borozdin family, who later transferred to Moscow service.
...Kolyazin Monastery of the Holy Trinity... Boris and Gleb. - The Trinity Monastery in the Tver city of Kalyazin on the Volga was founded by Abbot Macarius, mentioned by Nikitin; The Church of Boris and Gleb was located in the Makaryevsky Trinity Monastery.
...to Uglech...— Uglich is a city and inheritance of the Grand Duchy of Moscow.
...came... to Kostroma to see Prince Alexander...— Kostroma on the Volga was one of the direct possessions of the Grand Duke of Moscow.
...VNovgorod toLower...— Since 1392, Nizhny Novgorod was part of the domain of the Grand Duke of Moscow; Viceroy Mikhail Kiselev - apparently Φ's father. M. Kiselev, who received a charter from Ivan III before 1485.
... two weeks...- Obviously, a copyist's mistake; these words (they are not in the Trinity edition) are repeated further in the same phrase.
...shirvanshina...— Shirvanshah Farrukh Yasar ruled in the Shirvan state in 1462-1500.
...Kaisym Saltan...- Khan Kasim, the second ruler of the Astrakhan Khanate.
...on the road...- Ez (stab) - a wooden fence on the river for fishing.
...thesis...— This is what merchants from Iran were usually called.
...kaitaks...— Kaitak is a mountainous region in Dagestan.
...to Baka, where the fire burns unquenchable...— We are probably talking about flames in places where oil comes out or about a temple of fire worshipers.
And they killed Shausen...— On the days of remembrance of Imam Hussein (died in Mesopotamia in the 7th century), participants in the procession exclaim: “Shahsey! Vakhsey! (Shah Hussein! Wah Hussein!); These days are celebrated by Shiites at the beginning of the year according to the Muslim lunar calendar (in 1469, Oshur Bayram fell at the end of June - beginning of July). The desolation of the Rhea district is associated with the wars of the 13th century.
...batman for 4 altyns...- Batman (pers.) - a measure of weight that reached several pounds; Altyn is a monetary unit of account containing six money.
...Acatch him in the sea every day, twice a day.— Sea tides in the Persian Gulf are semidiurnal.
And then you took the first Great day...— From the further presentation it follows that in Hormuz Nikitin celebrated the third Easter outside Rus'. Perhaps the traveler wanted to say that this was the first holiday that he met when he came to the Indian Ocean.
...VRadunitsa.— Radunitsa is the ninth day after Easter.
...to the tawa with the conmi. — Tava (Marathi daba) is a sailing ship without an upper deck. The massive import of horses to India was carried out to replenish the cavalry and the needs of the local nobility for many centuries.
...paint and lek.— We are talking about blue indigo paint (cf. further “let the Nile paint be repaired”) and the preparation of varnish.
...a photo is on the head, and another is on the head...— The traveler talks about the turban (Persian photo) and dhoti (Indian), which, like women's clothing, saris, were made from unstitched fabric.
...Asatkhan Chunerskya is Indian, andserf meliktucharov. — Asadkhan of Junnar, a native of Gilan, is mentioned in Indian chronicles as a person close to the great vizier, Mahmud Gavan, who bore the title of melik-attujar (lord of merchants).
...kafars...— Kafir (Arabic) — infidel, as Nikitin first called Hindus, using a term accepted among Muslims; later he called them “Hundustanis” and “Indians.”
It's been winter since Whitsundays. — This refers to the period of monsoon rainfall, which lasts in India from June to September. Trinity - the fiftieth day after Easter; falls in May-June. — It is unclear which city A. Nikitin means. Spring began for them with the Intercession...— This refers to the beginning of the new season in October after a period of monsoon rainfall.
Α saltan is small - 20 lT...- In the year of Nikitin’s arrival in India, Sultan Muhammad III was seventeen years old, in the year of departure - twenty.
There is a Khorosan meliktuchar boyar...- This is what Nikitin calls the great vizier Mahmud Gavan, a native of Gilan.
...a thousand Kutovalov people...— Kutuval (pers.) — commandant of the fortress.
...futunov...— It’s possible that Nikitin calls the gold coin that way for the fans.
...about the curseAbout Filipov... — Filippov's fast lasts from November 14 to Christmas, which falls on December 25.
...until the Great Conspiracy...— Lent begins seven weeks before Easter, that is, in February–early March.
...like Usteney the Tsar of Constantinople...— Statue in Constantinople of Justinian I (527-565).
...the ox is great, andcarved from stone...— Statue of the bull Nandi, the companion of Shiva.
...full.— Sita is a honey drink.
...resident...- Resident - copper coin.
...to the Besermensky ulu bagr. - Ulu Bayram is a great holiday, the same as Kurban Bayram (the holiday of sacrifice) - one of the main holidays in Islam, celebrated on the 10th-13th of the month of Dhu-l-Hijjah according to the Muslim lunar calendar, the relationship of which with the solar calendar changes annually. Nikitin further indicates that the holiday took place in mid-May; this allows us to set the year to 1472.
...Afrom Moshkat...— Apparently, an insertion by a chronicler; these words contradict the indicated travel time; they are not included in the Trinity List. ...manik, yes yakhut, yes kirpuk...- Mani (Sanskrit) - ruby; Yakut (Arabic) - yakhont, often sapphire (blue yakhont), less often ruby (lal); kirpuk (distorted carbuncle) - ruby.
...ammons will be born...— Ammon is a precious stone, possibly a diamond.
They sell a kidney for five rubles...- Kidney - a measure of weight for precious stones (“heavy” - one twentieth and “light” - one twenty-fifth of the spool, respectively: 0.21 g and 0.17 g).
...aukyikov(in the Trinity list: aukykov) - the text is unclear. They assume an indication of a) the type of ships (Arabic - gunuk); b) distance.
Maya month 1 day Great day took you toBedere...— Nikitin celebrated the fourth Easter outside Rus' at the wrong time; Easter does not occur later than April 25 (Julian calendar).
...ABeserman Bagram insons-in-law inWednesdayhey...— Kurban Bayram in 1472 fell on May 19.
The very first great day took you intoKaine, Aanother great day in Chebokara...— Regarding this place, it has been suggested that Cain is either a distorted name for some point in Transcaucasia, or Nain in Iran; but Nikitin visited Nain after Chapakur, in which case it follows that Nikitin celebrated the first Easter outside Rus' in Chapakur, and the second in Nain.
...yes toGreat iron weights are tied to the snout. “Nikitin mistook the large bells that were hung around the elephant’s neck for weights.
Yes, there are a thousand simple horsestacklex gold...— When noble people were leaving, it was customary to bring out riding horses in full horse gear, demonstrating the wealth and nobility of the owner.
Saadak— a set of weapons: a bow in a case and a quiver with arrows.
...plays with a terem...— This refers to the ceremonial umbrella chhatra (ind.), a symbol of power.
...makhtum...- Makhdum (Arabic) - master. An honorary title that the Grand Vizier Mahmud Gavan received in May 1472 after the capture of Goa.
...runaways.- Run (Turkic, meaning from run, beat) - representatives of the feudal nobility (Arabic synonym - emir).
Yaisha Myrza was killed by Uzoasanbeg...—Jehanshah Kara-Koyunlu, who ruled Iran and a number of neighboring regions, was killed in November 1467 in a battle with the troops of his rival Uzun Hassan Ak-Koyunlu.
...ASultan Musyait was nourished...— Sultan Abu Said, who ruled in Central Asia, invaded Transcaucasia. Surrounded by the troops of Uzun Hasan and his ally, Farrukh Yasar was captured and executed in February 1469.
...AEdiger Makhmet...— Muhammad Yadigar is a rival of Abu Said, who temporarily seized power after his death.
...two cities were taken by Indians...- According to Indian chronicles during the war of 1469-1472. two coastal cities of Sangameshwar and Goa were taken; the latter, as can be seen from the correspondence of Mahmud Gavan, was occupied on February 1, 1472.
...stood near the city for two years...— We are talking about the siege of the Cologne fortress during the same war.
...they took three great cities.- According to Indian chronicles, during the campaign in Telingana in 1471-1472. Three important fortresses were occupied - Warangal, Kondapalli, Rajahmundry. The troops were commanded by Malik Hasan, who bore the title of nizam-al-mulk.
...come...- Copyist's error: in the Chronicle - sewn; the following phrase contains the correctly spelled word "came".
...at the Binedar prince...— Virupaksha II, Maharaja of Vijayanagara, reigned 1465-1485. Nikitin further calls him “Indian Avdon” and “Indian Sultan Kadam”.
The Sultan left the city of Bederya on the eighth month according to Wielitsa days. — Sultan Muhammad III, as established from the correspondence of Mahmud Gavan, set out on a campaign against Belgaon on March 15, 1473.
...Arightswowru Godgives.Α right faithThere is only one God to know, and to call on His name in every place is pure and pure.. — This statement by Afanasy Nikitin, directly adjacent to the phrase written in Persian: “But Muhammad’s faith is good,” testifies to the originality of his worldview. It cannot be reduced to a simple idea of religious tolerance: the words “God knows” elsewhere in Nikitin mean uncertainty - “God knows what will happen.” Nikitin considers only monotheism and moral purity to be mandatory properties of the “right faith”. In this respect, his worldview comes close to the views of Russian heretics of the late 15th century, who argued that a representative of any “language” could become “pleasing to God”, as long as he “does the truth.”
...a month before ulu bagryam...- In 1473, this holiday began on May 8th.
...and broke his fast with them, and the great day took placeKelbury...- Consequently, Nikitin celebrated the sixth Easter in May, that is, not on time, just like the previous one.
...one city was taken by the Indians...— The city of Belgaon, the siege and capture of which in 1473 is described in detail in Indian chronicles.
An army stood under the city for a month...— We are talking about the unsuccessful siege of the city of Vijaya Nagar.
...went to Amendriya, and from Kamendriya to Naryas, and from Kinaryas to Suri...— It is unclear which cities between Åland and Dabhol the traveler is talking about.
... until Great Day, three months of besermen's shit. — Nikitin points here to the relationship in a given year between two moving dates of the Muslim and Orthodox calendars. In 1474, Ramadan began on January 20, and Easter on April 10.
Α in Turkish...— Turkish Sultan Mehmed II reigned from 1451 to 1481.
...in Karamansky...— Power in Karaman changed hands several times during these years. The Sultan's viceroy was Mustafa, son of Mehmed II. The hereditary ruler of Karaman was Pir Ahmed (d. 1474), an ally of Uzun Hasan.
...shubash and pasha...- Su-bashi - head of the city security; Pasha is the Sultan's viceroy.
In 1458, presumably the merchant Afanasy Nikitin left his native Tver for the Shirvan land (in the territory of present-day Azerbaijan). He has with him travel documents from the Grand Duke of Tver Mikhail Borisovich and from Archbishop Gennady of Tver. There are also merchants with him - they are traveling on two ships in total. They move along the Volga, past the Klyazma Monastery, pass Uglich and get to Kostroma, which was in the possession of Ivan III. His governor lets Athanasius pass further.
Vasily Panin, the Grand Duke's ambassador in Shirvan, whom Afanasy wanted to join, had already passed down the Volga. Nikitin has been waiting for two weeks for Hasan Bey, the ambassador of the Shirvanshah of the Tatars. He is riding with gyrfalcons “from Grand Duke Ivan, and he had ninety gyrfalcons.” Together with the ambassador, they move on.
Along the way, Afanasy makes notes about his journey across three seas: “the first sea is Derbent (Caspian), Darya Khvalisskaya; second sea - Indian, Darya Gundustan; the third Black Sea, Darya of Istanbul” (Darya in Persian means sea).
Kazan passed without obstacles. Ordu, Uslan, Sarai and Berenzan passed safely. The merchants are warned that the Tatars are lying in wait for the caravan. Hasan Bey gives gifts to informants to guide them on a safe path. The wrong gifts were taken, but news of their approach was given. The Tatars overtook them in Bogun (on the shallows at the mouth of the Volga). There were killed on both sides in the shootout. The smaller ship, which also contained Afanasy's luggage, was plundered. The large ship reached the sea and ran aground. And it was also plundered and four Russians were captured. The rest were released “naked heads into the sea.” And they went, crying... When the travelers came ashore, and then they were taken prisoner.
In Derbent, Afanasy asks for help from Vasily Panin, who safely reached the Caspian Sea, and Hasan-bek, so that they would intercede for the people captured and return the goods. After much hassle, people are released and nothing else is returned. It was believed that what came from the sea was the property of the owner of the coast. And they went their separate ways.
Some remained in Shemakha, others went to work in Baku. Afanasy independently goes to Derbent, then to Baku, “where the fire burns unquenchable,” from Baku across the sea to Chapakur. Here he lives for six months, a month in Sari, a month in Amal, about Rey he says that the descendants of Muhammad were killed here, from whose curse seventy cities were destroyed. He lives in Kashan for a month, a month in Ezda, where “the livestock is fed dates.” He does not name many cities, because “there are still many big cities.” By sea he gets to Hormuz on the island, where “the sea comes on him twice every day” (for the first time he sees the ebb and flow of the tides), and the heat of the sun can burn a person. A month later, “after Easter on the day of Radunitsa,” he sets off on a tava (an Indian ship without an upper deck) “with horses for the Indian Sea.” They reach Kombey, “where paint and varnish are born” (the main export products, except spices and textiles), and then go to Chaul.
Afanasy has a keen interest in everything related to trade. He studies the state of the market and is annoyed that they lied to him: “they said that there was a lot of our goods, but there was nothing for our land: all the goods were white for the Besermen land, pepper, and paint.” Afanasy brought the stallion “to Indian land,” for which he paid one hundred rubles. In Junnar, the khan takes away the stallion from Afanasy, having learned that the merchant is not a Muslim, but a Rusyn. The Khan promises to return the stallion and give a thousand gold pieces in addition if Afanasy converts to the Muslim faith. And he set a deadline: four days on Spasov Day, on the Assumption Fast. But on the eve of Spasov's Day, the treasurer Muhamed, a Khorasanian (his identity has not yet been established), arrived. He stood up for the Russian merchant. The stallion was returned to Nikitin. Nikitin believes that “the Lord’s miracle happened on Savior Day,” “The Lord God took pity... did not forsake me, a sinner, with His mercy.”
In Bidar, he is again interested in goods - “at the auction they sell horses, damask (fabric), silk and all other goods and black slaves, but there is no other goods here. The goods are all from Gundustan, but only vegetables are edible, but there are no goods here for the Russian land”...
Nikitin vividly describes the morals and customs of the peoples living in India.
“And here is the Indian country, and ordinary people walk naked, and their heads are not covered, and their breasts are bare, and their hair is braided in one braid, and everyone walks with their bellies, and children are born every year, and they have many children. Of the common people, the men and women are all naked and all black. Wherever I go, there are many people behind me - they are amazed at the white man.”
Everything is accessible to the curiosity of the Russian traveler: agriculture, the state of the army, and the method of warfare: “The battle is fought more and more on elephants, in armor and on horses. Large forged swords are tied to the elephants’ heads and tusks... and the elephants are dressed in damask armor, and turrets are made on the elephants, and in those turrets there are twelve people in armor, all with guns and arrows.”
Athanasius is especially interested in issues of faith. He conspires with the Hindus to go to Par-vat - “that is their Jerusalem, the same as Mecca for the Besermen.” He is amazed that in India there are seventy-four faiths, “but people of different faiths do not drink with each other, do not eat, do not marry...”.
Athanasius grieves that he has lost his way with the Russian church calendar; the sacred books were lost during the looting of the ship. “I don’t observe Christian holidays - neither Easter nor Christmas - and I don’t fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. And living among non-believers, I pray to God, may he protect me..."
He reads the starry sky to determine the day of Easter. On the “fifth Easter” Afanasy decides to return to Rus'.
And again he writes down what he saw with his own eyes, as well as information about various ports and trades from Egypt to the Far East, received from knowledgeable people. He notes where “silk will be born”, where “diamonds will be born”, warns future travelers where and what difficulties await them, describes wars between neighboring peoples...
Wandering around the cities for another six months, Afanasy reaches the port - the city of Dabhola. For two gold pieces, he goes to Hormuz by ship through Ethiopia. We managed to get along with the Ethiopians, and the ship was not robbed.
From Hormuz, Afanasy goes overland to the Black Sea and gets to Trabzon. On the ship, he agrees to go to Kafa (Crimea) for gold. Mistaken for a spy, he is robbed by the city security chief. Autumn, bad weather and winds make crossing the sea difficult. “We crossed the sea, but the wind carried us to Balaklava itself. And from there we went to Gurzuf, and we stood here for five days. By the grace of God I came to Kafa nine days before the Philippian fast. God is the creator! By the grace of God I crossed three seas. God knows the rest, God the patron knows. Amen!"
