Summary
The Mao Kun Map, attributed to Zheng He's voyages, is a historical cartographic document that records specific locations, landmarks, and cultural details encountered during early 15th-century maritime expeditions. The passages focus on the island of Anjediva (Anzediva), describing its temple, reservoir (tanque), and a Jogi (ascetic) present there, as noted by travelers like Ibn Batuta (c. 1345) and later corroborated by the Roteiro of Vasco da Gama's voyage (1498) and Correa. The map also references regions such as Siam, Pitchalok, Sawatti, Taungu, Prome, and Calaminham, alongside mentions of trade goods like amber-greese and abath (unicorn horn). A reader learns that the map integrates geographical data from multiple sources, including Chinese, Indian, and European accounts, and highlights the persistence of cultural practices (e.g., the Jogi) over centuries. The text also notes discrepancies in modern map-making, such as the omission of Anjediva from Keith Johnston's Royal Atlas of India despite its presence in Admiralty charts.
Key concepts
- Anjediva (Anzediva) — An island near the mainland with a temple, reservoir, and port, described by Ibn Batuta and later travelers as a consistent landmark.
- Jogi — An ascetic figure found at the temple on Anjediva, noted by Ibn Batuta in 1345 and still present 150 years later according to Correa.
- Tanque — A reservoir of wrought ashlar stone used for collecting water, found on Anjediva and described in the Roteiro of Vasco da Gama.
- Calaminham — A more or less fabulous region in the interior of Indo-China, referenced in the map's geographical scope.
- Abath (Abada) — A beast with one horn on its forehead, thought to be the female unicorn, valued as a remedy against poison and traded for amber-greese.
- O-li-ki-lo — An Indo-Chinese kingdom mentioned in early Chinese pilgrims' accounts, transliterated into a name like Argyrē, possibly linked to 'Silver-land' in old Indian geography.
Popular questions readers ask
- Explain how the concept of 'Hobson-Jobson' words, as described by the 17th-century Surat Factors and R. Verstegan, highlights a fundamental tension between linguistic purity and the natural evolution of language through cultural contact.
- How do the diverse perspectives on language evolution and translation, articulated by Iamblichus, R. Verstegan, and Ovid, collectively lay the theoretical groundwork for understanding the necessity and complexity of compiling a dictionary like 'Hobson-Jobson'?
- Imagine you are teaching a friend about the impact of cultural exchange on language. Using specific examples from the text, explain why a glossary of "Anglo-Indian colloquial words" would be crucial for understanding both colonial history and the English language's development.
- Considering the challenges of translating idiomatic expressions (Iamblichus) and the potential for incomprehension (Verstegan), how does the 'Hobson-Jobson' glossary serve as both a record of cultural fusion and a tool for navigating linguistic divides?
- The excerpt includes a quote from Pliny about human limitations in scholarly work. How might these inherent challenges specifically manifest for Yule and Burnell in compiling a glossary of 'colloquial' and 'kindred' Anglo-Indian terms, and what does this imply about the ongoing nature of linguistic study?