South India and her Muhammadan Invaders c9.s2.10

c9.s2.10

After describing the prosperity of the country under the rule of the Pāṇḍya, and referring to the horse trade of the locality he proceeds to describe Mailapūr and St. Thomas' Mount, and apparently proceeds further northwards as he says ‘when you leave Ma'bar and go about a thousand miles in a northerly direction you come to the kingdom of Mutfili (or Mosul). This was formerly under the rule of a king, and since his death, some forty years before it had been under his queen, a lady of much discretion, who for the great love she bore to him never would marry another husband. And I can assure you during all that space of forty years she had administered her realm as well as ever her husband did, or better. And as she was a lover of justice, of equity, and of peace, she was more beloved by those of her kingdom than ever was lady or lord of theirs before.'¹ He then proceeds to describe the diamond mines and recounts the famous story and the fabulous ways in which diamonds were got. 'In this kingdom also are made', according to him, 'the best and most delicate buckrams, and those of the highest price; in sooth they look like tissue of spiders' web!! There is no king nor queen in the world but might be glad to wear them.'