Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, Vol. I, Part I: History of Gujarat c19.s2.t1.25

c19.s2.t1.25

Al Istakhri (A.D. 951) mentions Saimúr as one of the cities of Hind, makes it the southern end of the Balhára kingdom with Kambaya as the northern,⁶ and places it at a distance of five days from Sindán (the Thána Sanján) and fifteen days from Sarandíb or Ceylon.⁷ Ibn Haukal (A.D. 968) notices Saimúr as one of the cities of Hind known to him and mentions the sea of Fárs (or the Indian Ocean) as stretching from Saimúr on the east to Tiz or Makrán.⁸ He states⁹ that the country between Saimúr and Támbul (Anhilawára) belongs to Hind. He makes¹⁰ the distance between Subára (probably Surabára or Swat), Sindan, and Saimúr five days each and between Saimúr and Sarandíb (Ceylon) fifteen days. Al Bírúni (A.D. 1020) says:¹¹ "Then you enter the land of Lárán in which is Saimúr also called Jaimúr or Chaimúr." Al Idrisi (end of the eleventh century) mentions Saimúr as one of the towns of the second climate.¹² He describes it as large and well-built, five days from Sindán and among its products notes cocoanut trees in abundance, henna (Lawsonia inermis), and on its mountains many aromatic plants.¹³ His remark that Saimúr formed a part of the vast, fertile, well-peopled and commercial kingdom of the Balháras must be taken from the work of Al-Jauhari (A.D. 950).