A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar c15.32.2

c15.32.2

And this brings a great concourse of people from the country round about, and so there is great business done in this city of Cail.’ Marco Polo notes that a great part of the wealth of the country was wasted in purchasing horses, a statement fully confirmed by the observations of contemporary Muslim chorniclers who say that the unfavourable climate of South India and the ignorance of Indian horse-keepers necessitated large annual imports of fresh animals. From the earliest times, the Pāndya country has been famous for its pearls, and Marco Polo gives a substantially correct account of the fisheries, adding that the king derived great revenue from them. ‘Moreover nobody is permitted to take out of the kingdom a pearl weighing more than half a saggio unless he manages to do it secretly.’ Marco Polo describes at some length the institution of the King’s Trusty Lieges, the band of bodyguards sworn to defend the king with their lives. Amazed at the scantiness of the dress worn by the common people, Marco Polo exaggerates their nakedness and denies the existence of tailors in the country, though tailors are mentioned in inscriptions long preceding Marco Polo’s visit. He mentions the custom of sati and refers to the practice of allowing a condemned criminal who was sentenced to death to sacrifice himself to some god or other of his choice. He says quaintly: ‘And let me tell you the people of this country have a custom of rubbing their houses all over with cowdung.