Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c13.s3.t2.93

v2.c13.s3.t2.93

This country was often mentioned in Chinese historical records. It was called “Panqi” in *Hou Han Shu*. Zhao Rushi, tiju of the foreign trade bureau of Quanzhou in the Southern Song Dynasty wrote *Chufan Chih* in the first year of Baoqing of Emperor Lizong, and in this book he called the country “Pengjialuo”, “the western Pengjialuo, the capital was Chanaxi, covering an area of 120 li, people there were very competitive and good at robbing. They grinded white shells as money and locally produced treasured swords and tula-cotton cloth.” Folk voyager in Yuan Dynasty, Wang Dayuan wrote *Island Tribes Chronicles*, which recorded what he saw and heard abroad. In this book, the country was called Pengjiala. He said that this place “the five ridges were towering, forests were luxuriant and people lived together. They lived on farming so there was no free land in the wild, and the fields were very pretty. They harvested grains three times each year, and the products there were very cheap……. The custom there was very pure…… and the tax was 20%.” In *Xing Cha Sheng Lan* by Fei Xin and *Ying Ya Sheng Lan* by Ma Huan, this place was called “Banggela”. Fei Xin had been abroad four times from the seventh year of Yongle to the sixth year of Xuande, and in his records he said, “In the 10th and the 13th year of Yongle, for twice Hou Xian and other leaders commanded the fleet under upper command and held the command of the emperor in hands, awarded the king, the princess consort and the chief officials. At the seaport of the country there was a port called Chadi Port and was established with tax office. Its king knew that Chinese ships arrived at their country, so he despatched troops to take clothes and other things to welcome them.” There were also sharp observation and records of the local custom, “the custom of that country was very pure, men wore decorating brocade around their heads, and wore long white gowns and gold thread sheepskin boots and they were very gentle. For the trade, though there might be large profit, but they should never regret once the price was determined.”