On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v1.c8.s14: General Products of India
On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v1.c8.s14
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General Products of India
v1.c8.s14.1
Our author now proceeds to tell us something of the commodities which India produces and first of its vegetable products. He writes—
v1.c8.s14.2
As the districts vary in their natural qualities they differ also in their natural products. There are flowers and herbs, fruits and trees of different kinds and with various names. There are, for example, of fruits the āmra or mango, the āmla or tamarind, the Madhūka (Bassia latifolia), the badara or Jujube, the kapittha or wood-apple, the āmala or myrobalan, the tinduka or Diospyros, the udumbara or Ficus glomerata, the mocha or plantain, the nārikela or Cocoa-nut, and the panasa or Jack-fruit. It is impossible to enumerate all the kinds of fruit and one can only mention in a summary way those which are held in esteem among the inhabitants. [Chinese] jujubes, chestnuts, green and red persimmons are not known in India. From Kashmir on, pears, plums, peaches, apricots, grapes are planted here and there; pomegranates and sweet oranges are grown in all the countries.
v1.c8.s14.3
As to agricultural operations, reaping the crops, preparing the soil (lit. ploughing and weeding), sowing and planting go on in their seasons according to the industry or laziness of the people. There is much rice and wheat, and ginger, mustard, melons, pumpkins, kunda (properly the olibanum tree) are also cultivated. Onions and garlic are little used and people who eat them are ostracised.
v1.c8.s14.4
Milk, ghee, granulated sugar, sugar-candy, cakes and parched grain with mustard-seed oil are the common food; and fish, mutton, venison are occasional dainties (lit. are occasionally served in joints or slices). The flesh of oxen, asses, elephants, horses, pigs, dogs, wolves, lions, monkeys, apes is forbidden, and those who eat such food become pariahs.
v1.c8.s14.5
There are distinctions in the use of their wines and other beverages. The wines from the vine and the sugar-cane are the drink of the Kshatriyas; the Vaiśyas drink a strong distilled spirit; the Buddhist monks and the Brāhmins drink syrup of grapes and of sugar-cane; the low mixed castes are without any distinguishing drink.
v1.c8.s14.6
As to household necessaries there is generally a good supply of these of various qualities. But although they have different kinds of cooking implements they do not know the steaming boiler (i. e. they have not large boilers such as are used in large households in China). Their household utensils are mostly earthenware, few being of brass. They eat from one vessel in which the ingredients are mixed up; they take their food with their fingers. Generally speaking spoons and chop-sticks are not used, except in cases of sickness when copper spoons are used.
v1.c8.s14.7
Gold, silver, t'u-shih (bronze?), white jade, and crystal lenses are products of the country which are very abundant. Rare precious substances of various kinds from the sea-ports (lit. seabays) are bartered for merchandize. But in the commerce of the country gold and silver coins, cowries, and small pearls are the media of exchange.
v1.c8.s14.8
The words "From Kashmir on" in the first paragraph of the above passage seem to mean "from Kashmir on towards China". But Julien understood the words in a very different sense and translated the passage containing them as follows¹—"Depuis que les deux espèces de poiriers li et nai, le pêcher, l'amandier, la vigne et autres arbres à fruits ont été apportés du royaume de Cachemire, on les voit croître de tous côtés. Les grenadiers et les orangers à fruits doux se cultivent dans tous les royaumes de l'Inde." In this, not to notice other faults, we have the words "ont été apportés" interpolated to the serious detriment of the author's meaning. Yuan-chuang knew better than to state that pears, and plums, and the other fruits mentioned had been brought from Kashmir into India and there cultivated everywhere. Throughout the Records there is only, I believe, a single mention of any of these fruit-trees in India. This one instance is to be found in the account of Chi-na-po-ti in Chuan IV (Julien II, p. 200), and there the peach and pear are represented as having been first introduced into India from China. In no account of India, so far as I know, down to the present time are the above trees enumerated among those grown commonly throughout the country. Ibn Batuta does not mention them and they are not given in Sir. W. Hunter's account of India. But they are grown in many countries between Kashmir and China, and in Chuan XII of the Records we find several instances mentioned. On the other hand pomegranates, which are said to grow wild in the Himalayan region, and sweet oranges have been extensively cultivated in India for many centuries.
v1.c8.s14.9
¹ The words are 梨柰桃杏蒲萄等果迦溼彌國已來往往間植石榴甘橘諸國皆樹.