Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms, Vol. 12

Historical Evolution of the Islamic State of Persia in Western India

Before the Tang Dynasty, these lands were not yet Islamic, as seen in the sections on Western India. Since the Tang, they have been known as the Arabs, the Bashe, and now the Kingdom of Persia. It currently maintains peaceful trade relations with the English and is not a dependency of theirs. (This note was not in the original; it is added here for clarity.)

According to the [New Book of Tang] An official history of the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), compiled in the 11th century, which contains some of the earliest Chinese records of the Islamic world.:
The land of the Arabs original: 大食 (Da-shi); a transliteration of 'Tazi' or 'Tajik,' used by the Tang to refer to the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates was originally Persian original: 波斯 (Bosi) territory. The men have high-bridged noses, dark skin, and thick beards. The women are fair-complexioned and veil their faces whenever they leave their homes. They pray to the God of Heaven five times a day. They wear silver belts and carry silver knives. They do not drink alcohol or use music. Their halls of worship mosques can accommodate several hundred people. Every seven days, the King likely referring to the Caliph or an Imam sits on a high throne and preaches to those below, saying: "Those who die fighting the enemy shall be reborn in Heaven; those who kill the enemy shall receive great blessings." For this reason, their customs make them very courageous in battle.

The land is filled with stony desert and is unsuitable for farming; therefore, the people hunt and eat meat. They carve stone-honey original: 石蜜 (shimie); likely referring to sun-dried mud bricks or a type of white mineral plaster/stucco common in Middle Eastern architecture to build their dwellings, which are shaped like the spreading wings of a pheasant a reference to the vaulted or "flying" appearance of their arched architecture. Every year, they present grapes as large as chicken eggs as tribute to their nobles. They also possess "Thousand-Li Horses" legendary horses capable of traveling 300 miles in a day, which are said to be descended from dragons.

During the Daye era of the Sui Dynasty 605–618 AD, there was a Persian man herding his flocks on Mount Medina original: 摩地那 (Modina). A beast spoke to him, saying: "On the western side of the mountain, there are three caves containing effective weapons and a black stone with white markings. He who finds them shall become King." He went to look...