Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms

Volume 30

They then killed Marwan original: 末換 (Mohuan); referring to Marwan II, the last Caliph of the Umayyad dynasty and sought out a descendant of the deep-rooted ancestral lineage the House of Hashim to serve as King. They changed their dynastic title to the Black-Clothed Arabs original: 黑衣大食 (Heiyi Dashi); the Abbasid Caliphate, known for their black banners and robes.

At the beginning of the Zhide era 756–758 AD, during the reign of Emperor Suzong, they sent envoys to the Tang court to offer tribute. Emperor Daizong The text attributes the recapture of the capitals to Daizong, though the alliance began under his predecessor, Suzong employed their troops to help pacify the two capitals Chang'an and Luoyang, which had been seized by rebels during the An Lushan Rebellion.

During the Zhenyuan era 785–805 AD, the Arabs were at war with Tibet original: 吐蕃 (Tufan). In the fourteenth year of that era [798 AD], they sent three envoys to the imperial court. To the east lies the small state of Merv original: 末祿 (Molu); a major cultural and political center in Khorasan, modern-day Turkmenistan. Its people live within walled cities and the land is abundant with water. The people mark the start of their year in the fifth month, and they have a custom of presenting painted jars to one another as gifts.

The land produces the Xunzhi melon original: 尋支瓜 (Xunzhigua); likely a variety of watermelon or large Persian melon; the largest are so immense that ten men can eat from one before it is finished. Their vegetables include Persian onions, shepherd's purse, indigo, chard original: 軍達 (Junda); likely derived from the Persian chundar, and wild leeks.

West of the Arab heartland lies the country of Syria original: 苫國 (Shanguo); from the Arabic ash-Sham. To its north, it borders the lands of the Khazar Turks original: 突厥可薩部 (Tujue Kesa bu), extending for several thousand li. Syria is divided into five military districts original: 節度 (Jiedu); referring to the Jund administrative divisions used in early Islamic Syria, maintaining ten thousand elite soldiers. The soil is well-suited for grain. A great river likely the Euphrates flows eastward into Akula original: 亞俱羅 (Yajulu); an ancient name for the region around Kufa in Iraq. Merchants and traders travel there in such numbers that they are always within sight of one another.

It is said that:

• Traveling fifteen days west from the Arab lands, one reaches Dupan.
• Fifteen days further west is Lizhi.
• Twenty-five days to the south is the center of the Arab Empire.
• One month to the north lies Baghdad original: 勃達 (Boda).
• From the east of Baghdad, it is a two-month journey back to the Arab center, and to the west, the land reaches the sea.