Illustrated Gazetteer of the Maritime Kingdoms, Vol. 26

Customs and Social Character

Their narrow style of clothing is the opposite of ours The author contrasts the fitted Ottoman garments—likely the tunics and trousers seen during the 19th-century Tanzimat reforms—with the loose, flowing robes of the Chinese gentry. Upon entering a household, they remove their shoes as a gesture of etiquette. When eating or drinking, they sit on the floor with their legs spread original: "箕坐" (jīzuò); a traditional Chinese term for sitting in a way deemed disrespectful in China, here used to describe the West Asian custom of sitting on mats or low cushions and take their food directly with their hands.

Women reside in the seclusion of the deep inner chambers. They do not meet with men, nor do they exchange greetings; the separation between the internal and external spheres is extremely strict.

The character of the people is contradictory: they appear brave but are inherently timid; they appear truthful but are actually cruel; they appear quick but are in truth lazy; they appear solemn but are actually licentious; they appear generous but are in fact stingy This series of harsh characterizations reflects the common biases found in the European sources that Wei Yuan adapted for this gazetteer.

Religion and Law

The entire nation follows Islam Islam: "回教" (Huíjiào); literally "The Religion of the Hui," the standard Chinese term for Islam. They regard their King [the Sultan] as the Leader of the Faith Leader of the Faith: "教主" (Jiàozhǔ); here referring to the Sultan’s role as the Caliph. They boast that the profound mysteries of their religion are unique and found in no other faith.

They strictly forbid the consumption of alcohol, yet they take great pleasure in giving alms and building guesthouses Guesthouses: "館廨" (Guǎnxiè); referring to caravanserais or imarets (public soup kitchens/inns) intended to house travelers. However, they smoke opium and believe in charms, spells, and heterodox arts. For any practice that is forbidden by law, the penalty for an offender is death.

Literature and Education

Their native literature is shallow and clumsy. When they first conquered Greece original: "額里西" (Élǐxī), a transliteration of "Hellas", the local Greek literature was nearly brought to total destruction. Subsequently, there was King Orhan original: "荷占王" (Hézhàn Wáng); Orhan I (r. 1324–1362), the second Ottoman ruler, known for establishing the first Ottoman administrative and educational structures, who possessed a great love for literature and learning.

He established a great library in the Bursa original: "普魯薩" (Pǔlǔsà); the first major capital of the Ottoman Empire region. These centers for scholars are called Madrasas Madrasas: transcribed here as "馬特勒西圖" (Mǎtèlēixītú); Islamic theological colleges. The Sultan granted these institutions very generous stipends, wishing for scholars to remain in study for a long period to eventually attain the official rank of Ulama Ulama: transcribed as "玉里麻" (Yùlǐmá); the class of legal and religious scholars who interpreted Islamic law.