Abraham Ortelius — Epitome du theatre du monde (1601)

The ancients divided this region in many ways; but today it seems to us that it can not ineptly be divided into five parts, according to the principal empires by which it is administered. The first part, which is contiguous to Europe and obeys the Grand Duke of Muscovy, will be bounded by the Frozen Sea, the Ob river, the Kytaia lake, and a line drawn thence to the Caspian Sea, and the isthmus that is between this Sea and the Euxine Sea original: "Pontum Euxinum" (Black Sea). The second will be that which obeys the Great Cham, Emperor of the Tartars; whose borders from the south are the Caspian Sea, the Iaxartes river, and the Imaus mountain; from the east and north the Ocean; from the west, the already mentioned Kingdom of the Duke of Muscovy. The third part the progeny of the Ottomans occupies, and it contains whatever lands are within the Euxine Sea, the Aegean Sea, and the Mediterranean, Egypt, the Arabian Gulf, and the Persian Gulf, the Tigris river, the Caspian Sea, and the isthmus which one can see between this and the Euxine Sea. Under the fourth is comprised the kingdom of Persia, which today is governed by the Sophis Safavid rulers; it has the Ottomans from the west; the kingdom of the Great Cham from the north; and it extends almost to the Indus river in the east; from the south, it is washed by the Indian Sea. The fifth part, furthermore, will obtain what they call the Indies now, just as they did in the past; which is governed not by one alone, as the others, but by several petty kings (for any region of it has almost its own prince, some of whom are even tributary to the Great Cham).

Not only among all the profane writers, as they are called, does this part of the earth stand as very famous for the first monarchies in the world, such as the empires of the Assyrians, Persians, Babylonians, and Medes; but it is also illustrious above the others in the Holy Scriptures. For in this region, it is established that not only was the human race created by God, the Best and Greatest, deluded and corrupted by the enemy Satan, and restored by Christ the Savior, but we read that almost the entire history of both Testaments was written and completed there.

A woodcut map of Asia within a rectangular frame. Cardinal directions are labeled: North, South, East, and West. Labeled regions include Tartaria, Bargu, Tangut, Thebet, India, China, Persia, and Arabia. Coastal and city names include Alexandria, Aden, Ormus, Samarkand, Delli, Goa, Calicut, Cambaia, Bengal, Quinsai, Lanten, Cambuila, and Lany. Natural features like the Taurus mountains and the Ganges and Indus rivers are shown. A portion of New Guinea is visible on the far right.