Sea route Afanasia Nikitina map. Afanasy Nikitin – Travel to India
) - a description by a 15th-century Russian of his journey to distant India.
Afanasy Nikitin was a Tver merchant. In 1466, he joined the embassy of Grand Duke Ivan III, traveling to Azerbaijani Shamakhi. Nikitin went to Shamakhi for trading purposes, but on the way he was robbed by the Tatars, who took everything from him, even the Bible, which, as a very religious person, he never parted with. Then he decided to try his luck and go on to trade: he did not want to return home empty-handed. So he made his journey “across three seas” (Caspian, Black and Indian), and reached India by land before the famous navigator Vasco da Gama.
Over three seas. Travel of Afanasy Nikitin. Cartoon for children
Afanasy Nikitin was one of the first Europeans whom the Indians saw: “I go wherever I go, but there are many people behind me, they are amazed at the white man,” he writes.
In the city of Chuner, on the way to India, Afanasy Nikitin was arrested by the local khan, who, having learned that he was not a Mohammedan, took his horse from him and threatened to execute him if he did not accept the Muslim faith. Nikitin was firm in his faith. He says that the Lord had mercy on him, did not allow him to die and performed a miracle: Athanasius was pardoned and released on the very day of the Transfiguration of the Lord; the horse was returned to him.
It was difficult to remain a Christian in the “besermen” land, but Nikitin was a deeply religious man. Having no sacred books, he calculated the days of the year, holidays, and observed fasts by the sun; During Lent, I allowed myself to eat only bread and drink water twice a day. He spent more than five years in India. “Four Great Days (4 Easters) have already passed in the Besermen land,” he writes, “but I have not left Christianity.”
Afanasy talks in detail about the Hindu religion. “There are 84 of all faiths,” he says, “in India.” He probably mistook for different “faiths” the castes, of which there are many in India and which live very separately from each other; “Faith and faith neither eat nor drink, nor marry one another.” He naively says that “everyone believes in Adam, but his name is But (Buddha).”
In the city of Pervota, he saw a temple of Buddha “half the size of Tver.” Describing the idol of Buddha, Nikitin says: “The butte is carved out of stone, great, and he has a tail through it, and he raised his right hand high, and stretched out, like Ustyan (Justinian), the king of Constantinople, and in his left hand he has a spear,” - “and the vision (face) is of a monkey.” - “And in front of But stands a great ox, carved from black stone, and all gilded, and they kiss his hoof, and they sprinkle flowers on him, and they sprinkle flowers on But.”
Map of the travel route of Afanasy Nikitin
Observing the prayer of the Hindus, Nikitin noticed that they always pray to the east and bow, like our monks, touching the ground with their hands: “they bow in Chernesh style, both hands reach to the ground.” Nikitin describes a funeral ritual in India: the bodies of the dead are burned and the ashes are poured into water.
He was struck by the nature of India, but his stories contain some fantastic information: for example, he talks about the Guguk bird, which, if someone wants to kill it, fire comes out of its mouth; if Guguk sits on the roof of the house, then there will be a dead person in this house.
Nikitin saw snakes two fathoms long. He describes how the Hindus use elephants in war. He was struck by monkeys - “mamons”. He assures that they have their own “monkey prince”, who has his own “army” - “whoever occupies them (the monkeys), they complain to their prince, and he sends his army against him; and they will come to the city and destroy the courtyards and beat the people. And their armies say a lot, and their language is their own.”
Afanasy Nikitin spent more than five years in India, but did not make any fortune for himself. “The Besermen dogs lied to me, but they said there was a lot of all our goods, but there is nothing for our land, all the white goods for the Besermen land, pepper and paint, are cheap; Others carry it by sea, and they don’t give duties, but we pay high taxes.”
In the end, he became homesick and decided to go back. Nikitin’s writing reveals a deep love for Russia. “May God save the Russian land,” he says in one place: “God save! There is no land like it in this world. Let the Russian land settle down! Oh, God, God!” He repeats the word “God” five times, in Arabic, Persian, Tatar and twice in Russian.
Afanasy Nikitin did not reach his Tver: he died on the way (in 1472) in Smolensk. His notes were delivered by merchants to Moscow.
Nikitin was undoubtedly an outstanding personality; he is a deeply religious, intelligent, observant and enterprising person who passionately loves his homeland. His work, firstly, is very interesting, and secondly, it is remarkable because he talks about India a quarter of a century earlier than Vasco da Gama, who made his sea voyage to India in 1498. The name of Vasco da Gama is known throughout Europe, but few people there know our Afanasy Nikitin and his interesting “Walking”.
“And here is the Indian country, and ordinary people walk naked, and their heads are not covered, and their breasts are bare, and their hair is braided in one braid, everyone walks with bellies, and children are born every year, and they have many children. Of the common people, men and women are all naked and all black. Wherever I go, there are many people behind me - they are amazed at the white man” (Afanasy Nikitin. Walking across the three seas).
Second half of the 15th century. became a decisive moment for the unification of Russian lands into a centralized state, which took place against the background of the final liberation from Mongol rule and under constant pressure from the West. The significantly strengthened Moscow, which gradually extended its power to the surrounding principalities, mainly northern and eastern, did not intend to stop there. And Moscow’s main rival in the struggle for primacy was not the Novgorod Republic, stretching from the Baltic to the Urals, which was only thinking about independence, but the small but wayward Tver Principality located nearby. From time to time, the Tver princes made peace with the Moscow princes and helped the latter defeat someone - for example, the Novgorodians, but then again broke with Moscow and, in search of an ally against it, flirted first with the Horde, and later with Lithuania.
However, this struggle did not have the character of constant confrontation - with regular military operations, offensives and mass destruction. If it had an effect on the economic life of the principalities, in particular on trade, it was to a small extent. The development of cities, trade and the growth of the merchant class, undermined by the Mongol invasion and resumed at the beginning of the 14th century, led to the emergence of merchant fraternities - rich and influential groups of “guests” (as merchants who traded with other cities and countries were called in Rus') in Novgorod, Moscow, Tver, Nizhny Novgorod and Vologda.
In the summer of 1466, two merchant ships set off from Tver on a long voyage down the Volga: their route lay to the Caspian Sea, or, as it was called in the old days, the Derbent Sea. The head of the caravan was Afanasy Nikitin (strictly speaking, Nikitin’s son, i.e. Nikitich) - apparently an experienced man, who had walked and swam a lot. From the first days of the journey, Afanasy began keeping diary entries. It is clear from them that the Volga route was well known to him. The caravan proceeded past Kalyazin, Uglich, Kostroma, Ples, and stopped for a long time in Nizhny Novgorod. Here the merchants were waiting for the caravan of Ambassador Shirvan (historical region on the southwestern shore of the Caspian Sea): he was returning from Moscow to his homeland. The Tver residents decided to join him: it was unsafe to sail further along the Volga because of the Tatars, but with the embassy it seemed somehow safer.
Without any problems, the merchants and the embassy passed Kazan, passed almost all the Tatar lands, but in one of the branches of the Volga delta they were attacked by a detachment of Astrakhan Tatars. Merchants at that time knew how to do a lot, including defending their property. A fight ensued. They would have gotten through, but unfortunately, one ship was stuck aground, and the other on a fishing boat. The Tatars plundered them and captured several people. Two ships, including a large embassy ship, on which Athanasius and ten other merchants were, managed to go to sea. Here another misfortune awaited them: a storm came and the smaller ship ran aground near Tarka (now Makhachkala). Local residents, kaitaki, and merchants were captured and their goods were plundered. Afanasy got to Derbent and immediately began to work for the release of the prisoners and the return of the goods. A year later, the people were released, but the goods were not returned.
The merchants returned to their homeland. Only a few - those who borrowed goods for trade - went anywhere in search of possible income: returning home without funds would mean shame and a debt trap. And what about Afanasy? He went south to Baku. According to one version, he also borrowed goods and did not want to fall into a hole. According to another, Afanasy did not owe anything to anyone, but still decided not to return empty-handed. From Baku in September 1468 he sailed to Persian Mazandaran and spent about eight months there. Then, having crossed the Elburz ridge, Afanasy continued his journey south. Gradually, from city to city, sometimes staying in them for a long time (in total, the merchant stayed in Persia for two years), he reached Hormuz, a port on the shores of the Persian Gulf, where busy trade routes from Egypt, Asia Minor, India and China converged.
Here Afanasy heard that horses are very highly valued in India. He bought a good horse, boarded the ship and a month and a half later arrived in Indian Chaul (south of modern Bombay). Apparently, India surprised the traveler quite a bit. This country was unlike any land he had seen before. Everything seemed amazing - the huge snakes crawling along the streets of the cities, and the hordes of monkeys jumping on the walls and heads of the inhabitants, whom the population treated with respect, and the gastronomic preferences of this very population, and the incredible number of religious beliefs widespread here... But what struck the merchant most of all was The local residents themselves are dark-skinned and completely naked, except for those who are richer, who covered their heads and hips with cloth. But everyone, including the poorest, wore gold jewelry: earrings, bracelets, necklaces. However, Afanasy quickly got used to the nakedness of those around him, but the abundance of gold did not give him peace.
The merchant could not sell the horse purchased in Hormuz - neither in Chaul, nor in Junnar, already in the interior of the country. Moreover, the governor of Junnar took the stallion from Athanasius by force. And having found out that the stranger was not a Muslim, the governor presented him with a difficult choice: either he converts to Islam and gets his horse back, and even money in addition, or he is left without a stallion, and he himself becomes a slave. Fortunately for Afanasy, in Junnar he met his old acquaintance Muhammad, who, having learned about the Russian’s misfortune, asked the governor to have mercy. The ruler turned out to be accommodating: he did not convert, did not enslave, and returned the horse.
After waiting out the rainy season, Athanasius led the horse to distant Bidar, the capital of the huge Bahmani state, and then to the fair in Alland. And it was all in vain: it was impossible to sell the stallion. Returning to Bidar, he finally got rid of it in December 1471 - almost a year after the purchase. From Bidar, Athanasius went to the holy city of Parvat, where he witnessed the majestic night festival dedicated to the god Shiva.
From Parvat he returned again to Bidar, and a year later he went to Kallur, a city in the diamond-bearing province, where he lived for about six months.
During the three years that Athanasius spent in India, he became an eyewitness to many events, including bloody wars, religious holidays and much more. The Sultan’s festive departure made a great impression on him: “...with him came twenty great viziers and three hundred elephants... Yes, a thousand riding horses in golden harness, and a hundred camels with drums, and three hundred trumpeters, and three hundred dancers, and three hundred concubines...”. He also collected valuable information about places where he himself had not visited: about the capital of the state of Vijayanagar and the port of Kozhikode, about the island of Sri Lanka, about the large port of Pegu at the mouth of the Irrawaddy, where Buddhist monks lived who traded in precious stones.
It’s hard for one in a foreign land, especially among people of a different faith. Apart from the mysterious Muhammad, Afanasy did not find any close people in all these years. After all, casual acquaintances, traders and women don’t count. Finally exhausted, he decided to return to his homeland. The commercial results of the trip, according to the traveler himself, turned out to be disappointing: “I was deceived by the infidel dogs: they talked about a lot of goods, but it turned out that there was nothing for our land.” In Dabul, located on the western coast of India, the merchant boarded a ship bound for Hormuz.
From Hormuz he went along the already familiar road to the Caspian Sea. Having passed through the possessions of Uzun-Hasan and lingering in his camp, the traveler moved to the Black Sea port of Trebizond, which belonged to the Ottoman ruler Muhammad II, who at that time was at war with Uzun-Hasan. Afanasy was suspected of spying for the latter. He was thoroughly searched and released, but “everyone stole the property.” Only in the late autumn of 1474 (according to other sources - 1472), with great adventures, he crossed the Black Sea and reached the Genoese Kafa (now Feodosia). It’s almost home, Russian speech can be heard here... At this point the traveler’s notes end. It can be assumed that he spent the winter in Cafe, and in the spring he went north. He went through the lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, friendly to Tver, but hostile to Moscow. On the way, before reaching Smolensk, Afanasy died.
The notebooks, covered with his handwriting, ended up in Moscow, to the Grand Duke's clerk Vasily Mamyrev, who ordered their inclusion in the chronicle. Subsequently, the traveler’s notes, called “Walking across the Three Seas,” were rewritten several times. This is a valuable geographical and historical document containing information about the population, economy, customs, and nature of India and other countries.
In “Walking”, as in the journey itself, there is a lot of mystery. Almost nothing is known about Afanasy himself, not even his age. It is amazing that, having lost his goods, he managed to travel all over Persia, buy an expensive horse, and then, unable to immediately sell it, maintain it for a whole year. Who is Muhammad, who was always there in times of need for Athanasius and who had the gift of a genie in a bottle to take all troubles away from the traveler? In “Walking,” along with Christian prayers, equally numerous Muslim prayers are scattered. Perhaps, finding himself in a non-Orthodox country, Afanasy was forced to secrecy and follow local rules, but it is known that he put his notes in order already in the Cafe. Another mystery. The death of the traveler also seems mysterious.
In search of a sea route to India, Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492, and five years later Vasco da Gama began the conquest of Hindustan. Afanasy son Nikitin visited India 30 years before the Portuguese and left the best description of this amazing country for his time.
Afanasy Nikitin - the first Russian traveler, author of "Walking across Three Seas"
Afanasy Nikitin, merchant from Tver. He is rightfully considered not only the first Russian merchant to visit India (a quarter of a century before the Portuguese Vasco da Gama), but also the first Russian traveler in general. The name of Afanasy Nikitin opens the list of brilliant and interesting sea and land Russian explorers and discoverers, whose names are inscribed in golden letters in the world history of geographical discoveries.
The name of Afanasy Nikitin became known to his contemporaries and descendants due to the fact that throughout his stay in the East and India he kept a diary, or more precisely, travel notes. In these notes, he described with many details the cities and countries he visited, the way of life, customs and traditions of peoples and rulers... The author himself called his manuscript “Walking across the Three Seas.” The three seas are the Derbent (Caspian), Arabian (Indian Ocean) and Black.
A. Nikitin did not reach his native Tver quite a bit on the way back. His comrades handed over the manuscript of “Walking across Three Seas” into the hands of clerk Vasily Mamyrev. From him it was included in the chronicles of 1488. It is obvious that contemporaries appreciated the importance of the manuscript if they decided to include its text in historical chronicles.
N. M. Karamzin, the author of the “History of the Russian State,” at the beginning of the nineteenth century accidentally came across one of the chronicles of “Walking...”. Thanks to him, the journey of the Tver merchant A. Nikitin became known to the general public.
The texts of A. Nikitin's travel notes testify to the author's broad outlook and good command of business Russian speech. When reading them, you involuntarily catch yourself thinking that almost all of the author’s notes are completely understandable, although it was written more than five hundred years ago!
Brief information about the journey of Afanasy Nikitin
Nikitin Afanasy Nikitich
Tver merchant. Year of birth unknown. Place of birth too. Died 1475 near Smolensk. The exact start date of the journey is also unknown. According to a number of authoritative historians, this is most likely 1468.
Purpose of Travel:
an ordinary commercial expedition along the Volga as part of a caravan of river vessels from Tver to Astrakhan, establishing economic ties with Asian merchants trading along the Great Silk Road passing through the famous Shamakhi.
This assumption is indirectly confirmed by the fact that Russian merchants went down the Volga, accompanied Asan-bey, ambassador of the ruler Shamakhi, Shirvan Shah Forus-Esar. The Shemakha ambassador Asan-bek was on a visit to Tver and Moscow with Grand Duke Ivan III, and went home after the Russian ambassador Vasily Papin.
A. Nikitin and his comrades equipped 2 ships, loading them with various goods for trade. Afanasy Nikitin's goods, as can be seen from his notes, were junk, that is, furs. Obviously, ships of other merchants also sailed in the caravan. It should be said that Afanasy Nikitin was an experienced merchant, brave and decisive. Before this, he had visited distant countries more than once - Byzantium, Moldova, Lithuania, Crimea - and returned home safely with overseas goods, which is indirectly confirmed in his diary.
Shemakha
one of the most important points along the entire Great Silk Road. Located on the territory of present Azerbaijan. Located at the intersection of caravan routes, Shamakhi was one of the major trade and craft centers in the Middle East, occupying an important place in the silk trade. Back in the 16th century, trade relations between Shamakhi and Venetian merchants were mentioned. Azerbaijani, Iranian, Arab, Central Asian, Russian, Indian and Western European merchants traded in Shamakhi. Shemakha is mentioned by A.S. Pushkin in “The Tale of the Golden Cockerel” (“Give me a maiden, the Shemakha queen”).
A. Nikitin's caravan secured passing certificate from Grand Duke Mikhail Borisovich to move across the territory of the Tver principality and Grand Duke's travel letter abroad, with whom he sailed to Nizhny Novgorod. Here they planned to meet with the Moscow ambassador Papin, who was also on his way to Shemakha, but did not have time to capture him.
I died from the holy golden-domed Savior and be by his mercy, from his sovereign from Grand Duke Mikhail Borisovich Tversky...
It’s interesting that initially Afanasy Nikitin did not plan to visit Persia and India!
Historical situation during A. Nikitin’s journey
The Golden Horde, which controlled the Volga, was still quite strong in 1468. Let us recall that Rus' finally threw off the Horde yoke only in 1480, after the famous “standing on the Ugra”. In the meantime, the Russian principalities were in vassal dependence. And if they paid tribute regularly and “didn’t show off,” then they were allowed some freedoms, including trade. But the danger of robbery always existed, which is why merchants gathered in caravans.
Why does the Russian merchant address the Grand Duke of Tver Mikhail Borisovich as the sovereign? The fact is that at that time Tver was still an independent principality, not part of the Moscow state and waging a constant struggle with it for primacy in the Russian lands. Let us recall that the territory of the Tver Principality finally became part of the Moscow Kingdom under Ivan III (1485)
Travel A. Nikitin can be divided into 4 parts:
1) travel from Tver to the southern shores of the Caspian Sea;
2) first trip to Persia;
3) travel around India and
4) return journey through Persia to Rus'.
Its entire path is clearly visible on the map.
So, the first stage is a trip along the Volga. It went safely, right up to Astrakhan. Near Astrakhan, the expedition was attacked by bandits of local Tatars, the ships were sunk and plundered
And we passed through Kazan voluntarily, without seeing anyone, and we passed through the Horde, and we passed through Uslan, and Sarai, and we passed through the Berekezans. And we drove to Buzan. Then three filthy Tatars came at us and told us false news: “Kaisym Saltan is guarding the guests in Buzan, and with him are three thousand Tatars.” And the ambassador Shirvanshin Asanbeg gave them one piece of paper and a piece of canvas to lead them past Khaztarahan. And they, the filthy Tatars, took one by one and sent the news to Khaztarahan (Astrakhan) to the king. And I left my ship and climbed onto the ship for the envoy and with my comrades.
We drove past Khaztarahan, and the moon was shining, and the king saw us, and the Tatars called to us: “Kachma, don’t run!” But we didn’t hear anything, but fled like a sail. Because of our sin, the king sent his entire horde after us. They caught us on Bogun and taught us to shoot. And we shot a man, and they shot two Tatars. And our smaller ship began to move, and they took us and then plundered us. , and mine was small junk all in a smaller vessel.
The bandits robbed the merchants of all their goods, apparently purchased on credit. Returning to Rus' without goods and without money threatened with a debt trap. Afanasy’s comrades and himself, in his words, “ crying, and some dispersed: whoever had anything in Rus', went to Rus'; and whoever should, but he went where his eyes took him.”
P a reluctant traveler
Thus, Afanasy Nikitin became a reluctant traveler. The way home is closed. There is nothing to trade. There is only one thing left - to go on reconnaissance in foreign countries in the hope of fate and your own entrepreneurship. Having heard about the fabulous riches of India, he directs his steps there. Through Persia. Pretending to be a wandering dervish, Nikitin stops for a long time in each city and shares his impressions and observations on paper, describing in his diary the life and customs of the population and the rulers of the places where his fate took him.
And Yaz went to Derbenti, and from Derbenti to Baka, where the fire burns unquenchable; and from Baki you went across the sea to Chebokar. Yes, here you lived in Chebokar for 6 months, and in Sara you lived for a month, in the Mazdran land. And from there to Amili, and here I lived for a month. And from there to Dimovant, and from Dimovant to Rey.
And from Drey to Kasheni, and here I lived for a month, and from Kasheni to Nain, and from Nain to Ezdei, and here I lived for a month. And from Dies to Syrchan, and from Syrchan to Tarom... And from Torom to Lar, and from Lar to Bender, and here there is the Gurmyz shelter. And here there is the Indian Sea, and in the Parsean language and Hondustan Doria; and from there go by sea to Gurmyz 4 miles.
Afanasy Nikitin's first journey through the Persian lands, from the southern shores of the Caspian Sea (Chebukar) to the shores of the Persian Gulf (Bender-Abasi and Hormuz), lasted more than a year, from the winter of 1467 to the spring of 1469.
Russian travelers and pioneers
Again
travelers of the era of great geographical discoveriesAfanasy Nikitin is known to his contemporaries as a navigator and merchant; the merchant became the first resident of European countries to visit India. The traveler discovered the eastern country 25 years before other Portuguese travelers.
In his travel notes “Walking across Three Seas,” the Russian traveler described in detail the life and political structure of the eastern countries. Athanasius's manuscripts were the first in Rus' to describe a sea voyage not from the point of view of pilgrimage, but for the purpose of telling a story about trade. The traveler himself believed that his notes were a sin. Later, in the 19th century, Afanasy’s stories were published by a famous historian and writer and included in the “History of the Russian State.”
Childhood and youth
Little is known about the childhood years of the Russian traveler, since the biography of Afanasy Nikitin began to be written down during the merchant’s expeditions. The navigator was born in the mid-15th century in the city of Tver. The traveler's father was a peasant, his name was Nikita. Therefore, “Nikitin” is a patronymic, not a surname.
Biographers know nothing more about the family, as well as about the traveler’s youth. Afanasy became a merchant at a young age and managed to see many countries, for example, Byzantium and Lithuania, where the traveler promoted trade. Afanasy's goods were in demand, so it cannot be said that the young man lived in poverty.
Expeditions
Afanasy Nikitin, as an experienced merchant, sought to expand trade in what is now Astrakhan. The navigator received permission from the Tver prince Mikhail Borisovich III, so Nikitin was considered as a secret diplomat, but historical data does not confirm these guesses. Having received the support of the first government officials, Afanasy Nikitin set off on a long journey from Tver.
The navigator sailed across the Volga River. Initially, the traveler stopped in the city of Klyazin and went to the monastery. There he received a blessing from the abbot, and also prayed to the Holy Trinity so that the journey would go well. Next, Afanasy Nikitin went to Uglich, from there to Kostroma, and then to Ples.
Travel route of Afanasy Nikitin According to the traveler, the route passed without obstacles, but in Nizhny Novgorod the navigator’s expedition dragged on for two weeks, since there the merchant was supposed to meet with the ambassador of the Shirvan state, Hasan Bey. Initially, Nikitin wanted to join the Russian embassy of Vasily Papin, but he had already sailed south.
Trouble happened when Afanasy’s team sailed past Astrakhan: the sailors were overtaken by Tatar robbers and plundered the ship, and one ship completely sank.
Map of the times of Afanasy Nikitin Travelers could not return to their homeland, as they were faced with debt obligations for not preserving the goods that were purchased with government money on credit. Some of the sailors who had at least something left at home returned to Rus', the rest of Nikitin’s people went in different directions, some remained in Shemakha, some went to work in Baku.
Afanasy Nikitin hoped to improve his financial situation, so he decided to set sail towards the south: from Derbent the resilient navigator set off for Persia, and from Persia he reached the busy port of Hormuz, which was the intersection of trade routes: Asia Minor, India, China and Egypt. In manuscripts, Afanasy Nikitin called this port “the haven of Gurmyz”, known in Rus' for the supply of pearls.
A shrewd merchant in Hormuz learned that rare stallions were supplied from there, which were not bred in the Indian country, and they were highly valued there. The merchant bought a horse and, with the hope of selling the goods at an exorbitant price, went to the Eurasian continent of India, the territory of which, although it was on the maps at that time, remained unknown to Europeans.
Afanasy Nikitin sailed to the city of Chaul in 1471 and lived in an unfamiliar state for three years, but did not return to his homeland. The Russian traveler described in detail the life and structure of the sunny country in his manuscripts.
Afanasy was amazed at how Indian residents walked along the street: women and children walked naked, and the prince had his thighs and head covered with a veil. But almost every person had gold jewelry in the form of bracelets, which surprised the Russian merchant. Nikitin did not understand why Indians could not sell precious jewelry and buy clothes to cover their nakedness.
Illustration from the book "Walking across Three Seas" by Afanasy Nikitin He was also impressed that India had a large population, and almost every second woman in the country was expecting a child.
In Chaul, Afanasy did not sell the stallion at a good price, so at the beginning of spring the navigator went to the very depths of India. The merchant reached the northwestern fortress of Junnar, where he met with Asad Khan, its owner. The governor liked Afanasy's goods, but he wanted to get the horse for free and took it away by force. During the conversation, Assad learned that the Russian traveler professes a different religion and promised to return the animal with gold in addition if the merchant converts to Islam. The governor gave Nikitin 4 days to think; in case of a negative answer, Assad Khan threatened the Russian merchant with death.
Editions of Afanasy Nikitin's book "Walking across Three Seas" According to the book “Walking across the Three Seas,” Afanasy Nikitin was saved by chance: the governor of the fortress met an old man he knew, Muhammad, to whom the ruler showed mercy and released the stranger, returning his horse. However, historians are still arguing: Afanasy Nikitin accepted the Mohammedan faith or remained faithful to Orthodoxy. The merchant left such doubts because of the original notes, which were full of foreign words.
Nikitin was also surprised by the customs of India and exotic animals; in a foreign country, he saw snakes and monkeys for the first time. The journey to unprecedented lands was colorful and vibrant, but Afanasy was dissatisfied, because the merchant never saw any trade benefits. According to the navigator, the sunny country traded in paints and cheap pepper - there was nothing to take home to make a profit. Nikitin's Indian stay was interesting, but poor: the sale of a single horse cost the merchant a loss and a fine.
Personal life
Scientists do not know about the personal life of Afanasy Nikitin, because the biography of the Russian navigator was compiled thanks to the merchant’s notes. Whether Nikitin had children, whether his faithful wife was waiting for him, also remains a mystery. But, judging by the merchant’s manuscripts, Afanasy Nikitin was a purposeful and resilient person who was not afraid of difficulties in an unfamiliar country. During three years of travel, Afanasy Nikitin mastered foreign languages; Arabic, Persian and Turkic words were found in his diaries.
There are no photographic portraits of Nikitin; only primitive drawings reached his contemporaries. It is known that the merchant had a simple Slavic appearance and wore a square beard.
Death
Wandering through sunny countries, Afanasy Nikitin lived with the dream of returning to his homeland. The navigator got ready for the return journey and went to the trading port of Hormuz, from where the journey to India began. From Hormuz the merchant traveled north through Iran and ended up in Trabzon, a Turkish city. Local Turkish residents mistook the Russian navigator for a spy, so they took Nikitin prisoner, taking away everything that was on the ship. The only thing that the navigator had left with him was the manuscripts.
Afanasy was released from arrest, and the merchant went to Feodosia: there he was supposed to meet with Russian merchants to borrow money and pay off his debts. Closer to the autumn of 1474, the merchant arrived in the Feodosian city of Kafa, where he spent the winter.
In the spring, Nikitin intended to travel along the Dnieper to Tver, but died in the city of Smolensk. The cause of Afanasy Nikitin’s death remains a mystery, but scientists are confident that a long journey through different countries with different climatic conditions sharply worsened the navigator’s health.
Nikitin's notes were delivered to Moscow by merchants who accompanied the wanderer. Nikitin's diary was handed over to the prince's adviser, and in 1480 the manuscripts were included in the chronicle.
Streets and alleys in Russia, as well as an embankment in the city of Tver, were named after the Russian navigator. In 1958, Mosfilm filmed the film “Walking across Three Seas”, and in 1955 a monument to Nikitin was erected in Tver. There are also monuments to the Russian merchant in Cafe and in the state of Maharashtra.
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In 1466, he set off for trading purposes from Tver (now the city of Kalinin) down the Volga. In Nizhny Novgorod, Nikitin was supposed to join the Russian embassy of Vasily Papin for safety reasons, but he had already gone south and the trade caravan did not find him. Having waited for the Tatar ambassador Shirvan Hasan-bek to return from Moscow, Nikitin set off with him and other merchants two weeks later than planned. Near Astrakhan itself, a caravan of embassy and merchant ships was robbed by local robbers - the Astrakhan Tatars, without taking into account that one of the ships was sailing “one of their own” and, moreover, an ambassador. They took away from the merchants all the goods purchased on credit: returning to Rus' without goods and without money threatened a debt hole. The desire to improve matters through intermediary trade drove Nikitin further south.
He reached Derbent by sea, reached Baku, then sailed across the Caspian Sea to Persia, where he lived for about a year; crossed it from Chapakur on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea to Hormuz on the shores of the Persian Gulf and sailed along the Indian Ocean to India by 1471. There he spent three whole years, visiting Bidar, Junkar, Chaul, Dabhol and other cities. He didn’t make any money, but he was enriched with indelible impressions. On the way back in 1474, Nikitin had a chance to visit the coast of East Africa, the “land of Ethiopia,” reach Trebizond, then end up in Arabia. Through Iran and Turkey he reached the Black Sea. Arriving in Kafa (Feodosia, Crimea) in November, Nikitin did not dare to go further to his native Tver, deciding to wait for the spring merchant caravan. His health was undermined by the long journey. Perhaps he acquired some kind of chronic disease in India. In Kaffa, Afanasy Nikitin apparently met and became close friends with wealthy Moscow “guests” (merchants) Stepan Vasiliev and Grigory Zhuk. When their joint caravan set off (most likely in March 1475), it was warm in Crimea, but as they moved north the weather became colder. A. Nikitin’s poor health made itself felt and he died unexpectedly. Smolensk is conventionally considered the place of his burial.
Write down the travel route of Afanasy Nikitin
Answers:
In 1466, he set off for trading purposes from Tver (now the city of Kalinin) down the Volga. In Nizhny Novgorod, Nikitin was supposed to join the Russian embassy of Vasily Papin for safety reasons, but he had already gone south and the trade caravan did not find him. Having waited for the Tatar ambassador Shirvan Hasan-bek to return from Moscow, Nikitin set off with him and other merchants two weeks later than planned.
Near Astrakhan itself, a caravan of embassy and merchant ships was robbed by local robbers - the Astrakhan Tatars, without taking into account that one of the ships was sailing “one of their own” and, moreover, an ambassador. They took away from the merchants all the goods purchased on credit: returning to Rus' without goods and without money threatened a debt trap. The desire to improve matters through intermediary trade drove Nikitin further south. He reached Derbent by sea, reached Baku, then sailed across the Caspian Sea to Persia, where he lived for about a year; crossed it from Chapakur on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea to Hormuz on the shores of the Persian Gulf and sailed along the Indian Ocean to India by 1471. There he spent three whole years, visiting Bidar, Junkar, Chaul, Dabhol and other cities. He didn’t make any money, but he was enriched with indelible impressions. On the way back in 1474, Nikitin had a chance to visit the coast of East Africa, the “land of Ethiopia,” reach Trebizond, then end up in Arabia. Through Iran and Turkey he reached the Black Sea. Arriving in Kafa (Feodosia, Crimea) in November, Nikitin did not dare to go further to his native Tver, deciding to wait for the spring merchant caravan. His health was undermined by the long journey. Perhaps he acquired some kind of chronic disease in India. In Kaffa, Afanasy Nikitin apparently met and became close friends with wealthy Moscow “guests” (merchants) Stepan Vasiliev and Grigory Zhuk. When their joint caravan set off (most likely in March 1475), it was warm in Crimea, but as they moved north the weather became colder. A. Nikitin’s poor health made itself felt and he died unexpectedly. Smolensk is conventionally considered the place of his burial.
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Afanasy Nikitin's route to India
- Good day!
Recently, I read a fascinating book by A. Nikitin, Walking Beyond the Sea. A book about the travels of the merchant Afanasy Nikitin along the Caucasian coast of the Caspian Sea, Persia, India, Turkey, and the African coast. I was interested in the author's view of many phenomena of his huge journey. His notes on India are especially interesting.
I’ll tell you more about this. Our brave traveler Afanasy Nikitin was not only a simple merchant, he was a man who loved long journeys. Even before his famous Indian trip, the merchant Afanasy visited Byzantium, Moldova, Lithuania, Crimea, after which he safely returned home with overseas goods. Somewhere, in 1468. (the exact dates are unknown) he goes from his native Tver to the land of Shirvan (present-day Azerbaijan) and then, for about 6-7 years, he traveled around Asia on his own. Afanasy Nikitin’s journey was not easy for those times India, Persia, Turkey, the African coast (Somalia), Muscat. The merchant Afanasy, first of all, of course, is looking for good goods for himself, but he is clearly driven by something greater curiosity and a thirst for exploration. He is obviously interested in the world and the people around him, although it is often difficult morally because of other people's morals and customs. It is surprising that it was our compatriot Afanasy Nikitin who came to India a quarter of a century earlier than the caravels of Vasco de Gama, which arrived on the Indian coast in the late 1490s. Much later, the British and French arrived in India and began their vigorous activity in it.
- Golat is 10 days, and from Kala-ty to Degu is 6 days, and from Dega to Moshkat, to Kuchzryat, to Kombat is 4 days, from Kambat to Chivel is 12 days, and from Chivil and Dabyl is 6. This is what the path looks like in the Trinity List of Walking ( 20). The chronicle edition conveys this place more fully: And from Gurmyz it takes 10 days to go by sea to Galatians, and from Galata to Degu six days, and from Degas to Moshkat 6 days, and from Moshkat to Kuchzryat 10 days, and from Kuchzryat to Kambat 4 days (41 ) (underlined is missing in the Trinity edition). Let's compare both routes. Hormuz Muscat 10 days Hormuz Qalhat 10 days
Muscat Dega 4 days Qalhat Dega 6 days
Dega Gujarat Dega Muscat 6 daysMaskat Gujarat 10 daysGujaratKambay GujaratKambay 4 days
Kambay Chaul Kambay Chaul 12 days.
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