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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 August 2018
From the time of Marco Polo to that of Vasco da Gama, no great eastern voyage, of which we possess a full record, has received less attention here than the gallant Athanasius Nikitin's journey from Russia “across three seas” to Persia, India, and back. Indeed, in not a single book on Russia, written in English, that the present writer has seen, was a mention, let alone a description, of Nikitin's voyage to be found. This is all the more regrettable, as a translation of his report has actually been published in English, in volume XXII of the Works issued by the Hakluyt Society (R. H. Major, editor; London, 1857). However, this translation is almost one hundred years old, and does not live up to the minimum requirements of up to date scholarship.
1 Four versions of Nikitin's own relations exist. A final critical edition appeared in 1853’ published by the Archaeological commission, in volume VI of the Polnoe Sobranie Russkikh Lelopisey; and, in 1856, in the publications of the Imp. Academy of Sciences, volume II , 2. — The latest scholarly edition is a German edition which appeared in the Stählin Series, Quellen und Aufsätze zur russischen Geschichte , II (Leipzig, 1912), edited by Karl H. Meyer. This latest version has been used for the present paper. It is planned to prepare a full English edition.
2 “Travels of Nikitin,” Hakluyt Society , XXII, 18 note.
3 Cf. Hakluyt, Richard, The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation (London-New York), vol. II Google Scholar.
4 Tver at that time was still an independent principalty,though its prince was related to the Grand Duke of Muscovy.It was incorporated into Muscovy about twenty years later.
5 This may refer to the oil sources as well as to the eternal flame of a nearby fire temple.
6 It may be possible that Nikitin had bought several horses and that these constituted the basis of his intended commercial activities in India.
7 The children up to seven years, as Nikitin observes with dismay, ran around completely naked, hiding nothing.
8 Conquerors forming the upper class, who came from tribes inhabiting western Afghanistan and the region around Herat.
9 Nikitin gives figures of 10,000; 20,000; 100,000; 200,000; and 300,000, according to the rank of the commanders.
10 Nikitin does not distinguish carefully between Mohammedans and Hindus; in some instances, when speaking of Indians, he refers to Hindus only, in others to all, regardless of faith.
11 The Hakluyt Society version states that Nikitin himself distributed a quantity of these products so that the natives would not plunder the ship.
12 Cf. the disheartening report from Persia of Lawrence Chapman, written just one hundred years later. In drugs he found “the goodnesse nothing like to such as be brought into England … & the price is so high that smal gaine will be had.” “Better it is … in mine opinion to continue a beggar in England during life, then to remaine a rich Merchant seven yeeres in this Countrey.” Richard Hakluyt, II, 111-112.
