Maldive and Laccadive Islands 溜山國

(Travellers | Cities | Routes | Trade Goods | Themes)

by Sally K Church

"Liu shan’ (Giles, nos. 7259; 9663). Liu is a transliteration of diu, ‘island’, which, with other forms such as dive, diva, diba, was derived from Sanskrit dvipa (Yule and Burnell, under ‘Maldives’, p.546b). The Liu mountains included the Laccadive islands situated about 200 miles from India, and the Maldive islands situated about 600 miles south-south-west of Cape Comorin; the groups extend for 750 miles from north to south 100 miles from west to east. Politically insignificant, the islands had a certain economic importance based on the export of ropes, ambergris, bonito fish, and cowries."

- adapted from J. V. G. Mills, Ma Huan, p. 146, note 4.