Date of Birth: --
Date of death: 1472 (1475) year.
Place of birth: Russian Empire.
Afanasy Nikitin- traveler, experienced merchant and the first European to visit India. Also Nikitin known for his notes "Journey Beyond the Three Seas".
History has preserved little information about Athanasius, about the date and place of his birth, parents and childhood. The first historical records refer to his journey to the three seas of the Black, Caspian and Arabian, which is described in his notes.
It was not possible to restore the exact date of departure for the trip. Russian traders who traveled in the same direction as Athanasius set out on their journey from Tver in several ships.
Athanasius by that time was an experienced merchant and traveler, because he had to visit such countries as Byzantium, Lithuania, Moldova and Crimea more than once. A safe return home was accompanied by the importation of overseas goods.
Athanasius had big plans for the development of trade in the areas of present-day Astrakhan, for which he received support and a letter from Prince Mikhail Borisovich of Tver. In this regard, he could be considered as a secret diplomat or scout of the prince, but there is no historical data on this subject.
After arriving in Nizhny Novgorod, the travelers were supposed to join Vasily Papin and the Russian embassy, but the trade caravan did not have time for their departure to the south.
The continuation of the journey was delayed for two weeks and continued with the Tatar ambassador Shirvan Hasan-bek. And near Astrakhan, all the ships were plundered by Tatar robbers.
Returning to Russia promised to fall into a debt hole. Therefore, the comrades of Athanasius were divided: those who had at least something at home returned to Russia, and the rest dispersed wherever their eyes looked.
Nikitin, however, did not give up hope of improving his affairs and continued his journey to the south. He passed through Baku and Persia, then reached the Indian Ocean. But already in India, Nikitin spent 3 years. He visited many cities in India, saw a lot, but failed to make money.
It was a long journey back to the Crimea. Athanasius traveled through Africa, he also visited the Ethiopian lands, reached Trebizond and Arabia. Then, having overcome Iran, and then Turkey, he returned to the Black Sea.
And having stopped in Cafe (Crimea), in November 1974 he decided to wait for the spring trade caravan, because poor health made it impossible to travel in winter.
During a long stay in the Cafe, Nikitin managed to get acquainted and establish close relations with wealthy Moscow merchants, among whom were Grigory Zhukov and Stepan Vasiliev. When it became warm in the Crimea, their united large caravan set off. The undermined health of Athanasius made itself felt more and more. Because of what he died and was buried near Smolensk.
The desire to share his impressions, observations and experiences resulted in his travel notes. Here one can clearly see well-read and competent knowledge of not only Russian business speech, but also good perception foreign languages.
In his notes, Athanasius often uses local expressions of the countries he managed to visit, and after them he gives his interpretation in Russian.
His notes indicate not only the differences in nature and outlandish animals, but also the differences in customs, way of life and political system. Athanasius also visited the sacred city of Parvata, where Buddha is worshipped. Studied local religion and government. His notes testify to the broad outlook and friendliness of the author to foreign countries and peoples.
Despite the wonderful and interesting descriptions India, Persia and other countries his records do not hide his disappointment at the lack of the promised variety of goods. Missing the Russian land, Athanasius could not feel comfortable in foreign lands.
Despite the injustice of the Russian nobles, Nikitin glorified the Russian land. Until the last, the traveler kept the Christian religion, and all assessments of manners and customs were based on Orthodox morality.
Afanasy Nikitin's achievements:
Dates from the biography of Afanasy Nikitin:
1468 start of journey across 3 seas
1471 arrival in India
1474 returned to Crimea
1475 died
A brief biography of Afanasy Nikitin, a Russian merchant and traveler, is presented in this article.
Afanasy Nikitin short biography
Unfortunately, only scanty data about the birth of Athanasius, his parents and childhood have been preserved. Estimated year of birth - 1433 year. In 1468, the Russian traveler Afanasy Nikitin made a “walking beyond three seas”, which are Black, Caspian and Arabian. During the expedition, he visited Africa, the countries of the East, Persia and India and described what he saw in the book "Journey Beyond the Three Seas".
Afanasy Nikitin traveled from Tver. He carried Russian goods with him in the hope of selling them profitably in settlements near the Caspian Sea. It so happened that at the mouth of the Volga, a Tver merchant was robbed by the Astrakhan Tatars. But this sad event did not make him return home, especially since the stolen goods were borrowed from him. Nikitin made a firm decision to go to overseas countries in order to earn money to return debts for goods. First of all, he visited Baku, after which he migrated to the south, studying local languages and engaging in trade. Approximately in 1469, Athanasius gets to a major port - Ormuz, which was a wayward point of intersection of the trade routes of India, Asia Minor, China and Egypt. Then there were several years of travel in India.
Since the book "Journeys" contains a fairly large amount of Arabic-Persian vocabulary and Muslim prayers, some researchers have put forward the opinion that while in India, the Tver traveler converted to Islam. Although he himself denied this case in all his notes. When Nikitin decided to return to his homeland, his path lay through Trebizond and Persia.
"And here is the Indian country, and simple people they walk naked, but their heads are not covered, and their breasts are bare, and their hair is braided in one braid, everyone walks around belly, 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 marvel white man"(Afanasy Nikitin. Journey beyond the three seas).
Second half of the 15th century became a decisive moment for the unification of Russian lands in centralized state, which took place against the backdrop of the final liberation from Mongol rule and under constant pressure from the west. Significantly strengthened Moscow, gradually extending its power to the surrounding principalities, mainly northern and eastern, was not going to stop there. And the main rival of Moscow in the fight for the championship was not stretched from the Baltic to the Urals Novgorod Republic, thinking only of independence, and located nearby a small but wayward principality of Tver. From time to time, the princes of Tver made peace with the Moscow ones and helped the latter to defeat someone - for example, the Novgorodians, but then again broke with Moscow and, in search of an ally, flirted against it 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 massive destruction. On the economic life principalities, in particular on trade, if it affected, then to a small extent. The development of cities, trade and the growth of the merchant class, undermined Mongol invasion and resumed already at the beginning of the 14th century, led to the separation of merchant brothers - rich and influential groups of "guests" (as merchants who traded with other cities and countries were called in Russia) 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 path lay on 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, that is, Nikitich) - apparently, a seasoned man who walked around and swam a lot. From the first days of the journey, Athanasius began to keep diary entries. It can be seen from them that the Volga route was well known to him. The caravan proceeded past Kalyazin, Uglich, Kostroma, Ples, and stopped in Nizhny Novgorod for a long time. Here the merchants were waiting for the caravan of ambassador Shirvan (a historical region on the southwestern shore of the Caspian Sea): he was returning from Moscow to his homeland. Tverichi decided to join him: it was not safe to sail further along the Volga because of the Tatars, and it seemed somehow more reliable with the embassy.
Without any problems, the merchants with 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 slipped through, yes, unfortunately, one ship was stuck aground, and the other on a fishing cart (wattle fence). The Tatars plundered them and captured several people. Two ships, including a large embassy, on which Athanasius and ten other merchants were, managed to put to sea. Here another misfortune lay in wait for them: a storm came up, and a smaller ship was thrown aground near Tarka (now Makhachkala). Local residents, kaitaks, merchants were captured, and the goods were plundered. Athanasius, on the other hand, reached Derbent and immediately began to fuss about the release of the prisoners and the return of the goods. A year later, 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 in all directions in search of possible earnings: returning home without funds would mean shame and a debt hole. But what about Athanasius? He went south to Baku. According to one version, he also borrowed goods and did not want to fall into the pit. According to another, Athanasius did not owe anything to anyone, but still decided with empty handed don't come back. From Baku in September 1468 he sailed to the Persian Mazandaran and spent about eight months there. Then, having crossed the Elburz ridge, Athanasius continued his journey to the 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 Persian Gulf, where busy trade routes from Egypt, Asia Minor, India and China converged.
Here Athanasius heard that horses are highly valued in India. He bought a good horse, boarded a ship, and a month and a half later arrived in Indian Chaul (south of modern Bombay). Apparently, India surprised the traveler a lot. This country was unlike any land he had seen before. Everything seemed amazing - both the huge snakes crawling through the streets of cities, and jumping on the walls and heads of the inhabitants of the horde of monkeys, to which the population treated with respect, and the gastronomic preferences of this very population, and the incredible number of religious beliefs… But most of all, the merchant was struck by the locals themselves - dark-skinned and completely naked, except for those who were richer, covering their heads and hips with cloth. But everyone, including the poorest, wore gold jewelry: earrings, bracelets, necklaces. However, Athanasius quickly got used to the nakedness of those around him, but the abundance of gold did not give him rest.
The merchant could not sell the horse he bought in Hormuz - neither in Chaul, nor in Junnar, already in the depths of the country. Moreover, the governor of Junnar by force took the stallion from Athanasius. And having found out that the foreigner was not a Muslim, the governor put him before heavy choice: either he converts to Islam and gets back his horse, and even money in addition, or is left without a stallion, and he himself becomes a slave. Luckily for Athanasius, in Dzhunnar he met an old acquaintance Mohammed, who, having learned about the misfortune of the Russian, asked the governor to have mercy. The ruler turned out to be accommodating: he did not convert to his faith, did not enslave him, and returned the horse.
After waiting for the rainy season, Athanasius led the horse to the distant Bidar, the capital of the vast state of Bahmani, and then to the fair in Alland. And all in vain: it was impossible to sell the stallion. Returning to Bidart, in December 1471, he nevertheless got rid of it - almost a year after the purchase. From Bidar, Athanasius went to the sacred city of Parvat, where he witnessed the majestic festival of the night dedicated to the god Shiva.
From Parvat, he again returned to Bidar, and a year later he left for Kallur, a city in a 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 festive departure of the Sultan made a huge impression on him: “... twenty great viziers left with him and three hundred elephants ... Yes, a thousand riding horses in golden harness, a hundred camels with drums, three hundred trumpeters, three hundred dancers, and three hundred concubines ... ". He also collected valuable information about those places where he himself did not visit: 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 precious stones.
It is difficult for one in a foreign land, especially among people of a different faith. With the exception of the mysterious Mohammed, Athanasius did not find close people for all these years. After all, casual acquaintances, merchants and women do not count. Definitely yearning, he decided to return to his homeland. The commercial results of the trip, according to the traveler himself, turned out to be disappointing: “The infidel dogs deceived me: 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, a merchant boarded a ship bound for Hormuz.
From Ormuz, he went by the already familiar path to the Caspian Sea. Having passed 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 Mohammed II, who at that time was at war with Uzun-Hasan. Athanasius was suspected of spying for the latter. He was carefully searched and released, but the goods were "looted by everyone." 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 is almost a house, Russian speech is heard here ... At this, the traveler's notes break off. It can be assumed that he spent the winter in the Cafe, and went north in the spring. He went through the lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, friendly to Tver, but hostile to Moscow. Dear, before reaching Smolensk, Athanasius died.
The notebooks, written by his hand, ended up in Moscow, to the grand ducal clerk Vasily Mamyrev, and he ordered to include them in the annals. Subsequently, the notes of the traveler, called "Journey beyond the Three Seas", were repeatedly rewritten. It is a valuable geographical and historical document, containing information about the population, economy, customs, nature of India and other countries.
There are a lot of mysteries in the Journey, as well as in the journey itself. Almost nothing is known about Athanasius himself, not even his age. It is surprising that, having lost his goods, he managed to go through all of Persia, acquire an expensive horse, and then, failing to immediately sell it, keep it for a whole year. Who is Mohammed, who each time turned out to be nearby at a difficult moment for Athanasius and who had the gift of a genie from a bottle to take away all troubles from the traveler? In "Journey", along with Christian prayers, scattered as numerous Muslim. Perhaps, finding himself in a non-Orthodox country, Athanasius was forced to conspire and follow local rules, but it is known that he put his notes in order already in the Cafe. Another riddle. The death of the traveler is also mysterious.
In search of a sea route to India, Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492, and five years later, Vasco da Gama laid the foundation for the conquest of Hindustan. Athanasius son Nikitin visited India 30 years before the Portuguese and left the best description of this amazing country for his time.
Afanasy Nikitin - Russian writer, Tver merchant and traveler who traveled to India and Persia in 1468-1471. Returning home, he visited Somalia, drove to Turkey and Muscat. The notes “Journey beyond 3 seas” made by him along the way are a valuable historical literary monument.
It is believed that he was distinguished by religious tolerance, devotion to his native land and faith, unprecedented for the Middle Ages. Tver was the birthplace of Afanasy Nikitin. The exact date of his birth has not been established. It is known that he was the son of the peasant Nikita (hence the patronymic of Athanasius). He died in the spring in 1475.
Tver legacy of Afanasy Nikitin
In the 16-17th centuries. Afanasy Nikitin's notes "Journey beyond three seas" (Black, Caspian and Arabian) corresponded several times. This journey was not originally included in the plans of Athanasius, but he became the first European who gave sensible and important description medieval India.
The work of Afanasy Nikitin is a monument to the living Russian language of the 15th century. In 1957, a peak 3500 m high and a huge underwater mountain range in Indian Ocean. In 1955, a monument was erected to Afanasy Nikitin in Tver.
Surely you would be curious to know what Afanasy Nikitin discovered. After reading this article, you will find out where this Athanasius Nikitin's years of life - 1442-1474 (75) have been. He was born in Tver, in the family of Nikita, a peasant, so Nikitin is a patronymic, not a traveler's surname. Most peasants at that time did not have surnames.
His biography is only partially known to historians. There is no reliable information about his youth and childhood, only that he became a merchant at a fairly young age and visited the Crimea, Byzantium, Lithuania and other states on commercial business. Were quite successful commercial enterprises Athanasius: he returned safely with overseas goods to his homeland.
Below is the one located in Tver.
In 1468, Athanasius undertook an expedition during which he visited the countries of the East, Africa, India and Persia. described in a book called "Journey Beyond the Three Seas" by Afanasy Nikitin.
Hormuz
Nikitin went through Baku to Persia, after which, having crossed the mountains, he went further south. He made his journey without haste, stopping for a long time in the villages and learning local languages, as well as engaging in trade. Athanasius arrived in the spring of 1449 in Hormuz - Big city, located at the crossroads of various trade routes: from India, China, Asia Minor and Egypt.
Goods from Hormuz were already known in Russia. Hormuz pearls were especially famous. Afanasy Nikitin, having learned that horses were being exported to this city, decided to make a risky venture. He bought an Arabian stallion and boarded a ship in the hope of selling it profitably in India. Athanasius went to the city of Chaul. So it went on Russian discovery India. Afanasy Nikitin got here by sea.
First impressions of India
Swimming took six weeks. India made the strongest impression on the merchant. The traveler, not forgetting about trade, also became interested in ethnographic research. He wrote down in detail what he saw in his diaries. In his notes, India appears as a wonderful country, in which everything is completely different from that in Russia. Athanasius wrote that all the people here go naked and black. He was amazed that even poor people wear jewelry made of gold. Nikitin himself, by the way, also struck the Indians. Rarely had the locals seen white people before. Nikitin failed to profitably sell his stallion in Chaul. He went inland, visiting small town, located in the upper reaches of the Sina, and then in Junnar.
What did Afanasy Nikitin write about?
Afanasy Nikitin noted everyday details in his travel notes, described sights and local customs. It was almost the first description of the life of India, not only for Russia, but also for Europe. Athanasius wrote about what kind of food the locals eat, what they feed their livestock, what goods they sell, how they dress. He even described the process of making intoxicating drinks, as well as the custom of housewives in India to sleep in the same bed with guests.
The story that happened in the Junnar fortress
The traveler did not stay in the Junnar fortress of his own free will. The local khan took away the stallion from Athanasius when he found out that he was a stranger from Russia, and not an infidel, and set a condition for the infidel: either he converts to Islam, or not only does not return his horse, but will be sold into slavery by the khan. Four days were given for reflection. Only chance saved the Russian traveler. He met Mohammed, an old acquaintance who vouched for the stranger to the Khan.
During the two months he spent in Junnar, Nikitin studied the agricultural activities of the population. He noticed that in India they sow and plow wheat, peas and rice during the rainy season. He also describes the local winemaking. Coconuts are used in it as a raw material.
How Athanasius sold the horse
Athanasius visited the city of Alland after Junnar. There was a big fair here. The merchant wanted to sell but failed to do so again. Even without him, there were many good horses at the fair.
Afanasy Nikitin managed to sell it only in 1471, and even then without profit, or even at a loss. It happened in the city of Bidar, where the traveler arrived, waiting for the rainy season in other settlements. He stayed here for a long time, became friends with the local population. Athanasius told the inhabitants about his faith and land. Hindus also told a lot about their family life, prayers, and customs. A lot of Nikitin's notes are devoted to the issues of religion of the locals.
Parvat in Nikitin's notes
The next thing Afanasy Nikitin discovered was the sacred city of Parvat. He arrived here, on the banks of Krishna, in 1472. Believers from all over India went from this city to the annual festivities, which were dedicated to Nikitin notes in his diaries that this place has the same importance for Indian Brahmins, as Jerusalem is for Christians.
Afanasy Nikitin's further journey
For another year and a half, the merchant traveled around India, trying to trade and studying local customs. But commercial enterprises (what Afanasy Nikitin went across three seas for) failed. He did not find any goods suitable for export to Russia from India.
Afanasy Nikitin visited Africa on his way back ( East Coast). In Ethiopian lands, according to diary entries, he miraculously managed to avoid being robbed. The traveler bought off the robbers with bread and rice.
Return trip
Athanasius Nikitin's journey continued with the fact that he returned to Hormuz and went north through Iran, where military operations were taking place at that time. Athanasius passed Kashan, Shiraz, Erzinjan and ended up in Trabzon, a Turkish city located on the southern coast of the Black Sea. The return seemed close, but luck turned away from Nikitin again. The Turkish authorities took him under arrest, as they took him for an Iranian spy. So Afanasy Nikitin, a Russian merchant and traveler, was deprived of all his property. All he has left is his diary.
Athanasius borrowed money for the journey on parole. He wanted to get to Feodosia, where he planned to meet Russian merchants and repay debts with their help. He was able to get to Kafu (Feodosia) only in 1474, in the autumn. Nikitin spent the winter here, completing his travel notes. In the spring, he decided to go back to Russia along the Dnieper, to Tver. This was the end of Afanasy Nikitin's trip to India.
Death of Athanasius Nikitin
But the traveler was not destined to return: he died in Smolensk under unclear circumstances. Probably, years of deprivation and wanderings undermined the health of Athanasius. His companions, Moscow merchants, delivered his manuscripts to Moscow and handed them over to Mamyrev, a deacon, adviser to Ivan III. Recordings later included were in the annals of 1480.
They were discovered in the 19th century by Karamzin and published under the author's title in 1817. The three seas mentioned in the title of this work are the Caspian, Black and Indian Oceans.
What did Afanasy Nikitin discover?
Long before the Europeans arrived in India, a Russian merchant found himself in that country. The sea route here was discovered by Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese merchant, several decades later.
Although the commercial goal was not achieved, the result of the trip was the first description of India. AT Ancient Russia before that, it was known only from legends and some literary sources. A man of the 15th century was able to see this country with his own eyes and talentedly tell his compatriots about it. He wrote about state system, religions, trade, exotic animals (elephants, snakes, monkeys), local customs, and also fixed some legends.
Nikitin also described the areas and cities that he had not visited himself, but which the Indians told him about. He mentions, in particular, the island of Ceylon, Calcutta, Indochina, which were unknown to the Russians at that time. Therefore, what Afanasy Nikitin discovered was of great value. Carefully collected information today allows us to judge the geopolitical and military aspirations of the rulers of India at that time, about their army.
"Journey Beyond Three Seas" by Afanasy Nikitin is the first text of its kind in the history of Russian literature. The fact that the traveler did not describe exclusively holy places, as pilgrims before him, gives a unique sound to the composition. It is not the various objects of the Christian religion that fall into his field of vision, but people with other beliefs and ways of life. The notes are devoid of internal censorship and officiality, which is especially valuable.