Chapter NAIR to NANKING of N by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

NANKEEN, s. A cotton stuff of a brownish yellow tinge, which was originally imported from China, and derived its name from the city of Nanking. It was not dyed, but made from a cotton of that colour, the Gossypium religiosum of Roxb., a variety of G. herbaceum. It was, however, imitated with dyed cotton in England, and before long exports of this imitation were made to China. Nankeen appears to be known in the Central Asia markets under the modified name of Nanka (see below).

1793–4.—“The land in this neighbourhood produces the cloth usually called Nankeens in Europe…in that growing in the province of Kiangnan, of which the city of Nan-kin is the capital, the down is of the same yellow tinge which it possesses when spun and woven into cloth.”—Staunton’s Narr. of Ld. Macartney’s Embassy, ii. 425.

1794–5.—“The colour of Nam-King is thus natural, and not subject to fade.…The opinion (that it was dyed) that I combat was the cause of an order being sent from Europe a few years ago to dye the pieces of Nam- King of a deeper colour, because of late they had grown paler.”—Van Braam’s Embassy, E.T. ii. 141.

1797.—“China Investment per Upton Castle.…Company’s broad and narrow Nankeen, brown Nankeen.”—In Seton-Karr, ii. 605.

c. 1809.—“Cotton in this district (Puraniya or Purneea) is but a trifling article. There are several kinds mentioned.…The Kukti is the most remarkable, its wool having the colour of nankeen cloth, and it seems in fact to be the same material which the Chinese use in that manufacture.” —F. Buchanan, in Eastern India, iii. 244. [See Watt, Econ. Dict. iv. 16, 29.]

1838.—“Nanka is imported in the greatest quantity (to Kabul) from Russia, and is used for making the outer garments for the people, who have a great liking to it. It is similar to nankeen cloth that comes to India from China and is of a strong durable texture.”—Report by Baines, in Punjab Trade Report, App. p. ix. See also p. clxvii.

1848.—“ ‘Don’t be trying to deprecate the value of the lot, Mr. Moss,’ Mr. Hammerdown said; ‘let the company examine it as a work of art—the attitude of the gallant animal quite according to natur, the gentleman in a nankeen-jacket, his gun in hand, is going to the chase; in the distance a banyhann tree (see BANYAN- TREE) and a pagody.”—Vanity Fair, i. 178.

NANKING, n.p. The great Chinese city on the lower course of the Yangtsekiang, which was adopted as capital of the Empire for a brief space (1368–1410) by the (native) Ming dynasty on the expulsion of the Mongol family of Chinghiz. The city, previously known as Kin-ling-fu, then got the style of Nan- king, or ‘South Court.’ Peking (‘North Court’) was however re-occupied as imperial residence by the Emperor Ching-su in 1410, and has remained such ever since. Nanking is mentioned as a great city called Chilenfu (Kin-ling), whose walls had a circuit of 40 miles, by Friar Odoric (c. 1323). And the province bears the same name (Chelim) in the old notices of China translated by R. Willes in Hakluyt (ii. 546).

It appears to be the city mentioned by Conti (c. 1430), as founded by the emperor: “Hinc prope XV. dierum itinere (i.e. from Cambalec or Peking), alia civitas Nemptai nomine, ab imperatore condita, cujus ambitus patet triginta milliaribus, eaque est popolosissima omnium.” This is evidently the same name that is coupled with Cambalec, in Petis de la Croix’s translation of the Life of Timour (iii. 218) under the form Nemnai. The form Lankin, &c., is common in old Portuguese narratives, probably, like Liampo (q.v.), a Fuhkien form.

c. 1520.—“After that follows Great China, the king of which is the greatest sovereign in the world.…The port of this kingdom is called Guantan, and among the many cities of this empire two are the most important, namely Nankin and Comlaka (read Combalak), where the king usually resides.”—Pigafetta’s Magellan (Hak. Soc.), p. 156.

c. 1540.—“Thereunto we answered that we were strangers, natives of the Kingdom of Siam, and that coming from the port of Liampoo to go to the fishing of Nanquin, we were cast away at sea…that we purposed to go to the city of Nanquin there to imbarque ourselves as rowers in the first Lanteaa (see LANTEAS) that should put to sea, for to pass unto Cantan.…”—Pinto, E.T. p. 99 (orig. cap. xxxi.).

1553.—“Further, according to the Cosmographies of China…the maritime provinces of this kingdom, which run therefrom in a N.W. direction almost, are these three: Nanquij, Xanton (Shantung), and Quincij” (Kingsze or capital, i.e. Pecheli).—Barros, I. ix: 1.

1556.—“Ogni anno va di Persia alla China vna grossa Carauana, che camina sei mesi prima ch’arriui alla Città de Lanchin, Città nella quale risiede il Re con la sua Corte.”—Ces, Federici, in Ramusio, iii. 391v.

[1615.—“678 1/5 Catties China of raw Lankine silk.”—Foster, Letters, iii. 137.]

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