Marco Polo sailed westward for about sixty miles from Ceylon and arrives in Maabar, or Greater India. He calls Maabar “…the best part of India,” describing it as the “richest and most splendid province in the world” (Polo 260). Polo’s account focuses on the region’s foreign customs, trading practices, climate, religion, and extraordinary wealth, which is especially interesting to Polo, probably because of his background as a merchant.

Polo focuses particular attention to the precious pearls and gems that are found in Maabar in the sea between the island and the mainland. They are the foundation of the regions good fortune. Merchants form partnerships with each other during the spring months to dive and fish for these pearls that are not only monetarily valuable but are also a symbol of social status and religious commitment. The king himself wears “…so many gems and pearls that their price exceeds that of a fine city” (Polo 262). His necklace of 104 pearls represents the 104 prayers he recites to his idols every morning and night. Polo seems impressed by this commerce and representation of status and often admires the king. Besides for his gems and pearls, the king, and everyone else in Maabar, is stark naked all year round. Polo credits this to the extremely hot and humid climate. The only time the region gets rain is during the summer months, and without that rain the heat would be unbearable. Yet Polo is very clear through his writing that he finds this strange. The idea of nakedness is so unnatural to him and disrupts his own cultural expectations. During his recount, he frequently shifts between admirations for the culture, and disapproval to things he finds unnatural.

The pearls are the driving force behind the large trading scene in Maabar, and it interests Polo. The king issues a proclamation several times a year, that encourages merchants to bring him their finest pearls and gems, which he then buys at twice their value. Polo admires the trade and customs here, but he is also fascinated by the omens and “superstitions” that surround trade, like the unlucky hour of choiach where merchants refuse to bargain or buy. Or judging whether a bargain is good or bad based off of where a tarantula cries. Polo doesn’t explicitly judge or mock these customs, but his tone suggest that he likely recorded them to be marveled by his European audience and to emphasize how far he’s traveled from home.

Beyond trading customs, Polo admires the strict justice system of the province, noting his pleasant surprise that merchants and nobles can sleep on the highway during their merchant travels without being scared of theft saying, “It is a proof of the excellent justice kept by the king…” (Polo 271). But Polo is disturbed, by the region’s marriage and death customs, specifically self-immolation, which is the practice of a widow burning herself to death alongside her husband during his funeral. He says, “And I assure you that there are many who do as I have told you” (Polo 265). He feels like he has to emphasize himself to prove that these customs really do occur, because to him it seems so unbelievable.

Polo’s account not only describes the interesting culture of Maabar but also reveals information about his own cultural norms. He portrays the region and India as an unbelievable place that is so different from his own to his European audience.