In his section about India, Polo speaks of the kingdom of Motupalli. Polo starts out his description with noting the government and political leader of the kingdom. The kingdom was previously ruled by the king, but he had passed away, therefore the queen took control of the kingdom and created such a great reputation “that never was lady or lord so well beloved as she is by her subjects” (Polo 272). Polo seems to be mostly interested in the environment of Motupalli, briefly mentioning in one sentence the religion and diet of the individuals who reside in this kingdom. However, there seems to be some unreliability in this passage and his section on India, as he did not visit it in reality and is basing his writing on stories that he has heard. His previous accounts focus more on the people and unique aspects about the communities, but in this passage and others in the section on India, there is simply mention that they are idolaters and eat rice and milk. Another aspect that Polo repeats and that makes an appearance in the passage about Motupalli is the hot weather.

 

Polo then goes into great depth about the singular commodity that this kingdom is well-known for, which is diamond. Due to his mercantile nature, Polo has always included details like these surrounding the trade and the economies of the places that he visits, but there are some slight differences concerning the diamonds in Motupalli. His tone seems to be overconfident, as he seems to be overcompensating for his lack of details and the fact that he is writing these accounts based on things he has heard and not witnessed in person. For example, when introducing the diamonds, Polo mentions that “[y]ou must know that in the kingdom there are many mountains in which the diamonds are found, as you will hear” (Polo 272). The use of the word “must” puts more emphasis on the information that he is sharing, making it seem more important than it is. The phrase “as you will hear” could refer to his continuance in speaking of diamonds, but it seems to be more of in reference that his information can be consulted with other individuals and proven to be truthful. His overconfident tone makes his accounts less reliable and trustworthy.

 

He accompanies his short paragraphs about the information and characteristics of the kingdom of Motupalli with emphasis on the production and creation of the diamonds, which seems to more fantastical and rooted in storytelling. He mentions that the diamonds in this kingdom can be gathered in three different ways, one being that men throw pieces of flesh that then become attached to multiple diamonds and then snatched up by eagles that fly up the cliff and eat the flesh, leaving only the diamonds. The description does not sound plausible at all, which is why Polo includes the detail that these diamonds do not get shipped to Christian or European countries, but “they are exported to the Great Khan and to kings and noblemen of these various regions and realms” (Polo 273). This inclusion is rooted in sound logic; however, it also serves as reasoning and an excuse as to why to why no one has seen these diamonds, which strays away from the fact that Polo has not seen these diamonds and they might not even exist.