Genizah Letter T-S Ar.35.14 (about 1140) Egypt
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Taken from: https://geniza.princeton.edu/pgpsearch/?a=object&id=20607&q=zanj
Nearly complete letter in Arabic, written by a Muslim (concludes with the standard prayer for the prophet Muhammad), sent to somebody close to the India trader and Nagid Madmun b. al-Hasan (active 1131–51). Unfortunately, the beginning of the letter and the address are lost. The writer reports meeting with [Abu?] l-Faraj b. al-Surur and learning that the addressee had directed his business (? taklifak) to the West (bilad al-gharb) and has been left without strong connections in India (bilad al-hind). He then brings up Madmun b. al-Hasan and (it seems) how Madmun has bestowed his favor on the addressee more than on others. He then explains why he has been unable to travel: his black slave (al-ʿabd al-zanji) died, and the [In]dian slave who was with him in سنجلي (?) had already departed. . . . "and I remained cut off" (? wa-baqitu munqatiʿ). Despite this, he is doing well (qalbi tayyib), and he requests a favor from Madmun. In the margin he mentions the ship-owner (nakhudha) Abu ʿAbd al-Qahhar (? this word is uncertain) Abu l-K[...].