As illustration only; a worldmap of al Sharafi af Sifaqsi of 1571

 

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Gardizi: Zain al-akhbar (1050)
(The ornament of the (historical) stories)
Persian historian
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also called Gardeze: Zayn al-akobar.

Abu Saʿid Abd-al-Hayy ibn Zahhak b. Maḥmud Gardizi, was a Persian historian and official, who is notable for having written the Zayn al-akhbar, one of the earliest history books written in New Persian. He was from Gardiz in the region of Zamindawar. His book consisted of a history of the pre-Islamic kings of Iran, Muhammad and the Caliphs until the year 1032. The few mentions of Zanj in his work are not very important.

Taken from: Catalogue of the Persian, Turkish, Hindustani and Pushtu Manuscripts…..Hermann Ethé.

(concerns an incomplete copy). On folio 220-262 the author treats of ethnology and of civilization in general. In the introduction he divides the inhabitants of the earth into people of the east (Hindus), people of the west (Greeks), people of the north (Turks) and people of the south (Zangis). The chapter on the Zangis is omitted in this manuscript, or did never exist??

 

Taken from : Iranica.com

He talks in glowing terms about the Samanid vizier of Jurasan Abu Abd-Allah in his narrative of Samanid history, most about his skills of learning, stating that he allegedly send for information on administrative practices in all parts of the world.
He send emissaries to all customary  countries to request a report of all the courts and all the ministries in Byzantium, (the Greek Empire),  Turkestan, China, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, the country of the Zenj, the one of Zabul (1) and Kabul, Sind and Arabia. Studied scrupulously all the material to retain those customs that he considered best for Bujara.
Note : Bujara is Bokhara (in modern Uzbekistan) (it got concurred by Persia by the end of the 11th century)

 

Taken from: Islamic Central Asia: an anthology of historical sources  By Scott Cameron Levi, Ron Sela

The Origin and Characteristics of the Turks: The Legend of Iapheth (Yafith) In his book on The Habitable Quarter of the World 'Abdallah Ibn al-Muqaffa' (2) states that when the prophet Nuh (Noah), upon whom be peace, came out from the ark, the world had become devoid of people. He had three sons, Sam (Shem), Ham, and Yafith (Japheth), and he divided the earth among his sons. The Land of the Blacks, such as Zanj, Abyssinia, Nubia, Barbary, and Fazz (3), and the maritime and southern region of Persia he gave to Ham…...

 

Taken from: Orientalia Suecana; Jamshid and the Ultrahuman Power of Creation by Dariush Kargar.

And Ajamiyan (=Iranians) say: On this day (=Nouruz (5)) Jamshid (4) mounted a calf and went toward the south where he would fight the demons and the blacks, which means the Zangis. He waged war against them and he subdued them all.

(1) Zabul: is one of the provinces of Afghanistan.

(2) Abdallah Ibn al-Muqaffa: a state official in charge of taxes under the Umayyad governors at Basra then under the Abbasid governors. He translated the world famous Kalila wa Dimna into Arabic.

(3) Fazz: Fazzan in south west Libya.

(4) Jamshid: is the fourth Shah of the mythological Pishdadian dynasty of Iran according to Shahnameh.

(5) Nouruz: is the Iranian New Year, also known as the Persian New Year.