MACHIN or Maha-China, Great China, the name by which Hindus style the empire of China. But it is often used pleonastically coupled with Chin to denote the same thing ; Chin and Machin, a phrase having some analogy to the term Sind Iva Hind, used to express all India, also similarly to Yajuj and Majuj, applied to the northern nations of Asia. The use of a double assonant name, sometimes to express a dual idea, but often a single one, is a favourite oriental practice. As far back as Herodotus we have Crophi and Mophi, Thyni and Bithyni. The Arabs have con verted Cain and Abel into Kabil and Habil, Saul and Goliath into Talut and Jalut, Pharaoh's magicians into Risam and Rejam, of whom the Jewish traditions had made Jannes and Jambres ; whilst Christian legends gave the names of Dismas and Jesmas to the penitent and impenitent thieves in the gospel. Jarga and Nargab was the name given to the great circle of beaters in the Mongol hunting matches. In geography we have numer
ous instances of the same thing, e.g. Zabulistan and Kibulistan, Koli Akoli, Longa Solanga, Ibir Sibir, Kessair and Owair, Kuria Muria; Ghuz and Maghuz, Mastra and Castra (Edrisi), Artag and Kartag (Abulghazi), Khanzi and Manzi (Rashid), Iran and Turan, Crit and Mecrit (Rubruquis), Sandor and Candor (Marco Polo), etc.
The name of Achim in Sumatra appears to have been twisted in this spirit by the Muhammadan mariners as a rhyme to Machin ; the real name is Atcheh. In India such rhyming doublets are not confined to proper names; to a certain extent they may be made colloquially, at will, upon a variety of substantives. Thus chauki-auki means chairs simply (chauki), or, at most, chairs and tables ; lakri-akri, sticks and stakes.—Quatremere's Rashid, p. 243 ; D'Aveme, p. 534 ; Prairies d'Or, i. p. 399, in Yule, Cathay, pp. 119, 120.