The Nāṣirī Generations 288.1.7

288.1.7

I have previously narrated the Fanakati’s account of the geography of some of these parts, and the names of various countries of Khitae, Chin, and Maha-Chin, but it will be well to mention what refers to this very tract under discussion again, as great discrepancy exists with regard to the mode of writing the name of it. The Fanakati says: “To the S. W. of Khitae is another country, which they—the people of it—style Dae-liu—in one MS. written Dae-lu—and the Mughals call it Gandhar—another MS. has Gandah-har. This country with us—the writer’s native country, Mawara-un-Nahr, and Turkistan—is known as Kandhar. It lies between Hind and Tibbat, and in one half of it the people are black [dark], and in the other half, white [fair]. The Mughals call all this white half Chaghan-Jang, and the other Kara-Jang. It is doubtful what the meaning of Jang is, in fact it is very doubtful what is the correct word, for it is written which may be read in various ways, but if one take the first form in which perhaps it is chiefly written, it may be read, in the absence of vowel points, Janak, Janag, Jank, or Jang; and from its being used with chaghan and kara, which are Turkish words for white and black, it must, without doubt, be Turkish likewise. I am doubtful, however, whether the last form given above Jamak, is not, after all, the correct word. I have taken some trouble to search it out in several works, and am sorry that there should still remain any doubt upon it.