Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champa; Vol. II: Suvarnadvipa) v2.c13.366

v2.c13.366

Ptolemy has shown a fair degree of knowledge as regards the geography of Malay Peninsula. He names successively (1) Takkola, a mart; (2) a cape situated after Takkola; (3) mouth of the river Chrysoana; (4) Sabana, a mart; (5) mouth of the river Palandas; (6) cape Maleu Kolon; (7) mouth of the river Attaba; (8) Koli, a town; (9) Perimula; and (10) Bay of Perimula. In a supplementary list he refers to the inland towns, Balongka, Kokkonagara, Tharrha, and Palanda.¹ It is not possible to identify exactly any of these², but that does not take away the great importance of Ptolemy’s writings. S. Lévi has shown that Ptolemy’s account regarding the Far East possesses a striking agreement with that given in Niddesa, a Pāli canonical book.³ This proves, in his opinion, not only the general accuracy of the Greek account, but also that the Indians had acquired a far greater amount of knowledge of the Far East since the days when neither Pliny nor the author of the Periplus could gain anything but a vague report of Suvarṇabhūmi from his Indian informants. In other words, the century 50-150 A. D. witnessed a remarkable growth in the trade and maritime activity of the Indians in the Far East. This is further corroborated by the fact, that not only the general name Suvarṇabhūmi, but also local place-names such as Takkola, Java, and Tāmraliṅga, and the name-ending 'nagara' in Kokkonagara, are purely Indian.¹ It may also be noted that by the second century A. D. there was a regular intercourse between India and China, either through the Isthmus of Kra, or the Straits of Malacca.²