Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champa; Vol. II: Suvarnadvipa) v2.c13.444

v2.c13.444

One of these inscriptions refers to "the captain (Mahānāvika lit. great sailor) Buddhagupta, an inhabitant of Rakta-mṛttikā". Kern identified Rakta-mṛttikā (red earth) with a kingdom called Chih-tu by the Chinese, as the latter meant 'red earth'. Now this Chih-tu is usually located in Siam or its neighbourhood, although there are grave difficulties in this identification¹. Apart from this difficulty, Krom has very pertinently asked the question that if Buddhagupta belonged to a locality in Siam or its neighbourhood, why should he come to northern part of Province Wellesley to commemorate his gifts. It is more in the fitness of things, says Krom, that Rakta-mṛttikā should be sought for in India². This view seems to be eminently just. Now, in course of his description of Karṇasuvarṇa, the famous capital of Gauḍa (Bengal) under Śaśāṅka, Hiuen Tsang refers to a magnificent Buddhist monastery near it. "It is called by him in some texts Lo-to-wei-chih, explained as meaning "Red clay", and Julien restores the original as Raktaviṭi. But the correct reading is Lo-to-mo-chih, that is Raktāmṛta, in Pāli Ratta-mattikā, which means "Red clay"¹". This site has been identified with a place still called Rāṅgāmāṭi (Red clay) 12 miles south of Murshidabad². Thus Rakta-mṛttikā, the native place of Buddhagupta, may be identified with the place, containing the famous monastery near the old capital of Bengal, which is still called by its old name. The fact that it was near the river Bhāgīrathī, which served as the main channel of ocean trade between Bengal and the Far East, is not altogether without significance in respect of the proposed identification. It may be noted in conclusion that the stone slab containing this inscription has in the centre a representation, in outline, of a *stūpa*, with seven umbrellas³.