The Cambridge History of India, Vol. I: Ancient India v1.c24.150

v1.c24.150

Herāt, on the west, including the district watered by the Hari Rūd, was known in the Avesta as Harōiva (O.P. Haraiva, Gk. Ἀρεία). Kābul, to the east and nearer the present Indian frontier, appears as Vaēkereta (answering to the western part of O.P. Ga(n)dāra, Gk. Γανδαρῖτις, or El. Paruparesanna, and possibly in part to O.P. Thatagu, Gk. Σατταγύδαι¹). The region corresponding to the modern province of Kandahār, as already stated, is represented by Av. Harahvaitī (O.P. Hara(h)uvatī, Gk. Ἀραχωσία). In the territory to the south-west, the river Helmand and the lagoon districts of Seistān around the Hāmūn Lake (which the natives call Zirrah, *i.e.* Av. *Zrayah*, ‘sea’) are respectively known in the Avesta as the Haētumant and as Zrayah Kãsaoya (cf. O.P. Zra(n)ka or Zara(n)ka, Gk. Ζαράγγοι, Σαράγγοι, or Δραγγιανή); while the river systems that empty into this lagoon depression from the north are mentioned in Yasht xix, 67, by names that can be identified exactly with their modern designations in almost every case². It is worth noting that the majority of these particular allusions are found in the Nineteenth Yasht, which is devoted to the praise of the ‘Kingly Glory’ of the ancient line of the Kayanians, heroes who are known to fame also through Firdausī’s epic poem, the Shāhnāmah, and from whom some of the families in the regions named still claim to be descended.