The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c15.3

v1.c15.3

But more strictly speaking, *Kāmarūpa* and *Prāgjyotiṣa* included Assam proper, *i.e.*, the Brahmaputra valley. According to the *Yoginī Tantra*, *Kāmarūpa* includes the country lying between the Karatoya and the Dikhu from west to east, with the mountains of Kanjagiri in the north and the junction of the Brahmaputra and Lākhyā rivers in the south; ‘that is to say, it comprised roughly the Brahmaputra valley, Bhutan, Rangpur, Cooch Behar, the north-east of Mymensing and, possibly, the Garo Hills.’ There is some agreement amongst scholars in identifying Ka-la-tu, the large river, which was crossed by Yuan Chwang when he travelled from the borders of Pun-na-fa-tan-na (Puṇḍravardhana) to Kia-mo-leu-po (Kāmarūpa), with the river Karatoya. The Chinese pilgrim estimated Kia-mo-leu-po to be more than 10,000 *li* or about 1,667 miles in circuit. According to Cunningham this shows that at that time it must have comprised the whole valley of the Brahmaputra river, together with Kusa-vihāra and Bhutan. The ancient capital of the country, which was known as Prāgjyotiṣapura, probably the same town which was 30 *li* in circuit in the time of the Chinese traveller, is generally taken to have stood somewhere near the modern town of Gauhati.¹