Political History of Ancient India, from the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty c24.9

c24.9

The view that ancient Sauvīra was confined to Southern Sind and that Sindhu and Sauvīra together correspond to modern Sind, and nothing but Sind, is unsupported by any early evidence. Yuan Chwang went east from Sin-tu above 900 li and, crossing to the east bank of the Indus, came to the Mou-lo-san-pu-lu country.¹ This proves that Sin-tu lay to the *west* of Mou-lo-san-pu-lu (Multān), and was situated on the *west* side of the Indus. The commentator of the *Kāmasūtras* of Vātsyāyana makes the clear statement² सैन्धवानामिति । सिन्धुनामा नदस्तस्य पश्चिमेन सिन्धुदेशस्तत्र भवानाम् । The major part of modern Sind was clearly outside the geographical (as opposed to the political) limits of ancient "Sin-tu" or Sindhu and was, in the days of Yuan Chwang, included in the countries of A-tien-p'o-chih-lo, Pi-to-shih-lo, and A-fan-tu. Part of the modern territory of Sind may have been included in Sauvīra whose southern limits undoubtedly reached the sea, because the *Milinda-Pañho* mentions it in a list of countries where "*ships do congregate*". We are informed by the author of the *Periplus* that "*ships* lie at anchor at Barbaricum" (at the mouth of the Indus). But the evidence of Alberuni leaves no room for doubt that the northern limits of Sauvīra reached Multān. A scholar like Alberuni thoroughly conversant with Purāṇic lore, is not likely to make an unwarranted statement. In fact, the inclusion of Multān within Sauvīra receives striking confirmation from some of the *Purāṇas*. The *Skandapurāṇa*, for instance,³ referring to the famous temple of the Sun at Mūla-sthāna or Multān, says that stood on the banks of the river Devikā (*Devikātaṭa*) :—