The Geography of the Puranas c8.237

c8.237

In Tajikistan there are two areas which have been famous for the production of saffron. They are named by Hudūd-al-Alam⁶ as Shuman and Vayshagirt. Shuman which is mentioned usually together with Akharun was a considerable principality in medieval times probably comprising the Kafirnigan basin or rather its upper part. The town of Shuman may have occupied the site of Du-Shamba (near Stalinabad). Veshagird corresponds with Fyzabad on the Ilaq, left affluent of the Kafirnigan river. This tallies with the Purāṇic statement that ‘There is a Kesar valley extending to several yojanas, between two great mountains named Kumud and Añjanācala’, i.e. the Rangan Tau range and the southern longitudinal spurs of the Hissar range. The temple of Viṣṇu which is visible from all the three Lokas’ most probably refers to the Anzob Peak of the Hissar range where the river Varzhob rises and which dominates the upper Kafirnigan basin.