The Geography of the Puranas c8.255

c8.255

It is difficult to identify all the features named in the above description of Ketumāla. But even a few identifications mentioned below are sufficient to bring out one important fact regarding the extent of that region of Jambū Dwīpa which was called Ketumāla by the Purāṇics. They show that Ketumāla signified practically the whole of the ancient Bactria which included the whole of the present Afghan Turkistan (north of Hindukush), the lower Hari Rud Valley, the basin of Murghab Kashka system (all south of the old bed of Amū Darya) and the basins of the Surkhan, Kafirnigan, Vakhsh and Yaksu rivers bounded on the north and west by the Hissar-Zarafshan parapet and its south-western extension which touches the Oxus near Kalif. In medieval times it comprised the territories of Badghis, Gharchistan, Guzgan, Tucharistan, Badakhshan, Ragh and Darwaz south of the Oxus, and Chaghanian, Khuttal, Karataghin and Rasht north of the Oxus. The names of some of the principalities or sub-regions of the above kingdoms appear in the Purānic list as detailed below: