The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c2.14

c2.14

The third Chinese pilgrim, Hwen Thsang, was also a Buddhist priest, who spent nearly fifteen years of his life in India in studying the famous books of his religion, and in visiting all the holy places of Buddhism. For the translation of his travels we are wholly indebted to M. Stanislas Julien, who with unwearied resolution devoted his great abilities for no less than twenty years to the acquirement of the Sanskrit and Chinese languages for this special purpose.† The period of Hwen Thsang’s travels extended from A.D. 629 to 645. During that time he visited most of the great cities throughout the country, from Kabul and Kashmir to the mouths of the Ganges and Indus, and from Nepâl to Kânchipura near Madras. The pilgrim entered Kabul from the north-west, viâ Bamian, about the end of May, A.D. 630, and after many wanderings and several long halts, crossed the Indus at Ohind in April of the following year. He spent several months in Taxila for the purpose of visiting the holy places of Buddhism, and then proceeded to Kashmir, where he stayed for two whole years to study some of the more learned works of his religion. On his journey eastward he visited the ruins of *Sangala*, so famous in the history of Alexander, and after a stay of fourteen months in *Chinapati*, and of four months in *Jâlandhara*, for the further study of his religion he crossed the Satlej in the autumn of A.D. 635. From thence his onward course was more devious, as several times he retraced his steps to visit places which had been left behind in his direct easterly route. Thus, after having reached Mathura he returned to the north-west, a distance of 200 miles to *Thánesar*, from whence he resumed his easterly route viâ *Srughna* on the Jumna, and *Gangadwára* on the Ganges to *Ahichhatra*, the capital of Northern *Panchála*, or Rohilkhand. He next recrossed the Ganges to visit the celebrated cities of *Sankisa*, *Kanoj*, and *Kosámbi* in the Doâb, and then turning northward into Oudh he paid his devotions at the holy places of *Ayodhya* and *Srávasti*. From thence he resumed his easterly route to visit the scenes of Buddha's birth and death at *Kapilavastu* and *Kusinagara*; and then once more returned to the westward to the holy city of *Banáras*, where Buddha first began to teach his religion. Again resuming his easterly route he visited the famous city of *Vaisáli* in Tirhût, from whence he made an excursion to Nepâl, and then retracing his steps to *Vaisáli* he crossed the Ganges to the ancient city of *Pátaliputra*, or Palibothra. From thence he proceeded to pay his devotions at the numerous holy places around Gaya, from the sacred fig-tree at *Bodh Gaya*, under which Buddha sat for five years in mental abstraction, to the craggy hill of *Giriyek*, where Buddha explained his religious views to the god Indra. He next visited the ancient cities of *Kuságapura* and *Rajagriha*, the early capitals of Magadha, and the great monastery of *Nálanda*, the most famous seat of Buddhist learning throughout India, where he halted for fifteen months to study the Sanskrit language. Towards the end of A.D. 638 he resumed his easterly route, following the course of the Ganges to *Modagiri* and *Champa*, and then crossing the river to the north he visited *Paundra Varddhana*, or Pubna, and *Kâmarûpa*, or Assam.