The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c5.s1.t10.2

c5.s1.t10.2

I have entered into this long detail out of respect for the acknowledged learning of the late lamented Isidor Loewenthal. His opinion as to the name of Ohind was most probably, although quite unconsciously, biassed by his belief that Utakhanda was to be found in the modern Attak. But this place is unfortunately on the wrong side of the Indus, besides which its name, as far as I am aware, is not to be found in any author prior to the reign of Akbar. Abul Fazl calls the fort *Atak-Banáras*, and states that it was built in the reign of his Majesty. Baber never mentions the place, although he frequently speaks of Nilâb. Rashid-ud-din, however, states that the Parashâwar river joins the Indus near *Tankur*, which most probably refers to the strong position of Khairabad. I have a suspicion that the name of Attak, the "forbidden," may have been derived by Akbar from a mistaken reading of *Tankur*, with the Arabic article prefixed, as *Et-tankur*. The name of *Banáras* was undoubtedly derived from *Banár*, the old name of the district in which the fort is situated. The name of *Banâr* suggested *Banáras*, and as *Kási-Baánras* was the city which all Hindus would wish to visit, so we may guess that this fact suggested to the playful mind of Akbar the exactly opposite idea of *Attak Banáras* or the "forbidden" *Banáras*, which all good Hindus should avoid. Or the existence of *Katak Banáras** (or Cuttack) in Orissa, on the extreme eastern limit of his kingdom, may have suggested an alteration of the existing names of Attak and *Banâr* to *Attak-Banáras* as an antithesis for the extreme west.