The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c5.s1.t10.9

c5.s1.t10.9

After the surrender of Peukelaotis, Arrian* relates that Alexander captured other small towns on the river Kophenes, and "arrived at last at Embolima, a city seated not far from the rock Aornos," where he left Kraterus to collect provisions, in case the siege should be protracted. Before he left Bazaria, Alexander, with his usual foresight, had despatched Hephæstion and Perdikkas straight to the Indus with orders to "prepare everything for throwing a bridge over the river." Unfortunately, not one of the historians has mentioned the name of the place where the bridge was made; but as the great depôt of provisions and other necessaries was formed at Embolima, I conclude that the bridge must have been at the same place. General Abbott has fixed Embolima at *Amb-Balima* on the Indus, 8 miles to the east of Mahâban; and certainly if Mahâban was Aornos the identity of the other places would be incontestable. But as the identification of Mahâban seems to me to be altogether untenable, I would suggest that *Ohind* or *Ambar-Ohind* is the most probable site of Embolima. Ambar is a village two miles to the north of Ohind, and it is in accordance with Indian custom to join the names of two neighbouring places together, as in the case of *Attak-Banáras*, for the sake of distinction, as there is another *Ohin* on the Jhelam. It must be remembered, however, that *Embolima* or *Ekbolima* may be only a pure Greek name, descriptive of the position of the place, at the junction of the Kabul river with the Indus, where it is placed by Ptolemy. In this case the claim of Ohind would be even stronger than before. That the bridge over the Indus was at, or near, Embolima, seems almost certain from the statement of Curtius, that when Alexander had finished his campaign to the west of the Indus by the capture of Aornos, "he proceeded towards *Ecbolima*; "* that is, as I conclude, to the place where his bridge had been prepared by Hephæstion and Perdikkas, and where his provisions had been stored by Kraterus. I infer that the depôt of provisions must have been close to the bridge, because one guard would have sufficed for the security of both bridge and stores.