The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c5.s1.t12.2

c5.s1.t12.2

The capital of Udyâna was called *Mung-kie-li*, or *Mangala*, which is probably the *Mangora* of Wilford’s surveyor, Mogal Beg, and the *Manglora* of General Court’s map. It was 16 or 17 *li*, about 2¾ miles, in circuit, and very populous. At 250 or 260 *li*, about 42 miles, to the north-east of the capital the pilgrim reached the source of the *Subhavastu* river, in the fountain of the Nâga king *Apalâla*; and at 750 *li*, or 125 miles, further in the same direction, after crossing a mountain range and ascending the Indus, he arrived at *Tha-li-lo*, or *Dárel*, which had been the ancient capital of Udyâna. *Dárel* is a valley on the right or western bank of the Indus, now occupied by *Dárdus*, or *Dárds*, from whom it received its name. It is called *To-li* by Fa-Hian, who makes it a separate kingdom. The Dârds are now usually divided into three separate tribes, according to the dialects which they speak. Those who use the *Arniya* dialect occupy the north-western districts of *Yasan* and *Chitrál*; those who speak the Khajunah dialect occupy the north-east districts of Hunza and Nager; and those who speak the Shinâ dialect occupy the valleys of Gilgit, Chilâs, Dârel, Kohli, and Pâlas, along the banks of the Indus. In this district there was a celebrated wooden statue of the future Buddha Maitreya, which is mentioned by both of the pilgrims. According to Fa-Hian it was erected 300 years after the *Nirvána* of Buddha, or about B.C. 243, that is, in the reign of Asoka, when the Buddhist religion was actively disseminated over India by missionaries. Hwen Thsang describes the statue as 100 feet in height, and states that it was erected by *Madhyántika*.* The name and the date mutually support each other, as *Madhyántika*, or *Maj-jhima* in Pali, was the name of the Buddhist teacher, who, after the assembly of the Third Synod in Asoka's reign, was sent to spread the Buddhist faith in Kashmir and the whole Himavanta country.† This is most probably the period alluded to by Hwen Thsang when *Dârel* was the capital of Udyâna.