The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c5.s1.t3.17

c5.s1.t3.17

In Ptolemy’s ‘Geography’ the city of *Kabura* and the *Kabolitæ*, with the towns of *Arguda*, or *Argandi*, and *Locharna*, or *Logarh*, are all located in the territories of the Paropamisadæ along the Kabul river. Higher up the stream he places the town of *Bagarda*, which corresponds exactly in position, and very closely in name with the valley of *Wardak*. All the letters of the two names are the same; and as the mere transposition of the guttural to the end of the Greek name will make it absolutely identical with the modern name, there is strong evidence in favour of the reading of *Bardaga* instead of *Bagarda*. According to Elphinstone,[*] the *Wardak* tribe of Afghans occupy the greater part of the Logarh valley. This is confirmed by Masson,[†] who twice visited the district of Wardak; and by Vigne,[‡] who crossed it on his way from Ghazni to Kabul. The only objection to this identification that occurs to me is, the possibility that *Bagarda* may be the Greek form of *Vaekereta*, which is the name given in the ‘Zend Avesta’ to the seventh country that was successively occupied by the Arian race. From its position between Bactria, Aria, and Arachosia, on one side, and India on the other, *Vaekereta* has usually been identified with the province of Kabul. This, also, is the opinion of the Parsis themselves. *Vaekereta* is further said to be the seat or home of *Duzhák*, which further tends to confirm its identification with Kabul, as the acknowledged country of *Zohâk*. If the *Wardaks* had ever been a ruling tribe, I should be disposed to infer that the name of *Vaekereta* might, probably, have been derived from them. But in our present total ignorance of their history, I think that it is sufficient to note the very great similarity of the two names.