The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c5.s1.t4.3

c5.s1.t4.3

The name of Tsaukuta still remains to be explained. The identifications just made show that it corresponds exactly with the Arachosia of classical writers, which is the Arokhaj and Rokhaj of the Arab geographers. The latter form is also found in Arrian’s ‘Periplus of the Erythræan Sea’ as ’Ραχούσοι. It was, therefore, not unusual both before and after the time of Hwen Thsang to drop the initial syllable of the name. The original form was the Sanskrit Saraswati, which in Zend became Haraqaïti, and in Greek ’Αραχωτός, all of which agree in the last two syllables with the Chinese Tsaukuta. The first Chinese syllable Tsau must, therefore, correspond with the Ra of the other forms. This change may, perhaps, be explained by a peculiarity of the Turki language, which frequently changes the letter r into a soft z or sh, as the Turki words dengiz, “sea,” and okuz, “ox,” are the same as the Hungarian tenger and okur.† On the Indo-Scythian coins, also, we find the Turki names of Kanishka, Huvishka, and Kushána changed to Kanerke, Hoverke, and Korano in Greek. It seems possible, therefore, that the initial syllable Tsau of the Chinese transcript may be only the peculiar Turki pronunciation of the Indian Ra, which would naturally have come into use with the occupation of the country by the Turki tribe of Tochari, about the beginning of the Christian era.