The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c5.s1.t7.1

c5.s1.t7.1

The district of Gândhâra is not mentioned by Alexander’s professed historians; but it is correctly described by Strabo, under the name of *Gandaritis*, as lying along the river Kophes, between the Choaspes and the Indus. In the same position Ptolemy places the *Gandaræ*, whose country included both banks of the Kophes immediately above its junction with the Indus. This is the *Kien-to-lo*, or Gândhâra of all the Chinese pilgrims, who are unanimous in placing it to the west of the Indus. The capital, which they call *Pu-lu-sha-pulo* or *Parashapura* is stated to be three or four days’ journey from the Indus, and near the south bank of a large river. This is an exact description of the position of Peshâwar, which down to the time of Akbar still bore its old name of *Parasháwar*, under which form it is mentioned by Abul Fazl and Baber, and still earlier by Abu Rihân and the Arab geographers of the tenth century. According to Fa Hian, who calls it simply *Fo-lu-shá* or *Parashá*, the capital was 16 *yojans*, or about 112 miles, distant from Nagarahâra. Hwen Thsang, however, makes the distance only 500 *li*, or 83 miles, which is certainly a mistake, as the measurement by perambulator between Jalâlâbâd and Peshâwar is 103 miles, to which must be added 2 miles more for the position of Begrâm to the west of Jalâlâbâd.