The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c5.s2.t1.9

c5.s2.t1.9

In the seventh century the capital of the country was on the eastern bank of the river, and about 10 *li*, or less than 2 miles, to the north-west of the ancient capital. Abu Rihân* calls the capital *Adishtán*, which is the Sanskrit *Adhisthâna*, or "chief town." This is the present city of Srinagar, which was built by Raja Pravarasena about the beginning of the sixth century, and was, therefore, a new place at the time of Hwen Thsang’s visit. The "old capital" I have already identified with an old site, 2 miles to the south-east of the Takht-i-Sulimân, called *Pándrethán*, which is the corrupt Kashmiri form of *Puránádhisthána*, or "the old chief city." *Pán* is the usual Kashmiri term for "old," as in *Pán Drás*, or "old Dras," to distinguish it from the new village of Drâs, which is lower down the river.† Near the old capital there was a famous *stupa*, which in A.D. 631 enshrined a tooth of Buddha; but before Hwen Thsang’s return to the Panjâb in A.D. 643 the sacred tooth had been given up by the Raja to Harsha Varddhana, the powerful king of Kanoj, who made his demand at the head of an army on the frontier of Kashmir.* As Raja Durlabha was a Brahmanist, the sacrifice of the Buddhist tooth was a real gain to his religion.