The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c5.s2.t6: 5. Punacha, or Punach.
The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c5.s2.t6
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5. Punacha, or Punach.
c5.s2.t6.1
The district of *Puan-nu-tso*, or *Punacha*, is placed by Hwen Thsang at 700 *li*, or 117 miles, to the south-west of Kashmir.* It is called Punats by the Kashmiris, who have adopted a soft pronunciation of the *ch*, as in *Pir Pantsal* for *Panchâl* of the Panjâbis. Moorcroft† spells the name *Prunch*, or *Pruntz*, according to the Kashmiris. General Court also has *Prunch*; but it is called Punje by Wilford's surveyor, Mirza Mogal Beg, and *Punch* by Vigne, both of whom actually visited the place. Its distance from Kashmir, as measured on the map *viâ* Barâhmula and Uri is 75 miles, which is equal to about 100 miles of actual road distance.‡
c5.s2.t6.2
† ‘Travels,’ ii. 298.
c5.s2.t6.3
‡ See Maps Nos. V. and VI.
c5.s2.t6.4
Hwen Thsang describes Punach as 2000 *li*, or 333 miles, in circuit, which is just about twice its actual size. On the west it is bounded by the Jhelam, on the north by the Pir Panchâl range, and on the east and south-east by the small state of Rajaori. But these limits, which include the petty state of Kotali, are not more than 170 miles in circuit; and even if the tract at the source of the Punach river be included, the frontier will not be more than 200 miles in circuit. But as the distances in the mountain districts were most probably estimated by the lengths of the roads, the circuit of the frontier line may be taken as equivalent to about 300 miles in road distance.
c5.s2.t6.5
∗ Julien's ‘Hiouen Thsang,’ ii. 187.
c5.s2.t6.6
In the seventh century Punach was without a king, and subject to Kashmir; but in later times it had a chief of its own, whose descendants, Shir Jang Khan and Shams Khan, were put to death by Gulâb Singh, of Jammu, and this petty sovereignty once more forms part of the kingdom of Kashmir.