The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c5.s3.t5.1

c5.s3.t5.1

The town of Nûrpûr derives its name from the celebrated Nûr Jahân, the wife of the emperor Jahânjîr. Its original name was *Dahmari*, or *Dahmála*; or as Abul Fazl writes, *Dahmahri*, although he mentions no fort. The people pronounce the name as if written *Dahmeri*. In the ‘Târikh-i-Alfi’ it is called *Damál*, an dis described as “situated on the summit of a high hill, on the borders of Hindustan.” The fort was taken after a long siege by Ibrahim Ghaznavi. The name of the district is *Patháwat*, and the old capital in the plains was called *Pathián*, or *Pathiánkot*, which is now slightly altered to *Pathánkot*. But the name is derived from the Pathân tribe of Hindu Rajpûts, and not from the well-known Muhammadan Pathâns, or Afghâns. The Raja was imprisoned in 1815 by Ranjit Singh, who took possession of his country.