The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c5.s3.t6.7

c5.s3.t6.7

The position of the celebrated fortress of Bhatner would suit the description of a small district bounded on the west by the Satlej, and would also agree with the corrected distance from Kullu: but the direction is south-west instead of south, and the distance from Bairât is upwards of 200 miles, instead of 800 *li*, or 133 miles, as stated by the pilgrim. The bearing of Bairât is, however, in favour of Bhatner, as the pilgrim’s south-west is certainly a mistake for south-east, otherwise the distance of Bairât from Mathura would be nearly 1500 *li*, or 250 miles, instead of 500 *li*, or 83 miles, as recorded. If we might read 1500 *li* instead of 500 *li*, the relative positions of Bhatner and Bairât would correspond very well with the pilgrim’s account, as the road distance between the two places, *viâ* Hânsi, is about 250 miles. It is quite possible also that there may be a mistake in the initial Chinese character, *She* or *Ṣa*, which is very much like *Po* or *Bha*; and if so, the Chinese syllables *Po-to-tu-lo* would represent *Bhaṭasthala*, or Bhatner. The latter name means the “fortress of the Bhaṭis,” but the town itself was called *Band*, or *Bando*, which was probably the contracted form of *Bhaṭasthala*, just as *Máru* is now the common contracted form of *Marusthala*. But in spite of these plausible agreements both in name and in position, I am inclined to think that Sarhind must be the place indicated by the pilgrim as the capital of the ancient district of *Śatadru*. This conclusion is strengthened by the pilgrim’s statement that the country produced gold, which, so far as I know, can only apply to the lower hills lying to the north of Sarhind, where gold is still found in some of the smaller affluents of the Satlej.