The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c5.s4.t14: Kot Kamália.
The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c5.s4.t14
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Kot Kamália.
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Kot Kamâlia is a small but ancient town situated on an isolated mound on the right or northern bank of the Râvi, which marks the extreme limit of the river’s fluctuations on that side.* It is 44 miles to the south-east of the junction of the Hydaspes and Akesines, and 35 miles to the east-south-east of Shorkot. It possesses an ancient mound of burnt-brick ruins, and is said to have been overthrown by a king from the West at the same time as Shorkot and Harapa. Its present name, according to some people, was derived from a Muhammadan governor, named Kamâl-ud-din. But this is not certain; and I think it is quite possible that it may owe its origin to the Malli tribe, which still exists in this part of the country; but whether the name be old or not, it is quite certain that the site is very ancient; and I am, therefore, led to believe that it may be identified with the first city captured by Alexander in his campaign against the Malli.
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Arrian’s account of the capture is so clear and concise that I will quote it in his own words.† On leaving the junction of the rivers Alexander “marched through a desert country against the Malii, and the first day pitched his tents on the banks of a small rivulet, about one hundred stadia distant from the river Akesines. Having there allowed his troops a little time for refreshment and rest, he ordered every one to fill all his vessels with water, which done, he continued his march the remaining part of that day and all night, and early the next morning arrived at a city, whither many of the Malii had fled for refuge, and this was about 400 stadia distant from the Akesines.” The small rivulet here mentioned I believe to be the lower course of the *Ayek* river, which rises in the outer range of hills, and flows past Syâlkot towards Sangala, below which the bed is still traceable for some distance. It appears again 18 miles to the east of *Jhang*, and is finally lost about 12 miles to the east of Shorkot.* Now somewhere between these two points Alexander must have crossed the *Ayek*, as the desert country, which he afterwards traversed, lies immediately beyond it. If he had marched to the south he would have arrived at Shorkot, but he would not have encountered any desert, as his route would have been over the *Khâdar*, or low-lying lands in the valley of the Chenâb. A march of 46 miles in a southerly direction would have carried him also right up to the bank of the Hydraotes, or Râvi, a point which Alexander only reached, according to Arrian’s narrative, after another night’s march.† As this march lasted from the first watch of the night until daylight, it cannot have been less than 18 or 20 miles, which agrees exactly with the distance of the Râvi opposite Tulamba from Kot Kamâlia. The direction of Alexander’s march must, therefore, have been to the south-east; first to the *Ayek* river, where he halted to refresh his soldiers, and to fill their water vessels, and thence across the hard clayey and waterless tract called *Sandar-bár*, that is, the *bár*, a desert of the *Sandar*, or *Chandra* river. Thus the position of the rivulet, the description of the desolate country, and the distance of the city from the confluence of the rivers, all agree in fixing the site of the fortress assaulted by Alexander with *Kot Kamâlia*.
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∗ See Maps Nos. V. and VI.
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† ‘Anabasis,’ vi. 7.
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Arrian describes the place as a walled city with a castle seated on an eminence of difficult access, which the Indians held for a long time. At last it was carried by storm, and the whole of the garrison, to the number of 2000, were put to the sword.
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*Harapa.*
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Whilst Alexander was engaged in the assault of the city just described, Arrian relates that he had dispatched Perdikkas with the cavalry against "another city of the Malii, into which a great body of Indians had fled for safety."* His instructions were to blockade the city until Alexander arrived; but the inhabitants deserted the place on his approach, and took refuge in the neighbouring marshes. This city I believe to be Harapa. The mention of marshes shows that it must have been near the Râvi, and as Perdikkas was sent in advance of Alexander, it must also have been *beyond* Kot Kamâlia, that is, to the east or south-east of it. Now this is exactly the position of Harapa, which is situated 16 miles to the east-south-east of Kot Kamâlia, and on the opposite high bank of the Râvi.† There are also several marshes in the low ground in its immediate vicinity.
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† See Maps Nos. V. and VI.
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Harapa has been described by two well-known travellers, Burnes and Masson, and to their descriptions I am not able to add much, although I have been encamped at the place on three different occasions. Burnes‡ estimated the extent of the ruins as "about three miles in circumference, which is one-half too much, as the actual ruined mound forms an irregular square of only half a mile on each side, or two miles in circuit. But this comprises only the remains of the walled town, to which we may fairly add the suburbs, or fields now covered with broken bricks and other remains, which would bring the size of the old town quite up to Burnes's estimate. Masson* notices a tradition that Harapa once extended on the west as far as Chichawatni, a distance of 12 miles, which serves, at least, to show the belief of the people as to the former size and importance of their town.
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∗ ‘Anabasis,’ vi. 6.
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‡ ‘Bokhara,’ i. 117.
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The great mass of ruins is on the western side, where the mound rises to 60 feet in height in the centre. At this point there are several massive walls built of large bricks, which are, no doubt, the remains of some extensive building. The other portions of the mound vary from 30 to 50 feet in height, the mass being formed almost entirely of broken bricks. Tradition assigns its foundation to Raja Harapa, of unknown date, and its destruction to the same western king, of the sixth century, who overthrew Shorkot, and whom I believe to have been the leader of the White Huns. The crimes of its ruler, who claimed the husband's privilege on every marriage, are said to have drawn down the vengeance of Heaven, and Harapa remained uninhabited for several centuries. As the coins that are found in its ruins are similar to those discovered at Shorkot, I think that the two places must have experienced the same fortunes; I would, therefore, assign its downfall to the Arabs, who overran the whole of the lower Panjâb immediately after the capture and occupation of Multân in A.D. 713.
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∗ 'Travels,' i. 453, and Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vi. 57.