The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c5.s4.t2.1

c5.s4.t2.1

The modern town of Bhiṛa, or Bheḍa, is situated on the left, or eastern bank, of the Jhelam; but on the opposite bank of the river, near Ahmedabad, there is a very extensive mound of ruins, called *Old Bhiṛa*, or *Jobnáthnagar*, the city of Raja Jobnáth, or Chobnáth. At this point the two great routes of the salt caravans diverge to Lahor and Multân; and here, accordingly, was the capital of the country in ancient times; and here also, as I believe, was the capital of Sophites, or Sopeithes, the contemporary of Alexander the Great. According to Arrian, the capital of Sopeithes was fixed by Alexander as the point where the camps of Kraterus and Hephæstion were to be pitched on opposite banks of the river, there to await the arrival of the fleet of boats under his own command, and of the main body of the army under Philip.* As Alexander reached the appointed place on the third day, we know that the capital of Sophites was on the Hydaspes, at three days' sail from Nikæa for laden boats. Now Bhiṛa is just three days' boat distance from Mong, which, as I will presently show, was almost certainly the position of Nikæa, where Alexander defeated Porus. Bhiṛa also, until it was supplanted by Pind Dâdan Khan, has always been the principal city in this part of the country. At Bhiṛa† the Chinese pilgrim, Fa-Hian, crossed the Jhelam in A.D. 400; and against Bhiṛa, eleven centuries later, the enterprising Baber conducted his first Indian expedition.