The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c6.s1.t11.1

c6.s1.t11.1

The position of the celebrated port of Debal, the emporium of the Indus during the middle ages, is still unsettled. By Abul Fazl and the later Muhamadan writers, Debal has been confounded with Thatha; but as Debal was no longer in existence when they wrote, I conclude that they were misled by the name of *Debal Thatha*, which is frequently applied to Thatha itself. Similarly, *Bráhmana*, or *Bráhmanabád*, was called *Debal Kángra*, and the famous seaport of Debal was named *Debal Sindhi*. But *Diwal*, or *Debal*, means simply a temple, and therefore *Debal Sindhi* means the temple at, or near, the town of Sindhi. Major Burton says that the shawls of Thatha are still called *Shál-i-Debali*, but this only proves that Debal was the place where the merchants procured the Thatha shawls. Just so the name of *Multáni-matti*, that is Multan clay, or Armenian bole, is derived from the place where the merchants obtain the article, as the clay is actually found in the hills to the west of the Indus, beyond Dera Ghâzi Khân. So also Indian-ink is named from India, where the merchants first obtained it, although, as is now well known, it is all manufactured in China. Sir Henry Elliot, who is the last inquirer into the geography of Sindh, places Debal at Karâchi; but admits that Lâribandar "is the next most probable site after Karâchi."* But I incline to the opinion of Mr. Crow, who was for many years the British resident in Sindh, that Debal occupied a site between Karâchi and Thatha. His opinion is entitled to special weight, as he is admitted by M‘Murdo and Elliot to have “combined much discrimination with ample opportunities of local inquiry.” Sir Henry quotes the *Chach-náma* for the fact that “the Serandip vessels were in their distress driven to the shore of Debal,” to show that the port must have been close to the sea. There they were attacked by pirates of the *Tangámara* tribe, who occupied the seacoast from Karâchi to Lâri-bandar. This statement shows that if Debal cannot be identified either with Karâchi or with Lâri-bandar, it must be looked for somewhere between them.