The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c6.s3.t11.4

c6.s3.t11.4

The holy city of Mathura is one of the most ancient places in India. It is famous in the history of Krishna, as the stronghold of his enemy Raja Kansa; and it is noticed by Arrian,[*] on the authority of Megasthenes, as the capital of the Suraseni. Now Surasena was the grandfather of Krishna, and from him Krishna and his descendants, who held Mathura after the death of Kansa, were called Surasenas. According to Arrian the Suraseni possessed two great cities, *Methoras* and *Klisoboras*, and the navigable river *Jobares* flowed through their territories. Pliny[†] names the river *Jomanes*, that is the Jumna, and says that it passed between the towns of *Methora* and *Clisobora*. Ptolemy mentions only Mathura, under the form of *Modura*, *Μοδούρα*, to which he adds *ἡ τῶν θεῶν*, that is “the city of the gods,” or holy city.