The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c6.s3.t18: 16. Kusapura.
The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c6.s3.t18
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16. Kusapura.
c6.s3.t18.1
From Kosâmbi the Chinese pilgrim travelled to the north-east, through a vast forest as far as the Ganges, after crossing which his route lay to the north for a distance of 700 *li*, or 117 miles, to the town of Kia-she-pu-lo, which M. Julien correctly renders by Kasapura.[*] In searching for the site of this place, the subsequent route of the pilgrim to Visâkhâ, a distance of 170 to 180 *li*, or from 28 to 30 miles, to the north is of equal importance with the bearing and distance from Kosâmbi. For as the Visâkhâ of Hwen Thsang, as I will presently show, is the same place as the Shachi of Fa-Hian, and the Sâketa or Ayodhya of the Hindus, we thus obtain two such well-fixed points as Kosâmbi and Ayodhya to guide us in our search. A single glance at the map will be sufficient to show that the old town of Sultân-pur on the Gomati (or Gumti) river is as nearly as possible in the position indicated. Now the Hindu name of this town was Kusabhavanapura, or simply Kusapura, which is almost the same name as that of Hwen Thsang. Remembering Mr. Bayley's note of information derived from Raja Mân Sinh that there was "a tope near Sultânpur," I pitched my tent on one side of the now utterly desolate city, and searched the whole place through most carefully, but all in vain : I could neither find the trace of any tope, nor could I even hear of ancient remains of any kind. On the following day, however, after I had left Sultânpur, I heard that the village of Mahmudpur, about 5 miles to the north-west, was situated on an ancient mound of somewhat larger size than that of Sultânpur, and on my arrival at Faizabad, I learned from Lieutenant Swetenham, of the Royal Engineers, that there is an old tope to the north-west of Sultânpur, not far from this village. I conclude, therefore, that Sultânpur, the ancient Kusapura, is the same place as the Kasapura of Hwen Thsang, and this identification will be made even more certain on examination of the recorded distances.
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∗ M. Julien's 'Hiouen Thsang,' ii. 287-290. In the record of the pilgrim's 'Life,' *Kusapura* is altogether omitted, and the distance from Kosâmbi to Visâkhâ is said to be 500 *li* to the east. Julien, i. 122. See Map No. XI. for its position.
c6.s3.t18.3
On leaving Kosâmbi, the pilgrim proceeded first in a north-east direction to the Ganges, after crossing which he turned to the north to Kasapura, the whole distance being 117 miles. Now, the two great ghâts on the Ganges to the north-east of Kosam are at Mau-Saraya and Pápa-mau, the former being 40 miles, and the latter 43 miles distant. But as these two ghâts are close together, and almost immediately to the north of Allahabad, the total distance to Kasapura will be the same whichever place of crossing be taken. From Pápamau to Sultânpur the direction is due north, and the distance 66 miles ; the whole line from Kosam to Sultânpur being 109 miles, which is within 8 miles of the round number of 700 li, or 116 2/3 miles, as given by Hwen Thsang; while both of the bearings are in exact accordance with his statements. From Kasapura to Visákha the direction followed by the pilgrim was to the north, and the distance was from 170 to 180 *li*, or from 28 to 38 miles. Now the present city of *Ajudhya*, the ancient *Ayodhya* or *Sâketa*, is almost due north from *Sultânpur*, the distance being 30 miles to the nearest point, or just six miles in excess of the distance given by Hwen Thsang. As the former of these distances is in default, while the latter is in excess, I would suggest, as a possible alternative, that our measurements should be taken from the village of *Mahmûdpur*, which would make the route from Kosam to the Buddhist establishment near Kasapura up to 114 miles, or within three miles of the number stated by Hwen Thsang, and lessen the subsequent route to Ayodhya from 36 to 31 miles, which is within one mile of the number given by the Chinese pilgrim. As all the bearings are in perfect accordance, and as the names of the two places agree almost exactly, I think that there can be little hesitation in accepting the identification of *Sultânpur* or *Kusapura* with the Kasapura of Hwen Thsang.
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Kusapura, or *Kusa-bhavana-pura*, is said to have been named after Rama's son, Kusa. Shortly after the Muhammadan invasion it belonged to a *Bhar* Raja Nand Kunwar, who was expelled by Sultan Alauddin *Ghori* (read *Khilji*). The defences of the town were strengthened by the conqueror, who built a mosque and changed the name of the place to Sultânpur. The site of *Kusapura* was, no doubt, selected by its founder as a good military position on account of its being surrounded on three sides by the river *Gomati* or Gumti. The place is at present utterly desolate; the whole population having been removed to the new civil station on the opposite or south bank of the river. The ruined fort of Sultânpur now forms a large mound, 750 feet square, with brick towers at the four corners. On all sides it is surrounded by the huts of the ruined town, the whole together covering a space of about half a mile square, or about two miles in circuit. This estimate of the size of Sultânpur agrees very closely with that of Kusapura given by Hwen Thsang, who describes the place as being 10 *li*, or 1⅔ miles, in circuit.
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Eighteen miles to the south-east of Sultânpur, or Kusapura, there is a celebrated place of Hindu pilgrimage called *Dhopápapura*. It is situated on the right or west bank of the Gomati river, and immediately under the walls of Garhâ, or *Shír-ke garhi*. The site of *Dhopáp* is evidently one of considerable antiquity, as the fields for half a mile all round are covered with broken bricks and pottery.