The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c6.s3.t3.1

c6.s3.t3.1

In the seventh century Sa-ta-ni-shi-fa-lo, or Sthâneswara, was the capital of a separate kingdom, which is described as being 7000 *li*, or 1167 miles, in circuit. No king is mentioned, but the state was tributary to Harsha Varddhana of Kanoj, who was the paramount sovereign of Central India. From the large dimensions given by Hwen Thsang, I infer that the district must have extended from the Satlej to the Ganges.[*] Its northern boundary may be approximately described as a straight line drawn from Hari-ki-patan, on the Satlej, to Muzafarnagar, near the Ganges; and its southern boundary as an irregular line drawn from near Pâk-patan, on the Satlej, viâ Bhatner and Nârnol, to Anupshahar on the Ganges. These limits give a boundary of about 900 miles, which is nearly one-fourth less than is stated by the pilgrim. But it is certain that many of these boundary measurements must be exaggerated, as the distances could only have been estimated, and the natural tendency of most persons is rather to overstate the actual size of their native districts. Another source of error lies in the deficient information of Hwen Thsang’s own narrative, which describes each of the 37 districts as a distinct and separate state, whereas it is almost certain that several of the minor states should be included within the boundaries of the larger ones. Thus I believe that the petty districts of *Govisana* and *Ahichhatra* must have formed part of the state of *Madáwar*; that *Vaisákha* and *Kusapura*, and the other small districts of the Gangetic Doab, *Ayulo*, *Hayamukha*, *Kosámbi*, and *Prayága*, were included in Kanoj; that *Kusinagara* belonged to *Kapila*; and that *Vadari* and *Kheda* were integral parts of *Malwa*. In some instances also, I believe that thousands have been inserted in the text instead of hundreds. I refer specially to the petty districts in the lower Gangetic Doab. Thus, *Prayâga*, or Allahabad, is said to be 5000 *li*, or 833 miles, in circuit, and *Kosâmbi*, which is only 30 miles from Allahabad, is said to be 6000 *li*, or 1000 miles, in circuit! In both of these instances I would read the smaller numbers of 500 *li*, or 83 miles, and 600 *li*, or 100 miles, which would then agree with the actual dimensions of these petty divisions. It is quite certain that they could not have been larger, as they were completely surrounded by other well-known districts. By making due allowance for one or other of these sources of error, I think it will be found that Hwen Thsang’s measurements are in general not very far from the truth.