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The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c6.s3.t37: Indra-Sila-Guha.

The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c6.s3.t37

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Indra-Sila-Guha.

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From the neighbourhood of Gaya two parallel ranges of hills stretch towards the north-east for about 36 miles to the bank of the Panchâna river, just opposite the village of Giryek. The eastern end of the southern range is much depressed, but the northern range maintains its height, and ends abruptly in two lofty peaks overhanging the Panchâna river. The lower peak on the east is crowned with a solid tower of brickwork, well known as *Jarasandha-ka-baithak*, or "Jarasandha's throne," while the higher peak on the west, to which the name of Giryek peculiarly belongs, bears an oblong terrace covered with the ruins of several buildings. The principal ruin would appear to have been a *vihâr*, or temple, on the highest point of the terrace, which was approached by a steep flight of steps leading through pillared rooms.

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The two peaks are connected by a steep pavement, which was formerly continued down to the foot of the hill opposite the village of Giryek. At all the commanding points and bends of this road are still to be seen the stone foundations of small brick stupas from 5 and 6 feet to upwards of 12 feet in diameter. At the foot of the upper slope, and within 50 feet of Jarasandha's Tower, a tank 100 feet square has been formed, partly by excavation, and partly by building up. There is a second tank, at a short distance to the north, formed by the excavation of the rock for building materials. Both of these tanks are now dry.

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At 2 miles to the south-west of the village of Giryek, and 1 mile from Jarasandha’s Tower, there is a natural cavern in the southern face of the mountain, about 250 feet above the bed of the Bânganga rivulet. This cave, called Gidha-dwar, is generally believed to communicate with Jarasandha’s Tower; but an examination with torches proved it to be a natural fissure running upwards in the direction of the tower, but only 98 feet in length. The mouth of the cavern is 10 feet broad and 17 feet high; but its height diminishes rapidly towards the end. The cave is filled with bats, and the air is oppressively warm and disagreeable, which alone is sufficient to prove that there is no exit to the cavern, otherwise there would be a draught of air right through it. Vultures swarm about the precipitous cliffs of pale grey horn stone, and I picked up their feathers in the mouth of the cave.

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The remains at Giryek, which I have just described, appear to me to correspond exactly with the accounts given by Fa-Hian of the “Hill of the Isolated Rock,” where Indra questioned Buddha on forty-two points; and with that given by Hwen Thsang of *Indra-sila-guha*, which refers to the same story.

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The position of Giryek corresponds so exactly, both in bearing and distance, with that of the hill of *Indra-sila-guha*, that I feel quite satisfied of their identity. No etymology has yet been proposed for the name of Giryek; but it seems to me not unlikely that it is nothing more than *Giri* + *eka*, “one hill,” that is, the hill of the isolated rock of Fa-Hian.

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Both of the pilgrims mention the cave in the southern face of the mountain, which corresponds exactly with the natural cavern Gidha-dwar, which I have already described. Gidha-dwar, in Sanskrit Gridhradwára, means the Vulture's pass, or opening. By Hwen Thsang the cave is called Indra-sila-guha, or “the cave of Indra's stone,” being thus named after a stone on which were delineated the 42 points on which Indra had questioned Buddha. Fa-Hian adds that Indra himself drew the marks upon the stone with his finger.

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According to Fa-Hian the hill of the “Isolated Rock” was 8 yojanas, or 56 miles, to the south-west of Pátali-putra, the capital of Magadha, and 1 yojana, or 7 miles, to the east of Nâlanda. Hwen Thsang visited several places on his route from Nâlanda; but the result of his different bearings and distances places Indra-sila-guha at 46 li, or 7⅔ miles, to the east-south-east of Nâlanda. The actual distance between Baragaon and Giryek is about 9 miles, and the direction is somewhat to the west of south-west. If we read his south-east and east bearings as south-south-east and east-south-east the general direction will be south-east, and the distance will be increased to 8 miles, which is sufficiently near the truth to warrant the proposed correction.

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*Bihár.*

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To the north-east of the isolated mountain of Giryek the Chinese pilgrim travelled from 150 to 160 li, or from 25 to 27 miles, to the Kapotika, or “Pigeon Monastery.” Half a mile to the south there was a high solitary hill, on which stood a large Vihára of Avalokiteswara, surrounded by a multitude of sculptured buildings. This place I would identify with Bihár, 11 miles to the north-north-east of Giryek, by reading 60 *li*, or 10 miles, instead of the 160 *li* of the text.* In our maps the name is spelt *Behar*, but by the people it is written and pronounced *Bihâr*, which is sufficient to show that it must once have been the site of some famous Buddhist *Vihâr*. For this reason I am strongly inclined to identify the great *Vihâra* of Avalokiteswara, which stood on the top of a hill, with the present *Bihâr*, and its great isolated mountain covered with ruins. The hill stands to the north-west of the city of Bihâr, with a precipitously steep cliff on its northern face, and an easy slope of successive ledges of rock on the southern face. The summit is now crowned by some Muhammadan buildings; but I discovered amongst the ruins some fragments of Buddhist statues and votive stupas.

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To the south-east of the Pigeon Monastery the pilgrim travelled for 40 *li*, or nearly 7 miles, to another monastery, which stood on an isolated hill. The bearing and distance point to the great ruined mound of *Titarâwa*, which is exactly 7 miles to the south-east of Bihâr. *Titarâwa* means "Partridge Mound," that is, the francolin or grey partridge. At Titarâwa there is a fine large tank, 1200 feet in length, with a considerable mound of brick ruins to the north, which from its square form has all the appearance of being the remains of a monastery.

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From this place Hwen Thsang resumed his north-easterly route, and at 70 *li*, or nearly 12 miles, he reached a large village on the south bank of the Ganges. But as the nearest point of the river is 25 miles distant, we must read 170 *li*, or 29 miles, by adding the round number of 100 *li*, which was deducted from the previous journey between Giryek and the Pigeon Monastery.

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∗ M. Vivien de Saint-Martin has already noted his suspicion that the 150 to 160 *li* of the text should be 50 or 60 *li*. ‘Hiouen Thsang,’ iii. 385, note. See Map No. XII.

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I have considered these two corrections necessary, because Hwen Thsang specially notices the great height of the hill near the *Kapotika* monastery; and as I am not aware of the existence of any hills to the north or north-east of *Bihâr* and *Titaráwa*, I am obliged to shorten the one distance and lengthen the other to make Hwen Thsang’s account of his route tally with the actual features of the country. There is a hill at *Shekhpura*, about 25 miles to the east-north-east of Giryek, 665 feet in height, which might perhaps be the true position of the Pigeon Monastery; but the adoption of this position would involve an alteration in the subsequent direction of the route, as well as in the distance, as *Shekhpura* is 20 miles from the Ganges. For these reasons I think that the identification with *Bihâr* is preferable. In either case the village on the Ganges must be looked for near Daryâpur, which is 34 miles due west from Mongir in a direct line.

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The pilgrim then proceeded to the east for 100 *li*, or nearly 17 miles, to the monastery and village of *Lo-in-ni-lo*, which M. Vivien de Saint-Martin has identified with *Rohinila*¹ or *Rohinala*, on the Ganges. The actual bearing is nearly south-east; but as the pilgrim followed the course of the river, there must be a mistake in his text.

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¹ * Julien’s ‘Hiouen Thsang,’ iii. 385.

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27. HIRANYA PARVATA.

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At 200 *li*, or 33 miles, to the east of Rohinala, Hwen Thsang reached the capital of the kingdom of *I-lan-na-po-fa-ta*, or *Hiranya-Parvata*, that is, the "Golden Mountain." Close to the city stood Mount Hiranya, "from which issued smoke and vapours that darkened the sun and moon."* The position of this hill is determined, from its proximity to the Ganges, and from its bearings and distances from Rohinala and Champa, to be *Mongir*. No smoke now issues from the hill, but the numerous hot springs in the neighbouring hills show that volcanic action still exists within a few miles of *Mongir*. These hot springs are mentioned by Hwen Thsang.

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The advantageous position of this isolated hill on the bank of the Ganges, which commanded the land route between the hills and the river, as well as the water route by the Ganges, must have led to its occupation at a very early date. Accordingly it is mentioned in the *Mahâbhârata* as *Modâgiri*, which was the capital of a kingdom in eastern India, near *Banga* and *Tâmralipta*, or Bengal and Tamluk. At the time of Hwen Thsang's visit the king had been lately ejected by the Raja of a neighbouring state. The kingdom was bounded by the Ganges on the north, and by great forest-clad mountains on the south; and as its circuit is estimated at 3000 *li*, or 500 miles, it must have extended to the south as far as the famous mountain of *Párasnáth*, which has an elevation of 4478 feet. I would therefore fix its limits as extending from Lakhi Sarai to Sultanganj on the Ganges in the north, and from the western end of the Pârasnâth hill to the junction of the Barâkar and Damuda rivers in the south. The circuit of this tract is 350 miles, measured direct on the map, or upwards of 420 miles by road distance following the windings of the two rivers.*

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∗ Julien's ‘Hiouen Thsang,’ iii. 65-66.

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28. CHAMPÂ.

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From Mongir, Hwen Thsang travelled eastward for 300 *li*, or 50 miles, to *Chen-po*, or *Champâ*, which is an old name of the district of Bhâgalpur. The capital was situated on the Ganges, at from 140 to 150 *li*, or 23 to 25 miles, to the west of a rocky hill that was completely surrounded by the river. On its summit there was a Brahmanical temple. From this description it is easy to recognize the picturesque rocky island opposite Patharghâta with its temple-crowned summit. As Patharghâta is exactly 24 miles to the east of Bhâgalpur, I conclude that the capital of Champâ must have stood either on the same site, or in its immediate vicinity. Close by, on the west side, there still exists a large village named Champanagar, and a smaller one named Champapur, which most probably represent the actual site of the ancient capital of Champâ.†

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The pilgrim estimates the circuit of Champâ at 4000 *li*, or 667 miles; and as it was bounded by the Ganges on the north, and by *Hiranya-Parvata*, or Mongir, on the west, it must have extended to the Bhâgirathi branch of the Ganges on the east and to the Daumda river on the south. Taking the two northern points at Jángira and Teliagali on the Ganges, and the two southern points at *Páchit* on the Damuda and *Kalna* on the Bhâgirathi, the length of the boundary line will be 420 miles measured direct, or about 500 miles by road distance. This is so much less than the size estimated by Hwen Thsang that I think there must either be some mistake in the text or some confusion between the geographical limits of the original district of *Champâ*, and its actual political boundary at the time of the pilgrim's visit. We know from his journal that the king of Mongir, on the west of *Champâ*, had been dethroned by a neighbouring raja, and that the district of Kânkjol on the east of *Champâ* was then a dependency of the neighbouring kingdom. As *Champâ* lies between these two districts, I infer that the raja of *Champâ* was most probably the king who conquered them, and therefore that the large estimates of Hwen Thsang must include these two states to the east and west of the original *Champâ*. Under this view, the political boundaries may be stated as extending from Lakhiterai to Râjmahal on the Ganges, and from the Pârasnâth Hill along the Daumda river to *Kalna* on the Bhagirathi. With these boundaries the circuit of *Champâ* will be about 550 miles measured direct, or 650 miles by road distance.

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∗ See Map No. I.

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