Pramāṇa · Search · About · API

The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c6.s3.t4: Pehoa, or Prithudaka.

The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c6.s3.t4

Language
English

Pehoa, or Prithudaka.

c6.s3.t4.1

The old town of *Pehoa* is situated on the south bank of the Sarasuti, 14 miles to the west of Thânesar. The place derives its name from the famous *Prithu Chakra-vartti*, who is said to have been the first person that obtained the title of Raja. At his birth, according to the *Vishnu Purâna*,† "all living creatures rejoiced," because he was born to put an end to the anarchy which then prevailed over the whole earth. The story of the cure of Raja Vena's leprosy, by bathing in the Saraswati is told in the same Purâna. On his death, his son Prithu performed the usual *Srâddha*, or funeral ceremonies, and for twelve days after the cremation he sat on the bank of the Saraswati offering water to all comers. The place was therefore named *Prithudaka* or Prithu’s pool, from *daka* or *ulaka* water; and the city which he afterwards built on the spot was called by the same name. The shrine of *Prithudaka* has a place in the *Kurukshetra Mahatmya*, and is still visited.

c6.s3.t4.2

∗ Julien's 'Hiouen Thsang,' ii. 214. † Book 1-13, Hall's edition of Wilson's translation, i. 183.

c6.s3.t4.3

*Amin.*

c6.s3.t4.4

Five miles to the south-south-east of Thânesar there is a large and lofty mound called *Amin*, which is said by the Brahmans to be a contraction of *Abhimanyu Khera*, or the mound of Abhimanyu, the son of Arjun. The place is also named *Chakra-bhyu*, or the “Arrayed army,” because the Pândus here assembled their troops before their last battle with the Kauravas. Here Abhimanyu was killed by Jayadratha, who was himself killed the next day by Arjun. Here Aditi is said to have seated herself in ascetic abstraction to obtain a son, and here accordingly she gave birth to *Suryya*, or the Sun. The mound is about 2000 feet in length from north to south, and 800 feet in breadth, with a height of from 25 to 30 feet. On the top there is a small village called Amin, inhabited by Gaur Brahmans, with a temple to *Aditi*, and a *Suryya Kund* on the east, and a temple to *Suryya* on the west. The *Suryya Kund* is said to represent the spot where the Sun was born, and accordingly all women who wish for male children pay their devotions at the temple of Aditi on Sunday, and afterwards bathe in the *Suraj Kund*.

c6.s3.t4.5

2. BAIRÂT.

c6.s3.t4.6

According to Hwen Thsang the capital of the kingdom of *Po-li-ye-to-lo*, which M. Renaud has identified with *Páryátra* or *Bairát*, was situated at 500 *li*, or 83 2/3 miles, to the west of Mathura, and about 800 *li*, 133 1/3 miles, to the south-west of the kingdom of *She-to-tu-lo*,* that is, of *Satadru*, or the Satlej. The bearing and distance from Mathura point unequivocally to Bairât, the ancient capital of *Matsya* as the city of Hwen Thsang’s narrative, although it is upwards of 100 miles further to the south of Kullu than is recorded by the pilgrim. But I have already given an explanation of this discrepancy in my account of the intermediate position of Satadru in Northern India.

c6.s3.t4.7

Abu Rihân, the contemporary of Mahmud, places *Narâna*, the capital of *Karzât*, at 28 parasangs to the west of Mathura,† which, taking the parasang at 3 1/2 miles, would make the distance 98 miles, or 14 miles in excess of the measurement of Hwen Thsang. But as the narratives of the different Muhammadan historians leave no doubt of the identity of *Narâna* the capital of *Karzât*, with *Narâyana* the capital of Bairât, this difference in the recorded distance from Mathura, is of little moment. According to Abu Rihân, *Narâna*, or *Bazâna*, was called Narayan, ناراین by the Musalmans, a name which still exists in *Narâyanpur*, a town situated at 10 miles to the north-east of Bairât itself. From Kanoj to Narâna, Abu Rihân gives two distinct routes; the first direct viâ Mathura being 56 parasangs, or 196 miles, and the other to the south of the Jumna being 88 parasangs, or 308 miles.‡ The intermediate stages of the later route are, 1st, *Asi*, 18 parasangs, or 63 miles; 2nd, *Sakina*, 17 parasangs, or 59½ miles; 3rd, *Jandara*, 18 parasangs, or 63 miles; 4th, *Rajauri*, either 15 or 17 parasangs, 54 or 59½ miles, and 5th, *Bazana*, or *Narána*, 20 parasangs, or 70 miles. As the direction of the first stage is specially recorded to have been to the south-west of Kanoj, it may be at once identified with the *Assai Ghát* on the Jumna, 6 miles to the south of Etawa, and about 60 miles to the south-west of Kanoj. The name of the second stage is written سهينا *Sahina*, for which by the simple shifting of the diacritical points, I propose to read سهنيا *Suhania*, which is the name of a very large and famous ruined town situated 25 miles to the north of Gwalior. Its distance from the Assai Ghát is about 56 miles. The third stage named *Jandara* by M. Renaud, and *Chandra* by Sir Henry Elliot, I take to be *Hindon*, reading هندون for چندرا. Its distance from *Suhaniya* by the Khetri *Ghát* on the Chambal river is about 70 miles. The fourth stage, named Rajori, still exists under the same name, 12 miles to the south-west of *Mácheri*, and about 50 miles to the north-west of *Hindon*. From thence to Narainpur and Bairât, the road lies altogether through the hills of Alwar or *Mácheri*, which makes it difficult to ascertain the exact distance. By measurements on the lithographed map of eight miles to the inch, I make the distance to be about 60 miles, which is sufficiently near the 20 parasangs, or 70 miles, of Abu Rihân’s account.

c6.s3.t4.8

∗ Julien’s ‘Hiouen Thsang,’ pp. 206-207. See Map No. X.

c6.s3.t4.9

† Renaud, ‘Fragments Arabes et Persans,’ p. 107. The translator gives *Bazâna*, but this has been corrected by Sir H. M. Elliot to Narâna.

c6.s3.t4.10

‡ Renaud, ‘Fragments,’ p. 106; Dowson’s edit. of Sir H. Elliot, i. 58.

c6.s3.t4.11

According to the other itineraries of Abu Rihân, *Narána* was 25 parasangs to the north of Chitor in Mewar, 50 parasangs to the east of Multan, and 60 parasangs to the north-east of Anhalwâra.* The bearings of these places from Bairât are all sufficiently exact, but the measurements are more than one-half too short. For the first distance of 25 parasangs to Chitor, I would propose to read 65 parasangs, or 227 miles, the actual distance by the measured routes of the quartermaster-general being 217¾ miles. As the distance of Chitor is omitted in the extract from Abu Rihân which is given by Rashid-ud-din, it is probable that there may have been some omission or confusion in the original of the Târikh-i-Hind from which he copied. The erroneous measurement of 50 parasangs to Multan is perhaps excusable, on the ground that the direct route through the desert being quite impassable for an army, the distance must have been estimated. The error in the distance of Anhalwâra I would explain by referring the measurement of 60 parasangs to Chitor, which lies about midway between Bairât and Anhalwâra. From a comparison of all these different itineraries, I have no hesitation whatever in identifying Bazána or Narána, the capital of Karzát or Guzrát, with Náráyanapura, the capital of Bairát or Vairát. In Ferishta the latter name is written either Kibrát قيرات as in Dow, or Kairát قيرات as in Briggs, both of which names are an easy misreading of ويرات Wairát or Virát, as it would have been written by the Muhammadans.

c6.s3.t4.12

Virát, the capital of Matsya, is celebrated in Hindu Legends as the abode of the Five Pandus during their exile of 12 years from Dilli or Indraprastha. The country was also famous for the valour of its people, as Manu directs that the van of an army should be composed of “men born in Kurukshetra near Indraprastha, in *Matsya* or *Virâta*, in Panchâla or Kânya Kubja, and in Surasena of the district of Mathura.”*

c6.s3.t4.13

∗ Renaud, ‘Fragments,’ pp. 108-112.

c6.s3.t4.14

The residence of Bhim Pandu is still shown on the top of a long low rocky hill about one mile to the north of the town. The hill is formed of enormous blocks of coarse gritty quartz, which are much weather-worn and rounded on all the exposed sides. Some of these blocks have a single straight face sloping inwards, the result of a natural split, of which advantage has been taken to form small dwellings by the addition of rough stone walls plastered with mud. Such is the *Bhim-gupha* or Bhim’s cave, which is formed by rough walls added to the overhanging face of a huge rock about 60 feet in diameter and 15 feet in height. Similar rooms, but of smaller size, are said to have been the dwellings of Bhim’s brothers. The place is still occupied by a few Brahmans, who profess to derive only a scanty subsistence from the offerings of pilgrims, a statement which is rather belied by their flourishing appearance. Just below Bhim’s cave, a wall has been built across a small hollow to retain the rain water, and the fragments of rock have been removed from a fissure to form a tank, about 15 feet long by 5 feet broad and 10 feet deep; but at the time of my visit, on the 10th of November, it was quite dry.

c6.s3.t4.15

The present town of Bairât is situated in the midst of a circular valley surrounded by low bare red hills, which have long been famous for their copper mines. It is 105 miles to the south-west of Delhi, and 41 miles to the north of Jaypur. The main entrance to the valley is on the north-west along the bank of a small stream which drains the basin, and forms one of the principal feeders of the Bán Gangá. The valley is about 2½ miles in diameter, and from 7½ to 8 miles in circuit. The soil is generally good, and the trees, and more especially the tamarinds, are very fine and abundant. Bairât is situated on a mound of ruins, about one mile in length by half a mile in breadth, or upwards of 2½ miles in circuit, of which the present town does not occupy more than one-fourth. The surrounding fields are covered with broken pottery and fragments of slag from the ancient copper-works, and the general aspect of the valley is of a coppery red colour. The old city, called Bairâtnagar, is said to have been quite deserted for several centuries until it was repeopled about 300 years ago, most probably during the long and prosperous reign of Akbar. The town was certainly in existence in Akbar’s time, as it is mentioned by Abul Fazl in the ‘Ayin Akbari,’ as possessing very profitable copper mines. A number of large mounds about half a mile to the east, and immediately under the hill, are said to have formed part of the old city; but, both from their position and appearance, I am inclined to think that they must be the remains of some large religious establishment. At present the surface remains consist of rough stone foundations only, as the whole of the squared stones have been used in building the houses of the modern town.

c6.s3.t4.16

∗ Haughton’s translation, vii. 193.

c6.s3.t4.17

The number of houses in Bairât is popularly reckoned at 1400, of which 600 are said to belong to Gaur Brahmans, 400 to Agarwâl Baniyas, 200 to Minas, and the remaining 200 to various other races. Allowing the usual average of 5 persons to each house, the population of Bairât will amount to 7000 persons.

c6.s3.t4.18

The earliest historical notice of Bairât is that of the Chinese pilgrim Hwen Thsang in A.D. 634.* According to him, the capital was 14 or 15 *li*, or just 2½ miles, in circuit, which corresponds almost exactly with the size of the ancient mound on which the present town is built. The people were brave and bold, and their king, who was of the race of *Fei-she*, either a *Vaisya* or a *Bais* Rajput, was famous for his courage and skill in war. The place still possessed eight Buddhist monasteries, but they were much ruined, and the number of monks was small. The Brahmans of different sects, about 1000 in number, possessed 12 temples, but their followers were numerous, as the bulk of the population is described as heretical. Judging from the size of the town as noted by Hwen Thsang, the population could not have been less than four times the present number, or about 30,000, of whom the followers of Buddha may have amounted to one-fourth. I have deduced this number from the fact that the Buddhist monasteries would appear to have held about 100 monks each, and as those of Bairât are said to have been much ruined, the number of monks in Hwen Thsang’s time could not have exceeded 50 per monastery, or 400 altogether. As each Buddhist monk begged his bread, the number of Buddhist families could not have been less than 1200, allowing three families for the support of each monk, or altogether about 6000 lay Buddhists in addition to the 400 monks.

c6.s3.t4.19

The next historical notice of Bairât occurs during the reign of Mahmud of Ghazni, who invaded the country in A.H. 400, or A.D. 1009, when the Raja submitted. But his submission was of little avail, as his country was again invaded in the spring A.H. 404, or A.D. 1014, when the Hindus were defeated after a bloody conflict. According to Abu Rihân the town was destroyed, and the people retired far into the interior.* By Ferishta this invasion is assigned to the year A.H. 413, or A.D. 1022, when the king hearing that the inhabitants of two hilly tracts named Kairât and Nârdin (or Bairât and Nârâyan) still continued the worship of idols (or lions in some manuscripts) resolved to compel them to embrace the Muhammadan faith.† The place was taken and plundered by Amir-Ali, who found an ancient stone inscription at Nârâyan, which was said to record that the temple of Nârâyan had been built 40,000 years previously. As this inscription is also mentioned by the contemporary historian Otbi, we may accept the fact of the discovery of a stone record in characters so ancient that the Brahmans of that day were unable to read them. I think it highly probable that this is the famous inscription of Asoka that was afterwards discovered by Major Burt on the top of a hill at Bairât, and which now graces the museum of the Asiatic Society in Calcutta.

c6.s3.t4.20

∗ Julien’s ‘Hiouen Thsang,’ ii. 206.

c6.s3.t4.21

In the seventh century the kingdom of Bairât was 3000 *li*, or 500 miles, in circuit. It was famous for its sheep and oxen, but produced few fruits or flowers. This is still the case with Jaypur to the south of Bairât, which furnishes most of the sheep required for the great Muhammadan cities of Delhi and Agra, and their English garrisons. Bairât, therefore, may have included the greater part of the present state of Jaypur. Its precise boundaries cannot be determined; but they may be fixed approximately as extending on the north from Jhunjnu to Kot Kâsim, 70 miles; on the west from Jhunjnu to Ajmer, 120 miles; on the south from Ajmer to the junction of the Banâs and Chambal, 150 miles; and on the east from the junction to Kot Kâsim, 150 miles; or altogether 490 miles.

c6.s3.t4.22

∗ Dowson's edition of Sir H. Elliot's Muhamm. Hist., i. 59.

Linked texts (11)