The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c6.s3.t43: 34. Malwa.
The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c6.s3.t43
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34. Malwa.
c6.s3.t43.1
The capital of *Mo-la-po*, or Malwa, is described by Hwen Thsang as situated to the south-east of the river *Mo-ho*, or *Mahi*, and at about 2000 *li*, or 333 miles, to north-west of Bharoch.[*] In this case both bearing and distance are erroneous, as Malwa lies to the north-east of Bhâroch, from which the source of the river Mahi is only 150 miles distant. I would therefore read 1000 *li*, or 167 miles, to the north-east, which corresponds almost exactly with the position of *Dhára-nagara*, or *Dhár*, one of the old capitals of Malwa. The present town of Dhâr is about three-quarters of a mile in length, by half a mile in breadth, or 2½ miles in circumference; but as the citadel is outside the town, the whole circuit of the place cannot be less than 3½ miles. The limits of the province are estimated at 6000 *li*, or 1000 miles. To the westward there were two dependencies of Malwa, named *Kheḍá*, with a circuit of 3000 *li*, or 500 miles, and *Anandapura*, with a circuit of 2000 *li*, or 333 miles, besides an independent state, named *Vaḍari*, with a circuit of 6000 *li*, or 1000 miles. All these have to be squeezed into the tract of country lying between Kachh and Ujain, on the west and east, Gurjara and Bairât on the north, and Balabhi and Mahârâshtra on the south, of which the extreme boundaries are not more than 1350 miles in circuit. It seems probable, therefore, that the dependencies must have been included by the pilgrim within the limits of the ruling state. I would accordingly assign to Malwa and its dependencies the southern half of the tract just mentioned, and to *Vaḍari*, the northern half. The limits of Malwa would thus be defined, by *Vaḍari* on the north, Balabhi on the west, Ujain on the east, and Maharashtra on the south. The circuit of this tract, extending from the mouth of the Banâs river, in the Ran of Kachh, to the Chambal, near Mandisor, and from the Sahyâdri mountains, between Dâmân and Mâligâm, to the Tapti river, below Burhânpur, is about 850 miles measured on the map, or nearly 1000 miles by road distance.
c6.s3.t43.2
∗ Julien's ‘Hiouen Thsang,’ iii. 155.
c6.s3.t43.3
According to Abu Rihân,* the distance of the city of Dhâr from the Narbada was 7 parasangs, and thence to the boundary of *Mahrat-das*, 18 parasangs. This proves that the territory of Dhâr must have extended as far as the Tapti, on the south.
c6.s3.t43.4
Hwen Thsang mentions that there were two kingdoms in India that were specially esteemed for the study of the Buddhist religion, namely, Magadha in the north-east, and Malwa in the south-west. In accordance with this fact he notes, that there were many hundreds of monasteries in Malwa, and no less than twenty thousand monks of the school of the Sammatiyas. He mentions, also, that 60 years previous to his visit, Malwa had been governed for 50 years by a powerful king, named *Ṣilāditya*, who was a staunch Buddhist.