The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c6.s3.t46.8

c6.s3.t46.8

I understand the name of *Vadari* to denote a district abounding in the *Badari*, or Ber-tree (Jujube), which is very common in southern Rajputana. For the same reason I should look to this neighbourhood for the ancient *Sauvíra*, which I take to be the true form of the famous Sophir, or Ophir, as *Sauvíra* is only another name of the *Vaḍari*, or Ber-tree, as well as of its juicy fruit. Now, Sofir is the Coptic name of India at the present day; but the name must have belonged originally to that part of the Indian coast which was frequented by the merchants of the West. There can be little doubt, I think, that this was in the Gulf of Khambay, which from time immemorial has been the chief seat of Indian trade with the West. During the whole period of Greek history this trade was almost monopolized by the famous city of Barygaza, or Bhâroch, at the mouth of the Narbada river. About the fourth century some portion of it was diverted to the new capital of Balabhi, in the peninsula of Gujarât; in the middle ages it was shared with Khambay at the head of the gulf, and in modern times with Surat, at the mouth of the Tapti.