The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c7.s6: 6. Ganjam.
The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c7.s6
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6. Ganjam.
c7.s6.1
From the capital of Odra the pilgrim proceeded to the south-west for 1200 *li*, or 200 miles, to Kong-yu-to.[*] This name has not been identified; but M. Vivien de Saint-Martin has, I think, indicated its true position in the neighbourhood of the Chilka lake. The capital was situated near a bay, or "junction of two seas," which can only be intended for the great Chilka lake and the ocean, as there is no other great sheet of water along this surf-beaten coast. Ganjam itself must therefore be the old capital. But as Ganjam is only 130 miles from *Jájipur* in a direct line measured on the map, or about 150 miles by road, I conclude that the pilgrim must have visited the hills of *Udayagiri* and *Khandagiri* and the town of *Chari-trapura*, or Puri, on his way to Ganjam. By this route the distance would be increased to 165 miles by direct measurement, or about 190 miles by road, which agrees with the estimate of the Chinese pilgrim.
c7.s6.2
The Chinese syllables *Kong-yu-to* are rendered by M. Julien as *Konyodha*; but there is no place of this name that I am aware of. I observe that M. Pauthier[†] writes the name *Kiuan-yu-mo*, which would seem to be intended for a transcript of Ganjam, of which the derivation is unknown. Hamilton proposes *ganjam*, "the depot," but this term is never used alone, so far as I am aware, but always in combination, either with the founder's name or with the name of the principal article sold in the place, as Rám-ganj, or “ Râma's market,” Thithár-ganj, the “ brazier's market,” etc. The district was only 1000 li, or 167 miles, in circuit, which shows that the territory was confined to the small valley of the Rasikulya river. But though the domain was small, the state would appear to have been of some consequence, as Hweng Thsang describes the soldiers as brave and bold, and their king as so powerful that the neighbouring states were subject to him, and no one could resist him. From this account I am led to infer that the king of Ganjam, at the time of Hwen Thsang's visit, must have been Lalitendra Kesari of the Orissa annals, who is said to have reigned for nearly sixty years, from A.D. 617 to 676. The pilgrim visited Ganjam in A.D. 639, when this prince was at the very height of his power. But only four years later, when the pilgrim revisited Magadha, he found the great King Harsha Varddhana of Kanoj* had just returned from a successful expedition against the king of Ganjam. The cause of the war is not stated, but as Harsha Varddhana was a staunch Buddhist, while Lalitendra was a devoted Brahmanist, the difference of religion would easily have furnished a sufficient pretext for war. It seems probable that Ganjam was then annexed to the dominions of the Kanoj king, and formed part of the province of Orissa.
c7.s6.3
∗ Julien's 'Hiouen Thsang,' iii. 91. See Map No. I.
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† 'Journal Asiatique,' 1839, p. 404. *U-cha*, or *Oda*, in eastern India, is said to be also named *Kiuan-yu-mo*, at which time, therefore, A.D. 650 to 684, it must have become dependent on Odra or Orissa.
c7.s6.5
Hwen Thsang notes that the written characters of Ganjam resembled those of central India, but that both the language and the pronunciation were different. This statement proves that the same alphabetical characters were still in use over the greater part of India at as late a date as the middle of the seventh century. It also serves to show that the intercommunications of the Buddhist fraternities throughout India were not yet broken, although they must already have been much restricted by the steady progress of Brahmanism.
c7.s6.6
∗ Julien's ‘ Hiouen Thsang,’ i. 236,