The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c8.s5: 5. Choliya, or Joriya.
The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c8.s5
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5. Choliya, or Joriya.
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From Dhanakaṭa, Hwen Thsang travelled to the south-west for 1000 *li*, or 167 miles, to *Chu-li-ye*, or *Jho-li-ye*, which he describes as a small district only 2400 *li*, or 400 miles, in circuit.* To enable us to fix the position of this unknown territory it is necessary to note the pilgrim's subsequent route to the south for 1500 or 1600 *li*, or about 260 miles, to *Kánchipura* or Conjeveram, the well-known capital of Drâviḍa. Now, the distance of Kânchipura from the Kistna is from 240 to 260 miles, so that Chuliya must be looked for somewhere along the south bank of that river, at 167 miles to the south-west of *Dháranikoṭṭa*. This position corresponds almost exactly with Karnúl, which is 230 miles in a direct line to the north-north-west of Kânchipura, and 160 miles to the west-south-west of Dháranikoṭṭa. M. Julien has identified Choliya with Chola, which gives its name to Chola-mandala, or Coromandel. But Chola was to the south of Drâviḍa, whereas the Choliya of Hwen Thsang lies to the north of it. If we accept the pilgrim's bearings and distances as approximately correct, the position of Choliya must certainly be looked for in the neighbourhood of Karnúl.
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Professor Lassen has suggested that the names of Choliya and Dráviḍa may have been transposed by the Chinese editor of the pilgrim's travels. The same suggestion occurred to me when I first examined the travels some years ago; and if it was quite certain that the Chinese syllables *Chu-li-ye* represented Chola, there would be a very strong temptation to adopt the suggestion. But I agree with M. Vivien de Saint-Martin* that it is difficult to admit the possibility of such a transposition, although an adherence to the text of Hwen Thsang involves the total omission of any mention of the famous kingdom of Chola. M. de Saint-Martin points to the present use of the name of Coromandel, which is applied to the whole of the Madras coast, as far north as the mouths of the Godâvari, as a possible explanation of the extension of the name of Chola to the country immediately to the south of the Kistna. But I believe that this extension of the name is solely due to European sailors, who adopted it for the sake of convenience. This name besides applies only to the sea-coast, whereas Chuliya is described by Hwen Thsang as a small district lying to the south-west of Dharanikoṭṭa, so that if we accept the pilgrim's account as it stands, it is scarcely possible that Choliya could have extended so far to the east as the sea-coast.
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∗ Julien's 'Hiouen Thsang,' iii. 116. See Map No. I.
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It is admitted that the identification of Choliya is difficult; but I am of opinion that we must either accept the pilgrim's account as it now stands, or adopt the transposition suggested by Professor Lassen. In the former case, we must look for Choliya in the neighbourhood of Karnûl; in the latter case, it may be at once identified with the famous province of Chola, and its well-known capital Tanjor.
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In the Chino-Japanese map of India, constructed to illustrate the pilgrim's travels, the district of Choliya is named Chu-ey-no, and is placed to the north of Drâviḍa, and to the south-west of Dhanaka, as in the text of Hwen Thsang. These Chinese syllables may perhaps represent *Kandanúr*, which, according to Buchanan, is the correct form of the name of *Karnúl*.
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∗ M. Julien's ‘Hiouen Thsang,’ iii. 398.
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Immediately under the walls of Karnúl, lies the old town of *Zora*, or *Jora*, the *Jorampur* of the maps, which answers exactly to the *Choliya* or *Joriya* of the pilgrim. The initial Chinese syllable seems to be very rarely used, but a similar letter is found in *Kajugira*, *Jutinga*, and *Jyotishka*, and I am satisfied that M. Julien’s reading of the character as *ju*, or *jo*, is correct. I am also inclined to identify Jora with Ptolemy’s *Sora regia Arcati*. In some editions the words are transposed, as *Arcati regia Sora*. But though the cart may be put before the horse, it is still the cart, and therefore, I take Sora to be the capital of King *Arkatos*, whether it be placed before or after his name. *Arkatou* has been usually identified with *Arcot*, near Madras; but the name of this city is believed to be quite modern, and the position of Sora must be far to the north of Arcot. The *Soræ Nomades* of Ptolemy may therefore be a branch of the *Sauras*, who are still located on the banks of the Kistna river. One hundred miles to the west-north-west of Karnúl, there is also a large town, named Sorapur, the Raja of which “still holds his patrimonial appanage, surrounded by his faithful tribe (*Bédars*), claiming a descent of more than thirty centuries.”*
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As *Chuliya* is described as being only 2400 *li*, or 400 miles, in circuit, its small size offers no help towards its identification. If it is placed in the Karnúl district, it will cut off the north-western corner of the province of *Dhanakaṭa*, but will not lessen its circuit.
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∗ General Briggs in Journ. Royal Asiat. Soc., xiii. 294.
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although it will diminish its area. If, however, Chuliya is to be identified with Chola, I would assign to it the modern district of Tanjor, extending from Sankeri-Drúg, near Salem on the north-west, to the mouth of the Káveri or Kolrún river, on the north-east, and from Dindigal, on the south-west, to Point Calimere on the south-east. This tract is about 120 miles in length, by 80 miles, or just 400 miles, in circuit.