Tribes in Ancient India c57.13

c57.13

It is not improbable that Puṇḍravardhana formed a part of the Magadhan empire during the time of the Mauryas. This is suggested by the testimony of Hsüan Tsang, who saw stūpas of Aśoka near Tāmralipta and Karṇasuvarṇa in Samaṭaṭa, as well as in Pun-na-fa-tan-na (Puṇḍravardhana). Travelling east, Hsüan Tsang ‘crossed the Ganges, and after a journey of above 600 li reached the Pun-na-fa-tan-na country. This country was above 4,000 li in circuit and its capital was more than 30 li in circuit. Twenty li to the west of the capital was a magnificent Buddhist establishment, the name of which is given in some texts as Po-shih-po. Near it was an Aśoka tope at the place where the Buddha had preached for three months’. (Watters, *On Yuan Chwang*, II, 184-5.)