Historical Geography of Ancient India c6.478

c6.478

According to Cunningham, Kuśinārā may be identified with the village of Kāsiā in the east of Gorakhpur district (Ancient Geography of India, p. 493). This view has been strengthened by the fact that in the stūpa behind the Nirvāna temple near this village a copperplate has been discovered bearing the inscription: ‘Parinirvāna-caitya-tāmra-patta’ or the copperplate of the Parinirvāna-caitya. This identification appears to be correct. Different scholars hold different views. V. A. Smith prefers to place Kuśinārā in Nepal beyond the first range of hills (Early History of India, 4th ed., p. 167, f.n. 5; J.R.A.S., 1913, 152). Rhys Davids expresses the opinion that if we rely on the account of the Chinese pilgrims, the territory of the Mallas of Kuśinārā was on the mountain slopes, to the east of the Śākya land and to the north of the Vajjian confederation. But some would place their territory south of the Śākyas and east of the Vajjians (Buddhist India, p. 26).