Historical Geography of Ancient India c6.481

c6.481

Kuśāvatī was at first known as the capital city of the Mallas when they had a monarchical constitution (Jāt., V, pp. 278ff.). It was rich, prosperous, populous and in it alms were easily procurable (Dīgha, II, 170). But later on in the Buddha's time when the monarchy came to be replaced by a republican constitution, the name of this city was changed to Kuśinārā. The Buddha himself says that Kuśinārā was ancient Kuśāvatī. It was a capital city, which was 12 yojanas in length from east to west and 7 yojanas in width from north to south (ayam Kuśinārā Kuśāvatī nāma rājadhānī ahosi—Dīgha, II, 146-47, 170). The Buddha narrated the former glory of Kuśāvatī which had seven ramparts, four gates and seven avenues of palm-trees (Dīgha, II, 170-171). According to the Divyāvadāna (p. 227) it was the beautiful city of Mahāsudarśana.