Historical Geography of Ancient India c6.686

c6.686

This city was visited by Hiuen Tsang in the 7th century A.D. when it was a dependency of Kāśmīr. According to the Chinese pilgrim, Takṣaśilā was above 2,000 li in circuit, its capital being more than 10 li in circuit. It had a fertile soil and bore good crops with flowing streams and luxuriant vegetation. The climate was genial, and the people were adherents of Buddhism. Although there were many monasteries, some of them were desolate. Monks living in a few of them were Mahayanists (Watters, On Yuan Chwang, I, 240).