Geographical and Economic Studies in the Mahabharata: Upayana Parva c5.55

c5.55

A novel suggestion has been put forward by Tarn³⁸ which deserves our consideration. According to him the Sai-wang flight southward, which more correctly should mean south-west, would take them across Jaxartes to Ferghana. At this stage, they must have ceased to be a hoard as the Chinese literature does not mention them. It is probable that some joined Ka'ng-kiu whose grazing ground was the Tashkant plain, but those who went to Ki-pin probably joined the Sacaraucae, who occupied Khojend and the Steppes west of it, for it does not appear how otherwise they could have reached India. The remainder of the Sai-wang horde settled in the Greek provinces of Ferghana—their name mixing up with the name of the Province which in Chinese was Ta-yuan. There they set up the Saka or rather nomad government which Chang K'ien found in 128 B.C.; they are represented as distinct from the Kang-kiu, but on good terms with them.