Studies in the Geography of Ancient and Medieval India c6.5

Language: English

c6.5.1

Some of the theories of Pargiter have been criticised. If we believe that the Brāhmī alphabet evolved out of the prehistoric Indus valley script, we should only speak of the growth of the popularity of writing and not of the introduction of writing about the 7th century B. C. The Andhras (Sātavāhanas) of the Deccan had nothing to do with the north-western region of India where the Kharoṣṭhī script was prevalent; it is, therefore, difficult to believe that the historical accounts of this royal family were originally composed in northern (north-western?) India and written in Kharoṣṭhī. The definite epochs suggested by Pargiter for the composition, revision or transmission of the particular texts are again no better than tentative. But from a study of the sections on cosmography and geography which are common to several of the Purāṇas, it appears that Pargiter is probably right as regards the chronological sequence of at least some of the Purāṇas with which he deals. As to the suggestion that the original of the historical sections of the Purāṇas was composed in Prakrit, we know that the theory has been contested by Keith,¹ though Winternitz² seems to be inclined to agree with Pargiter. It is interesting to note that the geographical sections exhibits Prakrit influence in such forms of names as भारुकच्छ, वेदभ, ऋष्यवन्त, शक्तिमन्ती, etc.

c6.5.2

It may be pointed out that the geographical sections, especially the list of janapadas, found in the Bmd, Mk, Mts, Vmn and Vy practically follow the same draft. The original draft seems to have been compiled for Mts. The Vy text appears to be the earliest copy from that of the Mts. The Mk probably copied the text from the Vy at a slightly later date; but a little independence of the copyist in the arrangement of names in a few cases is noticed in this text. The Bmd furnishes us with a still later copy of the Vy text. The date of this copy is possibly not far removed from the time of Al-Bīrūnī (c. 1030 A.D.) who is known to have consulted a Ms of the Vy in giving a list of peoples after the Purāṇas. The Krm, which like some other Purāṇas, copies the smaller draft of the janapada list from the Vsn, has a fuller list of rivers probably after the Vy. The smaller drafts both of the list of peoples and of rivers appear to have been compiled from the bigger drafts in the Mts and Vy for the first time for the Vsn. Like that of the Bmd, the Krm text does not seem to be far removed in point of time from the date of Al-Būrūnī. The *Vmn* appears, however, to be the latest copy of the modified draft as found in the other texts. But in several cases the compiler of the *Vmn* shows a tendency to arrange the names rather independently, although in many cases he does not go much beyond the originals before him.

c6.5.3

The new readings introduced by later copyists of the original draft or its modifications appear to have been, in some cases, offered by way of inprovement or correction, and it is sometimes difficult to determine the reading of the original draft. The fact, however, that even the late *Vmn* often leaves the mistakes of the other copies as they are probably points to the absence of any determined and persistent effort on the part of the copyists to deviate from the texts before them. It should be remembered that numerous mistakes had already crept into the *Vy* text as early as c. 1030 A.D. when Al-Būrūnī consulted a *Vy* Ms. The geographical section of the *Grd* exhibits considerable freedom, though it seems to have utilised the *Mk* section known as the *Kūrma-vibhāga*. The date of the *Grd* section seems to be close to that of the *Vmn*, as both add to the old description of the Kumārīdvīpa as पूर्वे किराता यस्यान्ते पश्चिमे यवनास्तथा, a new line placing the Turuṣkas in the north and the Andhras in the south. As these Turuṣkas and Andhras appear to be no other than the Turkish Musalmans and the Kākatīyas respectively, the *Vmn* and *Grd* sections on geography could not possibly have been compiled much earlier than the 13th cenutry. The *Sv* also contains the same reference.