On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v1.c7.s5.31

v1.c7.s5.31

When the narrative states that "north from this" you go to Kaputana the word this is apparently to be taken as meaning Samokan. In the Fang-chih the direction is given as North-west and this is perhaps right. M. Saint-Martin takes the words "from this" to refer to Mi-mo or Maghian, and supposes the Kaputana country to be a city "Kebond" about the situation of which nothing is known.¹ But it is better to understand our author as taking Samarkand as the point of departure; and the Kaputana country is then probably represented by the present Mitan and the surrounding district. The Ts'ao country, we are told, was to the north-west of Kang-kü and Middle Ts'ao to its north. Mitan is about thirty miles north-west from the modern Samarkand and in the district which includes Chalak once famous for its good soldiers.