On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v1.c7.s6: Kasanna
On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v1.c7.s6
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Kasanna
v1.c7.s6.1
The pilgrim now resumes the narrative of his journey. He relates that from the Samokan country he went south-west above 300 *li* to the Ka-shuang-na or Kasanna (羯霜那) country. This was 1400 or 1500 *li* in circuit and it resembled Samarkand in its natural products and the ways and customs of the people.
v1.c7.s6.2
All texts and the Fang-chih seem to agree in the reading "from Samokan," but the Life makes the pilgrim proceed from Kharesm. This, however, is undoubtedly wrong and quite impossible. In the Chinese note to our text we are told that the Chinese name for this country was Shih(史)-kuo, the kingdom of Shih, another of the nine Shao-wu chiefs. From other sources we learn that the country was called also *K'a-sha* (佉沙) and *K'ê-shih* (渴石)² which are perhaps only different forms of a name like Kesh. This is perpetuated in the modern name of the district, Kesh, derived directly perhaps from the name of the city *Ki-shih* (乞史) which was built in the 7th century. The capital, corresponding to the present Shahr-i-sebs or Shehr, lay about ten *li* south of the *Tu-mo* (獨莫) River.³ This is probably the present Kashka-daria "on which the city is founded." Kesh was formerly a dependency of Kangkü which lay 240 *li* to the north of it.
v1.c7.s6.3
² T'ang-Shu, l. c.
v1.c7.s6.4
³ Med. Res. Vol. II. p. 273.