On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c23.s16: Shang-Mi
On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c23.s16
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Shang-Mi
v2.c23.s16.1
The pilgrim's narrative proceeds to tell us that passing through Dhammasthiti to the south of a mountain you come to the *Shang-mi* country. This he describes as being 2500 or 2600 *li* in circuit, with alternating hills and vales, and with hillocks of various sizes. All crops were grown in it, pulse and wheat being very abundant, and there was plenty of grapes; it yielded realgar which was obtained by breaking up the rocks. The mountain gods were malicious and caused disasters; if travellers offered them worship the travellers had good luck, but if they did not worship then they encountered storm and hail. The climate was cold, the people were rash in their ways; they were upright without ceremonial observances and with narrow views and slight accomplishments; they had the same writing as Tokhara, but their spoken language was different; they chiefly wore coarse woollen garments. Their king was of the Sākya stock and was a Buddhist, and under his influence the people had all become genuine believers; there were two monasteries with a few Brethren.
v2.c23.s16.2
To the north-east of Shang-mi, the account in the Records continues, across mountains and defiles by dangerous paths at a distance of above 700 *li*, was the *Po-mi-lo* Valley. This was above 1000 *li* east to west, and 100 *li*, but in its narrowest part not more than ten *li*, from north to south. It was between two Snow Mountains and so had fierce chilling winds and snow-storms, spring and summer; the soil was saltish with much gravel. As there was no cultivation, and scarcely any vegetation, the place had become a mere waste destitute of human inhabitants. In this Valley was a large Dragon Lake above 300 *li* east to west and 50 *li* north to south. As the lake was in the Ts'ung-ling, the centre of Jambudvipa, in a very high position, its water was very pure and clear, it was of unmeasured depth, and was of a bluish black colour with a very pleasant taste. In the depths of the lake dwelt all kinds of aquatic monsters, and water-birds of various species haunted its surface, the shells of their great eggs being left in the wilds among the marshes, or on the sandy islets. This lake sent forth on the west a large stream which joined the Oxus to the east of Dhammasthiti, and flowed west; and so all streams on the right (west) side flow west. On the east the Jake sent out a large stream which went north-east to the confines of Kashgar, where it joined the Sitā and flowed east; and so all streams on this side of the lake flow eastward.
v2.c23.s16.3
The *Shang-mi* (商彌) of the text of this passage has been restored by Julien as Śambhi, but the restoration does not seem to be admissible. It was apparently from our pilgrim's narrative that this name Shang-mi became known to the Chinese as denoting this country. In the Wei-Shu and other books we find mention of a district called *She-mi* (赊彌) which was at a mountain south of a country called *Po-chih* (波知), perhaps Balti, between *Po-ho* (Wakhan?) and Udyāna.¹ This *She-mi*, which was visited by Sung-yun, may have been our pilgrim's Shang-mi. Then we learn that in the T'ien-pao period of the T'ang dynasty, that is between A. D. 742 and 755, eight States of these remote regions sent embassies to the Chinese emperor. One of these states was *Ku-wei* (俱緯), and this is described as the country also called Shang-mi; and the capital at that time is given as *A-shih-yuh-shih-to*, represented as being in the Great Snow Mountain north of the river *Po-lü*.² Wu-k'ung also traversed a country called *Kou-wei* (拘緯) on his journey from *Hu-mi* (Wakhan) on towards Kashmir, and this is evidently the *Ku-wei* and *Shang-mi* of other travellers and writers.³
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¹ Wei Shu, *ch.* 102.
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² T'ang Shu, *ch.* 221; Ma T. l., *ch.* 339.
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³ Shih-li-ching and J. A. op. c. p. 348.
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As we have seen the text places the Pamir Valley 700 *li* to the north-east of Shang-mi, but the Life gives the direction as east, the distance being the same. Neither in it, nor in the Records, is there any information as to the bearing or distance of Shang-mi from Dhammasthiti, but the latter was evidently, as in the T'ang-Shu, between Shighni on the north, and *Shang-mi* on the south. There seems to be a consensus of opinion that the modern representative of *Shang-mi* is the Chitral District, and the identification must be accepted, although it does not seem to meet all the requirements of the texts. This district is also known as Kāskār, and Elphinstone relates that the inhabitants, who live chiefly in tents, "belong to a nation called Cobi". This name, as Yule suggests, may be the *Ku-wei* of the Chinese historian although Elphinstone seems to have regarded it as connected with Gobi.¹
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¹ "Account of Caubul" p. 442 (2d ed.): Yule, op. c., p. 114.
v2.c23.s16.9
The *P'o-mi-lo* of our pilgrim is evidently the *Po-mi* (播密) of Wu-k'ung and the T'ang-Shu, and the Pamir of western travellers. There are eight Pamirs in the district which bears this general designation, and geographers are not agreed as to which of these is the "Pamir Valley" of our text. Mr. (now Lord) Curzon from study and personal observation concludes that this is the Great Pamir and that the Dragon Lake is the Victoria Lake or Sar-i-kul.² This identification, however, does not seem to suit the requirements of the narrative and description in the Life and Records. These do not require us to believe that the pilgrim visited either Shighnan or Shang-mi, and it seems probable that he went on from Wakhan into the Pamirs. His account of the "Valley" with its Dragon Lake does not agree with all the particulars in the descriptions of any one of the Pamirs given by western explorers, but it is in substantial agreement with Mr. Curzon's summary of the general features of a Pamir. Much of the pilgrim's information was apparently obtained from books or guides. Thus it was evidently from others that he learned of the hornless dragons, tortoises, and other aquatic monsters which lived in the dark depths of the Lake. He may have seen the wild fowl; the ducks, geese, swans, and great king-fishers (?) and heard the clanging clamour of their cries. The shells of the great eggs left on the marshes or sandy islets are conjectured by the author of the Life to be identical with the "large egg-shells of T'iao-Chih" that is, ostrich egg-shells.¹ The eggs were as large as water-jars and the parent bird with due regard to proportion was ten feet high.
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² "The Pamir and the Sources of the Oxus" p. 17, 67 ff.
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¹ See Dr. Hirth's "China and the Roman Orient" p. 152.
v2.c23.s16.12
The identification of the Dragon Lake of the Pamirs, that is, the Sar-i-kul, with the Anavatapta Lake is not made by our pilgrim, as some have asserted. He does not apply the name Anavatapta to the Pamir Lake, and he assigns the two lakes to localities far apart.