On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c23.s17.9

v2.c23.s17.9

From the "Pamir Valley" the pilgrim's journey lay south-east according to the Records, but east according to the Life. After travelling above 500 li (perhaps about 60 miles) he came to the country which he calls Ka-p'an-t'o. This is apparently the K'ê-p'an-t'o (竭盤陀) of earlier writers, called also K'ê-lo and Han-t'o (漢陀). The capital of this country was in the Ts'ung-ling. Beyond the country on the south and south-west was the Hindu-Kūsh, to its north was Kashgar, and to its west was Hu-mi (Wakkhan).⁴ Sung-yun mentions a country Han-p'an-t'o which he locates on the Ts'ung-ling, the last before Po-ho (Wakhan?) on his itinerary.⁵ Julien suggests Khavandha as the possible restoration of the pilgrim's transcription, and the name was probably something like Kabhanda or Kavanda. The country has been identified by modern Chinese writers with Sol-gol or Sariq-gol, the chief city of which is Tashkurghan,⁶ and this is the identification made by Cunningham and his successors. It is admitted, however, that Tashkurghan cannot represent the capital of Kabhanda, the former being situated in a plain. St. Martin regards Karchu as occupying the site of Yuan-chuang's capital, and adds that the river which passes Karchu is one of the principal upper branches of the Yarkand river, that is, the Sitā of our pilgrim.¹ But the situation of Karchu (or Karachu) seems to make the identification inadmissible.