On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c26.s3: III. India to China

On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c26.s3

Language: English

III. India to China

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From July, 644 A. D. to April, 645 A. D.

Yuan-chwang, after leaving Ghaznī (Ho-si-na), the capital of the Tsao-kut'a (Tsau-ku-cha or Jāguḍa) country, travelled in a northerly direction for a distance estimated as 500 li, or ten easy stages, and so arrived in the Kabul territory, which he calls Fu-li-shih-sa-t'ang-na. The capital was Hu-pi-na (U-pi-na), almost certainly identical with Hupiān or Opiān, situated to the north of Chārikar, in N. lat. 35° 2', E. long. 69° 1'. The city of Kābul, which is 85 miles distant from Ghaznī, is never mentioned by the pilgrim, and perhaps was not important in his time.

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A short journey eastward brought him to the frontiers of Kapiśa (Kafiristān), where he was detained for seven days in attendance on the local king. He next proceeded a few miles (one yojana) to the north-east, took leave of his host, and turned towards the north, crossing the Hindu Kush mountains by the Khāwak Pass (Po-lo-se-na), probably early in July.

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His next important halting-place was Andarāb (An-ta-lo-fo (or -po)); whence he advanced through Khost (K'woh-si-to) to Kunduz (Huo or Hwoh), which he had visited fourteen years before. There he halted for a month (August), and then, instead of taking the northern or Samarkand road by which he had come, he plunged into the mountains, travelling in a direction easterly on the whole. In Badakshān (Po-to-ch'ang-na) he was detained for a month and seven days waiting for the opening of the passes. Proceeding along difficult and devious paths, he traversed Yamgān (Yin-po-kien or In-po-kin), Kurān (Ku-lang-na), Wakhan (Ta-mo-si-ti-ti, Huo-mi, or Hu-mi), the capital of which was Kandūt (Hun-t'ê-to or Hu-en-t'o-to), and so reached Lake Victoria or Sarikul.¹

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¹ See Beal, *Life*, pp. 193-8; *Records*, II, 285 seqq.; Chavannes, *Song-yun*, p. 23 n.

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Yuan-chwang then made his way to the Wakhjīr Pass, on the watershed of the Oxus and Yarkand rivers, and proceeded through the Tāghdumbāsh Pāmīrs to Tashkurghān, the capital of Sarikul (Ka-p'an-t'o, or Kie-p'an-to). Passing along the western flank of the huge mountain named Mustāgh-Ata, and traversing a region named Osh (Wu-sa, or U-sha) he ultimately emerged in the plain of Kashgar (Kāshghar, Ka-sha, or Kie-sha).²

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² Stein, *Sand-buried Ruins of Khotan*, pp. 60, 72.

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From Kashgar the traveller followed the now well-known road through Yarkand to Khotan (Khoten). The capital, Che-ku-ka (Cho-kiu-kia), of the intervening country, should be identified, according to M. Chavannes, with Karghalik to the south of Yarkand. Yuan-chwang thus reached Khotan, probably in September, and was constrained to remain there for seven or eight months waiting for the imperial permission to return to China. In due course the necessary orders were received, and the pilgrim resumed his journey. Passing the town of Pi-mo (= Bhīmā), probably the modern Uzun-tati, about 55 miles E. N. E. from Khotan, he arrived at Niya (Ni-yang, or Ni-jang) on the eastern frontier of the Khotan kingdom.⁴ He then entered the desert, and so came to the small Tukhāra (Tu-ho-lo) country, which may be located at Andere or Endere.⁵ He next passed through the territory known as Che-mo-t'o-na (Chü-mo or Nie-mo), apparently the modern Cherchen.

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³ Chavannes, *Song-yun*, p. 20 n. (Hanoi, 1903).

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⁴ Stein, *op. cit.*, pp. 434, 440.

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⁵ The horrors of this desert are described by a Chinese author Rémusat, *Hist. de la ville de Khotan*, p. 64. Paris 1820).

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From this points onwards the *Life* gives few details of the route, but it is clear that Yuan-chwang passed to the south of Lake Lop-nor (Lob-nor), as he is recorded to have traversed the kingdom of Na-fo-p'o, included in that formerly called Lou-lan, which is known to have extended to the south of the Lake.¹

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¹ Chavannes, *Song-yun*, p. 13 n. See also Watters in *China Review*, VIII, 112.

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He must have proceeded next by the road skirting the base of the Altyn Tāgh Range, from which turning northwards, he reached Sha-chau (Sha-chow, Sachu). Presumably he must have journeyed onward to the Yu-mēn barrier, through which he had made his escape when furtively quitting China sixteen years before, and thence must have travelled by the ordinary road through Liang-chau to the western capital Ch'ang-an (Hsian or Si-ngan-fu), where he arrived ‘in the spring’ of 645 A. D., probably at some time in the month of April.

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POSTSCRIPT. — My views concerning the kingdom of Mo-la-p'o (*ant.* p. 341, *E. Hist. of India*, p. 279) have been criticized recently by Dr. Burgess (*Ind. Ant.*, Aug. 1905, Vol. XXXIV, p. 195) and Prof. Sylvain Lévi (*Journal des Savants*, Oct. 1905, pp. 544—8). The latter scholar holds that the Chinese K'i-ch'a (Kie-tch'a) should be regarded as the phonetic equivalent of Kheṭa (Kaira of maps), and not of Kaccha (Cutch). The discussion is not yet closed, but I may say that I adhere to the opinion that the kingdom of Mo-la-p'o was quite distinct from that of Ujjain; and that consequently all historical theories are erroneous which rest on the assumption that Śīlāditya of Mo-la-p'o was king of Ujjain.