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No. 20.1
TAXILA INSCRIPTION OF THE YEAR 136.
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In the T'ang period Kapisa was a considerable power. In Hüan-tsang's time Gandhira had fallen under its domination, and Wu-ta-kia-han-ch'a, i.e. Udabhända on the Indus, was one of the residence towns of its king. Nagarahāra, Lampaka, and other countries belonged to their dominions, which later on also comprised Udyana. Takshasilā, which had formerly belonged to Kapisa, on the other hand, had recently passed into the possession of the Kashmir kings.
The arguments in favour of the identity of Ki-pin and Kashmir in the Han and Wei periods are far less convincing. Acoording to M. Lévi they are,
In Chinese works such as the Pien-yi-tien section of the Tfn-sha-tai-ch'êng and the Haikuo-t'u-chi, Ki-pin and Kashmir are identified ;
The old annals distinguish Ki-pin from Kao-fu, which latter name must signify Kabul;
The Wei annals state that the country was surrounded by four mountain ranges, and that it extended 800 li from east to west and 300 li from north to south ;
Finally Ki-pin can very well be a rendering of an Indian word Kapira ; cf. the transliteration of Rahula as Lo-yun. This Kapira can be compared with Ptolemy's Kaspēria, Kaspeiraioi, and may represent a Sanskrit Kaspira=Kasmira. Paramartha, a native of Ujjayini, who lived in the second half of the 6th century, in his translation of the Abhidhar. makosa always renders Kālmira by Ki-pin, while Hüan-tsang, a century later, in his trans-lation of the same work, renders the Indian name as Kia-shi-mi-lo.
These reasons are far from being conolusive. The identification of Ki-pin and Kashmir in some Chinese sogross does not prove much, if we remember that Kashmir became part of the empire of the Kushanas, of whom we know that they made themselves masters of Ki-pin after the Bakas. Mountain ranges are found everywhere in Afghanistan as well as in Kashmir, and the fact that Ki-pin may be a rendering of Käsmira does not prove that such is actu-- ally the case. Ptolemy's Kaspeiraioi are located between the country of the Pandavas and the Vindbys hills, and Paramartha's rendering would, at the utmost, prove the identity of Ki-pin and Kashmir in his time, and we have already seen that such cannot be the case.
It will accordingly be necessary again to examine the information which can be gathered from the oldest Chinese sources.
The Chinese first heard about Ki-pin during the rule of the emperor Wa-ti (140-87 B.C.). The country was then in the possession of the Sai, i.e. the Sakas. Later on it was conquered by the Kasbapas, and the first Kushana raler does not seem to have extended his power beyond Ki-pin into India proper. In the time of Yuan-ti (48-33 B.C.) embassadors from Ki-pin arrived in China and were escorted back, as far as Hien-ta, which was accordingly on the way to Ki. pin. Also the Sai, i.e. the Sakas, passed Hien-ta on their way to Ki-pin.
According to M. Specht, Hien-tu was situated to the east of Badakshan. Professor Franke, on the other hand locates it at a short distance to the west of Skårda. He bases his conclusions on Fa-bian's description of his route from Turkistan to Udy na. After crossing the passes he arrived at Kie-cha, and thence proceeded along the hills towards the south-west and arrived at a gorge where one had to descend and cross (tu) by means of hanging (hien) ropes. This description seems to suit the famous gorge near Skardu. From Hien-tu Fa-bian then arrived in Udyảna, i.e. the Swat valley. He did not accordingly
Chavannes, loo. cit., p. 174, L6vi, Jo. 4.., IX, 1, p. 529.
Jo. 41., IX, VI, pp. 871 fl. Ibidem, p. 884.
• Lasten, loc. cit., Vol. III, p. 146. cr. Franke, pp. 69 ft. Specht, Jo. 41. VIII, 1, pp. 328 ff. ; IX, X, pp. 162 t.; Lévi, Jo. 41., IX, v), pp. 871 1. Loc. cit., pp. 66 .
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