Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 13
Author(s): John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

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Page 454
________________ 406 THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY. it with the Sanskrit or Iranian nomenclature. Beside the Aspakarai, the Batai are found in the Bâutta of the Rájatarangini....... In the 10th century of our era, the Chief of Ghilghit took the title of Bhâtahâh or Shah of the Bhât. The Balti, that we next name, recall a people, mentioned by Ptolemy in this high region, the Byltai. The accounts possessed by Ptolemy had made him well acquainted with the general situation of the Byltai in the neighbourhood of the Imaos, but he is either ill informed or has ill applied his information as to their exact position, which he indicates as being to the west of the great chain of Bolor and not to the east of it, where they were really to be found. The Ramana and the Dasamana, two people of the north, which the Mahabharata and the Pauranik lists mention along with the China, appear to us not to differ from the Rhabannae and the Damnai of Ptolemy's table." Saint-Martin gives in the sequel a few other identifications-that of the Thro anoi (whose name should be read Phrounoi, or rather Phaunoi as in Strabo) with the Phuna of the Lalitavistara (p. 122)-of the Kharaunaioi with the Kajana, whose language proves them to be Daradas, and of the Ithagouroi with the Dangors, Dhagars or Dakhars, who must at one time have been the predominant tribe of the Daradas. The country called Asmiraia he takes, without hesitation, to be Kasmir itself. As regards the name Ottorak orrha, applied by Ptolemy to a town and a people and a range of mountains, it is traced without difficulty to the Sanskrit-Uttarakuru, i.e., the Kuru of the north which figures in Indian mythology as an earthly paradise sheltered on every side by an encircling rampart of lofty mountains, and remarkable for the longevity of its inhabitants, who lived to be 1000 and 10,000 years old. Ptolemy was not aware that this was but an imaginary region, and so gave it a place within the domain of real geography. The land of the Hyperboreans is a western repetition of the Uttarakuru of Kaśmtr. CAP. 17. POSITION OF AREIA. Areia is bounded on the north by Margianê and by a part of Baktrianê along its southern side, as already exhibited. On the west by Parthia and by the Karmanian desert along their eastern meridians that have been defined, on the south by Drangianê along the line which, beginning from the said extremity towards Karmania, and curving towards the north, turns through Mount Bagôos towards the east on to the extreme point which lies.........111° 34° [DECEMBER, 1884. ..................... ........... the position where the mountain curves is .................105° 32° The boundary on the east is formed by the Paropanisadai along the line adjoining the extremities already mentioned through the western parts of Paropanisos; the position may be indicated at three different points, the southern..... .....111° 36° the northern .....111° 30 39° and the most eastern.....119° 30′ 39° 2. A notable river flows through this country called the Areias, of which the sources that are in Paropanisos, lie....111° 38° 15' and those that are in the Sariphoi..118° 33° 20' The part along the lake called Areia, which is below these mountains, lies in ...108° 40′ 36° 3. The northern parts of Areia are possessed by the Nisaioi and the Astanê noi or Astabênoi, but those along the frontier of Parthia and the Karmanian desert by the Masdoranoi or Mazôranoi, and those along the frontier of Drangianê by the Kaseirotai, and those along the Paropanisadai by the Parautoi, below whom are the Obareis and intermediately the Drakhamai, below whom the Aity mandroi, then the Borgoi, below whom is the country called Skorpiophoros. 4. The towns and villages in Areia are these: Dista Nabaris Taua Augara Bitaxa Sarmagana Siphare Rhangara *********** ********** 5. Zamonkhana Ambrôdax Bogadia .... Ouarpna (Varpna) Godana ************ .... ....102° 30′ 38° 15' .105° 40′ 38° 20' 38° 45' ..109° ..102° ..103° 40′ ...105° 20' ********** ..107° 15' ..109° 30' ....102° ..103° 30 .....................................................104° 15' 38° 38° 38° 10' 38° 15' 38° 10' 37° 37° 30' 37° 40' .........105° 30' 37° .110° 30′ 37° 30' 37° ...110° Phorana......... Khatriskhe ..103° 36° 20' 36° 20' Khaurina ... .....104° 6. Orthiana ....105° 15' 36' 20' Taukiana .....106° 10' Astauda....... .....107° 40' Artikaudna..... ..109° 20′ 36° 10' Alexandreia of the Areians...110° 36° 36° 36°

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