Indian Antiquary Vol 28

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 73

NARCH, 1899.] ARCU ÆOLOGICAL TOUR WITH TUE BUNER FIELD FORCE
89
derived only from approximate estimates of the length of road traversed by them or their informants. They must honce in a mountainous country be invariably much in excess of the direct distances as measured on a modern survey map. The examination of numerous cases, in which distances between well-known localities have thus been recorded in road-mensure shows that these measurements exceed the direct distances calculated on the maps by at least one-fourth, and in difficult country more nearly by one-third 25
Keeping this in view it will be easy to recognise that Hiuen Tsiang's Mahāvana monastery cannot be looked for so far away as Mount Mahāban. The direct distance between the trigonometrically fixed peak of Mount Mahāban and the position which the field survey carried into Upper Swāt during the operations of last August ascertained for Manglaur, is exactly 40 miles measured on the map "as the crow flies." If we make to this distance the above explained addition of one-fourth, which in view of the natural obstacles of the route -- the high rauge between Swat and Bunēr and the second hill range between the latter and the Chamla Valley - most appear very moderate, wo obtain a total distance by read of not less than 50 miles. This minimum estimate of the real road distance, when converted into Hiuen Tsiang's li at the value of one-sixth of a mile for the li, as deducted by General Cunningham from * series of careful compatations, 20 gives us three hundred li against the two hundred li actually recorded in the pilgrim's narrative.
• The difficulties in which the suggested identification of Hiuen Tsiang's monastery with Mount Mahában would involve us become still more prominent if we compare this location with another of Hiuen Tsiang's topographical data bearing on Udyada and one more easy to verify. I mean the statement made at the close of Book ii. of the Si-yu-ki. There we are told that the pilgrim proceeding to the north from U-to-kia-han-cha, passed over some mountains, crossed a river, and after travelling 600 li or so arrived at the kingdom of U-chang-na or Udyana.27 U-to-kin-han-cha is undoubtedly the present Und on the Iudus, the ancient capital of Gandbāra 29
From the analogy of numerous passages in Hiuen Tsiang's narrative, where the distances to capitals of neighbouring territories are indicated in a similar fashion, it is clear that the distance here given to the kingdom of U-chang-na' must be understood as referring to the capital of this territory, i, e., Vung-kie-li or Manglaur. Referring now to the relative position of Und and Manglaur as fixed by modern surveys, we find that the capital of ancient Udyāna lies almost exactly due north of Und and at a direct distance of 57 miles as measured on the map.
We do not receive any distinct information as to the route which Hiuen Tsiang actually followed. But from the correct indication of the direction to the north, and on general grounds may safel y be assumed that he proceeded by one of the direct routes leading through Bunēr. The increased length of Hiuen Tsiang's road measurement, 600 li, against the direct distance on the map, is in the light of the explanations given above easily accounted for by the natural difficulties of the track. These could not have been appreciably smaller on the journey from Manglaur to Mabāban, which leads practically through the same mountain region. How then, if the proposed identification of the Mabāvana Sanghārama with Mount Mahāban is maintained, sre we to understand the great disproportion in the recorded distances, — 200 li of one jour. ney against the 600 li of the other, where the direct distances from point to point are 40 and 57 miles respectively ?
Mahāvana : Pinjkõtai. - It is evident from these considerations that the location of the Mahāvana monastery on Mount Mahāban, based solely on a coincidence of names, cannot be
* Sve V. de St. Martin, Mémoire Analytique, p. 269. Compare also Cunningham, Ancient Geography of India, P. 18.
* Compare Ancient Geography, p. 571.
1 See Si-yu-ki, transl. Beal, i. p. 116. By the river here mentioned the Barands must be meant. But it should be noted that in Stan. Julion's translation the word corresponding to 'river' is rendered by des vallées.'
* Compare Reinaud, Mémoire sur l'Inde, p. 159, and my Notes on the history of the Nahin Kabul.p.7.