Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 58
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications
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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[MARCH, 1929
from the north-west. Where the barren but picturesque hill range dividing the Peshawar valley from Swat rises higher and takes a decided turn to the north-east it throws off a branch at right angles, which runs down to the Indus and encircles the territory of Buner. Less extensive and less fertile than Swat and accessible from it by a number of comparatively easy passes, Bunêr seems always to have shared the political fate of its northern neighbour. As we follow the main range above the left bank of the Swat river farther up, its height steadily increases and its character as the great divide between the Swat river and the Indus becomes more defined.
The valleys which run down from this watershed towards the Indus, though not large, are still comparatively open and fertile and hold now a Pathan population closely allied with that of Swat. But above the mouth of the Ghörband river the Indus valley rapidly contracts into a succession of narrow and very difficult gorges comprehensively designated as the Indus Kohistân. The small independent communities of Dard speech which are settled there, together with those to be found in Tôrwal and elsewhere on the headwaters of the Swât river, may safely be recognized as a remnant of that pre-Muhammadan population which once held Swat and the adjacent tracts, and which the Pathan invasion has driven back farther into the mountains or gradually absorbed. The great height of the snowy range separating this portion of the Indus valley from the Swat river drainage sufficiently explains why there is no need to pursue our rapid survey in this direction further.
Turning now to the west we find Upper Swât bordered by the territory known as Dir and drained by branches of the Panjkôra ; this joins the Swat river before the latter emerges on the plain of the Peshawar valley. The tract on the northernmost headwaters of the Panjkôra, in respect of its forests, its ample grazing-grounds and its remnant of Dard-speaking hillmen, resembles the corresponding portion of Upper Swat. Here too the land owning population in the lower valleys is Pathân. But neither in size nor in natural resources can Dir bear comparison with Swat, and its political importance is due solely to the fact that through it leads the direct route connecting Chitral and its Hindukush passes with the NorthWest Frontier. Crossing the Panjkôra to the west the Pathân tribal tract of Bajaus is reached. Considerable as its area of arable land is, Bâjaus lacks the advantages of abundant irrigation such as Swat derives from its large snow-fed river; otherwise, too, the territory is far less favoured by nature. To the west there stretches the Hinduraj range forming the watershed between Bajaur and the large valley of the Kûnar river, included in the Afgh An kingdom Here we find again great natural resources assured by the abundance of water which the Kûnar or Chitral river carries down from the snow and ice-clad heights of the main Hindukush range. With the alpine tructs of Kafiristân which lie between the latter and the Kûnar valley we are not concerned here.
Before I proceed to set forth those archæological and topographical indications which my recent explorations have enabled me to gather concerning particular points of Alexander's campaign in the region now controlled by the ruler of Swat, it will be convenient rupidly to review the main historical data to be gathered about that campaign from the available classical records. These notices have been often discussed, and as a clear and critical account of them is readily accessible in the late Mr. Vincent Smith's 'Early History of India', our review may be brief. Alexander in the spring of 327 B.O. crossed the Hindukush from Bactria towards the Koh-i-daman above Kabul. There he strengthened the hold he had secured upon this part of the present Afghanistan two years before, and then set out for his Indian campaign. There can be no doubt that as far as the country west of the Indus was concerned
8 Soe 2nd edition, pp. 45.99. Full translations of the notices furnished by Arrian, Diodorus, Curtius and some minor sources are to be found in M'Crindle, The Invasion of India by Alexander the Great (1893)
