Indian Antiquary Vol 62

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 142

130
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JULY, 1933
(6) Madraka - Kukura --Kuru -- Pañchâla and others (Eastern Ponjáb to Madhya.
desa) who lost their political status by the time of Asoka, though the Madrakas reappear in the succeeding centuries and continue up to 350 A.D. (i.e., the time
of Samudra Gupta) as republican. The republics with political powers and full autonomy in the time of Asoka are a limitert list (R. P. XIII): (i) the Yavanas, the Kambojas, the Nabhas and Nábha-Pamtis, the Bhojas and the Pitinikas (the Rathikas were under the Rajjukas of the king, like any other imperial district, according to the Yerragudi inscription-IHQ., IX. 112) and (ii) the Andhras (on the Oxus), with the Påradas. The latter are found under a king, Paradan shah, in 293-294 A.D. (Paikuli Inscription, pp. 117-119, Berlin, 1924.)
Bhâratavarsa and Himavarsa. 21. Asoka's line of demarcation is Meru (Hindukush) with Nişadha (Paropa-Nisad). Those to the south of the Meru-Nişadha frontier are (i)the above, and those to the north of them, in Himavarşa (Imaus), are the (ii), $ 20.43 The territory commencing from the Hindukush is counted by Asoka in his India, which was something like Bharatavarşa. The Greek writers have preserved the tradition that some reckoned India from the the Hindukush, and some from the Indus or the Kôphen. The latter was what the Puranas call Kumâridvípa. Asoka's Oxus Province was in his Jambudvipa, which had been a well-established term before his time, as the Pali canon shows. The Oxus Province we find included by the Purâņas in Bhåratavarsa and Jambûdvipa--on the other side of the Jambû river. It seems that the Jambû river and Meru (Hindukush) constituted the limits of Maurya India, otherwise Asoka would have started his arája-visaya enumeration with the Andhra-Paladas. Up to the Hindukush we find an actual Hindu population : Sasi-gupta was a ruler there in the time of Alexander. Asoka's dividing line has a geographical meaning, which is explained by the Greek authors writing on the limits of India, and the Hindu divisions of Bhäratavarsa and Himavarşa.
The Kamboja of Asoka. 22. Kamboja (Girnar, Kalsi and Mansehra, V and XIII), with its variants, Kamboya (Shahbâzgarhî, V, XIII) and Kamboca (Dhauli. V), is the Kâmbhoja of the Arthasástra (Bk. XI. c. 135). The regular form, however, in Sanskrit literature, from Yaska and the Ramayana down to medieval inscriptions, is Kamboja (country) and Kamboja (people). ** The form Kamboya suggests that in Asoka's time the name was pronounced thus in the country itself. From this, Kamboh,' the name of a numerous Hindu caste found in the Panjab *5 is derived. Their tradition is that they came from Gajni (i.e., Ghazni), 'near Kambay.'46
Kathbuja and Kabul, 23. The origin of the word is kambu, neck.' Both Kambu-ja (and its derivative Kamboja), born in Kambu,' and Kamyou-la, of Kambu,' may be derived from kambu. The area where Kabul is situated is just like the neck of a water-pot or a conch. K&bul seems to be identical with the ancient Kamboja. Its capital, according to the Buddhist 8úlras, was Dvaraka. 7
The Yavana-Kambojas were between the Yavanas (Yonas of Asoka) and the Gândháras. These Yavanas were pre-Alexander Yavanas, who are noted in the same position in the Ramayana (Kişkindha, 43, 11-Kamboja-yavanans caiva) and in the Páli canon
43 It is definitely clear that the Hindur named the two ranges, and it was their nomenclature which the Greeks found in use. In the Puravio geography Meru and Nişadhe are adjoining, and between them tho Jambu Rivor flows (Vayu). Thoir Jambù-tree was probably the blue plurn, which is associated in India with Turkistán ( dld Bokhand, the round fruit from Bokhara)' and which in shape appears like the jdmun fruit of India proper.
41 OY. Wilson and Hall, Vishnu Purana, references in Index. 45 Rose, Glossary of Tribee and Oastes of the Punjab and North-Western Frontier Province, ii, 442 18. 48 Ibid., p. 444. 17 Rhy Davids, Buddhist India, pp. 23-28.