Indian Antiquary Vol 62

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

Page 98

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
( MAY, 1933
as first clearly recognized by Lord Curzon. The ascent to the pass is not stoep, as may be seen in the photographs taken by me, 13 and the descent on the Taghdum-bâsh side, which I examined on the 2nd July 1900, is still easier.
But while on that occasion the whole of the pass was clear of snow, it was only after great exertions on the 27th May 1906, that the watershed at an elevation of about 16,200 could be gained by us. The difficulty of getting our baggage across, first on yaks and then by load-carrying Wakhis, was due solely to the soft condition of the snow. There had been an exceptionally heavy snowfall all over the Pamirs that winter. As long as the snow remains hard the pass can be crossed with laden ponies, even in the spring, and it is certainly open to such traffic all through the rest of the year. Judging from what I saw of it in 1900 it would be practicable, too, for Kirghiz camels accustomed to the mountains.
Once across the Wakhjir the journey down the Taghdum-bash Påmîr is easy and can well be covered in five marches, 13 Much of the first three of them lies past large ancient moraines, which show the extent of the huge ice-stream which in a former glacial period descended the wide valley. At Kök-török there joins in from the south the route which leads across the main Muz-tâgh range from the side of Hunza by the Kilik pass (circ. 15,800 feet). On the north the Taghdum-bash Påmir can be gained by the Kök-törok pags from the side of the Little Påmir. Somo 23 miles lower down there debouches the valley leading up to the Ming-tako pass, which offers an alternative route towards Hunza and is regularly used for the British Consular post from Kashgar to India. At Payik, where there, is a small Chinese Customs post, a well-known route is passed leading across to the Ak-su or Murghåb on the Russian side.
Some seven miles further down, the valley makes a marked turn to the north and there near Koshun-kör, at an elevation of about 12,600 feet, cultivation has been carried on until recent recent years by Wakhí settlers. The point deserves to be noted; for, together with what I have recorded above about former cultivation near Langar, it shows that for travellers from Sarikol to Wakhân following the Wakhjir route the distance where neither permanent habitations nor local supplies could be found was reduced about five or six marches. It was an important consideration in favour of this old route, now again coming steadily into increased use by traders from the Yarkand side.
Only about three miles further down, there rise the ruins of an ancient stronghold, known as Kiz-kurghan, 'the Maiden's fort,' on the top of a high and very steep rocky spur above the river's left bank. I have shown its identity with the place of which Hsuan-toang relates a curious local legend how a Chinese princess on her way to be wedded to the king of Persia was detained there while the roads were blocked through war. Visited there by the sun god she became enceinte, and from her the royal family of Sarikol claimed descent.16
Six miles down the valley we reach the fairly large village of Dafdar, with fields of wheat and barley extending for some miles down the right bank. Scattered patches of cultivation are to be met also on the two short marches leading down to Tash-kurghân, the chief place of Sarikol. That the once tilled area on this side of the valley must have been far more extensive in olden times is conclusiely proved by the remains of an ancient canal, known as Farhad's canal,' still clearly traceable from above Dafdar for a distance of over forty miles. It is also certain tht the population of Sarikol was greatly reduced in modern times in consequence of frequent raids of those plucky hillmen of Hunza whose depredations only ceased after the Pax Britannica was extended to Hunza in 1891.
13 See Ruins of Desert Cathay, i. Fig. 29; Mountain Panoramas of the Pamirs and Kwenlun, R. Geographical Society, Panor. VII.
14 Cf. Desert Cathay, i, pp. 83 sqq. 16 For a description of the valley cf. Sand-buried Ruins of Khotan, pp. 59 999. 16 Cf. Serindia, i, pp. 72 999.