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Art. III.—Dissertation on the River Indus

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2011

James McMurdo
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Extract

The following, from Colonel Frederick, bears such honourable testimony to the character and merits of the much-lamented author of the accompanying Dissertation, that the Council deems it highly deserving of being recorded.

Type
Original Communications
Information
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society , Volume 1 , Issue 1 , January 1834 , pp. 20 - 44
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 0000

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References

* Mír Maásam

† Tohfal al Gírám; Táríkh-i-Táhirí.

* The lake of Náráyana.

† There is still a small tank or piece of water at Náráyana Sirowar, in which the Hindús bathe, to purify themselves of their sins: there is also a town surrounded by a wall belonging to Cutch. Kótéśwara is a Pagoda or Hindú Temple, and a small village on the bank of the river, one mile from Náráyana Sirowar. The water is salt.

‡ A'ghamkót, or A'gham, Lóhánna's city, is said to have been situated on this river, river, which gave the name to the stream.—A'gham is by some supposed to have been A'bpúr, which is comparatively a modern name.

* Or Bhamborá,—I believe that this city did not exist until the first Dibal was deserted.

† MrMaxfield, 's Journal.Google Scholar

‡ Tohfat al Girám.

§ Mír Táhir.

* He is stated to have been a Muhammedan of the tribe of Aírí. This tribe is still numerous in Sindh.—May they not be, from their situation, the Arrie, or the Oriti, of the Greeks?

† Bhambór is now forty miles from tlie sea.

‡ Tohfat al Girám, and Tárikh-i-Táhirí.

* Mír Maásam.

* I have heard natives of T'hatta, when asked where Bráhmanábád was situated, say, that it was to the westward of, and near T'hatta; but I feel verypositive that this is an error, as the country was not inhabited until after the Muhammedan era.

† Tohfat al Girám.

‡ Tohfat al Girám.

§ Mir Táhír.

∥ Although some doubts certainly remain in my mind on this subject, I must nevertheless say, that there is more evidence for that which I have preferred, than for any other account of Dillú Rájá.

* See Dissertation on the Voyage of Nearchus, by the Rev.W. Vincent, D.D.

† Díbal or Díwal, the Muhammedan b and Hindí w are the same.

‡ See History.

§ Ajáib al Makhlúkát.

∥ Called by the ancients, Láryía.

* The Ajáib al Makhlúkát, a book of considerable worth, says, that Nasirpúra was built on the site of Al Mansúra, which brings it near to Bráhmanábád. According to D'Anville, Nasirpura was the seat of government of Firoze Shah's Lieutenant, in A. D. 1339; and Bhakír and Lakhar, with the country between those cities and Nasirpúra were subject to him.

† Dr. Vincent appears to me to consider Sewí and Sehwán as the same; and, in consequence, has difficulties in his subject that would not otherwise occur. Sewí is a district, town, and province, north-west of Bhakír. Sehwán is never called Sewí.

* This is doubtless the Binagara, or the Agrinagara of Ptolemy; although placed by that geographer in such a situation as to induce Dr. Vincent to take it for Bhakar.

* Tohfat al Girám.

† It appears from Arrian, that Alexander left some of his Agrians in Páttala: may not these Agris be their descendants?

‡ Mír Maásam says, that he crossed near Taletí; but this author uses modern names, in speaking of ancient places, without distinction. For instance, he mentions, that Muhammed Ben Kásim conquered Thatía; and tells us, afterwards, that T'hatta was peopled and founded by the Sammas, who reigned many centuries after the Arab conquest.

§ Tohfat al Girám.

* See DrVincent, , p. 116.Google Scholar “See Note Nub. Geographi. p. 57.”

† I find no traces of this place. Sísam, Bheltór, Salór, and Kundacel (Kundabil of La Rochette), were places in Sewí, mentioned by Muhammedan authors as being in existence long before the Muhammedan conquest.

‡ This mark CD distinguishes cattle offered to the sun.

* A weight of about twenty-four pounds,

† See Akhbárs of Sindh.

* It is to be regretted that this and other plans by Capt. McMurdo, referrred to in this paper, did not accompany it.—Editor.

* I am at a loss to discover who gave this name to the eastern branch; but I observe it in a map of the ancient world, by Christoph. Weigel, of Nuremberg, where Sagapa is the name given to the western branch.

† It is certain, that the Ságóra branch was in existence long after the Púrána had been deserted.

‡ Bárá is the Indian name of a roadstead, or the entrance to a harbour: it also signifies “to the seaward.”

§ This range of hills is called by Neigator, and even by Rennell., “the Chigoo Range;” but the Chigú is a sandy bank, which runs along the coast of Cutch, to which it is parallel, so as to form the shore. The word signifies, in the Cutch language language, a “look-out place.” The remarkable hill of Manow, seen far off at sea, is one of the Lakhi range. “Parallel to the coast,” says Dr. Vincent, “runs a range of mountains called Chigos; and the strip of land between those and the sea is the residence of the Langanrians, a race infamous for their piracies:” and I have already said, that between the Chigú, range and the sea there is no space. Landan is the name of a town on this coast, famous for its piratical and plundering disposition at a former period. The pirates of Bate and Dwárca used to plunder, under the name of Sanghan, one of their most distinguished pirate chiefs.

* It is possible that this may be the Kaggar of Major Rennell. The Paddár is placed at the head of the Gulf of Cutch; which corresponds precisely with the situation and course of the Bannas, a river which rises in the hills at the borders of Márwár, and pursues a wild and intricate course to the Runn, into which it empties itself by many channels, and loses itself in the sand. The Nargali and Haggrá are sometimes said to be only different names for the Indus, or Púrán; but I think they must have been cuts or branches from that river, which disembogued separately.

† Tradition states, that rice was produced in the Bhánní.

‡ A similar tract, and known partially by the same name, connects the Gulf of Cutch and Cambay, forming an island of the Peninsula of Gujarát for six months of the year.

* Kótéśwara signifies a ‘Crore of Gods.’ Here is a peculiar stone, of the size of a shilling, resembling a worn-down Linga: it is found in vast numbers. At Náráyana Sirowar, the pilgrims receive an impression on the arms with a hot stamp, but different to that used at Dwárca.

† Chilney Island is properly called Mohári. Chilney is a corruption of Chiná, the name of a goddess worshipped by mariners on this island: offerings of clothes, and coronets of flowers, are thrown from vessels, in passing.

* From A'lór to Lóheri, or Lóherkót, was formerly a nallá, according to the expression of the country. This was, perhaps, an artificial cut, either to bring water into the Púrán after its failure; or rather, I should suspect, to furnish water from the Púrán to Lóheri, which was a very ancient city. I am inclined to this latter opinion; for when the people of A'lór awoke Dillú Rájá with intelligence of the river under the town being dry, he “desired them to look in the nallá; but they replied, that it was needless going to search the nallá, when the river itself was dry.”

A bridge was built over the nallá, by Gholám Sháh Kálhóra, who gave it the name of the Deriá attok, in imitation of the celebrated town and pass of that name. The nallá still continues to be flooded periodically.

* He says, page 57, “Mansúra is a city encircled at a distance by a branch of the Mehrán (Indus). The city itself stands on the western side of the main channel; for the Mehrán, in its descent, separates into two streams at Cabre, a day's journey from Mansúra: the main stream passes to Mansúra; the inferior turns to the north, towards Sarasan, and then winds back again to the west, till it joins the main channel once more, about twelve miles below the city.”—Vide Note, 164, Book 2, p. 126, Dr. Vincent's Voyage of Nearchus.