IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| Southern Tibet : vol.7 |
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Citation Information
THE MOUNTAINS NORTH OF INDIA.
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intestines of these mountains, and from them, as from a heart, arms are stretched out in different directions in the surrounding regions, India, Sogdiana, Bactriana and Tartary. Then follows the wonderful passage about the mountain ranges, which, however, is not quite in accordance with reality, as Monserrate here no doubt has too much confidence in Ptolemy. In how far this is the case, we easily find by comparing the N. W. corner of his map with the map of Ptolemy, Pl. III, Vol. I. He enumerates the ranges: Caucasius Imaus, also called Caspus, Paharopanisus and Paharuëtus, in the middle of which is Caucasius, which may be said to be in accordance with his map. In front of Caucasius is Kabul. Paharuëtus, with its gates, is situated opposite to and south of Caucasius. The back or northern side of the latter is covered by the Paharopanisus, which also agrees with the map. Imaus is said to cover the right side 'of the Paharuëtus from the east, and on the left a certain ramification or bend of the Paharuëtus continues with a stretching nearly parallel to the Paharopanisus towards the north, separated from the latter by some extensive trough-shaped valleys.
In his time, the end of the 16th century, all the mountains in the region of Kabul, which were called Paharopanisus by the ancients, had their name from Kabul, and where thus called the Kabul Ranges. He advises everybody to make sure of two things to prevent being misled by the names of the mountains. The one thing is that the same range of mountains may form different windings, and for every such winding special names should be given. He explains his meaning by an example: The Caspius is called Imaus by the geographers, and the appellation, Caucasius, is used where the Paharopanisus system has already begun — and vice versa. The second point is that, as Monserrate had found, in his days the regions in question had for a long time possessed other names than in the days of the Ancients, and he had done his best to get reliable information and to use his own eyes.
Still, his geography is only given en passani as being necessary to illustrate his historical narrative. The bulk of his geography is intended for his Bk. II, as he says: »Est enim India, omnium Asiae prouinciarum, maxima, longe, lateque amplissima, cuius descriptionem sequenti libro, si Deus dederit, explicabimus.» I No loss could be greater for every student of the history of Asiatic exploration, than that of the second Book of Monserrate.
In giving the boundaries of Akbar's Empire, he says of the one to the north, the only one that interests us here: »Quod quidem latissime patet. Nam ad Aquilonem uersus Circium, monte Imao, qui etiam nunc, ab incolis Cumaumus dicitur, continetur. Indi amne, et Paharopaniso.»2
I F. 92 a. 2. 2 F. 115 a. 5. 4. VII.
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