Innermost Asia : vol.2 / Page 384 (Color Image)

0384	Innermost Asia : vol.2

Russian road used a track, practicable for animals, leading up the side valley of Garm-chashma
which joins in here, and then crossed the range to the SE. into Shākh-dara of Shughnān. At
the little village of Darmārak, within view of the outflow from the Shīwa Lake, there were orchards
of fruit-trees to signal approach to a more favourable climate, and after one of the worst bits of the
route had been passed under the overhanging cliffs of Khitshīf, the rich cultivation terraces of Kala
Bar-Panja, the chief place on the Afghān side of Shughnān, came into view in the widening valley.
Finally, turning into the open valley through which the considerable river uniting the streams of
Ghund and Shākh-dara carries its water to the Oxus, and crossing to its right bank, we reached
Khāruk (about 6,650 feet above sea-level), the administrative head-quarters of the Russian 'Pamir
Division '.

Help of
Colonel
Jagello. The two days' halt here, on September 13–14th, was made pleasant and profitable by the
very kind and helpful reception accorded to me by Colonel Jagello, commanding the Division.
The friendly interest shown by this highly accomplished officer, at one time on the Intelligence
Staff of the Turkestān Army, in the antiquarian and other objects of my journey made it possible
for me to extend my visit to Shughnān farther than I had originally expected. He also greatly
facilitated my passage through the hill territories, then under the rule of the Amīr of Bukhāra, by
the instructions he issued. Of all this prompt and most effective help I wish to record here my
very grateful remembrance.

Chinese
notices of
Shughnān. My stay at Khāruk, where civilizing Russian influence manifested itself not merely in extended
cultivation and flourishing orchards but also in electric lighting and a well-frequented Russian school,
enabled me to collect not only anthropometrical records, but useful information about the past of
Shughnān and the ways of its present population. It will be convenient to note this in connexion
with the earliest historical data that Chinese records have preserved for us concerning this interesting
mountain territory. It has long ago been recognized that the territory which the T'ang shu and the
narratives of several Chinese Buddhist pilgrims mention under the slightly varying names of
Shih-ch'ih-ni, Shih-ni, Sê-ni, &c., is Shughnān.¹ This identification is clearly proved by the posi-
tion as assigned to the territory by the several records, quite apart from the similarity of the above
names to Shighnān, a still current variant to the locally prevalent form Shughnān.

T'ang
Annals'
record of
Shih-ni. In the T'ang Annals we are told:² '[The country of] Shih-ni 識匿 is called also Shih-ch'ih-ni
尸棄尼 or Sê-ni 瑟匿; to the south-east, it is 9,000 li in a straight line to the capital; to the
east, at 500 li, it is limited by the territory of the military post of Ts'ung-ling (Sarīkol); at 300 li
to the south, it touches Hu-mi (Wakhān); at 500 li to the north-west one reaches Chü-mi (Kara-
tegīn). At first, the town of K'u-han 苦汗 was the capital; afterwards the people lived dispersed
in the mountain gorges; there are five chief gorges the chiefs of which carry on autonomous rule;
one calls them "the five Shih-ni". The territory comprises 2,000 li; it does not produce the five
kinds of cereals; the inhabitants like fighting each other; they stop and plunder the traders. In
the four gorges of the Po-mi (Pāmīr) valley the natives do not conform to the imperial orders.
They are accustomed to live in caves.' Farther on an embassy from this territory to the Imperial
court in A. D. 646 is recorded, and also the grant of an Imperial office to its king in 724. Mention
is made also of the aid given by a king of Shih-ni, who in A. D. 747 accompanied Kao Hsien-chih's
expedition against Little P'o-lü (Yāsīn) and died in the fighting.²

Character
ascribed to
Shughnān
people. It requires no detailed demonstration to show that the bearings given of the neighbouring
territories are quite correct, and approximately also the distances recorded. Where the old capital
K'u-han is to be located it is impossible to say in the absence of any definite indication as to its

National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

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National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

Citation Information

OCR Text

National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books