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On Ancient Central-Asian Tracks : vol.1 |
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OCR Text
are almost all Indian, and some of them point to a con-
nexion with the Indo-Scythian dominion. But by the side
of official designations familiar from ancient Indian usage
there appear titles which are distinctly non-Indian and still
await explanation.
We often meet with the name of Khotan, in a form almost
identical with that now in use, but also in the form *Kustana*
'breast of the earth'. This, probably a product of 'learned
popular etymology', is recorded also by Hsüan-tsang. But,
as might be expected in correspondence, we find other
localities also, like the Niya oasis and Charchan, men-
tioned by their ancient names. Among the local names oc-
curring in these documents I was later on able to identify
*Chadota* as that of the ancient site itself. It figures under the
Chinese transcription of *Ching-chüeh* as the designation of a
small territory mentioned in the Han Annals to the east of
Khotan and approximately in the right position.
Among the many curious facts revealed already by Pro-
fessor Rapson's first decipherment I may mention in passing
that there existed a recognized official terminology for the
various classes of wooden stationery. Thus, *e.g.*, the wedge-
shaped tablets are always designated in their context as *kila-
mudra*, literally 'sealed wedges'. But far more important is
it that the painstaking research of the same distinguished
scholar has recently succeeded in determining the chrono-
logical order of the successive rulers whose years of reign
are indicated in the dated documents, and in proving that
their seat was not Khotan, but the territory of Shan-shan
corresponding to the present Lop tract.
It seemed strange that these ruins far away in the north,
overrun by what Hindu legends vaguely knew as the great
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550
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561
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571
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578
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