National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books
|
|
Color Thumbnail -
Table of Contents -
Page Number -
Biliographic Information (Metadata) -
Caption -
Color Image -
Gray HighRes. Image -
Facing Pages -
Graphics -
| 0081 |
Ancient Khotan : vol.1 |
Citation Information
OCR Text
that Hsüan-tsang tells us suffices to fix the limits of Wu-sha with fair accuracy⁸. We saw that
the river Hsi-to, i.e. the Zarafshān or Yarkand river, formed its southern border. From a
subsequent notice we learn that on the north it was adjoined by the kingdom of Ch'ia-sha or
Kāshgar, which the pilgrim reached from Wu-sha after a march of 500 li northward across
stony hills and desert plains. Within the limits thus indicated, the map shows us a narrow belt
of cultivable ground, extending in detached oases between the foot of the spurs which descend
from Muztāgh-Ata and the westernmost portion of the great sandy desert. In the extreme
south-east of this area we find the great Yarkand oasis, while the fertile tract of Yangi-Hisār,
next in importance and size, marks the north-western end of this belt.
The region of the present Yarkand, situated at the point where the greatest river of Yarkand
Eastern Turkestān debouches from the mountains, must at all times have enjoyed exceptional part of
advantages in the matter of irrigation. It may consequently be assumed to have been in Wu-sha.
Hsüan-tsang's days, as it is now, the most populous and fertile portion of the territory above
defined. Yet it is difficult to believe that Yarkand possessed in ancient days the political
importance which it has claimed during recent centuries, especially during periods of Muham-
madan rule. The Chinese records, which permit us to trace from the times of the Han
dynasty onwards the fortunes of Kāshgar, Karghalik, and Khotan as separate and fairly
powerful states, do not know Yarkand as the centre of a distinct territory. Mirzā Haidar,
whose history of his race, the Tārikh-i-Rashīdī, is by far our best Muhammadan authority on
Eastern Turkestān, distinctly tells us that in the days of his ancestors 'Yarkand was a com-
panion city to Yangi-Hisār'. It was his uncle Mirzā Abā Bakr who first made Yarkand his
capital, and turned it into what it has since remained, the largest and probably richest of the
'Six Cities' of Turkestān¹⁰.
In view of these facts we cannot feel certain about the identification of the chief town of
Wu-sha with Yarkand, tempting as it would otherwise appear. The distance to Ch'ia-sha,
which Hsüan-tsang puts at 500 li, or five days' march, and which, after his usual practice,
may be taken as the distance from capital to capital, would well agree with the five (rather
long) marches ordinarily reckoned nowadays between Yarkand and Kāshgar¹¹. Less so the
direction, which is actually north-west instead of being north, as recorded by the pilgrim.
It is the direction of march here indicated, as well as the relatively short distance recorded Hsüan-
between the Chichiklik plateau and the confines of Wu-sha, which make me believe that tsang's route
Hsüan-tsang followed the direct route towards Kāshgar, via Chihil-Gumbaz, Ighizyār, Yangi- to Kāshgar.
1
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
11
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
21
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
31
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
41
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
53
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
64
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
76
.
.
79
80
81
82
83
.
.
87
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
97
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
107
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
118
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
128
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
139
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
149
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
160
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
170
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
181
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
191
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
202
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
212
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
222
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
232
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
243
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
254
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
264
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
274
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
284
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
294
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
305
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
317
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
328
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
338
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
348
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
358
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
368
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
378
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
389
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
401
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
413
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
423
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
433
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
443
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
454
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
464
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
474
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
484
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
494
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
505
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
516
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
527
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
537
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
547
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
559
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
569
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
581
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
594
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
605
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
615
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
625
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
635
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
645
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
655
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
665
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
675
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
685
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
695
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
705
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
715
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
724
Copyright (C) 2003-2019
National Institute of Informatics
and
The Toyo Bunko. All Rights Reserved.
