Ancient Khotan : vol.1 / 255 ページ（白黒高解像度画像）

0255	Ancient Khotan : vol.1
古代コータン : vol.1

concerning the position of the capital show discrepancies which greatly reduce their critical
value. The notice of the *Pei shih* on Yü-t'ien, dating about 644 A. D., puts in one place the Earlier
river Shou-pa which carries jade 30 li to the east of the capital⁵. This clearly refers to the Chinese
Yurung-kāsh and is quite correct. But a subsequent passage, which mentions the same river notices of
by the name of Shu-chih or Chi-shih, gives 20 li as the distance to it east from the capital. capital.
To the west of the latter another great river, called Ta-li, which unites further on with the
Shu-chih, is mentioned here at the distance of 15 li. One or other branch of the Kara-kāsh
must be meant, but evidently not much reliance can be placed on the distance, since the text
of the same notice, as reproduced in the Northern Wei Annals and extracted by Rémusat from
the *Pien i tien*, gives it as 50 li. So much, however, seems clear that, according to the notice
of the *Pei shih*, we must look for the site of the capital at some point situated between the
two rivers and probably a little nearer to the Kara-kāsh than to the Yurung-kāsh. The
topographical indication thus supplied strongly points to the conclusion that the position meant
was the same as the one more accurately defined by the report of the mission of 938 A. D. We
know that the *Pei shih's* notice of Yü-t'ien was directly based on the information brought back by
Hui-shêng, Sung Yün's companion on his journey to India (518–522 A. D.)⁶. Thus it appears
safe to conclude that the position which Kao Chü-hui's report indicates, and which clearly
corresponds to the Yōtkan site, was occupied by the Khotan capital four hundred years earlier.

But the notice furnished by the author of the *Pei shih*, or rather by Hui-shêng, is of Circuit of
value in another direction. It tells us that the capital had a circuit of 8 or 9 li⁷,—a piece of ancient
information about which all our other accessible records are silent and which yet possesses capital.
considerable archaeological interest. As the circuit indicated represents only 1¾ to 2 miles, it is
certain that the extent of ground covered by the old capital was relatively very limited. No
doubt the measurement given need not be taken to represent an approximately exact survey;
but that it indicates the capital to have been very restricted in area, becomes quite evident
when we compare this estimate with the circuit of 20 li which Hsüan-tsang mentions for the
chief place of even so poor a territory as Chieh-p'an-t'o or Sarikol⁸, or the dimensions (12–13
li length and 4–5 li width) which the same traveller records for the capital of Kashmīr, ancient
Śrīnagara⁹.

It would be possible to suggest a number of conjectural explanations for the fact that the Limited
official capital of a rich and important territory was confined to such narrow limits. But what- area of site.
ever the true cause may have been, it is certain that the measurement indicated by the *Pei shih*
agrees singularly well with what we have found above to be the actual dimensions of the Yōtkan
site. So far as excavated it shows a circumference of roughly two miles. Only to the north
or north-west can the existence of further débris-strata hidden below ground be assumed with
any probability; and even if the area awaiting excavation in that direction should prove quite
as large as the area already exploited to the south, the circuit of the site would thereby be
extended only to about three miles¹⁰.

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国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト 『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

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国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ