488 Verification of the Itinerary of Hwdn Thsdng. [June* 



which as we learn from Abu Rihan commenced in A. P. 319. The 

 date on the pillar is therefore equivalent to A. D. 484. Supposing that 

 Budha-gupta reigned until A. D. 500, and that the three following 

 princes occupied the throne during the 6 th century we have the date 

 of A. D. 600 as the earliest limit of the period of Hwan Thsang' s visit. 



4th. The king of Pho-li-ye-tha-lo was of the race of Fei-she or 

 Vaisya. Pho-li-ye-tha-lo is a literal transcript of the Sanskrit 

 Vrihadhara, the " much- containing," a synonyme of Indra, and the 

 recorded bearing and distance of 83 miles to the westward of Mo-thu- 

 lo or Mathura point to Indra-prastha or Delhi, as the place visited 

 by Hwan Thsang. Now we know from Abul FazPs lists that prior to 

 the conquest of Shahab-ad-din in A. D. 1188, the throne had been 

 occupied for 83 years by 7 Chohan kings, who reigned 83 years and 

 before them by 20 Tuar kings who reigned 437 years. From these 

 data, we have A. D. 1188—83—437—668 A. D. the latest date at 

 which a Vaisya prince could have reigned at Delhi. 



I have now shown from four independent historical statements made 

 by Hwan Thsang that the period of his visit from A. D. 600 to 66& 

 corresponds precisely with the date assigned by the Chinese authori- 

 ties, namely the first half of the 7th century. This date is moreover 

 fully corroborated by other internal evidence of which the principal 

 points are ; 1st, the total silence of the pilgrim regarding the Arabs and 

 their conquests ; 2nd, the mention that the king of Foe-li-shi-sa-tang- 

 na or Parashasthan, (the present Panjhir or Panjshir) was of the race 

 of Thu'kiue'i or Turk ; therefore prior to A. D. 900, the period of the 

 usurpation of the Brahman Kallar, whose descendants reigned over 

 the Kabul valley until Mahmud Ghaznavi's conquests. This is distinct- 

 ly proved by Abu Rihan. 3rd, That all the districts along the Oxus 

 were in the possession of the Tu-ho-lo or Tochari : therefore prior to 

 the Arab conquests in the beginning of the 8th century. 



In conclusion I would ask Major Anderson to state in what Maho- 

 medan author Hwan Thsang could have found the Sanskrit names of 

 kings and countries already noticed. I will answer the question my- 

 self. " In none :" for, to quote the words of Ibn Haukal regarding 

 Hind, (India) as the greater portion of the country belonged to Kafirs 

 and Idolaters, " a minute description of it would be unnecessary and 

 unprofitable." 



