34 
ANCIENT GEOGRAPHY OF KAS'MlR. 
[Extra No. 2, 
Kalhana from Padmamihira in which certain local names are by fanciful 
etymologies connected with seven of the ‘lost kings,’ 1 * * it may be safely 
assumed that these attributions are based either on historical fact or at 
least on genuine local tradition. Kalhana specially informs us in his 
introduction 8 that among the documents he had consulted for his work, 
there were ‘ the inscriptions recording the consecration of temples and 
grants [of land] by former kings.’ Such records no doubt supplied a 
great portion of the numerous notices above referred to. Often such 
notices may have been taken from less authentic sources. But we may 
always claim for them the merit of acquainting us with the names of 
the respective localities and buildings, as used in the official language 
of Kalhana’s time, aud with the traditions then current regarding their 
origin and date. 
The system of nomenclature which was regularly followed in Kasmir 
in naming new foundations, must have helped to preserve a genuine 
tradition regarding the founder. In the vast majority of cases the names 
of new towns and villages are formed by the addition of -pura to the 
name of the founder, either in its full or abbreviated form. 5 * * Similarly 
the names of temples, monasteries, Mathas and other religious structures 
show the name of their builder followed by terms indicating the deity 
or the religious objects to which the building was dedicated. 4 Many of 
l See regarding this nnhistorical list note i. 86. The local names, like Khona - 
mu$a, Oodhard, S'amdngdsd, etc., are all genuine enough. What Padmamihira did was 
to evolve fictitious names of kings out of these by means of popular etymology. 
» i. 15. 
5 Thus we have, e.g., the well-known localities of Huskapura, Kaniskapura, 
Juskapura (which retain the memory of their Indo-Scythian founders) ; Fravara- 
purob (for Pravarasenapura), the old official designation of the pi*esent capital; 
Padmapura , Avantipura, Jayapura (for Jaya.pich.pnra) and a host of others. The 
custom of naming new localities in this fashion, or of renaming earlier ones in 
honour of the actual ruler, can be traced through successive periods of Muhammadan 
and Sikh rule down to the present day ; comp, eg., Zaiv^por (named after Zainu-1- 
‘abidin); Shahabuddlnpur (now Shadipur); Miihammadpur; Ranbirsinghpur (in¬ 
tended to replace Shahabad), etc. 
4 Thus in the case of S'iva-temples -Isa or -isvara is invariably added (comp., e.g., 
Pravaresvara, Amptesvara, etc.), as in that of Visnu-shrines with equal regularity 
-svainin (-kesava) ; comp, e.g., Muktasvdmin (built by Muktapida), Avantisvdmin , 
Bhhnakesava (erected by Bhimapala S'ahi), etc. 
Buddhist monasteries receive the name of their founder with the addition of 
-vihdra or -bhavana ; comp. Jayendravihdra, Cankunavihara, Amrtabhavana (fonnded 
A 
by Queen Amrtaprabha, the present Ant a bavan), Skandabhavana (for Skandagup- 
tabhavana), and many more, as shown in my Notes on Ou-k'ong, p. 4. 
For Mathas compare e. g. Diddamntha (Did a mar); Subhatdmatha, Nanddmatha , 
Lothikdmatha, Cakraviatha, etc. 
