88 
ANCIENT GEOGRAPHY OF KAS'MTR. [Extra No. 2, 
Section IV. —Northern mountain range. 
55 . The mountains which enclose the Kasmir Valley in the north¬ 
west and north, may be looked upon as one 
Range towards great range. Their chain nowhere shows any 
Karnau and Sardi. s ° , X1 . .. . * 
marked break though its direction changes 
considerably. The routes leading through these mountains have never 
been of such importance in the history of Kasmir as the routes towards 
India and the west. Hence our information regarding the old topogra¬ 
phy of this mountain range is also less detailed. 
We are least informed about that portion of the range which joins on 
to the Kajnag Peak north-west of Baramiila and then continues in the 
direction of south to north towards the upper Kisanganga. The water¬ 
shed of this portion forms the western boundary of Kasmir towards 
Karnau , the ancient Karnaha . 1 This territory which may be roughly 
described as lying between the Kisanganga and the Kajnag Range, seems 
at times to have been tributary to Kasmir. Yet w r e hear of it only in 
the concluding portion of Ivalliana’s Chronicle, and there too no details 
are given regarding the routes leading to it. These routes as the 
map shows, start from the ancient districts of S'amald (Hamal) and 
Uttara (Uttar). 
At the point where the summit of the range comes nearest to the 
Kisan^an^a, it takes a turn to the east and continues in this direction 
for more than 100 miles. The summit ridge keeps after this turn at a 
fairly uniform height of 12,000 to 13,000 feet for a long distance. 
From the northern parts of the Uttar and Lolau Parganas several 
routes cross the range in the direction of the Kisanganga. 
Kalhana has occasion to refer to these in connection with the 
expedition which took place in his own time against the Sirahsila castle. 
This stood on the Kisanganga close to the ancient Tirtha of the goddess 
S'arada still extant at the present S'ardi. 2 One of these routes leads past 
the village of Drang , situated at 74° 18' 45" long. 34° 33" 30" lat. It is 
certain that the place took its name from an ancient watch-station here 
located and is identical with the Drang A mentioned by Kalhana in con¬ 
nection with the above expedition. 3 I have not been able to visit the 
place in person but was informed in the neighbourhood that remains of 
1 Compare Rajat. viii. 2485 note. 
2 Compare regarding the S'araddtirtha and the castle of S'irahiilu , notes i. 36 
(B) and viii. 2492 (L), respectively; also below, § 127. 
8 See Rajat, viii. 2507 note. 
