146 
ANCIENT GEOGRAPHY OF KAS'MIR. [Extra No. 2, 
and S'amkaravarman, had successively endeavoured to effect this object. 
The great ruins of Parihasapura, Jayapura and Avantipura show 
sufficiently that the failure of the first three kings was not due in any 
way to deficient means or want of purpose. 
Of Lalitaditya the Chronicle distinctly records that he proposed, 
Nero-like, to burn down the ancient capital to assure the predominance 
of his own creation, Parihasapura. And the long list of splendid edifices 
erected at the latter place during his own reign shows plainly that for 
a time at least that monarch’s pleasure had succeeded. Yet each one 
of these temporary capitals speedily sank into insignificance, while 
Pravarapura continued to be the political and cultural centre of Kasmlr 
down to the present day. 
We can safely attribute this exceptional position of Srinagar to the 
great natural advantages of its site. Occupying a place close to the 
true centre of the Valley, S'rinagar enjoys facilities of communication 
which no other site could offer. The river along which the city is built 
provides at all seasons the most convenient route for trade and traffic, 
both up and down the Valley. The two lakes which flank STinagar, 
offer the same facilities for the fertile tracts which lie immediately to 
the north. The lakes themselves furnish an abundant supply of 
products which materially facilitate the maintenance of a large city 
population. The great trade route from Central Asia debouches 
through the Sind Valley only one short march from the capital. 
Nor can we underrate the security which the position of S'rinagar 
, , _ _ assures both against floods and armed attack. 
Natural defences of . e , v , , , , ,, 
Srinagar The neck or high ground which irom the north 
stretches towards the Vitasta, and separates 
the two lakes, is safe from all possible risk of flood. It is on this ground, 
round the foot of the S'arika hill, that the greatest part of the old Pra¬ 
varapura was originally built. The ancient embankment which connects 
this high level ground with the foot of the Takht-i-Sulaiman hill 
sufficed to secure also the low-lying wards fringing the marshes of the 
Dal. A considerable area, including the present quarters of Khan a yar 
and Ran l vor (Skr. Rajanavdtika), was thus added to the available 
building ground on the right bank and protected against all ordinary 
floods. 
The frequent sieges which S'rinagar underwent during the last 
reigns related by Kalhana, give us ample opportunity to appreciate also 
the military advantages which the city’s position assured to its defenders. 
With the exception of a comparatively narrow neck of dry ground in 
the north, the S'rinagar of the right river-bank is guarded on all sides 
by water. On the south the river forms an impassable line of defence. 
