Malakuta
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
Malakuta (मालकूट) was a region in far south where Tamraparni River and Kritamala rivers were flowing.
Origin
Variants
History
Alexander Cunningham[1] mentions about 7. Malakuta or Madura: From Kanchipura, Hwen Thsang proceeded to the south for 3000 li, or 500 miles, to Mo-lo-kiu-cha[2] which M. Julien renders by Malakuta. In the southern part of the territory, towards the sea-coast, stood the mountain named Mo-la-ye, or Malaya, which produced sandal-wood. The country thus described is therefore the southern end of the peninsula, part of which is still called Malayalam and Malayawara, or Malabar ; I would accordingly read the Chinese syllables as an abbreviated form of Malayakuta. The circuit of the kingdom was 5000 li, or 833 miles, being bounded by the sea to the south, and by the province of Dravida to the north. As this estimate agrees almost exactly with the measurement of the end of the peninsula, to the south of the Kaveri river, the province of Malayakuta must have included the modern districts of Tanjor and Madura, on the east, with Coimbator, Cochin, and Travancore, on the west.
The position of the capital is difficult to fix, as a distance of 500 miles, to the south of Conjeveram, would take us out to sea beyond Cape Kumari, (Comorin). If we might read 1300 li, or 217 miles, instead of 3000 li, both bearing and distance would agree exactly with the position of the ancient city of
- ↑ The Ancient Geography of India/Southern India,p. 449-552]]
- ↑ Julien's ' Hiouen Thsang,' iii. 121. See Map No. I.
[p.550]: Madura, which was the capital of the southern end of the peninsula in the time of Ptolemy. It is possible that Kaulam (Quilon) may have been the capital at the time of Hwen Thsang's visit; but neither the distance nor the bearing agrees with the pilgrim's statement, as the place is not more than 400 miles to the south-west of Conjeveram. To the north-east of the capital there was a town named Charitrapura, or "Departure-town," which was the port of embarkation for Ceylon. If Madura was the capital, the "port-city" was probably Negapatam ; but, if Kaulam was the capital, the "port-city" must have been Ramnad (Ramanathapura). From this port, Ceylon was distant 3000 li, or 500 miles, to the south-east.
According to the writer of the ' Life of Hwen Thsang,[1]Malayakuta was not visited by the pilgrim, but described by hearsay, and the distance of 3000 li is said to be from the frontiers of Dravida. But this would only increase the difficulty by placing the capital of Malayakuta still further to the south. In a note to this passage,[2] M. Julieu quotes the Si-yu-ki as fixing the distance at 300 li, instead of 3000 li, as given in his translation of the Memoirs of Hwen Thsang. If this number is not a misprint, these different readings may show that there is some uncertainty as to the distance, as well as to the point of departure. I am inclined, therefore, to think that the original distances given in the memoirs and life of the pilgrim may perhaps have been 300 li, or 50 miles, from the frontiers of Dravida in the latter, and 1300 li,
- ↑ Julieu, i. 193 : " II entendit dire qu'a trois mille li des frontieres de ce pays [Dravida] il y avait un royaume appele Mo.lo.kiu.cha."
- ↑ ' Hiouen Thsang,' i. 193 ; and iii. 121.
[p.551]: or 217 miles, from the capital of Dravida in the former. In either case, the capital of Malayakuta would be fixed at Madura, which has always been one of the principal cities of Southern India.
According to Abu Rihan, and his copyist, Eashid-ud-din, Malya and Kutal (or Kunak) were two distinct provinces, the latter being to the south of the former, and the last, or most southerly district of India. It seems probable therefore, that Malyakuta is a compound name, formed by joining the names of two contiguous districts. Thus, Malya would answer to the district of Pandya, with its capital of Madura, and Kuta, or Kutal, to Travancore, with its capital of Kochin, the Kottiara of Ptolemy.
Hwen Thsang's omission of any mention of Chola may be explained by the fact that at the time of his visit the Chola-desa formed part of the great kingdom of the Cheras. Chola is, however, duly noticed by Ptolemy, whose Orthura regia Sornati must be Uriur the capital of Soranatha, or the king of the Sorinyae, that is the Soras, Choras or Cholas. Uriur is a few miles to the south-south-east of Trichinopoli. The Soringae are most probably the Syrieni of Pliny with their three hundred cities, as they occupied the coast between the Pandae and the Derangae or Dravidians.
According to M. Julien[1] Malyakuta was also called Chi-mo-lo, which I read as Jhi-mu-ra, because the initial syllable is the same as the second syllable of Chi-chi-to, or Jajhoti. Jhimura is perhaps only a variant form of the Limurike of Strabo, Ptolemy, and Arrian, and of the Damirice of the Peutingerian Tables. It would also appear to be the same name as Pliny's
- ↑ 'Hiouen Tlisang," iii. 121.
[p.552]: Charmae, a people who occupied the western coast immediately above the Pandae.
Tn the Chino-Japanese map of India the alternative name of Malyakuta is Hai-an-men, which suggests a connection with Ptolemy's Aioi.
मालकूट
विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर[1] ने लेख किया है ....मालकूट (AS, p.738) सुदूर दक्षिण का प्रदेश जिसमें ताम्रपर्णी और कृतमाला नदियां प्रवाहित होती हैं. चीनी यात्री युवानच्वांग ने इस देश का अपनी यात्रावृत में वर्णन किया है. 640 ई. में दक्षिण भारत की यात्रा के समय यह कांची आया था और यहीं मालकूट के विषय में उसने सूचना प्राप्त की थी. वह यहां स्वयं न जा सका था. ऐसा जान पड़ता है कि मालकूट में उस समय पांड्यों का राज था जो कांची के शक्तिशाली पल्लवों के अधीन रहे होंगे. मदुरा यहां की राजधानी थी यद्यपि युवानच्वांग ने उसका उल्लेख नहीं किया है. उसके लेख के अनुसार मालकूट में बौद्ध धर्म लुप्त हो गया था. यहां उस समय हिंदू देवालय और दिगंबर जैन मंदिर सहस्रों की संख्या में थे. यहां के व्यापारी दूर-दूर देशों से व्यापार करने में व्यस्त रहते थे.