The Ancient Geography of India/Vaisali
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23. Vaisali.
[p.443]: From the stupa of the measuring-vessel, Hwen Thsang proceeded to the north-east for 140 or 150 li, or 23 to 25 miles, to Vaisali. He mentions having crossed the Ganges on the road ; but as he was already to the north of that river, his notice must certainly refer to the Gandak, which flows within 12 miles of Degwara. We must therefore look for Vaisali to the east of the Gandak. Here, accordingly, we find the village of Besarh, with an old ruined fort which is still called Raja-Bisal-ka-garh, or the fort of Raja Visala, who was the reputed founder of the ancient Vaisali. Hwen Thsang states that the Royal Palace was between 4 and 5 li, or from 3500 to 4400 feet in circuit, which agrees with the size of the old fort, according to my measurement of 1580 feet by 750 feet, or 4600 feet in circuit, along the lines of the ruined walls. The place is mentioned by Abul Fazl, as Besar[1] and it is still a considerable village, surrounded with brick ruins. It is exactly 23 miles from Degwara, but the direction is north-north-east, instead of north-east. This position also agrees with Hwen Thsang's subsequent distance and bearing to the bank of the Ganges opposite Pataliputra, or Patna, which was due south 120 li,[2] or 20 miles, the actual position of Hajipur on the north bank of the Ganges being 20 miles almost due south. The ruined fort of Besarh thus presents such a perfect coincidence of name, position, and dimensions with the ancient city of Vaisali, that there can be no reasonable doubt of their identity.
- ↑ 'Ayin Akbari,' ii. 198. See Map No. XI. for its position.
- ↑ Julien's ' Hiouen Thsang,' ii. 399. 90 li to Swetapura, plus 30 li to the Ganges, or together 120 li from Vaiaali. In the pilgrim's life, the distance to Swetapura is said to be 100 li; vol. i. p. 137.
[p.444]: According to Hwen Thsang's estimate, the kingdom of Vaisali was 6000 li, or 833 miles, in circuit,[1] which is certainly too great, unless it included the neighbouring kingdom of Vriji, which he described as 4000 li, or 667 miles, in circuit. Now the capital of Vriji is said to be only 500 li, or 83 miles, to the north- east of Vaisali ; and as both of the districts are placed between the mountains and the Ganges, it is quite certain that there must be some mistake in the estimated dimensions of one of these. The utmost limit that can be assigned to the joint districts, with reference to the surrounding States, is not more than 750 or 800 miles in circuit, from the foot of the mountains to the Ganges on the south, and from the Gandak on the west to the Mahanadi on the east. I conclude, therefore, either that there is some mistake or exaggeration in the estimated size of one or both of the districts, or that the two districts are the same kingdom under different names. That the latter was actually the case, I will now endeavour to show.
In one of the Buddhist legends, quoted by Burnouf,[2] Buddha proceeds with Ananda to the Chapala stupa, and seating himself under a tree, thus addresses his disciple : " How beautiful, O Ananda, is the city of Vaisali, the land of the Vrijis," etc. In the time of Buddha, and for many centuries afterwards, the people of Vaisali were called Lichhavlv ; and in the Trikanda- sesha^ the names of Lichhavi, Vaideha, and Tirabhukti, are given as synonymous. Vaideha is well known to the readers of the Ramayana as a common name of Mithila, the country of Raja Janaka, whose daughter
- ↑ Julien's ' Hiouen Thsang,' ii. 384.
- ↑ Introduction a L'Hist. du Buddh. Ind. p. 74.
[p.445]: Sita is also named Vaidehi. Tirabhukti is the present Tirahuti, or Tirhut. Now, the modern town of Janakpur, in the Mithari district, is acknowledged by the universal consent of the natives of the country, to be the same place as the ancient Janakpur, the capital of Mithila. It also corresponds exactly with the position assigned by Hwen Thsang to Chen-shu-na, the capital of Vriji. M. Vivien de Saint-Martin reads the Chinese name as Che-thu-na, but M. Stanislas Julien renders it by Chha-su-na, and points out that the second character is found in Sukra, and I may add also in Sudra. The correct rendering of the name is doubtful ; but if the bearing and distance recorded by the Chinese pilgrims are correct, it is almost certain that the capital of Vriji in the seventh century must have been at Janakpur.
Hwen Thsang gives the name of the country in its Sanskrit form, as Fo-li-shi, or Vriji ; but it is also stated that the people of the north called the country San-fa-shi, or Samvaji, [1] which is the Pali form of Samvriji, or the "United Vrijis." From this name, I infer that the Vrijis were a large tribe which was divided into several branches, namely, the Lichhavis of Vaisali, the Vaidehis of Mithila, the Tirabhukis of Tirhut, etc. Either of these divisions separately might therefore be called Vrijis, or any two together might be called Vrijis, as well as Samvrijis, or the "United Vrijis." "We have a parallel case in the warlike tribe of the Bagris, or Sambagris of the Satlej, which consisted of three separate divisions. I conclude therefore that Vaisali was a single district in the territories of the United Vrijis, or Wajjis, and there-
- ↑ 'Hiouen Thsang,' ii. 402 ; note by M. Stanislas Julien.
[p.446]: fore that the estimated size of Vaisali proper, as recorded by Hwen Thsang, is a simple mistake. Perhaps we should read 1500 li, or 250 miles, instead of 5000 li, or 833 miles. In this case the district of Vaisali would be limited to the south-west corner of the country of the Vrijis, to the westward of the little Gandak river.
To the north-west of Vaisali, at somewhat less than 200 li, or 33 miles, Hwen Thsang places the ruins of an ancient town, which had been deserted for many ages. There Buddha was said to have reigned in a previous existence, as a Chakravartti Raja, or supreme ruler, named Mahadeva, and a stupa still existed to commemorate the fact. The name of the place is not given, but the bearing and distance point to Kesariya, an old ruined town, just 30 miles to the north-north- west of Vaisali. The place possesses a mound of ruins with a lofty stupa on the top, which the people attribute to Raja Vena Chakravartti. In the Puranas also, Raja Vena is called a Chakravartti, or supreme monarch ; and I have found his name as widely spread through northern India as that of Rama, or the five Pandus. This monument stands at the point of crossing of the two great thoroughfares of the district, namely, that from Patna northward to Bettiah, and that from Chapra across the Gandak to Nepal. It is a curious illustration of this fact that Buddha him-self, according to the Ceylonese chronicles, informed Ananda,[1] that "for a Chakravartti Raja they build the thupo at a spot where four principal roads meet." I have little doubt therefore that this is the identical place indicated by the Chinese pilgrim.
- ↑ Tumour, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vii. 1006.