Buddhist records of the Western world (Xuanzang)
by Samuel Beal | 1884 | 224,928 words | ISBN-10: 8120811070
This is the English translation of the travel records of Xuanzang (or, Hiuen Tsiang): a Chinese Buddhist monk who traveled to India during the seventh century. This book recounts his documents his visit to India and neighboring countries, and reflects the condition of those countries during his time, including temples, culture, traditions and fest...
Chapter 2 - Country of Po-lu-lo (Bolor)
Note: According to Cunningham, Bolor is the modern Balti, Baltistān, or Little Tibet.[1]
The country of Po-lu-lo is about 4000 li in circuit; it stands in the midst of the great Snowy Mountains. It is long from east to west, and narrow from north to south. It produces wheat and pulse, gold and silver. Thanks to the quantity of gold, the country is rich in supplies. The climate is continually cold. The people are rough and rude in character; there is little humanity or justice with them; and as for politeness, such a thing has not been heard of. They are coarse and despicable in appearance, and wear clothes made of wool. Their letters are nearly like those of India, their language somewhat different. There are about a hundred saṅghārāmas in the country, with something like a thousand priests, who show no great zeal for learning, and are careless in their moral conduct. Leaving this country and returning to U-to-kia-han-ch'a (Uḍakhāṇḍa),[2] we cross at the south the river Sin-tu. The river is about 3 or 4 li in width, and flows south-west. Its waters are pure and clear as a mirror as they roll along with impetuous flow. Poisonous Nāgas and hurtful beasts occupy the caverns and clefts along its sides. If a man tries to cross the river carrying with him valuable goods or gems or rare kinds of flowers or fruits, or especially relics of Buddha, the boat is frequently engulphed by the waves.[3] After crossing the river we arrive at the kingdom of Ta-ch'a-shi-lo (Takṣaśilā).
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
According to Cunningham, Bolor is the modern Balti, Baltistān, or Little Tibet (Anc. Geog. of India, p. 84). Marco Polo also mentions a country called Bolor, but he places it E.N.E. from the Pamir plateau (Yule's Marco Polo, vol. i. p. 187). Bolor may have included both Balti and the mountains adjoining the southern margin of Pamir. Indeed the Chinese included Chitral to the northern boundary of Swāt under this term (Yule). Sung Yun refers to this country (Buddhist Pilgrims, p. 187). For other references see Yule (op. cit., p. 188). Although Hwui-lih says nothing about this visit to Bolor, yet the use of the symbol hing shows that Hiuen Tsiang personally visited the country. Marco Polo says of the people, "they are indeed an evil race." He also calls them "savage idolaters" (op. cit., chap. xxxii.) Ptolemy (Geog., lib. vi. c. 13, 3) places the Bultai at the foot of the Imaus mountains, in Little Tibet or Baltistān. This district was noted for its gold in very early times (conf. Herodotos, lib. iii. cc. 102, 105; Strabo, lib. ii. c. 1, 9; lib. xv. c. 1, 37; Arrian, Anab. Alex., lib. v. c. 4; Indika, c. 5; and Ind. Ant., vol. iv. pp. 225 ff.
[2]:
There seems little doubt that this should be identified with Ohind or Wahand on the right bank of the Indus, about 16 miles above Atak Albīrūnīi calls it Wayhand, the capital of Kandahār (Gandhāra). V. St. Martin, Mém., u. s., p. 310; Lassen, Ind. Alt., vol. ii. p. 474 n.; Reinaud, Fragm. Arab. et Pers., p. 114; Mém. sur l'Inde, pp. 196, 276; Court, J. A. S. Ben., vol. v. p. 395; Cunningham, ib., vol. xvii. p. 130, and Anc. Geog., pp. 55 f.; Benfey, Indien, p. 115; Elliot, Hist. Ind., vol. i. pp. 48, 63, 445; vol. ii. pp. 28, 33, 150, 426, 438 f,; and ante, p. 114, n. 108.
[3]:
So we find on his return journey Hiuen Tsiang lost his books and flowers, and was nearly drowned in crossing the river about this spot (see Hwui-lih, K. v.; Vie, p. 263).