Bambhra-ka-Thúl has been found by Mr. Bellasis in the very position that was long ago pointed out by M'Murdo as the site of Brâhmanâbâd. Its identification as the site of the famous cities of Mansura and Brâhmanâbâd leaves Haidarâbâd, or the ancient Nirankot, available as the true representative of the Nirunkot of Biladuri and the Chach-nâma. Its distance of 47 miles from Bambhra-ka-tul, and of 85 miles from Lâri-bandar, agree almost exactly with the 15 and 25 parasangs of Abulfeda. It is also situated on a hill, so that it corresponds in position, as well as in name, with Nirunkot. The hill, called Ganja, is 11⁄2 mile long, and 700 yards broad, with a height of 80 feet.* The present fort was built by Mir Ghulâm Shâh in A.H. 1182, or A.D. 1768.† About one-third of the hill, at the southern end, is occupied by the fort, the middle portion by the main street and straggling houses of the city, and the northern end by tombs. In A.D. 641, when the Chinese pilgrim Hwen Thsang visited Sindh, he travelled from Koteswara, the capital of Kachh, a distance of 700 li, or 117 miles, due north to Pi-to-shi-lo, from whence he proceeded 300 li, or 50 miles, to the north-east, to O.fan. cha, which I have already identified with Brâhmanâbâd. M. Julien renders the Chinese syllables by Pitasila, but I should prefer Pátasila, or the "flat rock," which is an accurate description of the long flat-topped hill on which Haidarâbâd is situated. This name recalls that of Patalpur, which, according * Wood, 'Journey to the Source of the Oxus,' p. 30. + M'Murdo, Journ. Royal Asiat. Soc., i. 234. to Burton,* was an old appellation of Haidarâbâd, or Nirankot; and as this city is exactly 120 miles to the north of Kotesar, in Kachh, and 47 miles to the southwest of Brahmanâbâd, I have no hesitation in identifying it with the Pitasila of the Chinese pilgrim. The size of the hill also, which is 1 mile in length, by 700 yards in breadth, or upwards of 3 miles in circumference, corresponds very closely with the dimensions of Pitasila, which, according to Hwen Thsang, was 20 li, or 33 miles, in circuit. The names of Pátalpur and Páțaṣila further suggest the probability that Haidarâbâd may be the Pattala of Alexander's historians, which they are unanimous in placing near the head of the Delta. Now, the present head of the Delta is at the old town of Mattâri, 12 miles above Haidarâbâd, where the Phuleli separates from the main channel of the Indus. But in ancient times, when the main stream, which is now called Purána, or the "Old River," flowed past Alor and Brahmanâbâd to Nirunkot, the first point of separation of its waters was either at Haidarâbâd itself, past which a branch is said to have flowed by Miâni to Trikal, or 15 miles to the south-east of it where the Phuleli now throws off the Guni branch to the south, and then proceeds westerly to join the present stream of the Indus at Trikal. The true head of the old Delta was therefore either at Haidarâbâd itself, or 15 miles to the south-east of it, where the Guni, or eastern branch of the Indus, separated from the Phuleli, or western branch. Now, the position of Patala can be determined by several independent data: 1st. According to Ptolemy, the head of the Delta was exactly midway between Oskana and the eastern mouth of the Indus, called Lonibare ostium. This fixes Patala at Haidarâbâd, which is equidistant from the capital of Orykanus, that is, from Mahorta near Larkâna, and the Kori, or eastern mouth of the Indus, which is also the mouth of the Loni river, or Lonibare ostium. 2nd. The base of the Delta was reckoned by Aristobulus at 1000 stadia, or 115 miles; by Nearchus at 1800 stadia, and by Onesikritus at 2000 stadia.* But as the actual coast line, from the Ghâra mouth on the west, to the Kori mouth on the east, is not more than 125 miles, we may adopt the estimate of Aristobulus in preference to the larger numbers of the other authorities. And as Onesikritus states that all three sides of the Delta were of the same length, the distance of Patala from the sea may be taken at from 1000 stadia, or 115 miles, up to 125 miles. Now, the distance of Haidarâbâd from the Ghára, or western mouth of the Indus, is 110 miles, and from the Kori, or eastern mouth, 135 miles, both of which agree sufficiently near to the base measurement to warrant the descriptions of Onesikritus that the Delta formed an equilateral triangle. Consequently, the city of Patala, which was either at or near the head of the Delta, may be almost certainly identified with the present Haidarâbâd. 3rd. From a comparison of the narratives of Arrian and Curtius, it appears that the Raja of Patala, having made his submission to Alexander at Brahmana, or the city of Brahmans, the conqueror sailed leisurely * Strabo, Geogr., xv. i. 33. to Burton,* was an old appellation of Haidarâbâd, or Nirankot; and as this city is exactly 120 miles to the north of Kotesar, in Kachh, and 47 miles to the southwest of Brahmanâbâd, I have no hesitation in identifying it with the Pitasila of the Chinese pilgrim. The size of the hill also, which is 1 mile in length, by 700 yards in breadth, or upwards of 3 miles in circumference, corresponds very closely with the dimensions of Pitasila, which, according to Hwen Thsang, was 20 li, or 3 miles, in circuit. The names of Pátalpur and Páṭasila further suggest the probability that Haidarâbâd may be the Pattala of Alexander's historians, which they are unanimous in placing near the head of the Delta. Now, the present head of the Delta is at the old town of Mattâri, 12 miles above Haidarâbâd, where the Phuleli separates from the main channel of the Indus. But in ancient times, when the main stream, which is now called Purána, or the "Old River," flowed past Alor and Brâhmanâbâd to Nirunkot, the first point of separation of its waters was either at Haidarâbâd itself, past which a branch is said to have flowed by Miâni to Trikal, or 15 miles to the south-east of it where the Phuleli now throws off the Guni branch to the south, and then proceeds westerly to join the present stream of the Indus at Trikal. The true head of the old Delta was therefore either at Haidarâbâd itself, or 15 miles to the south-east of it, where the Guni, or eastern branch of the Indus, separated from the Phuleli, or western branch. Now, the position of Patala can be determined by several independent data : Sindh,' chap. i. note 7. 1st. According to Ptolemy, the head of the Delta was exactly midway between Oskana and the eastern mouth of the Indus, called Lonibare ostium. This fixes Patala at Haidarâbâd, which is equidistant from the capital of Oxykanus, that is, from Mahorta near Larkâna, and the Kori, or eastern mouth of the Indus, which is also the mouth of the Loni river, or Lonibare ostium. 2nd. The base of the Delta was reckoned by Aristobulus at 1000 stadia, or 115 miles; by Nearchus at 1800 stadia, and by Onesikritus at 2000 stadia.* But as the actual coast line, from the Ghâra mouth on the west, to the Kori mouth on the east, is not more than 125 miles, we may adopt the estimate of Aristobulus in preference to the larger numbers of the other authorities. And as Onesikritus states that all three sides of the Delta were of the same length, the distance of Patala from the sea may be taken at from 1000 stadia, or 115 miles, up to 125 miles. Now, the distance of Haidarâbâd from the Ghára, or western mouth of the Indus, is 110 miles, and from the Kori, or eastern mouth, 135 miles, both of which agree sufficiently near to the base measurement to warrant the descriptions of Onesikritus that the Delta formed an equilateral triangle. Consequently, the city of Patala, which was either at or near the head of the Delta, may be almost certainly identified with the present Haidarâbâd. 3rd. From a comparison of the narratives of Arrian and Curtius, it appears that the Raja of Patala, having made his submission to Alexander at Brahmana, or the city of Brahmans, the conqueror sailed leisurely * Strabo, Geogr., xv. i. 33. |