It
has been observed during this survey study that most of the rock carvings are
found along the ancient routes, thus one may infer as it seems befitting to
consider, the major information about ancient routes comes from Chinese account.
Fa-hien, a famous Chinese monk who passed through the region in 400 AD,
described in detail the route to the Subcontinent and some of the main towns
lying along it. He assumed to mention, in his account, that Karashshr, Khotan
through Darel during his journey, and before crossing the most dangerous route,
the hanging chain’, he faced the precipitous deep valley of the Indus and
finally reached Swat. This great caravan route, assumed to be one of the oldest
in the world, supposed to be spanned almost half of the then known world.
It
started from Changan, the present day Xian and the capital of China during
Chin, Han, Sui, and Tang dynasties. Passing through Kansu, the principal route
bifurcated at Anxi near Dun-Huang.The northern route passed through the
well-known oases such as Hemi, Turfan, Karashahr, Kucha, Aksu, Kashghar and
thenSamarkand while the southern route traversing Miran,Keria, Khotan and
Yarkand joined to the northern route at Kashghar. From Kashghar, which was the
junction of two main routes, the route again bifurcated. The western branch
continued over the roof of the world (Pamirs) towards Samarkand, Balkh, Bukhara
and Parthia (Persia) to the shores of the Maditerranean at Antioc and then on
to Rome and Alexandria by ship. The southern route dipped to Tashkurgan to
cross the Karakoram and then on to the great Buddhist centre of the
subcontinent in Kashmir, Swat, Taxila, Peshawar, Mathura, Buddhagaya etc. From
Pamir it joined still a shorter route passing through the Gilgit and Yasin
valleys up to Tashkurgan. The road, which leads through the Chitral- Yarkhun
valley to the Pamir, is convenient and safe for humans and pack animals
throughout the year. One of these routes started in Swat, via the Ghorband
valley to the Indus river, and then going upstream, passed the
(hangingpassages) of Chinese pilgrims to Darel-known for a gigantic wooden
statue of Maitreya.Another route passed via the Yasin valley and crossed the
Darkot and Baroghil passes then joined the main caravan route from Faizabad
(Afghanistan) to Kashghar (China).
The
Chinese pilgrims, who were more interested in Buddhism, record different
geographic terminology. Fa-hian, who was the first to come in about 400A.D,
crossing Tsungling- the snowy mountain and reaching the bordering country of
To-li.He did not enter the valley proper but only touched its frontiers. He
came via eastern Turkistan, Gilgit and Ladakh. It is he who in his account has
recorded the flourishing condition of the lesser vehicle or the Hinayana form
of Buddhism in Ladakh. In the year 420 A.D. Fa-Young another Chinese monk,
started on a pilgrimage to Kashmir along with 20 monk travelers. He and his
companions came via Turfan, Kucha, and Kashghar over Pamir and Gilgit valley
into Kashmir. They stayed for a year in the valley, studying Sanskrit language
and various Buddhist texts; the group returned to China by sea after visiting
the holy places in India.Che-Mong also came via Central Asia, Gilgit and stayed
for a long time in Kashmir.Sung-Yun who came in AD 520 as an ambassador from
the TA Wei dynasty makes wide reference to them to the king of Ye-cha (i.e.
Epthalites or Huns). In the first half of 7th century A.D. Hiuen
Tsang came here from the opposite direction from U-Chang-na (i.e., Udyana,
modern Swat).In the heyday of Bolorian Tibet many and difficult passes between
the Mustagh and the Bilafunf-la were used for building up a traffic system
between the southern corner of the Tarim Basin and the Indus/ Shayok with many
connections to the South. Tibetan predominance replaced Chinese control
throughout the Tarim Basin from the close of the eight century A.D (Stein 1907:
178). During our recent survey in the Kondus Valley, we found three Rock
Carvings sites of Buddhist period, having ibexes, stupas and Brahmi
inscriptions. The Kondus Valley lead to Chinese Turkistan through several
passes i.e. Sherpi la, Bilafund la, Mount Depak la, Saltoro la, Saser la etc.
The number of Kashmiri scholars who visited China in the ancient times to
propagate Buddhism is fairly larger than those who came to Kashmir from
China.Among others it includes the name of such famous personages as
Sanghabuti, Buddhajiva, Buddhayasas, Gunavarman, Dharmamitra, Pranja and
Surajgupta. One of the great sons of Kashmir and an outstanding luminary of
Buddhism to establish himself at Kucha-was Kumarajiva. Born of a Kashmiri
parents and received his primary education at Kucha. At the age of nine he was
brought to his native land by his mother who had formerly been a nun.
Kumarajiva’s mother, who wanted to make her son a Buddhist monk, took great
care an interested in his scholastic career. He also learnt the Vinaya of
Sarvastivada from Vimala Kasa, a Kashmiri monk in Kucha who had migrated there.
To begin with Kumarajiva was a Hinayanist but later became a staunch Mahayanist
under the influence of Suryasena’s theory prevalent in Kashmir.
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