Archaeological Sites in Ancient Routes Of Gilgit-Baltistan

 

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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