DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36954#0055
his former domain to China and transformed his state into a
military district (CHAVANNES 1903: 151—154) — was the next
phase; then came a period of Tibetan overlordship, ending with
the collapse of the empire in the middle of the 9th century A.D.
Gilgit became the capital of the next dynasty, the Darada Sahis.
It is reasonable to assume that one of them ordered the enshrine-
ment of the manuscripts in an especially constructed stupa —
near to their own palace. After all, darada was now the regular
script; so the library would probably have been incomprehen-
sible, merely a treasure with magical powers.
A further argument for the identification of the main capital is
the claim of the Patola Sahis mentioned in the Hatun-inscription
to be "born in the lineage of Bhagadatta" (CHAKRAVARTI
1953/54: 228). The descendants of Bhagadatta (son of Naraka)
apparently ruled over two different kingdoms far from each
other — both called Pragjyotisa. One was in Assam — but the
other one in the mountains north of Kashmir. When Lalitaditya
Muktapida conquered and destroyed a town which had exactly
this name, he came to an area with sand-dunes; Daradas and
Bhauttas are mentioned in the same context, the land of the
women was not far. Everyone of these details fits into my pro-
posal (KALHANA, IV/168-174).
SANDER's article has an appendix dealing with Brahmi graffiti
from Thor North, where after a short introduction, she makes
most interesting observations. Checking our photos, she became
aware that on one of the rocks, located on the barren plateau
overlooking the Indus, just opposite the mouth of the Thor val-
ley, there is a cluster of strange "pornographic" graffiti. When I
had seen these carvings in 1979, I was also struck by these
provocative images. I postponed immediate publication in order
to avoid destruction by the pious and strictly moral inhabitants
of the hamlet on the opposite bank of the river. The villagers —
goldwashers by profession — had just started in these years to
bring their cattle to the other side of the Indus for grazing, al-
though I could hardly detect any blades of grass there between
rocks, gravel and sand. But the landowning peasants in the upper
part of the Thor valley had just decided to cut off the gold-
washers from access to the high-meadows until they were ready
LI
military district (CHAVANNES 1903: 151—154) — was the next
phase; then came a period of Tibetan overlordship, ending with
the collapse of the empire in the middle of the 9th century A.D.
Gilgit became the capital of the next dynasty, the Darada Sahis.
It is reasonable to assume that one of them ordered the enshrine-
ment of the manuscripts in an especially constructed stupa —
near to their own palace. After all, darada was now the regular
script; so the library would probably have been incomprehen-
sible, merely a treasure with magical powers.
A further argument for the identification of the main capital is
the claim of the Patola Sahis mentioned in the Hatun-inscription
to be "born in the lineage of Bhagadatta" (CHAKRAVARTI
1953/54: 228). The descendants of Bhagadatta (son of Naraka)
apparently ruled over two different kingdoms far from each
other — both called Pragjyotisa. One was in Assam — but the
other one in the mountains north of Kashmir. When Lalitaditya
Muktapida conquered and destroyed a town which had exactly
this name, he came to an area with sand-dunes; Daradas and
Bhauttas are mentioned in the same context, the land of the
women was not far. Everyone of these details fits into my pro-
posal (KALHANA, IV/168-174).
SANDER's article has an appendix dealing with Brahmi graffiti
from Thor North, where after a short introduction, she makes
most interesting observations. Checking our photos, she became
aware that on one of the rocks, located on the barren plateau
overlooking the Indus, just opposite the mouth of the Thor val-
ley, there is a cluster of strange "pornographic" graffiti. When I
had seen these carvings in 1979, I was also struck by these
provocative images. I postponed immediate publication in order
to avoid destruction by the pious and strictly moral inhabitants
of the hamlet on the opposite bank of the river. The villagers —
goldwashers by profession — had just started in these years to
bring their cattle to the other side of the Indus for grazing, al-
though I could hardly detect any blades of grass there between
rocks, gravel and sand. But the landowning peasants in the upper
part of the Thor valley had just decided to cut off the gold-
washers from access to the high-meadows until they were ready
LI