DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36958#0137
words are used as ethnic designations of personal names of the
local Balti-population.
These early hints probably indicate that the homeland of the Pato-
las was not the Gilgit valley. The site Alam Bridge lies close to the
mouth of the Gilgit river. We do not know why rock-carvings and
inscriptions were made there. It may have been a resting place, a
"control point", or a sanctuary. In any case it was situated at a
halt on the way between Skardu or Astor and the edge of the
Tarim Basin. Travellers from the Gilgit valley would have a short-
er and easier approach road to this trans-continental route further
west. By using skin rafts people from Gilgit proper could reach the
opposite bank of the Hanessari river and then they could easily
cross the Hunza river shortly before the confluence (as I did in
1955, using a skin raft). Then they were in Danyor.
The fact that there is a modern crossing of the Gilgit river nearby
("Alam Bridge") had diverted my attention from the fact that the
ancient connections between Gilgit (and the Hunza valley) and the
south (via the passes Babusar or Barai) or the southeast (via
Astor) avoided the steep slopes west of the Gilgit-Indus conflu-
ence. The ancient route used an easy detour through the Sai val-
ley. At the mouth of this valley, the Indus can be crossed by skin-
rafts.
Apart from this a man would not stress that he is a "Patola" when
he is still in his native land. Therefore we should rather assume
that the country of origin of the Patola tribe was somewhere else,
perhaps in Baltistan.
In this period, the Chinese equivalent of the term Palür appears in
the report of Che-Tche-mong = Zhimeng, who started his journey
to India in 404 AD (SHIH 1968: 144).
It is quite possible that Zhimeng reached the kingdom of Palür
directly from the north. From Khotan to Kashmir the shortest
connection is by crossing the Mustagh pass.
But it should be mentioned that, on the route southwards from the
kingdom of Po-lü = Palür, Zhimeng first had to cross the "Snowy
Hills", then he reached the Indus river and finally Kashmir. That
is not in accordance with an identification: Baltistan = Palür, but
too vague to be an argument for another identification ( = Gilgit).
Faxian offers a realistic description of his journey which started in
399 AD, ie a few years earlier than Zhimeng. The text was
79
local Balti-population.
These early hints probably indicate that the homeland of the Pato-
las was not the Gilgit valley. The site Alam Bridge lies close to the
mouth of the Gilgit river. We do not know why rock-carvings and
inscriptions were made there. It may have been a resting place, a
"control point", or a sanctuary. In any case it was situated at a
halt on the way between Skardu or Astor and the edge of the
Tarim Basin. Travellers from the Gilgit valley would have a short-
er and easier approach road to this trans-continental route further
west. By using skin rafts people from Gilgit proper could reach the
opposite bank of the Hanessari river and then they could easily
cross the Hunza river shortly before the confluence (as I did in
1955, using a skin raft). Then they were in Danyor.
The fact that there is a modern crossing of the Gilgit river nearby
("Alam Bridge") had diverted my attention from the fact that the
ancient connections between Gilgit (and the Hunza valley) and the
south (via the passes Babusar or Barai) or the southeast (via
Astor) avoided the steep slopes west of the Gilgit-Indus conflu-
ence. The ancient route used an easy detour through the Sai val-
ley. At the mouth of this valley, the Indus can be crossed by skin-
rafts.
Apart from this a man would not stress that he is a "Patola" when
he is still in his native land. Therefore we should rather assume
that the country of origin of the Patola tribe was somewhere else,
perhaps in Baltistan.
In this period, the Chinese equivalent of the term Palür appears in
the report of Che-Tche-mong = Zhimeng, who started his journey
to India in 404 AD (SHIH 1968: 144).
It is quite possible that Zhimeng reached the kingdom of Palür
directly from the north. From Khotan to Kashmir the shortest
connection is by crossing the Mustagh pass.
But it should be mentioned that, on the route southwards from the
kingdom of Po-lü = Palür, Zhimeng first had to cross the "Snowy
Hills", then he reached the Indus river and finally Kashmir. That
is not in accordance with an identification: Baltistan = Palür, but
too vague to be an argument for another identification ( = Gilgit).
Faxian offers a realistic description of his journey which started in
399 AD, ie a few years earlier than Zhimeng. The text was
79