RASHI′DU-D DI′N, FROM AL BI′RU′NI′
broad.[1] But in other places they have their sources to the north in the lofty mountains and in the deserts. Hind is surrounded on the east by Chín and Máchín,[2] on the west by Sind and Kábul, and on the south by the sea.[3] On the north lie Kashmír, the country of the Turks, and the mountain of Meru, which is extremely high, and stands opposite to the southern pole. The heavenly bodies perform their revolutions round it, rising and setting on each side of it. A day and a night of this place is each equal to six of our months.[4] Opposite to this mountain stands another, not round in shape, and which is said to be composed of gold and silver. The Hima mountains lie on the north of Kanauj, and on account of snow and cold form the extreme point of the habitation of man. This range has Kashmír in its centre, and runs by Tibet, Turk, Khazar,[5] and Sakáliba,[6] to the sea of Jurján and Khwárasm. The rivers of the entire country of Hind, which flow from the northern mountains, amount to eleven. Those which flow from the eastern mountains amount to
- ↑ [The following passage from the A′ráish-i Mahfil may perhaps throw some light upon this:—“Between Bhakar and Sewí there is a jungle over which the Simoom blows for three months in the hot season. When the river Indus, at intervals of some years, flows from the south to the north, the villages here are laid waste.” See also ante, p. 24.]
- ↑ [This is generally written as “Maháchin” in MS. C.]
- ↑ In the original Arabic, Al Bírúní says: “India is hounded on all other sides by lofty mountains,” and after this follows a curious passage omitted from the Jámi’u-t Tawáríkh. “If you examine the country of Hind, and consider well the round stones which are found below the soil, at whatever depth you may dig, you will find that they are large near the mountains where the current of water is impetuous, and smaller as you depart from the mountains, the strength of the current being also diminished, and that they become like sand, where the water is stagnant and in the vicinity of the sea. Hence you cannot but conclude that this country was once merely a sea, and that the continent has been formed by successive increments of alluvion brought down by the rivers.” Strabo and Arrian have also expressed this opinion, and modern geologists are fond of indulging in the same speculation. A late writer on this subject observes: “Throughout the whole plain of India, from Bengal to the bottom of the deep wells in Jesselmere, and under the mica and hornblende schist of Ajmere, the same kind of very fine hard-grained blue granite is found in round and rolled masses.” Journal Asiatic Society, Bengal, No. clxxxviii. p. 140.
- ↑ Compare Strabo ii. 1-19. Plin. N. H. vi. 22, 6, and Solinus 62, 13.
- ↑ [The country of the Khazars or Khozars, a Turkish race, on the north of the Caspian sea, about the mouths of the Itil or Volga. The Caspian is called Bahru-l Khazar or Bahru-l Jurján.]
- ↑ [Slavonia]
