According to Puranic cosmography, the earth is divided
into seven concentric island continents (sapta-dvipa vasumati) separated by the
seven encircling oceans, each double the size of the preceding one. Continent
Jambudvipa (Indian Blackberry Island), also known as Sudarshanadvipa, forms the
innermost concentric island in the above scheme. Its name is said to derive
from a Jambu tree (another name for the Indian Blackberry, a kind of black
plum). The fruits of the Jambu tree are said to be as large as elephants and
when they become rotten and fall upon the crest of the mountains, a river of
juice is formed from their expressed juice. The river so formed is called
Jambunadi (Jambu river) and flows through Jambudvipa, whose inhabitants drink
its waters. Insular continent Jambudvipa is said to comprise nine varsas
(zones) and eight significant mountains.
So far there is no satisfactory identification of all
zones (varsas) of Jambudvipa. The Vayu Purana furnishes some details of the
mountain ranges, valleys and river systems of the geographical region of
Jambudvipa making it possible to identify some of their geographical features.
·
Mount
Meru (or Sumeru) is identified with the vast Nagard Sarovar in the center of
the modern Pamir mountain range.
·
The
Padma Purana identifies the river Jambunadi with the river Chaksu (Amu Darya).
·
The
river Alakananda or Akash Ganga is the Ganges river.
·
The
river Bhadra corresponds to the Jaxartes or Syr Darya.
·
The
river Sita (Sito of Hiuen Tsiang) corresponds to the Yarkand River.
·
Bhadrasva
varsa probably corresponds to the major part of Xinjiang province of China and
the region lying to its east.
·
Uttara-Kuru
varsa is the region to the north of the Pamirs. It probably includes the
north-western parts of Xinjiang province of China, the Tien Shan region, and
most parts of Kyrgyzstan.
·
Ketumala
varsa is said to be the region spanned by the Amu Darya, and therefore may
correspond to western Turkmenistan, north-west Afghanistan (ancient Bactria)
and north-east Iran.
·
Hari
varsa is probably represented by western Tibet.
·
Bharata
varsa undoubtedly stands for the whole undivided India.
·
Ila-Vrta
varsa (Meruvarsa) is the mountainous region around the central point of Meru.
It probably includes the Pamirs, Badakshan, parts of Kashmir, North-West
Frontier region and north-east Afghanistan, etc.
·
The
Shakadvipa (the vast Scythe region) was identified by some as north
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and some regions to north and west of
the Caspian Sea.
·
The
author of Vayu Purana uses the name Kumuda-dvipa for Kusha-dvipa. Kumuda is
also a Puranic name of a mountain forming the northern buttress of Mount Meru
(i.e. Pamirs). In anterior Epic Age Kumuda was the name given to high
table-land of the Tartary located to north of the Himalaya range. Thus, the
Kumuda-dvipa lay close to the Pamirs. Some scholars connect this Kumuda with
ancient Iranian Kambojas.
·
The
river Kurumu (modern Kuram) on south of river Kubha (Kabol) is stated to be
flowing through the Plaksa-dvipa of the Puranic accounts. Hence the
Plaksa-dvipa may have been the region lying to west of the Indus River probably
comprising territories of Iran, middle and southern Afghanistan and parts of
Pakistan, etc.
·
The
Pushkaradvipa has been identified by some as the region lying between China and
Mangala (perhaps China and Mongolia) based on the evidence of medieval era
Muslim scholar Al-Biruni.
The question arises, how could we compile such a vast
amount of knowledge?
The ancient India was far more globalized than any
other part of the world. It was connected to every part of the vast mighty
continent that we recognize today as Eurasia or Central Asia. Such was the
extent of trade that by the time, Britishers came, India practically controlled
more than 25% of the world economy.
The first mention in Sanskrit literature of trade
routes or ‘panihas’ comes in the Prithvi Sukta of the Atharva Veda. It mentions
the many routes and arteries of the land and they symbolised the happiness of
the earth. These routes did not lose their importance no matter how ruling
dynasties changed.
The two major trade routes of the subcontinent are the
Uttarapath of the north and north-west and the Dakshinapath of the centre and
south of the peninsula.
During the period of the Kushans, a significant and
novel development was the fact, that Kanishka controlled both a part of the
Chinese empire and northern India giving Indians access to the silk route and opening
new vistas for cultural and trade links.
The goods that were traded included raw materials and
finished goods moving up and down the routes.
Lapis lazuli, silver and semi-precious stones were
sourced from Afghanistan and Central Asia and sea shells from the east coast
made their way up the Uttarapath. Rajasthan was one of the most mineral-rich
parts of the subcontinent and provided semi-precious stones, and metals like
silver, gold, lead, copper and iron. Sandalwood and hides were other important
items. Along these routes also travelled ideas and religions.
If that was the glory of India, why did we lose all
the connections with Eurasia (Central Asia)? Because India and China got
colonized and were looted off from all their wealth and riches from the 17th
till the 20th century.
India’ extended neighborhood
Immediately after India got independence, India got
engaged in a bitter conflict with Pakistan to gain control and authority over
the Indian territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
India does have connection with Central Asia through
Wakhan corridor that lies in Afghanistan. However, with Gilgit Baltistan
slipping into the hands of Pakistan, India has virtually lost that border that
it shares with Afghanistan.
(The Wakhan corridor is 12.87 kms at its narrowest.
Lord Curzon had enormous animosity towards the Russians and Wakhan corridor
acted as a buffer between British ruled Indian empire and the former Soviet
Union. Due to its mountainous terrain, it retarded the capability of the
Russians from entering the Indian subcontinent. At that time, Tajikistan was a
part of former Soviet Union.)
Meaning… from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), Tajikistan is less than a walking distance away from us
Connect Central Asia
In the year 1991, when India opened its economy, the
Soviet empire got disintegrated. Russia was pushed back to where we find it
today. India realized that now it has got an enormous space to build relations
with Central Asia Republics. The first thing that India did was that it
converted its consulate in Tashkent to an embassy.
India’s immediate objective was to establish direct
interaction with each of these new states. A major Indian initiative to
establish contacts with the political leadership of Central Asia had been
conceptualized a few months before the dissolution of the Soviet Union in
December 1991. This resulted in India hosting the first visit of President of
Uzbekistan in August 1991, followed up in quick succession by visits by
President of Kazakhstan, in February 1992, President of Kyrgyzstan in March
1992, President of Turkmenistan in April 1992, and the visit of Prime Minister
of Tajikistan in February 1993. Each of these visits resulted in the creation
of a legal framework for interaction between India and the new Central Asian
states.
At the same time, we also launched these projects
Look East Policy (for South East Asia)
Look North Policy (for Eurasia/ Central Asia)
Look West Policy (for West Asia)
India kick-started its Central Asia policy with the
beginning of the First India-Central Asia dialogue in 2012, summed in a speech
delivered by Minister of State External Affairs, Shri E. Ahmed, which aimed at
engaging with the region deeply through economic, social and cultural ties. However,
this Look North Policy never took off as per our expectations, because we lost
that geographical connection that existed before independence.
Practically, India can connect with Central Asia
through three routes
Through Tibet Autonomous region (provided China gives
permission)
Through Pakistan (provided Pakistan allows land
transit on its soil)
Through Iran
Another option would be via Nepal, Bhutan or through
Nathu-la pass in Sikkim. That would be costly and laborious for Indian
merchants to ship their products to Central Asia.
Regarding the route via Pakistan, they are defiant
that unless the issue of Kashmir is not resolved completely among both the
parties viz. India and Pakistan, Pakistan will not permit India trucks and
goods to transit through its soil.
Last and the final option is through Iran. That will
be the part of next lecture.
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