KHAIR KHANEH AND ITS CHINESE EVIDENCES

Abstract

It is well known that the first volume of the Ta-T'ang Hsi-yu-chi 大 唐 西 域 記 is a record of the various Central Asian countries actually visited or known by hearsay by the famous Chinese pilgrim Hsuan-tsang 玄 弉 who was on the way to North India. The last country of this volume is Chia-pi-shih 迦 畢 試, or Kapisi, which is the first country after crossing the Hindu Kush. Here Hsuantsang described Hinduism by using terms such as T'ien-tz'u 天 祠 (Deva temples), I-tao 異 道 (heretics), and T'u-hui Wai-tao 塗 灰 外 道 (ascetics who cover themselves with ashes). This is the earliest written evidence which directly shows that Hinduism had already expanded to Afghanistan in the early 7th century A.D. and that this is the westernmost reach of this religion. The relations between Buddhism and Hinduism in the Kabul valley and its vicinity have been discussed previously from the viewpoint of the materials used as objects of worship.(1) It has been argued, too, that the town named Si-pi-to-fa-la-tz'u 雷 蔽 多 伐 剌 祠 recorded by Hsuan-tsang had been occupied by the pasupata sect of Saivism and that this town was identified with Tapa Skandar about 30km south of Begram.(2) But, A-lu-nao shan 阿 路 揉 山 or Mount Aruna, also described as situated about 30 Chinese miles south of the town Si-pi-to-fa-la-tz'u, has remained open to the identification. The following is an attempt to prove that this mountain is identical with Khair Khaneh, and that, consequently, Khair Khaneh can be dated with absolute certainty. The sect, which worshipped a deity called Shun T'ien-shen 順 天 神 (Shun deva) and centered on Ts'ung-ling-shan 葱 嶺 山 (Mount Pamir), struggled in the early 7th century against the sect whose deity was related to Aruna, and, in consequence, the former was defeated and moved southward to Mount Tsu-na-hi-lo 稿 那 咽