The Gates of India: Being an Historical NarrativeHoldich, Thomas Hungerford, Sir
History
The Gates of India: Being an Historical Narrative
Holdich, Thomas Hungerford, Sir
Afghanistan -- Description and travel; Balochistan (Pakistan) -- Description and travel
Hephæstion certainly did not stay long there, and could only have left
the native village as he found it, with no very extensive
improvements.
It would be most interesting to decide the position of Rambakia. What
we want to find is an ancient site, somewhere approaching the
sea-coast, say 30 or 40 miles from the crossing of the Purali, in a
district that might once have been cultivated and populous. We have
found two such sites--one now called Khair Kot, to the north-west of
Liari, commanding the Hala Pass; and another called Kotawari,
south-west of Liari, and very near the sea. The latter has but
recently been uncovered from the sand, but an existing mud wall and
its position on the coast indicate that it is not old enough for our
purpose. The other, Khair Kot, is an undoubted relic of mediæval Arab
supremacy. It is the Kambali of Idrisi on the high-road from Armail
(now Bela) to the great Sind port of Debal, and the record of it
belongs to another history. Nevertheless, Khair Kot is exactly where
we should expect Rambakia to be, and quite possibly where Rambakia
was. Amongst the coins and relics collected there, there is, however,
no trace of Greek inscription; but that this corner of the Bela
district was once flourishing and populous there is ample evidence.
From Rambakia Alexander proceeded with half his targeteers and part of
his cavalry to force the pass which the Gadrosii and Oritæ had
conjointly seized "with the design of stopping his progress." This
pass might either have been the turning pass at the northern end of
the Hala, or it might have been on the water-parting from which the
Phur River springs farther on. I should think it was probably the
former, where there is better room for cavalry to act.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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