Journal of the Society of Arts : Volume XLIX, No. 2527 [‎692v] (10/36)

422
JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF ARTS
[April 26, 1901.
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 thatthiscornerof the Bela
district was once flourishing and populous there
is ample evidence. Perhaps I may be allowed
a word or two of conjecture about Rambakia.
The name is probably connected with that of
the Rhamnai, a people of Dravidian origin
who eventually drifted gradually southward
into India, and whom we find subsequently
represented amongst the aboriginal tribes of
the Central Provinces and Bengal. The present
occupants of the soil of Rambakia are a race
of Rajputs known as Lassi or Lumri. They
appear to be a reflex Rajput wave that has
washed back from India within historic periods.
We are distinctly told that the Oritse or Oxii
were not Indian, from which we may con
jecture that they differed from the Hindu
races encountered by Alexander in India.
They were written of previously by Herodotus
as Utoi, and are undoubtedly represented in
modern days by the Hot tribe, which is spread
over Central Makran. These people are un
connected with the Rind, or Arab, tribes, and
are exempt from taxation as being the original
landowners.
There is other mention of Rambakia in the
Periplus of the Erythroean sea, where it is
written about the Makran coast that “ there is
a bay which bears the name of Terabdoi,
from the midst of which a cape projects.
Behind it, at a distance of seven days’ journey
from the coast, is a city, where the king resides,
called Rambakai.” McCrindle identifies
Terabdoi with Urmara, and the distance from
Urmara to Khair Kot corresponds to the seven
marches, as does the general description of
the district, which is said to produce the
fragrant gum “bdellium” on the part near
the sea, which looks as if it were not far from
the coast. But we must not jump to hasty
conclusions. The description of the harbour
of Terabdoi applies more forcibly to Gwadur
than to Urmara, and there are traces of the
name Rambakia elsewhere than in Bela. It is
one of the first difficulties with which we have
to contend in unravelling the network of
ancient geography that the same name is so
constantly repeated. All that we can say is
that Alexander’s Rambakia could not have
been far from the ruins of Khair Kot.
From Rambakia Alexander proceeded with
half his targeteers and part of his cavalry to
force the pass which the Godrosii and Oritm
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 further on. I should think it was
probably the former, where there is better room
for cavalry to act. The question which now
meets us is who were the Gadrosii, the people
who allied themselves with the Oritae, and who
were sufficiently powerful to force their name
to the country stretching westwards to Persia.
There are two tribes to be found on the Bela
whose name answers to that of Gadrosii. The
first are the Gadurs ; but they claim Arab
descent, and look like Rajputs. They say
that they settled in Makran in the days of
the Kalif Omar. The other people are the
Gadaras, called by Tate (who has had good
opportunities for observing them) Sidi half-
castes ; but they are undoubtedly a people of
very ancient origin. Bellew thinks that they
may be the Garuda of Sanskrit writings who were
ever opposed to the Nagas, and representatives
of that race of Asiatic Ethiopians of whom
Herodotus wrote, and which could hardly have
disappeared from Makran in Alexander’s time.
If the Gadrosii have any modern representatives
at all I think it possible that they maybe found
in the Gadaras, but this point must remain
doubtful till we have a more perfect acquaint
ance with the traditions of these people.
I should like to say a few words about the
Arabii and the newer Arabius or Arabis, but
time is short, and I can only just mention that
north of Bela, on the Purali river, -we have
found the remains of a stone-built construction
so clearly allied to the “ ghorbastas ” or
“bunds” of Makran and Sind, and to the
Mashona relics at Zimbabwe, that we may at
least be allowed to conjecture that this country
between the Purali and Karachi was once held
by those dusky races of Himyaritic Arabs who
were aforetime the master-builders of the
world. They may indeed represent the Asiatic
Ethiopians of Herodotus. It seems difficult to
set limits to the extent of their influence.
Immediately after defeating the Oritae (who
apparently made little resistance) Alexander
appointed Leonatus with a picked force to
support the new Governor of Rambakia
(Hephcestion having rejoined the army) and
left him to make arrangements for victualling
the fleet when it arrived, whilst he pushed on