Guest guest Posted October 2, 2001 Report Share Posted October 2, 2001 An 65-years old paper discussing Kandahar, Skanda-Murukan and Alexander is N. Gopala Pillai, "Skanda: the Alexander Romance in India", Proceedings of the All-India Oriental Conference, (Trivandrum: Government Press, 1937), Vol. IX, pp. 955-977. On contacting my friends, Patrick Harrigan and Manivannan (in Agathiyar elist) I have some URLs. Kanchi Chandrasekharendra Saraswati has also written about Kandahar, Alexander-Skanda connections. Synopsis: "The Myth of Deification of Alexander and its alleged influence on the cult of Skanda-Murukan-Karttikeya" by K. V. Ramakrishna Rao http://murugan.org/events/2001_synopses/rao-1.htm On the ancient shrine Kataragama in Sri Lanka dedicated to Skanda: Patrick Harrigan, Dionysus and Kataragama: Parallel Mystery Cults http://kataragama.org/research/dionysus.htm Also, see Harrigan, Skanda-Murugan: Supreme deity or Rascal? http://murugan.org/research/sasthi.htm See more papers on Murukan worship: http://www.murugan.org Regards, N. Ganesan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 10, 2001 Report Share Posted October 10, 2001 Let us also always keep in mind that place names often go back to inconceivably and irretrievably ancient linguistic strata, languages that have totally disappeared. Vide all the place names in the US which are of Native American origin but whose original etymological meaning has been lost (and in some places were probably lost before contact with Europeans). My impression is that there are a host of place names in Europe whose origin the linguists have given up hope of recovering, believing them to belong to some languages that prevailed before the Indo-Europeans or Finno-Ugrians came on the scene. Allen Thrasher Allen W. Thrasher, Ph.D. Senior Reference Librarian 101 Independence Ave., SE Southern Asia Section LJ-150 Asian Division Washington, DC 20540-4810 Library of Congress U.S.A. tel. 202-707-3732 fax 202-707-1724 Email: athr The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the Library of Congress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 10, 2001 Report Share Posted October 10, 2001 >Kandahar is universally believed to be the same as gandhara. >Geographical the earlier Gandhara was probably the Kabul region. >Punjabi/Saraiki kand's (wall/back) connection with Kandahar is >dubious. Rajesh Kochhar kandahAra is likely the name when ethnically Indian population lived there. This kandahAra collapsed to change to "qandhaar" when Iranian dialect speaking populations took control. This modified name, "qandhaar" might have made some to suggest this is same as gandhaara. But the kandahAra becoming gandhaar is only in Islamic period. The name, Qandhaar leads Iranists like Bailey to propose linking the name with Samarqand, Tashkant etc. But all these are probably very late in the history of kandahAr. Regards, N. Ganesan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 13, 2001 Report Share Posted November 13, 2001 >I thought it was an ancient Alexandria or Alexandropolis (cf. >Iskander); or has this identification been disproven ? While reading about 10 books on Alexander, many Alexandrias are mentioned: Alexandria (Bactra), A. (Egypt), A. (Gulashkird), A. (Chenab and Indus rivers), A. (Merv), A. (Ora), A. (Rhacotis), A. (Termez), A. Bucephala, A. Eschate, *A. in Arachosia (Ghazni)*, A. Nicaea, A. of the Arians (Herat), A. Propthesia (Phrada)... But I did not find in them that KandahAr was founded by Alexander. Instead, Ghazni and not Kandahar is the Alexandria of Arachosia, acc. to Sir W. Tarn (1948). J. F. C. Fuller, The generalship of Alexander the Great, 1960, Rutgers Univ. press, p. 116 "At the same time he received the submission of the satraps of Gedrosia and Carmania; appointed Menon satrap of Arachosia with orders to reduce that country, and in October or November, 329 BC, advanced up the Tarnak river and, acc. to Sir William Tarn, founded Alexandria in Arachosia at Ghazni, and not at Kandahar as generally held [2]. [2] Alexander the Great, Volume II, appx. 8.I, p. 234, Cambridge, 1948." James C. Harle, The art and architecture of the Indian subcontinent, Penguin, 1986, p. 22 "Ashoka's edicts, engraved on pillars, rock surfaces, and tablets, have been found in almost every region of India except the far south, and as far west as Kandahar (often erroneously claimed to be a corruption of Alexandria in Arachosia) in present-day Afghanistan." Given the hostilities and holy-war propaganda of the brahmins, Alexander's memories would have vanished in a short time. Peter Green notes: INDOLOGY/message/1723 And, the ram headed deities do not represent Alexander in old India. Ram being the vAhana of Skanda-Murukan, these deities, like Skanda himself, may relate to children. KandahAr was an important frontier city in ancient India, its roots may go back to Indus era. Eg., kandahAra and agrahAra (brahmin quarters) may be parallel. Regards, N. Ganesan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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