Komedes

Komedes were an ancient people in Central Asia. They are mentioned by the ancient Greek geographer Ptolemy in Geography (c. 150 CE).

The "Seventh Asian Map", by Tomaso Porcacchi Castilione, from a 1620 Italian edition of Ptolemy's Geography.

Overview

Greco-Roman sources

The Greek geographer Ptolemy uses the name Komdei for the region fed by the Jaxartes river (modern Syr Darya) and its tributaries. Ptolemy refers to the people of Komdei as Komedes who "inhabited the entire land of the Sacae."D He also refers to a tribal people from the mountainous regions of Sogdiana as far as Jaxartes whom he variously calls Komoi/Kamoi, Komroi/Khomroi or Komedei.: 268, 284  Ptolemy's references to the Komdei or Komedes region may allude to the Hindu toponyms Komdesh, Kamdesh, and Kambodesh (or Kamboi-desh).: 49, 155  Ammianus Marcellinus also calls the Sogdian region Komadas.: 326  Julius Honorius’ Cosmographia mentions a people called Traumeda and a mountain called Caumedes as the source of the river Oxus (modern Amu Darya).

Hindu texts

Mahabharata indicates that the Kambojas (specifically the Parama Kambojas, along with the Lohas and Rishikas, lived in the southern parts of Shakdvipa.: 70  The Vayu Purana uses the name Kumuda-dvipa as an alternate for Kushadvipa, one of seven dvipa mentioned in Hindu topology. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa), Kumuda is a puranic name of a mountain forming the northern buttress of Mount Meru, also known as Sumeru and possibly Pamirs.: Ch17, Ch16 V11  The Kumuda here extended between the headwaters of what are now the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers. It may have comprised Badakshan, the Alay Valley, Alay Mountains, Tienshan, Karotegin (Rasht Valley, in modern Tajikistan) and possibly extended as far north as the Zeravshan and Fergana valleys. On the east, it likely bordered modern Yarkand and/or Kashgar; to the west by Bactria; to the north-west by Sogdiana; to the north by Uttarakuru; to the south-east by Darada; and to the south by Gandhara.: 49, 155, 237 

Chinese sources

The Chinese equivalent to the name may have been Xiuxun. Xuanzang also mentioned the Kiumito and Kumito; Wu'k ong mentioned Kiumiche; and T'ang mentioned Kumi.[citation needed]

Islamic sources

In al-Mughni, al-Maqdisi calls the people inhabiting the Kumed or Kumadh the Kumiji, perhaps equivalent to the Sanskrit word Kamboji or Kambojas. In Iran, the Kambojas region may have been the equivalent to the Komedes.: 48–49, 155, 300 

See also

Notes

1.^D Robert Shafer reported that the Shakas, Kambojas, Pahlavas, and Sugudas were the left-over population of the Indo-Iranian Aryans after the latter had moved from their original home in Central Asia to Iran and India.
2.^E Shava, the root of the word shavati, was used by the Indo-Aryans.

References

  1. ↑ P’iankov, I. "History of Iran – The Ethnic of Sakas (Scythians)". Iran Chamber Society. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 McCrindle, J.W. (1927). Majumdar, R.C. (ed.). McCrindle's Ancient India as described by Ptolemy (Reprint). Chuckervertty, Chatterjee and co.
  3. 1 2 Ptolemy, Claudius (2002). Geography. Translated by Berggren, J. Lennart; Jones, Alexander. Princeton University Press. pp. 6.12.2, 6.13.3.
  4. 1 2 ue Seth, H.C. Central Asiatic Provinces of the Mauryan Empire. p. 403.
  5. 1 2 3 Kāmboja, Jiyālāla. Prācīna kamboja, jana aura janapada (Reprint) (in Hindi). Īsṭarana Buka Liṅkarsa. OCLC 976510633.
  6. ↑ Honorius, Julius (2008). Monda, Salvatore (ed.). La Cosmographia di Giulio Onorio : un exceptum scolastico tardo-antico (in Italian). Aracne. p. A.7.
  7. ↑ Chandra, Moti (2019). Geographical and Economic Studies in the Mahabharata: Upayana Parva (Reprint). Cosmo Publications. p. 2.27.25. ISBN 978-8130718811.
  8. ↑ Agrawala, V.S. (1953). India as Known to Panini. University of Lucknow.
  9. ↑ Vayu Purana. Vol. 1. Translated by Tagare, G.V. 1960. pp. I.48.34–1.48.36.
  10. ↑ Vyasa, Veda. Bhagavata Purana: Canto 5: The Creative Impetus.
  11. ↑ Proceedings and Transactions of the ... All-India Oriental Conference, Part I (Report). All-India Oriental Conference. 1930. pp. 102–119.
  12. ↑ Bagchi, K.N. (1955). India and Central Asia. National Council of Education. p. 25.
  13. ↑ Prakash, Buddha (1962). Studies in Indian history and civilization. Shiva Lal Agarwala. p. 351. OCLC 6740796.
  14. ↑ Prakash, Buddha (1964). India and the World. p. 71.
  15. ↑ Shafer, Robert (2017). Ethnography Of Ancient India. Andesite Press. p. 43. ISBN 978-1376158519.
  16. ↑ Yāska; Bhaṭṭācāryya Satyavrata Sāmaśramī (1882). The Nirukta : with commentaries (in Sanskrit). Asiatic Society of Bengal. p. II.2. OCLC 668237918.