Jorya

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (Retd.)

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Jorya or Joriya or Choliya was a Buddhist Kingdom visited by Xuanzang in 640 AD in South India. Alexander Cunningham has identified Jorya with Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu.

Visit by Xuanzang in 640 AD

Alexander Cunningham writes that From Dhanakakata, Hwen Thsang travelled to the south-west for 1000 li, or 167 miles, to Chu-li-ye, or Jho-li-ye, which he describes as a small district only 2400 li, or 400 miles, in circuit. To enable us to fix the position of this unknown territory it is necessary to note the pilgrim's subsequent route to the south for 1500 or 1600 li, or about 260 miles, to Kanchipura or Conjeveram, the well-known capital of Dravida. Now, the distance of Kanchipura from the Kistna is from 240 to 260 miles, so that Chuliya must be looked for somewhere along the south bank of that river, at 167 miles to the south-west of Dharanikotta. This position corresponds almost exactly with Karnul, which is 230 miles in a direct line to the north-north- west of Kanchipura, and 160 miles to the west- south- west of Dharanikotta. M. Julien has identified Choliya with Chola, which gives its name to Chola-mandala, or Coromandel. But Chola was to the south of Dravida, whereas the Choliya of Hwen Thsang lies to the north of it. If we accept the pilgrim's bearings and distances as approximately correct, the position of Choliya must certainly be looked for in the neighbourhood of Karnul.

Professor Lassen has suggested that the names of Choliya and Dravida may have been transposed by the Chinese editor of the pilgrim's travels. The same suggestion occurred to me when I first examined the travels some years ago ; and if it was quite certain that the Chinese syllables Chu-li-ye represented Chola,

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[p.546]: there would be a very strong temptation to adopt the suggestion. But I agree with M. Vivien de Saint- Martin that it is difficult to admit the possibility of such a transposition, although an adherence to the text of Hwen Thsang involves the total omission of any mention of the famous kingdom of Chola. M. de Saint- Martin points to the present use of the name of Coromandel, which is applied to the whole of the Madras coast, as far north as the mouths of the Godavari, as a possible explanation of the extension of the name of Chola to the country immediately to the south of the Kistna. But I believe that this extension of the name is solely due to European sailors, who adopted it for the sake of convenience. This name be-sides applies only to the sea-coast, whereas Chuliya is described by Hwen Thsang as a small district lying to the south-west of Dharanikotta, so that if we accept the pilgrim's account as it stands, it is scarcely possible that Choliya could have extended so far to the east as the sea-coast.

It is admitted that the identification of Choliya is difficult ; but I am of opinion that we must either accept the pilgrim's account as it now stands, or adopt the transposition suggested by Professor Lassen. In the former case, we must look for Choliya in the neigh-bourhood of Karnul ; in the latter ease, it may be at once identified with the famous province of Chola, and its well-known capital Tanjor.

In the Chino-Japanese map of India, constructed to illustrate the pilgrim's travels, the district of Choliya is named Chu-ey-no, and is placed to the north of Dravida, and to the south-west of Dhanaka, as in the

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[p.547]: text of Hwen Thsang. These Chinese syllables may perhaps represent Kandanur, which, according to Buchanan, is the correct form of the name of Karnul.

Immediately under the walls of Karnul, lies the old town of Zora, or Jora, the Jorampur of the maps, which answers exactly to the Choliya or Joriya of the pilgrim. The initial Chinese syllable seems to be very rarely used, but a similar letter is found in Kajugira, Jutinga, and Jyolishka, and I am satisfied that M. Julien's reading of the characters,ju, or jo, is correct. I am also inclined to identify Jora with Ptolemy's Sora regia Arcati. In some editions the words are transposed, as Arcati regia Sora. But though the cart may be put before the horse, it is still the cart, and there- fore, I take Sora to be the capital of King Arkatos, whether it be placed before or after his name. Arkatou has been usually identified with Arcot, near Madras ; but the name of this city is believed to be quite modern, and the position of Sora must be far to the north of Arcot. The Soree Nomades of Ptolemy may therefore be a branch of the Sauras, who are still located on the banks of the Kistna river. One hundred miles to the west-north-west of Karnul, there is also a large town, named Sorapur, the Raja of which " still holds his patrimonial appanage, surrounded by his faithful tribe (Bedars), claiming a descent of more than thirty centuries."

As Chuliya is described as being only 2400 li, or 400 miles, in circuit, its small size offers no help towards its identification. If it is placed in the Karnul district, it will cut off the north-western corner of the province of Dhanakakata, but will not lessen its circuit,

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[p.548]: although it will diminish its area. If, however, Chuliya is to he identified with Chola, I would assign to it the modern district of Tanjor, extending from Sankeri-Drug, near Salem on the north-west, to the mouth of the Kaveri or Kolrun river, on the north-east, and from Dindigal, on the south-west, to Point Calimere on the south-east. This tract is about 120 miles in length, by 80 miles, or just 400 miles, in circuit.