7. ARACHOSIA.
ARACHOSIA hath on the West, Drangiana; on the East, the great River Indus; on the South, Gedrosia; and Paropomisus on the North. So called from Arachosia the chief City of it; but now best known by the name of Cabul, the name of the chief City at this pre∣sent.
Of the Countrey I find little spoken, but that it is watered with a branch of the River Indus, or rather with some nameless River which falleth into it. By the overflowings whereof is made a Lake which Am∣mianus calleth Arachotoscrene, by Ptolomy called Arachotos, after the name of Arachotos the chief Town of it, neer to which it is.
Towns here were once thirteen, whose names and situation we find in Ptolomy, but little or nothing of them in other Writers. The principal, 1 Arochotos, on the Lake so named, said to be built by Semiramis in her march towards India, and by her to have been named Cephene. 2. Alexandria, or (for distinctions sake) Alexandria Arachosiae, the work of Alexander the Great, in his like march a∣gainst the Indians: built at the foot of one of the branches of Mount Taurus shooting towards the South, and peopled with a Colony of 7000 old Macedonian Souldiers, forespent with age, and with the travel of the wars, whom he left there to inhabit it: his Army being here recruited with the forces which had served under Parmenio, consisting of 12000 Grecians and Macedonians. It is now called Cabul, accounted the cheif City of it, in that capacity gives the name of Cabul unto all the Province. 3. Arbaca, seeming by the name to be the work of one Arbaces, but whether of Arbaces the great King of the Medes, I am not able to say. 4. Choaspa, neer some River of that name, as I conjecture; there being besides Choaspes the chief River of Media, another of that name also in India; and probably another hereabouts to give name to this Town. 5. Phoclis, 6. Sigara, 7. Dammana, of which I find nothing but the names. 8. Sin, now a Town of name amongst them, but not much observable.
The old Inhabitants hereof were the Pargyetae, called also Arimaspae, and Euergetae, a powerfull Nation of themselves, brought under the command of Alexander by means of Amenides, sometimes the Secretary of Darius, whom he made their Governour. And besides them the Syeri, Rophitae, and the Eoritae, which three made up the main body of the Arachosians, committed by Alexander to the government and command of Menon. Following after this the fortunes of the Persian Empire, they changed their Masters as that did, till the comming in of the Tartars. Since that time governed for the most part by a King of their own, especially since the dividing of the Kingdome of Persia amongst Tamer∣lanes children: some of which held it as a distinct estate, by the names of the Kings of Cabul; till grow∣ing great by the conquest of some parts of India, they took unto themselves the name of the Great Mon∣gul; Now Lords not onely of this Countrey, but of the greatest part of India on this side of Ganges: of whom we shall speak more when we are in India, that being the chief Seat of their Power and Em∣pire.