Sailing Around Erythraean Sea: Forty

Updated 08/11/2024
The unknown sailor had been giving a detailed account of import and export activities at Barbaricum  (modern day Bhambore in Sindh, Pakistan). It is situated east of Karachi. Let us see the next point of his visit:

Beyond the river Sindhus there is another gulf, not navigable, running in toward north; it is called Eirinon; its parts are called separately the small gulf and the great, in both parts the water is shallow, with shifting sandbanks occuring continually and a great way from shore. So that very often when the shore is not even in sight, ships run aground, and if they attempt to hold their course they are wrecked. A promontory stands out from this gulf, curving around from Eirinon toward the East, then South, then West, and enclosing the gulf called Baraca, which contains seven islands. Those who come to the entrance of this bay escape it by putting about a little and standing further out to sea; but those who are drawn inside into the gulf of Baraca are lost; for the waves are very high and violent, and the sea is tumultuous and foul, and has eddies and rushing whirlpools. The bottom is in some places abrupt, and in others rocky and sharp, so that the anchors lying there are parted, some being quickly cut off, and others chaffing at the bottom. As a sign of these places to those approaching from the sea there are serpents, very large and black; for at other places of this coast and around Barygaza, they are smaller, and in colour bright green, running into gold.

My Search:-

1. Eirinon: The Rann of Kutch, in modern day Gujarat in India and Sindh in Pakistan. "Rann" a Gujarati word meaning desert. Koine Greek term for uninabited place is "eremos". Gujarat was under the domination of Sakas during First Century. Gujarati is descended from old Gujarati and Prakrit. Saka language was a middle Iranian language. Prakrit was the language spoken by Vedic people. Saka people must have been prominent in those areas in the first century. Eirinon may be a pidgin word among the merchant community around Barygaza indicating Rann of Kutch.

On the Indian side, it is a large area of salt marshes, split into two by Rann of Kutch lake; Greater Rann on the western side  and Little Rann by the eastern side. There are seven islands in the lake, the biggest being the one with Dholavira on its western side, and the second biggest, Gangto; remaining five islands are small and tiny. There is one more lake on the eastern side of Little Rann. All these were a part of Arabian Sea, but dried up gradually. Rann of Kutch is a shallow saline wetland seasonally flooded by Monsoon. Look at Google Maps; it is in white shade: a desert area. Periplus Maris Erythraea text shows that Rann of Kutch area was not navigable even in the First Century. The area was originally occupied by Kutchis. Dholavira is the historical site, of Harappan civilization aka Indus valley civilization. The entire area of Rann of Kutch on the Indian side is known as Kutch Desert Wild Life Sanctuary. On the other side in Pakistan it is called Rann of Kutch Wild Life Sanctuary.

2. The promontory south of Rann of Kutch is the District of Kutch in Gujarat state. Bhuj is the the  headquarters of the district of Kachch. The entire Gulf including Rann of Kutch and the lakes, and the Kutch district must have been once under sea. 

End of the Section 

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