Sugh
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Sugh
Sritghna
Village in the Jagadhri tahsil of Ambala District, Punjab, situated in 30° 9' N. and 77° 23" E., in a bend of the old bed of the Jumna, now a part of the Western Jumna Canal, close to Jagadhri and Buriya towns. Population (1901), 378. Srughna is mentioned by Hiuen Tsiang, the Chinese pilgrim of the seventh century, as a town 7/2 miles in circuit, the capital of a kingdom and the seat of considerable learning, both Buddhistic and Brahmanical. He describes the kingdom of Srughna as extending to the mountains on the north, and to the Ganges on the east, with the Jumna flowing through the midst of it. The capital he represents as having been partly in ruins ; but General Cunningham thought that there is evidence in the coins found on the spot to show that it was occupied down to the time of Muhammadan conquest. He thus describes the extent and position of the ruins : —
' The village of Sugh occupies one of the most remarkable positions that I have seen during the whole course of my researches. It is situated on a projecting triangular spur of high land, and is surrounded on three sides by the bed of the old Jumna, which is now the Western Jumna Canal. On the north and west faces it is further protected by two deep ravines, so that the position is a ready-made stronghold, which is covered on all sides, except the west, by natural defences. In sha{)e it is almost triangular, with a large projecting fort or citadel at each of the angles. The site of the north fort is now occupied by the castle and village of Dayalgarh. The village of Amadalpur stands on the site of the south-east fort, and that of the south-west is unoccu- pied. Each of these forts is 1,500 feet long and 1,000 feet broad, and each face of the triangle which connects them together is upwards of half a mile in length, that to the east being 4,000 and those to the north-west and south-west 3,000 feet each. The whole circuit of the position is therefore 22,000 feet or upwards of 4 miles, which is considerably more than the 3^ miles of Hiuen Tsiang's measurement. But as the north fort is separated from the main position by a deep sandy ravine, called the Rohara nullah, it is possible that it may have been unoccupied at the time of the pilgrim's visit. This would reduce the circuit of the position to 19,000 feet or upwards of 7/2 miles, and bring it into accord with the pilgrim's measurement. The small village of Sugh occupies the west side of the position, and the small town of Buriya lies immediately to the north of Dayalgarh.'
