TAKKA, a Turanian race, the earliest recorded inhabitants of the Rawal Pindi district, about Deri Shahan or Shah Deri village, in lat. 33° 17' N., and long. 72° 49' 15" E. The Takka originally held all the Sind-Sagur Doab, and from their name General Cunningham derives that of Taxila or Takkasila, which Arrian describes as a large and wealthy city, the most populous between the Indus and the Hydaspes (or Jhelum). The city stood a few miles to the north of the Margala pass, where several mounds still mark the sites of its principal buildings. Alexander rested his army at this point for three days, and was royally entertained by the reigning sovereign. The Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Fa Hian visited Taxila, as a place of peculiar sanctity, about the year 400 A.D. Again, in 630 and 643, his countryman and. co-religionist, Iliwen Thsang, also made it a halting-place of his pilgrimage, but found the seat of government removed to Kashniir. The ruins of Taxila consist of six separate portions. The
inound of Bir, close to the modern rock-seated village of Deri Shahan, abounds in fragments of brick and pottery, and offers a rich mine of coins and gems for the antiquary. Hatial, a fortified spur of the Margala range, probably formed the ancient citadel ; it is enclosed by a ruined wall, and crowned by a large bastion or tower. Sir Kap presents the appeamnce of a supplementary fortress, united with the citadel by a wall of cir cumvallation. Kacha-Kot possibly gave shelter to the elephants and cattle during a siege. Babar Khana contains the remains of a stupa, which General Cunningham identifies with that of Asoka, mentioned by Hiwen Thsang. Besides all these massive works, a wide expanse, covered by mon asteries or other religious building, stretches on every side from the central city to a considerable distance.—Cunninghan, ; Gaz.; Dowson.