Indian Antiquary Vol 04

SR No.: 032496
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 410
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 18 MB

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[OCTOBER, 1875.
that country. Of these the most prominent is that made by General Cunningham of the halfburied rail of the tope at Bhârahut, which he thinks belongs to a period not long subsequent to the age of Asoka. These remains appear to be covered with the most elaborate bas-reliefs, which afford a wonderfully complete illustration of the arts of the period, as well as an autbentic picture of the early forms of the Buddhist faith.
Some years ago, when Mr. Fergusson first published his work on Tree and Serpent Vorship, it was scarcely suspected that the Játakas, or legendary lives of Buddha, were of any great antiquity. Before, however, the second edition appeared, Mr. Fergusson had been enabled, with Mr. Benl's assistance, to identify among the sculp- tures of the Sanchi Tope some scenes from the Vessantara and other Jätakas, the conversion of the Kaśyapas, and other incidents in the life of Buddha. There were then already sufficient indications to make it probable-though they were not strong enough to prove it-that at least a great part of the Buddhist literature of Ceylon and Nepal was as old as the Christian era. The great merit of General Cunningham's discovery consequently consists in the Bharahut rail being older than anything hitherto known; in the scenes represented being more numerous and varied than those at Sànchi and Amaravati, and in their being all inscribed with the same names which the Játakas bear in Buddhist literature. The incidents depicted are sometimes not in themselves easily recognized; but the names of the principal actors being written alongside of them, there can be no possible mistake as to the persons they are intended to represent
Mr. Burgess's Report on his first season's work as Archæological Surveyor, in the districts of Belgaum and Kalådgi, is replete with information on the antiquitics of these districts, which were only imperfectly known before. The volume is profusely illustrated by photographs and plans, as well as drawings of details; but the point of most permanent interest is probably the discovery in the Bad a mi caves of inscriptions bearing dates from a well-ascertained epoch, and in the reign of a king whose name was previously familiar to us from other documents. No inscriptions with cither a late or a recoguizable namo had hitherto been found in any Brahmanical care, and there was thus no clue to their nge except the assumed progression of style. Now, lowever, iltat Cave No. III. at Baclami is known to have been delicate in the twelfth year of King Mangaliśvara, 500 years after the inangaration of the king of the sakas. or A.D. 578, we have a fixed point to start from. The first inference
we shall probably have to draw from this discovery seems to be that the Brahmarical caves at Elora and elsewhere were not always of a later date than, but were, in some instances at least, contemporary with the latest Buddhist caves; whilst it also appears that it may be necessary to carry back the present form of the Hindu Pantheon to a considerably earlier period than was hitherto assigned to it.
Lieutenant Cole has also published his report on the buildings in the neighbourhood of Agra; and, though containing little that is new, its illustrations are a valuable contribution to our knowledge of the district.
For several years past a party of Sappers have been employed in exploring the remains of the Buddhist buildings in the district of Peshawar. Plans of the buried monasteries at Takht-i. Bahi, Ja málgashi, and Harkai, which they have uncovered. have been published in t. uncovered, have been published in the Lahor Gazette, but unfortunately on so small a scale and so imperfectly as hardly to be intelligible. The sculptures found in these excavations have all been sent to the Lahor Museum, but, again unfortunately, without any steps being taken to indicate from what place the specimens came; so that General Cunningham was only able to ascertain the original site of six. Notwithstanding all this, they form a group of sculptures nearly as interesting as those from Bhârahut; and though, unfortunately, none of them are inscribed, there will probably be little difficulty in identifying most of the scenes they are intended to represent. Although we have at present no means of ascertaining the dates of these sculptures with anything like precision, it appears probable that they extend from the Christian era to the Hijirah. But the most interesting point is that they seem to exhibit a marked classical, or at least Western influence. It remains, however, to be ascertained whether this arose from the seed planted there by the Baktrian Greeks, or whether it was the result of continued communication between the west and the north-west corner of India during the period indicated. It is to be hoped that a selection from those in the Lahor Museum will be brought home, as they are entirely thrown away where they are.
Ceylon.-Thanks to the enlightened interest taken by Mr. Gregory, the present Governor of Ceylon, in archäological rescarch, steps have been taken by the Colonial Office to have all inscriptions in the island copied and published. This important work has been undertaken by a German
cholar, Dr. Paul Goldschmidt, who has hitherto giren much attention to the study of the Indian Prakrits. According to the latest reports. Dr. Goldschmidt has already examined nearly all the