Indian Antiquary Vol 23

SR No.: 032515
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 412
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 16 MB

Page 113

APRIL, 1894.)
MISCELLANEA.
103
(5) Mahårattha............ Mahadhammarakkhita- the sea-board, proceeded to invent new stories
thêra.
and new classical names, so that they might (6) Yûna...................... Maharakkhitathêra. not be outdone by the Talaings, who, according (7) Himavanta ............ Majjhiinatbêra.
to their own history and traditions, received the (8) Suvannabhumi ... Sôçathêra and Uttara- Buddhist religion direct from missionaries from
thêra.
India. The right bank of the Irrawaddy river (9) Lankadipa.............. Mahamahindathêra. near Pagan was accordingly re-named Suna.
The following extract from The Cave Temples paranta, and was identified with the Aparanof India by Fergusson and Burgess, p. 17, will be
taka mentioned in the above list. This is but of value here, as indicating the identification of one of the many instances of the lying gabble, the countries named in the above list:
as Cunningham aptly terms it, of the native his. "After a great Couneil of the Buddhist Priest
torians, and indicates the extreme care and judi. hood, held in the 17th year of his (Asoka's) reign,
cious discrimination that is required in utilizing 246 B. C., missionaries were sent out to propa
their writings in the compilation of a history of gate the religion in the ten following countries,
their country. whose position we are able, even now, to ascertain
A similar idiosyncrasy on the part of Cambodian with very tolerable precision from their existing
writers was noticed by Mouhot, who says in his denominations:
Travels in the Central Parts of Indo-China (Vol. (1) Kasmira;
II. pp. 8 and 9): "All traditions being lost, the
natives invent new ones, according to the meaeuro • (2) Gandhára (or Kandahår);
of their capacity." (3) Mahfsamandala (or Maisdr);
Taw Sein-Ko. (4) Vana vâsi (in Kanara); (5) Aparintaka- the Western Country,' or
TRADITIONAL MIGRATION OF THE SANTAL
TRIBES. the Konkan, - the missionary being Yavana-Dharmarakshita ;-the prefix I am greatly interested in the paper by Dr. Yavana apparently indicative of his Waddell on "The Traditional Migrations of the being a Greek, or foreigner at least;
Santal Tribe" which appeared ante, Vol. XXII. (6) Mahürattha (or the Dakhan);
p. 294 ff. (7) The Yavana country (perhaps Baktria);
I have, during the past few years, been trying to
trace the Santals, by means of their traditions, (8) Himâvanta (or Népal);
from the north-east of India along the valley of (9) Suvarnabhumi (or Burma); and
the Ganges to Chuţia Nagpur, and I am delighted (10) Ceylon.
to find that Dr. Waddell has turned his atten. " His own son, Mahendra, and daughter, San. tion with the same object in the same direction. ghamitra, were sent with the mission to Ceylon, The Kolarian tribes, of which the Santals are taking with them a graft of the Bodhi tree at one, would seem to be splinters broken from a Buddha Gay&, under which Buddha was supposed larger mass, who, at different periods, have sought to have attained the supreme knowledge."
refuge in the hilly fastnesses of Chutia Nagpur. The native writers of Burma, however,
The time elapsing between each successivo inboth lay and clerical, aver with great serious
road of fugitives must have been sufficiently proness that the Aparantaka referred to is
tracted to admit of the feeling of kinship being Burma Proper, which comprises the upper
obliterated, otherwise they would have re-united valley of the Irrawaddy, that Yona is the Shan into a compact people. country about Chiongmai (Zimmè), that the! Efforts have been made to identify the coun. scenes of the Milinda Panhi were laid in that tries, rivers, forts, etc., mentioned in the tradiState, and that, with the exception of Hima- tions of the Santâls with those of similar names vanta, which, they say, comprises five coun- in Chuţia Nagpur. Localities have in many intries subject to China, of Suvannabhami and stances been found bearing traditional names, and Laukadipa, the remaining countries mentioned are the inference has been drawn that it was here that situated in India. Such fagrantly erroneous the traditions of the Santâls took their rise, and identification of classical names has arisen from that their institutions were formed. But only a the national arrogance of the Burmans, who, slight knowledge of these traditions is necessary after their conquest of the Talaing kingdoms onto shew that they belong to a much more remote
. It is one of the objects of the Kalykņi Inscriptions to record that the forms of the Buddhist Religion prevaz" ing in Burma and Ceylon were ultimately blended.