The long since appropriated to the monasteries. Srámanas and Bhikshus were not like those of ancient days, the learned and the wise, whose bodily abstinence and contemplative devotion, combined with practical exhortations and holy example, excited the pious wonder of the people. The modern Buddhists had relapsed into an indolent and corrupt body, who were content to spend a passive existence in the monotonous routine of monastic life. There was still the daily chanting of an appointed number of hymns; still the same observance of forms and ceremonies; there were still the same outward signs of religion; but there was no fervent enthusiasm in the lifeless performance of such monotonous routine; and the ardent zeal which once burned in the heart of every Buddhist monk for the propagation of his religion, had long since become extinct. The only virtue now consisted in abstinence from evil, which was accounted equal to the performance of good. Indolent listlessness and passive indifference took the place of devout contemplation and pious abstraction; and thus the corrupt practices of modern Buddhists would seem to countenance the idea, that the more useless they became in this life, the more fitted did they consider themselves for the next. 3. But though the religion of the Buddhists has long been extinct, and though the monks' "call to refection" has been silent for ages, yet their monasteries and temples still remain; their paintings and sculptures still exist; their historical writings still live, to attest the wonderful sway which a single enthusiastic individual may succeed in establishing over the minds of a whole people.* The sculptures illustrate the history; and in both we may read of kings bowing reverentially before Topes and Trees; of princes bearing caskets of relics on their heads, to be shrined in the Topes; and of the universal reverence paid to the monks. 4. The Buddhist remains now existing may be divided into four distinct classes. 1st. Cave Temples, containing Topes, Sculp- 3rd. Inscriptions on Rocks and Pillars. 5. The Cave Temples have been made known by the beautiful pictorial illustrations of Fergusson; but the curious paintings which adorn the interior must be copied, and the numerous inscriptions must be deciphered, before the historical value of these rémarkable monuments of the Buddhists will be fully appreciated. Captain Gill, of the Madras The principal paintings are in the Cave Temples at Ajanta and Ellora; the sculptures at Sánchi, on the gateways of the Great Tope. The identity of the head-dresses of the paintings with those of the sculptures, and more particularly the recent forms of the alphabetical characters in the Cave Temples, show that the caves cannot date earlier than the beginning of the Christian era. My own opinion is, that they are not earlier than A.D. 200. Army, is now employed at Ajanta in copying the paintings; but the volumes of inscriptions in the Caves of Nasik, Junir, Kanari, and Karli, still remain to be copied.* 6. The Viháras, or Monasteries, are of two kinds-1st, Cave Viháras, of which several magnificent specimens have been published by Mr. Fergusson; and 2nd, Structural Viháras, of which some specimens still remain at Sánchi, but in a very ruinous condition. 7. The Inscriptions on the Pillars at Delhi and Allahabad, and on the Tirhut Pillars at Mathiya and Rádhiya have long ago been deciphered and translated by the remarkable ingenuity of James Prinsep. The Inscriptions on the Rocks at Junagiri in Gujrat, and at Dhauli in Kuttack, were also interpreted by him. A third version of the rock inscriptions (but in the Ariano Pali character), which was found at Kapur-digiri, near Peshawur, has been carefully collated with the others by * In Bird's learned "Historical Researches on the Origin and Principles of the Bauddha and Jaina Religions," there are several plates of inscriptions from the Caves of Kanari, Karli, Ajanta, Ellora, Nasik, &c. Of some of these, Dr. Bird has offered translations; but as he has an evident leaning towards identifying Buddhism with the ancient Sun-worship, the translations are not so accurate as could be wished. For instance, wherever the proper name of Mitra (a friend) occurs, he has translated it as if it was the Persian Mithra, the sun. His third inscription, p. 51, which gives the name of Budha Mitra (the friend of Buddha), should have taught him the true value of Mitra. Professor Wilson. Many short inscriptions from Gaya, Sánchi, and Birât, as well as from the Cave Temples of Southern India, have also been published at different times; but, with the single exception of the edicts in the Rock Inscriptions, which contain the names of Antiochus, Ptolemy, Antigonus, and Magas, the inscriptions in the present volume are of greater interest, and of much higher importance, than all that have yet been published. 8. The numerous Topes which still exist in India are chiefly confined to a few localities. The Topes of Kâbul and Jelalabad were opened by Messrs. Honigberger and Masson in 1835, and those between the Indus and the Jhelam by Generals Ventura and Court in 1833 and 1834. The Topes near Benares were opened by myself in 1835, and those at Sánchi and other places around Bhilsa, were opened by Lieut. Maisey and myself in January and February of the present year. The Topes of Tirhut and Bahar still remain to be examined. 9. Of the Bhilsa Topes none have yet been described excepting the largest of the Sánchi group near Bhilsa. An accurate plan and section of this building, with a short account of the various subjects represented in the sculptured bas-reliefs of the gateways, was published by my brother Captain J. D. Cunningham, in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. On his solicitation and earnest repre See Vol. xvi., p. 745. Just eighteen days before his death, my brother thus wrote to a friend regarding these discoveries, sentation of the great value of these bas-reliefs, the Court of Directors were induced to employ Lieut. Maisey to make drawings of the building, and of its sculptured gateways. In January last I joined Lieut. Maisey at Sánchi, and I am therefore able to speak positively of the value of his drawings, which cannot be surpassed for strict fidelity of outline and minute accuracy of detail. The bas-reliefs of the great Tope at Sánchi will now be illustrated in a manner worthy of their value and importance. 10. In the present work it is my intention to describe the Topes, or Buddhist monuments, which still exist in the neighbourhood of BHILSA, in Central India. These Topes consist of five distinct groups, all situated on low sandstone hills, more or less inaccessible. (See Map.) 1st, SÁNCHI, 5 miles to S. W. from Bhilsa. 2nd, SONARI, 6 miles to S. W. from Sánchi. 3rd, SATDHARA, 6 miles W. from Sánchi. 4th, BHOJPUR, 7 miles E. S. E. from Sánchi, and 6 miles S. S. E. from Bhilsa. 5th, ANDHER, 4 miles E. S. E. from Bhojpur, and 9 miles E. S. E. from Bhilsa. -The extreme distance from west to east, or from Satdhâra to Andher, is 17 miles. 11 A Tope is properly a religious edifice de which had been early communicated to him. "It is no small pleasure to me to reflect that my residence in Bhopal brought about the delineation of this monument and that of others, and so led the way to many important antiquarian results." |