containing the boat scene, or "Sákya's departure from this world," the "Religious Festival, with adoration of a Tope," and a scene in the royal palace, with a relic-casket. The Topes were opened by Lieut. Maisey and myself in the end of January and beginning of February, 1851; and I attribute the success of our discoveries in great part to the vigilance of our personal superintendence. I had become aware of the importance of this strict watchfulness (after I had opened the great Sárnáth Tope, near Benares, in 1835), by the purchase of five beautiful gold coins of Kadphises, which were brought from Affghanistan at the very time that Mr. Masson was engaged in opening the Topes of the Kabul valley. I now learn from Major Kittoe that he has found a broken steatite vase amongst the rubbish at the foot of the great Sárnáth Tope. It is, I fear, more than probable that this vase was the relic-casket of the Sárnáth Tope, which must have been destroyed during my unavoidable absence on engineer duty at Mirzapore. As the opening of the Bhilsa Topes has produced such valuable results, it is much to be hoped that the Court of Directors will, with their usual liberality, authorise the employment of a competent officer to open the numerous Topes which still exist in North and South Bahar, and to draw up a report on all the Buddhist remains of Kapila and Kusinagara, of Vaisáli and Rájagriha, which were the principal scenes of Sákya's labours. A work of this kind would be of more real value for the ancient history of India (the territory of the Great Company) than the most critical and elaborate edition of the eighteen Puránas. I would also venture to recommend that the two fallen gateways of the Sánchi Tope should be removed to the British Museum, where they would form the most striking objects in a Hall of Indian Antiquities. The value of these sculptured gateways will, I feel confident, be highly appreciated after the perusal of the brief account of them contained in this work; while their removal to England would ensure their preservation. For a most admirable view of one of these gateways I refer the reader to the frontispiece of Mr. Fergusson's beautiful and artistic illustrations of ancient Indian architecture. Before parting, may I beg to draw the particular attention of the reader to my identification of the different classes of Pramna and Germanæ, as recorded by Kleitarchos and Megasthenes, with the different orders of Buddhist Srámanas. I do so because some of our most eminent scholars have doubted the prevalence and extension of the Buddhist religion before the beginning of the Christian era. Now the Pramna of Kleitarchos, and the Germanæ of Megasthenes, are both stated to have been the opponents of the Brah mans. Were this the case they can only be the Srámanas, which was a title common to all the orders of the Bauddha community; even Sákya himself being styled Maha Srámana, or the "Great Devotee." The identity of the Germana of Megasthenes is placed beyond all doubt by his mention that "women were allowed to join them on taking vows of chastity," for the Buddhists alone had nuns. It will not, I trust, be out of place in a Preface to observe that the several orders of Pramna, mentioned by Kleitarchos, are, Ορεινοι, 1. Opevol, or "mountaineers," a Greek corruption of Arhan (or Aran, as it is sometimes spelt), which was a common title of the Bodhisatwas, or second class of the Bauddha community, who usually dwelt on hills. 2. Tvμvnraι, the "naked," or rather the "halfclad," a descriptive title of the Bodhisatwas, who, during their devotions, wore only the Sangháti, or kilt. Tvμvns, or Tuμvnrns, was applied to a light-armed soldier,—not to an unarmed one; and, therefore, also, to a lightly-clad person. 3. Пoλriko, the "townsmen," I only take to be a corrupted transcript of the Sanscrit Pratyeka, the third class of the Bauddha community, whose duty it was to mingle with the people, and frequent the towns. * Megasthenes in Strabo, v.—Συμφιλοσοφεῖν δ ̓ ἐνίοις καὶ γυναῖκας ἀεχομένας καὶ αυτὰς ἀφροδισίων. |