17.The fifth name has been read by Mr. Norris as Alexander; and if this reading is correct, we may identify this prince with Alexander II. of Epeiros, who reigned from B. C. 272-254. But the two copies of this name, published by Mr. Norris, from fac similes by Masson and Court, appear to me to read Alibhasunari,* which may be intended for Ariobarzanes III., King of Pontus, who reigned from B. C. 266-240. But in either case the date of Priyadarsi's inscription will be about B. C. 260-258, shortly preceding the death of Magas.

18. As the last-fitting pieces of a child's puzzlemap test the accuracy of the previous arrangements, so do these identifications prove the correctness of Sir William Jones's happy conjecture of the identity of Chandra Gupta and Sandrakottos. The facts are undeniable. Asoka, or Priyadarsi, the Indian King of Magadha, was the contemporary of five Greek princes, all of whom began to reign a little before the middle of the third century B. C. The nature of the relations which Asoka established with these princes, has been lost by the abrasion of the rock-inscription; but

• See Plate of Inscription in Journal Roy. As. Soc. xii.

we may conjecture that the chief point was the propagation of the Buddhist religion, and the toleration of Buddhist missionaries. To some it may seem difficult to understand how any relations should exist between the Indian Asoka and the Greek princes of Europe and Africa; but to me it appears natural and obvious. Asoka's kingdom on the west was bounded by that of Antiochus; his father, Bindusára, had received missions from Antiochus, Soter, and Ptolemy Philadelphus; and as Asoka was forty-five years of age when he was inaugurated, in B. C. 259, he might have conversed with both of the Greek ambassadors, Daimachos and Dionysios. He had been governor of Ujain for many years in the lifetime of his father, during which the Egyptian fleet had anchored annually at Barygaza, while the merchants proceeded to the viceroy's court at Ozene, with choice specimens of their valuables-wines, gold and silver plate, and female slaves. Asoka had known the Greeks before he became king; he had seen their ambassadors and their merchants; and he knew that his grandfather had given five hundred elephants to Seleukos Nikator in exchange for a barren and mountainous territory, and a Grecian wife.

19. But there is another fatal objection to Professor Wilson's identification of Antiochus the Great with the Antiochus of Priyadarsi's inscriptions, in the omission of any of the Greek princes of Kabul and of the native princes of Parthia; for we know that Artabanus I. and Euthydemus were the contempo

raries of the Syrian prince, who, after an unsuccessful attempt to reduce them, was obliged to recognize them both as independent kings.

20. The ordinances of Asoka, or Priyadarsi, were issued at different periods of his reign. Those of the 10th and 12th years are found on the rocks of Kapurdigiri, Girnar, and Dhauli; while the pillar-edicts are all dated in the 27th year of his eign. Much has been written about the confused dates of the different pillar-edicts, in spite of the clear and decisive language of the ordinances themselves; which shows that they were all published in the 27th year. It is true that the Eastern tablet refers to an edict of the 12th year, but this, as Priyadarsi states, had been abrogated, and the Eastern tablet, which mentions the abolished ordinance, is itself dated in the 27th year. The words of the inscription referring to the edict of the 12th year are dhamma-lipi likhapita, "an ordinance on Dharma was published;" whereas each of the edicts of the 27th year is described as iyam dhamma-lipi, "this ordinance on Dharma." The rock-inscription at Bhabra, near Jaypur, is of uncertain date; but, as it mentions the Third Synod, it must be posterior to 241 B. C.

21. The pillar inscriptions, therefore, contain the latest edicts published by Asoka, as they date nine years posterior to the assembly of the Third Synod. The precepts inculcated in them are, however, generally

the same as those of the 12th year; but a greater tenderness is expressed for animal life, and a more comprehensive view is taken of the moral duties of charity towards all mankind, and of the sacred duty of a king towards his subjects. This difference shows the advance made by Asoka in his acquirement of the Buddhist faith, which is essentially one of good will and toleration towards all men.

22. But the sincerity of Asoka's belief is further proved by the zealous earnestness with which he sought to propagate his new faith over all the distant provinces of his own empire, as well as in the neighbouring kingdoms of his allies. His own family had been early converted. zealous Buddhist; his brother Tishya took the vows of an ascetic; his son Kunála became celebrated for his early misfortunes and after attachment to the faith; while his children Mahendra and Sanghamitrá, who were initiated at twenty years of age, immortalized themselves by converting the people of Ceylon. Their mission formed part of the great scheme for the propagation of Buddhism, which was arranged between Asoka and the principal Arhat Mogaliputra at the meeting of the Third Synod, in B. C. 241, in the 18th year after Asoka's inauguration.

His wife Asandhimitrá was a

CHAPTER X.

THIRD SYNOD.

1. The Third Synod was composed of one thousand holy arhats, selected by TISHYA, the son of the Brahman MUDGALA, from whom he received the patronymic of Maudgalaputra (Páli, Mogaliputa), by which he is generally known.* This Synod was assembled, at the express desire of Asoka, for the purpose of discovering and expelling the multitude of heretics,† who had insinuated themselves into the monasteries, by shaving their heads, and by assuming the yellow dress of the Buddhist ascetics. Each sect professed its own creed, saying, "This is Dharma ;

The assumption of patronymics became quite necessary, owing to a partial fondness for particular names. Thus, there were four other Tishyas, besides the leader of the Third Synod:-1st, Tishya, the brother of Asoka; 2nd, Tishya, the Arhata, who died of an ulcer in his foot; 3rd, Tishya, the King of Ceylon; 4th, the ambassador of the Ceylonese king. Of these, Asoka's brother alone is called Tishya: the others have additional names.

+ Tithaya; that is, the Tirthakas, or Tirthakaras. See Turnour's Páli Annals, in Prinsep's Journal, vi. 732.