"All that has hitherto been done towards the illustration of ancient Indian history has been due to the unaided efforts of private individuals. These researches consequently have always been desultory and unconnected and frequently incomplete, owing partly to the short stay which individual officers usually make at any particular place, and partly to the limited leisure which could be devoted to such pursuits.

"Hitherto the Government has been chiefly occupied with the extension and consolidation of empire, but the establishment of the Trigonometrical Survey shews that it has not been unmindful of the claims of science. It would redound equally to the honor of the British Government to institute a careful and systematic investigation of all the existing monuments of ancient India.

"In describing the ancient geography of India, the elder Pliny, for the sake of clearness, follows the footsteps of Alexander the Great. For a similar reason, in the present proposed investigation, I would follow the footsteps of the Chinese pilgrim Hwen Thsang, who, in the seventh century of our era, traversed India from west to east and back again for the purpose of visiting all the famous sites of Buddhist history and tradition. In the account of his travels, although the Buddhist remains are described in most detail with all their attendant legends and traditions, yet the numbers and appearance of the Brahmanical temples are also noted, and the travels of the Chinese pilgrim thus hold the same place in the history of India, which those of Pausanias hold in the history of Greece.

"In the North-Western Provinces and Bihâr the principal places to be visited and examined are the following, which are also shown in the accompanying sketch map:

"I. Khálsi, on the Jumna, where the river leaves the hills. At this place there still exists a large boulder stone, covered with one of Asoka's inscriptions, in which the names of Antiochus, Ptolemy, Antigonus, Magas, and Alexander are all recorded. This portion of the inscription, which on the rock of Kapurdigiri (in the Yusufzai plain), and of Dhauli (in Cuttack) is much mutilated and abraded, is here in perfect preservation. A copy of this inscription and an account of the ruins would therefore be valuable.

"II. Haridwar, on the Ganges, with the opposite city Mayurpoora.

"III. Mandawar, Sambhal, and Sahaswán, in Rohilkhand.

"IV. Karsâna near Khâsganj.

"V. Sankissa, between Mainpuri and Fattehgarh, where it is known that many remains of Buddhism still exist. This was one of the sacred places amongst the Buddhists.

"VI. Mathura.-In one of the ancient mounds outside the city the remains of a large monastery have been lately discovered. Numerous statues, sculptured pillars, and inscribed bases of columns, have been brought to light. Amongst these inscriptions, some, which are dated in an unknown era, are of special interest and value. They belong most probably to the first century of the Christian era, and one of them records the name of the great King Huvishka, who is presumed to be the same as the Indo-Scythian King Hushka.

"VII. Delhi.-The Hindu remains of Delhi are few, but interesting. The stone pillars of Asoka and the iron pillar are well known, but the other remains have not yet been described, although none have been more frequently visited than the magnificent ruined cloisters around the Kutb Minar, which belong to the period of the Great Tuâr dynasty.

"VIII. Kanouj.-No account of the ruins of this once celebrated capital has yet been published. Several ruins are known to exist, but it may be presumed that many more would be brought to light by a careful survey of the site.

"IX. Kausámbi.-On the Jumna 30 miles above Allahabad. The true position of this once famous city has only lately been ascertained. It has not yet been visited, but it may be confidently expected that its remains would well repay examination.

"X. Allahabad. The only existing relics of antiquity that I am aware of are the well known pillar of Asoka and the holy tree in one of the underground apartments of the fort. Many buildings once existed, but I am afraid that they were all destroyed to furnish materials for the erection of the fort in the reign of Akbar.

"XI. To the south of Allahabad there are the ruins of Kajráho and Mahoba, the two capitals of the ancient Chândel

Rajas of Bundlekhand. The remains at Kajrâho are more numerous and in better preservation than those of any other ancient city that I have seen. Several long and important inscriptions still exist, which give a complete genealogy of the Chandel dynasty for about 400 years.

"XII. Banaras.-The magnificent tope of Sârnâth is well known; but no description of the tope, nor of the ruins around it, has yet been published. At a short distance from Banaras is the inscribed pillar of Bhitari, which requires to be re-examined.

"XIII. Jonpur.-Although the existing remains at this place are Muhammadan, yet it is well known that the principal buildings were originally Hindu temples, of which the cloisters still remain almost unaltered. These ruins have not yet been described, but from my own success, in the beginning of this year, in discovering a Sanskrit inscription built into one of the arches, I believe that a careful examination would be rewarded with further discoveries of interest illustrative of the great Râthor dynasty of Kanouj.

"XIV. Fyzábad.—The ruins of Ajudhya have not been described. Numerous very ancient coins are found in the site and several ruined mounds are known to exist there; but no

account has yet been published. As the birth-place of Bâma and as the scene of one of the early events in Buddha's life, Ajudhya has always been held equally sacred, both by Brahmins and Buddhists, and I feel satisfied that a systematic examination of its ruins would be rewarded by the discovery of many objects of interest.

"XV. Srávasti.-Even the site of this once celebrated city is unknown, but it may be looked for between Fyzâbâd and Gorakhpur.

"XVI. Kapilavastu, the birth-place of Buddha, was held in special veneration by his followers, but its site is unknown.

"XVII. Kusinagara, the scene of Buddha's death, was one of the most holy places in India in the estimation of Buddhists, but its site is at present unknown. It may, however, confidently be looked for along the line of the Gunduk river. At Kapila and Kusinagara, the scenes of Buddha's birth and death, numerous topes and stately monasteries once existed to attest the pious munificence of his votaries. The ruins of many of these buildings must still

exist, and would no doubt reward a careful search. At Mathia, Radhia, and Bakra, in Tirhut, stone pillars still remain, and in other places ruined topes were seen by Major Kittoe; but no description of these remains has yet been made known.

"XVIII. Vaisáli.-This city was the scene of the second Buddhist synod, and was one of the chief places of note amongst Buddhists. At Bassar, to the north of Patna, one tope is known to exist, but no search has yet been made for other remains. The people of Vaisâli were known to Ptolemy, who calls them Passalce.

"XIX. Patna.-The ancient Palibothra. I am not aware that there are any existing remains at Patna, but numerous coins, gems, and seals are annually found in the bed of the river.

"XX. Rajagriha, between Patna and Gaya, was the capital of Magadha in the time of Buddha. Some of the principal scenes of his life occurred in its neighbourhood, and the place was consequently held in very great veneration by all Buddhists. Every hill and every stream had been made holy by Buddha's presence, and the whole country around Rajagriha was covered with buildings to commemorate the principal events of his life. Numerous ruined topes, sculptured friezes, and inscribed pillars still remain scattered over the country as lasting proofs of the high veneration in which this religious capital of Buddhism was held by the people.

"In this rapid sketch of the places that seem worthy of examination, I have confined myself entirely to the NorthWestern Provinces, and Bihâr, as containing most of the cities celebrated in the ancient history of India. But to make this account of Indian archæological remains more complete, it would be necessary to examine the ancient cities of the Panjâb, such as Taxila, Sâkala, and Jalandhar on the west, the caves and inscribed rocks of Cuttack and Orissa on the east, and the topes and other remains of Ujain and Bhilsa, with the caves of Dhamnar and Kholvi in Central India.

"I believe that it would be possible to make a careful examination of all the places which I have noted during two cold seasons. The first season might be devoted to a survey of Gaya and Rajagriha, and of all the remains in Tirhut to the eastward of Banâras and Gorakhpur, while the survey of all to the westward of Banaras would occupy the second season.

"I would attach to the description of each place a general survey of the site, showing clearly the positions of all the existing remains, with a ground plan of every building or ruin of special note, accompanied by drawings and sections of all objects of interest. It would be desirable also to have photographic views of many of the remains, both of architecture and of sculpture; but to obtain these it would be necessary to have the services of a photographer. Careful fac-similes of all inscriptions would of course be made, ancient coins would also be collected on each site, and all the local traditions would be noted down and compared. The description of each place with all its accompanying drawings and illustrations would be complete in itself, and the whole, when finished, would furnish a detailed and accurate account of the archæological remains of Upper India."

A perusal of the four reports contained in these volumes will show that I carried out with but little deviation the programme laid down in this memorandum. The report of each season's works was written during the following hot weather and rains, which was too short a period to admit of sufficient reading and reflection for the preparation of a well considered account of all the interesting places visited. Each report was printed immediately after its submission to Government for official circulation. Some of these official copies have been reprinted, but the whole stock was soon exhausted, and, as frequent enquiry is still made for them, the present publication is intended to place within the reach of all who are interested in archæological researches a cheap account of the only systematic, though incomplete, survey that has yet been made of the antiquities of Northern India.

The work has been carefully examined and cleared of all obvious errors; and numerous alterations and additions have been made to the text, which is now supplied with the necessary notes and references that were wanting in the official copies. To make the account as complete as possible, I have added no less than ninety-nine maps, views, plans and other illustrations, all of which have been drawn by my own hand.

SIMLA;

1.}

The 15th October 1871.

A. CUNNINGHAM.