4-1.6 ON ANCIENT MONUMENTS 



found at Moui^ir is more ancient by two or three cen- 

 turies. This reduces the age of the Mo7igir grant to 

 the eighth or ninth century of the christian era ; which 

 I cannot but think more probable, than the opinion of 

 its being anterior to the birth of Christ. 



VIII. Inscriptions an Plales of Copper at Nidigal 

 and GouJDA. 



To the foregoing description of several monuments, 

 which have been pvesented to the Asiatick Society, I 

 shall add a brief notice of two other inscriptions, of 

 which copies have been received. 



Mention has been already made of a grant of land, 

 inscribed on five plates of copper, seen at Nidigal, in 

 the year 1801. It was in the possession oi 2i Brdhmana 

 residing at that place : and a copy of it was taken by 

 Major Mackenzie, which has been communicated 

 by him to the Society. The grant appears to be from 

 the second Bucca Ra'ja', who was third in succession 

 from the first prince of that name, and grandson of the 

 king by whom the grants beforementioned were made. 

 If the date liave been correctly decyphered from the 

 copy of this inscription, it is of the year 1331 Saca, 

 corresponding to A. D. 1409. 



Another inscription^ communicated by Major 

 Mackenzie, purports to be agrant by Janame'jaya, 

 the celebrated monarch who reigned in India at the 

 commencement of the present age or Caliyuga. It is 

 in the hands of the Bru/unens or priests of Goujda Agra- 

 haram in BSdnnr; and was, with some reluctance, 

 entrusted by them to Major Mackenzie, who him- 

 self took from it a copy in fac simile, the exact- 

 ness of which is demonstrated by the facility with 

 which the inscription may be decyphered from that 

 copy. The original is described as contained in 



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