212 "V. A. Smith — Grcsco-Roman influence on Ancient India. [Aug. 



in a somewhat elaborate way. It would be impossible to give an ade- 

 quate summary of the arguments in a small space. 



The external evidence for the date of the Gandhara sculptures is 

 first examined. It falls chiefly under three heads, Epigraphic, Numis- 

 matic, and the records of the Chinese pilgrims. 



The only inscription which gives any real help in determining the 

 chronology is the one dated 274, recently discovered by Mr. L. White 

 King. Reasons are given for referring this date to the S'aka era, and 

 interpreting it as equivalent to A. D. 352. 



The numismatic testimony is very scanty. Coins of Azes fix the 

 approximate dates of the Taxilean temples with Ionic pillars and of the 

 statuette of Pallas Athene. 



The finding of coins of Vasu Deva at Jamalgarhi does not conflict 

 with the other evidence which refers the remains at that site to the early 

 part of the third century A. D. 



The details of the reported discovery of coins of Kanishka at 

 Sanghao are very puzzling, and, if implicitly accepted, would involve the 

 dating of almost all the Gandhara sculptures earlier than A. D. 78. 



It is shown that this conclusion is altogether inadmissible, and that 

 consequently there must be some mistake in the observation of the 

 discovery of Kanishka's coins, or in the interpretation of that observa- 

 tion. 



A long argument is devoted to the establishment of limiting dates 

 for the sculptures, and the gradual contraction of these limits by sup- 

 plementary reasoning. Mr. Fergusson's and Sir A. Cunningham's opi- 

 nions are discussed at length, and the relations between the Gandhara 

 school and the art of the Roman empire are examined and illustrated in 

 detail. The records of the Chinese pilgrims are utilized to supplement 

 the evidence offered by the sculptures themselves. 



A brief resume of the known facts concerning the commercial inter- 

 course between India and the Roman Empire is given to facilitate the 

 comprehension of the comparisons made between Indian and Roman 

 art, and to assist in fixing the limiting dates. 



The principal conclusions finally arrived at are : — 



(1.) That the Taxilean temples with Ionic pillars, and a very few 

 sculptures, notably the statuette of Pallas Athene, date from the begin- 

 ning of the Christian era, or a little earlier ; and are, like the sculptures 

 at Bharhut and Buddha Gaya, results of Hellenistic, as distinguished 

 from Roman, influence. 



(2). The sculptures from the Gandhara or Tusufzai country near 

 Peshawar are the work of a local school, probably founded by a foreign 

 colony, which drew its inspiration directly from Roman, and, only re- 

 motely, from Greek art. 



