1898.] G. A. Grierson— JK'rtm7/a Bamayana of Tutsi Das. 113 



made at the same time a thorough search of the neighbourhood quite 

 impracticable. At neither of the two localities could I trace any 

 ancient ruins overground. 



I cannot conclude this brief account of my visit to Buner without 

 referring to the very great consideration which all the military autho- 

 rities from General Sir Bindon Blood, the commander of the force, 

 downwards have shown for my work. On no occasion did I apply 

 to them in vain for needful assistance and personally I doubt whether 

 a civilian on a similar mission could ever have met with a kindlier 

 reception than that which was accorded to me among the officers of 

 the Buner Field Force. I feel particularly grateful to General 

 Meiklejohn, Commanding the First Brigade, and his staff for the free 

 scope they allowed for my movements. Nor shall I forget the excellent 

 marching power of the excort furnished to me by his old regiment, the 

 20th Punjab Infantry, which enabled me to make full use of the free- 

 dom thus allowed to me. 



I intend to complete here at Mardan, in the centre of the old 

 Gandhara my detailed report before I return to Lahore and the cares 

 of the University office. 



7. Note on the date of the composition of the Kavitta Ucimai/ana of 

 Tulsi Das,— By G. A. Grierson, C.I.E., Ph.D., I.C.S. 



Any fact which helps us to fix the date of the writings of Tulasi 

 Dasa is of importance to the history of Indian Literature. 



The Kavitta Ramayana of this poet is a collection of Kavittas written 

 at different times. On page 97 of Vol. XXIII (1893) of the Indian 

 Antiquary^ I was able to show, from astronomical calculations, that the 

 171st Kavitta of the Uttara Kanda was written between 16 J 2 and 1614 

 A.D. 



Kavittas 163 to 177 are usually considered as forming a group by 

 themselves referring to the plague which invaded India in the reign of 

 Jahangir, 



In Kavittas 163-166, the poefc addresses piva, interceding on 

 behalf of Benares, which is suffering from a terrible calamity, the 

 people dying, as if from poison. In Nos. 167 and 168^ he addresses 

 Parvati in the same strain, and iti both, he distinctly mentions the 

 plague {mahamdri). In 169, he addresses Hanuman, and again men- 

 tions the plague. In 170 he addresses Hanuman and Ramacandra and 

 again mentions the plague by name. In 171-173, he addresses Rama- 

 candra alone. In 171, he does not mention the plague. He refers to 

 the oppressions which Benares i^. suffering from the Musalmans. The 

 astronoinical reference in this Katitta enables us, as I have shown else- 

 where, to fix the date of its writing, as between 1612 and 1614 A.D. 



