1hS3v-] p. N. Boso — Noieon MaJiislimnti. 127 



4. Note on Mdhishmati or Ifahesvara (MaJiesar) on the Nnrmndd, and the 

 identification of Hiouen Thsang's ' Mahesvarapura' — By P. N. BoSE, 

 B. Sc, F. G. S. 



Last year in a short paper on some pottery found at Mahesvara on 

 the Narmada, I cited the authority of General Cunningham for its identi- 

 fication with the " Mo-hi-shi-fa-lo-pu-lo" of Hiouen Thsang.* On a subse- 

 quent reference to his work, however, I found that his " Mahesvarapura" 

 is quite a different place, the limits of its territory being fixed approximate- 

 ly as " extending from Dumoh and Leoni (?) on the west to the sources of 

 the Narbada on the east."t 



Mahesvara (the place of my finds) being, as will be shewn in the 

 sequel of this note, a city of great antiquity, and the only one of that name 

 on the Narmada, I concluded, with culpable haste no doubt, that it must 

 be identical with the " Mahesvarapura " of General Cunningham, and 

 omitted to examine his description closely. 



The place identified by this eminent archseologist is known as Mandla 

 or Garh-Mandla, south of Jabbalpur, also on the Narmada like our 

 Mahesvara, but no less than 300 miles to the east. The ancient name 

 of Mandla is given as MakawatiJ by Tod. Sleeman in a paper on the 

 " Gurha Mandla Eajas " in the Journal of the Asiatic Society§ spells this 

 as " Mahikmati" ; and General Cunningham changes it to " Mahishmati- 

 pura," though quoting Sleeman as his sole authority. 



Granting this alteration to be warrantable, it is nowhere mentioned 

 as " Mahesvarapura " or " Mahesvara," and unless it could be shewn that 

 this name was also applied to ancient Mandla, the identification of Hiouen 

 Thsang's " Mahesvarapura" with it is certainly questionable. 



Starting from Jajhoti (modern Khajura), a journey of 900 li to the 

 north is stated to have brought the Chinese pilgrim to Mahesvarapura. || 

 General Cunningham proposes to read this as " 900 li (or 150 miles) to 

 the south," in which position he finds Mandla. But he, having got 

 the pilgrim there, does not find any means of getting him out of it. 

 The following passage concludes the notice of Mahesvarapura in the 

 Memoirs : 



*'En sortant de ces pays, il revint dans le royaume de Kiu-tche-lo 

 (Gourdjdjara), puis il reprit la route da Nord. Apres avoir fait dix neuf 



* Journ. As. Soc. Vol. LT, part I, p. 228. 



t "Ancient Geography " p. 489. 'Leoni ' is probably a misprint for Seoni. 



X " Rajasthan," Vol. II, p. 415, (quoted in the Central Prov. Gaz. Introduction, 



p. 1.). 



§ Op. cit. for 1837, p. 622. 



y " Memoires de Hiouen Thsang," II. p. 169. 



