66 Ancient Indian Weights. [No. 2. 



In the field are the Bdclhi tree,* the Swastika cross, f and a later form 

 of one of the devices under No. 16 of the old series of emhlems. Le- 

 gend, in Bactrian-Pali : — 



Rajah Kranandasa Amogha-bhratisa 31ahdrajasa. The concluding 

 title of Maharaja is separated from the rest of the legend, and placed 

 independently at the foot of the reverse. % 



* This tree is another chosen emblem of later Buddhism ; but, as I have 

 before remarked, it did not appertain exclusively to the Buddhists in early times, 

 as it is to be seen on a very ancient coin implying a directly opposing faith, in 

 the fact of its bearing the name of Vishnu-deva, in old Indian-Pali characters. 



(J. A. S. B. iii. pi. xxv. fig. 1, and Prinsep's " Essays," ii. 2, vol. i. pi. vii. fig. 1.) 

 So also Q. Curtius, in his notice " Deos putant, quicquid colere coeperunt; arbores 

 maxime, quas violare capitale est" (viii. 9, § 34), refers to Indians in general, and 

 not to Buddhists in particular). Another suggestive question is raised by the 

 accompanying devices on the surface of this piece, one of which represents a 

 half-moon — a totally exceptional sign, which in conjunction with the name of 

 Vislimo, may be taken to stand for a symbol of Brahmanism as opposed to 

 Buddhism, a coincidence which may be further extended to import the pre-exis- 

 tence of Chandravansas, in designed contrast to Surya Vansas ; and an eventual 

 typical acceptation of the name in combination as Chandrra-Gwpta Vislinio-Givpta 

 (Chanaky a) — all evidencing an intentional hostility to the " Children of the Sun" 

 of Ayodhya, with whom Sakya was so immediately identified. I may as well 

 take the opportunity of adding that the remaining objects on the obverse of 

 this coin consist of the triple Caduceus-like symbol, under D 16 in the Plate, 

 together with a deer above the half-moon, and a reverse device of a horse. 



f Let the primary ideal which suggested the cross of the Swastika, be what it 

 may, the resulting emblem seems to have been appropriated by the Buddhists 

 as one of their special devices in the initial stage of the belief of Sakya-Muni. 

 The Tao szu, or " Sectaries of the mystical cross," are prominently noticed by 

 Pa Hian. (cap. xxii., xxiii.), and their doctrine is stated to have formed " the 

 ancient religion of Tibet, which prevailed until the general introduction of 

 Buddhism in the ixtli century." Mr. Caldwell has instituted an interesting in- 

 quiry into the ancient religion of the Dravidians, which bears so appositely on 

 the general question of the rise of subsequent sects in India, that I transcribe 

 the final conclusion he arives at : — " On comparing then- Dravidian system of 

 demonolatry and sorcery with ' Shamanism' — the superstition which prevails 

 amongst the Ugrian races of Siberia and the hill tribes on the south-western 

 frontier of China, which is still mixed up with the Buddhism of the Mongols, 

 and which was the old religion of the whole Tartar race before Buddhism and 

 Muhammadanism were disseminated amongst them — we cannot avoid the con- 

 clusion that those two superstitions, though practised by races so widely sepa- 

 rated, are not only similar but identical. "—Dravidian Grammar, p. 519 

 See also Makawanso, p. xlv. 



' X Papini enumerates the Swastika among the ordinary marks for sheep in use 

 in his day (Goldstiicker, p 59). It eventually became a symbol common to 

 Buddhists, Jainas and Brahmans. The symbols of the 24 Jainas are enumerat- 

 ed by Colebrooke, (As. Rs. ix. 301) as follows, No. 1, A Bull ; 2, an Elephant ; 3 a 

 Horse ; 4, an ape ; 5, a Curlew ; 6, a Lotus ; 7, a Swastika ; 8, the moon ; 9, Makara ; 

 10, a [four-petalled] Sriratsa ; 11, a Rhinoceros ; 12, a Buffaloe ; 13, a Boar ; 14, a 

 Falcon; 15, a thunderbolt, 16, an Antelope ; 17, a Goat ; 18, Nanda varta [an ara- 

 besque figure, seemingly designed to repeat the Swastika as often as possible 

 in its component lines] ; 19, ajar; 20, a Tortoise; 21, a blue water-lily; 22, a 

 conch; 23, a Serpent ; 24, a Lion. 



Kuvera's treasures or nine Gems, also illustrate the history of Indian symbols, 



