1839.] Notice of Inscriptions in Behar. 349 



The third informs us, that in the reign of Shah Jehan the Just, 

 Habib Sur (the Raj no doubt) constructed the basin of Sharaf-ad-din, 

 and "repaired (babast) and made this sublime Id-gah, and the brick 

 pavement." Mr. Ravenshaw informs us, that this saint died in 782. a. h. 

 The dedication of the basin is therefore a posthumous honor. 



In the last line of the third couplet of the epitaph on Ibrahim Bayu 

 we have hazarded a correction, — Kin-toz for Kin-loz. The first, however 

 unusual as a compound, may mean zealous or fervent, the second has no 

 sense. This good man it seems " was royal in his disposition, and in re- 

 ligion as fervent as Abraham." He died in the month of Hajj on a 

 Sunday. The line obliterated would have supplied the date. The 

 concluding line prays " that God may make easy his last account." 



A correct plate of Mr. Ravenshaw's sketch of the tower of Jara'- 

 sandha near Girik is annexed. Mr. Ravenshaw has detailed the 

 pauranic legend of this [ AsurJ demon, (not Assyrian). The term is 

 given to the foes of Krishna. Kansa, the slain son-in-law of Jarasan- 

 dha, and the uncle of Krishna, is so called, (See Wilson's Dictionary.) 



We are much mortified, in being obliged to send forth this Number 

 without an analysis of the inscriptions on the inverted column in the 

 fort and on the stone on the hill near Sasseram, now called Chandan- 

 Shahid, — of course from some Moslim devotee. They may, we think, 

 afford interesting historical facts. We wish Mr. Ravenshaw, or any other 

 friend to antiquarian research, could find the opportunity of taking more 

 perfect facsimiles. Captain Burns would render important service 

 if he would describe minutely the best process and fittest materials for 

 taking accurate facsimiles from engraved slabs. In the meantime we 

 suggest that other impressions be taken on damp or sized paper, and 

 that they be sent to us without any attempt to delineate in ink the 

 letters either on the concave or convex faces. If they be sent in du- 

 plicate the chance of being deciphered is greater. 



The slab to which Mr. Ravenshaw refers at the close of his 

 valuable letter has been received, and will be noticed in an early Num- 

 ber. We now pass on to that gentleman's letter. 



To the Secretary of the Asiatic Society, Calcutta. 



Sir, 

 I have the pleasure to forward for the inspection of the Society, 

 a few inscriptions collected by me in a late tour through the district 

 of Behar, in the hope that some of them may prove to be new, and 

 useful in illustrating the history of the country. No. 1, is an inscrip- 

 tion on a stone pillar found among the ruins of the fort of Behar. 



