49-1 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [April, 



To W. B. O'Shaughnessy Esq. 



Senr. Secy. Asiatic Society. 



My dear Sir, — Having now seen the supplementary number of the 

 Journal of our Society, I beg to answer the call of members assembled at the 

 May meeting, therein recorded, and offer my opinion on the suggestions of 

 Mr. J. Muir, touching the subject of adopting Hindu and Jain Architecture 

 in designing and building the new Colleges. 



I am of opinion that the Hindu or the Budhist styles, could well be adopt- 

 ed ; of the Jain, I can say nothing, not having met with any specimens, ex- 

 cept what are given in Tod's work, and too indistinct to copy from ; however 

 I would offer a few remarks applicable to any order of architecture, Classic, 

 Gothic, Saracenic, or Indian, &c. 



It has ever appeared to me that those races who were sufficiently advanced 

 in civilization to practise architecture and sculpture, had no doubt fixed rules 

 for guidance in their designs ; that each had marked pecularities, and striking 

 dissimilarities, which had only been deviated from in later times, through vari- 

 ous causes. The chief of these would seem to have been the result of inter- 

 national intercourse from conquest. The conquerors wishing to establish 

 their own, but with imperfect means of instructing the conquered, who on 

 their side were disinclined to part with their favorite forms. 



The blending of one style with another, however skilfully performed and 

 pleasing the effect to the eye of the multitude, is not to be lauded ; something 

 ever remains wanting, and offends that of men of taste, of many even who 

 feeling defect to exist, could not point out in what particular ; hence I must 

 differ from Mr. Muir, as to his proposal to collect and put together fragments 

 such as those displayed in Tod's Rajastan ; indeed, the extreme richness of 

 detail would alone render the copying them impracticable in these times of 

 rigid economy and utilitarianism ; we must then look to the most simple forms, 

 of which we have an abundance close to Benares itself, (where one College is 

 about to be built) without borrowing from Rajpootana. I allude to sundry 

 fragments in the city and the vast ruins at Jounpoor appropriated by the 

 Mahomedans in early times. 



For " Indo-Mahomedan" details my publication on that subject affords 

 ample data ; a judicious application of them alone is all that is necessary. I 

 however must here lament my past inability to complete what I began ; I 

 intended to have classed each style or stage of this clever compound under a 

 separate head to prevent the architect and builder making those displeasing 

 jumbles of ornamental parts and of other features which are ever and anon 

 perpetrated in the present day, in the works of native architects in particular, 

 such as Saracenic arches springing from lean Corinthian shafts and capitals, 



