946 Description of a Colossal Jain figure [Sept. 



called Mahummoond Rajah, of the Soorsein family. At that period 

 Malwa was subject to Mahomedan power entirely, and likewise Gujerat 

 and the greater part of Rajasthan, the ruler of Malwa in sumbut 1516 

 being the celebrated Mahmood Ghiljee, the 1st. It is curious to find him 

 styled Raja and his family and race brought into a record of a temple 

 of a Hindu deity. Surasena is doubtless meant for Suryasena, of the race 

 of the sun, but it is a brahman term. However it speaks volumes for 

 Mahmood' s toleration and character. — Ferishta, who is an author of equal 

 credit and celebrity, states that both Hindu and Mahomedans were 

 alike happy under Mahmood' s sway, it being his policy to unite them in 

 ties of concord and amity, and they consequently in his reign enjoyed 

 prosperity and repose in an unusual degree. To no other prince can a 

 reign be assigned at this period, and it was in the 16th year of his reign 

 that the temple was repaired. Mahmood succeeded to the throne of 

 Hindoo in Sam vat 1500, and reigned for 34 years. Under his govern- 

 ment Malwa reached its highest prosperity as a kingdom ; its territories 

 were bounded by the Satpooras on the East and Bundlekand on the 

 West. We are thus enabled to refer both inscriptions to reigning 

 sovereigns comparatively modern it is true, but we may yet discover 

 others who will assist to fill up the many blanks that historical cata- 

 logues require. In the later inscriptions of Samvat 1516, the Ratna- 

 kirti take pains to describe his spiritual predecessors and teachers, Jain 

 gurus and arhats doubtless, of some local consideration. He makes him- 

 self the 3rd descendant, the pupil of Shri Kamalkirti Deva, who was 

 the grandfather of Rayavudie, and pupil of Shri Hemakirti, and he 

 again of Shri Kshemakirti. The matter worthy of note in these is the 

 term kirti, a very usual title of Digambara Jats, which I have in another 

 place supposed the Indrajit Jains to be. After them follow a list of 

 local gurus who assisted in consecrating and in the daily worship of the 

 image of Indrajit. The paleography of the appellation, the affix of 

 the word Jain to it, and its application to a figure, is singular, equally is 

 its having been preserved unchangeable contrary to the habit of the 

 Jains, who are whimsical in these matters. Were Indra the deity 

 invoked it would not be surprising, but there is no trace whatever of 

 an image of him ; none certainly in a posture of adoration, or as Dvara- 

 pals, the position and place assigned to the devatas, brahman and other 

 wise men which the Jains acknowledge. That they recognise deities of the 



