380 On the Epoch of the Gupta Dynasty. [No. 5. 



might have been more reason in the association ; except, that even 

 Major Cunningham might perhaps be unprepared, either to assert 

 that Sri Gupta was Icing of India, or to modernise his date to so 

 late a period as 502 A. B. ! 



I now arrive at the crowning point of the Chinese evidence which 

 is thus stated : " lastly Huen Thsang names five princes of Magadha, 

 who flourished previous to the conquest of the country by Siladitya 

 in the following order Lagraditya, Buddha Gupta, Takta Gupta, 

 Baladitya, VajraP Major Cunningham then proceeds to tack on this 

 list of princes to an imaginary second Skanda Gupta, and to argue, that 

 Siladitya, in or about A. D. 600, conquered and superseded the 

 last of these five monarchs : what justification the original text of 

 Foe-koue-hi may have afforded, for placing these kings immediately 

 prior to Siladitya, I have no means, at this moment, of ascertaining, 

 but, that it has proved a most infelicitous experiment, the now 

 published translation of Huen Thsang's travels too clearly mani- 

 fests ! So far from the author in question giving any authority for 

 these five monarchs being located in the second half of the 6th 

 century, he absolutely assigns them to a period shortly succeeding 

 the Nirvana of Buddha or at about 700 years prior to the date at 

 which he himself visited India ! I transcribe this passage entire in 

 order that there may remain no possible doubt of the justice of my 

 somewhat startling rectification ! 



"Apres le Nirvana du Buddha, un ancien roi de ce royaume^ 

 nomme Cho-kia-lo-o-tie-to (Cakrdditya) , rempli de respect et d'amour 

 pour le Bouddha, construisit a ses frais Ce Kia-lan (Sdmghdrdma) . 



" Ce roi etant mort, eut pour successeur son fils Fo-to-k'io-to 

 (Buddhagoupta) , qui, apres avoir pris les renes de ce grand royaume, 

 construisit plus loin, aU sud, un autre Kia-lan. 



" Un peu plus loin a Test, son fils, le roi Ta-t'a-kie-to (Tathdgata), 

 batit un autre couvent. 



" Plus loin au nord-est, son fils Polo'ot'ieto (Baladitya) batit un 

 autre couvent. 



" Dans la suite, voyant qu'un saint religieux venait de la Chine, 

 et se dirigeait vers lui pour recevoir de ses mains les provisions 

 nccessaires, il fut transporte de joie, quitta son trone et embrassa 

 la vie religieuse. 



