INDIAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEYS. 329 



Mr. Beglar to the ancient temple of Buddha Gaya,* to Barakar, 

 Telkupi, and other localities of archaeological interest in the ancient 

 kingdom of Magadha.t 



In 1873-74 and 1874-75 General Cunningham traversed nearly 

 the whole of the western half of the Central Provinces,! his first 

 attention being directed to the magnificent stupa of Bharhut,§ 

 half-way between Allahabad and Jabalpur. Proceeding through 

 Billiard, a town formerly of considerable importance, as shown by 

 its ruined temples and fine tanks, and Eupnath, where lies one of the 

 short rock-cut inscriptions of Asoka (see p. 369), General Cunningham 

 made some researches at the great fortress of Singorgarh, a place 

 famous for the unprovoked attack made by the Muhammadan 

 Governor of Kara on the brave Hindu Princess Durgavati, whose 

 great wealth had excited the cupidity of her neighbours, and for the 

 great battle which ensued (1563 A.D.), resulting in the death and 

 defeat of Durgavati. General Cunningham also inspected the 

 curious Buddhist caves at Bhandak, near the Warda River, and 

 the fine group of temples at Markandi on the Wain Ganga River. 

 He also treats in his report of the country of the Gonds, called 

 Gondwana by the Muhammadans, which occupies the southern part 

 of the region traversed during the two seasons. The true Goncl 

 country, however, is of larger extent, and consists of the long table- 

 land which gives rise to the Tapti, the Wardha, the Wain Ganga, 

 and the Narmada. In ancient times the region would appear to 

 have been called Gauda or Gaur, and General Cunningham identifies 

 the people with the Phyllitaa (leaf-clad) Gondali of Ptolemy. 

 The tenth volume of the Archaeological Survey of India Reports, 

 issued in 1880, treats of two tours by General Cunningham in 

 Bundelkhand and Malwa in 1874-75 and 1876-77, the chief points 

 of interest in which were the discovery of several monolith capitals 



* A complete monograph on Buddha Gaya by the late Dr. Rajendrala Mitra, C.I.E., 

 was published in 1878. This work was reviewed by Dr. BhagwanLd Indraji and the 

 editor, in the Indian Antiquary for 1880, pp. 113 f. and 142 f., and in Fergusson's 

 Archaeology in India (1884), pp. 84, &c. There are short accounts of Dr. Mitra's 

 antiquarian labours in the " Times " of July 30th and " Athenaeum " of August 1st, 

 1891. 



| Mr. Beglar's Report, with a preface by General Cunningham, and illustrated by 

 plans and illustrations, forms Vol. VIII. of the Archaeological Survey of India 

 Reports. 



% Vol. IX. of the Archaeological Survey of India Reports. 



§ Described by General Cunningham in a separate work published by order of the 

 Secretary of State for India in 1579. 



