144 V. A. Smith — Gramo-Jloman influence [No. 3, 



fragment inscribed on a rock is the only one among these records found 

 m its original position. These inscriptions consequently give no warrant 

 for the assumption that the Grseco-Buddhist sculptures are contem- 

 porary with Kanishka or Gondophares, who are mentioned in some of 

 the documents. 



The Arian inscriptions at Kharkai and Jamalgarlu are incised on 

 works of the Graco-Buddhist or Gandhara school, but are too frag- 

 mentary to be of any use. Sir A. Cunningham wishes to road the 

 characters a, ra, de, on the Kharkai relic-chamber as A'rya Deva, the 

 name of a Buddhist patriarch who flourished late in the first century 

 A. D , but this interpretation is purely conjectural, and cannot be 

 admitted. 



The result of all the foregoing discussion is the negative conclusion 

 that, with the exception of the image of Buddha dated 27-1, no epigraphic 

 evidence to prove the date of the Gandhara sculptures has yet been 

 discovered. 



This unique dated inscription is of sufficient interest to deserve a 

 particular description. I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. L. White 

 King, B. C. S., for permission to publish it.* 



In or about the year 1883, at Hashtnagar, the site of the ancient 

 Pushkalavati (Peukeloaitis), Mr. King came across a statue of the 

 standing Buddha, which was ignorantly worshipped by the Hindus as an 

 orthodox deity. He could not carry away the statue, but was allowed 

 to remove its inscribed pedestal, a photograph of which is reproduced 

 in Plate X. 



The pedestal, like most of the Gandhara sculptures, is composed of 

 blue slate, and is 14f" long by 8" high. Its front is adorned by an alto- 

 rilievo, enclosed between two Indo- Corinthian pilasters, and represent- 

 ing Buddha seated, attended by disciples, who seem to be presenting 

 offerings to him. 



An Arian inscription, consisting of a single line of character, deeply 

 and clearly cut, and in great part excellently preserved, occupies a 

 smooth band below the relief. This band was evidently prepared for the 

 inscription, which must have been executed at the same time as the 

 sculpture. The record is incomplete at the end, and the lost portion, 

 which is of very small extent, may have contained the name of the 

 person who dedicated the image. 



The extant portion was read by Sir A. Cunningham, for Mr. King, 

 as follows : — 



* I have already printed a brief notice of this inscription, accompanied by a 

 lithograph taken from a rubbing, in Indian Antiquary, Vol. XVIII, (1889), p. 257- 

 The photograph ia now published for the first time. 



