1889.] 



on the Civilization of Ancient India. 



L51 



son places in the eighth century, and Sir A. Cunningham at the be- 

 ginning of the fifth. 



The extension of the Gheco- Buddhist series of sculptures down to 

 the eighth century A. D. by Mr. Fergusson was suggested by the pub- 

 lished accounts of the opening of the great tope at Munikyala many years 

 ago by General Ventura. 



The undisturbed deposit which was found in the lower portion of 

 that building included coins of Kanishka and Huvishka, and none 

 later, and is legitimately interpreted as signifying that the structure 

 in its original form cannot be older than A. .D. 110, nor much later than 

 A. D. 150. 



The upper deposits, about the exact position of which there is 

 some doubt, contained various coins ranging in date from A. D. 632 to 

 about A. D. 730, and undoubtedly show that the top of the building must 

 have been opened in the eighth century, and a deposit then made. But 

 they prove nothing more. 



We arc altogether ignorant of the circumstances under which these 

 upper deposits were made, and it is very unsafe to build any historical 

 theories on their existence. The great tope at Mauikyala is adorned 

 with Indo-Corinthian pilasters, the existing capitals of which are exe- 

 cuted in kanlcar, or nodular limestone. Sir A. Cunningham supposes 

 that all the original work of the tope was in sandstone, and that the 

 Jcanhar mouldings date from the eighth century.* No other example 

 of Indo-Corinthian work of that date is known, and, if the existing 

 capitals were executed in the" eighth century, I feel certain that they 

 were mere restorations. As a matter of fact their date is quite uncer- 

 tain. The attempt to connect the coin of Yaso Varma, A. D. 730, 

 Which was found in the upper deposit, with supposed repairs of the 

 tope in the eighth century is purely conjectural.t All wo really know 

 is that somebody for some reason unknown opened the building at the 

 top and put in a coin of Yaso Varma. Such an adventitious supple* 

 mentary deposit is no substantial basis for an argument that Buddhism 

 and Indo-Hcllenic art still flourished in the Gandhara region in the 

 eighth century, and, except Yaso Varma* s coin, no evidence whatever, 

 so far as I am aware, exists to support the inference that the Gandhara 

 school of art continued to exist so late as the eighth century. 



In another place, Mr. Fergusson, still relying on the same poor 

 little coin, has given an unwarrantable extension to the duration 



* Tho great Jli'uiikyiila tope if discussed by Cuuningkam at considerable length 

 in IrtHusal Il< p., Vol. II, p. 139, mid Vol. V, pp. 76—78. 



t [It is more probable that tho coin is of tho 6th century, of a Yaso Varman 

 about 532 A. D. This would admirably fit in with " the limiting date " givon on 

 p 153. See Proeeedings for August 1888. Ed.], 



