1837.] and on the Progress of Buddhism to the Eastward. 5 



he was unable to decipher. According to Mr. H. T. Colebrooke,* the 

 religious books of the Jains are written in the Pracrit called Magadhi, 

 which he believes to be the Pali of Ceylon, and cites one of their works, 

 the Calpa Sutra composed about 1500 years ago, written in this language, 

 observing that the Sanscrit language is used by the Jainas for transla- 

 tions or for commentaries, on account of the great obscurity of the 

 Pracrit tongue. 



Major Wilfoi'd with considerable ingenuity and much research traces 

 the intercourse that formerly prevailed between Magadha, Nepal, 

 Thibet and China. But the spread of Buddhism southerly to the 

 peninsula of India and the island of Ceylon, is by no means satisfac- 

 torily elucidated. The translations of the Mackenzie MSS. and that of 

 the Mahawanso will throw much light, it is to be expected, on this part 

 of Indian history, as well as on the expedition of Rama and the expul- 

 sion of the Jainas, who are identified with the Buddhists. It is certain 

 that at a very early period fierce disputes arose between them and the 

 Brahmins, which terminated in the expulsion of the former from the 

 shores of India. Many took refuge in Ceylon, and probably some few 

 contrived to escape to Java, Sumatra and other islands to the eastward. 



Date of Expulsion from India. The date of this event or events, 

 as well as that of the expedition of Rama, with which perhaps the first 

 persecutions of the Buddhists by the Brahmins may be found to be con- 

 nected (Hemachundra, an ancient Jain author enumerates among 

 the nine foes of Vishnu the king of Lanca Havana, and the king of 

 Magadha, Jara, Sandha both probably worshippers of Buddha (As. 

 Res. ix— 316), are epochs, the fixing of which I take to be of considera- 

 ble importance in Indian history. Their final expulsion from the Dec- 

 can was not effected, according to Mr. Chambers, until so late as the 

 9th or 12th century of the Christian era ; and, according to the Hindu 

 author of a history of Cashmir translated by order of the emperor 

 Akber, it was not till the reign of Naikh the 59th prince of 

 Cashmir, that the Brahmins of Cashmir got the better of the followers 

 of Buddha and burned down their temples. Dr. Francis Buchananf 

 fixes the reign of JVaikh at about A. D. 342. 



Arracan and Burma. We shall now attempt to trace this singular 

 religion eastwards. It appears certain that the people inhabiting the 

 countries immediately to the eastward of the empire of Magadha 

 soon adopted the tenets of Buddha— among the rest the Mughs or 

 Magas of Arracan ; from which nation, Buchanan is of opinion, 

 the Burmese received their religion, laws, and government, about 600 



* As. Res. IX. page 310. 



4. As. Res. vi. 165.— Mr. Colebrooke asserts (As. Res. ix. 294) that this passage 

 cited by Dr. Buchanan is not supported by the Persian or Sanscrit text. 



