1891.] A. M. Markham —Archaeological Excavations in Bijnor. 7 
the Buddhist creed, as above. Specimens of this medal have been 
deposited in the Lucknow Museum. 
Fourthly. One copper salai or instrument for applying antimony 
to the eyes, similar to those found in the Bihat excavations (vide Prin- 
sep’s (Thomas’) Indian Antiquities, Fig. 18, PI IV.) 
Judging from the type of character used in the inscriptions on 
these medals, the stamp was probably of the 8th, or at latest of the 9th 
century of the Christian era. The date of the building of the stiipa can¬ 
not therefore be earlier than A. D. 700. 
The excavating shaft was carefully continued down to the founda¬ 
tions, but nothing else was found. The entire mound consists of an 
uniform mass of solid brick work. The bricks are chiefly of large size 
(14 x 8 X 2^), laid in mud. They are all well-burnt, some being very 
hard. Small galleries, driven in at about present ground level, or a 
little lower, and at the cardinal points, might yield something. The 
shaft ought to be thatched over before the rains, or it will fill with 
water, and the mound will be much injured thereby. 
The old fort of Mordhaj (Mayura Dhwaja), if it were built by 
the king of that name, would date from about the beginning of the 
10th century of our era. A Mayura Dhwaja reigned in Gauda (Gonda), 
a portion of the ancient realm of Ayodhya, in 900 A. D. (Archaeological 
Report, I, 329. But see Vol. XVII, 98, where General Cunningham 
may be understood as placing Mayura Dhwaja and his brethren in the 
8th century A. D.). Mr. Carlleyle, not a very trustworthy authority, 
however, (Archaeological Report, VI, 233) has a Mora Dhwaj flourishing 
anywhere between 50 and 210 B. C.; while the popular tradition, which 
makes him contemporary with the Pandus, would relegate him at 
least to the 14th century before Christ! We may assume, I think, that 
the fort was not built before the beginning of the 10th century. If 
so, and if I am correct in referring the characters on the seals to the 
8th or at latest the 9th century, (and I think that the former is more 
likely,) then, of course, the stupa which I have excavated is much older 
than the ruined fort which surrounds it. 
The whole country round the fort, for several square miles, is 
covered with almost uninterrupted traces of ancient ruins, chiefly com¬ 
posed of pieces of the large bricks of the builders of those days. All 
cuttings in the course of the work of widening the Najibabad and Kot- 
dwara road, about to be taken ia hand, should be carefully carried out, 
and well watched, where they pass through these ruins. The place 
must have been the site of a large and wealthy city. It may have been 
one of those many in this neighbourhood which perished in the extermi¬ 
nations of the ruthless Timur, *at the close of the 14th century. There 
