188 
H. G. Raverty— The Mihran of Sind and its Tributaries. [No. 3, 
unusually, but generally, contained in Hindu idol-temples, beneath where 
the idol stood, and such as Sultan Mahmiid-i-Sabuk-Tigin discovered 
beneath the idol in the temple of Som-nath. 82 The Balaziri continues : 
“ There was an aperture from above into this receptacle through which 
the gold was poured in ; and it is from this circumstance that Multan 
is called ‘ the Far/ch or Temple containing the Bait or Receptacle 
for Gold.’ The idol-temple of Multan received rich offerings from the 
people of Sind, and others who made pilgrimages thereto.” 
This writer details the history, rather than the geography, of Sind 
and Multan. 
Ibn Khurdad-bih, whose work does not contain much on the sub¬ 
jects here discussed, says : “ Multan is called ‘ the Farkh [ ] or 
Temple of the Bait or Receptacle of Gold,’ because Muhammad, the son 
of Kasim, the conqueror of Sind, and lieutenant [of his uncle and father- 
in-law], Al-Hajjaj, acquired forty buliars 83 of gold in a depository or 
receptacle in that place, which was henceforth called ‘ the Bait or Re¬ 
ceptacle of gold.’ * * * From the Mihran to [ sic in MSS. and in 
the printed text of M. Barbier de Meynard], which is the first place 
on the borders of Hind, is four day’s journey.” 84 
Abu-Zaid-al-Hasan of Siraf states, that “ the idol [temple] called 
Multan or Multan lies on the frontiers of Mansuriyah ; 85 and people 
come a distance of many months’ journey, and make pilgrimages there¬ 
unto. They bring thither the ’ud-i-kumari [the sweet-smelling wood 
82 The depositing of treasure in a vault or chamber in the midst of idol-temples 
was not peculiar to Multan, as shown from the fact here related, under or beneath 
the idol, and not in its “ belly,” as some of the “ Firishta” translations have. Mir 
Ma’sum of Bakhar also states, that, when Muhammad, the son of Kasim, early in 
94 H., captured Asal Ivandah or Askandah, north of the Biah, and a considerable 
distance above l/ chch h for which it has been “ identified ” (see note further on), 
its idol temple was destroyed, and in the midst thereof, deposited, an immense 
treasure was found. 
At this very time (1889 A. D.), the Mahant , or religious superior of the idol tem¬ 
ple of Tripati, in the Madras Presidency, has been convicted of robbing the vault or 
chamber under the idol, and appropriating the treasure contained therein. See also 
page 191, and note 97. 
83 See page and note just referred to respecting this word and its meaning. 
84 Elliot (Historians, Yol. I, page 15) actually makes Balcar out of this, by 
which he of course means Bakhar on the Ab-i-Sind or Indus. The word, as it now 
stands, is unintelligible, but might 'possibly refer to Basmid [ ]. Besides, the 
author says “ on the borders of Sind” while Bakhar is, and always has been, since 
its foundation, in Sind , but, at the period in question it was unknown. The place 
referred to lay, no doubt, east of Multan. 
85 The territory dependent on it, at that period, all Sind, of which Mansuriyah 
was the capital. 
