1G2 V. A. Smith —Gold Coi^is of the Tmjjerial Gupta Dynasty. [J^o. 2, 
tions at Bilsar (20 miles N. E. of Eta) containing the genealogy of 
Kumara Gupta.'* * * § A copper-plate grant dated in the reign of Skanda 
Gupta has been found at Indor Khera, eight miles S. S. W. of Anup- 
shahr.f This is a meagre list when compared with the catalogue of 
inscribed pillars and ruined edifices which are known to exist eastward. 
Allahabad (Pray aga) possesses the great inscription containing the 
history of Samudra Gupta, engraved after his death on the pillar set up 
by the great Maurya emperor of Pataliputra,;]; and in the neighbourhood 
of Allahabad numerous ruins and inscriptions of the Gupta period are 
found at Kosambi (Kosam),§ Garhwa or Bhafgarh,|| and Bitha- 
Deoriya.^ Going further east, we find at Bhitari in the Ghazipur district, 
between Benares and Ghazipur, the celebrated inscribed pillar giving the 
history of Skanda Gupta, associated with the ruins of extensive brick 
buildings belonging to the reign of his predecessor Kumara.** * * §§ The 
uninscribed pillar at Zamania in the same district appears to be of about 
the same date ;tt still further east, Bihar has pillars to show, which 
were inscribed in the reigns of Kumara and Skanda, J;]] and in the 
Gorakhpur district, north of Ghazipur, is to be seen the Jain pillar at 
Kahaon dedicated in the reign of Skanda Gupta. §§ 
The distribution of the architectural and sculptural remains, there¬ 
fore, closely coincides with that of the gold and copper coins, and is 
equally adverse to the claim of Kanauj to the honour of having been the 
Gupta capital. 
There is no reason to suppose that the sway of the Guptas extended 
over Lower Bengal, and it seems probable that the coins found in that 
province came there in the course of trade and travel,* and mark the line 
of a trade route which led to Tamralipti or some other ancient port at 
the mouths of the Ganges. ||j| 
Sir E. C. Bayley has been good enough to favour me with his criti¬ 
cism on the views above enunciated, the outline of which was submitted 
* lUd. XI, 17. 
t Ihid. XII, 38. 
J Prinsep’s Essays, Vol. I, p. 233. 
§ Cunningham Arch. Rep X, 3 seqq. 
II Ihid., Ill, 53 seqq. and X, 10, seqq. 
^ Ihid. Ill, 48 and X, 7, 8. 
** Ihid. I. 97 seqq., etc. The second vowel in Bhitari is not long as it is gen¬ 
erally marked. 
ft Ihid. Ill, 62. 
XX Ihid. 1, 36. 
§§ The corrected facsimile and translation with notes are given in Ind. Antiquary 
for 1881, pp. 124-126. 
III! The Chinese account above referred to proves that the Indian capital in the 
middle of the third century A. D. was a place of active trade. 
