Dorab Saklatwalla Memorial Series No.

II.

PARSIS OF ANCIENT INDIA,

BY

SHAPUBJI

KAVASJI

HODIVALA,

.. A .

192O

THE SANJ VARTAMAN

PRESS.

Dorab Saklatwalla Memorial Series No.

II.

PARSIS OF ANCIENT INDIA.

With References from Sanskrit Books,
Inscriptions, &c.

BY

SHAPURJI KAVASJI HODIVALA,

(AUTHOR OF ZARATHUSHTRA AND
IN

B A
.

HIS

CONTEMPORARIES

THE RIQVEDA.)

PUBLISHED BY SHAPURJI KAVASJI HODIVALA,

3 E, Sleater Road,

BOMBAY.
Printed by Rustom N. Vatchaghandy at the

"

Sanj Vartaman

Press, Nos. 22-24-26, Mint Road, Fort.

1920.

DEDICflTED
TO

THE SACRED MEMORY

O F

*ate

for.

toorad famtetji

&

A PROMISING YOUTH AND A GOOD FRIEND

SUDDENLY CUT OFF
IN

THE PRIME OF HIS

LIFE,

2096717

" Our highest Religion

is

named

the

'

Worship of Sorrow.'
ill

For the son of man there

worn, but
is

is

no noble crown, well worn or

crown of thorns."
Carlyh.

Born
18-9-1890.

Died
20-1-1919.

PREFACE.
BY
MR. M.
P.

KHAREGHAT,

I.

C.S. (Retired.)

This book consists of a number of papers on various subjects, all bearing on the connection of Iranians with India from the most ancient times upto about the sixteenth cenIt is evidently tury after Christ. the result of extensive study, patient and thought. The compilation author Mr. Hodivala has written as a scholar for scholars, in most cases

based on a large evidence is that after the ancestors of the Indians came to India, the Iranian and Indian branches, although in some contact, developed independently, that the separation took place long before the time of Zoroaster, that Zoroaster was an Iranian and did all his work on Iranian soil Iranian among
accepted

and

amount

of

fully quoting his his book will also

authorities.

But
to

peoples.

be interesting

the general reader, especially Parsi, with a taste for history or antiquities. The author has done me the honour of asking me to write the preface, and I have accepted the task after some hesitation, as I have doubts I have set about my fitness for it. down below my views about some of the many subjects dealt with by the author likely to be of interest As some of the subto the reader. jects are of a controversial nature, views are likely to differ, and the author has very fairly told me to
express mine even though they may But my not coincide with his. main object has been to supplement, not criticise.

Paryii

and Prithu.

That the Persians or Parthians are mentioned by name in the Rigveda is extremely doubtful. Both tradition and modern scholarship are
probably means "ribs," and in Rv. VII-83-1 1$qKft: " with broad sickles." In Rv VIII6-46 q|f is a proper noun, but that
very
it

opposed to 105-8 q^:

this

view.*

In Rv.

I-

means "Persian"

there

is

no-

thing to show.
In this connection it must be remembered that the appellation " " Persian came to be applied to

The Aryans.
From the
the

very great similarity in ancient languages, thoughts,

traditions, rituals,

and ways of

life

Iranians and Aryan Indians it has been inferred that their ancestors must have formed a common nation at one time, and there is such a mass of evidence to support this inference, that it is commonly acOn the other cepted by scholars. hand, the theory that the Zoroastrians were a colony from northern took India, that a schism place there, and the Zoroastrians migrated
of the

the whole Iranian nation only after the rise of the Persian Achaemenians, long after the period of the Rigveda. Before then, it was confined to the people of Persis, the modern Fars, a region in the southwest of Iran, very far from India, and the Iranians called themselves by the name Airya. corresponding to the Indian 3TT^ Arya. The name of
Persia does not

occur
less

even
is
it

in

the

Avesta

much

likely to

occur in the Vedas.

See SSyana s commentary on the three verses of the Rigveda quoted at page 2 of this book also the articles Parsii and Prithu in Macdonell and Keith's Vedic Index, and the authorities quoted there, and the same words in Monier Williams' Sanikrit;

westwards
accepted.

is

one

not

The

belief

commonly commonly

Enjliih Dictionary.

II

Further,

the

Persians

called
in

We

themselves

Parsa

as

the

Behistun inscriptions, and the Hindus were not likely to change that in later times word to q?| Pami
;

they had

no difficulty in adopting the correct word qR^ffaJ Parasika. For the reason last mentioned and in the absence of other evidence it
is

tribal

believe that the used by Panini referred to the Persians, although it Persians, as is likely he knew the he belonged to the extreme northwest of India and probably flourished about 300 B. C." (Macdonell's PaniSanskrit Litarature, p. 431). been ni's Parm would seem to have
also difficult

name

to

know from classical authors that there were Parthian rulers in India about the beginning of the Christian era, and a class of coins found in and near India bearing usually legends in Greek and the Indian Kharoshthi script and Iranian names are attributed to these rulers, who are called Indo-Parthian by modern In Indian inscriptions scholars.* are literature the Pahlavas and often mentioned with the Sakas and
Yavanas, foreigners who came into India about the same period within It is inferred a few hundred years. from these three facts, viz. (1) the
practical
of the Iranian with the Indian Pahlava, (2) the existence of Parthian rulers in India, and (3) the conjunction of the Pahlavas with the .Sakas and Yavanas in Indian literature, that the Pahlavas were Parthians, and the inference is justifiable. On the other hand it has to be noted that there does not appear to have been found upto now any coin bearing the word Pahlava, nor any inscription or writing mentioning a Pahlava with an indubitable Iranian name.t The name of the Pahlava

identity

name Pahlav

a local tribe.

known

theory that the Persians were by the Assyrians is denied by a competent authority Ed. Meyer in the following words in his article on Persis in the Encyclopaedia Britannica, llth Edition, "The Persians Vol. XXI, p. 253 are not mentioned in history before the attempt to the time of Cyrus identify them with the Parsua, a district of the Zagros chains south of Lake Urmia, often mentioned by the Assyrians is not tenable." He has made a similar statement in his

The

as Parsuas

in

Rudradaman's inscription

at Gir-

nar mentioned at page 11 of this book cannot be called indubitably

Iranian.

article

on Persia, Ancient History,

in the

same book,

p. 203.

That the Pallavas

qM

of South-

Pahlava.
y^Zft is geneto have been applied believed rally The in India to the Parthians. Iranian word Pahlav is derived by from Parthava, and philologists seems to have been applied in the in Iran to Parthian first instance magnates under the Arsacides and

The name Pahlava

ern India were identical with the Pahlavas y%*53 is a theory based on slender foundations, and denied by V. Smith in the second edition
of
his
:

writes

Pallava resembles Pahlava so closely that Dr. Fleet and other writers have been disposed to favour the hypothesis
that
*

work "

p.

423,

where

he

The name

Pallavas

and

Pahlavas

were

from them

to

have been transferred

India

later to the heroes of ai cient Iran.*

* See Ed. Meyer's article Parthia in the Encyclopaedia Brit, llth Ed.. Vol. XX, p. 811, and E. Wilhelm's article on Parthia Dastur Rustomji in the translated by

See Vincent Smith's Early History of 2nd Edition, p. 224 ff. This book
be

will

referred

to

later

simply

as

V.

Smith's History. f This is so far as I know, but I may be wrong. Of course such a name may be found in the future, and would supply very good confirmation of the identification.

Dastur 822 ff.

Hoshung

Memorial

Volume)

p.

Ill

and that consequently the Southern Pallava dynasty of Kanshould be considered as of chi But recent research Persian origin. does not support this hypothesis, which was treated as probable in
identical,
first edition of this work, and it seems more likely that the Pallavas were a tribe, clan, or caste which was formed in the northern part of the Presidency, existing Madras possibly in the Vengi country, between the Krishna and the Goda-

red some centuries before Christ is of very little weight they are works of imagination, and the authors,
;

seeming
freigners

to in

mean
general,
to

only

northern

have

those
times,
in

known
the
list

them

in their

named own

the

6akas

being

included

the

Hunas and
the latter.

of the former, and the Turushkas in that of

The Sanjan Landing.

There is no good reason to doubt the tradition that the great majority of Parsis now living in India are descended from a band of Iranian refugees, who landed at or near Sanjan in the early centuries of the
Yazdajardi Era, and were given asylum there by a Hindu ruler. But the date of this landing and the identity of the Hindu ruler are matters of dispute, about which various theories have been put forward from time to time. In Chapter 6 of this book Mr. Hodivala has sought to
that the took landing place about A. D. 697 in the reign of the Chalukya king Vinayaditya of Badami, and that the Hindu ruler who is called Jadi Rana in the Kisse-i-Sanjan was either Vijayaditya, son and heir-apparent of cousin Vinayaditya, or Jayashraya of and subordinate Vinayaditya
establish,

van.

Parasika.
that the word Parasika

There can be no reasonable doubt tflT^ffa) means Persian. The whole word including
suffix

with the long vowel would seem to be Iranian, Parsik being the Pahlavi term for an inhabitant of Pars, i.e. the ancient Persis or modern It is possible Fars. that the word came into use in India only after the restoration of Persian power under the Sassanians in the third century The instances of its after Christ. use in India do not seem to be previous to the fifth century or perhaps the fourth. Kalidasa who has used it probably flourished in the fifth century.* It is given as the epithet of a Persian horse in the Amara Koja, which may date from about 500 A. D. according to Macdonell (p. 433), or from the fourth century according to Fathak (B. B. R. A. S.
the
Journal, Vol. XXIII, p. 280). passages of the Vishnu Purana

with
sari.

his

head-quarters
is

at

Nav-

This inference

based on

The
and

the Parasikas also refer to the Hunas and are hence probably not older than the fifth century, as the Hunas broke into India in that century The (V. Smith's History p. 289). Mudra Rakshasa was written in the eighth century, and the Katha Sarit-Sagara in the twelfth, and the fact that they connect the Parasikas with events which occur-

Mahabharata,

which

mention

the fact that in three of his grants Vijayaditya has described his father Vinayaditya as having levied tribute from several persons including a Parasika or Parasikas. The words are the same in all three grants, and " may mean either a king of a Persian island," or King of Persians," " or simply It is posPersians."

"

that there is here an allusion the payment of tribute by the Parsi refugees, who landed at Sanjan but having regard to the extremely vague
sible
to

language used,* one can hardly say

give an idea of this vagueness I mention a few interpretations, which can be plausibly put on it. It is quite
will
*

*
.

See
326,

Macdonell's

Sanskrit
in

Literature,

To

p.

and the foot-note

V. Smith's

History, p. 288.

iv
If there had been any reference to Sanjan or a landing of Parsis or to giving asylum to Parsis own territory, within the king's there would have been good reason to connect the language with the S me of the event in question. other theories about the fame sub-

more.

shka

is

the usual term applied t6

Mahomedans

by

Hindu

writers,

but this is not always the case. In this book there is quoted at page 122 another inscription coming
as

from
of

this
in

Mewar
the

about

one

province of the same period question in which

vt ry

ject are just as possible as

vala's,

Mr. Hodi-

the
.Saka

Mahomedans have been

and
Yavana.

called

but in my humble opinion none can be regarded as beyond However in tryreasonable doubt. ing to establish these theories their authors, as in the present case, have brought to notice a large number of interesting facts buried in out-of-

reason to for the Parasika, the Persian language,

better
of

T here was use the term invaders used

and some of
natives

them may have even been

the-way books, or put old facts in a new light and this is service which Parsis must acknowledge with all
thanks.
It
is

Persia, although Mahomedan in There is no mention of religion. any Parsi allies of Arisinha either

new
in

facts

may be

quite possible that discovered, which

the Rajput or Mahomedan records, to say nothing of Parsi tradition such omission would hardly have occurred, if the help was of
in
;

combination with those already brought out by them, may eventually solve the problems they have attempted and many others.

The Mewar
The Mewcir

importance, that it deserved special mention in a poem in praise of the family, when ncne of the other helpers, even those of Arisinha' s own family and race, are men-

such

Inscription.

inscription referred to in Chapter 8 is worth noting, but the theory that Arisinha fought against Alauddin with the help of

seems hardly tenable. The by the Bhavoriginal translation nagar Archaeological Department is quite natural, and the word Parasika seems to have been used for
Parsis

Further whence could the such information poet have got nearly two centuries after the event? If the is untenable, theory so are inferences the naturally drawn from it in this Chapter, such no battle at as that there was
tioned.

Sanjan.

The Sixteen
The 16
l'

.Slokas.

the Mahomedans with whom Arisinha fought. It is true that Turupossible that
territory
p. 222).
it

Sanskrit Slokas

refers to the levy of tribute

contain
to

an account of the

from Nestorian
G. Bhandarkar.
It is

Christians

from

Persian

as conjectured

at first by Sir

R.

Parsi

religion

(See V. Smith's History

quite possible
that
it

supposed

and customs, as it is have been given to

refers

embassy from a Persian chief either Mahomed an or Zoroastrian with complihas which mentary gifts* patriotism or perhaps it was interpreted as tribute payment for commercial purposes or It is even possible that services rendered
to an
;

Jadi Rana by the Parsi emigrants. They have been rendered accessible
to

Parsi

readers

by Mr. Hodivala,

who has

edited

them with

his

own

the tribute consisted of nothing

moiethan

dues levied on goods or ships coming from lersian ports; for this veiy reason the Gujarat Sultans considered the purts of Persia, Arabia, China, and even Malta as paying tribute to them. (See Bayley's History of Gujarat, pages 18 and 19).
import

and previous English and Gujarati translations and a Sanskrit commentary in

rial

the Dastur Hoshang MemoVolume and allowed the greater part of the same to be reprinted

with Mr.

R. B. Paymaster's edition

An edition of the Kisse-i-Sanjan.* of the Slokas has also been prepared from various manuscripts by the late well-known scholar Krvad Sheriarji
D. Bharucha, which will be shortly published by the Trustees of the Parsi Punchayat of Bombay. The oldest manuscript known, which contains only the first two ^Slokas, was written between 1654 and 1694 A.D. Other
manuscripts containing all the 16 Slokas are of the ISth century or later, and some of them give the name of the author as Aka Dharu or

would have given

rise to the inference that the author was a Parsi common priest, but Ako is not a Parsi name, and the contents of the Slokas, as will be presently seen, point to a Hindu rather than a Parsi as the author at least, if he was a Parsi, he seems to have lost touch to some extent with Parsi
;

doctrine and sentiment.

As

to

the

Ako Adhyaru
the latter
taining a
is

3Tf^T

3^"^.

Among

age of the Slokas one can make no definite assertion, save that they were known towards the end of the seventeenth century A. D. It is possible that they were written some
centuries before, but at present there appears no reliable ground for asserting so.

one of A. D. 1767 con-

Sanskrit commentary, the Hindu author of which calls himself Sivarama in his opening verse of
to
iva- f

Under ordinary circumstances the epithet Adhyaru J

homage
*

In Chapter 9 of this book Mr. Hodivala has compared with minuteness the account of the Parsi religion in

An English translation of the -Slokas published in 1808 by Dr. Drummond in his Guiarati and Marathi Grammar, and a
Gujarati transliteration ^nd translation published in 1826 by Dastur Aspandiarji of Broach in his famous book about the Kabisa have been reprinted in Mr. Paymaster's book, which also contains an old Gujarati translation, the l>nguage of which of the seems to be 17th or early 18th century. An English translation based principally on materials supplied by

the Kisse-i-Sanjan written in A. D 1599 with that in the 16 Slokas of Ako, and while fully appreciating the value of his work, I regret, I cannot agree with his conclusions. The resemblance between the works of

by Bahman Kaikobad

Dastur Hoshang of I'oona was published in 1872 by Dr. Burgess in the Indian Antiquary (Vol. I, p. 214), The SloKas as found in a manuscript in Kathiawad were brought to Jhe notice of the Rajkot Gujarati SShitya Parishad in 1909 by Mr. B, E.

Bahman and Ako seems no more than what would be due to the sameness of the subject, whereas the difference in treatment is so great as to leave little doubt that neither copied or attempted to copy the other in detail, even if he knew of the other's work. Bahman's work is
more orderly and
example,
is

Bhavnagar, and published by him under the name of PSrsi Smriti with a modern Gujarati translation made by a
Enti of

logical,
in

and

is

Hindu
tences ed by

scholar.
in the last three sen-

Pol

(street)

Abmedabad
Sheth.

t The information
is

named from
informs

one

Ak

He
Hindu

derived from the materials collectTheie are undated Sheriarji. manuscripts, but none can be said to be earlier than the 18th is It century. iivarama's Sanskrit commentary of 1767 A. D. which Mr. Hodivala has pur-lished but without the opening verse containing his name. Sheriarji has also included it in his edition from a modern copy of the fame maHe in 1887 but containing the opening verse as well as original colophon of 1767.
the name of a J Hindu. friend Mr. N. B Divatia, a recognised authority on the Gujarati language, informs me that Ako is a Hindu name, though not a common one, for

also

me

besides

being

that the word AdfaySru. the surname of some

Hindu
priest,

who

families, is applied to a at present performs the

humble

functions of delivering invitations to dinners, caste-meetings, and the like. The

word miy be derived from the Sanskrit Adhvaryu, and Mr. Divatia is prepared to
accept
of
this

derivation at present in

spite

An philological misgivings. varyu is a priest who institutes the

some
sacrifice.

AdhAdh-

vara

This name
sacrifice.

is

especially

Ako AahySru may

be

My

As the Parsi the most importnnt part of the Yasna (Ijashni) ritual, ia the equivalent of the Hindu Soma, one can understand how a Parsi priest came to be called
applied to the

Soma

Haoma ceremony,

Adhvaryu.

VI
entirely in consonance with Parsi doctrine, sentiment, and custom, whereas Ako's is not so on various points, which I proceed to note.
(a) Bahman begins, exactly as a Parsi would, with the name of God as the first object of worship and
all the rest. On the contrary Ako begins with the name of the sun, then refers to the five elements of Hindu philosophy, and puts Hormazd in the third place. The order is not accidental, for in Hindu poetry, with which Ako seems familiar, it is a rule to put in the beginning the name of the chosen Ako, either for deity |S^cIT. To

reading "
ruler

Mahesha

"
IT^T

the great

for Sureja in spite of all the

manuscripts. (d) In the third .Sloka Ako compares the kusti to a snake, an idea
entirely foreign and even repulsive to a Parsi, for the snake is a prominent object of the evil creation.*

foundation for

The

idea belongs to the Maga sunworshipers of India, and is fully developed in the Bhavishya Purana (Chapter 142 of the first Parva), where the sacred girdle is derived from the snake Vasuki.
(e) The 6th Sloka lays down pure dualism putting Hormazd and Ahriman practically on an equality, f

himself or for the Parsis, the sun was the chosen deity, not Hormazd.

An

ordinary

post-Sassanian

Parsi
;

() Ako
of

puts in

the second place

for worship the five

elements i^?Tcf
viz.,

he would hardly use such language would usually indicate in some way that the evil one was inferior, limit* As the simile appears in the texts of Dastur Aspandiarji and Mr. Enti, in the old Gujarati translation and that of Dr. Drummond, there is little doubt that it

Hindu philosophy,

ether,

air, fire,

water and earth. The Parsi does not recognise the religion doctrine that these five elements constitute the material world and
are hence entitled to worship. One of them, viz., ether* is unknown to
it.

It

is

true

that

Bahman
for

also

prescribes

reverence

moon,
are

fire

and

water,
it

explicitly

states,

is

the sun, but as he because they

God's good creation with good qualities, and God has himself ordained their worship.
objects of
(()

belongs to the original. The fact thai it does not appear in some manuscripts including the one with the commentary is probably due to the sentiment noted above the wording would seem to have been purIt is possiSle that the idea posely altered. was repeated in the 13th Sloka, as the reading ISSga of Mr. Enti's manuscript for the obscure Yoga of the rest suggests but it does not seem safe to oase this con;
;

clusion
cript

on the reading of a single manusto others.

when opposed

am

In the

first

referred to

as Sureja

Sloka Hormazd "

is

f^^fa
tion

responsible for for the obscure

the

emendation
of

JRlql%

^T

ruler of

the manuscripts,
of this

and

for

the interpreta-

the

gods,"

an

expression

hardly

suitable to mono-theistic Parsis, who have therefore in their Gujarati

" we are Mr. Hodivala. It seems to mean the Parsis in whose doctrine are mentioned the two limitless beings, the creator and
the destroyer, (.respectively)

Sloka adopted in this book by

altered "gods" to The Hindu writer of angels." the Sanskrit commentary as well as the Hindu translator of Mr. Enti's manuscript have used the proper
translations

made

of

light

"

and darkness, line joy and sorrow, happiness and unhappiness, knowledge and ignorance, religion and irreligion, pure and impure (O health and disease, above I have since found that and below."

synonym
It is

for Sura, viz. probably for the

Deva "god." same reason

the
but the
ele-

on

Sheriarji has put a similar interpretation this passage, namely, as a description of Hormazd and An iman, but he has substituted
for

that

Sheriarji has
3^^131
called
*

substituted
*s

JRl^^S^

the expression

n *ki s case
in
is

not tne

s ky>

ether
first,"

the -Sloka
the

3^

"

posUio n ol this ment in Hindu philosophy,

which

which does not occur in any iti*v, manuscript. The argument in the text above will hold good even without the
emendation!

Vll

ed,
is

and subject

to destruction.

There

in a confused

and imperfect man-

no such indication in the Slokas.

ner.*

(/)
in
for

Both Dastur Aspandiarji and

Mr. Enti read

the

Deva Puja

^^1

"

of the 7th Sloka worship of God." Th^- use of

third

line

Deva for God does not prove that the writer preceded Neriosengh Dhaval, as Mr. Hodithe word

has been suggested that verse a repetition by Bahman of verses 168 and 169, because the 12th Sloka is a repetition of the 1st. The latter is a repetition, but the farmer is not. Verses 168 ^nd
It
1

70

is

tion,

Dev had

vala suggests, for the Iranian word its evil significance long use only Its before Neriosengh. not fully writer was the that proves
in touch with Parsi sentiment.

169 refer to respect and appreciawhereas verse 170 refers to worship the two are not identical,
;

the latter being a consequence of the former. f The preceding arguments are I believe sufficient to show that Bahman has not copied Ako.

(g)

Mr.

Hodivala
to

drawn

attention

has the

himself
peculiar
in

Many of the facts noted above make it doubtful whether Ako was a
strong inference can be Parsi authorship from the use of Parsi technical terms such as Hormazd, Nyasa, Yazad, Kusti and Ata'h.J for even a Hindu writing about the Parsi religion would
Parsi.

No

Hindu expressions Jahnvi-Snana

drawn

as

to

the 13th Sloka, Pancha-gavya in the 14th and Hormizda-mukham in the 16th, and I will not repeat his remarks. As the Slokas were written information the presumably for of Hindus, the use of such expressions
as
Pitri,

SYaddha and

Homa

for equivalent Parsi terms would be natural even for a Parsi, but this

explanation can hardly apply to the terms just mentioned, and still less to the other facts noted above.

Not only
formable

is

Ako's

work uncon-

I have numbered the Slokas as edited by Mr. Hodivala, as that seems to be the order of the majority of manuscripts, and was probably that of the original. Burgess and Sheriarji have followed a different " The orrier, the former remarking. 8th, 9th, lOih llth and 13th in this recencion are the 10th, llth, 8th- 13th and 9th res f the older version." Whichpectively ever be the original order, the remark above holds good, as there is confusion in
<

and

Parsi doctrine sentiment, but also as remarked

to ordinary
is it

either case.

than Bahabove, Bahman has dealt with man's. each subject in its place, first the objects of worship, primarily Horless orderly

f In a manuscript of the Kisse purporting Bahman "s own hand in the library of the lato Ervad Manekji R. Oonvala, verses 110 and 112 to 181 are entirely wanting, the second half of the verse 168
to be in

mazd and next

his creatures, after that the Sudra and Kusti, and last the observances of women in the state

of

different circumstances in

caused by due order. On the other hand Ako has dealt in two with the same subject or more different places, e. g. the objects of worship in the 1st and 12th Slokas, the Sudra and Kusti in
ceremonial impurity
the 3rd and 13th, et cetera, and has

" Parastar i mah o Khurshid o reads, nahid," and in verse 169 in place of the " words " Niku mi danimash there occur the words "Parastish mi kunhn.'' From this and other facts of the like kind this manuscript seems to be a draft, the text now current being the finished product. The changes in verses 168 and 169 show that Bahman did not merely copy or use words at random, but wrote after independent thought and weighed his we rds. Further it may be noted that NShid means here the angec Anahita or AbSn. rot the planet Venus.
I The words Vidina and Pula cited bv Mr Hodivala in tHs connection are doubtful emendations not occurrfng in any manuscript, but even if they were used in the original the same argument would apply to them as to the other words.

mixed up a number of other matters

with the subject of ceremonial
purity,

im-

which

itself

has been treated

vin
have become familiar with them
in

his study and might have used them in his description. Before conclud-

Sraosha Srausha

(p.
?fa.

90)

under the name The appearance of

ing this subject I would draw attention to the use of the word Vyoma for heaven in the 15th Sloka in of the place ordinary Svarga. Vyoma* means the sky, the abode of the sun, and is a term specially applied to a temple of the sun. This and the facts (a) and (c/) noted above lead one to believe that the writer was either a Maga Brahmana himself, or at least a person acquainted with their doctrines, and inclined to identify them with those of the Parsis. What has gone before will show that no inference can be drawn as to the "age of the -Slokas from that of the Kisse or that of Neriosengh Dhaval. [See point (_/") Nor can any be noted above]. drawn from the resemblance of a few expressions on the subject of Dana, "gift" in the 5th Sloka to those in a verse in the Chanda
PrakcUa, f
for

Mihira on the Kushan coins, the early grants for his worship, and the
in the Brihat Sanhita, point to the conclusion arrived at by Sir R. G. Bhandarkar, that this
all

descripti n

cult must have been introduced under Kushan or Saka princes in the early centuries of the Christian Era and not later under Sassanian influence as suggested by others. The Magas could not have been orthodox Zoroastrians even before they came to India. Ahura Mazda and the Ame-

shaspentas, the cardinal figures Zoroastrianism, do not appear at

in their cult, their place being by Mihira and his attendants
;

of
all

taken while image- worship, which is forbidden by Zoroastrian teaching, is the centre of their ritual, and the main
for were which they purpose Further, having regard imported. to the fact that their native country it is is represented as Saka Dwipa, not improbable that the Magas were not even by race Iranian Magi, but priests of Saka or other connected tribes, who had adopted a mixed religion derived partly from Zoroastrian and partly from other sources,

such expressions are

common

in

Hindu books.

The
The
account

Matjas.
of

the

Magas

in

Chapter 10 is very interesting, and Mr. Hodivala has brought out at lea<t two facts, which, 1 believe, were not noted before, namely, the
use by the Magas of the Iranian word Paitidana (p. 82), and worship angel by them of the Iranian
* Chapters 125 and 126 o f Part I of the Bhavishya Purana are devoted to a descrip-

and the word Maga as applied " them meant merely priest."

to

The names of two Iranian angels besides Mihira appear in the doctrines of the Magas, as described in the first Parva of the Bhavishya
Purana, namely Sraosha and Rashnu. Mr. Hodivala has already noticed
(p. 90)

tion of the

Vyoma.

f This is a work on the calendar said to have been written in A. D. 1566 by one ChSndS. The only manuscript of it known at present is that of \lobed Edulji Nowroji bin Shapurji Kaka. who prepared an edition of it with a Gujarati transli.eration and 1880 during the transla-ion in A. D Kabisa controversy. Ervad Sheriarii has prepared an edition oi the same, practically a o py of Edulji's work, which will be
shortly printed in the

the

name
in

of the

first in

the
not

word
an

sfcrRT

Bh. P.

1143-40.
is

The preceding word

l\$\-H

adjective qualifying ^qR, but the name of another personage

in

^Tff

the

dative

case.

This

same volume
of this

as the

16 Slokas

The genuineness

work

passages in it is not free from doubt. Even if there was borrowing, it is just as

and

be apparent from verses 13, 21, 23 and 24 cf Chapter 124, in which the attendants of the sun are
will

22,

possible that the reverse.

Ako borrowed from Chanda

described and verses

.

52 and 63

of

as

Chapter

130.

Rajna

and Srau-

sha*
jJKHfcSl

the two are door-keepers of Mihira and stand close to

Rajna is identified with the Hindu Karttikeya fel(THvil and Srausha with the Hindu Hara ^.
given for each name. Rajna is derived from " " the root Raj ^T^ with to shine the suffix Na and Srausha from q", " " the ront ^ to move with the vo
Fanciful etymologies
are

him.

Sraosha help Mithra to defeat the armies of his enemies, the liars and breakers of promises, accord100 in similar operations ing to Sraosha stands to the right of Mithra

Monier- Williams' dictioncommon form Rajan is sometimes used for Rajna. The following reasons render it probable that Rajna or Rajan is the same as the Iranian angel of justice, the Avesta Rashnu, and Pahlavi Rashn. (a) Just as Rajna and Srausha are here associated with Mihira, so in the Avesta as well as Pahlavi writings, Rashnu and Sraosha are closely associated with Mithra. According 41 Rashnu and to the Mihr Vast
suffix

Sa

^f.

and Rashnu to his left, according to " 79 and 81 Mithra made a dwelling for Rashnu and to Mithra Rashnu gave all his soul for long friendship." With the last statement may be compared the words of the Bhavishya Pnrana 1-130-63

ary shows that the

In verse 21 the

name

of

Srausha

is

mis

Sreshtha in the only version of the text accessible to me. namely, in the edition printed in .Srivcnkateshvara Press. Bombay, In all the other verses in Samvat 1961. the name is properly spelt as Srausha, and no doubt is left on the point by ihe etymology in verse 28. I give below the verses
spelt as

as printed

Rajna of the house and Rudra, " both of them are dear to the sun In other parts of the Avesta also Mithra, Sraosha and Rashnu are put together in various connections (see Srosh Yajt 21, Farvardin Vast 85,86, Ashi Ya.rt 16, Afrin i Paigambar Zarthust 6, 7, Yasna XVI-5). They also occur together in the calendar as 'the angels presiding respectively over the 16th, 17th and 18th days of the month. Darmesteter states in his introduction to the Rashnu Yast, "Rashnu Razishta, the truest True, is the Genius of Truth he is one of the three of the judges departed with Mithra and Sraosha he holds the balance in which the deeds of men are weighed after their death He is an offshoot either of Mithra, the god of truth and the avenger of lies or of Ahura Mazda himself, the all-knowing lord." That Mihr, Srosh and Rashn record the deeds of men and take part in the judgment after death, Rashn holding the balance, is related in Pahlavi booksf such as the Dadistan
;

"

If is possible that by Rudra is meant in this case Sraosha, for the latter is identified, as shown above, with Hara, and both

Rudra and Ha r a are names of Siva But on the other hand it has to be remembered that another Attendant of the sun is also identified with Rudra, namely Dindin ft(i^*t or Dindi f^ft ( Bh. P. 1-124-1
and 80). t This part
in the judgment after death, to these three angels in the assigned Pahlari and later writings, is not to be found in any of the Arestft Yarts specially

Dinik XIV-3-4, Mino i Khirad 11-119 to 163, and the Pahlavi Arda Viraf Nama Chapter 5.
i

Varahamihira's Panchasi(I. 24 and 25) occur the names of the 30 lords of the 30 degrees of a sign of the Zodiac which
(b)

In

Even though thus Mithra, Sraosha and Rashnu appear to have been imported into India, they seem to have lost most of their special Iranian
characteristics
at

ddhantika

least in the

there are good reasons for believing to be the names of the angels presiding over the 30 days of the Parsi month,* the identity of a large

Mithra is not the special angel of truth and good faith the preserver of promises and moral relations, but has risen to

Bhavishya

Purana.

identity

number

of

them being beyond

rea-

In this list in one sonable doubt. of the two manuscripts known the angel of the 18th day Rashnu is

the supreme god of the other hand, Sraosha, the angel of divine worship, and through it the protector of the

with

Hinduism.

On

Now according to given as Guha. Monier-Williams' dictionary one of the meanings of the word Rajan is " the name of one of the IS attena dants of Surya, identified with form of Guha." As one authority identifies Guha with Rashnu, and the other with Rajan or Rajna, the two latter are also probably identical. Monier-Williams' identification with Guha is consistent with that of the
Bhavishya Purana, as Guha
a
is

and against evil, of justice, the best smiter of thieves and bandits, have sunk to be mere attendants of
good
creation

Rashnu the angel

Mihira

without

any special moral

function.*

The subject of the Magas may be closed with the mention of a pecuin

also

circumstance noted by Alberuni book on India (Sachau's Translation Vol. II, p. 184), that the festival in honour of the sun used to be celebrated in Multan by
liar

his

name

of Karttikeya.

the resemis (r) Finally there blance between the names Rashn and

by a year of exactly 365 days. Such a year is not generally employed in India, but it has been commonly used throughout
his worshippers

Rajan or Rajna. It is even possible that Rashn was pronounced by some Iranians or the -Sakas as Razhn, Razn, or Rajn. Rashn is derived
by some philologists from the root Raz "to rectify." (See Kanga's
Avesta Dictionary).
devoted to these angels, nor, so far as I know, in any other Avesta writing, and on the other hand these angels do not appear in the Avesta passages dealing with the judgment afJer death, namely, Ven26 to 84, Yajt AXll, and didftd XIX Ya*t XXIV, 63 to 65. This fact becomes very significant when one notes the great resemblance -f this episode to the Egyptian representation of the judgment f the dead by Osiris and his attendants in the Hall of Truth. It looks as if the incident was borrowed from Egypt while in the occupation of the Achaeraenians, and if this be so, the fact tends to show that the Avesta writings in question preceded the Achae<

Iranian lands and Central Asia, having been probably introduced from Egypt by Darius in his later
It is another indiyears or Xerxes. cation of the place whence the worship of the sun was imported. Calculation based on the dataf given
* Can it be that the two Dadophori or Western Torch-bearers of Mithraism, constant attendants of Mithra and forming with him the "Triple Mithra" were the result of a similar transformation of the Iranian Sraosha and Rashnu ? (see Cumont's Mysteries of Mithra translated by Mc-Cormack, page 129.)

menian
*
,

rule.
in Jour.

See my Paper on this subjec B. R. A. S. Vol. XIX p. 118.

j The interval between the epoch of the era of Yazdajard and that of the KhandakhSdyaka is 11968 days (see p. 48 of the same book). To this add 98040 the number of the day of the latter era on which the festival fell. Divide the total 110008 by 365, andthe quotient 301 is the number of the Yazdajardi years elapsed, and the remainder 143 is the number of the day of the current 302nd year, on which the
festival fell.

by Alberuni shows that the festival must have fallen in the 302nd year of Yazdajard on the I43rd day of what is called the Persian year by Alberuni. This day, the 23rd of the 5th month of what is now known as the Kadimi calendar, does not
coincide with any festival of the Persians now known or recorded by Alberuni. But it is also the J3Sth day of the Sughdian year of Samarkand and on that day, namely Roz Rashn of the month Ashnakhanda " fell the Sughdian festival of Baba-

difficult to believe that the Indian court in the time of Chandragupta

was almost wholly Persian," that there was a following of Persian cus" toms all along the line in public works, in ceremonial, in penal instiAsura tutions, everything," that
is identical with Ahura Mazda, the words Maurya and Meru have Iranian origins, that the Mau'* Iranians in ryan monarchs were race and Zoroastrian in faith," that Chanakya and even the Nandas were Iranians, that the Atharva Veda is the

"

Maya
that

khwara,
that
is,

also

called

Bamikhwara,

production

of

Magian

priests,

that

drinking the good pure must." (See Sachau's translation of Alberuni's Chronology of Ancient WheNations, pages 56 and 221). ther this is a pure coincidence or otherwise, it is not possible to say at
present.

Dr. Spooner's Paper.

would be out of place to discuss Dr. Spooner's paper here, but I may remark that I agree to a large extent with Mr. Hodivala's conclusions, although not with some of his arguments. No doubt Persia borrowed from India and India from Persia in various
It

the country of the Iranian Magi, that Garuda is the Iranian Garo Nmana, that the Yavanas who invaded Orissa were Iranians, and that they penetrated even to Asmara, that the worship of Sakti is also due to the Iranian Magi, that the 6akas were really Iranians, that the 6akyas

Magadha

is

in source, that

were really 6akas and so Iranian, Buddha was Iranian in Zoroastrian origin and his teachings "
that hence

the details

of the

Buddha

story,

particularly

in

the

cycle of the nativity, were brought into India before the Buddha's birth,

matters at various times. It is posthat the idea of an Indian coinage was first suggested by the Persian, and it is probable that the Kharoshthi script derived from the Aramaic was introduced into India by Persian officials. There are good reasons for believing that the regal pomp of the Mauryan court was to some extent copied from the Persian, that the Mauryas employed Persians
sible as
soldiers,

and were then attached to his person with local adaptations," that "Bud-

dhism is a spiritual acclimatisation ofa section of domiciled Iranians." I will conclude with some remarks
about
his

my

letter

to

Mr.

Hodiwala

printed at page 105 of this book and

comments on it. The Ptolemy whom Weber has sought to identify Maya is not one of the kings
with
of Egypt, as might be inferred from the author's remarks at p. 102 of this book, but the great astronomer, from whom the Ptolemaic system derives its name, and who flourished in the second century A. D. It is only for the identification of the name, not of the person that Weber has referred to the inscription of Ajoka. In spite of the comments at p. 106 en the last part of my letter, and the remarks in connection with " " at Buildings in Rigvedic times p. 104, for the reasons given by me in the said letter I must adhere to

architects, ma-ons,

and

in other capacities, that stone architecture on a large scale, sculpture, and the erection of monuments

with inscriptions were due to Persian iufluence under the Mauryas. It is even possible that the Mauryan palaces were imitated from those at It is also not improbaPersepolis. ble that Iranian doctrine, tradition,

and

ritual had some share in the formation of Mahayana Buddhism. But with all possible deference to Dr. Spooner's great learning it is

my

opinion, which

is

in

agreement

with that of Dr. Spooner. The question can hardly arise as to the material of the pillars in the two verses of the Rigveda quoted at p. 104, namely Rv. II- 41-5 and V 62 6, for they are the pillars of an imaginary building in heaven, the home of the two gods Mitra and Varuna.* But the bard may have
in mind some earthly building comparison, and the pillars of such i building were more likely to have been of wood than of stone.

30 "

Pur can be taken to mean But according to very competent modern authority,* in the
20,
if

town.

"

Rigveda

it

only

means a place

of

temporary refuge, a rampart of hardened earth with palisades and a

stone.

ditch strengthened occasionally with Even iron ( STR^ft) Purs are

mentioned

had
for

in the Rigveda, and even Dutt admits at the very place quoted by Mr. Hodivala (Ancient India " Bk. I Chap, ill) that this must be taken in a figurative sense as signi-

fying

strong

forts."

The
to

General Cunningham's remark can hardly apply to Vedic times, for he limits the knowledge of stone architecture to two centuries before However that may be, the Aioka
only
reason
of
his

Apastamba only and a hall, not

refers
to

the

Sutra of a palace material of

that

is

quoted,

which they were built. As I have said in my letter, "one cannot be sure in the matter." The present opinion is based only on the

namely, the derivation of the name Taksha-rila is an extremely dubious

one. The true derivation seems to be that given in Monier- ^ illiams' Dictionary under the word Takshasila,

may

existing evidence fresh discoveries I cannot lead to a change. close this subject better than by quoting the words of a fully qualified
;

which

is

also

preferred by the

writer
in the

of the

on Shahdehri of India Gazeteer Imperial

article

"the Takshanla means 1911. rock of Taksha." This Taksha is the identified with Naga King Taksha who had his residence there according to the Ramayana VII

10111.
is

Whether

this

identifica-

judge. V. Smith, in the 1920 Edition of his Oxford History of India p. " Ill The general use of stone in northern India for building, sculpture, and decora'ion certainly dates from the reign of Asoka, who was influenced by Persian and Greek example. I do not either assert or believe that prior to the days of Asoka the art of bui'ding in stone
:

tion be correct or not, the derivation

whereas grammatically Cunningham's does not seem to be

correct,
so.

was absolutely unknown in India, or that all artistic work was executed
but the material, perishable ascertained facts indicate that previous to h s reign permanent materiin
als

The name

as

given by without any word like

it,

simply Takshasila 3 Panini (IV 93).

is

which have added "

Further

Nagara after Cunningham -eems to

to justify his

were used rarely and sparingly

for architecture or

either

Tashtajila

stone cT2!R5T, not

cut

"

etymology. would be

ment.

Wht-n Megasthenes was at Pataliputra, the city was defended

Takshanla

by a wooden palisade.

the stone palace within the city and many sacred edifices are ascribed to
of

The argument

in

favour

the

Asoka."
*

early existence of stone architecture India would have a stronger in foundation in the Rigvedic verse IV
23 of Macdonell's Vedic MythoBuhler's Encyclopaedia of IndoAryan Research.
'

See

p.

Macdonnell and Keith's Vedic Index, '' Pur." See also Macdonell's Sansarticle krit Literature p. 158, where he ends with the sentence, "There is nothing to show that they were inhabited) much less that

_
a

for

orna-

The

walls,

__
it

logy

in

Pur ever meant

later

town or

city, as

did in

times."

NOTE.
BY
MR. G.
It
I

K.

NARI$AN.
Zoroastrianism, no effort systematic or otherwise has been made to secure this valuable and reliable auxiliary in determining the circumunder which immediately stance after the disruption of the Sasanian Empire certain Parsis settled in China and established fire-temples.* The Syriac literature with its biographies of Pt-rsian martyrs to Christianity which introduce us to many an aspect of the sacerdotal life of Sasanian Zoroastrians has not awakened the curiosity of the learned
Parsi. t
*

had munity

was some twenty years ago that to appeal to the Parsi comto get out of the groove of

the traditional studies by which I meant the Avesta and kindred texts and the Western translations, commentaries and histories written by English and continental authors all of whom had more or less confined their researches to the Greek and Latin writers with an occasional glance at the men who have bequeathed to us their observations and studies in the Arabic language.

For it was part, prejudice and part ignorance which were responsible for the total neglect of Arabic sources. Barring the authors usually drawn upon, the huge mass of Arabic literature with its constant and contemporary references to Persia remains at least as regards the social conditions of mediaeval Iran a terra
I have endeavoured to show how much of Parsi interest lies interred in the unindexed volumes in " Ara -ic in my Iranian influence on Moslem literature."!

The

studies of

Chavannes and

J.

Mar-

quart have not yet attracted sufficient attention. See the Eran-shahar of the latter
(p. 90)

on Buddhism

in Bakfria.

Sharastani enumerating some of the Firetemples mentions th ^se in India and China in the last section of Vol. I ot his Milal vial Nahal.

in ogmte.*

Arabic literature as a source of Parsi I have touched at length in my " 'Njtes on Paru History in Ara we Works, Association of Iran Journal Sept. 1918, p. 201 et seq.
history

On

f
into

The

fact

of

Pahlavi

wjrks translated

long the contemporaries of the Sasanians have left annals which have not been utilised with an eye to Persian matters since the day of Patkanian.J No beginning as yet has been made in scientific investigations into the huge Chinese annals relating to
*

The Armenians who were

Syriac fulfilling the role of intermediary oetween the East and the West is now an established c mmonplace.

Syriac Acts of Zoroastrian Martyrs Cnristianity, though to be cautiously used for obvious reasons, are a mine of information on the domestic life of Sasanian Iran. The collections of Assemani and
to

The

Bejan werediawn upon by Hoffmann forty years agj, Auszuge aus Syrischen Aktcn'
Particulaily intere=ting are the sketches of

description of Sasanian Persia

all its

from

the

Within in
fs

social

and

political phases
''

provided in my forthcoming the Sasanians."

t See p. 163 et seq.

Persia of

Adarparwa and Meher-narsi and of Gushtazad, of Mahdukht Shahdost. Sometimes we know only the Christian names like Berik-yeshu, Abdlife

of

their

sister

yeshu.

It

is

diffeience

between

interesting to notice the Christian and Islamic

\ The publications of the Societe des Etudes Ai meniennes promise to be the most interesting in the la est literature on the

subject.

As M.

Meillet

says

"thewoids

borrowed by the nrme. i-m language from the Parthians are among the most valuable
sasets of the Iranian linguistics."

biographers with regard to the biograThe Christians give phies of the converts. details of the career of the converts so far the Moslem as they are able to ascertain do not consider the life as worth recording thus except after the adoption of Islam. while it is difficult to learn the antecedents
;

xiv
That the
Parsis should

have creatof their

ed no important

literature

own

since

except

their advent to India Rewayats*, transcriptions of

and a few translations is conceivable but it is regrettable that the Sanskrit texts which speak of the
texts

Parsis

and of

tribes

religiously
of such neo- .Moslems as the poet Mahyar, th miuisier of Alamun Fazl ibn bahl and

allied

more or less have also been

allowed to remain a sealed book.

other, and mauy another who are in the annals of Islam, we are well posted as to trie particulars of the Jives of Behnam and Sara, of Gurbarlaha and Kazo the childern of King Sapor, of Gregory
his
t>.

famous

whose Zoroastrian name was Piran-gushnasp and George who was born of Mehranof tnese Christian congusnnasp. verts carried into their adopted faith their ose to .be hereditary religious zeal and

A systematic examination of the Puranas especially the Bhavishya for the purpose of learning the conditions of people who strike us by their similarity with the Parsis was
suggested by me when I came resemblances startling upon the between the Parsi customs and those depicted as peculiar to the Magas in Since then I have the Magavriti.* looked into the cognate Bhavishya
first
6.

Some

Patnaichs like
I

Mar Aba (536-552

.->.

D.)-

have already indicated elsewhere that the bible was translated into Pahlavi for the

and that the fragment

Christianity proselytes to a Pahlavi Vocabulary has been discovered which could have been designed mainly for the converts.

benefit of r^rsi

7. 8.
9-

short text of 90 words about the and the worst things. Madigan-i Si-roz (about 1150 words).
best

the position ol Pahlavi as the language of religious and intellectual intercoutse in the Christian centuries preceding the Arab invasion, see my Literary History of Sanskrit

On

A commentary

on Ashem Vohu.

INirang av u padyare Yashtan (ceremony of the consecration of Nirangdin) with other ritual directions in Pahlavi as given in the Yasna Mss.

Budhism, Appendix V,
readable

p. 224-230.

The most

account of

Chriss 1.
.

PERSIAN.
Zartosht-Nameh. Saddar Nazm.
Saddar Biher-i Tawil.
8.

tianity in the Sasanian

Empire

is

Wigram

"Assyrian Church," a quaint (but

justifi-

able) designation which has probably hinderThe best ed the popularity of the book.

French works are Labourt's CAristianisme Duval's Perse and R. dans I empire
Litterature Syriaque,
In spite of the hilf hearted assurances from our Dasturs and other custodians of our traditional literature that there are no mss. in Pahlavi, Pazand or Persian which have not been publishtd, it would appear that the Parsi community is still no. in a position to
*

4.
5.

Dodar
Araste.

bin

Dadukht.

6
7.

Changraghach-nameh. Olma-i Islam and Saogaud-nameh (published abont 50 or 60 years ago

Occident and asservate has placed at the disposa oi the ional matelatter lot research all the tra
face that

'he learned

it

The prinuple of K. possession. R. Cama in this respect has ceased to be Our pionee- scholar stressed operativerial in
its

the vital importance of printing everything At my request of our Lterary heritage. Mr. Dhabhar, M. A , has drawn up a provisional list of texts, Pahlavi and Persian, which await publication if not edition
:

by Mohl.) codex worthy of attention reposited in St Petersburg, is described by C. -alemann which does not seem to be familiarly known It contains, inter aha, Horin Bombay. mazd Yesht in Pazand and Pahlavi, the Pazand of certain sections of Vandidad VIII, The two glossaries and Atash Nyayisn. codex does not seem to be provided with a But its concolophon. a serious defect. tents desc rve a detailed scrutiny in English.

It testifies to the popularity of the omena et Par sis unfavourportenta literature of the writers ably commented upon by Aratic like Ibn Kutaiba.

1.
2. 8.

Shayast la Shayast. Dadistan (second half).

Rivayet of Hemet-i Ashavahishtan,

4.

Aogemaide
(Avesta- Pazand was published in 1878 by Geiger). Andarz-i Aoshnar Danak (about 1400 words))

* The value of Magavritti and Parasiprakasha of Krishnadasa fur the history of Parsis in India has been touched up ->n by me " in the literature columns of the Bombay " Chronicle My copy of the forrrer has unfortunately been lost ry Dr. i'poone who could not ortain i; elsewhere in India and Weber wao to whom it was loaned by me has carefully studied the latter su raised a

5,

Parsi hand in the compilation of this ParsoSanskrit glossary,

fcv-

Purana and although portions of the

present t* xt of Bhavishya Purana are palpable interpolations, the light it throws on the tribe or tribes whose customs so forcibly remind us of our

own, represents practices of a tolerIt admits of little able antiquity.* doubt th tt there were settlements in India of Parsis or peculiar sects of Parsis before the conquest of Persia

by Islam. Mr. S. K. Hodivala who has patiently and systematically laboured to ascertain what the Purana has to give us in the shape of reliable information regarding the Parsis, has touched upon the genesis of this India. migration from Persia into As in most Islamic problems it seems to me that rival texts could be endlessly adduced on one sHe or the What I have shown to my other.

Parsis towards Christhe attitude ofj- the Islamic Persians towards non MosShia religious lems and if the literature of Persia is scrutinised, it will be found that the zealotry of the modern Moslem Persian is but a heritage of his Zoroastrian ancestor. But even if the large Arabic literature were saturated with prejudice against the Parsi, its neglect as a source of indirect information is
spirit

of the

tianity

and

For it is impossible unjustifiable. for any coherent thinker to indulge

in

diatribes against his opponents without here and there unwittingly In giving us welcome knowledge. the early Arabic literature there are few names associated with greater literary activities than that of Tahiz.
prolific

This
in

writer

who

flourished

community
the
first

is

not that the Parsis at

impact of the Arab invaders

started to live a life of ideal earthly prosperity in Persia, but that a dis-

century is not particularly the Parsis, but partial to fully illustrates my contention that even he who enters with zest into religious controversies against the Zoroasthe
trians
is obviously worthy of study on account of the glimpses that he

passionate
of

analysis

their downfall proves that society and state were rotten to the core under the later Sasanians which circumstance was zeal, responsible more than any enthusiam or bigotry on part of the Islamic Arabs for the well nigh total from of Zoroastrians extinction short Persia in an inconceivably Whatever the attitude of period. the ruling classes and theologians, were it cannot be denied that there

the causes and conversion

of

incidentally

affords us of the

social

and religious practices of Zoroastrian Persia under the Khalifas. In

his Kitab al Haywan for instance, Jahiz has a long tirade against the tenents of Zoroaster but in the midst of his polemic he gaves two bits of

historical

and

social

interest.

Whenever any

impartial men of intellect who have treated the religion and custom of the former rulers of Persia in a
spirit of impartiality.

or unfashionable custom is to be denounced it is the tendency of the advanced among our community to prompt-

inexplicable

ly

refer

it

to

Moslem

or

Hindu
off-

influences.
tific

The

attitude of a scien-

If a

comparareligious

inquirer would not be one of

tive
*
I

study

is

made

of the

hand condemnation, of what appeared out of harmony with our modern

conceptions of right and the ethicalWhat appears to us ly acceptable. objectionable in our modern semiChristian environments was owing to intelligible reasons regarded as We do salubrious by our ancestors. not know, for instance, how to account for the orthodox Parsi preBut it judice against the cat. certainly is not due to any foreign

can claim to have

first

invited the notice

co-religionists to the sun worshippers called Bhojakas or Magas "undoubtedly

of

my

connected with the Ziroastrian sun and fire " to whom a section has been devoted cult in the Bhavishyapurana. In order to bring its importance to the notice of the widest
interested

"

" Bombay Chronicle

I

circle

translated for the the entire masterly

analysis of the
after

Puranas by Winternitz soon reeived his Histtrv of Indian

Literature in 1913.

XVI
influence. It is conceivable that the animal was hated because partiality was shown t-> it by tbe Arab Musalmans but that this feeling of loathing towards the domestic animal was as old as the tenth century we learn from the polemica' passage in Further the question from Jahiz. same section tells us of the custom which was universal even in his time among the Zoroastrhns not to proIt has often been contendselytise. ed that as conversion is enjoined in the older Avesta texts it could not have been interdicted in Persia but that it was prohibited only in India on the all-sufficing ground of the dangerous possibility of the absorption of the community by the millions of the n^n-Zoroastrians of India. But from Jahiz we learn that the same disinclination to, if not on. conversion positive embargo obtained in his day in Mesopotamia
in an age when an effort of the kind must have sounded irrational if not heretical to minds accustomed only to anathemas against non-Zoroastrian and especially Moslem authors.
It is
tion,

men

a matter of solid congratulatherefore, that middle class of enlightenment like Mr. J. E.

Saklatwalla have come forward to give the lead to their immeasurably more prosperous co-religionists. The little book of my erudite friend Mr. Hodivala whose devotion to learning is undisputed, is a substantial contribution to investigations on the lines indicated by me long ago. The labour of original research involved in the preparation of the

monograph

reflects as

much

credit

on his unassuming perseverance as on the enlightened generosity of his

patron
less

who

liberality

is

not

the

and

Persia.

admirable because it is exercised by one in his moderate circumstance. It was easier for a Baronet
lavi

tions
as

take years perhaps generabefore we have among us Parsis of wealth and influence such
It will

and the

Persian.

He

has

adhered

faithfully to

his original

popular trend of thought and devote their means to the ascertaining of truth It is regardless of its provenance. not every decade that produces a Sorabji Jamshedji who gathered together a large number of Arabic and Persian texts and demonstrated the sympathy of some of the Musalman authors* and theologians for Persians
superior

would

rise

to

where the 'eligion would too glaringly have obtruded

of
his

except in matters Zoroastrian view

itself

on

readers. He has availed himself of a poet's license sometimes to add immaterial matters for the purpose of rhyme. The Ganjeshaegan was translated into Arabic by Fbn Mu>kavaih. Both Firdausi and Ibn Muskavaih worked independently.

Musalman

The Pahlavi book of Ganjeshayigan has the unique merit to supply direct source of There is almost comchapter i-. Firdausi. the Persian version plete identity between It is most important and the Pahlavi text that as against Noeldeke and others, Darmesteter holds that there is strong ground to believe that Firdausi was familiar with In one of Firdausi's lyrics for Pahlavi. instance he refers to Pahlavi as distineuished from Arabic in a manner which leaves little d^ubt about his having directly studied Pahlavi materials.
Basi ranj didam basi guftah
Ziguftari tazi

The latter has preserved more of the Pahlavi thin of the former. For the history of the Persian philology it will be intere-'ing to compare Firdausi's version with the Persian translation prepared from the Arabic rendering of Ibn Muskavaih by the order of Akbar and called Javidan Khired.
Ibn Muskavaih was closely connected with Z Toastrianism Musalman writers have given unstinted praise to the Jawidan Khirad and love to describe how this treasure of ancient wisdom was discovered in the time of Mamun and how when translated for him the Khalifa exclaimed " Here " is speech not what e utter One of these description is preserved in a didactic tract of Ghazali called T-tbar-al-Masbuk which was originally composed in Persian for Malekshah the Saljuk and subsequently turned into Arabic.

khvandam

wz Pahlavi

This Pahiavi text snpplies us a key to the method followed by Firdausi which becomes apparent from a juxtaposition of the Piih-

For Persian works of importance from the Zoroastrian stand-point as well as for a more detailed indication of the " Sources of " Parsi History see Journal of the Iranian Association, 1918 Dec, p. 826.

XY11

endow a scholarship or even a chair of Zoroastrian research than for a man of Mr. Saklatvala's means
to

into Parsi antiquities

no research at

all

is

to

investigation which promises no material return.

religious
I

prom

>te

in the community. uufortunately abroad among wealthy It circles inclines to the opposite. refuses to see genuine scholarship

by a Parsi or happily extinct But the spirit

hope the example

prove contagious.

set here may Let another Parsi

scholar do, say for a Persian text, what Mr. Hodivala has achieved for Purana. the Sanskrit The parochialism which would have research

and is eager to patroand subservient Madrasis. It is more reprehensible than the orthodox illiberality which saw no

among

Parsis

nise pliant

beneficent activity in the world.

non-Parsi

NOTE
BY
MR.
The
A.

GOVINDACHARYA SWAMIN OF MYSORE.

Aryans but may be safely asserted that they were the earliest immigrants into India.

is

account of the Parsis of India well drawn by the author and the book contains numerous quotations from various sources. The author
has spared no pains to spread before the reader a vast collection of opinions and incidents anent substantiating his conclusions that the Parsis were originally the Aryans
of Aryavarta.

The later history of the influence of the Parsis can be gathered from
what prevailed
rule
at the time of the of the kings of the Mauryan Dynasty over India. It is surmised also that the Mauryan kings were the followers of Zoroastrianism not

The reader is puzzled to know how and under what circumstances

original whole of the IndoAryan stock came to be riven into two separate sections nearly render-

the

unmixed with Buddhism however, Can it be said that religious persuasions prove national identity ? Nor can we assert that all Christians are Hebrews because the Christ was

ing the identity of the one part with the other extremely difficult.
quotations cited in this book lead one to think of the Parthians, the Prithus or the Parsus or the

Hebrew by nationality. It may be that the Parsis an

The

obscure horde of Scythian Origin from all the provinces of Upper Asia had

Modern

Parsis themselves as being quite alien in view of the animosity

and jealousy displayed by tho ancient Hindu kings towards them. constant Moreover the struggle among both the parties and the eventual subversion of the Parsis are facts well nigh proving that they were entirely alien who could not be allowed to settle themselves in the land without experiencing utmost The mention of the resistence. Parsis (the Pahlavas) as Kshatri tribe in Manusmriti and their having been condemned to the condition of Sudras on account of the omission of rites and transgressing the orders of the Brahmanas does not prove that they were IndoAryans, as other tribes also have been mentioned in the same strain, who are distinctly foreigners which the
word

migrated into India, and having been subdued by the Hindu kings who compelled them to adopt a last portion in the scale of Hindu society as we know from the story
of the King Sagara as related in Vishnupurana and Harivamsa that when the Sakas, Yavanas, Kambojas, Paradas and Pahlavas were about to be destroyed by Sagara, they went to

Vasishiha his family guru for surrender and were compelled to abandon
their religion

and association with

tbe Kshairiyas (?) hair free and
It is

the twice born

and to wear their wear beards also

to

interesting

note that Dr. R. Caldwell that thinks commanded Sagara the different races he subdued,
to

do merely what they had been latter doing. According to the opinion it may be concluded that the Pahlavas or Parasikas had been

Mleccha

justly signifies-

It

therefore be concluded that in the absence of sufficient data the

may

commanded merely to revert to their own religion which of course was

the same as that of Sagara although they had come to adopt a religion to which Sagara belonged, not

Parsis cannot
to

be conclusively proved

be an identical section of the Indo-

xix
That the Parsis of the present day are classed as a separate tribe is a well known fact. Their worships of the Fire and other elements are not
proofs of Hindu identity, as we know that the ancient Druids had a system of worship and a conduct of life

material which bespeaks an exten*

sive acquaintance with the literature extant concerning a subject not at-

tempted

to

be dealt with so exhaus-

tively hitherto.

The book
against the
stan,

is

so

replete

with

which resembled that of the Hindus in many respects. Can they be said
to

materials for a

thesis either for or

common

cradle

Hindu-

belong

to

the

Hindu category

That the
in

Parsis settled themselves

both for the Hindus and the Parsis, that time permitting, many

India long before historical times and thac they were not however Indo-Aryans maybe fairly concluded. But they absorbed to the utmost the

more reflections are capable of being advanced. This I shall attempt and do for a future occasion. Meanwhile the Hindu-Parsi origin is a
of the more species general problem of the common cradle of the whole Aryan branch of In my book prehistorical humanity. on Ideals of India I have launched a suggestion of all humanity having migrated from the regions of the
particular

Hindu ways.
discu-ses many importanent the Parsis, all of which is extremely interesting and reflects great credit on the part of the author who is not dealing \*ith the questions with anv bias or prediltctions. He lays facts, sometimes, as they are found and leaves the reader at liberty to form his own

The book
issues

ant

thus paving a way for opinion others interested in the subject to discuss it in the best way they can.
:

Himalayas. My book on Mazdeism the Light of Vaishnavism has a great bearing also on this subject and I may advert to these questions Meanwhile the Memorial again.
in

volume
Sri

for

my
is

spiritual son

Sakalatwala, so

ably

Dorabji prepared by

We
author

are
for

much indebted
the
vast

to

the
of

Hodivala

warmly recommended

collection

to the public.

FOREWORD
BY

THE AUTHOR.
The
subject matter of this

book,
to

which contains various references

the Parsis in Sanskrit books, inscriptions &c. was read in the form of several papers in the meetings of the "Society for the Promotion of Researches into Zoroastrian Reli" about three years ago. Mr. gion M. P. Khareghat, who is one of the Trustees of the Parsi respected Punchayet of Bombay and who has been unanimously recognised as a Scholar of rare veteran Oriental ability, has been as the chairman of the abovenamed Society taking deep
interest in
its

either that Bahman had made a confusion about the battlefield, or that he was ignorant of this other I do not claim infallibility battle.
for

my

interpretation
it

clusion

based upon than vincing proof

;

and the conmore conthat of Mr.

;

I that Khareghat might show was wrong but I shall deem my labours amply repaid, if my arguments appeal to some of the readers

proceedings.

He

was

good enough to attend almost all the sometimes when meetings, and pressed he offered remarks in his usually very terse and guarded manFor instance, on one occasion ner. he observed that the references in the Mahabharata &c were probably
interpolations

of much later times supposed, and on another out that the occasion he pointed word "Parasika" in the Mewar inscription seemed to be used for Maya, which are incorporated in this Now in the whole book, (see pages 105 and 106) emMahomedans. of Sanskrit literature the word boldened me to think that he would range " not displease me. Parasika" has been, so far as I Accordingly at knew, used for the Parsis only and my request he took up the work and This was one for no other nation. finished it with great credit to his of the reasons why I was inclined learning, for which I hereby tender v to put a new interpretation upon the my best thanks. passage and bring forth a novel I welcome Mr. Khareghat's views theory, although I knew that it would I was well not be easily acceptable. given in unambiguous language, although in some places he has acquainted with the fact that there contradicted mine, as I had exwas no tradition nothing in the from such a well-read pected Kisseh-i-Sanjan or any other book scholar of great critical acumen, and about the Parsis having fought at Chitor with the Mahomedans but ripe judgment. Mr. Khareghat's the hitherto uucorroborated incidents remarks, specially those wherein he differ-; from me, would undoubtedly of the battle of Sanjan recorded in the Kisseh fitted in so exactly with supply food for thought and material for investigation to any future inquirer. those of the Chitor battle, that I For instance, according to him the did not hesitate to suggest the theory

than

further investigations either regards the battle of Chi^or, or regarding any reference to the word " Parasika" in Sanskrit literature used indubitably for an alien. Believing firmly as I did that a student, who startled the scholarly world with a new theory, should not fight shy of adverse criticism, I was determined that when the book was printed, I should request Mr. Khareghat to write a preface embodying his views whether for or against the different questions dealt with in the book. The fact that he had helped me by giving his views about Asura
to

make

as

XXI
word "Parasika" used in the Mudra and Katha-sarit-sagar Rakshasha referred to events which occurred many centuries before them and that it was used by the authors for "
lacking.

low Eastern scholarship

safeguards.
pretations

Personally I prefer to folwith due

the northern foreigners," because these people (the 1-arasika;-) were mentioned along with the 6hakas and Hunas, who broke into India But the long after the said events. argument that the Parasikas, Shakas and Hunas were brought to India by the invaders as hirelings at a certain

Mr. Khareghat's different interabout the inscriptional

of the passage Chalukya king Vija)aditya will have to be considi red in the light of the context and the then circumstances. The questions about the date and authorship of the 1 Sanskrit Shlokas are
>

time and that probably they went back to their countries after doing their duty, is quite different from the argument that they came to India as invaders or even as conquerors long alter the time mentioned above. Indeed I cannot understand why Mr. Khareghat says under '' the heading Parasika," that the word" Parasika" used by the author of Mudra Rakshasha was meant only
for ''northern foreigners in general," when he in another himself,

were discussed meetings of the above-mentioned Research Society by some members. The commen' tary edited by me in the Dastur Hoshung Memorial Volume migfit lead one to suppose that Aka was one of the commentators and not the
important.

They
the

somewhat

in

Perhaps the Shlokas have undergone revision in later times by some Hindu scholar. However that may be, it is imposoriginal writer
lieve that the writer of the oth and 3id Shlokas could have borrowed from the work of Mobed Chanda, whose command over the Sanskrit language was extremely
sible to b
I am afraid, no two scholars would agree on the questions of date and authorship of the Shlokas. It is no wonder therefore that Mr. Khareghat differs from me considerably but theie is no doubt that further light will be obtained, if we

(namely under the heading Paper") admits that there are good reasons for the Mauryas embelieving that
place,

"Dr. Spooner's "

poor.

ployed Persians as soldiers." However that may be, the point raised by Mr. Khareghat is important. Similarly in regard to the question of the Prithus and Parshus in the Rigveda, and the question whether stone buildings existed in India in pre-Mauryan times or not, I must
say
that
I

come
fresh

across

new manuscripts

or

am

at

loss to

know

money
ed

materials, to get which no or energy should be consider-

whether one should give the palm to Western scholarship or to Eastern

scholarship.

ill-spent.

My
friend

Take the question

of

thinks are also due Mr. G. K. Nariman,

to

my whom

the

of Panini. date European scholars like Max Muller and Macdonell would assign about 300 B.C.
to

the Parsis may with just pride claim as an all-round accomplished scholar
for his introductory note on Bhavishya Purana. 1 must admit that it was Mr. Nariman's suggestion from the platform and the press, which
to study the Bhavishya determine who the Magas When Mr. Nariman saw my manuscript, he desired to see it soon in print, and it was he who suggested to our mutual friend Mr. Jamshedji

Panini; whereas Sir R. G. Bhandarkar Dutt and others would push back the date by about 5 centuries.
are we to believe ? It is clear those who have taken their education in European atmosphere (I do not refer to VIr. Khareghat, but
that

Whom

inspired

me

Purana were

to

I speak generally) prefer European scholarship, which, as is well known, has been in several cases found

Edulji Saklatwalla to patronise

my

XX11
book,
to

which

the

latter

readily

agreed and for which I am cordially indebted to Mr. Saklatwalla.

the Parsis of history Ancient India from the hoary past down to tue 16th century after Christ is almost a blank. Open the first volume of the Parsi PrakcUh, triat
of

son of Bharadwaja It is recorded that two princes (of the Sanskrit

speaking race),

Chayamana

-=U

-WR

The

and Prastoka

fought against powerful enemies of a nation named Parasikhas MKRmF: and were de5I?cTfa>

monumental work of the late Khan Bahadur Bomanji B. Patel, and you
about three or four pages have been devoted to events connected with the Parsis during the abovesaid period, i therefore thought that the Sanscrit and other
will find that only

feated. That they then approached their high priest Bhardwaja and expressed their consternation that Rishi of such notwithstanding a spiritual eminence was their adviser, that they should be defeated in battle by their enemies. The Ri>hi then commissioned his son Payu to

passages referred to by me will at leas>t be regarded as a first step for Ihere is wide gap. filling up the ->re references little douot that many but personally I could be given was unable to i^uote them on account of want of time an proper facility. I therefore requested some of my Poona friends to help me herein. I a so requested Mr. Saklatwalla to

some charm or spell, by which they could succeed. The son sat in meditation and saw (comand aforesaid, posed) the Rik
devise

charmed water over the harness, horses arms and accoutrements. The princes now toos courage and went out to battle
sprinkled
(

chariots

again and defeated the Parshikhas.

their

enemies,

"
I

do not know
for

if this
;

word was

write to his Madrasi friends to give me references other than those i had come across. 1 am glad to say that

our mutual friend Mr. A. Govmdacharaya has written a note, which has been printed in the foregoing pages, and f r which 1 am thankful
to

Persians the diffiFor invariably culty is about the ^. we find in Sanskrit ka used as the X X X X X terminal m.
th

meant

Mr. Govindacharya.

Mr. V. Venkatachellam Ayar of

Nell ore
has come across a new reference, about which he says
:

There is one reference which with some labour I have ferreted out. I do not know, if it is quite in point. But there are more doubtful instances relied on by the learned author, who I must admit has taken imunder contribution everything that can be inter-

"

The reference I have noted above may be read in A. A. Mac* donell's Edition of Katyayana's Sarvanukramani with Shadgurusishya's commentary, Oxford Edition, Page 128, bottom lines, note 75 and the next page. The variations in the reading of the word Parasikha found in the foot-notes most be regarded with care and dealt with. Our read* ing shows also the more desirable form of
I thank Mr. Ayar for the above As he says my object reference. was to collect all possible references to the Zoroastrians living in India in Indeed most of the older times. quotations in the first Chapter fall of doubtful under this category It was the Iranian ring references.
of the names Khaharata and Nahapana which had led some scholars to look upon them as Persian, and I have thought it advisable to follow

"

mense pains

to lay

preted as a reference to the ancient Iranian people in connection with

India.

"
tary

In Shadgurusishya's

Commen-

on Sarvanukramani ( a Vedic Index), he records a tradition as to the revelation of a Rik (a hymn of the Rigveda ) in the VI th Mandal, ascribed to a seer Payu by name,

XXU1
these scholars. The Kushan coinage suggested Iranian influence to some extent even this was considered worthy of note in this book. King Krishna, a prince of Gujarat in about 7'0 A. D. has been noted ( see p. 25 ) for the simple reason that he has been called a "Pahlava" prince, although he was a worAll these and shipper of Shiva. other doubtful references and quotations have been incorporated in this
;

book with the object, that in future some further light may be thrown on
the
different

matters

recorded

in

this book.

Misprints* and slips may be condoned by the reader.

Page 1, Col. " in," (India)
'
1,

easily

line 2, for
^

"

to

"

read

Page
tions

32,

after

9TW

read ^jf.
line, for

139, 2nd Col. 6th Page "

"injunc-

read "references."

CONTENTS
PAGE
,

PAGE.

Chapter No.
Arrival

1.

Chapter No. 6. Klsseh-lSanjan.

1

of Persians in India from old mythical times ... Abisares, King of North

Jadi

Rana Was Sanjan known

Political

Punjab

3
rulers

Masudi? condition of Western

to
...

30 33 85
S6 37

Were

the Mauryan Zoroastrians ?

India in 7th-8th century

4

Supposed
Jadi

identification

of

Rana

Chapter No.
to Parsis

2. References and others in Sanskrit Books.

Western Chalukyas Parsis mentioned in Vijayadi-

Date of landing
Jai

tya's inscription in
...

...

...

88

India
...

... ...

40
41

Pahlavas

and Parasikas in Mahabharata Parasikas in Vishnu Purana...

5 6

Vijayaditya or Jadi

Rana.

Was he
4S
...
...

Pahlavas in Manu Smriti ... Parasikas in Raghu Vamsa,

7 7
9

Was

Vijayaditya? Jayashraya Jai Rana ? feudatory of Chalukyas

Parasikas Syrians
?

44,

46

and Katha-sarit-sagar

Were

Sir

...

Pahlavas in Brihat Samhita... ... Legends about Pahlavas

R. G. Bhandarkar's

letters.
...

Arrival of Parsis by sea

47 50

Chapter No.

7.

Chapter No. 3. Persians mentioned in Inscriptions.

Taxila inscription Girnar inscription Karli inscription
Inscriptions
of
...
...

7OO
Events from A.D. 1478

History years.
850
8.
to

of

A.D.

...
...

...
...

11 11 18

52-56

Chapter
Mewar

No.

Sanjan
...

Battle.
inscription
...

Nahapana's
14 16
16

57

... ... ... family Pahlavas in Nasik inscription.

Manikiala inscription

...

Chapter No. 4
Parthians
in

References
and
...

in History.
Gujarat

Could Parasikas be Mahomedans? ... Conquest of Ala-ud-din Campbell on Sanjan battle ... Who were Gabras ? ... ...

60 61 63 64

Sindh

Chapter No. 9. Date of 16 Sanskrit Shlokas.

18
19

Indo-Parthian Kings ... Kushan coins proving Persian

influence ... ... ... Sassanians connected with India Religion of Indian Persians...

Raja

20
21 26

grants permission land Five conditions imposed

to

68
by
69

Raja

Was Nerioshang
the Shlokas
?

the writer of

71

Chapter No. 5
Bhavishya

Magas.
about

Chapter Magas Bhavishya Purana.

Story of

No. 10

In

Purana

Samba
...
... ...

73

Magas
Weber's opinion about Magas

28 29

Magas, Zarathushtra, Padana,

Avyanga

75

XXVI
PAGE.
Bhandarkar's
account
...

PAGE.
Mouru, Merv and Meru Evidence of coins ...
Passage in Mahabhashya
...
...

of

Magas

76

Govindpur inscription of Cunningham's account Multan Customs and ceremonies of

78 79 85 87 88 89 92
93

...

108 109 110

118 114 114
,115

Mauryan

religion

...

...

Magas Magas marry Bhojaka Kusti of Magas

Worship
of

girls...

... Aversion to Mauryas... ... Help by Persian troops Was Chanakya a Zoroastrian ? Chanakya's book and Atharva

Veda
Exposure Hindus
of

116
corpses
...
... ... ...

Sun

idol

among
119

Saura religion Religious customs

jakas

of

Bho-

Magadhas

Garuda and Garonmana Yavanas

Sakas

120 121

Appendix Criticism on Dr. Spooner's Paper.

Excavations at Patliputra ... Asura and Mahabharata
9S
96

122 124
12ft

Were Sakyas
Parallelisms

Zoroastrians?...

Next-of-kin marriages

...126-130

between Buddhism and Zoroastrianism 131-13?

truths
...

Maya
Danavas
Asura Maya in Mahabharata

97

Buddhism cardinal and commandments

;

and Katha-sarit-sagara ... 98-99 ... 101 Patliputra built by magic Weber's opinion about Asura ... 102 Maya in Mahabharata Buildings ...103-104 and Rigvedic times
^

Chakravartin and Shri ideas . Region of Light and 33 Gods Doctrine of future prophets... Nature rejoiced at Zoroaster's

133 184 134

135

and Buddha's

births

...

... Doctrine of Karma ... Moral Triad in Buddhism and

135 138

Mr. Khareghat's view about Asura Maya Were Mauryas Zoroastrians ?

105 107

Hinduism Temptation by Evil R. Chanda's reply

Spirit
...

...

138 139

...

140

PARSIS OF ANCIENT INDIA.

CHAPTER
Arrival of the Persians
to India

No.

1.

from old

mythical times.
Traditions of ancient Persian kings

buried at Kanauj in India. This was complied with. His example was also followed in the case of Nariman, Sam and Rustam. Bahman after

and generals having come to India are met with in Firdusi's Shahname, Abou and Fazal's Ain-i-Akbari
Fireshta's History.

overrunning Zabulistan in revenge of Rustam's his father killing

Asfandiar, came to Kanauj to disinter the remains of Kersasp and his descendants, all of whom had a lot of money buried with them and had on their tombs tablets with a request to the visitors not to meddle with the remains. Bahman carried away the treasure but abstained from his original intention of destroying the

Firdusi

narrates

that

Faridun's

mother Franak sent her infant son Faridun to Hindustan to save him from the murderous hands of Zohak, who invaded and conquered Persia.
Firdusi also gives the story of Asfandiar the son of Gushtasp, who came to India and persuaded the Indian Emperor to adopt fire-worship and accept the Zoroastrian religion. Many more references from the Shahname might be given to show the connection of the ancient Persians with India ( Elliot's History V, 568, Kutar's Shah >ame VI, 86-87).

remains in revenge.

The Ain-i-Akbari gives the following account of the kings of Persia, who had come to India
:

Hoshang, Peshdadian dynasty,

the

founder

of

the
first

was the

JamIranian king to come to India. shid who next visited India is said to have gone to China from India
via Bengal.

Nariman Kersasp, Sam

Nariman, Zal Sam, and Framazd Rustam are also said to have come
to India for conquest.
It is stated that Kersasp was told by astrologers that his dynasty's rule over Zabulistan would be overthrown and that his and his heir's remains would be disinterred by the enemy. With a view to avoid this mishap, he ordered that his remains might be

According to Ferishta there existed good relations between the Indian king Krishna and the Persian emperor Tehemurasp. Krishna's nephew sought shelter with king Faridun, who sent his general Kersasp bin Atrud (Atrat) to India to compel the king to give a portion of his territories to his nephew. After this time, Sam Nariman invaded Punjab at the direction of the Persian monarch. He was opposed by one Mulchand, who at last sought peace. From this time forward, Punjab remained in the hands of the descendants of and was governed by Faridun, Kersasp and his family. It formed a part of the country of Kabul, Jabul, Sind and Seistan, which was under the sway of Rustam's family. Kesurai the successor of the above Indian help of king king asked the

Minocheher against some of his rebels. Minocheher sent Sam Nariman to his help, He met Kesurai at Jallander and helped him in subduing his tributary kings.
Kesurai

was succeeded by

Firujrai,

who

after

2
the death of Sam Nariman, rebelled against the suzerainty of Persia and freed Punjab from its yoke. Up to

Prof.

The same opinion is repeated by Max Muller in his Lectures on

time of king Kaikobad, Punjab remained independent under the InRustam then invaded dian kings. India, defeated the Indian Raja and placed one Surajrai on the throne. Later on Kedar Raja paid a tribute to Kaus and Kaikhusru.*
In support of the statements of Fireshta Dr. J. J. Modi and Prof. Darmesteter give the tradition about the fort of Jamrud jn the Khyber Pass, namely that the said fort was connected with the name of the king Jamshid of the Peshdadiair dynasty.

the Science of Language (I, 235): 'The Zoroastrians were a colony from northern India. They had been together for a time with the people, whose sacred songs have been preserved to us in the Veda. A schism took place, and the Zoroastrians migrated westward to Arachosia and
Persia."
(3) Professors

have, in their Key to interpret the Veda," pointed out that there are references to the Persians and Parthiansinthe Rigveda. In Rv. 1-105-8

and Apte " Bhagvat

we have ^
tf^R:
I

JJT

cTCFcT

atf^TcT:

^TOofifor

That the Persians had come to India and lived there from the Vedic times downwards is affirmed by several scholars:

"The

me

all

Parshus (Persians) harass round like cowives."

:

Rv. VI 11-6-46
ted

"I wres-

Prof. Spiegel in his introduc(1) tion to Avesta ( Vol. II. pp CVI ff ) '* The original abode of the says
:

Indo-Germanic race is to be sought in the extreme east of the Iranian country, in the tract where the Oxus It and Jaxartes take their rise might be imagined that not only the
along with them, had migrated to the and that countries on the Indus
;

from the Yadva ( tribe ) one hundred cattle (in the province of) Tirindira, and one thousand cattle ( in the province of ) Parshu."
Rv. VII. 83-1
;

3TM

3^

"ic^-ci:

SqR

Indians, but also the Iranians

O you men, looking to you and your wealth the Prithus and Parshus,
fain
for
spoil,

march forward.

Iranians, perhaps owing to religious differences, had retraced their steps

to the

westward."
Prof.

(2)

can

Muller says:" It now be proved even by geo-

Max

had been settled immigrated into

graphical evidence, that Zoroastrians in India before they I say the Persia.

Indra-Varuna, you smote and slew the Dasa and Aryan enemies, and helped Sudas with favour." Prof. 'Ludwig also renders 23^^ by " Parthians and Persians."* (According to Pamni V. 3.-117^the words qRR: in the singular, qj^Mt" in the
:

dual and
as the
last
*

W3:

n tne plural, are taken

Zoroastrians, for, we have no evidence to bear us out in making the same assertions of the nations of India and

name

of the

tribe the three forms suggesting

of a warrior

Persia in general.
strians

That the Zoroa-

and their ancestors started from India during the Vedic period can be proved as distinctly as that

the inhabitants of Massilia started from Greece." (Chips, I, 86).

* Asiatic See also Dr. J. J. Modi's Papers Part II pp. 262-294. And Vendidad I. 19 and Yasht X. 104.

See Dastur Hoshang Memorial Volume, " Parsuas According to Dr. Teile, appear to have dwelt east of Elam at the time of Senacherib. Perhaps they were Persians though the name might equally be a disguise for Parthavas or Parthians, In the annals of Salamanas^ar II ( 9th c. B. C ) he relates of a victory over a certain Artasur who lived not far from Parsuas" ( Teile's Religion of Iranians translated by G. K. Nariman. Indian Antiquary XXXII, 228.)
p. 319.

the

singular

cr*| t

In

the

cuniform

dynasty

(Rawlinson's
).

Ancient
the the the

inscriptions at countries Pdrsah

Behistan we have the

Monarchy, IV, 433

and Partava, which might be compared with the q^f and

2$J

In the hilly country above territories of Taxiles and Porus,

historians

of the Rigveda.)

Thus the
would appear
(4) in his

to

Parshus and Prithus be either inhabitants

or invaders of India.

of Alexander place dominions of Abisares. Arrian states that the Soamus, the present Suhan river rises in the "mountainous parts

As has been shown by Dr. Muir

364

ff. )

men

Sanskrit Texts ( Vol II, p. the word Dasyu is used for and not demons in the Aitareya
;

that is, in the hills of Murri and Margala Pass. This is the exact position of the district of Abhisara according to the Rajatarangini

of Sabissa,"

and other

Hindu

authorities.

Brahmana (VII-18 ), Manusmriti ShantiMahabharata ( X-43 ff ),

parva (65-2429, 16S-6293) and even some passages in the Rigveda ( IV41-2,VI-14- \, X-22-* &c). He further "I have gone over the names says of the Dasyus and Asuras mentioned in the Rigveda, with the view of
:

the earliest times this country has been occupied by the Gakars who seem to be the descendants of the Persians who \vere the coreligionists of king Abisares in the time of

From

Alexander.

This point

is

proved

beyond

all

reasonable doubt by the

brother,

name

of

Abisare's

whom

discovering whether any of them could be regarded as of non-Aryan origin but I have not observed any that appear of that character." (Sk.
;

Texts, Vol II, p. 387).

Thus then the Dasyus were Aryan Mamismriti people.* Now in the we are told that the ( XI 43-45 )
Kambojas, Yavanas, Sakas, Paradas, were Dasyus. The Pahlavas &c. Pahlavas were either Persians or Parthians, as several scholars have
asserted.
If then the in India in the

Arrian calls Arsakes. This name refers the people to a Parthian origin.) According to one account, the ancestors of the Gakars were transplanted by Afrasiyab into the N. W. Punjab, under a leader named Kid Raid.
In the year B. C. 326 Alexander crossed the Indus and advanced to Taxila, where he received an embassy " from Abisares, king of the Indian Mountaineers." After the battle with Porus, Alexander received a second embassy from Abisares, "with a present of money and forty elephants " Again on his return to the Akesines, a third embassy arrived, headed by Arsakes, the brother of Abisares, bringing valuable presents and thirty

Dasyus dwelt Vedic and post-Vedic

times,

they probably included the

Pahlavas.

Abisares, King of North Punjab.

In historic times Punjab formed part of the Persian dominions from its conquest by Darius Hystapes f about B. C. 510 till the later days C. 350 ) of the Achaemenian ( B.
* See Zarathustra in Rigveda ( pp. 3-9) " Strabo asserts that Arsakes, the founder of the Parthian Monarchy was called Dahas. The name Dahae is derived from the Zend Dahvu Dasvu )" (Cunningham's ( Sk. Archaeological Survey, Vol II, p. 46 ).

more elephants. The dominions of Abisares must have been very extensive, as he was able to make a present of seventy elephants. His territory touched the Indus on the west. Arsakes, the brother of Abisares, is described as the governor of the adjacent province, and as he waited upon Alexander at Taxila, his province was not very far disfant
from that city. M. Troyer calls him " governor of the district of f/rasa," the Varsa Regis of Ptolemy, and the Rash of the present day, which lies immediately to the north of Dhanra,-

well

t The invasion of India by Darius is so known, that we need not refer to it

at great length.

war.

Cunningham's Archaeological
II,

Survey of India,

pp. 23-29.)

cussion of Dr. Spooner's paper be a matter of comes paramount

Were
The

rulers Zoroastrians ?
the

Mauryan

Dr. Spooner has made necessity. use of every conceivable argument he could think of in favour of the
subject, which for rs, that it
is

excavations of the historic site of Patliputra under the supervision of Dr. D. B. Spooner led him to write

so

very

important

an important paper which was published in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland in January and July 1915. This paper is of special interest to the Parsis, because it opens up a new vista of research regarding what Dr. Spooner calls "the Zoroastrian Period Inof Indian History." From the scriptions of Darius we know, that the Achsemenian emperors ruled over north western provinces, such as Kandhar, Panjab &c. These provinces were divided into different Satrapies ( Rawlinson's Herodotus, II, 487 ); and on the authority of the

would be necessary to analyse every single argument to see whether it would stand the test of criticism. But it would not be proper to insert here the extremely long discussion which, being a subject by itself, would be dealt with in a separate book to be published hereafter. We will only give a summary rf the result which is that the Mauryan emperors were not Zoroastrians, that the Persians had come to India to fight for Chandragupta
the founder of the Mauryan dynasty, that they lived in India as subject races, that some of these served as chiefs and petty Rajas in the Mauryan
times, and that they probably had a hand in the erection of the Mauryan palaces, which were built after the
style of the Persepolitan halls.

Greek

writers,

it

is

stated,

that

Indian regiments under the Persian generals fought with the Greeks on of their Persian behalf rulers. ( Herodotus, IV, 63, 347, 398 ). But the theory that the Zoroastrians extended their sway as far as the

Gangetic valley and ruled at Patliputra as

surprise

We

imperial rulers came as a the scholarly world. Zoroastrians are highly in-

among

debted to Dr Spooner for his researches, and would indeed be very pleased, if it could be satisfactorily proved, that there was in ancient times "a Zoroastrian period of Indian "

The history of the Parsis History of ancient India for about a thousand years nfter the time of Darius was supposed to be a mere blank. Great was therefore the enthusiasm of the
Parsi

they

speakers, when Dr. Spooner's paper, which seemed to supply a great missing link in the history of the Parsis, namely that the Mauryan
writers

and

came

across

rulers at Patliputra belonged to or Magian Zoroastrian faith.

the

To
dis-

determine the correctness or otherwise

of this
assertion,

full

Chapter No.

2.

References to Parsis and Persians in Sanskrit Books.

In this chapter, we propose to consider the passages in Sanskrit works, relating to the Parsis of India in ancient times. The Hindu writers used the word Parasika for the Parsis and Pahlavas for the Parthian s or Iranians generally.

tribes *

(2) In the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata (Sec. IX, 64-67 )we find a complete list of the numerous

dwelling in Bharatavarsha
:

or India, among whom the following tribes are mentioned

(65)
f
II

(66)
:

(68)

"The Favanas,

Chinas, Kambojasf

Pahlavas and Parasikas Mahabharata.

(1)

Darunas, and Mlechha tribes

The

in

Sakritgrihas, Kulatthas, Hunas J with Pdrasikas. The Khashiras, Anta-

a passage in the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata ( Sec. 65, lines 2429 ff ), we are in a position to say, that the Persians were a In subject race in ancient times. that passage the King Mandhatri asks the following question
:

From

and Girigahvaras." In the paras Nos. 42 and 51 we read about the Mag<idhds, and Sakas. It will thus be seen, that the Yavanas, Parasikas, Pahlavas, Magad has and Sakas were looked upon
charas, Pahlavas
as different tribes.

When

come

did the Pahlavas to India ?

"
ras,

The Yavanas,

Kiratas,

Gandha-

Chinas, Sharvaras, Varvaras, Sakas, Tusharas, Kankas, Pahlavas,

Andhras, Madras
all

how

shall

these (people) living in different

countries practise duty, and what rules shall kings like me prescribe for those, living as Dasyus ?"

As to the latest date assigned to the present form of the Mahabharata. Mr. Vaidya says: have the evidence of Rhetor Dion direct Chrysostom, that the Mahabharata with its one lac of verses was well known even in South India in 50 As the present MahaA. D bharata mentions the Yavanas adbut does not anywhere miringly, mention the Rashis, one is justified

"We

in

see from the above question that the Pahlavas resided in the dominion of the king. As Sir R. G.

We

its

holding, that it was recast into present shape some time between 300 and 100 B. C." ( See Vaidya's

Muller, Dr. Muir and other scholars say, these Pahlavas we'e the or Pahlavi Parthian Lit. people, ( Anc. Sk. p. 54. Muir's Texts, II, p. 259, S B. E. XXV. Intro, p. 115, B. B. R. A. S.

Bhandarkar, Prof.

Max

Mahabharata, p. 13 ff ). But in spite of this opinion of Mr. Vaidya, we have reasons to believe that the Mahabharata contains many
later

interpolations.

We

cannot
the

therefore
*

say

definitely,

when

XVI,

p.

215

).

* See Roy's translation of Shanti Parva, Sec 65, Muir's Sk. Texts I. (p. 484). For references to Pahlavas in the RamSyana,

Mr. Roy correctly states in tne footnote of his translation that the names are those of the tribes, and not of places or provinces. (p. 31)
f People of
p. 491,

see Griffith's translation index.

498

).

Kabul (Bom. Gaz I Huns.

I.

Pt,

6
passages
written.

certain

above referred to were This much however is the Parasikas and that

Parasikas in Mudra

Rakshasha.
(4) It is seen from the Mudra Rakshasha,* that the Parsis helped Chandragupta in his invasion of Nor-

Pahlavas lived in India long before tO A. D. According to Pandit the Pahlavas came to Bhagvanlal India about B.C. 150 ( Bom. Gaz. Pt. I., p. 144).

thern India. runs thus

:

The

Sanskrit passage

According

to

the writer

of

the

Gazetteer, seven leading hordes entered India from the northThe Yavanas or west and west. Bactrian Greeks came into India the from about B. C. 250 to 125 Pdhlavas or Parthians from B.C. 170 to 100; the Sakas of two main hordes, namely the Su-Sakas about B C. 150 to 100 and the Kushans about B.

Bombay

Kusumapura
beseiged on
all

=Patliputra

is

C.

130 &c.

Bom.

az.

IX

pt. I,

p. 455).

Dr. Bhandarkar held, that

by Sakas, Yavanas, Kiratas, Kambojas, Parasikas, Bahlikas f and others, (who are) the forces of the King Chandragupta, (and who are) guided by the intellect of Chanakya."
sides

the PahUvas and

in

Sakas
the

made

their

On

the authority of the same book,

:

Andhrabhritya appearance country at any time between A. D. 16 and 133 A. D. (Id, Vol. I, pt. II,
p. 317).

we know that HK^I^I 3^iK " Parsi named Meghanada

anocher passage (Act where we read
:

% ("the

was a

Raja and friend of Chandragupta. (see Act V). The same name occurs in
I,

verse 20),

In

his

paper

on

scriptions Dr.

Bhau Daji

Junagur says about

in-

the King Gautamiputra", -the son of Padumavi ( about 120 A. D. ) as follows: "Gautamiputra boasts of the glory of the established having

Satavahana family, and of having defeated Sakas, Yavanas and Pahlavas" ( B. B. R. A. S. Journal, Vol. This shows that the VII, p. 117 ). about Pahlavas were in India in 120 A. D.

the fifth is one of the Megha, a great King of the Parsis, who has got a large cavalry."

"

Among these,

name

This name Megha might be identified with the first part

of the
,

names

or it Maga-bdtis, Maga-pdnns$ &c might be a purely Hindu name, used as in our own times.

Parasikas
(3)

in

Vishnu Purana.
contains
* A Sanskrit drama written by Vishakhadatha in the 8th century A D- It embo-

The Vishnu Purana*

names

rsha. It mentions,
shtras,

of tribes inhabiting Bharatavaamong others, the

died genuine historical traditions.

of
p.

Kurus, Panchalas,
Vol. II, p. 132f,
I,

Mdgadhas, SauraMuir's
(Wilson, Sk. Texts

Hunas, Parasikas.

f These were not people of Baktria but Multan in India ( Bom. Gaz. I Pt. 1 103 ).
t

The other readings

+Hl<?<4:

are ifaRi,
is

WSJ
(

and

In

Prakri

it

p. 495).

^fTR;

See

Telung's edition, pp. 221, 204). See also idem p. 221.

$

* Composed about 450 A. D. ( See A K. Mozumdar's Hindu History, p 26 ) In the MSrkandeya Purana there are three refe-

or

Compare Moghistan Magi ) another name

=land

of

rences to the Pahlavas in

Chapters 57-58,

J. J. Modi's, ( See Dr. Kaikobad & Kisseh-i-Sanjan,

of Moghs Hormuz island Dastur Bahman

p.

46

).

Pahlavas

in

Maim

Smriti.

(5) In Manu Smriti ( X-43, 44 ) written in about the 2nd century B. C., we come across the names of the foreign tribes inhabiting nor-

life-time. Professor Pathak thinks that Kalidas took the description of the conquest of Raghu from the account of the conquest of the contemporary

thern India, among whom we find the Yavanas, Sakas, Pahlavas &c.

The passage

runs thus

king Yashodharman (A. D. 490-550) into Kashmir. Mr. Manmohan Chakravati identifies the event with the conquest of Skandagupta in the reign of the Persian King Piruz (A. D. 457-484,) son of Yazdgird II. The
Ephtalites or White Huns helped Piruz against his brother in securing the throne of Persia, but afterwards he fought with them and was killed in the battle. The white Huns of the overran the territories Persians, which included the frontiers of India. Dr. Hoernle rejects the above theory, because Piruz had lost only Gandhar and not the country on the direct frontiers. According to him the Persian King was Kobad who with the help of the Huns removed his brother Jamasp from the throne (A. D. 499). The Huns fought with the Indian King Yashodbarman.

Translation
sion
of rites

Gradually by omisand by transgressing

the orders of the Brahmans these Kshatri tribes, ( namely ) Pundras, Dravidas, Kambojas, Yavanas, Sakas, Paradas, Pahlavas, Chinas, Kiratas

and Daradas have

the condition of world."

degenerated

to

the Sudras in the

Parasikas
(6)

in

Raghu Yamsa.

60

we

In the Raghu Vamsa* (IV read about Raghu, the great

They were
lost

grand-father of
"

Rama

as

under:
an inland

assisted by Kobad who Sindh and some eastern provinces. This is the loss referred to by Kalidas when he speaks of the defeat

of the Parasikas.

Thence he
to

set

out by

conquer the Parasikas." The commentator explains that the '* Parasikas were Mlechha Rajas living on the banks of the river Sindhu or Indus." ( f^d<i c liRiit *$>route
"-sKKil'l^ ).

Firdusi says nothing about loss of the Persian territories in the frontiers of India either in Piruz's or Kobad's time. From a passage in Tabari
Vol.

This

is

quite

correct,

because the author Kalidas

himself

says further up ( in verse No. 67 ), that the horses of Raghu relieved their fatigues by the rolling on banks of the river Sindu. The author
also tells us, that Yavanas,

Zotenberg's French Tr., 221 ) it appears that a part of the Indian frontier belonged to the Persians in Beramgor's time. It passed back into the hands of an Indian king before Noshirwan's
(

however

II, p.

time.

Kambojas and Hunas were defeated by Raghu. Much ingenuity has been spent by scholars to identify the event referred to by Kalidas. It is assumed on the grounds, which we consider extremely flimsy that the event must be one, which happened in the poet's
*

We have nothing to say against the above historical events, but have we any substantial proof to show what was in the mind of Kalidas ?
Parasikas in Katha Sarit Sagara.
(7) In the Katha-Sarit Sagara* (Vol I, Tr. pp. 150-151), we read
:

Of Kalidas,
is

whom

the latest date assigned to

Daji's Paper B.

about 560 A.D. (See also Dr. Bhau B R. A. S. VI., p. 230.)

Written by Somadeva in D.

12th century

8
"
of Vasta defeated Udayana, King the king of the Chola* race Sindh Having subdued the King of at the head of his cavalry,he destroyed

The cavalry squathe Mlechhas drons of the Turushkas^ were broken on the masses of his elephants... tri...The august hero received the the head off cut and foes his bute of Parasikas. of the wicked king of the inflicted a had he after His glory the defeat on the Hunas.t made resound." four quarters

which was between 70 and 46 A. D., and which could not therefore have been composed later than the beginning of the Christian
the
Lalita Vistara,' translated into Chinese

'

Udayana Vatsa, son of Satanika, king of Kosambi is said to have been born on the same day as
era,

Buddha

Hwen Thsang

relates

that the famous statue of Buddha, was in red sandal-wood, which

made by King Udayana during

life-time of the Teacher,
still

the

exist-

Now Udayana
country
of

was a ruler of the

capital

known

as Vatsa, the

which was Kaushambi, near the modern Kosam about 30 miles above was Allahabad. The king Udayana

race. a celebrated prince of the lunar He is the hero of the play named to Bana, Ratnavali, which is ascribed lived in the latter half of the

ed under a stone dome in the ancient palace of the kings." (idem, p. 393). If Udayana was a contemporary " of wicked Parsi Buddha,* the " lived referred to above, king in about the 5th century B. C.

Could
killed

this

in

who

king be Xerxes, B. C. 465, and

who was who was,

6th century
of

D.
refers
to

of Udayana thus:--" The story is reKosftmbi of Uddvana, king in his ferred to by the poet Kalidas or Cloud Messenger,' Megha-duta where he says that Avanti (or with the number of Ujain) is great those versed in the tale of Udayana. Now Kalidas nourished shortly after A. D. 500. In the Vrihat Katha'
'

Cunningham

the

story

'

'

according to some writers, (whom, however, we cannot believe) cruel and wicked ? f Did Xerxes ever visit Jndia? We know that Darius the father of Xerxes conquered the Indians, and subjugated India which was his 20th satrapy, and also that
into Xerxes in his expedition Greece was furnished troops by the Indians. Xerxes is supposed by some to be Ahasuerus, who disgraced Vashti and made Esther his queen (Rawlinson's Herodotus II, 403; III, 32; IV, 4, 53, 215). It
is

'

of
is

Somadeva, the

story of

Udayana

given at full the capital of

Kosambi, length is the Vatsa Raja,

the pleasing drama of 'Ratnavali' or the 'Necklace,' which was composed in the reign of King

possible

that

the

Hindu

writer

scene

of

may have confounded

facts

and

the

Harsh Deva, who is most probably same as Harsha Vardhana of io 650)." (See Kanoj (A. D. 607 Cunningham's Ancient Geography
of India, p. 392).

wrongly attributed those connected with the father to the son. The evidence for the identification of " " the wicked Parsi king is, however, very meagre.

Pahlavas
(8)

in

Brihat Samhita.
his
I, p.

"The name of Udayana was more In famous among the Buddhists

Tamil people of Southern India, from the Croromandal coast ( ^^HSc? ) receives its name they are mentioned in Asoka's inscriptions and also M. Bh. Epigraphia Indica II. f Turks (See
*

Al-Biruni in

India

(Tr.

300) mentions the names of the people of India on the authority of the Vayu

by Dr. Sachau, Vol.

whom

p. 181).

Huns.

He was also a contemporary of AjatashaB. C. 496 to 413 (Hindu Hist, by A. K. Muzumdar p. 321.) f See Pallonji t3. Desai's Achaemema
tri
-.

Or king

of the Vatsas.

Hist. p. 340.

Purana placing the Pahlavas amonf

the people in the north.

how
the

they are

formed and used

in

In the same book (p. 302) he says, that according to the Samhita of Varaha-Mihira one of the names
of the people in the South-west Pdrasava i. e. Persians.

Pdrasika, Barbara, Yavana, Romaka and other languages."

was

This suggests that the language of the Parsis was studied in India by learned Hindus in or about 700 A. D.*

Vaiaha-Mihira was a celebrated astronomer and the author of BrihatSamhita &c He died in 587 A. D.
the Brihat Samhita of Turning Varaha Mihira (chap. 14 17-19)
to

Legends About Pahlavas. (1) We come across a few legends

about the Pahlavas in Sanskrit In the Harivamsha (v. 1425 works.

we

find

that

the people
direction

in

the

we are told that Kusha had four sons Kushika, Kushanabha, Kushamff)

were the * SindhuPahlavas, Kambojas, ... Yavanas Sauviras, ...... Anartas...

.

South-western

ba and Moortimat.

the grand- father of the

Kushika was well-known

as
:

Vishvami

ra t

Now

regards

......... Pars/iavas,

Shudras, Barbaras,

Kushika, the author says

Kiratas, ..... &c.

J.

(Dr.

Kiru's
p.

Tr.

R. A. S.NewSeries, Vol.5,

84).

Kumarila Bhatta's Book.

(9) The most treatise existing in
rila

famous

Mimansa

India is KumaBhatta's Tantra-vd ttika, a comJaimini-sutras.

mentary on
rila lived at

Kuma-

the end of

century A D 1-8-10 Kumarila suggests, that by the application of affixes c. it may be possible to convert Mlechchha words into Sanskrit words then he
;

the seventh VVhile annotating on

Growing among the Pahlavas, the glorious king Kushika practised austere penance to get a son equal to Indra." Indra was pleased, and Kushika begot a son named Gadhi, who became the king of Kanyakubja (Kanouj) and was the father of Vishvamitra (See Muir's Sk.
Texts,
It
I,

"

pp. 351, 390.)

would appear from this legend, that the Pahlavas lived in India in
to which Rigvedic times, Vishvamitra belonged, but we have reasons to believe, that the legend

the

says

must have originated

times.

in

far

later

the formation (of the words) at will in the AndhraDravida language,! we do not know
is

"

(2)

In

the

When

such

Mahabharata

(v.

Adi Parva of the 663s ff), we have

an interesting legend of Vasishtha and Vishvamitra, who were bitter enemies of each other. Once upon
a time mitra

The Pahlavas are also referred to in Brihat SamhitS Chap. XVI- 38, XVIi-6 and the same Samara-Sam hitS author's R. A. S. New Series Vol. b, (J. 235 236, 242) It pp. may be stated that there were five Varaha Mihiras known to histoiy (1) The first author of Vrihat Samhiti in 58 B. C. (2) The author of a
revise edition of Brahma SiddhSnta in 80 A. D. (8) The author of the present Vrihat SamhitS in 2>*6 A. D. (4) The author of Pancha Siddh^miki in the 6tfi <J. A. D. (5) He who lived in loOO A. D. (A. K. Mozumi

when
came

to

out hunting, Vishvathe hermitage of

his
rival
to
,

Vasishtha, with great

who

received He honour.

gave

precious jewels &c which were obtained from his The cupiwonder-working cow. dity of Vishvamitra was aroused,

Vishvamitra

See also Indian Antiquaryto

I*

P. 310.

dar's

Hindu History,

p. 64).

Vishnu Purana, h'ushdmba was the grand- father (Wilson,

t According
the
pp. 898-400.)

t Tamil language.

10
and
so he asked Vasistha to give that animal in exchange for a hundred miilion cows or even his When Vasistha did not kingdom

CHAPTER

No.

3.
in

him

Persians mentioned
inscriptions.

comply with

his

demand, Vishva-

He mitra threatened to use force. dragged the cow,* beat her and pushed her hither and thither, but she would not move. She became very angry, and in order to punish
Vishvamitra
created

and

his

army,

she

Having seen the references to the Parsis and Persians in Sanskrit books, we now propose to give those in inscriptions. They are in Aramaic, Sanskrit and Pali languages.

Pahlavas, Dravidas, Sakas, Yavanas, Kiratas and other tribes from her body. (The words of the

Taxila Inscriptions.
(1) Sir J. H. Marshall has found an Aramaic inscription on the site of

poet are

Beholding

this great miracle,

the

product of Brahmanical Vishvamitra was humbled

:

might, at the

impotence of a Kshatriya nature, and exclaimed

\

^5T-

'Shame on a Kshatriya's strength; the strength of a Brahman's lustre is strength (indeed). Determining (what is) strength and (what is) weakness, (we see that) penance is the greatest strength."
This
legend
is

also

found

in

Ramayana (I, chap. 51-65. )t The substance of the legend

seems to be, that the Brahmans destroyed the force of the Kshatriyas with the assistance of foreigners, such as Pah lavas, Sakas, Yavanas

the ancient city of Taxila. It is carved on a fragment of a pillar of white marble and is incomplete. In the, 7th line Prof. Cowley reads " the words this Vohuvarda" and the name with the Persian compares " Huvardhi" In the 9th and 12th lines he reads a word (Marhaz?) which, he says, was the title of a He ascribes the Persian governor. inscription to about 450 B. C. and " thus concludes Taxi.'a was the chief city of the Kharosthi district. The view that Aramaic was officially used by the Achasmenians, that after India their conquest of Northern about 500 B. C. it became current Kharosthi was that there, and derived from it in this way, is thus " (J R. being gradually confirmed A. S., 1915, pp. 340-346.)
:

Girnar Inscription.
(2) The tion of the

and others. We are unable to say, to what time this legend relates, but it cannot be very old.
*

The

fable

of
is

cow

Nandini

stone 1161 or A. D. 1104-5 (Epigraphia Indica, III p. 190.)

Nagpur

Vasishtha's wonderful referred to in the dated Samva' inscription

also

most remarkable inscripthat on a is bridge near Girnar at Junagadh in Kathiawar, known as Rudra Daman's We shall give important bridge extracts from the inscription here-

Shah Kings

after.

Texts,

t For comments &c., see Muir's Q k I, pp. 391, 897) Does this le?end refer to the forces raised by Chandragupta?

We are told therein that the ancient bridge was swept away by an inundation, that it was repaired
by Pushpagupta, whose sister Chandragupta had married and who was of Vaishya caste, that it was subsequently repaired by Tushdspa, the Yavana Raja, an officer of Asoka, and that finally it was constructed

11
by the great satrap Rudra in the year 72 (Saka, A. D.)*

Daman
?'.

e.

150

As regards the the writer of the

The

writer

of

the

Bombay

Gazetteer, who notes this passage, is Tushdspa rightly observes, tha'i called Yavani Rdj-i, and the use of the word Rajaf shows, that he was That he a dignitary of high rank. not is called Yavana Rdji does prove that he was a Greek. All the scholars unanimously admit, that he

name Suvishakha Gazetteer Bombay " The name Suvishakha, as says: Dr. Bhau Daji suggests, may be a Sanskritised form of Siavaksha. One
inscriptions gives a Sovasaka. apparently a corrupt Indian lorm of the original Persian, from which the Sanskriof

the

Karle

similar

name

tised Suvisakha must have been formed. Sovasaka is mentioned in the Karle inscription as an inhabi-

was a Persian viceroy or governor.

Girnar InseriptionKCW^M -)
7

tant of Abulama, apparently the old trade mart of Obollah at the head of tht Persian Gulf. This

(3) In 1862 Dr. Bhau Daji read a paper, on the abovesaid inscription at Junagadh in which he said, that the name of the actual builder of

trade connection sian Gulf and the

between the PerWestern India sea-

the bridge on the lake Sudarshaa\ near Girnar was thk Pahlava minister of Rudradaman named Suvifhdkha, a Sanskrit adaptation of the Persian name Siavaksha. His father's

board must have led to a settlement, from very early times, of Pahlavas, who gradually became converted to

Buddhism" (Bom
I, p.

Gaz. Vol.
433.]

I,

pt.

35; IX, pt.

I. p.

name was Kulaipa, and Siavaksha appeared to have been the Governor of Anarta and Saurashtra (that is,
Kathiawar.)

We

shall

now

give here important

extracts from the Sanskrit inscription of Rudradaman at Junagadh

of the

[Some comments on the derivation names above given may not be out of place. As the Pali / stood

referred to above, which has been reproduced and translated in the Indian Antiquary (Vol. VII, pp. 257263)* by Pandit Bhagvanlal Indraji and Dr. G. Buhler. In the preface "From the the writers observe:

for r, \ve think, that Kulaipa would " be the same as Khura-pa, protec" tor of the sun or Kura-pa n. ight "
;

following inscription it appears that an artificial lake, called Sud-arsdna, was situated at the foot of the Girnar. It had first been dug by the brother-in-law of the Maurya king a Vaisya called Chandragupta,

mean

protector of the blind."

;

* Dutt Anc. India, Vol. II. p 46 Bom. V. Smith Gaz. Vol. I. pt. II pp. 18-14 Hist, of India p. 125; JR. A. S. 1915, p 12. mean a f The word may " " ruler " or evenRaja " archon "simply or "
;

Pushyagupta, and had been adorned the outlets with Tushaspa, by /avana governor of Asoka. In the

consul

(Rhys- David's Buddhism p. 92). Referred to in Rudradihnan's ins\

cription

72nd yeart of Rudradaman's reign, on the first day of the dark half of
See also Bhavanagar State Prakrit and Sanskrit Inscriptions, pp 20 21. t This refers to the era used on the coins, and not the length of Rudradaman's Rudradaman the son of JayadSman reign. He was ruled from A. D. U3 to 158. the Western probably the greatest of
JCshatrapas.
*

mentioned above.

See B. R. R. A. S. Journal Vol, VI, Thomas' Essay on p. 114. Quoted in Bactrian Coins ft. note p 104. See also Ind Ant. VII 263 and Bomb. Gaz. XIII. Pt. II p. 414 XIII Pt. I p. 443 I p. 64. " Khoraib " in $ Dr. Buhler suggests
;
;

S. B. E.

XXV.

Intro, p. 115,

(Bom.

Gaz,.

I,

Pt.

I.

34),

12
Margashirsha, a heavy storm, attended by a copious rainfall, happened, quite out of season, and so much increased the force of the current of the rivers, which flowed
tops, trees, rocks, terraces, (pieces of)

the

ground, neighbouring gates, houses and pillars of victory, violently stirred the water, which displaced and broke (this lakej"

through the lake, that it destroyed a great portion of the embankment, which closed the latter. The water of the lake ran off, and its loss no doubt caused great inconvenience to the inhabitants of Junagadha. A little later the dyke was repaired by the Pahlava Suvisakha, who as Rudradaman's governor of Surashtra Kathiavad) and (southern Anarta (northern Kathiavad) resided at Junagad."

XXXX

xxxx wsqr
The Vaishya Pushyagupta, the brother-in-law of the Mauryan King Chandragupta had caused ut) to be It had been adorned constructed. with conduits under the superintendence of that* Yavanaraja Tushaspa of the Maurya, Asoka; with the conduit made by him and the construction of which was worthy of a
king" &c.
'

The

inscription runs thus

"
of

This Sudarsana lake

at

the

foot

Girinagar construction rivalling well-joined Uhe spurs of the mountain."

hill ......... possesses

Then we have a long passwhich refers to the glory and kingdom of Rudradaman.
Note:
age,

xxxx

"The

great Kshatrap

Rudradaman,

"
in

This same
the
great

(lake

was
of

destroyed}

72nd

year

the

king,

Kshatrapa Rudradaman, whose name is repeated by great men, on the (first day) of the dark half of the month Margashirsha ...... when in consequence of the rain

the

thousand years, for Brahthe sake of ...... cows and mans and for the increase of his merit and fame, has rebuilt (the embankment) three times stronger in breadth and length, in not a very time, expending a great long
for the sake of a

amount of money from

his

own

trea-

sury, without oppressing the people of the town by {exacting} taxes, forced labour or donations, (and) ......

which had fallen very copiously, the earth had become as it were, one ocean, by the excessive swelling of
the currents of the Palasini, Suvarnasikata and other rivers, which (come] from Mount Urjayat, the embankment &c ....... In spite of suitable devices employed, an extremely furious hurricane, similar to the storm at the Deluge, throwing down hill-

has

made

the lake more beautiful."

*That means "the celebrated"; "it is not that he was more than a mere improbable " official (footnote by Dr. Buhler).

13
The
passage
Sanskrit
is

of
:

the above

Pali

as

under

In the 24th year of the King Shri Pudumava, son of Vasava, (this)

"When

in

this

affair

Kshatrap's advisers and though possessed of the qualifications of ministers, lost heart on account of the enormous size of the gap and gave up the undertaking and when the people, despairing of seeing the

great engineers,

the

beautiful religious (is assignation made) of the mendicant Harapharana,

son of Satru-parana, the devoted inhabitant of Abulama" (B. B. R. A. S., Vol. V, p. 158.)*

Temples

embankment rebuilt, began to lament,

was accomplished by the the son of Suvisakha, Kulaipa, a Pahlava, who has been appointed by the king, out of kindness towards the town and country people, to protect the whole of Anarta and Surashtra, who by the
(the work)

In his ''Inscriptions from the Caveof Western India" (p. 36) Dr. reads the above Burgess

minister

inscription follows
:

somewhat

differently

as

proper dispensation of justice in matters

Sanskrit of the above

of

money
of

and merit, increases

subjects),

the affection (of the

able,

who

is

subdued
in

senses,

neither
of

nasty nor wanting

prescience

mind, of noble family and unconquered, who governs well and increases the spiritual merit, fame and
glory of his master. " As we have already seen Siavaksha appears to have been the governor of Anarta and Surashtra."

(B. B. R. A. S., VII

Vasithiputa, the illuin the year (of his reign} twenty-four, 24, this meritorious of a the gift mandapa by Updsaka Harapharana, son of Setapharana, Sovasaka, native of Abulama
strious

The King

Pulimavi

7, p.

114.)

&c."

Karli Inscription. in (4) The great rock temples and near Thana district, which date
from the centuries before and after Christ, seem to have been planned and sculptured by Parthian or Persian of
artists.

With reference to the above inscription

remarks:

the

names
G.

in

Dr

Buhler

"Harapharana and Setapharana are clearly two Persian names. The former corresponds with the Greek Horophernes or Holophernes.
is

Harpharan
inscriptions

of
in

Abuone

The

latter part of both,

'lord'.

pharana
Seta
is

lama,* whose name appears

the
Karli

(namely

inscription No. 20) was a Parthian or a Persian. The inscription runs thus:

the Persian frana perhaps the ancient the modern Shed."

Khshaeta and

Dr.
of the

"the names Burgess says Upasaka Harapharana and his

use in India and

*Dr Stevenson's
Obollah, a Persian Gulf.
port

father Setapharana are unlike any in may possibly be of

translation of

near

Bas'a

on

age (in B.B.R.A.S., Vol. V,

correcti

p. 158.) is

the passnot

14
Parthians. The name of their family Sovasvka has a resemblance to Syavaka, but their native place Abulama has not an Indian name."
51

Nasik, one at Karli and one by Nahapana's minister at Junnar. The Karli No. 13 is as inscription
follows
:

comThe name "Harapharana" posed of two words "Har or Ar," which is the first part of the name "Araspes" and "Pharana" (=Hvareis

na) which

is

the

first

part

of

the

name Farandates." The first part of the name

parana"
the
first

Satruas

Sanskrit of the above

same might be the word in "Satro-pates."

is

As the word upasdka

used
for

generally

Buddhist mendicants, it appears that Harapharana was a at one time and he Zoroastrian
subsequently became a
convert
to

Buddhism.

The writer of the Bombay Gazetteer thinks that the above identification
of Harapharana supports the close the connection by sea between Parthians and West coast of India in the centuries before and after the The animal capitals Christian era. of the pillars at Karli, Bedsa and Nasik are so closely alike to those
at Persepolis and Susa, that according to Fergusson the early Buddhists of

"Usabhadata son of Dinika and of the king Khaharata Khatapa Nahapana, the giver of 3, 00, 000 cows, having given gold and
son-in-law

the BanasS, sixteen villages to gods and Brahmans at the holy place Prabhasa f the giver of eight

being a
*

visitor to tirtha at

river,

the giver of

wives to Brahmans &c." (Inscriptions from Cave Temples by Burgess,

p. 33.)

Western India either belonged to the Persian empire or drew their art from it. Rawlinson's description of the Halls at Hatra (Anc. Mon. VI,
379) has several points of likeness to
for Western India Cave temples example, semicircular vaulted roofs, no windows, the light coming through an archway at the east end and a number of small rooms opening from a central hall. Among the Sopara relics the resemblance between Maitreya's head-dress, and the Parthian helmet adopted by Mithridates I about 150 B. C. is worthy of notice (Bom. Gaz., XIII, pp. 413,421, 429).
;

Further up we are told that at Valuraka (a monastic establishment at Karle) Usabhadata gave the village
of

Karajaka

to

the

sangha

of

ascetics.

4,

In the Nasik cave inscription No. the text of the inscription is the
:

same up to Then we read

Inscriptions of
(5)

Nahapana's

Family.
There are six inscriptions of Nahapana's family in the cave at
"Inscriptions from Cave- Temples p. 37, also Archaeological Survey of India, IV, p. 113.

At Bharukachha ( Broach), Dasapura, Govardhana and Shorparaga ( Sopara) he made square of shelter buildings for houses
;

"

This river fl-nvs from the base of Abu ic may also be the into the Run of Cachh river in eastern Kajputana flowing into the
;

Chambal. f SomanStha Pattana,

15
he and

made
watering

gardens,
places
;

tanks,

King Nahapana,
Kathiawar

who
over

reigned

in

he

placed

and

some

of the

charitable ferry-boats on the rivers Iba, Parada, Damana, Tapi, Kara-

vena, Dahanuka* and places for the charitable distribution of water on both sides of these rivers." (B. B. R. A. S., Vol. V, pp. 49-50.)

Now Khaharata
scholars.

and Nahapana of

the above inscriptions were Persians or Parthians according to several

neighbouring territory as far as Ujjain from A. D 78 to about A. D 125 and held for a time Nasik and other parts north of Bombay, and who seems to have been a Pahlava or Palhava, i.e. of Parthian extraction."* (J.R.A.S., 1913, pp. 992-993).
appears from the Junnar inscripNo. 26 that Nahapana may have become an independent ruler in course of time read for, we
It

Stevenson says "The Nasik cave inscriptions Nos 4, were excavated by the 5, 6 and 7 son-in-law of one of the Kshatrapas or Satr.ips of the Parthian monarchs, who, about the commencement of the Christian era, reigned over Western
:

Dr

tion

therein

Kshatrapa's name is and the sovereign's Kshaharata. Neither cf these names i-; Indian. The latter however is not unlike and may not Phrahates improbably be intended for the fourth Parthian monarch of that name who reigned about B. C. 22. The sonin-law named Ushavadata,J son of Dinika was evidently from these names a Hindu. His wife, too,
India.

The

Sanskrit

Nahapanat,

ping the aspirate Aa would become Fardta

=Phr;hes Fravartas'. latter part is Nahapana Its clearly Iranian compare Marzan&n, Yr,zdanp;in &c.
;

The

first

part Nafta

is

probably

short

f.rm

of

shilpana,

named Dakshamitra had no doubt an Indian Mother." (B. B. R. A. S.,

V,
p. 40).

The whole name would mean= "protector of men." Usabhstddta or- Usavadata. This name might be made up of ?<jM>-t-</A/a(=given
by dawn).

Narsha; compare Kahapana

Kar-

Toe

Cf itaro-ddd (~=givzn by
.

fire).

latter part of the

name

is

data, which

inscriptions

paper on the Junagadh Dr. Bhau Daji takes "Ksahharata" to be equivalent to " a satnp of the Parthian Phrahates, B. R. A. S., VII., p. (B dynasty." ll /). Klsewhere he speaks about the Parthian King Nahapana (B B. R. A. S Vll, p XIX) Dr. J. F Fleet " I hold that the (Saka) says era was founded by the Kshaharata
his
1

In

shows that it could not be a Hirdu name; o herwise we would expect data (datta') as in the names Sulasadata,Utardata Ramadata,
Vinudata, (=Vishnudata) (&c., B B R.AS, V. p. 111). Since he gave 16 villages in honour of the Devas, we think he had become a convert to the Hindu faith. His father's name was Dinika, which looks like the Persian name Diniydr and the name Diniddni. Note: Usabhada;ta was a Saka accoiding to the Nasik inscription No. 14 (See Bofn Gaz, I, Pt. I, p. 25, also, Archaeological Report of Western India Vol. iV. p.
Vol.

Ambiki, Par, Damanganga", Tapti, Kaveri and Dahanu (Bom Gaz I Pt. I. p. See also Archaeological burvey of 2r>). Western India, Vol IV, pp. 9-100). A D. 18-120 (Bom. Gaz. 1 III, p. 24). t A. D., 100-120 (Idem p. 25) also t Bom. Gaz. XIII p. 142.
, ,
:

101).

Now
in

some

of ihe

according to Mr. Rapson Sakas were connected with the

about the

first century B C. A.D. (Rapson s Anc. India, p. 138). Maues was a Saka This also shows that Usabhadata may have been

Pahiavas and first

century

below the derivations of in the inscription? Khihardta The Avestan kha is changed to fa in Persian; compare yukhtaP. jo/fa; Now if we apply the ai>A/ita=P, goft. Avestan rule, to Sanskrit, we have bk.

We

d scuss

Parthian or Persian
*

at first.

some

of -he

names

khaharata=V.

Mr. R. Banerii disputes that the Saka era was founded by N^hnp^na, as he places the date of Nahapana in the en of the last century B.C., or the beginning of the first century A.D. (J.R.A.S. 1^11, p.
I

Pa.hard.ta*

which by

drop-

289. See also

Bom. Gaz.

I,

Pt

I,

26

ff.)

16
"The
meritorious gift
...

of

Ayama

Senart, Prof. Luders and Mr. Pargiter

of the Vachhasagotra, prime minister of the King Mahakhatapa (grett

satrap} the lord Nahapana". (Inscriptions from Cave Temples pp. 51-52.

decipher this important inscription, its reading may now be taken as almost certain. We make no apolo-

to

and

gies to

give

some

extracts

of

Mr.

B. B. R. A.

S.,

Vol. V, p. 169.)

Pahlavas In Nasik
Inscription.
In the Nasik cave inscription No 1. we come across the names of the Sakas, Yavanas and Pahlavas. In that inscription it is stated that the King Gotamiputra was the ruler of of the Mundaka, provinces Saurashtra, Kukura, Aparanta, Anupa and Vidarbha, and was the lord of the Vindhya and Paryatra (western part of the Vindhya) mountains, the Sahya (Western Ghauts) and Kanha (Kanheri) hills Sec. He subdued Sakas, Yavanas and Pahlavas about whom we read as under
(5)
:

Pargiter's paper on the subject given in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic

Society 1914 (p. 641

ff).

We

have

adopted
scription
is

Mr.
is

with slight

Pargiter's translation The inmodifications.

in

Kharosthi

script,

and

written in Prakrit or Pali language. It contains some Iranian words, such

as 5^PT (Av Furu-aspa ), ^ff^T or ^^T% ("=Vese, Av. Vaeska), ^p?I3; (Av. Spenta=Holy one), and ^q

(=priest of hostile religion). It also contains pure Sanskrit and Greek words, such as ^T^f> and sffr respectively.

"( Of him) the Kshatriya who flaming like the god of love,
,

inscription stone was put up market place, close to the object of donation, which was most probably an instrument for measuring time. The donation was a joint gift of a Zoroastrian donor and a Buddhist
in a priest.
I give below Mr. Pargiter's reading,* omitting the first and last two lines, which are not important for our purpose
:

The

subdued the Sakas, Yavavas and Palhavas"*(B.B.R.A. S ,V.,p.4l).

Inscription on the Manikiala stone.

|

(7)

Learned attempts have been

scholars,
like

made by eminent

M.

Gotamiputra son of Pudumavi ruled 120 A. D., according to the Bom. Gaz. lie was the most distinguished monarch of In the the Sha"takarni or Andhra dynasty.
in

Archaeological Survey of India Vol. IV., (pp. 108-109) the reading of the above passage is as follows
:

"Of him who humbled

gance

the pride and

of

arro-

If turned into Sanskrit,

the above
:

him who destroyed the Sakas, Yavanas and Pahlavas.''

of the Kshatriyas

inscription

would run thus

| Manikiala inscription is a Kharoshthi record from the Rawal Pindi District (J. R.A.S., 1914, p. 313). Manikiala was one of the most famous places in the Pan jab at a very early period.

The old town was cabled Mdnikpur or Maniknagar. It was on the South-east of Peshawar, and also of Taxila but nearer the latter namely about 84 miles from it. (Cunningham's Anc. Geography of India, pp. 104 and 121 ff and Archoco. Reports, II., p. 152 ff.)

The

inscription

is

referred
in his

to also

by

Sir A.

Cunningham
II,

Archaeological

Reports

p.

163.

17
singular,

"In the year the King Puru-aspa, the son and aggrandiser the of (?5?Fr) Kushan race of Kanishaka, the nobleman of the people, establishes in the market place of the Satrap Vespashi, who is fond of the hours, (i.e. muhurtds], a vihanti (-=a clock ?) for clear announcement through the of the ringing or proclamation hours, (i.e. muhurids), along with Vespashi, with Khudenti and with the priest of the Vihara Buritra, (Buddhist monastry) and with all attendants. May the useful gift, by (its) meritorious foundation, with (the

Translation:

3^7 would also be the same. It is to be noted that the nominative singular also ends in 3Tf
as
is

18,

we

see in ^5?ft and

5Rq%.

This

both aftrtrthe Prakrit and Avestan fashion. The writer at times uses Avestan forms in ^uj^r the com;

pound
rules
first

formed according to the of Avesta grammar, since its

is

singular*.

member is The
cfrjrT

such as

the nominative instrumental forms and ^TOrrcT instead of

in

cR and
1

cfct't/n

show

Avestan

in-

fluence.

Vespashi This word has been read by Pro. Luders as Ve-eshi. Could this be Vese, Avestan Vaeska ?

aid of)

Buddha and Spenta (=the Holy one), be always true/'

Khudenti

is

read

as

KhujacM by

Prof. Luders.

Karapa This is an Iranian word* As Mr. Pargiter says "No Buddhist title such as swdmin is used, but the Iranian word Karpvn, which was applied to teachers and priests hostile
:

to the Zoroastrian religion,

is

used."

[A. few annotations on important words are given below Kshatra Puru-aspa Mr. Pargiter supposes this to be the Iranian equivalent of the country (SrT^r) Ashvjka
:

Horn This is the Greek word, meaning "hour." The word muhurta
used as its equivalent, or as the nearest Indian approach, since mu48 minutes. Hora hurta contains would have been familiar in the Greco-Bactrian states and to the author of this inscription, but not to Hence the use of both the Indians. the words in apposition.
is

and Aspassioi (in Greek) (Mr. Crindle's Anc. India., pp. 22, 33). But the full name is Puru-aspa, not Aspfi; hence we take Puru-aspa to be a proper name for Pourushashpa. Kshathra is an Avestan word, which
(in Sanskrit)

Vihanti

This

is

a doubtful word.

The

meaning

of the

word (Ghati}

means king." Mr. Pargiter takes the word Kshafhra in its other sense, namely "realm," and taking ^5?T as a proper noun, he translates the
first

"

(water-clock) would suit admirably, but the two words cannot be connectThe context suged linguistically. gests, that it must be the name of some instrument for measuring time.

two

lines thus

"In the year

18, Lalana, the Presi-

dent of the people, the aggrandiser of the Gushan race of Kanishka, the great king of the realm Puru-aspa, establishes &c."

Budhehi and Spentakahi Might be genitive singular after the Avesta Mr. Pargiter takes them as fashion. crude instrumental plural.
The use of the nominatire at the end of the first pait of the compound is well known in inscriptions; Cf. pdsddotoranant also I. (Epigraphia Indica, II, p. 195 ;
p. 315.)
*

We

take

55^5?T

as a

common

noun,

forming a compound with ^"4^5. If is a form of the nominative

18
Instead of

^1

the reading '-^T^T (^c^TTER) of truth." In that case the

^ we might " adopt

its

CHAPTER

No.

4.
in

seat

last line

References to Persians
History. Chapter, we

might be rendered thus: "May the useful gift, by

meritor-

ious foundation, be the seat of truth of the Buddha and the Spenta."]

In this give references to the Persians in historical works and books of standard authors, pointing out what we know about
their religion.

Parthiatis in Gujarat and Sindh.

king named
Ferishta speaks of an Indian Sinsarchand who paid tribute to the Iranian king Goclrej. The latter was a Parthian king. Briggs
(1)

thought that Sinsarchand was Sandrocotus or Chandragupta; but in our opinion this does not appear to be correct. (Bngg's Ferishta, Vol. I.) (2) Cunningham Major-General " Thatha was the actual says: position of the Minhdbari of the Arab geographers, and of the Min-nagar of
the author of the Periplus....The

name

Manhabari is variously written as Mehdbari and Manjdbari, for which we might perhaps read Mandabari or Manddivari the city of the Mand
'

tribe.'

This
to

Mand
Edrisi,

tribe

is

re-

ferred

Ibn Haukal, and Masudi. The name is variously written as Mer, " The Mand Med, Mand and Mind. Lower Sindh in tribe occupied from the numbers beginning great

by Rashid-ud-din

of the Christian era. of I refer the name

'city of

To

this

people

Min-nagar or

of

Min/ which was the Capital Lower Sindh in the second cenof

tury

the

Christian

era.

Min

was a Scythian name. ...The appearance of the name in Sindh would alone be sufficient to suggest the
but its conpresence of Scythians nection with them is placed beyond that the all doubt by the mention, rulers of Min-nagar were rival Par;

who were mutually expelling each other. * These Parthians were

thians,
*

Hudson's in Eryth These contending Parthians must have been the remnant of the Karen Pahlavas who joined with the Kushans fo attack Ardeshir Papakan (Journ. As. 1866, VII- 134. Bom Gaz I, Pt. I, p 544.)
Perirl-

Mar.

Georg, Vol.

1-22.

19
the Oxus, Scythians from the name of Indo-Scythia to the valley of the Indus." (Ancient
Dahi\3
II Mithridates (2) suppressed the independence of Sistan with its appanages, and incorporated those provinces in the Parthian empire. Azes (or Aya), who was deprived of Arachosia (Kandharj was permitted to succeed Maus at Taxila and to establish a dynasty there (90 B. C.)

who gave

Geography of India, pp. 289-292.) (3) According to Lieut-Col. James " Tod: Arrian, who resided in the
second century al Barugaza (Broach,) described a Parthian sovereignty as extending from the Indus to the

Nerbadda. Minagara."
ties of

Their (Annals

capital

was

Rajasthan, Vol.

and AntiquiI, p. 179 )

" of <|oKM<y fTJTcW siq^T Aya, the great, the great king, the king of
kings."
(3)

The legend on

his coins

is

H^KMtl

Azes was

Indo-Parthian Kings.
(l)

succeeded by his

The Indo-Parthian

dynasty,

which ruled in the Pan jab from 120 B.C. to 60 A.D. is of the greatest
for us. Mithridates I. of Parthia* annexed the country between the Indus and Hydaspes (Jihlam) or in other words, the kingdom of Taxila, towards the close of his reign, in or about 138 B.C. That kingdom, the western Pan jab, seems

son Azilises (Ayilisha)* in 40 B. C. He ruled for 25 years. He was succeeded by Azes II in 15 B. C.

(4)

Then came Gondophares

to

in

interest

20 A. D., and ruled up

60 A. D.

He

chosia, Sistan

extended his authority over Araand the valley of the

In his coins, his

lower Indus.
is

name

Gadaphras. t Lastly came Abdagases (Avadagasha.) In

the latter part of the 1st century A.D. the author of the Periplus found the valley of the Lower Indus, which, he called ^cythia, under th3 rule At this time the of Parthian chiefs. Sakas, Yueh-chi and other nomad hordes from the steppes of Central Asia were swarming down upon the
fron'ier of India. North-Western Abdagases reigned for a short time and his kingdom passed into the hands of foreigners. (V. Smith's Catalogue of Coins, pp. 33, 36, and

written

as

have formed an integral part of the Parthian dominion for a few years, but upon the death of Mithrito

about 136 B. dates I control of the government

C.,

the over the

outlying provinces was relaxed; and about 120 B.C. a chieftain named

Maus (Moa-=Maha)
king of Taxila,

made himself

and enjoyed practical

independence. Some of his coins bear " of legend ^RTf^RR^ JTfcRT ^3^

Moa

great Moga or Moa and his successors, those of Vonones, Spalahores, Spalirises

the great king of kings." Besides the coins of the

Hist, of India, pp. 202-7.)

an intimate

and Hpalagadames were found Peshawar and the districts on the west bank of the Indus (Cunningham's Archaeological Reports, II,
in
p. 59.)
*

there was connection between the family of the Pahlava Volones and This connection is that of Maus. proclaimed by certain coins, on which the brother of the king, Volones, is definitely associated to Azes. The family of Volones ruled in Seisto note, that

We

have

"

Von Gutschmid

referring

to

Orosius
Mithri-

tan,

(V-4) and Diodorus attributes to

dates the annexation of the of Poros without war.
old

tan,

kingdom

North Baluchisand that of Maus ruled in Punjab and Sindh, until towards the end of th 1st quarter of the first
* Ayilish or Avirish is the Avestan word Buhler supposes Aya to be Dr. Airya. the short form of Arya (See Epigraphia Indica, II, pp. 896, 398.)

Kandhar and

f Rapson says (and he is supported by Cunningham, vide Anc Geography of India, p. 118), that Maues is identified with Afoga, which name is a dialectical variant of Moa (Ancient India, p. 141). Dr.
Fleet disputes this (J.R.A.S. 1914, p. 798.)

Gadman, and Farra

or Hvarena.

20
century A. D., the two kingdoms were untied under the sway of the Pahlava Gondopharnes or Gadmanhvarena." (Rapson's Anc. India,
pp. 144-5, 184.)

The coins of Gondophares and his successors are found in Seistan, Kandhar and Sindh and
Panjab.
in

the

South
was

Those

of

Gondophares

are found also at Kabul. thus the ruler of Seistan,

He

the Panjab, as their coins are found there only and that for a similar reason, Orthagnes, another relative must have reigned in Kandhar, Seistan and Sindh. The coins of Arsakes and Sanabares precede those of Gondophares but the coins of Pakores and of at least two other princes, the successors of Orthagnes, show that this dynasty must have ruled down
;
;

Kandhar

to about

100 A. D.

Cunningham's

and Sindh. This is confirmed by the fact, that Gondophares is almost certainly the same as Gondoforus of the
early Christian legends,
to

Archaeological Reports II, pp. 59-61).

Kushrn Coins Proving

Zoroastrian Influence.

who

is

said

have put St. Thomas to death. In Legenda Aurea, Gundoforus is called king of India a title which agrees with the recorded accounts of the scene of St. Thomas' mission in But the Parthia, Persia and India. place of his death is even more disthe
tinctly stated

Now we
tic facts

shall note some numismawhich show what influence

Iran exercised over the religion of the Kushan tribe in the early centuries
after Christ.
little

kingdom

About 126 B.C., the of Bactria came to an

by Bishop Sophronius,

who

mina, qucc

says, "dormtvif in civitate, Calaest fndice." An old ins-

cription of A. D. 1070 on the door of the Basilica of St. Paul on the Ostian

untimely end through the invasions of the Yu-chi * and other cognate Turanian tribes, who swept through Central Asia, and subsequently conquered Kabul, and occupied the Kanicountry as far as the Indus.
shka, f a great king of their race came to the throne in 120 A. D. He was a great conqueror and his empire

death in
to

road, also testifies that he was put to India. These and other

A. Cunningham Gundoforus of the Christian legends was the ruler of Western India in the time of St.
statements
lead
Sir

show

that king

Thomas, and
of the
coins

as king Gondophares was the ruler of the

extended from Kabul and Yarkand as far as Agra and Gujarat. He was He held the great a Buddhist. council of the Northern Buddhists; and emissaries were sent to introduce

same country about the same time, the two names were probably of the same
person.

Buddhism
doms.
its

The rule of Gondophares must have extended over the Eastern

Panjab, as
his

neighbouring kingthe empire of Kanishka merits special mention on account of

in the

Now

found in Multan and in all the ruined mounds to the south of Lahor. Shortly after his death or in A. D. 79, one of his successors must have the lost Southern as the great Panjab Salivahana ver the victory of at Kahror near Multan, Sakas, can only apply to them. We may also infer, that Abdagases the ne* the relative of phew, and Sasan Gondophares must have reigned in
coins are
;

which from the coins. As already stated, Kanishka had embraced Buddhism, and many of his coins bear the image and name of Buddha. Iranian divinities, howpeculiar
religious attitude,

may be

gathered

That is Tartar. The dates of his successors are HuviskalSOA.D., Va"sudeva 180 A. D. (V.
f
.

A coin of king Sasan was found in No. 15 mound at Manikyala ( Arch. Reports. II, p. 161).

Smiths' Catalogue of Coins, p. 64). Dr. Buhler gives Samvat 39 to 48 and 80 to 98 to Huvishka and Vftsudeva respecActively (Epigraphia Indica, I, p. 378). cording to Pandit Bhagwanlal Indraji, Kanishka ruled from A.D. IS to 100, Huvishka from A.D. 100 to 123, and Vasudeva from A.D. 123 to 150 (?) (Bom. Gaz.
I,

Pt,

I,

pp. 22, 37),

21
ever, predominate on the coins of Kanishka and his successor Huvishka

Huvishka was succeeded by Vasudeva.

such

as,

Miiro

(Mdh, moon), Oado ( Vat, wind),

revarj,
t

(Jlfeher,_sun}, Athsho ( At ash, fire),

'

Mao

i:

haoreoro

Shehe-

Orthagno
'

(Vereihraghna),

harro

kingship),

fFarna, hvarena=ma.)QSty of Nana ( Anahita) &c.

coins present the royal garb of Persia, and manifestly imitated from the effigy of Sapoor I. (238 to 269 A. D.). (V. Smith's Hist, of India, p. 233, 239). From the fact, that the Kushan

His

figure clad in the

Here then we have a perfect example of syncretism. Buddhism and Zoroastrianism have been wedded in
the state religion, and in characteristic Indian fashion are on the best of terms with one another. (Encycl.

dynasty in Northern India, and the in the Deccan disappear almost at the moment, when the

Andhra

Ashkhanian dynasty

of

Persia

was

XI, Vol. 21, p. 116). that the eloobserves, quent and most authentic evidence of the Turushka coinage furnishes a safe
Br.,

Ed

Stein

superseded by the Sassanian, it is conjectured that the three events were connected in some way, (possibly by a predatory invasion by the Iranians) which explains the renewed Persian
influence.

starting point for all future inquiries into that fascinating epoch of the

Sassanian Persians Connect* ed With India.

terms of close
Sassanian dynasty was on friendship with the rulers of Western India and became the leading traders in the eastern In proof of this we notice seas. Beheram Ghor's visit (A. D. 436) to the king of Kanauj (A. D. 423-43S;t probably to ask for help in his struggle with the White Huns, his marriage with an Indian princess, his founding of the dynasty of the Gardhabin kings, and the introduction of Indian
(l)

The

Aryan nations, which witnessed the interchange of Buddhist and Magian influences between India and Iran*.
history of the

In this connection the following remarks are quite appropriate:

"The
the

newer
day,
or

Buddhism

of

Kanishka's

Mahayana

as designated "great vehicle,"

was largely of foreign origin, and developed as the result of the complex interaction of Indian, Zoroastrian, Hellinic Gnostic and elements."
Christian,

The name of Huvishka t the successor of Kanishka, is the Iranian word Ruvaksha however, the legend on his coins (jfiJTCRT \^^\
;

music and literature into Persia. It was under the Sassanians, that the Persians brought chess and the Arabian Nights from India ( Bom. Gaz., Vol. XIII, pp. 248, 419; Asiatic
Researches, IX, pp. 147-155). The Hindu princess with whom Beheramghor married was Sapinuda
be supposed that he was a Hindu; but as the coins give him the tribal name of Korano^...^ must
* From the pure Hindu name Cunningham says that it might

|fcf?=fj)

shows,

that he was not a pukka Zoroastrian no orthodox Zoroastrian

;

of

Vasudeva

would connect his name with Deva. He resembled Kanishka in an eclectic taste for a strange medley of Greek, Indian and Persian deities. The types on his coins include Herakles,
Sarapis. Shiva, Skanda with his son Vishakha, Pharro and the Fire-god but the figure and name of Buddha
;

IndoScythians gradually became Indianized, and that they must be sought for amongst some
of the

have been an Indo-Scythian. thinks, that the descendants

Cunningham

of the inferior tribes in the North- West, such as the Gats and Gujars (J.R.A.S. New
Series, Vol 5, p. 195). He draws attention to the evidence of the early adopti n of Hindu names by the Indo- Scythians (Ach. Reports, 111-41, 42, V-140),

are wanting.
*Stein's Zoroastrian Deities on Indo-Scythian Coins, p. 12. also come across the form Huksha t (see Epigraphia Indica, II, pp. 197-198 & 206.)

We

t'osmas Indikopleustas (A. D. 545) found the Persians among the chief traders in the Indian Ocean. (Yule's Cathay I,

22
according
says that
to the Shahname. Firdusi when Beheramghor carried away Sapinuda and came to the sea,
torial

art

was derived from

Persia*

(V. Smith's Early Hist, 325).

of India, p.

he saw a group
about
"

of

Iranian traders,
:

whom the poet says Ke bazarganane Iran budand,

deliran budand."

Regarding
says
:

the above Dr.

Fleet

Baabobakhushki

"Because they were Iranian traders; they were bold in travelling by land and sea." * ( Kutar's Shahname,
1

Mr. Fergusson has shown that there an Arabic chronicle, which records the fact that in the 36th year of the
is

reign of Khosru II, of Persia, presents

Vol. VIII, p. 139

).

This shows that the Iranian traders went to India both by land and sea. In his paper on Parsis and Early Islam Mr. G. K. Nariman quotes Tabari to show that Shapur II built
not only in Sagistan, but acAgain king Piroz tually in Sindh. founded two cities in India proper called Ram Piroz and Roshen Piroz.
cities
(

were interchanged between II. (610-634 A. D.) In the same paper IV r. Fergusson has drawn attention to a painting in one of the Ajanta caves, which depicts the presentation of a letter from a Persian king to an Indian king who is supposed to be Pulikesi II. (J. R. A.
letters

and

him and

Pulikesi

S-,

XI, p. 155. Fleet's Dynasties of the

p. 25). to

Kanarese Districts,

Praja Mitra and Parsi, February 1918)

The

28th

(2) Both Naushirvan the Just (A.D. 531-579) and his grandson Parviz were united by (A. D. 590-628) treaties and by the interchange of rich presents with the rulers of Southern India and Sindh.

About

565

A.

D.

the

domi-

White Huns, namely Kashmir, Gandhara and Peshavar

nions of the

passed into the hands of the Persians but their grasp soon relaxed. On the authority of Tabari it is stated, that king Khusru II of Persia received an embassy from king Pulikessin II in about 625 A. D., and a return embassy was sent from Persia, which was received with due honour at the Indian court. A large fresco painting in cave No. 1 of Ajanta (near Auran;

G. K. Nariread of a king, whose real name must be Shri Ilarsha of whose time a Persian Sindh, in into Sindh. The army pushed king fell in the battle, but the Persians contented themselves with devastating a portion of the country and returned, the throne of Sindh being once more occupied by the son of the slain ruler. He was himself overthrown in 641, which leads us to conclude that the occupation of the Persians took place in the reign of Khosru Parwez... Coins discovered in NorthWest India with Indian and Pahlavi legends prove that this territory belonged to the king or kings of Persia

According
:

Mr.

man

"We

most importhe legend of 'Khosru Shahanshah.' On the

obverse are the impressions of the sun god of Multan and the year corresponding to the Christian date 627 on the reverse." (The Praja Mitra and Parsi, 28th February 1918).
*

at a certain period. The tant of the coins.. .bears

gabad), although mutilated, is easily recognised as a vivid representation of the ceremonial, attending the
presentation of their credentials by the Persian envoys. The picture also shows, that the Ajanta school of pic" Hindus to this Wilford says, day the show place where he (Behr^m(1809) gour or Gadhd-rupa) lived about one day's march to the north of Broach, with the ruins of his palace" (Asiatic Researches, IX, p. 151).
*

The

writer

of

the

Bombay Gazetteer

(Voll?,

p.

248) says:

JNaoshirvan's embassy to Pulikesi II the ruler of BSdalmi in the Southern Maratha Country, is believed to be the subject of one of the Ajanta cave paintings and another of the pictures is supposed to be copied from a portrait of Parvez and the beautiful Shirin (Masudi's Prairies d'Or II, 201).

(3)

Dr.

Bhau Daji opines

that

it

was Burzuchumihr, the minister of Naushirvan, who despatched the physician Barzuya to India for obtaining a copy of the Pane hat'ant'ra, or original of the Hiiopaiesha, which he
got translated into Pahlavi. He also introduced the game of chess from the same source.

was most strongly felt in Sindh and Western Rajputana, where India and
Persia
in

came

into direct contact

but

Dr. Daji surmises

that

the

name

Barzuya is in all likelihood the same He says as Vararuchi* Whether this Vararuchi is the same as one " of nine gems "t at the the court of Yikramaditya, we have no
:

North-Western India and the Punit was disseminated by the jab, White Huns and the Little Yuchi, who successively held the Kabal The former were certainly valley. fire-worshippers, and the latter were apparently Brahmanists, but both had adopted the style of the Sassanian coinage, and as the date of the
Sassanian influence is well known, it a convenient and well-marked distinction to call it the Indo- Sassanian
is

means

of ascertaining but consider, that he was able

;

when we
to

trans-

period extends
after

Panchtantra rapidly into Pahand that he was acquainted with medical and other writings of the Hindus, which at that time were
late the
lavi,

down which the

This period, Cunningham to A. D, 700, shortly

direct

Persian influ-

chiefly in the Prakrit language, we are led to believe, that the later Vararuchi of Harsha-Vikramaditya's

ence was brought to a close in Western India by the Mohammedan conquest of Sindh and Multan in A. D. 711. (See Cunningham's Archaeological Reports, III, p. 5).

court was this

this with the

Barzuya.

We

write

The writer of the Bombay (4b) Gazetteer notices the traditional connection between Valabhiand the Ranas of Mewad with the Sassanian kings of Persia (AD. 250-650). In support of the tradition, Abul Fazal (A. D. 1590) says that the Rands of Mewad consider themselves descendants of the Sassanian Naushirwan (A. D.

knowledge that the Kalila va Dimna, the Arabic translation of the Pahlavi version, informs us, that the Pandit antra was obtained at Patliputra, and that it takes no notice of Ujjayini." (B. B. R. A. S. VI, p. 226.).
"

one account, early 7th century, a large body of Persians landed in Western India, and from one of their leaders whom Wilford believed to have been a son
(4)

According

to

in the

of

pur see

Khosru Parviz, the family of Udeis to have sprung. (For authorities

Bom

Gaz. XIII, p. 248).

General Cunningham has no(4a) ted that the influence of the Sassanians
The full name is "Barzuchihar" would be prononcei as h thus we would have "Barhuchihar." Dropping both the aspirates h- the word would be 'Barucbira', which by transposition of the last r would form 'Bar'r'ucni"or "Yara'ruchi." Thus Dr. Daji's surmise seems to be correct.
;

531-579), and Tod quotes fuller defrom the Persian history of Maaser-al-Umra. No evidence seems to support a direct connection with Naushirwan. At the same time marriage between the Valabhi chief and Maha Banu the fugitive daughter of Yazdgard the last Sassanian (A. D. 651) is not impossible. And the remaining suggestion that the link between Naushirwan's son Nautails

shizad, who fled from his father in A. D. 570 receives support in the statement of Procopius, that Nanshizad found shelter at Belapatan in Khuzistan, perhaps Belapatan in

t In the Jyotirvidabharana ter XXII 10 it is stated

:

Kavya Chap-

"Dhanwantari, Kshapanaka, Amarsinha,

Shanteu,
Vitalabhatta, Ghatakharapara, KalidSs, the renowned Varalia Mihira and are the nine gems of Vikrama." Vararuchi,

As these suggestions Gurjaristan. are unsupported by direct evidence, it seems best to look for the source of the legend in the fire symbols in use on Kathiawad and Mewad coins.
sixth centurv a

These symbols betray from about the more direct Sassanian

influence.

(Bom. Gaz.,

I,

Pt. I, p.

102).

which are still Drammas, found in the Konkan, are believed by

(5)

Pandit Bhagvanlal Indraji to be the of a corrupt Sassanian type, which are better known as GadhidThe Pdruttha paisd or ass-money. Drammas mentioned on a stone, which records the grant of land in Uran by the Silahar i king Somes war in 1249 A D- seem to be Parthian Drammas or Dirhems. (Bom. Gaz. Vol. 18, pp 427-428). ( J. R A. S.,
coins

"Gadhia Paisa*" has plainly been imitated from the coins of the Sassanides That the Parthians had power, shortly before the accession of the Shahs, to extend their territory in the direction of Guzerat is evident, since for the century before, and during the century followformidable ing, they were the In this state of antagonists of Rome.
things,
nasty,
too,

we

have

perhaps

an

explanation

and

of the rise of a new dyof its being left free to

pursue a career of conquest eastward and southward, as described in the

XII, pp. 325, 328).

Shah

inscriptirn

at

Girnar.

The

Mr.

Justice Newton remarks find little in the Greek or native histories to assist us in determining
:

In his paper on the Ancient (6) Dynasties of Kathiawar and Guzerat "

We

Indo-Scythians had probably rendered Bactria unable to interfere, and the Parthians had sufficient occupation in their conquests with Scythia and the Romans."
the learned Judge downfall of the Valabhi empire was attributed by Colonel
''

whether the impulse, which resulted

in

Further
:

up

establishment of the Shah empire, emanated from the Bactrian or the Parthian division of the kingdom of Alexander. The Bactrian
the

says

The

Demetrius, who must have reigned about B. C. 190, is stated by Strabo to have made conquests in India, but we have no evidence that he reached Guzerat and Kathiawar. That Menander, in about 130 B. C. ruled in the North-West of India seems certain. Mr. Princep has remarked, that the execution of the Shah coins leads us rather to look to those of the Parthians as the originals

King

James Princep

in his

Essays on Indian

this connection,

from which they were derived, and though not certain,

incline us to view Parthia rather than Bactria as the monarchy, from which in some way the Shah empire took its rise.f We certainly have evidence of a connection between a Persia and Western India at

may

name of VJkTamaditya. This king was X X a powerful king of the Western provinces, his capital being Cambat or Cam 'ay: and it is certain that the princes of these parts were tributary to Persia from a very early period." Further up Princep says : " Scholars have discovered on the coins the profile of a face after the Persian model on one side and the Sassanian fire altar on the other. If this is admitted as proof of an Indo-Sassanian dynasty in Saurashtra, we may find the date of its establishment in the epoch of Yazdgird This is supported the son of Behera'mgor. by the testimony of the Agni Purana, that Vikrama the son of Gadha-rupa (=Beheramgor according to Wilford) ascended the throne of Malaya" (Ujjain) in A. D. 441. (Ibid, pp. 841-342).
: '

The poAntiquities Vol I p. 335 says pular name of these rude (silver and copper) coins is in Guzarat Gauhia paisd=o.ss<money or rather the money of Gadhia, a
:

"

later period

in

the fact that a sub-

sequent deteriorated issue from some mint in Guzerat, now known as

*

The Drammas
Stone
see
(

are mentioned

in

the

Ilarsha

1030
pp.

Inscription dated Samvat Epigraphia Indica, Vol. II,

125,180). f About A. D. 80 or 40.

According to Pandit Bhagwanlal the name the coin is from the Sanskrit ITcr^TT^ meaning, of the Gardhabhi dynasty, (B.B.R. A. S. XII-829). Wilford thinks hat Gardhabhi is a name to a family of Sassanian kings subsequent to the period of Vaharam Gor' ths the date of beginning of Consequently this currency would be subsequent to A.D.
of

420,

when the

feing

flourished"

(Asiatic

Researches IX,

p. 149).

25
army of Parthians and but Mr. Elphinstone has suggested, that the invaders may have been Sassanians, probably under Naushirvan and in this event, we have doubtless an explanation of the occurrence of the Gadhia coins already referred to. Barbarized as these are, the attempt to delineate the bust and fire altar of the Sassanides is evident

Tod*

to

an

Scythians,

the Sassanian coins into the oblong button and the series of dots and lines found on the Gadhia coins.

(Cunningham's

ports, XI, p. 176,

Asiatic Society's Journal, XII, 325). *

Archaeological ReBombay B. Royal

Cunningham came
altar

across

13

fire

and

it

is

certain,

therefore,

either

that the Sassanian monarchy obtained a footing at Guzerat, or as is more probable, that an off-shoot of the

Indo-Sassanian coins at Nagri (about 11 miles north of Chitor) and to them he assigns as the date, the 7th century to the commencement of the 8th century A- D. (Arch. Reports,
VI, 200,
(7)

201).

dynasty succeeded in establishing an X X X X X empire there X

If the number of the debased Gadhias, which from time to time come to light, may be looked on as indicative of rule extending over a century or two, our researches hitherto will bring us down to the commencement or end of the seventh century of our era, and close with a race of Sassanian origin reigning in " Guzerat. Kutch, Kathiawar and (B.B.R.A.S. Journal, VII, pp. 30-36).f

Malwa and
tation

Indo-Sassanian coins are found in Gujarat....! he earliest

coins are of large size and their imiof the Sassanian money is
direct

and obvious. But the latter coins depart more and more from the
original, so that
it is

a Pahlava Cunningham notices r prince of Kathiawar in /20 A. D. He "About A.D. 720 Krishna, says: the Pahlava prince of the peninsula (of Gujarat), built the fort of Eldpur, the beauty of which, according to the inscription, astonished the immortals. In it he established an image of Siva adorned with the crescent. Following this clue I incline to identify Elapur with the famous city of Somndth which as the capital of the peninsuPattan Somla, was usually called nath. According to Postans the old city of Pattan is built upon a projection of the main land, forming the Southern point of the small port and bay of Verdval This name I take to be the same as Eldpur or Eldwhich by a transposition f war,
.

sight

to trace

their

not easy at first Mr. descent

of

which is very common would become Erdival"

in

India,

Codrington,

Secretary

Bombay
series

Asiatic Society, selected a of coins to show the gradual

change

of the Persian

head on
on

and the

fire-altar

the obverse the reverse of

Geography of India, p. As regards the word Pahlava, Prof. " Weber considered that, it became
early foreign to the Persians, learned
in reminiscences the excepted Pahlavi texts themselves, for insThe period tance, it does not occur.
;

(Ancient 319.)+

says

Tod ( Rajasthana I, pp. 83, 217, 218 ) The invaders were Scythic, probably
:

Parthians from Minagara and that the fall of Valabhi took place in A. O. 524. So Cunningham, Arch. Sur. Ind. II, p. 70, and Forbes, Ras Mala I. p. 21. But we now know that the Valabhi dynasty lasted for 200 years after this. (See also Dr. Burgees' Arch. Sur. of Western f/n/ia, VI p. 3).
t This

*In B.B.R.A.S. Vol.XII-825, 326, Pandit Bha-^wanlal says that ''twenty Gaddia coins were so a r ranged by Mr. Codrington in a plate as to give the gradual transition from the Persian face and fire-altar seen in the iormer (Sassanian coins) into the oblong button dots and lines on the latter ( Gadhia
coins ) and which showed pretty plainly that the so called Gadhias are a debased imitation of the coins of the Sassanian kings of the 6th and the 7th century A.D."

information

given
;

by

Justice

Newton
it is

difficulties,

very interesting but unfortunately vague. There are Iso chronological which Or. Burgess had tried to (Bom. Gaz. VIII p. 274 explain away. also I pt. I p. 94 note).
is
;

fCf Narsingh=Ran-si Ranod IS arod. J See also Bom. Gaz. XIII, p. 414.
;

26
when
it passed over to the Indians, therefore, would have to be fixed for about the second * to the fourth

to

century A.
to

D and we should have understand by it, not directly the

;

Palmyra ;* and it seems to have been under the Parthian influence, that the Persians overcame their horror of the sea, and rose to be the
greatest sea-traders of the east. The trade connection between the Thana coast and the Parthian rulers in the

Persians,

who

are

called

Parasikas

rather, but specially the Arsacidan Parthians." (Hist, of Indian Literature, p. 187, note 201 a).

Persian Gulf has a special interest at

this period, as in the latter part of the 1st century after Christ, the

The king Krishna referred to above could not be a puccd ZoroasHis Hiudu name and the trian. fact that he had established an image of Siva show that he observed a mixed religion. Cunningham has
not quoted his authority. (8) In the Saddar t Nasr or the prose Saddar (ch. X-7) we read
:

Andhras were driven from Konkan and north Deccan by foreigners apparently from Northern India, who founded the Indo-Parthian dynasty.

Religion of Persians
of India.

"

When
or

similarly

Iranvej enclosure formed by

mir

some one in Kashor Kande/ or the

Jam performs a good work, and we are not able to perform it with hima-zor, then they and we who wear the sacred thread girdle on the waist, are naturally connected and equally meritorious, one with the other." We notice here that about the time the Saddar was composed, there was a colony of
Parsis
in

Now let us say a few words about the religion of the Farsi residents of We have seen, India of olden times. that the religion of Kanishka and his successors was a syncretistic religion, it was not orthodox Zoroastrianism.
The writer of the Bombay Gazetteer remarks, that the history of the Parsis, who for a time lost most of their peculiarities, shows how easily a settlement of Persians may embrace Wilford believes, that Hinduism.
there is a strong Persian element Brahmans in Konkanastha the and the Marathas. He remarks, that there is nothing in the theory or
practice
to

Kashmir

for,
is

gested that the Kusti

it is suga token, which

unites Zoroastrians of distant

lands.

date of the Saddar is uncertain but we find in the introduction to the Saddar-i-Bahar-i-Tavil or the long-metre Saddar (A. D. 1605) that the prose Sadar was composed by three Dasturs named Vardust, Medyo-

Now the

of

Hinduism

to

prevent

foreigners,

the

who are willing to conform Hindu religion and manners,

to

being admitted

be Hindus. \

mah, and Syavaksha

the
p.

at

the
also

time,

of

Pahlavas Abandon Religion.

About 150 A. D. the Pah lava chief Sivaskanda of Kanchipur ( Conjiveram ), 46 miles south-west of Madras, was admitted as a member of the sacred clan of the ancient Rishi

Arab
269,

conquest. (S B.

E
;

introd

p.

37

Vol XXIV, B. N.
introd.

Dhabhar's
p.p. 7-8)
Note:

Saddar

Nasr,

der

the

According to Reinaud unor Arsacidae Parthian

Bharadwaja
leader, a large

Under him
body
of

as

their

dynasty, the Persians took a great There part in oriental navigation. was a considerable Indian trade up the Persian Gulf and by land
*

Pahlavas or

Parthians continued to form a separate

Reinaud's Abul-fida, Chap. 11. fHeliodorus a Greek ambassador from the Greek King Antialcidas adopted the Hindu faith and became a worshipper of Vishnu, as is seen from the inscription of the Besnagar column in Gwalior (Rapson's Anc.
India, pp. 134, 156-7).
*

Second century B. C. would be more

accurate.

t Saddar

Nazm

cr Metrical

Sadder was

written in 1495 A, D.

27
class of

Hindus

Bom. Gaz. XIII,

wear

their

hair

free

and

the

Pt. II, pp.

442,445).

Pahlavas should wear beards." *

In consequence
of

important story of the king Sagara, related in the Vishnu Purana (Bk. IV, Sec. 3), and also in the Harivamsa(773), shows that the Pahlavas were compelled to abandon their reThe story runs as under ligion.
:

An

the

abandon-

ment of their religion and of their devotion by the Brahmans, they became
Mlecchas
O / from the above story, that the Pahlavas had abandoned their
'

It

is

clear
It

the seventh king from Bahu, Harishchandra- was overcome by the

religion.

is

supposed,

that

this

Talajanghas and to fly with his queens to the forests, where he died. After his death, one of his wives gave birth to a son named Sagara. When he grew up, he* became vexed at the loss of his paternal kingdom and he vowed to exterminate the Haihayas, Talajanghas and others. Accordingly he

Haihayas compelled

and

story has probably a reference to the victories of the great SamudraguptaJ

(A. D. 370-395,) (See Bom. Gaz. XIII, pp. 448-9.) Pandit Bhagwanlal Indraji notices of Kathiawar class whose name, appearance and peculiarities of custom and dress seem to point to a Parsi or Parthian (Wilford's As. Res. X-90-9J origin. Bom. Gaz. XIII, pp. IX, 156, 233.

the

Pdrajiis a

craftsmen,

destroyed nearly all the Haihayas. As the Sakas, Yavanas, Kambojas, Paradas and Pahlavas were about to be destroyed, they went to Vasistha the family-priest, for surrender. He
representing

410-14).

The
Christ,
vas,

Pallavas,

who began

to rule

in

them

the Deccan

in the

2nd century

after

as

virtually dead,

were identical with the Pahla-

though living, spoke to Sagara thus: ''You have done enough, my son, by pursuing these men, who though alive are as good as dead. In order that your vow might be fulfilled, I have compelled them to abandon their own religion and association
with the twice-born"
(rr^f

who fought their way across India. They were known as living near the Hindu Kush in very early Like many other foreigners, times. the Pallavas became Hindus and are
lost in

the

great

mixture

of

tribes,

=3

?r?r[

which the name Maratha

religion the

covers. $ In

sal,

Agreeing to his guru's propoSagar compelled these tribes to alter their costume
.

Pallavas were orthodox Several of their princes Hindus. and rajas were devoted to the worship of Vishnu and inclined to the cult of Siva. (V. Smiths' Early Hist, Bom. Gaz. of India, pp. 348-350.

XIII, pp. 413-414).

*

Dr. R. Caldwell thinks that what

is

gara

icpresented

as

commanding

Sathe

The Sakas should have half their head shorn, the Yavanas and Kambojas the whole, the Paradas

do is merely what they had been already in the habit of doing. (Indian Antiquary, Vol. IV., p. 167). t Quoted from Vishnu PurSna.
different races to
to in the is referred Allahabad) Copper-plateGrant of Maharaja Lakshmana dated 158 of the Gupta Samrat (Epigraphia Jndica II, p.
\ Pali

should
in

The King Sagara

(village
in

The
Vishnu
486-7.

original

Sk.

passages

the

Puran and Harivamsa have bean quoted in Dr. Muir's Sk. Texts Vol I, pp.
t So far we have given a literal translafrom the Vishnu PurSna.
|

365.)

Their capital was Kinchi (=Conjeevaram). Rapson's Anc. India, p. 167. $ Fleets' Kanarese dynasties, 14-15,

tion

This

is

quoted from Harivamssi.

28

CHAPTER

NO.

5.

We shall discuss hereafter in another place the customs and practices

of the

Bhavishya Purana about Magas.

deals with the religion, customs and practices of a tribe, known as the Magas or the Jt so-called Magian priests of India. is- argued that as these Magas ate in silence, worshipped the sun at the three Sundhyas, allowed their beards
to

Magas, from which we

shall

be able

to arrive at a definite conclu-

The Bhavishya Purana

sion. shall see from a literal translation of several chapters of the Bhavishya Purana, that the Magas

We

observed a religion, which was a mixture of Hinduism and Zoroastrianism.

grow, and were prohibited from touching the dead, they were the Zoroastrian Magi.
It
is

Magas and Worship Magha

of

not difficult to show, that

religion
also.

all

these customs were enjoined

by the

Hindu

The Hindus

were commanded to eat in silence as we see in the Vishnu Dharma Sutra

(XII-19; S.B.E. XIV. p. 61). They three had to worship the sun in the morning, evening and times day-time, as we read in Baudhyayana Dharma Sutra (II-4-7) and Kaushitaki Upanishada.* (S.B.E. I., p. 285 see also Bhavi. Pur., Brahma Purva
;

In the Journal of the Royal Asiatic 43 1), Mr. Hewitt Society 1890 " (p. It is in the country of observes Eastern and throughout Magadha India, that the worship of the Great Mother, the Mother Earth, is most
:

prevalent at the present day, that it was in the Kalinga country that the custom of human sacrifice lasted longest, called the Meriah, and that it was these sacrifices, which were originally offered by the Magas " *
to their

165-3). Among tbem also the dead body was not to be touched. For example, in Garuda Purana Sarodhara (IX-40) we read
:

mother goddess Magha. (Bom. Gaz. Vol XIII, pp. 413-414.) Thus the Magas seem to be the

worshippers of the Hindu goddess

Magha.

Magas admitted
1^*4

into

"The motionless, dead body, left by the vital breath, becomes detestable and unfit to touch, it soon becomes foul
smelled and
disliked by all." Moreover, those, who came into contact

Brahmanism.
The
teer

writer of the

Bombay GazetMagas were admitted into

thinks, that

the

foreigners,

who were

with the dead body, had to observe certain rules. (Vishnu Smriti XXII63, 64, Gautama XIV &c.)
Dr.

Wilson

peculiarities in

noted several has the customs of the

that
is

Magas
aviang

namely
or

they
girdle,
f

thread

wore used

Varma

(that

Bursam),

and

while worshipping held Poornaka \ in one hand and Sankha in another.

*

Also

II-T

Kaushitaki-Brahmana-Upanishda quoted in Bhandarkar's Vaishnavism

Two established instances of outsiders being admitted to be Brahmans are the priests of the Bahikas, (apparently the Sakas of the before second and first century the priests of the Christ), and Mihiras in the fifth and sixth cenThe priests of the tury after Christ. Mihiras were, according to the Rajfavour tarangini, under the special of the White Huna conqueror Mihirakula (A.D. 480-530. Troyor's Tr. 1-307-309). They obtained reBrahmanism.
still

&c. P. 151. f Barsum was held in the hand by the Magi, when saying prayers Cf. Bulsara's

and as Brahmans, under the name Magha Brahmans form one of the leading priestcognition
*

Nirangistan, p. 351 and Strabo. \ A kind of tree.

Probably Kali.

29
ly classes

of

South Marwar. Many Magas* are Shevaks or family priests to Oswal and other
of

Magas seem to have

adopted,

visited the country

these

as missionaries only,

and were

partly

Marwar Shravaks. They are acquainted with the

in the

story

of

their

origin

Bhavishya Purana.

Marriage

with local

women has blotted out the special characteristics of most In India the Maghas started either the worship of a combination of the Sun and of Siva under the name or a simpler sun Mihirehhwar,
worship, as at Multan, Dwarka and Somanatha (Bom. Gaz. IX, 439-440),

with together some members of the other stratum of the Iranian immigrants, into the ranks of the Brahmans themselves under the name of Sakadvipiya

probably

Brahmans."

(Weber's History of Religion in India translated by G. A. Indian Antiquary, Vol. XXX, G.; p. 28]).
In another place the same scholar

"The Magas go back to an says: old mission of the Mithra cult, the
of which, after their arrival (about the first two centuries A. D.) were incorporated into the Brahman caste." (see Weber's paper on the Mugavyakti in the Monatsberichte 1879 pp. 458, 466, also paper on the Magas or Sakadvipuja Brahmans in the Monatsberichte 1880. Indian Antiquary XII., p. 162).
in India,

Weber's Opinion about Magas.

Prof.
''

members

Weber's opinion about the

:

Magas is as under The period during which

the

Grecian successors of Alexander and

after them the Indo-Scythians reigned in North-VVestern India had not only-

procured admission for Hellinic and in later times for Christian conceptions, but had also directed towards India the followers of the Iranian cult of Mithra, and curiously enough had there introduced their sun worship in connection with the worship of Krishna. The name of these priests, Maga, was transferred in later times also to the adherents of the teaching of Zarathushtra, when in order to escape Islamic persecution, they similarly settled in WesternIndia.

We

think, that

when

Prof.

Weber

the Magas with the anceshe probably tors of the Pars>is, follows the opinion of Dr. Wilson. The Magas appear to be the members of the Mithra cult, who observed a religion which was partly Zoroastrian and partly Hindu, and
identifies

the

who were subsequently merged Brahman caste.

SirRamkrishnaBhandarkar

into

says:

These

latter

coming

in

great numbers, founded independent

communities and colonies, and still flourish vigorously under the name of Parsees. While on the other hand the
*

gradually thountil Hiduised, roughly they became undistinguishable from the other Hindus." (Vaishnavism, Shaivism &c. p. 155). If so, they could hardly have been our ancestors, who

"The Magas. ..were

landed at Sanjan.

The Gehlots

an:l

other Rajputs

who

Sakas Merged
Hinduism.

Into

trace their origin to the Balas or Valas of Valabhi are Mihiras and therefore Gurjjaras, since Mihira is a respectful name for GurjIn the Punjab the Gurjjar title of jara.

honour
XIII,

is

Mihir or Mahar
419).

(Bombay.

Gaz.

p.

occur

in

Maghas or Mihiras Multan, Dwarka, Marwar and

The

Having seen the religious condition of the Pahlavas and the Magas, let us say a word about that of the Sakas,

admission of explain these strangers, tales were invented. According to Bhavishya Puraua. Gauramukha advised that Maghas should be brought

Kashmir.

To

the

from Szfckadwipa as priests. According to the Multan legend, they were brought by
the eagle

Garuda(Bom. Gaz.

IX, 430-440.)

whom Dr. Spooner identifies with the Iranians. They also merged into the lowest dregs of Hindu society. This is proved by the story of Sagara That a already referred to above. large number of the defeated Sakas became Chandals is proved by the

30
fact, that one of the low dialects or vibhashds is called either Sdkari or Chdnddlikd. (Bom. Gaz. Vol. XIII, p. 454.)

CHAPTER

No.

6.

The

Kisseh-i-Sanjan and King Jatii Rana.

From some traditional accounts and a few reliable notices it appears that after the downfall of the Sassanian Monarchy several bands of Parsis, who were greatly oppressed by the
Arab conquerors,* country and came
date
left their

list

of

the

tribes

of

the
in

degraded

Kshatriyas

mentioned

Manu

Smriti (X, 43, 44; includes Pahlavas, Sakus and Yavanas.* Some Puranic lists also include the Sakas

and Yavanas.

(Idem
that

p.

447).
tribes

The

fact

these

were

mother-

regarded as degraded, shows that they were foreign tribes who had embraced

to

India.

The

when they

first

landed and the

put

Hinduism.
It
is

place where they first controversial matters.

*In his Paper on "Parsis

up are

fully

established,

that

the
and Early Islam,"
Mr. G.
K.

and Multan are strangers, either of Saka or of Huna origin. (Idem, p. 453). ''In the Dakhan, Gautamiputra about A.D. 150, in Malwa Sagara about A.D. 400, in the North-West Provinces Chandragupta in. A.D. 396-415, in the South Panjab Yasodharman about A.D. 530, and Sri Harsha in Central India and the North-West Provinces between A.D. 607 and 617, all gained credit from overthrowing, either invading or
Khatris of

Sindh

Nariman shows from Arabic

books, specially Bilazori (pp. 64-6?, 71, 78, " the Parsis are in India not 80, 200,) that because their ancestors fled from savage Arabs for the sake of their religion dearer than life," but because they were pursued with cruel bigotry on the part of those Zoroastrians, Ivho were constantly growing into a large majority and who had more or less voluntarily renounced the faith of their fathers to embrace Islam." Mr. Nariman

quotes Paul Horn as under

at first the Zoroastrians

' :

With

force

settled northerners

such as Pahlavas, Yavanas, White Hunas, and Turks and preventing or putting a stop to the confusion of caste." (Idem,
Sakas,

were not proselytised. Rather were they accounted on a level with Jews and Christians, who, as the Koran lays down were the recipients of a scripture and therefore by the paymeut ( Ahl Kitab)
of a poll-tax could continue in their religion. It was bnly in later times that Zoroastrians

pp. 453, 454, 458).

were declared
the
intolerable

unbearable.

Finally

under

From all the proofs given above, we see that the Pahlvas, Sakas, and Magas were incorporated into the Hindu society long before the Arab
conquest of Iran.

oppression of their own people, who persecuted them with the real fanaticism of fresh converts, they emigrated to India." See Praja Mitra Par si dated 27-2-1918, also 16-8-1919). For references to Arab and other writings, see Mr.

&

Tcfl":

Kshatriya tribes gradually be(or degraded), because they amitted sacrifices and opposed the (sayings of) Brahmans." Then the writer mentions

" These

came corrupt

" Parsi article on Immigration" Times of India, dated 7-2-1920. Dr. J. J. Modi does not agree with Mr. Nariman, to whom he gives his reply in the Times of India dated 12-2-1920. Dr. Modi quotes Pahlavi writers. He says that in one MS. of the Bundehesh, there is
Nariman's
in the

the tribes in the next verse.

reference to the intolerance of the " And when the It runs thus then the sovereignty came to Yazdagard Arabs rushed into the country of Iran in The country of Iran great multitude remained with the Arabs and their own irreligiou? law was propagated by them; the religion of the Mazdayasnians was weakened From the original creation until this day evil more grievous than this has not happened for, through their evil deeds on account of want, foreign habits, hostile acts, bad decrees and bad religion ruin, want and other evils have taken
a clear

Arabs.

31
According
to

the account

of

the
5ft
5ft

about 115 years Kisseh-i-Sanjan, after the overthrow of the Sassanian dynasty, a number of Zoroastrians came to India and landed at Div the coast of Kathiawar. Havoff there for 16 ing stayed years, If we take the they went to Sanjan.
(A. D. 641) to have decided the fate cf the Persian empire, it would appear that the Zoroastrians landed at Sanjan in A. D. 775. Some scholars, taking
battle of

5ft

It

will

be

seen

that

the

above

memorandum gives a
account from that of

slightly different

Nahavend

A. D. 651 (when th^ King Yazdagard was killed) as the starting point, arrive at the date A. D. 785. But as Sir James Campbell observes, the accepted date among the Parsis for the settlement at Sanjan is the Yazdagard year 85, A. D. 716, given on the authority of Dastur Aspandiarji of Broach in his book Kamdinji named " i&H cU<Vt MURflSUKl i^." published in 1S26 (p. 149).
i

the Kisseh- iThe date is 716 A. D., and Sanjan. not 775 or 785 A. D. besides there is no reference to the landing at Div. The reason for this difference in the accounts may be, as suggested by Wilford, that the history of at least two bands of refugees has been
;

mixed

up.

Such

discrepancies,

coupled with other circumstances, have led some scholars to challenge every detail of the Kisseh-i- Sanjan. On the other hand there are scholars

Ervad
got a gives

Maneckji
the

R.

Unwalla
note:
<(

has
y'<Hct

who would put blind faith in each and every particular given in the Kisseh. The middle course has not been adopted. The Kisseh has its value, which must not be overrated
nor under- estimated.
In our opinion the Kisseh-i-Sanjan does not claim to be a historical docu-

MS. about 150

following

years old, which

ment
lodgment." Dr. Modi also quotes references from the Epistles of Manuscheher, Pahlavi Jamaspi, and Dinkard Bk. VII. Chap. 8, which contain vague references. Firdusi (A.D. 10th century) in his account of the reign of Yazdagard, speaks of the Arab rule as " hell from the midst of heaven." Yazdagard in his letter to the governor of Tus, says: "The fires in the The fire- temples have been extinguished. religious festivals of Naoroz and Sadeh have been darkened."

correct

in

every

detail.

It

roughly lays down certain facts, which should be carefully weighed, and the crust should be separated from the kernel in the light of the few hisreminiscences, which have to our own times. At the same time it must be acknowledged, that it records some genuine which we cannot distraditions, believe; for instance, the tradition about the king Jadi Rana, and the
torical

remained down

We
Dozy's
18),

read

"

the French historian R. in " (tr. by Stokes, p. Spanish Islam

as

under:

"After

the

capture

of

first

Parsi refugees

explaining

their

Mecca, the remaining pagan tribes soon found further resistance useless, and the threat of a war of extermination induced them to embrace Islamism ...... with the Koran in one hand and a sword in the other."

and customs could hardly have been a fabrication of later times. Nevertheless it would be readily admitted, that accretions and additions must have grown round the
religion
original tradition in course of time.

M.
:

Cl.

They (the Khalifs) says so intolerable troublesome,

"

Huart

in his "Histoire
to

des Arab"
life

made

so

nonMusulmans that they converted themselves in large numbers to the new formerly There remained only few Jews, religion. Christians and Mazdians (Zoroastrians) in The population in the country the cities. became all, and very rapidly. Musalmans, except in the mountainous cantons."
the

The
first

late

Mr

K. R.

Kama

was the
roj,

to point out that the

Hindu date
di-

did not coincide with

mah and
fficulty it

year.

To

explain

the Parsi the

was suggested by Mr.

Kama

and

friend

subsequently -by our learned Prof. S. H. Hodivala, that

the Samvat figure 772 should be read 992. This is possible,* but what shall we say about the Yazdagardi year, which would not coincide with Samvat 992 ?

* which we era, meet with in records of the seventh and eighth centuries, not only in the

was the Kalachuri

As

is

seen

in

the

three

Pahlavi

inscriptions at Kanheri, it was the practice of the ancient Parsis to

roz, mah and the YazdaIn the Pahlavi Texts gardi year, f written by Dinpanah Itarpat Dinpanah, the date is given in roj, mah and Yazdagardi year, namely 324, as is supposed by a majority of

Gurjara territory in the northern part of the stretch of the country, but even the Lata province of the Chalu" kyas in the Southern part of ii I Gaz. (Bom. pt II, p. 295)
In numerous grants of Kathiawar and Gujarat we come across the Valabhi Samvat (which began in 319 A. D.), or the Chedi Samvat (which began in 249 A. D.) or Saka Samwat. (See Prakrit and Sanskrit inscriptions collected by the Bhavnagar State, pp. 30-67, Antiquary XIII,
P- 77).

mention the

scholars.

practice of mentioning Vikram is first traced in the Sanskrit Ashirwards since in the oldest MS.

The

Samvat

Even
difficulty. " It may

Prof. Hodivala has seen the

in the

library

of

the

late

Dastur

He

therefore

says

Jamaspji Minocheherii, the date is (Samvat given as =3$J&Rffi3

W*Kg

1400). In the Parsi year 692 the well-

known copyist Meherban

Kaikhusru

records roj, mah and Parsi year only in the Pahlavi colophon. The MS. contains also the Hindu date in Sanskrit, but that is clearly a later interpolation. We are therefore of opinion that originally it was usual with the Parsi
writers to

be said, that the Shaka era was used throughout the Western Coast, and that all the Silhara dates are in that era. How then could the Vikram Samvat have been

employed by these Parsis ? The answer is easy. These Zoroastrians came to Sanjan from Div in Kathyawar, and it was there, they had

mention

roj,

mah and

Yaz-

dagardi year only. In the early and western Chalukya periods, the Shaka era was used Dr. throughout in Western India. J. F. Fleet points out in his book " Dynasties of the Kanarese Districts," t

become first acquainted with the Hindu system of reckoning time. It is well known to scholars that the Hindu era generally in use in Kattyawar and Gujarat during these centuries was the Vikram and not the All the Chavda, Shaka Samvat.
Chalukya

and

Vaghela

dates

of

the records that have that survived of the important and powerare ful dynasty of the Chalukyas

"

Gujarat province are in the Vikram era, and the numerous inscriptions
of that period mentioned in the Kattyawar Gazetteer are almost all in the Vikram era."
also Prof.

almost carefully dated in every instance in the well-known Shaka " In another place the same era. " scholar says Though the Western Chalukya kings of the main line of Badami used the Saka era, the local era of the country extending from probably the Damanganga on the south to the Mahi on the north
:

Hodivala

has

mentioned

dates, which are found in different inscriptions, but all of them

eleven

are later than

Vikram Samvat 772.

in

*Same
f

as

Chedi era which begins

I.

249

A.D.(Bom. Gaz.
is

pt. II, pp. 364, 293, 295).

the

There were two figures in use to denote number nine (B. B. R. A. S. XII, 331.)
Indian

A plate of the king Jwikadeva, who styled the adhipati of the Satirashtra Mandal bears the, date Vikram Samvat 714.

f (See Dr. E. W. West's Paper, Antiquary IX, 265 ff),

t p. 17, 23-30.

But this inscription is not genuine. (Bom. Gaz. VIII, 275). Dr. BhagvSnlal believes the plate to be a forgery of the eleventh century. He gives the Vikram Samvat 794, and nos 714 (Bom. Gaz. I., Pt. I, p. 137).

In the time of the Chavda kings, the earliest Vikram date, which is of any applicability, is 752, when the

Was
In
this to notice

Sanjan

Known

to

Masudi or Not ?
connection we are obliged a remark of Prof. Hodivala, " in his paper on Jadi Rana and the Kisseh i-Sanjan" where he says: "There is, no doubt, notwithstanding the mention of a Sindan by the Arab geographers of the ninth century, that the Konkan Sanjan first came into existence only in the tenth century, and that its prosperity dated from the incoming of the Parsis and other foreigners. The writer of the chapter on the Arab References in the Bombay Gazetteer History of Gujarat has seen this very clearly and pointed out, that the earlier references of Biladuri S92 A.C., Ibn Khordadbih 912 A. C, and Masudi 915 A.C. are all about the Kacch

Chavda king Jayashekhara

of

Pun-

chasar was attacked by the Chalukya But this date is given on the king. authority of the author of Ratnamala a poetic history (1230 A. D.), and was probably a matter of calculation. (Bom. Gaz I, Pt I, p. 150, and 149 It has been pointed out by note). Pandit N. Bhashyacharya that "no inscription before the llth century A. D. adopted the Samvat (Vikramaditya) era." (Age of Sri Sankaracharya p. 8). Herein he follows Dr. Bhau

p 242). Daji (B. B. R. A. S. VIII But we do not wish to press this

,

It is enough to say point further. that there are a few historical

* and copper-plate inscrip notices, tions of the Chalukya king VijayaParsi ditya which show that the

refugees could not have as A.D. 936.

come

as late

In Ousley's Oriental Geography of

Sindan (Bom. Gaz I, pt I, pp. 520-1). There can be no doubt, that the Konkan Sanjan was originally a colony founded by the Zoroastrian refugees, who gave it Sanjan, a town in the of Kohistan."
its name after Khwaf district

Ebn Haukal (A.D. 902-968)

stated that

it

is

some

parts of

Hind

and

Sind belonged to the Guebres. No doubt as Elliot says, the word Guebre

meant a non-Mussalman generally and

a

Zoroastrian

specially.

Therefore
as doubtof another
is

this proof
ful.

may be regarded

Now the abovesaid Bombay Gazetteer writer says on p. 514: "Al-Vlasudi (A.D. 915) in speaking of the ebb and flow of the
ocean
notices

But the authority writer, Masudi (A.D 916)

liable.

mentions
that
as

Kambaya.
famous
in

He
in

more
his

re-

Kambaya was famous

it still is

time there were many fire-temples in Sindh and India J (Misaar-bin-Mahalhil, Elliot's Hist, of India 1-97. Bom. Gaz. IX pt II, 185 ff). It is clear at least from Massudi's notes that the Parsis must have been in India before
noticed that in

He

Baghdad,
jarat
says,
in

Gufor its shoes. These shoes, he were made in Kambaya and the
it

towns about
If this

like

Sindan *

Ihana and Sufarah

(Sanjan (Supara)."
correct,
it

identification is

A.D. 936.

We shall see hereafter that according to the Arab traveller Missar bin Mukhalih*! there were fire-temples in Cheul in A. D. 950, which date is given as A. D. 942 in Bom. Gaz. I Pt I, Now pp. 216-217. if the Parsis came in A. D. 936, we could such a within hardly expect fire-temples brief period as 14 years. t Gujarat (Bom. Gaz. I., pt. I., p. 511).
*

shows that Sanjan in Thana (in the Konkan) was known to Masudi in A. D. 915 and that therefore it was
colonised by the
date.
Parsis

before

that

Place

Where

Parsis

First Landed.

Now we
tion:

shall

"What was the

first
J.

take up the quesplace where the

Haukal

finished his

work

in

A.D. 916 (Idem,

Parsi refugees
*

landed"
it

We

saw

p. 507).

\ Prairies tion p. 186.

d'Or IV-86. Bom. Gaz. Popula-

Dr.

J.

Modi takes

to be the other
p. 205).

Sanjan.

(See Asiatic Papers,

that according to the Kisseh-i-Sanjan they first landed at Div. According

to

the

Gujarati

memorandum

the

matters of religion, to live according to the Mehometan custom, contrary to the form of their own religion

new comers

from Khorasan landed

There is a third account at Sanjan. of almost the same date as when the
Rev. Kisseh-i-Sanjan was written. Henry Lord,* who was at Surat in wrote a book, named 1621 A. D. " the Discovery of the Banyans and " the Parsees, in which he has given an account of the exodus, as he had

and worship. " These Persees not enduring

to

live contrary to the prescript of their own law and less able to reject their

yoke,

many
as

of

them by

privy escape

conveyance as thev might of their goods and substance, determined a voyage for the Indies,
close

and

heard from an
his.

place where I resided, another sect called the Perit I thought would not be sees unworthy of my labour to bring to the

Lord says town of Surat,

:

Andhiaru friend of In the introductory Chapter "

I

observed

in

the

the

purposing to prove the mildness of the Banian Rajahs; if there, though they lived in subjection for matter of Government, they might obtain liberty of conscience in course of religion.

"So
in

the

repairing to Jasques, a place Persian gulf, they obtained a

fleet of

eyes of

my countrymen

this (Persee)

seven junks to convey them

as

and

religion also, especially since I never read of any, that had fully published it has the same; but that re-

theirs,

merchantmen bound
course
of

for the shores of India, in

trade and merchandise.

in safety they land of St. Johns on the shores of India, and arrived together at or near the port of Swaley,* the

mained

and hid from common knowledge. For this cause, desirous to add anything to
obscure
I joined myself with one of their churchmen called their

"It happened that

to the

made

the ingenious

Ddrw and by

the interpretation of a

Persee, whose long employment in the company's service had brought him to a mediocrity in the English tongue, and whose familiarity with me, inclined him to further my
inquiry." we read

of such ships as Treaty was made by some of them with a Rajah living at Nuncery\

usual

receptacle

arrive.

Further on in Chapter I " About 996 years elapsed, one Yesdegerd was native king of What time the Arabian Persee
:

(Nowsari), publishing their grievances the cause of their coming thither, as also their suit to be adas with them, mitted sojourners using their own law and religion, but

and

made

captains of the sect of Mehomet invasion into his country, about the 19th year of his reign he was forced to fly to Karason, where he died suddenly in the 20th year of
his reign

yielding themselves in subjection to their government upon payment of homage and tribute, they were admitted to land^ the passengers contained in five of their junks.
;

"The Mehometans upon

of

the death

Yesdegerd carried all in conquest before them, and subjected the

natives of the country as vassals into them, and as new lords bring in new
to

other two junks remaining (stc) put into the road of Swaley and treated with a Rajah, that then ruled at Baryaw near unto Surat, who entertained them on like conditions to the former, but the Rajah of that place having wars with a neighbouring Rajah, who got the conquest, the Persees that resided

"The
of

one

them

laws, they contented not themselves bring them to their form of governin state subjection, but

ment

also

in

of the

*A. D. 1620 according Bombay Gazetteer IX

to the

writer

Pt. II, p. 190.

Perhaps Sumali, an old sea-port in Surat (Bom. Gaz. II, p. 332). f Sir Streynsham Master says in a letter that the town Nausarree was called Nunsaree by the English (Quoted from Dr. J. J. Modi's Asiatic Tapers Part II, p. 30).

35
with the conquered, were all put to the sword as adherents to the enemy. "The last junk coasted along the
shores,

sent an embassy to the of Surat, asking him to

Hindu
grant

prince

them

and arrived at Cambaya where the were received upon so that conditions, prementioned however this people have been disthey

persed in India since their arrival, it has been from some of these places."

permission to emigrate into that country with their families." This last account is important, as showing that it was a Hindu prince who received the embassy. From the different accounts given above it will be seen that the place of the first

The above

account

is

important in

more ways than one. Although it does not give any dates, it confirms
the statement of the Gujarati memorandum that the refugees first landed It does not mention Div. at Sanjan. But the very valuable information it giver is this, that some of the Parsis made a treaty with a Rajah living at

landing is uncertain. One thing however seems almost certain, that the
first permanent

colony established by the Parsis was at Sanjan in (Konkan) as stated in the Kisseh. Sindan has

been mentioned

by several Arab writers but unfortunately we have no

reference to it before the 9th century A. D.* Neither do we come across Hanjamana (or Sanjana) t in Sanskrit inscriptions of a date earlier than the llth century A. D.

Nowsari, and upon payment of homage and tribute* the passengers were allowed to land ; for, as we shall see later on, the Parsis were "made to pay tribute" during the reign of the

Political Condition of

Vinayaditya when Vijayaditya was a Yuvaor In this raja prince-regent. account we have also an allusion to the battle of Variav, but to our regret we find, that Lord's informant has made a sort of confusion by making its time coincide with the date of our ancestors' first arrival in India, although the said battle took place

Chalukya
his

kingr

Western India

in

Tth'Sth

son

Century.
Let us now consider the political condition of the Western coast of India on or about the traditional date (A. D. 716), when the Parsis are supposed to have first arrived at
Sanjan.

From

number

of reliable

sources, C.

Mabel Duff has written

several centuries afterwards.

We have two other accounts of almost the same generation as that of the writer of the Kisseh-i-Sanjan. Sir T. Herbert a well-known traveller and author who had come to India in A. D. 1626 said "Into India these Persees came in five junks from
:

a book, containing events in chronoSome of the events of logical order.

time in question are given below A. D. 636 Usman ibn Asi Saqafi, Governor of Bahrain and Uman under
:

the Khalif

Jasquez, sailing to Surat, when after treaty with the Rajeats and Bannyans they got leave to plant."

Umar appoints his brother Bahrain, and proceeding himself to Uman sends an expedition to pillage the coasts of India. About the same time Hakim sends a force
Hakim
to

against Bharoch and

Nicolao
traveller

Manucci,

Venetian
:

wrote in A. D. 1656 "When first the Mahomedan religion got into Persia, the king tried to force them ( the to Parsis ) become
this

dispatches his brother Mughirah Abul-Asi to Dibal,} where he defeats enemy. (Bom. Gaz.
I, pt. I,

pp. 505-6).

A.
latest

D.

704

known

IV, Jayabhata Gurjara of Bharoch.

Mahomedans. For
*

reason,

they

The

Dastur went
(present),

Kisseh-i-Sanjan states that the to the king with a hadiah

See Bom. Gaz' I. pt. I, pp. 514, 6?0. See Indian Antiquary V-278, IX-35-44. j Karachi or Thatta (Bom. Gaz. I. Pt. I,
Properly Jayabhata
III.

p. 508).

36
invasion of Gujarat by the Tajikas or Arabs seems to have It is menoccurred in his reign. tioned in the grant of the Gujarat Chalukya Pulikesi(A. D 738), which states that Sindh, Kachh, Kathiawad and the whole of Gujarat as far as the Navsari were subdued and Gurjara king was one of the conquerred princes. (Idem, p. 117)

The

raids

Arab Nowsari only twice, namely in A. D. 704 and 739, and in the latter year the enemies were severely beaten, as we learn from the Nowsari grant of the
that

we must remember
extended as

the

far

as

Chalukya king (Bom. Gaz. I, pt.

II, p.

Vikramaditya 375)

II.

History of Gujarat and Ka-

A. D. 711 Iraq, sends

A. D. *Jl2

Hajjaj,
to

Governor of

Muhammad

Imadud-

thiawar Important to Identify Jadi Rana.

view,

Din ibn Qasim

invade Sindh.

Campaign of Muhammad Ibn Qasim in Sindh. Fall of

Dibal.

Keeping the traditional date in we shall have to discuss the

to

then history of the rulers of Gujarat

and Kathiawar 724

al

ascertain
to

whether

A. D.

Rahman
against

Junaid Murri...sent

ibn

Abdur

there
their

is

any allusion

the Parsis in
to see, if Jai or Jadi-

expeditions

numerous grants and

identify the king

Bharoch, Ujain and other places. (Idem, p. 506). A. D. 739 The Tajikas or Arabs over-run Sindh, Kachh, having Saurashtra, Chavotaka, the Maurye and Gurjara kingdoms seem to have invaded the Navsari district and to defeated by Pulikesi. have been
A. D.

we can
Rana.

We

historical notes

propose to give short about the following

dynasties:

(1)

The Western Chalu-

kya kings, who were the supreme rulers of Southern Gujarat and Konkan and whose capital was at Vatapi*
in the Bijapur district Gurjara kings, who were feudatories of the Western Chalufeyas

or

Badami
the

776
ibn
of of

The

(2)

Khalifah
to India

Al-

Mahdi sends an army

Abdul

The town

under Shihabul-Masammai. Barada is captured.

the
troops

and whose capital was at Broach and (3) a minor branch of the Chalukyas, who were also feudatories of the main
;

number

perish

through sickness, the remainder being wrecked on their return off

the Persian coast.
It will

branch, with their capital at Nowsari. But before we proceed, let us say a word about the various attempts to identify the king Jadi Rana.

be seen from the above

that there was a long chronicle, interval of 68 years between the

first

Supposed

Identification

of

Jai or Jadi Rana.

Dr. Wilson thought, that the name was a corruption of the Hindu name Jayadeva, otherwise known as Vanraj Chavdi of Anhilof the king
PiUtan, who reigned from 745 806 A.D.f (B.B.R.A.S. I, p. 175; Sir James CampInd. Ant. I, L'14). " Yadava bell took him to be some chief of South Gujarat." (Bom.

and second Arab

raids,

and

consequently it might be contended, with some force, that the more favourable time for the arrival of the Parsi fugitives must be before A. D. 704. Indeed that was the case, because " the Parsis were made to pay " tribute by the western Chalukya

wad
to

king Vinayaditya (A. D. 680696-7) according to three Sanskrit inscriptions, which we shall examine hereBut the fact that times were after. more favourable before A. D. 704 does not preclude the possibility of some bands of refugees having come Besides later on, after that date.

*In much later times Somesvara II. (A. D. 1068 to 1075) and his successors made KalySna their capital (Fleet's Dynasties of Kanarese districts, p. 4, 48, 62). fThe writer of the Bombay Gazetteer gives the dates A.D. 765 to 780, (Bom. Gaz. I, Pt. I, pp. 152, 155).

37
Gaz. XIII, Pt. I, p. 249). Dr. J. J. Modi thought, that he was some Prof. Hodivala, local ruler of Sanjan. reading the Samvat date of immigration as y92(=936 A.D.) identified the king with Vajjada devaof the Shilhara dynasty of Northern Konkan who became king in 9:35 A.D. (J.B.B.R.A.S
of

Konkan, the Latas, the Malavas,

Gurjaras,

the

the the

known by the name

the
Kosalas,

three countries of Maharashtra,

Kalingas,

Pah.Iavas of Kanchi, the Cholas,

the the

Keralas and the Pandyas.

be seen, XXIII, p. 358). that all these gentlemen have based their identifications upon their conIt

will

clusions
ancestors'

regarding the date of our

and first arrival in India, we could hardly be expected to deAdopting the part from these lines.
traditional date as the basis,

we have stated already ihat Fergusson has shown there is an Arabic Chronicle, which records the fact, that in the 35th year of the reign of Khusru II (A.D. 626) presents and letters were interAs
Mr.

changed between him and Pulikesi

II. A painting in one of the Ajanta caves depicts the presentation of a letter from the Persian king to Pulikesi (J. R. A. S. XI, p. 155). This shows that the Sassanians were on the Chalukyas friendly terms with and it is but natural that seventy

we have

inquiry, and arrived at certain conclusions, which are given below.

proceeded

with

the

Western Chalukyas. We take up the history of

Western Chalukyas.

the

Kirtivarma I, left three sons, Pulikesi II, Vishnuvardhan I, and Jayasimha II. There \ras a formal division of the kingdom between the two elder brothers Pulikesi* taking the western dominions and establishing himself at Va-

years later on, pressed by the

friends.

when they were hard

Arabs,

they
to their

should

have turned their eyes

Hindu

After the death of Pulikesi II the of the Western Chalukyas appears to have been invaded by the

kingdom

Pallavas,

who succeeded

in

driving

Badami, and Vishnuvardhan taking the eastern dominions and establishing himself at Vengi Country between the rivers Krishna and
tapi or

Godaveri.
Pulikesi II (610 to 642 A. D.) was the most powerful and illustrious of the early kings of his dynasty. His

time on the west, back to and below the Western Ghauts and on the South to the Karnul district. In this the to Pallavas appear have been aided by a confederacy of the Chola, Pandya and Kerala
for a

them

kings. (Fleet's Dynasties of

Districts, pp. 23-26).

Kanarese
his

conquests were numerous and widely spread, and included the Rashtrakutas, the Kadambas of Vanavasi, the Gangas, the Alupas, the Mauryas

After

Pulikesi

came

son

Vikramaditya, who ruled from 655 to 680-81 A. D. He was succeeded by his son Vinayaditya, who ruled

The

geneological tree of Pulakesi's family

is

given below

Pulakesi

II.

(610-642 A.D.)
I.

Vikrama-ditya
\

(655-681 A.D.)

inaya-ditya (681-696

A.D.)

VijaySditya (696-733 A.D.)

38
from 680-81 to 696 * A. D. He " was also called Satyashraya, the asylum of truth/' and Rajashrya "the asylum of kings." There are seven inscriptions of his time, six bearing th- Saka dates 608, 611, 613, 614, 614 and 616. and one One of his copperbeing undated. His grants is from Surat. plate warlike expeditions appear from the inscriptions to have been very numerous and extensive. He is
described as arresting the extremely exalted power of the three kings

Dr. thus
:

Fleet

translates

the passage

and Kerala, Chola, Pandya reducing the Pallavas. Kalabhras, Haihayas, Vilas, Malavas.f Cholas, Pandyas, and other peoples to a similar state of servitude with his hereditary servants, the Alupas,
of

and

as

(Vikramadityai's) dear son Vinayaditya Satyashraya, the favourite cf the world, the great king, the supreme king, the supreme lord, the venerable one, who having at the command of his father arrested the extremely exalted power of the lord of Kanchi, whose kingdom consisted of three (component} dominions just as Tarakarati (=Karttikiya) (at the command} of (his Jather) Balendushekhara (=Siva) did arrest the power of the demons, caused the rulers of Kamera and Parasika and Simhala and other islands

"His

was

Gangas and

others.

He

levied

tri-

bute from the rulers of the Kaveras or Kameras, and the Parasikas and the rulers of Simhala, i.e. Ceylon. He acquired the patidhvy'a-'ba.nn.er and other insignia of sovereignty. (Bom. Gaz. I, pt. II, p. 358).

to tribute and who pay was possessed of the palidhvaja and all the other mighty insignia of supreme dominion, which he had acquired by crushing the lord of all
;

the regions of the north." Antiquary IX, p. 1 29).

(Indian

Parsis Mentioned in Vijayaditya*s Inscription.

let us consider the passage of inscription of Vijayaditya (A.D. 696-733), the son of Vinayaditya, in

Interpretation of the Important Passage in the

Inscription.

Now

the

The

expression important for our

is

purpose
three

which the Parasikas, are mentioned. The passage which we quote below is
found in three copper-plate grants edited by Dr. Fleet in the Indian Antiquary, Vol. IX, pp. 1-27, 131 and 13?. The first two grants are dated Saka 622 (=A.D. 700-1), Saka 627 (=A.D. 705-6), and the last is unThe passage runs thus dated.
:

which is capable of
interpretations.

at least

Sffsp}

might

mean "king"
"leader."

We

simply "head" or shall give the different

or

senses and discuss

them

(1) "Of him who made the kings of Kamera (island) Parasika, (island),

Simhala (island) and other islands to pay tribute." From Kamera or Kavera (which is the reading in another plate), the river Kaveri takes its name. Kavera is
the

name

of

country

died

According to Sir R. G. Bhandarkar in A.D. 697 (Bom. Gaz. I. pt.

he
II,

or people (Ind. And. IX, p. ] 27 footIt may have been an island note). or a country situated between two
for a doah is usually called an by Sanskrit writers. Simhala or Ceylon is certainly an island. Assuming, therefore, Kamera
rivers
;

p 187.) t People of Malwa or people of Malaya country in the Western Ghauts (Bom. Gaz. I, pt. II, p. 868).

island

39
Kavera to be an island, it would appear that Parasika dvipa might be an island inhabited by the Parsis. Now as the dominion of Vinayaditya consisted of Western and Southern India, we might be led to think of the
or

dynasty to such comparatively modern times, that it may fairly be attributed

to

Muhammadans from Sindh and

the
possibility of
If

entirety precludes
its

destroyers being Sassanian kings

as conjectured

by Elphinstone

referred to in the the Parasika as Kisseh-i-Sanjan island. But the question is whether Div formed part of the dominions of We are therefore comVinayaditya. pelled to examine the history of
island
of
i)i.v

Burgess's explanation (note I page 76 Vol IV Archaeological Survey) be followed, then the 447 of the plate of Shiladitya VI. would be A. D.642 and the Sassanians may after all

have

Gujarat It is stated that the of the time. kings of the Valabhi dynasty were Kathiawar and Northern rulers of Gajarat from A. D. 507 to 766. Their first king was Bhattaraka (609 A. D.) and last Shiladitya VII (766 A. D.) (Bom. Gax. I, pt. I, pp. 7?, 93.) \Vhile referring to the Western D. Chalukya king Mangalesha (A. 597-^8 to 608), Dr Fleet says "At
:

Kathiawar

and

Northern

Valabhi."* destroyed Gaz. VIII, p. 274).

(Bom.

One
however

of the inscriptions (which is not genuine) shows that

in Jayadeva's

time (Vikrama Samvat 714) Dhinki was the eastern part of his dominion atSaurashtra, thus showing that the Saurashtra of those days was limited to the coast belt of

that point, the progress of

Manealesha

was stopped of rulers by the Valabhi, who held Kathiawad and the northernmost parts of Gujarat... There was thus constituted a kingdom (namely, that of the Western Chalukyas), which embraced the whole of the Bombay Presidency,
excepting Kathiawad and Northern Gujarat, where the kings of Valabhi continued to reign till about A. D. " 766 (Bom. Gaz. I, pt. II, p. 336).

the peninsula of Kathiawar (Bom. Gaz, VIII, p. 575). But the questions whether Div belonged to the Chalukyas or not and whether it was ever known as a Parasika island remain

unanswered.

Even supposing
to the

that Div belonged Chalukyas and was named the

"Parsi island" after the Parsis, still are unable to think of a Parsi king ruling there at the time. Under the circumstances it would not be correct to render the word 3fl%q

we

as "king."

We do not know, whether it would be safe to follow Dr. Fleet's statement given above, although it is * supported by Pandit Bhagvanlal and other scholars but it is our duty to point out certain circumstan;

(2) Now we give the second sense of the Sanskrit passsge below
:

"

Of him who made

the kings of

tribute.

Kameras, of the Parasikas and of Simhala and other islands to pay "
As stated above
it is

the

which appear to contradict it. It is doubted by some scholars, whether the supremacy of the Valabhi kings continued so far as A. D. 766. The writer of the Pom" As Shiladitya bay Gazetteer says VI was reigning in 447 of the Valabhi era, the sack of this capital cannot have occurred (Valabhi) before A. D. 765 and probably five to fifteen years later. This would bring the ruin of the city and the
ces,
:

difficult to say,

who
*

the king of the Parasikas could be in Southern Gujarat and Kontan

We

shall see hereafter that

the Gurjaru

kings were the feudatories of the Western III is, Chalukyas. One of them Dadda in the Record of the year A. D. 706 represented as waging war with the king of the West, who was certainly a Valabhi king and the Record of A. D. 736 states that
Jayabhatta III quieted in battle the impetuosity of the king of Valabhi, (Bom Gaz I, This however does not pt. II, p. 316). show, that Valabhi kings were the vassals of the Gurjaras.

'

In A. D. 775

(Bom. Ga z

1, Pt.

p. 138).

40
in
If we take Vinayaditya's time. " head" here in the sense of the

or the "leader," there is no difficulty, so far as the Parsis are concerned, but that sense would not apply to the

and the kings of Simhala and other islands to pay tribute." It will be seen that in this translation, there is a to the Parasikas

reference simply

As the Kisseh-i-Sanjan mentions Div as the first place of landing, (although the Gujarati memorandum and the travellers' accounts do not mention it at all), we may well say that the tradition in the Kisseh may have been derived from some such interpretation of the inscription, as we have given above. In that case the traditional date of the coming of our ancestors at Div would be exactly 19 years A.D. before 716 when the Parsis are said to
other nations.

and not to their These were made to pay triking. bute by the Hindu monarch Vinayaditya,

who

ruled in Southern Gujarat

and Kent an from 6SO-SI A.D. to 696 A.D. According to Sir R. G. Jihandarkar however, he died about 697 A. D.(Bom. Gaz. I, pt. II, p. 187;.

Date of Landing

in India

and

Payment

of Tribute.

There are 2 stone inscriptions and 5 copper-plate grants of the time of

Vmayaditya. His last copper-plate grant is dated Saka 6 i6(A. D. 690As his rule extended up to A. D. 696-7 and as none of his inscriptions or grants that we have come
across contain any reference to the Parasikas, it is reasonable to infer that the event of the Parasikas hav-

have landed

at Sanjan.

Mr. Lewis Rice,* who has noticed the above inscription says: "It is strange to find a Parasika island in this connection, unless indeed the Pahlavas, retaining the tradition of a supposed Persian origin,] should have given the name to some island in the south." (Indian Antiquary VIII, p.
also

24).

But a third meaning is also and that too strictly in accordance with the rules of Sanskrit We dissolve the comgrammar.
(3)

possible,

pound thus:
clFT

"Of
the

him

who

made

the Kameras,

Parasikas

ing paid tribute must have taken place between A. D. 694 to 696-7. Now according to the traditional pccount of Lord's informant, the Parsis first landed at Sanjan and some of them went to Nowsari, where on payment of tribute and homage, they -were allowed to land by No doubt at the time the Rajfi. Nowsari was the capital of a minor branch of the Chalukyas, but the

*He translates the passage thus: "Levier of tribute from the rulers of Kavera, Parasika and Simhala

kings of this branch were feudatories Western of the main Chalukya

Vinayaditya's copper-plate dynasty. grants were issued from Sorab in

and other islands."

fAn answer to the above remarks in italics may be given in the words of Prof. Weber, who puts up the following note on the word
Pahlava occurring in the Riima'yana and Mahabharata: "As the name of a people,
the word Pr.hlava became early foreign to the Persians, leirned reminiscences excepted: in the Pahlavi texts themselves, for instance, it does not occur. The period when it passed over to the Indians therefore would have to be fixed for about the 2nd-4th century

A.D. and we
it,

shall

have

to

understand by

Lakshmaneshwar in the Mysore, and Surat and other State, Miraj places. Vijayaditya's grants were from Badami in Bijapur issued state, Nerur in Sawantwadi State, and Buhar and other places. This shows that Vijayaditya and his father ruled over the territory from Mysore to Bulsar and Surat. (Bom. Gaz. I, Pi. II, pp. 368-374.)
Considering
stances
all

not directly the Persians, who are called Parasikas, raiher, but specially the Arsacidan Parthians." (Hist, of Indian Litera-

these

circum-

ture, p. 188.)

we might infer that the Parasikas, who were made to pay

41
tribute

probably
Iran.

by Vinayaditya, were most the Parsi refugees from

The fact that according to the 16th Sanskrit Shloka* (as given in the manuscript P. S.) the king grants permission to the Parsis to come (sflTfES^ S^FW) corroborates
the inference, which we have arrivat above. If so, the Parsis came But the to India in A. D. 697. traditional date of their landing at Sanjan is A. D. 716. How are we to reconcile the two dates ? The

ed

Before we pass on we will just a remark of our friend In support of his Prof. Hodivala. theory that the Parsis arrived in India in Vikram Samvat 992 (A. D. 936), " he said that the proposition explained why not a single reference to the Parsis in Western India during the 8th, 9th and 10th centuries has been ever found, though
allude to

they are popularly supposed to have The arrived so early as 716 A. C." answer is found in the inscriptions already quoted, namely that they

solution

is

certainly difficult.
to

According
the Parsis

first

the Kisseh-i-Sanjan landed at Div, and

have been expressly mentioned in the grants of Saka 622 (A.D. 700-1), and Saka 627 (A. D. 75-6), and an undated grant, probably of a later
date.

after staying there for 19 years they moved to Sanjan. Thus they arrived at Div in A. D. 697, since as stated

Vijayaditya
According to the Kisseh-i-Sanjan was the kind Jadi Rana or Jai Rana, who gave shelter to the hapless Parsis, though we must say that and the other Lord's informant travellers simply mention a Hindu Raja without naming him. We are
it

above, the traditional date of the of our ancestors at Sanjan is A. D. 716. But as neither Lord's informant nor the Gujarati* memorandum mentions Div at all, it may be that two bands of fugitives came to Sanjan at different times one in A. D. 697 and the other in A.D. 716 or that the Parsis after landing at Sanjan in A. D. 697 went to Div,t whence they returned to Sanjan in A. D. 716, to live there permanently -t

coming

A note on the date of the 16 Sanskrit Shlokas is given in another chapter.

t Supposing, of course, that Div belonged to the Chalukya emperors.
J

deeply indebted to the writer of the Kisseh for preserving the name of the beneficent king Jadi or Jai Rana. It is also found in theGujarati memorandum which however does not agree with the Kisseh in other respects. By A. D. 692 in his father's
time, Vijayaditya had been appointed Yuvdrdja or prince-regent. As Dr. Fleet says, "this title was used to denote a person, who having been selected by the reigning king as his
it. (See Dr. Modi's article Times of India dated 12-2-1920).

Mr. G. K. Nariman
a
left

in

referred to
triansi

passage in
to a

one of his lectures Futh-ul-Buldn,

of Zoroas-

which makes allusion

number

who

Kerman

in ships just about

the time, which would

synchronise with the

traditional advent of the Parsia into India. (Sanj Vartman Pateti No. of 9-6-1916,
p. 132).

port

in

the

Dr. J. J. Modi quotes Ahmed Al-Biladuri (about A. D. 850) who says about an Arab general: "He conquered

Jiraft -by force

Kerman subjugated
for Kafs,

and having proceeded to the people and made

where a number of the Persians, who had immigrated, opposed him at Hormuz. So he fought with and gained a victory over them and many people of Kerman fled by sea ". This passage speaks of an immigration to Hormuz, a fight with
immigrants, and a flight by sea. All these coincide with what is said of the Parsi 5mmi gration in the Kisieh-i-Sanjan and sup-

The traditional date of landing is 85 Yazdagardi. It must be noted that at that time there were three eras current in Iran, one the Yazdagardi era, which commenced in A. D. 631, the other the Persian era, which commenced in A. D. 611 and the third the Parsi era which commenced in A.D. 651. About the second era. Prof. Rehatsek says, " it was established ten years before that " the Hijra (See his paper on the Ba\v and GSoba-rah Sephabuds B. B. R. A. S. Vol. XII pp. 439-450) Could it be that the date was given as sal <?5, meaning the Persian ? year, and not the Yardagardi year

successor, was admitted meanwhile to a share in the administration probably with a view to really securing " (Bom. Gaz. I pt.ll, the succession

pp. 371,285 note). That Vijayaditya exercised vast powers appears clear from a grant of A. D. 692 wherein at his request his father granted a village to some Brahmans.

Dr. Fleet he came to the throne in the month of Shravan Saka Samvat 619 current or in A.D. 696. (N. B. At one time the learned Doctor put the date in A.D. 697) (Bom. Gaz. I, pt. II, p. 370 note). Vijayadita continued to
:

He

assisted his father in a

to the north, to the north

campaign and pushing on further even than his father,

Saka 655 A.D. (733-34). we have several inscriptions. He is spoken of in the inscriptions as a king, who maintained
reign
till

Of

his time

there acquired for him the signs of the rivers Gangland Yamuna. (Idem, It is therefore highly pp. 369, 371).
probable, that Vijayaditya may have been directly or indirectly connected with the greatest event in the hisAs stated above tory of the Parsis. the event is not mentioned even in the

the supremacy acquired by his father in the north and by his grand-father His reign seems to in the south. have been a peaceful one, with his
(Fleet's capital at Vatapi or Badami. Dynasties of Kanarese Districts, pp.

28-29, Bom. Gaz. I, pt. II, pp. 371His name also appears in the form Vijayaditya Deva. He used the
74).
titles,

grant of Vinayaditya dated the full-moon day of Kartika Saka 616 (9th October 694); it must therefore have taken place after this date, but before Vijayaditva's accession in
last

and

in

one

instance

("the most worshipful one".)

Hindu Names Contracted.

Vijayaditya- Jadi.
It
is

Shravana Saka 619 (A. D. 696),*

when we

may

well

common knowledge

suppose

his

father to be in a tottering condition of health. The event has been

Hindu names undergo

in various ways.

that contractions

mentioned

in

Vijayaditya's
is

inscrip-

tions only, although it with his father's time,

connected
life-time
ruler.

which shows

that even

in

his

father's

shortly before his death, Vijayaditya

The following important points should be noted (l) The names of kings and royal personages usually consist of two component parts. The terminal part is more or less an epithet of
:

honour

and

is

some such word

&c.

as

was

virtually the

paramount

Was he then the Jadi or Jai Rana ? The answer is somewhat difficult as we
shall see
later

on.

There are 11

(9}

Sometimes two

different termi-

inscriptions of his time, seven of which are stone inscriptions and four copper-plate grants. The last

nal words are applied to the

name

of

one and the same king;

for

example,

grant

is

from

Bulsar in Gujarat,

which contains a charter issued from the town of Mangalapuri

Contrary to the usual practice of the Gujarat grants, it is dated not. in the Kalachuri or Chedi era, but in Samvat Saka 653 (A. D. 731-32) (Bom. Gaz. I, pt. II, pp. 370-37*).
(3)

&c.

At times the terminal word

;

is

optionally dropped

as 3llTc1=RT

^.

In

some
;

We now
*

give a brief sketch of the

history of Vijayaditya.

According
301.

to

instances, some letters of the termias nal word are optionally dropped

4W$W
of

H'T^'-H

(Fleet's

Dynasties
32b,

Or A. D-697
I,

Gaz-

pt. II p, 870.

Ind. Ant. VII, ant p. 189.

Bom.

Kanarese

Districts, pp. 18b,

86b, 90, 96b).

43
(4)

We
in

also

find

that
for

words are
to

in

some

of

the

manuscripts

of

the

added
greater

the

beginning

show

Kisseh-i-Sanjan.

respect;

'example,

Jai or Jadi

Rana

in

(idem, p. 18b, 64).

instance in which both the preceding and terminal epithets are dropped is found in the name of the
(5)

An

Was
A

Kisseh*i-Sanjan. he Yijayaditya ?

Western Chalukya king SomeIV (1182 to 1189 A. D.), who was also called Vira-Someshvara or simply Soma (idem, p. 54).
later

shvara

few close parallels showing the of Jadi (Rana) with Vijayaditya are given below
identification
:

to

Vikramaditya VI (A. D. 1075 1126) was a famous Western other Chalukya king, who bore names such as tJi^i'ejsM^ f^fft^
(6)

the name (1) As seen above Jadi was a short form of Vijayaditya. (2) In the Kisseh-i-Sanjan Jadi

Rana

is

called

"

of kings."

JRae-rayan,

king
king

The Dastur
thus
:

speaks about the

and

fc+ufe

This

form of corrupt of the This king ^K*wR

dynasty was also

n=
W

last is

Ja na^la shah-rayan, nik-kar ast

Kadamab
(Fleet's

Ba Hind andar hamishah namdar

ast.

named

Dehad

dar dar

shahar
hal

Kanarese dynasties, pp. 48, 92.)

(7) Lokaditya, a feudatory of the Rashtrakuta king Krishna II had his name contracted to Lokade, evidently a corrupt form of Lokadi (Bom. Gaz. I, pt. II, p. 411, note.)
8.

mulka khud panahash

o

Kunad
"

aj

shekaftah

negahash.
beneficent and descended from kings of kings. f He has been
is

He

Jayasinha
ditya
I.

The Eastern Chalukya king I was also named Vijaya(Ind.

Ant. VII, p. 243). Pundit Bhagwanlal Indraji calls Vtjayadeva, a vicarious name for Jayadeva (Ind. Ant. XIII, In

He will always famous in India. give shelter in his own city and kingdom. He will look upon our condition with an eye of mercy."
In the inscription Vijayaditya is call-

one

place

^ (the

ed

p. 424).

a word

in the body sometimes dropped for /^MI. euphony ;for example J^MI^MI (Bom. Gaz. I, pt. II, p. 296).*

(9)

The consonant ^
is"

favourite of the world, great king, supreme king, supreme lord, the venerable one). Further he is called ^KclijqiisnT (asylum of the
:

Considering
is

all

possible that

these instances it the name lej'^lf^

world), whole ^13+^*11^1^ (by reason of having broken the pride of enemies^ y^Kc=ir^ (by reason of liberality) and RK^nld, (by reason
of blamelessness (Ind. Antiquary IX,

would be changed to sprrf^j-j- then then ^Jfrf^ and Sfff^ (Jddi).

128-129).
(2) In two places in the Kisseh-iSanjan Jadi or Jai Rana is called a 149 he is in couplet No. prince called Rdi-Jadah and in No. 214 Shah-Jadah. This seems an inSee couplet No. 141 in the Kissehi-Sanjan by R. B. Paymaster.
f Kingly
kings.
*

By dropping the terminal from ^MlRc^T, we get

word
the

name
*

Jaya,

which

is

the

name found
(B.

also Vijayangara=Bijnagar Cf. B. R. A. S. XII, p. 836.)

It

name

be noted that JaySditya was the of the Author of the Vritti Sutra, i.e.

may

KashikS (B.B.R.A.S. XVI.-200).

(Eastwick.)

44
seen consistency; for, as already of he has -been called "king kings." The other traditional acas a counts also speak of him Hindu raja or a Hindu prince. It appears that the writers of the tradition have confounded the two facts namely that the Raja was a
that he became afterwards.

Southern Gujarat or the country called Lata in ancient times. Vikramaditya seems to have assigned
that province to

a younger

brother

named Jayasimhavarman Dharashraya, who thus was another son of

Pulakesi II. Shryashraya Shiladitya son of Jayasimhavarman made a grant of land, while residing at Nowsari* in the year 421 of the Traikutaka era (A. D. 670) and another in 443 of the same era (A. D. 692), while encamped at Kusumeshvara. In both these Shryashraya
is

and prince-regent for some time, a paramount king

(3) According to Henry Lord's informant the Raja was living at Nowsari, which was the capital of * or Southern the Lata territory ruled over by a branch Gujarata. It was of the Western Chalukyas. known in those days as Navasa-

called

Yuvdrdja or prince-

regent and not a king. Another son of Jayasimhavarman named

Vinayaditya Yuddhamalla Jayashraya

rikd

(Bom. Gaz

I,

Pt
this

II,

p.
is

310).

the decide only obstacle in our that Jadi or Jai was Vijayaditya, since
of
city way to

The mention

Mangalaraja issued a similar charter in the Shaka year 653 (A. D. 731).
Pulakesi
village in

Jayashraya

was at Vatapi or Badami. But there is no doubt that Nowsari was the capital of his feudatory Jayashraya, and was under his suzeWe learn from the inscription rainty. that the tribute was taken from the Pars is by Vinayaditya. He was very old at the time and his affairs were
his capital

younger brother of Mangalaraja granted a 490 (A. D. 739). Both are

It

the

styled kings.

appears that

Jaya-

simhavarman though made sovereign

of Southern Gujarat did not rule over the province himself but made his son Saryashraya his regent, who held that position for more than 22 He died before his father. years

managed by

his son Vijayaditya,

to

who
the

was his regent. Hence it is not to understand how according

difficult

tradition, the Parsis are said to have paid tribute to Jadi Rana (or Vijayaditya).

(4)

As the Raja ruled from A. D.

to 733,

Jayashraya Mangalaraja succeeded the latter as king, and he was succeeded by Pulakesi f . ...... Thus Shryashrayas' dates were A. D. 670 or 671 to 692, of Jayashraya A. D. 731, and of Pulakesi A. D. 739. (Bom. Gaz. I, pt. II, pp. 186-187).

696-7
of the

the
at

installation

traditional date of the Iranshah

Atash Beheram
his reign.

Sanjan

fell

during

Was Jayashraya,

Jai

Rana

We give below an extract from the account of a minor Chalukya dynasty given by Sir R. G. Bhandarkar in his Early History of the Dekkan
:

During the reign of Vikramaditya the I (A. D. 655-680), a branch of

Chalukya dynasty was founded

*

in

"ShrSshraya, Shil&Htya, the heir-apparent at Navasari gave the village of Assatti...to Bhgikasva"mi...the son of Svamantasvami, who is the son of Agamisvami of the Kashyapa stock living at Navasari" (B. B. R. A. S, XVI, pp 1-4) f In Pulakesi grant it is stated that he vanquished an army of Tdgik-as (or Arabs) which had destroyed the Saindhava, Kachchhela, Saurashtra, Chavoataka, Manrya, Gurjara and other kings and on its way to
residing
D;ikshfnapatha...had

come

to

Nowsari,...
f
,

From the Mahi or the Kim to the (Fleet, Kanarese Dynasties Damaganga
p. 181).

which was the captial of the Ch&lukyas o LSta or southern Gujarat (Bom. Gaz. I, pt II., p 187 8).

45

We also give a short the account by Pandit

Indraji
:

summary

of

Bhagwanlal
their

It will be seen that Shryashraya was a Yuvaraja till his death in A. D. 692. According to Pandit Bhag-

vanlal,

his

brother

The Chalukyas conquered

Gujarat
provinces

Jayashraya

from the

south
is,

after subduing the Konkan of Puri, either Rajapuri,

Janjira,

Mauryas
that

or

Elephanta

in

Bombay

ment
of

The regular establishHarbour. of the Chalukyas in Southern work Gujarat seems to have been the
Dharashraya
Jayasimhavarman,
son of Pulakesi II, and younger brother of Vikramaditya Satyashraya (A. D. 670-80).

A grant of Jayasimhavarman's son Shiladitya found in Nowsari describes Jayasimhavarman as receiving the kingdom from his brother Vikramaditya. ...He had 5 sons and
enjoyed
a long life, ruling apparently from Nowsari.... Five copper-plates remain of this branch of the Chalukyas. ...Two of these show that these kings treated as their overlords the main dynasty of the

Mangalaraja came to the throne of Nowsari in A. D. 698. His father must have lived till then, although vve have no definite record, and as second brother he must have succeeded his brother as a Yuvrdja after him. The date A. D. 698 given by Pandit Bhagvanlal for his accession has not been given by Dr. Fleet and Sir R. G. Bhandarkar. (Bom. Gaz. I, pt. II, p. 836b), who leave a gap between the years A. D. 692 and 698. Therefore the date of his accession might be a little before A. D. 698. This Jay&shraya was the ruler at Nowsari up till A. D. 731. He was thus a contemporary and feudatory of Vinayaditya and Vijayaditya. His name might be contracted into "Jaya." Besides as the epithet Deva was usually applied
to

the

names

of

kings,

his

name

might have been shortened from Javadeva into Jaide or Jadi. Under the circumstances Jayashraya might have been the Jadi-Rdnd of the Kissehi-Sanjan. The traditional date of the advent of our ancestors very nearly of his date coincided with the accession, and the traditional date of the building of the Atash Beheram Iranshah did certainly fall during his reign. In the commencement of
his

Southern

Chalukyas,

as

respectful

mention is made in the first plate of Vikramaditya Satyashraya and in the son of his second Vinayaditya
Satyashraya.

Jayasimhavarman ruled from A. D. 666* to 6 93. He was succeeded by his second son Mangalaraja who ruled from A. D. 698 to 731. f (Bom. Gaz. About this latter I, pt. I, pp. 107-8).
king, Dr.
J.

rule

his

paramount lord
in

was

Vinayaditya.

F.

Fleet

says

in

his

The

Dynasties of
"A.

Kanarese Districts:

passage

the inscription,

which we have already considered,

states that the Parasikas were made to pay tribute by Vinayaditya. It

copper-plate grant of Vijayadi-

tya from Bulsar dated A. D. 731-2 issued from the contains a charter town of Mangalapuri by the Rdjd

Mangalrasa who had the birudas of (other names) Vinayaditya, Yuddhamalla and Jay&shraya, and was the second son of DharashrayaJayasimhavarman, the younger brother of Vikramaditya I" (Bom. Gaz. I, pt.
II, p. 374).
*

might be that the transaction of the payment of tribute by the Parsis was negotiated and carried out by the local ruler of Nowsari, but as he was a mere feudatory of the paramount
sovereign Vinayaditya, the transaction might have been ascribed to the latter in the inscription, just as in our own days we see that the acts of ministers are ascribed to the sovereign.

Dr. Fleet gives A. D. 671-692. B. B. R. A. S., XVI-5.

We
as

have stated
stand.

all

the facts &c.

they

We

must however

46
candidly admit that the evidence in our records is so very meagre, that it is extremely difficult to choose between Vijayaditya and Jayashraya, but with the materials at hand one may think with Sir R. G. Bhandarkar, that Jayashraya was the Jai Rana of the Kisseh-i-Sanjan, although we are greatly inclined to identify Vijayaditya with Jyadi or Jadi (Rana), specially because he

ed as having attained Panch-maMshabda (five titles) and in the seals of the Kaira grants he is simply called a Sdmanta (a feudal lord). Dadda III and Jayabhata III are described in the Nowsari grant as having attained the Panch-mahd-shabda, and the latter has also in the Kavi grant the title of Maha-samantadhipati This (or lord over feudal chiefs).
title

shows
than

was a king of kings.

rank
it

higher considerably that of Dadda I, but

to

still

indicates subordination

some higher Pandit authority. "The Bhagwanlal thus concludes Gurjaras could not have been vassals
:

of the rulers of Valabhi for Dadda II gave protection to the lord of

;

Feudatory of Chalukyas.

Valabhi,

We now

propose

to

give

here

short (of course parenthetically) a account of another feudatory of the

when he had been defeated Harsha-deva; and in the Kavi grant Jayabhata III prides himself upon having quieted in battle the
by
impetuosity of the lord of Valabhi. It was probably the Chalukya family whether the Gujarat branch or Vatapi dynasty, that the Gurjaras acknowledg-

Western Chalukyas. Pandit Bhagvanlal Indraji has determined the dates of some of the Gurjara kings. A found copper-plate grant Gurjara at Nowsari gives the following geneoI, I, Jayabhata Jayabhata II, Dadda III, Jayabhata III. This last king ruled from the years 456 to 486 of the Chedi era, that is from A. D. 704-5 to 734-5. In one of the inscriptions

ed as their supreme lords."

Ant. XIII, pp. 73, 80.) grant was issued from

(Ind.

The

Kaira

logy

Dadda

Nandipuri
the east of

Dadda

II,

(Nandod

or

Nandipure

to

Hence Pandit Bhagwanlal Broach). thought that the Gurjara power extended over the present Broach
district.

given as Jayabhatadeva (Ind. Ant. V, 109 ff). Five grants namely the Kavi, Nowsari,
his
is

name

also

Kaira,

Umeta and
about

Ilao grants give us

the abovesaid Gurjara dynasty. Of these, the last two have been supposed to be forge' ries. The Nowsari grant was issued
particulars

from the camp

is

at

Kayavatara, which

identified with Kavi in the Jambusar Taluka of the Broach district.

writer f the Bombay Gazet"It is possible that the says: power of the earlier Gurjara kings spread as far as Bulsar and even up to the Korikan limits. It was apparently from them that during the reign of his brother Vikramaditya*, Jayasimhavarman took south Gujarat, driving the Gurjaras north of the

The

teer

Tapti,
to the

The villages mentioned in the grants From are all in the Broach district. one of the grants it appears that Akrureshwar or Ankleshwar Taluka also belonged to the Gurjara kings. In the Umeta and Ilao grants Dadda
II
is called a Maharajadhiraja, but these grants have been as seen above rejected as spurious. In the Nowsari and Kaira grants he is simply describ-

and eventually confining them Broach district, the Gurjaras either Chalukya acknowledging
or

sovereign

withstanding

the

Chalukyas and retaining their smal territory in the Broach district by the help of the Valabhis, with whom they were in alliance. In either case the Chalukya power seems to have
*

Bom, Gaz.

Father of Vinayiditya (A. D. 656-680). I, pt II, p. 336 b.

47

hemmed

in
I,

the

Broach Gurjaras."

came

across the important inscriptian

(Bom. Gaz.

pt I,p 108). It thus appears that the dominion of Jayabhatta III did not extend as far as Nowsari or Sanjan. Therefore,

of the

Western Chalukya monarch

Vinayaditya (A. D. 680 to 697). (Indian Antiquary IX, p. 127 ff). Therein we read

although his
contracted

name might assume the form Jay a, still, in our opinion, he could not have been Jadi or Jai Rana.

&c.

In your Early

History of the Dekkan I was surprised to read that 'the Parasikas were probably the Syrians settled on the coast of Malabar.' (Bom. Gaz. 1, pt. II, p. 189) for, I all along thought, that the Parasikas meant the Parsis
;

and none

else.
Sir,

"Now,

Were Parasikas Syrians?

Sir R. G. Bhandarkar's Letters.
But a question might be asked whether the Parasikas mentioned The in the inscription were Parsis. question might seem absurd in view of the fact, that the word Parasikas has been used for the Parsis by all and also it the Sanskrit writers,
occurs in that sense in the sixteen Sanskrit Shlokas supposed to have Rana. been recited before Jadi However Dr. Sir R G. Bhandarkar stated in his Early History of the " Dekkan that they were probably the Syrians settled on the coast of Malabar" (Bom. Gaz. I, pt. II, p. 189.) This conjecture of the learned

of
is

the

Parsi

overthrow of

the date of the arrival refugees after the the Sassanian dynasty

traditionally
1

known

to

be A. D.

697 (716).
'

there fore thought, that when the inscription stated, that the ' Parsi king was made a tributary, it referred to the first arrival of our

who came to India just about the time of Vinayaditya's rule and during the Yuvarajaship of his son Vijayaditya (= Jayaditya Jyadi or Jadi Rand of the Kisseh-i-Sanjan). This Jadi Rana gave us protection and has been remembered with gratitude by the Parsis for the last twelve centuries.
ancestors,
I do not know learned self to think Syrians, but I guess, have had a difficulty

"

what

led your of the Parsis as that you may

Doctor would be regarded as

fatal to

in identifying a

Parsi

the3arguments advanced above. I therefore wrote him letters, to which

he kindly replied. The correspondence is given below On the llth October 1917 I wrote to my worthy Guru as under
: :

kingdom
take
?

on

the

western

coast of India at the time.

Can we
simply
a

not
'

arf^TT to

mean

"I hope you

as

will

remember me

of the Deccan your old pupil in the College years 1892 to 1894 and will be pleased to know that I have been continuing the studies of Sanskrit, in which I take deep interest. I have been for some time past reading a long paper on the Ancient Parsis of India before one of the literary societies here, with a special reference to the passages in Sanskrit

Kisseh-i-Sanjan refers to a learned Dastur as the leader of the band, and it is just likely, that he may have belonged to the royal On the other hand to avoid family. the difficulty, may we not take 3lfp}
leader'

The

with f^csfl^fa
'

and translate

the

passage
tributary

thus

Of him, who made

theKameras, the Parasikas, and the kings of Ceylon and other islands ? The passage would show that the Parasikas were made to pay
certain taxes-

books and

inscriptions.

Recently

In conclusion, I hope you will excuse the trouble and shall deem it

"

48
a great favour, if you will kindly reconsider the matter and let me know your views."
that time

the

In continuation of the above wrote on the J5th October thus

I
:

letter,

1917

41

In continuation of

my

do not think that Vijayaditya, the son of Vinayaditya, could have been meant, as you will see from the short notice of the Gujarat branch given in my book and referred to above.
I

Southern Gujarat.

Chalukya But

power

in

previous

letter, I respectfully draw your attention to the fact, that according to

one of the traditions recorded by Rev. Henry Lord in A. D. 1621, the Parsi refugees were allowed to land on payment of homage and tribute. This is exactly what is " stated in
Vinayaditya's grant In his reply dated 22nd October
Sir

These antiquarian matters require a long time to be properly considered, and my eyesight which is considerably impaired, as well as
general debility have increased my difficultiesHowever I have given you the best solution, I can now think of, of the question raised by
you."
I thanked the worthy Doctor for the trouble he had taken and wrote back on the 24th October 1917 as

'

1917 "

R. G. Bhandarkar says
in receipt of

am

yours

of the

llth and the 15th instant.

Refer-

ring to the passage in my Early History of the Dekkan, you will see that I have spoken of the Parasikas as
probably the
of India.

under "
I

cordially thank you for your very kind, prompt and full reply.

Syrians
will

settled

in the

Southern part of the western coast

You

see

that

the

word probably was used to show, that it was a mere To that conjecture. conjecture I was led by the Kdvefa or Kerala and the Simhala Island being situated on the southern coast. If you connect Adhipa with Kdvera or Kerala and Pdrasika, it will be a good deal difficult to arrive at the sense, which you wish to lay on the But most of the difficulty passage.
will disappear, when you connect adhipa with Simhalddidvipa only, and the sense will then be of him who made the Kaveras or the Keralas, and the Parasikas, as well as the kings of Simhala and other islands to pay tribute.' That the early Chalukyas founded a branch kingdom in Southern Gujarat is shown in my
'

"I am glad, that you agree with me on good many points the difference of opinion between us being extremeAs you say that you do not ly small. think that Vijayaditya could have been Tadi Rana, I take the liberty

some more facts before you, hope, you will, in view of the importance of the subject, excuse
to place

and

further trouble. only in the Kisseh-i-Sanjan (A. D. 1600), that we come across the name of Jadi Rana. Some of the manuscripts of that book give the
for
this

me

"It

is

reading Jai (=Jaya in Sanskrit) Rana. According to one of the traditional accounts the Parsi refugees went to the Rana of Nowsari, and on payment
of

homage and

tribute,

they were

allowed to land.

Early History, of Dekkan pp. 54-55, corresponding to pp. 186-187 of B. G. I., Pt. II. It is not unlikely therefore that the expression

may

refer

to

paid a tribute
prince.
ditya,

your ancestors, who to the local Hindu

'

"Now I find from your Early History of the Dekkan, Dr. Fleet's Dynasties of the Kanarese Districts and other works, that the kings branch of the Westof a minor their capital ern Chalukyas had Nowsari. at They were feudatories of the main branch, and we see
that Vijayaditya (A. D. 696-733^ of

might be Jyadi regarded as a correct form of Jaya-

Your

'

the

main
of

branch

was

a contem-

who probably represented

at

porary

Jayashraya

Mangalaraja

49
(A. D. branch.

698-731)

The

of the minor question that puzzled

most was whether Vijayaditya was the Jaya or Jadi Rana, or whether Jayashraya was the -Jai of the Kisseh-i-Sanjan. As stated above the data for the of the problem are very solution The Kisseh-i-Sanjan is meagre. our main source of knowledge. In one place, the writer calls the Raja rai ray an (= king of kings) and in two other places he is called Shdhjddah and rai jddah (= prince). There is an inconsistency here but I thought, it was important, as showing that Jadi Rana was at one time a prince-regent, and at another time, an emperor. That Vijayaditya acted in both the capacities, as also

me

Bhandarkar about the Kisseh-iSanjan that "it is quite possible

that
facts

belonging

to

different

(=

Jaya or Jadi)

periods and different conditions of things were jumbled together," and the truthfulness of these remarks is

apparent, although

we must say, that yield to none in our appreciation of the great value of that traditional record.

we

Summary.
may be given here. It will be seen that there are two sets of circumstances to be considered
briefly
:

The

result of our survey

(1) According to the Kisseh-iSanjan the Parsi refugees first landed in the island of Div, and 19 years
later they moved to Sanjan. According to Henry Lord's and other accounts they landed first at Sanjan. (2) The date of their arrival has

epigraphic record his copper-plate grants is found in led me to conclude, that Vijayaditya

the fact that

the

was

Jadi

Rana.

If

we chuck up

do you think Jay.aVijayaditya, shraya was the Jai Rana ? Hoping

to

be excused &c."

been given as Yazdgardi year 85 (=716 A. D.) It may be the date of the permanent settlement at Sanjan.
(3)

the above letter the learned Doctor replied on the 29th October 1917 as under:

To

The

Sanskrit

inscription

of

The evidence for determining what the name was of the Chalukya
prince,

'

who
is

received the

Parsis at

Vijayaditya (697 A. D.) refers to the payment of tribute by the Parsis. Lord's tradition mentions the payment of the tribute by the Parsi refugees to the Hindu king of Nowsari

Nowsari

meagre.
written,

The

Sanjan date given by you, about 900 years

after the event,
it

was

Kisseh-iaccording to

near Sanjan

and according

to

the 16th Sanskrit Shloka they were granted permission to land and live
in prosperity.

which

is

quite
to

longing

possible, different

reports, and that facts beit

(4)

The

Sanskrit
to

periods

or

be translated
to

mean

inscription may" that the

different conditions of things were jumbled together in the tradition reported by the author of the work.
Still

leader of the Parsi island was

made

taking

the reading Jai

Rana

pay tribute." Unfortunately we have so far no proof to say that the " " was Div, or that it Parsika island
to the

to

be correct

and

comparing the

dates as given in the Early History of the Dekkan, I think it not unlikely, that the prince, who admitted the Parsis was Jayashtraya, the successor of Shryasraya and second son of Jayasimhavarman, to whom the Lata

Chalukya kings. was the regent in 696-697 A. D., and Jayashraya was a tributary king of Nowsari at the
(5) Vijayaditya

belonged

time.
(6) The name Vijayaditya might be contracted into Jyadi, and similarly

province was allotted by Vikramaditya."

Jayashraya into

need hardly say that we fully agree with the remarks of Sir R. G.

We

Both these were

the traditional

Jaya (=Jai). 716 A- D., date of the arrival of

rulers in

50
our ancestors at Sanjan, and in 721 A. D. when the Iranshah Fire was installed, supposing the traditional dates to be correct.

the above facts and circumit would not be wrong to conclude that our ancestors were on payment of tribute allowed to land on the Western coast of India in 696 or 697 A. D. when Vijayaditya was practically the dominant ruler with
stances,

From

In spite of all this the trade with the western coast of India did not cease on the contrary it flourished every day the most important reason being, that although all made voyages across the sea, they preferred as much as possible to hug the coast. Also as Pliny says, the merchant vessels carried a guard of archers.
;

Jayashraya as his feudatory at Nowsari near Sanjan, and that A. D. 716 was most probably the date, when the Parsis made a permanent settle-

ment and home

in Sanjan.

It was this close connection between the Western India and Persia, that in Khalif Umar 638 led the (634-643 A. D.) to found the city of Basra partly for purposes of trade and partly to prevent the Indian princes sending help to the Persians.*

Arrival of Parsis to India by Sea.

has been advanced, the story of the Parsis coming to India by sea is not tenable, as in those days the c ea swarmed, with pirates and sea-robbers. It is true, that besides storms the Indian seas were full of dangers, and the of worst all dangers was from In the 8th and 9th cenpirates.
that
.

XXX
Abulfeda

An argument

From the 6th century, when take the Persians began to a leading part in the trade of the East, they not only visited India, but sailed in their own ships as far
as

China

(Reinaud's

I-

turies

Sangars, Kerks and Meds from the coasts of Sindh, Cutch and Kathiawar, ravaged the banks of the Euphrates, and even the coasts of the Red Sea as far The Persians comas possible. plained of the Indian pirates in the 6th century. In the 7th century the islands of Bahrein in the Persian held by the piratical gulf were
sallied

II-3S3). Auquetil Du Person (Zend A vesta 1-336) speaks of Persians going to China in the 7th century with a son of Yazdezard. According Res. IV- 5*35) Wilford to (As.

another party of refugees went in 750 A. D. when the dynasty of the Abbasad Khalif s began to rule. In 845 A. D. there is a mention of

Muhapas
(

or

Mobeds
1-96
)

in

Canton
about

Yule's

Cathay

and

tribe

A.

of Abd-ul-Kais and in 880 D. the seas were so disturbed, that the Chinese ships carried from 400 to 500 armed men and supplies

60 years later Macudi notices that there were many fire-temples in China (Bom- Gaz. Vol. 18, p. 248). The Chavda kings, Vanaraja (A. D. 745-806), and his son Yogaraja
(A. D. 806-841) are recorded to have
to efforts put down great piracy on the west Kathiawad coast (idem, p. 527). The Chinese ships and 8th in the 7th centuries Western coasted India along

made

of

Naphtha

to

beat
5

off

They

stretched

or

the pirates. miles apart

in fleets of from 20 to 80 boats, and whenever one caught sight of a merchant vessel, he raised a smoke, and all who saw, gathered, boarded and plundered to stop, but
let
it

go,
it.*

hoping again

to

fall

in

with
*

by Div in Kathiawar and Diul in Sindh (Yule's Cathay 1-78.) The chief centre of trade was Thana' which is mentioned as a mart by the Arab writers of the 9th and 10th
*
Ill,

Yule's

Marco
181,

Memoir
VIII-385,

Bom.

Polo 11-880. Renand's Ant. Ind. 288. 200, Gaz., Vol. 18pp. 482-484.

See also Tabari par Zontanberg, Vol.

p. 401.

51
centuries.

XXX
city

was a mart and great

century.

Sanjan in the 10th

ports

ancient customs and performed religious ceremonials strictly

practised
in belief,

The

chief

with

which the Thana coast was connected in the 9th to 12th centuries were Broach, Cambay, Somnath in Gujrat, Dihval in Sindh, Basrah, Obdollah and Ormaz on the Persian Gulf, Aden, Socotra on the Red Sea, Mombaza in Africa, Java, Malacca and China.

orthodox from the 16 Sanskrit Shlokas, which have come

as

conformity with

the

we

learn

down to us. These ancestors of ours have handed down the religion to us in its prestine purity. It is therefore our bounden duty to keep alive their memory in one shape or
and this we chapter, hardly say, is our humble attempt in that direction.
another
;

The articles of trade sent from the Thana ports (namely Sopara,
Sanjan, Kalyan and Chaul), to Persia were cocoanuts, mangoes, lemons,
betel-nuts,
leaves,

need

muslin,

ivory,

timber,
articles

and bamboos. The imported from Persia were

teak

dates,
silks,

Dirhem
swordsi
to

coins, copper, wines, horses &c. No ships

came many

Thana without

horses.

As

were Women, eunuchs and imported. boys are said to have been brought by Jews through the Persian Gulf.
as 10,000 horses a year

(Bom. Gaz. Vol. 13, pp. 431-434).

If then the trade survived all the dangers of the sea, if according to our account the Iranian refugees had nothing valuable with them, and if they were fully armed as the tradition goes, why should we not believe the story of the Kisseh-iSanjan, that the Iranian refugees It crossed the sea to reach India ? is very likely that in accordance with the tradition they came hugging thus the coast the avoiding dangers of the sea and the risk of breaking the rule about not defiling the seat with human imThese ancestors of ours purities. were orthodox Zoroastrians who

"From Bahruj (Broach) Sindan (Sanjan) is 50 parasangs thence from to Subarah, (SopSra") 7 parasangs ; and from thence to Thana 5 parasangs." The correct distances would be 40, 16, and 5 parasangs. (Rienand's et Pers. Frag. Arab p. 121 ; Indian Antiquary 1-821.") 189 ) f According to Herodotus (I
*Albiruni says
:

to

the

Persians

did not defile

rivers with

impurities.

52

Chapter No.
History of

7.

700 Years.

From the time of the arrival of the Parsis to India down to the
fifteenth history century almost a blank. We have brief notes of about three dozen events which we give below with their

same time Ibn Haukal says The Moslims and infidels in this tract (between Cambay and Chaul) wear the same dresses, and let their beards grow in the same fashion"
:

"

(see

Elliot's Hist,

of India, Vol.

I,

their

is

Gazetteer gives the date as A. D. 942 (I, Part I, pp. 216-217).

pp.
39,
97).

The Bombay

A. D.
Parsis,

942-997.
since

Some

respective dates.

who

their

arrival

of the in

A. D. 85O.
graved their
witnesses
to

Some

India,
Parsis

en-

Pahlavi signatures as a copper-plate grant in Southern India probably before A. D. 850 (See Dr. E. W. West's
reply

had remained in the South Gujarat were attracted to the settlement near the temple of the
of

Kumarika the mouth

of the

Kshetra (Cambay) at Mahi. The first-

dated

10-6-1898

re

Dastur

Meherji Rana controversy printed in "Dastur Meherji Rana and the Emperor Akbar," p. 79).*

Middle
A.
D.

off

the 9th Century

son
of

Mardan-farukh

Auharmazd-dad the author of the Pahlavi work Sikand-Gumanik Vijar who wrote the book after the
middle, but before the end, of the ninth century, came to India, to make investigations about religious
topics.

comers succeeding in trade, others followed, and in time the Parsi settlement became so strong that by their overbearing conduct, they forced the Hindus to leave the city. Among those who fled was a man of the Dasa Lad caste of Wanias, Kalianrai by name. He took refuge in Surat,* where in a short time
by trading in pearls, he acquired a His wealth gave him large fortune. consequence, and he had the address to bring together a numerous band

(See :Sikand-Gumanik Vijar S. B. E. Vol. XXIV. Intro. pp. 25-27, and p. 169. Also Sk. Collected Writings, edited

Chap. X-44

Masudi says
304)

by Sheheriarji Bharucha Intro, p. 2.) A. D. 916. The Arab writer "

:

Up to now (Hijari the Magi worship fires of different kinds in Irak, Pars, Kerman, Khorasan, Tabaristan, Sedjestan, Djebal, Azerbaidjan, Erran, Inde
Sind and China." (Hindustan), (Moacudi, Les Prairies, D'or par C. B. de Maynard Vol. IV, p. 86.)

and Kolis, who in the night attacked the Parsis, putting many to the sword, and setting fire The rest took to to their houses. flight, and not a single Parsi was to Kumarika Kshetra, be seen in (Account of Cambay in Bom. Gaz. VI, p. 216.)
of Rajputs

A.

D.

10th

Century.

In

Ousley's Oriental Geography of Ebn Haukal (A. D. 902-968) it is stated of Hind and that some parts

The Sind belonged to Guebres. Guebres might be Persian Zoroastrians,

A. D. 95O. The Arab travel(A. H. ler Misar bin Mukhalihal 339) speaks about Chaul thus " There are Musulmans, Christians, Jews and Fire-worshippers there In the (= at Saimur or Chaul) city there are mosques, Christian churches, Synagogues and Firetemples." Another traveller of the
:

but

we

are not quite sure.

A. D. 955. Pahlavi texts were by Dinpanah Itarpat Dinpanah in the Yazdagardi year 324
written

Some scholars take the year to be 624 instead of 324. (See Dr. Modi's Dastur Bahaman Kaikobad
at Broach.
* Sorath. Surat and not this is If Kalian rat's date can hardly have been before the 14th century Foot-note, Bom, Gaz. VI, p. 216.

pp.

Also Sir 442.

J.

J.

Madressa

Jubilee. Vol.

53
and Kisseh-i-Sanjan.
Dastur Pahlavi
83).
p.

28
5,

also

Jamaspji
texts,

Minocheherji's
p.

introd.

text p.

A.

D.

1009.
in

Two
Parsis

Pahlavi
visited

inscriptions show that

the

Kanheri caves

A third Pahlavi Kanheri caves the inscription shows that another batch of Parsis went there on the day Din, month Mitro of the year 390 Yazdagardi (3Cth October 1021). [See Burgess's
A. D.

1O21.
in

certain

caves on the day Auharmazd of the month Mitro Yazdagardi year 373 (10th October 1009), and on the day Mitro of the month
the

Inscriptions p. 65].

from

Cave

Temples

Avan 378 Yazdagardi (24th November 1009).* (See Dr. Burgess's

Inscriptions from the Cave Temples, and K. R. Kama's Zarapp. 62-64 thosti Abhyas Ank III. p. 160, wherein the date is given as A. D. 999.)
;

A. D. 103O. Alberuni in his "India "says: Then Zarathushtra went forth from Adharbaijan and preached Magism in Balkha There are some Magians up to the present time in India, where they are called Maga. (See Alberuni's translation by Dr. Sachau India, Vol. I, p. 21 and Vol. II, p. 262).

1011. Some Pahlavi were written by DinItarpat panah Dinpanah above mentioned at Broach for the use of his pupil named Shazat Shat Farkho Auramazd in Samvat 1067 on Roz Gos, Mah Ardibehesht Peshotun B. [Dastur Sanjana's

A.

O.

memoranda

A D. 1079. Ibraim the Gaznavid attacked a colony of fireworshippers at Dehra Dun.

A. D. 1O81 A grant of "some drammas to the Kharasan Mandli " was made by the king Anantdeva, the ruler of Konkan in Sake 1003
A. D. 1081). (Bom. Gaz. Vol. 18 n. 7). Pandit Bhagwanlal while translating the passage has put a querry (?) after the words
(i. e.

Ganje

Shayagan
in

introd.

p.

3.

Dastur Jamaspji given Minocheherji's Pahlavi Texts, introd. by Mr. Beheramgore Anklesaria is 1077 Hindustani (= 1021 A. D.) at p. 5 and 1067 Hindustani( =1011 A. D.) at p. 34. ]f
date

The

I, Pt. II, p.

The Parsis who *Dr. Weat says inscribed their Pahlavi signatures at the Kanheri caves may have come from Sanjan." (Sir J. J. Madressa jubihe Vol.
:

p.

442.)

" thinks, that the words "Khajan " " rasan Mandli mean Khorasan " refer to and the may Anjuman," colony at Sanjan of the Parsi settlers,
77 haftado haft. T. D. is the only MS. in which it is Yak-hazar-haftad--haJt and Maneckji Unwalla tells me that the MS. to him and that he originally belonged gave it to Mr. Tehemuras, and that the sign for Yak-hazar is written above and not
In fact it is haftad-o-haft. the many interpolations by a later scribe of which this MS. is full . . . You say Mr. . takes it to be 977
in a line with

Kharasan Mandli, showing that he did not understand them. Prof. S. H. Hodivala, in an article entitled "JadiRana and the Kisseh-i-San-

t In an important letter dated 3-6-1915 Prof. S. H. addressed to this writer, Hodiyala says' "Peshotan's introduction

Ganje Sh^yegSn is full of historical blunders. He seems to have read 1067 SamBesides he pretends tint vati not 1077. his manuscript was actually written in 627 A. Y. of which there is no proof. The date 627 is merely the date of the Paima'nak-iKatak Khutalk given on p. 141 of Beheramgore's Pahlavi Texts. The date conclusively
shows that MeherpSn translated his copy not from Dinpanah's copy (as Beheramgore says), but from his uncle Rustam Meherban's who was in India in the Par si Year 627 (A. V. 647), i. e 1218 A. C., as is shown by the colophon of the Pahlavi Vispard he wrote in Anldesvar in that year. As to your idea that 1077 Shake is the
.

to the

one of

true date, there is this to be said that in all the other MSS. I am acquainted with (about four in number) the date is merely

Sake. 917 SSke would be 1058 A, C. i. e. not 324 A. Y. but 424 A. Y. Your 1077 Salce would be 1155 A. C. and 524 A. Y. Is there any agrument for prefering 524 A. Y. to 424 A Y.? I at least know of none. But there is an argument for holding that 624 A. Y. is the true reading and that is based on the inference from the word dtrsivttt. It is possible to hold that dtrzivMt may mean something else, but I take it in the sense put upon by Beheramgore,"

who had come from Khorasan." In our opinion the words were probably meant for the descendants of the
original Parsi settlers. S. XXIII, 349-70).

lated

some

of

the

Khordeh
of

Avesta
Pahlavi

into Sanskrit,

and produced a Pazend

the

Sanskrit

version

(B. B. R. A.

Close of 11th Century

Battle of Variav, which ferred to hereafter.
will

AD,
be re-

Close A
(

off

11th

Century A.D.

Pahlavi manuscript of Vendidad 1 in the University Library of

Nerioshang was the contemporary of Hormazdiar Ramyar Dr. West's reply re ( See Dastur Meherji Rana above referred to.) In S. B. E. Vol. XXIV introd. p. 20 Dr. West gave the 15th century A. D. as the date of Nerioshang, which was
:

Minokherd.

evidently incorrect).

) was copied in Sistan A. D. 1205 by Ardeshir Bahman for an Indian priest named Mahyar, an inhabitant of Auchak in Sindh as

Kopenhagan
in

12th Century A. D. In this century the Parsis are said to have incited the Hindus against the Musalmans of Cambay and in a riot desThis coming troyed their mosque. the ears of Siddharaja Jayasimha, he supplied the means of rebuilding the mosque and minarets. (Elliot's
to

hereafter. The head priest of that place was Shahmard son of Mahyar son of Shahzad son of Mitrojiv.* The last name is equishall see

we

valent to the modern Meherji. The termination ji is purely Indian

;

Hist. II. 163-4).

hence Mitrojiv must have lived in India about 1100 A. D. (See Dastur Darab P. Sanjana's Pahlavi Vendidad
introd.,

A. D. 1205. A named Mahyar returned

Parsi
to

Uchh

priest in

p. 39.)

A mobed named Kamdin Zarthosht came to Nowsari

A. D. 1142
Sanjan for performing the religious ceremonies of the Parsis of Nowsari. t

the Punjab with a Pahlavi Vendidad after residing 6 years in Seistan.* P. (See Dastur Darab Sanjana's Pahlavi Vendidad, introd. pp. 36-40)

MS.

from

A. D. 1214. Mobed Horn Bah-' manyar came from Broach to Nowthe Yazdagardi year 583 (See Dastur Meherji Rana and Emperor Akbar p. 286 ).f
sari in

A. D. 1153

The Arab

geogra-

pher Edrisi refers in his book to and its inhabitants (Parsis ?) Sanjan " who were famous for their industry and intelligence, who were rich and
war-like" (See Jaubert's d' Edrisi, p. 172).

A. D. 1257. (about) A Mobed named Kamdin Shahryar Neryosang Samand wrote some manuscripts, one
Ayibatkar-i-Vazorgprobably the grand-father of Peshotan Ram
Mitro. This
of

which was

Geographic

Mobed was most

A. D. 1166 (about) Approximate date of Nerioshang Dhaval, who was the most learned of the old Parsi priests of India. His transof the Pahlavi lation Yasna Sanskrit is into a convincing proof of his extensive knowledge of
both the languages.
*

Kamdin Yaztyar (=" Shahryar")

Neriosang, Shahmart (or Gdyomard) (See Dastur Jamaspji Minocheherji's Pahlavi Texts Introd. pp. 6-34).

A. D. 125O-13OO. Parsi and Nawayat Musalman refugees from

* Prof. Westerguard, the Parsi PrakSsh and Dossabhoy Karaka give the date A. D.

He
1

also

trans -

1184. Hist, of Parsis

In the colophon of the MS. of Pazend Jam^spi written by RSna Jesung, father of Dastur Meherji Rana, it is stated that the wiiter wrote from a copy of Herbad Karya

I. p.

38.

t In the WttWM not correctly given. gives A. D. 1215.

J

-OuicA the date is The Parsi PrakSsh

be

son of Btkajiv (Bhikaji. Vikaji). The MS. is dated Sanavat 1560. See Dr. Modi's Parsis
ot

The word might

read Shatro-ayibSr
be a corrup-

or Yazt-ayiMft

Court of Akbar

p, 169.
I p. 2.

The reading Samand might

tion of

t Parsi Prakash Vol.

Shahmart or (Gdvomarf),

Khulagu Khan's devastation of Persia came to Gujarat (Dr. G. A. Grierson's

Linguistic Survey of India Vol. Part II, p. 324).

IX,

Rustam Mihrapan wrote two Pahlavi Yasnas, two Pahlavi Vendidads, and some other manuscripts for Chahal
Sang of Cambay (Dastur Darab's Vendidad, introd. p. 41). Some of the MSS. were written in Thana (see Dastur Jamaspji's Pahlavi Texts Intro. p. 6 and text pp. 83, 167-168).

A. D. 1269. An Iranian priest named Rustam Mihrapan came to

India

(Dastur

Darab's

Vendidad,

introduction p. 41).

A. D. 1278.

Rustam Mihrapan
Zakariya-al-

wrote a Vispard at Ankleswar.

13th

Century

Kazwini says that Chaul (now called was inhabited by a Revadanda) number of Parsis in the 13th century (B. B. R. A. S. Vol. XII, p. 57).
in

1383 A Pahlavi Nirang noxious animals was written in 752 A. Y., the date being given in old Gujarati (Dastur Jamaspji's Introd. p. 8, text Pahlavi Texts,
A. D.
to kill

p. 170.)

A. D.
6 of the

1397 The

manuscript M.

A. D. 13O3. Battle of Chitor which the Parsis helped the Hindus by fighting with the Mahomedans under Ala-ud-Din. This battle forms

Bundehishna was written at Broach in A. Y. 766 by Peshotan Ram Kamdin Sheheriar Nerioshang Shahmard Sheheriar Bahman Auramazdiar Ramyar. (S. B. E. Vol. V,
introd. to

the subject of the next chapter.

Bundehishna.

p. 48.)

A. D.
built at

1309.

A Dokhma

Broach by one

was Pestonji on

Nerioshang Dhaval was a contemporary of Auramazdiar RamNote

:

the land of one Patel Dabhai on Jeth Sud 2 Samvat 3365

Prakas'h
I, p. 4).

Medash
(Parsi

yar.

He lived 8 generations (8X25 years) before A. Y. 766, that is in

D. 1197, which almost
his
tallies

A.

A. D. 1322.

French bishop

with

date

given above.

Both

named

Jordanus, who travelled as a missionary from Thana to Broach in A. D. 1320-1322 wrote: "There be
also other pagan-folk
in

this

India,

learned men. The latter was probably a pupil of Mihrapan Kaikhusro. A. D. 1414. About 26 Behe-

Ram

and

Kamdin were

who worship

they bury not their dead, neither do they burn them, but cast them into the midst of a
fire
;

certain

roofless

tower,

and

there

expose them totally uncovered to the These believe in fowls of heaven. two First Principles, to wit, of Evil

dins of Bulsar signed an agreement the effect that they had requested the Nowsari Anjuman to lend the services of the Mobed named Shaof purji Rana for the performance
to

ceremonies. (Parsi Prakash

I, p. 4).

and of
Light."
p. 21).

Good, of Darkness and of

(Jule's Jordanus' Mirabilia,

A. D. 1415
din wrote a

Ervad Rana Kamcontaining Sanskrit

MS.

and old Gujarati translations of the

Iranian texts. (See Collected Sk. Writings of the Parsis Pt I. introd. The MS. belongs to Dasp. VII.) tur Hoshangji Jamaspji of Poona. It was written in A. Y. 784 corres-

Odoric an Italian monk who came to Thana in 1323 said "The people thereof (Thana) are idolaters, for they worship fire... and here they do not bury the dead, but carry them with great pomp to the fields, and cast them to the beasts and birds to be devoured."
:

A. D. 1323.

ponding

to

This manuscript contains an important note about Sanskrit Ashirwads, which runs thus :
Hf$c4l*iiu:

(C. H. Yule's Cathay Vol. 59).

I,

p. 57-

A. D. 1323-24. Mihrapan Kaiof khusro great-grand-nephew

3HdlRdl. "These marriage translated Ashirwads have been

56
from the Pahlavi language into the Sanskrit by Dinidaru language
(dasa)

Ardeshir who
race,
is

is

clever

in

the Parsi

Bahman."

to Dastur Kaikhusro containing Jamaspji Avesta and Sanskrit translation was Samvat written not earlier than 1400 as in the Sk. Ashirwada we the meet with phrase tmc-y^f It must have been writ;

Another MS. belonging

(by me)." (Report on the search for Sanskrit MSS. in the Bombay Presidency during 188283, pp. 35-36 and 221.)

written

A. D.

145O.

About the middle

of the 15th century a king of Ahmadabad is said to have levied tribute from the Parsis of Chandauli

Samvat 1499 (A. D. before 1443), but after Samvat 1400 (A. D.
ten 1344).

(ChandravatiJ near Panch Mahals. (Burne's Account of Abu, 1828).

A. D. 1478.
earliest

The

date of the

known Revayat brought by

Hoshang. Eight years he brought another
Bombay

A. D. 1419. The Iranshah Fire was brought to Nowsari on 26th June 1419 ( Parsi Prakash, p 5 ). Khan
Bahadur Bomanji B. Patel doubts the

Nariman
afterwards,

Revayat from Iran.*

*

Darab

The date correctness of this date. given in the MS. of Ervad Hormazdiar
Framarz dated A. D. 1660 is Samvat 1475 Maha Shehrivar, Roz Mares pand, Akhad 5, Wednesday. (See
Dr.
p.
J.
J.

Hamaziar's Revayat,

See also pp. 11, 13, Dr. Modi's Parsis at the Court of Akbar, pp. 58-54.
University
I.

MS. Vol.

kobad

and

Modi's Dastur Bahman Kaithe Kisseh-i-Sanjan

23)

A. D. 143O.A medical book was written in Sanskrit for the son of an Andhiaru named Ardeshir. About this book Sir R. G. Bhandarkar In the class of works on says Hindu medicine we have fragments of Charaka and Susruta Samhitas, and a copy of Vagbhata's important
:

\vork

the

Ashtanga-yoga-hridaya,

which however is incomplete. The last MS. was caused to be transcribed in the Samvat year 1486 at or Broach Brigu-Kshetra by Ardhhasera (Ardeshir), who was a learned Adhyaru or priest of the
Parsika race
for

his son

to

stud}

This shows that about 450 years ago Parsi priests valued and cultivated
the
study following
:

of
is

an
<i

Sanskrit lore. extract from

The
the

book

^c

#< $ qSf

HWR

"OnMaghaVadlstintheyear

this day, Thursday, here in Bhrigu Kshetra, the completion of the work (written) for the study of the son of the Adhyaru

Samvat 1486, on

57

CHAPTER

No.

8.

Battle of Sanjan.
Let us now consider another important event in the history of the Parsis which is referred to in the Kisseh-i-Sanjan. We are told that seven hundred years after the arrival of the Parsis to India, a calamity came over them. The kingdom of the Hindu Raja of Sanjan was invaded by the Mahomedans under Alafkhan, the general of Sultan Mahomed. The Raja called his
Parsi subjects to help him. Under the leadership of one .Ardeshir, an army of 1,400 Parsis fought with the Mahomedans and defeated them. Alafkhan then came with very large

be Alpkhan, Ulughkhan conquered Gujarat (A. D. 12951297), and Alpkhan governed Gujarat (A. D. 1300-1320)." (Bombay This Gaz. XIII, pt. I, p 250). theory was followed by Mr. Dossabhoy Karaka, who changed his former view. (Hist, of Parsis, 2nd ed-, p. 43). It has been accepted in our own times by Mr. Pallonji Desai, and others.
khan,
or

he may

Ala-ud-din's brother-in-law.

Sanskrit Inscriptions.
Scholars have thrown considerable light on the history of Ala-ud-din
Khilji and Mahomed Begda. They have shown that Begda's conquests extended as far as Bassein, Mahim and even further in the South. Some have also stated that Ala-uddin's conquests did not extend as far as Sanjan. t But it must be acknow-

numbers.

second

battle

fought, in which all the Parsis the Hindu Raja were killed.

was and

Now
Sultan

the question as

to

who

the

Mahomed and his general Alafkhan were, has been the subject of keen controversy for many years Dastur Framji past. Aspandiarji Rabadi, Dr. John Wilson, and Mr. Dossabhoy Karaka* thought that the Sultan was Mahmod Begda (A. D. 1459-1511). This theory has in our times secured the support of Dr. J. J. Modi, Prof. Hodivala and
others.

ledged, that in spite of all their efforts they have not come across a historical single direct reference, showing that a battle was fought at Sanjan by the Parsis with the Mahomedans. There is however a Sanskrit epigraphic record, which,
correctly interpreted, shows that the Parsis fought with the Mohamedans under Ala-ud-din at Chitor on behalf of the Hindu raja of the If this is the battle which place. the writer of the Kisseh i-Sanjan referred to, we are compelled to say that he has made a muddle by confounding the location of the battlefield. If on the other hand the
if

Sir

Not being satisfied with this theory James Campbell, the compiler of

the Bombay Gazetteer, suggested another theory, namely that the Mahomedan ruler was Muhammad Shah or Ala-ud-din Khilji (A.D 1297-1317). He said "The conqueror cannot
:

battle of Sanjan

was

different,

Bah-

man was
*

grossly

ignorant about an

Elliot's Hist,

be

Mahomed Begda,

of India HI, 548.

as

authorities

agree that after long wanderings the Sanjan fire was brought to Nowsari early in the 15th century (A. D.
1419). t Alafkhan may be Ulughkhan, Ala-ud-din's brother, who is sometimes by mistake called Alp*

H&iuanama- pp. 122, 129, B. B. R.

p.

A. S. 1-182, Hist, of Parsis 1858

16.
J.

t Mistake for A. D. 1416 (Dr. J. Modi's Few Events in Parsi Hist. p. 64).

Few Events t See Dr. J. J. Modi's in Parsi History p. 65) In A. D. 1297 Aluf Khan, Ala-ud -Din's brother, was sent with an army to reduce Gujarat. (Brigg's Hist, of the Rise of Mahomedan Power I. p. 827), and according to Abul Feda, Sanjan was the last town in Gujarat (Elliot V, Dawson I. 408). In A. D. 1812 an army was sent to the Deccan under Mullik Kafoor who laid waste the countries of Maharashtra and Canara from Dabul to Choule, as far as Rachoor and Moodkul (Brigg's His. I. Thus Sanjan may have been inp. 879). cluded in the conquests.

"A

58
important event in the history of the
Parsis.

We

admit that

it

is

quite

which

that the raids of Begda, extended as far as Bassein, Mahim and Chaul, may have scared away the Parsis (if any) from their old colonies at Sanjan and neighbouring places, but from that we cannot infer that the Parsis fought
possible

(No. 19) (Arisimha) righting great battle for protecting mount Chitrakuta abandoned life in a moment, but not the great fame acquired in the path of brave men.

"He

with the

Mohamedans

at Sanjan.

As this Arisimha, who possessed a dauntless heart, fought with the Parsis, and worshipped Shankar with the flowers of the lives of the dead, his descendants are not
(

No. 20

"

collection of Prakrit

krit inscriptions

and Sanshas been published

abandoned by him
told, that

Shankar

)."

Further up in verse No. 21 we are

by the Bhavnagar Archaeological Department under the auspices of His Highness Raol Shri Takhtsingji, Maharaja of Bhavnagar. It contains
a
is

"He

number
a

of

important

Sanskrit
at

inscriptions.

One

of

them No. IX

succeeded by the We may mention, the translator has the word f%^^,
or Chitor.

sun-like

(Arisimha) was Hamira."

that in verse No. 20

omitted to translate

which shows, that

the battle was fought at Chitrakuta *

stone
in

Udepur
of
of

Mewar

inscription placed in the temple

the tutelary god Ekalingaji, the Sisodia kings of Mewar dated Samvat 1545 ( A. D. 1489 ), published on pp. 117 to 133 in the It contains about a aforesaid book. hundred Sanskrit Shlokas and gives an account of the different gifts of villages by the kings of Chitor for the maintenance of the temple. The verses Nos. 18 to 20 run as under
:

Battle of Variav.
Let us for a moment accept the No. 20, as it It seems as if is given in the book. the Hindu king fought with the Now Parsis, killing many of them. we know with certainty about only one battle, which the Parsis fought with a Hindu Raja, and that was the battle
translation of the verse

No. is

of Variav. Two slightly different accounts of this battle are met with. The writer of the Bombay Gazetteer gives the following account
:

No. 19

the llth "Towards were one of Parsis the chief century, the close
of
It is classes of traders in Cambay. stated, that the Parsi settlers enraged

the

Rajput chief

of

Ratanpur by

No. 20

The
(

above "
)

Shlokas
:

are

thus

translated in the book

refusing to pay tribute and defeating a body of troops sent to enforce the When a fresh force arrived order. from Ratanpur, the Parsi men were absent at a feast outside the limits of Variav, but the women donned the armour of their husbands and the troops relations and opposed
valiently.

When

about to

obtain a

No. 18
like

There

were

kings

Bhoja,

Khummana and
still

many

Bashpa, never one deserves mention, viz- Arisimha, who acquired and was totally great prosperity ' free from all sensual pleasures.
others in the time of
flinching in battle;

helmet of one of the female warriors dropped and exposed

victor)',

the

her dishelled

hair.

On

this

the

Ratanpur force
*

rallied,
(

and made a
I

Chitrakuta= Chitod

Bom. Gaz. IPt.

p. 469.)

59
desperate assault. The women preferring death to dishonour heroically drowned themselves. The day of
this disaster (Fravardin Arshishvang roz) is still

month and

commemoreligious

rated at Surat by

special

known throughout the world, who possessed bright pure virtues, whose great name was worthy of being included in the first rank of the meritorious, and who was like a male Kokila (bird) in the gardens of justice,
modesty and politeness"

ceremonies. The year is unknown. (Bom. Gaz. IX pt. II, p. 185 ff).

Mr. Dossabhoy Karaka relates the

story thus : had settled

"A

small Parsi colony

is

Such a virtuous, meritorious, just, modest and polite king could hardly be expected to order violence referVariav.

tuated at
It of

which some distance from

at Variav,

si-

Surat.

red to in the stories of the battle of Indeed such a cruel act

for

at the time under the rule the Raja of Ratanpur, a Rajput This chief chief. attempted to exact an extraordinary tribute from the Parsis, but the latter refusing to submit to the extortion, opposed and defeated the troops sent to enforce the demand. Unable to avenge themselves openly, the soldiers of the Raja sought an opportunity of who had desupressing those, feated them in the field, and a marriage festival, to which all the Parsis in the place had been invited was chosen as affording the most favourable occasion for gratifying

was

would hardly be suitable

inscription.

any

Hnnals of Ra jasthan.
Again turning to Colonel Tod's Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan
Vol. I. (p. 21 5) we find, that Ursi (a short form of the name of Arisimha) was killed in the war with Ala-ud-din in or about 1?03 A. D.

Therefore the battle not fought with the

at

Parsis,

Chitor was unless

their

scious of

Unconcowardly revenge. what was impending, the Parsis were surprised in the midst of festivities, and together with the women and children were ruthlessly massacred by the ruffians." (Hist. of Parsis 3884, Vol. I, p. 49).
It is easy to see that this could not be the same as the battle of Chitor in the inscription, according to which the Hindu king was killed in the battle. Also in verse No. 8 of the stone inscription No. VI, dated A. D. 1429 (page 102, Col-

the Mahomedans, assisted they proving treacherous to their kind Hindu masters a thing inconceivable in itself and for the reason that Ala's troops were never in need
of any help.

Parsis and Kings

off

Mewar.

One further point, which has been already referred to, requires notice, namely that the Ranas of Mewar
were traditionally
connected
-with

the Sassanian kings of Persia. In support of the tradition Abul Fazl (A. D. 1590) says, that the Ranas of Mewar consider themselves descendants of the Sassanian Naushirvan,

lections

by Bhavnagar State)
:

it

is

Ted

stated that

"Arishnha was a king who was master of the art of using arms, who

was

like

Kama

in

in battle fields,

making gifts and whose greatness was

(A. D. 531-579), and Col. quotes fuller details from the Persian history Maaser-al-Umra. No evidence seems to support a direct connection with Naushirvan. At the same time marriage between the Valabhi chief and Maha Banu, the fugitive daughter of Yazdagard the is not impossible. last Sassanian The suggestion that the link may be Naushirvan's son Naushizad, who fled from his father in A. D. 570 receives support from the statement

60
of Procopius. writer of the

According

to

the

the

fire

Bombay Gazetteer, symbols on Mewar coins

;

betray a more direct Sassanian influence. (Tod's Annals I, 235 Bom. Gaz. I. pt. I. p. 102).

From

this

we would

at least

that the Parsis were on good with the kings of Mewar.

expect terms

Correct Translation of
Inscription.
For all the above reasons, we are convinced that the translation of the verse No. 20 referred to above is not
satisfactory,

not with ordinary flowers, but flowers in the shape of the lives of the enemies. The enemies have not been named, either because the writer wanted to show his contempt and hatred or because they were so well known at the time that it was not necessary to name them.* The Rana's bravery met with its proper reward, namely that his line did not become extinct.

Gould Parasikas be

Mahomedans ?
As already stated, it is possible that the Sanskrit passage in question may be explained to mean, that the
the Mohamedans Parsis helped That the Parsis against the Hindus. would help a cruel and lustful emperor like Ala-ud-din, who had a large army of his own, is simply in-

or

at

any

rate

it

is

is not far to did not care to consider the surrounding circum-

vague. seek.

The reason The translator

stances.

In Sanskrit the instrumental* case, it is not followed by some such words as Tffl } ^fi[, &c. conveys two senses namely "with" and "by" or The Raja did not "assisted by." fight the Parsis, but he fought (with the Mahomedans) "assisted by the We therefore translate the Parsis." verses Nos. 19 and 20-as under:

when

They would be the prove faithless and treacherous to the kind Ranas of Mewar.
conceivable.
last to

would be ridiculous to urge word Parasikas may have been used for the Mahomedans. The word has been used by the
It

that the

"While great

battles

were being
the
fort

Sanskrit

writers

fought for the protection of

For instance,

on the mount Cnitrakuta, he Arisimha abandoned his life in a moment, but

not the great fame acquired in the path of brave men. As this Arisimha who possessed a dauntless heart, fought a battle (assisted by) the Parsis at Chitrakuta and worshipped him (Shankara) with the numerous flowers of the enemies, he of the lives (Shankara) being fondly attached does not abandon his (Arisimha's) descendants."

Shlokas, we in several places

Parsis only. Sanskrit read about the Parasikas

for in the sixteen
: '

Those

are

we

Parsis, noble-born, bold, vali-

ant and very strong. Also in the Ashtanga-yoga-hrdaya,

"

we
3%

have

just

read

:-

The
style.

writer uses

Shankara or Shiva is third god of the Hindu trinity, is entrusted with the work of truction. Arisimha worshipped
*

a highly poetic the

"On Magha Vad

vat

1st of the

Sam-

who
des-

1486 (A. D. 1430) on this dayThursday Ardeshir a well-versed

priest in a Parasika family caused the book to be written for the study of
' Inscription No. VIII (dated A.D. 1440) of the Bhavnagar State Collection shovs that Bhuvanasinha fought with Ala-ud-diq

him

The

instrumental

denotes

the

instru-

ment by which a thing is accomplished. Here the Parsis were employed a an instrument for the fight. Compare Raghu Vamsa
VII-69 for construction and meaning.

and conquered him,

01
his

son here in Bhrigu-Kshetra." (Report on the search of Sk. MSS, in the Bombay Presidency during 1882-83 by R. G. Bhandarkar, pp. 35-36 and 221).

Mosque and
II,

towers.

(Elliot's

Hist.

162-164, Bom. Gaz. VI, 215).

Parsis

Spoken

of

Contempt

It will be noted that in the above passage the word HK*(N> was used for the Parsi only about half a century before the date of the inscription.

uously by Amir Khusru. The following passage from the

poem Ashika
of

Amir Khusru

is

im-

portant, as showing that the Parsis were treated with contempt by the

Even
riarji

in A.

Bharucha

D. 1906 Ervad Shehecalls his "Collected

of the

Mahomedan

rulers of the time.

Sanskrit

Writings

Parsis

"

instances might be cited show that the Pdrasikas meant the Parsis and none else. *

Many more

to

Moreover
lating to

in

the

the

kings

inscriptions reof Mewar, the

word used for the Mahomedan enemies is Turushkas or Turks ( See

Bhavnagar State
107).

Inscriptions, pp. 94-

Parsis not on good terms with Mahomed ans.

needless to say, that the olden times were not on friendly terms with the Mahomedans. In the 12th century A. D. mention has been made of the Parsi and Musalman riots in Cambay. One of the Musalmans, whose faction was worsted made his way to Anhilvada, and meeting the Chalukya king
It is

In his encomium on Hindustan, the poet says: "From Gazni to the shore of the ocean you see all under the Dominion of Islam. Cawing crows ( crow-like Hindus) see no arrows pointed at them nor is the Tarsa (Christian) there, who does not fear (laras} to render the servant equal with God, nor the Jew who dares to exalt the Pentateuch to a level with the Koran nor the Magh who is delighted with the worship of fire, but of whom the fire complains with its hundred tongues. " ( Elliot's
; ;

Hist. Ill, p. 546

).

As the

writer of

Bombay

Gazetteer

Parsis of

says, the above-said Maghs were the Parsis. * The above passage clearly

shows that the Parsis were contemptuously treated by the Turks at the
Evidently the poet wrote the after all the nations had been reduced and made subject to the rule of Ala-ud-din. Supposing
passage,
therefore that the Parsis helped Ala-ud din, we can hardly expect the poet who had accompanied Ala-uddin at Chitor to speak about them in such contemptuous terms namely that "the fire complained about the Parsis with its hundred tongues."
(Elliot's Hist. Ill, p.

time.

Sidhraj Jaysing (A. D. 1094-1143), complained to him that the Parsis and Hindus had attacked the Musalmans, killed eighty of them, and destroyed their mosque and minaret. Subsequently the king heard enough to convince him, that the Musalmans had been badly used. He summoned to his capital Anhilvada two leading men from each class of the people of Cambay, Brahmans, Fire-worshippers and others (Jains) and ordered them to be punished. At the time he made over to the Musalmans

77

ff).

History of
The

Mewar Kings and

and
Antiquities
of

Conquest of Ala-ud-din.
Annals
Rajasthan by Col. Tod contain a long account of the kings of Mewar. The chapters IV to VI deal \ith the sovereigns from Bappa to Samarsi.
*

money
*

enough

to

rebuild

their

In the Pahlavi Text (Darakht-i-Asurik) the Pahlavi word Parsik is used for "Parsi"

(See Dastur Jamaspji Minocheherji's Pahlavi text) p. Ill, line 1st,

word 6th).

Magh=Maghu, Mobed,

After Samarsi, Chitor in A. D.

to

Rahup
1

obtained

Lakumsi,

201. From Rahup in the short space of

but he was outwitted this time. No sooner was Bhimsi brought forward than the Rajputs leapt from the litters

half a century, nine princes of Chitor

Lakumsi succeeded Bhimsi his father in A. D. 1275. was the uncle of the young prince and protector during his minority. He had married the beautiful and
were crowned.
accomplished lady Padmani. Ala-uddin heard about this beautiful princess and he determined to march an army In course of time the against Chitor. Afghans reached Chitor. The Rajputs locked themselves in their rocky fortFor a long time the fortress ress. was besieged, but all in vain. Aland-din at last sent a message to Bhimsi, that if he would allow him to see the image of his wife in a mirror, he would be satisfied and go away. The Rajput could see no harm in this. Ala-ud-din, unarmed, entered the fortress and saw the image, as he had Ala-ud-din had shown his desired. confidence in the honour of the
alone.
also

surrounded their prince and princess and cut their way in a body through
the Turk warriors to
their
fortress.

The siege was renewed by the Turks. Many brave Rajputs were slain,
after

making

ranks.

a havoc in Ala-ud-din's Ala-ud-din was defeated in

and was obliged to desist from the enterprise for a short time. Having recruited his strength, he
his object

again attacked
state this to

Chitor.
in

The

annals

A. D. 1290, but Ferishta gives the date 13 years later. The Rana (Lakumsi) became anxious for the safety of his crown. During a night of watchful anxiety, he slept on his pallet, pondering on the means, by which he might preserve from the general destruction one at least of his twelve sons. A voice broke on his solitude exclaiming

have been

myn

bhooka

ho

(I

am

hungry),

and

by entering their fortress Bhimsi, to show confidence in the honour of the Turks walked
Rajputs

raising his eyes, he saw the majestic form of the guardian goddess of

Chitor.

"Not
'

satiated,"

exclaimed

unarmed

into their

camp.

But

the Rana, though eight thousand of my kin were late an offering to thee."?

the crafty Ala-ud-din had prepared an ambush for the Rajput prince.

Bhimsi was seized and carried away.

Ala-ud-din

now

offered to

deliver

their prince to the Rajputs, if they Padmani to him. would deliver

"I must have regal victims, and if twelve, who wear the diadem, bleed not for Chitor, the land will pass from the line." Thus said, she vanished. On the second day she appeared again and said enthrone a prince

"On

each day
for

Great was the rage of the Rajputs Padmani at this dishonourable act. was informed of this, and together they thought of a scheme. The princess sent word to Ala-ud-din that she would come to his camp, by all her handaccompanied maids in a manner befitting a Ala-ud-din agreed to this, princess. and no less than 700 palanquins were carried into the royal camp. One of them contained the queen, in the others were hidden bravest Ala-ud-din had warriors of Chitor. no intention of delivering up Bhimsi,
* He changed the title of his family from the clan name of Gehlot to the Subdivisional name Sesodia (Gaz India XIII, 403).
r

three

days, let his decrees be supreme. On the fourth day let him meet the foe and his fate. Then only may \

(Annals of Rajasthan I, also A general 214-15, Index). contention arose among the brave brothers, who should be the first victim to avert the denunciation. Ursi urged his priority of birth. He was proclaimed, the umbrella waved ov^erhis head, and on the fourth day, he surrendered his short-lived honours and his life. Ajeysi the next in birth demanded to follow, but he was the favourite son of his father and at his request he consented to let his brothers precede him. Eleven had fallen in turn, but one victim re-

remain."

the city. the Rana and his surviving son, but the father prevailed, and Ajeysi in obedience to his commands, with a small band, passed through the enemy's lines and reached Kaihvarra in safety.
to the salvation of

mained

contest

arose between

land of Gurjara from the ocean-like From Tod's Turushkas or Turks. Annals we saw that Arisimha (Ursi)
t

was the father of

ther
of

Hammir and

bro-

"urged

It was Ajeysi. his priority of birth

he who and was

The
the

queens,
fair

wives,

daughters and
all

Padmani

immolated

themselves in a funeral pyre. The Rana threw open the portals, and with a reckless despair carried death and met it in the crowded ranks of Ala-ud-din. Thus fell in A. D. 1303
this celebrated capital of Chitor in the conquest of Ala ......... Guarded

proclaimed king, and on the fourth day he surrendered his short-lived honours and his life," while fighting with Ala-ud- din's troops. The author
of the

by faithful adherents Ajeysi cherished for future occasion, the wrecks of Mewar. It was the behest of his
the son of should succeed him. This injunction met a ready compliance. Hammir was the son destined to redeem Chitor.
father, that after him Ursi, the elder brother

inscription rightly says that possessed a dauntless heart," and that in the great battle of Chitor "he abandoned life in a moment, but not the great fame acquired in the path of brave men." It was this Arisimha or Ursi whom the Parasikas assisted in the fight.

"he

Campbell on the Battle fought by Parsis.

The fact that the Parsis helped the Hindus in the fight with Ala-uddin has been long since poii.ted out by Sir James Campbell, but he too had not the battle of Chitor in his "Dr. Wilson CB. mind. He says B. R. A. S. 1-1^2) suggested, that the Mahmud Shah of the Kisseh-i:

(Annals of Rajasthan, pp. 212-217).

Another Inscription. Now turning to the Sanskrit

criptions in the

ins-

we see

Bhavnagar collection that there is a complete geneology of the Mewar kings in the inscription No. It mentions

Vill of A. D, 1440. 41 kings, beginning with Bappa. Leaving the first 29 kings, it is seen that the 30th king was Tejasvi-simha, 31st Samarsimha, 32nd Bhuvanasimha, who is called
(the

Sanjan was Mahmud Begda, who reigned in Gujarat from A. D. 1459 The mention of Champato 1513. ner as his capital makes it probable that the author of the Kisseh-i-Santhat the Musalman jan thought, prince was the well-known Mahmud

descendant of Bappa and the conqueror of Shri Alla-ud-din Sultan), 33rd Jayasimha, 34th Lakshmasimha, 35th Ajayasimha, 36th his brother Arisimha, and 37th Hammir.
It will be seen that Bhuvanasimha was Bhimsi, since the name Bhuvanasimha would be contracted into Bhumsi and then corrupted into Bhimsi. We have already seen that

Begda. But the completeness of Alp Khan's conquest of Gujarat leaves

little

doubt, that

Sanjan

fell

to

his

arms.

The conqueror might possibly, though much less likely, be Muhammad Shah Tughlik, who reconquered Gujarat and the Thana coast in
A. D. 1348.
It cannot be Mahmud Begda, as authorities agree that after long wanderings, the Sanjan fire was brought to Nowsari in the fifteenth Alp Khan may be century (1419).

Ala-ud-din became unsuccessful in

attack of Chitor, which was resisted by the Rajputs under Bhimsi. Arisimha was undoubtedly Ursi. In
his
first

Ulugh Khan, brother to Ala-ud-din, who is sometimes by mistake called Alp Khan, or he may be Alp Khan brother-in-law to Ala-ud-din. Ulugh

the inscription No. V, Samarsimha is said to have rescued the submerged

Khan conquered Gujarat (1295-1297) and Alp Khan governed Gujarat

The Alp Khan of (1300-1320). the text was probably Ulugh Khan. Neither Fa(Elliot III, 157-163). rishtah nor the Ferozshahi has any But Amir reference to the Parsis. " The Khusru's (A. D. 1300) phrase shores of the Gujarat sea were filled with the blood of the Gabrs" (Elliot III 549) almost certainly refers to or at
least includes Parsis, as

"

" Fatan we read: "There was another rai in those parts named His was Pandya Guru capital Fatan, where there was a temple with an idol in it laden with jewels.

Further up under the heading the conquest of Telingava, Mabar,

he notices

He had many troops and ships and Mussalmans and Hindus were in his
;

in

another passage (Elliot III-546), that

those, who had become subject to Islam were the Maghs, who delighted in the worship of fire." (Bom. Gaz. Population, p. 187.)

service The rai, when the army of the Sultan arrived at Fatan, fled

among

away
service

The Mussalmans

in

his

were Gabrs?
Now the question is whether the Gabrs referred to above were Parsis. In Elliot's History of India Vol. Ill in the appendix, there is given an abstract of the poem named Asika of Amir Khusru. It is a kind of epic or historical poem, having for its main
of Dewal Rani, daughter of the Rai of Gujarat and Khizar Khan, eldest son of Sultan

sought protection from the king's army They then struck the idol with an iron hatchet and opened its head. Although it was the very kibla of the accursed Gabrs, it kissed the earth and filled the holy treasury.
(Eliot's Hist. Ill, pp. 549-551).
It will be clearly seen that the word Gabrs* is used for the Hindus

in the last passage. that the conquest

of

Besides we see Gujarat took

subject the

loves

Ala-ud-din.

Under the heading Conquest of Gujarat, Chitor, Malwa, Siwana" we read as under
"
:

D. 1297, that of RutunD. 1299, whereas the battle of Chitor was fought in A. D. 1303 ( Brigg's Hist. I, pp. 327, 337, 353-4 ). Therefore the Parsis who
place in
A..

bhore in

A.'

poet passes to the conquest Hindustan. Ulugh Khan sent against the Rai of Gujarat where the shores of the sea were filled to the brim with the blood of Gabrs.' The conquest of Somnath, Jhain and Ranthambor whose ruler was Pithu Rai. This fort was two weeks' journey distant from Delhi and its walls extended for three Terrible stones were parasangs. sent against them with such force, that the battlements were levelled with the dust. So many stones were
of Ala-ud-din in
'

'

The

fought for the Rana of Chitor could not be the Gabrs referred to by Amir Khusru.

We must also bear in mind that Ala-ud-din sent Alp Khan (his brother)
conquer Gujarat and also Rutunbut he himself marched bhore; towards Chitor, which was reduced after a siege of six months ( Brigg's
to

Hist.

I,

pp. 327, 337, 353

).

Mahmud Begda Fought

at Barot.

From the

accounts

given in the

thrown, pile upon pile, that it would have taken thirty years to clear the road to one of the gates. The king took the Fort in one month, and made it over to Ulugh Khan. The conquest of Chitor, which was named Khizrabad after Khizr Khan ( is then referred to ) After that the king's attention was directed towards the "
South.

Tabakat- i- Akbari, Tarikh-i-Ferista, Tarikh-i-Alfi and Mirat-i-Sikandari, our learned friend Prof. Hodivala has pointed out, that in A. H. 869
(A.

D.

1465)

Sultan

Mahomed
Hindu
otherHill,

Begda fought a
raja at
*
:

battle with a

Barad

or Barot

Sutal Deo, a Gabr was the ra~ja of Cf Siwana, near Delhi. Gabrs were worshippers of-stones and stone cows (Elliot III, pp. 18,
83, 511).

65
wise

known

as

Sanjan

Peak

or

in

the armies

both
is

of

Mahomed

about fourteen miles South of Sanjan. He has also shown, that the expedition against Sanjan must have taken place before A. D. 1478, since no notice is taken of the Parsis of Sanjan in Nariman Hoshang's two Revayats, the
St. John's Point, situated

but no be found in the accounts of the battle of Barot or of the battle of Chitor, we have referred

Begda and Ala-ud-din

specific

Khilji,

mention

to

to.

It

appears, that facts

belonging

to different conditions

jumbled together by
the
or

of things are the writer of

which was written in A. D. 1478, and that therefore the Parsis of Sanjan were driven from their homes before that date.* As he observes, this last point goes defirst

of

Kisseh.

He
that

is

quite

correct

when he

Mahmud says, rather Muhammad Sultan

Sultan

fought

cidedly surmise

of

against Dr. Jivanji Modi's the battle having been

a battle with the Parsis, who helped the Hindu rajS, and that the latter was killed in the fight; but he has

fought in A. D. 1490.

battle of
to in

Are we then to understand that the Barotwasthe battle referred

the Kisseh-i-Sanjan ? All the agree in stating, that after reducing the fortress, the Sultan restored the country to the Raja on receipt of tribute. The Raja was thus alive after the battle, whereas according to the Kisseh he
historical accounts

wrongly located the battle at Sanjan, wrongly hinted that this Mahomed was the victor of Champaner and wrongly supposed that the Sultan's general took an active part in the battle. We fully concur with Prof. who Hodivala, "Nothing, says can be a greater error indeed, to than suppose that Bahman was a great poet, a serious histo:

rian

or

man

of

multifarious

was

killed.

Prof. Hodivala

had

also

seen the

difficulty and was constrained to remark as

therefore

under:

and accurate scholarship. At the same time, he was not an ordiHe belonged to a family nary man.
possessing remarkable literary aptitudes and it would be folly to suppose, that all his statements are

must suppose the raja of Barot to have been a different person altogether from the chief of Sanjan for,
;

"We

represents the latter to have been slain in the last day's battle." This is, we submit, an unwarrantable supposition. We think, that the fact of the rajS. being killed in the battle and the fact of the Parsis having fought for him are the essential parts of the story, and any account which fails or omits to take notice of these points must be condemned as irrelevant. We are therefore compelled to think, that the

the Kisseh

But it must unworthy of credit. be also recognised that he is occasionally out of his

depth."

theory of Mahomed Begda having fought with the Parsis at Sanjan

must be abandoned.

Conclusion.

The Kisseh-i-Sanjan states that the general of the Sultan, who fought with the Parsis was named Alp Khan. Men of that name served as generals
*

See Bom. Gaz. Pt.

11, p.

189.

66

CHAPTER

No.

9.

Shloka No. II, account of their

in
is

The phrase "on

good qualities" an effort to transin Shloka No. 1,

DATE OF THE 16 SANSKRIT

SHLOKAS.
Passages in the Sanskrit Shlokas referred to in the
Kisseh'i'Sanjan.

important.

It is

late

eig^uHlf^mui

on the part of Bahman, the writer of the Kisseh-i-Sanjan wrongly taking it as an adjunct of ^fl^, |cl^t an d one separately. As a ^RT each
matter "of fact the phrase junct of Hormazd.
is

an ad-

The

writer of the Kisseh-i-Sanjan

Couplet No. 170:

Parastesh mikunim az dtash o db, Hamdn az gdo o az khurshid o mahidb.

had evidently knowledge of the contents of the 16

to

Sanskrit

Shlokas,

supposed the king Jadi Rana by the Parsi refugees from Iran. Whether he knew Sanskrit or whether he relied upon a
translation while giving of some Shlokas, we do

have been recited before

But we had a smattering of Sanskrit. The found in Shlokas referred to are the Couplets No. 165 and 168 to 181
of

a summary not know. are inclined to think that he

"We worship fire and water, also the cow, the Sun and the Moon." We might well ask why the worship of the fire, water &c. has been referred to once again. The reason is that the worship of the sun, moon, fire and water is, as seen above, referred to in two places in the Shlokas. The reverence to the cow is referred
to in one place only; although it is indirectly referred to in Shloka No. XIV in which there is the expression
H^flftj

Kisseh-i-Sanjan. We shall see what passages of the Shlokas are referred to:

the

Yakin ddni

ke

ma

tf^W
to

^f^cT.

Yazddn-pafastim.
that

"Know

for

certain

we
This

are
is

takes T|
(ox)

The commentator mean " qg ( cow ),

worshippers of Yazdan." taken from the Shtoka No. 1

&c."

%ft

^I'f^^

Couplet No. 171:

3fci ( or fft^t ) sapfa % | "Who (that is to say) the Parsis worship Ahuramazda the lord of the Angels (or the

Great Lord)".
Couplets Nos. 168-169
:

Khudd dar dehad har chiz dfridast, Nemdzash mi barim u khud guzidasl. "Whatever God has created in the world, we pray to since He Himself

has approved of it." Besides fire, water, cow, sun and moon, the Shloka No. I mentions wind, earth

Adab ddrim az mahtdb o khurshid;

Sedigar gdo rd bd db
o

at ash,

and sky, which are referred to in "Whatever God has the passage:
created in the world" by the author of the Kisseh. The expression "since He Himsself has approved of it" is, we think, an attempt to translate the

Niku middrimash az har sefdtash.

"We revere the Moon and the Sun, thirdly we esteem the cow, water and fire on account of their
good
qualities."

words

<T$R fRT<

in

Shloka No.

I.

The fact that the Parsis revered the Sun, fire and water is referred to in the Shlokas No. I and XII reverence to the moon is referred to in the Shlokas No. XI and XII, and that to the cow
;

Couplet No. 172: Hamdn kustimd haft ad o du tdr, Ba-bandim o bakhwdbim bddil abrdr.

"This

kusti

of

ours,

with

72

threads, we bind and we sleep with a pure heart." The first half of the

These Shlokas have been edited by us

in

Rustom Paymaster's Kisseh-i-Sanjan and also in Dastur Hoshang Memorial Volume,

couplet corresponds
in

with

Shloka XIII:

"Who

67
put on the sacred girdle, which is made of many threads." The second half of the verse has its original in where we read the Shloka VII, ''without the
girdle there
is
is

taking them the women above-mentioned. The words ( See Shloka No. XI ). " are taken to mean They are

two words

'

^cT^T 3tf*RcTT

with

always

i. e.

no sleep with fresh mind

restraint.

"

day and
:

night)

under

in other words, with the girdle there sleep with pure mind." Bahman the author of the Kisseh has omitted

the translation of the word

3TT.

Couplets Nos. 173-174:

Zandnhdi ke dar dashfdn nashinand, BaKhurshid o samd o meh na binand.

Ham az db o ham az dtash bud dur, Azirdkdn bud az khwastah nur. "
The women, who
sit

Couplet No, 176 Nashinad ta ke zu dashtdn shud dur, Chu shuyad sar ba-binad dtash o hur. " So long as the menses disappear and when they ( apart ) they sit wash their heads, they see fire and the sun. " This couplet has been prepared from the following
Sanskrit passages
:

(apart)

in
(

monthly course, do not look to the sun, the sky and the moon. They keep at a distance from water and
fire, since these things are of the essence of light." In Shloka No. XI Bahman seems to have read about women giving birth to children thus:

Shloka No. X.
sils

"
)

menses
(

apart on the earth.

The woman in "

(Shloka XI).
in silent

"

Who

are

engaged

prayers

the

sun after ablution.

(

while worshipping "

Sfat

cfwft

iffr:

And he

takes

this

f^?IT:

passage in connection with fgtw<!fin verse No. IX. Taking in

3 ) 3^fe^: (Shloka X) "Fire is " be worshipped. This last exNo. X is torn from Shloka in pression
to
its

the sense of "seeing" and

mean "windy sky,"

to

JT^ to Bahman tries

:

in

context and applied to the women menses. As a matter of fact, it is meant to be applicable to men.

render the passage as under in monthly course do not see the sky, fire, earth ( this word is omitted ), water, the moon, and " the sun &c. 3fat ^ff ?T iffa is taken

"

Women

Couplets Nos. 177-178: Digar an aan kc u farzand'.zdyad, Chehal ruzash hami parhiz bayad. Chunan parhiz shayad chun ke ddshtan.

with

-cm^^K.
is
(

and apprehension "

misthrough rendered thus

:

Na parhiz

shayad khwdr hastdn.

Whose 3$

colour, that

is

This is the reading of P. S.,* which may well be supposed to have been consulted by
is

not inferior.

"

light

"Again the woman who begets a child must remain apart for 40 days. She must abstain herself just as when she was in menses if she does not
;

the author of the Kisseh.

Couplet No. 175

(she touches) become polluted." These couplets are the translation of the firsttwo lines of Shloka No. IX,

do

so,

the things

Za har chiz mikunand parhiz

bisiydr,

Ba

ruz ruskna o andar shab tar.

They carefully abstain from all things, during the light of day-time " and the darkness of night. Here

Bahman endeavours
*

to translate

the
im-

In this Shloka there are two statements, one as regards women in menses and another regarding women who give delivery. Bahman omits
the words
in

PSrsi Smriti.

This was an old and

portant manuscript.

some

^K<l^l such word

*%

and

P uts
after

as

68
.....

He
:

translates the

Sanskrit passage thus men who beget children

after a
livery
;

"Their wobecome pure

of

mean four weeks. Ervad Jamshed Maneckji Rustomji in his Gujarati translation dated Samvat 1874 rendered the
expression
thus
:

month from the time

like

de-

who

they (sit apart) are in menses; they thus

all

women
become
Evidently his MS. also read He would not take T.
with
JfltT

pure in body."

mond and

Aspandiarji, DrumGujarati translators

assume that females become pure That after 40 days after delivery. seems to be the old custom as we read in the Shloka XI, but the Sanskrit text here speaks of one month
only.

teg:,

supposing

to

mean

|^q-

and taking

S^cH" with the second

line.
It will

be seen that

Bahman

has

Couplets No. 179-181:

Za zan farzand andak mi ke ayad, Az an farzand ku murdah ba~zayad Na harjdi ravad ya u batdzad, Aba kas goflo gut ham na sdzad,

translated Kisseh-i-Sanjan passages and expressions from Sanskrit Shlokas Nos. I, II, VII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, and XIV. The contents of the remaining Shlokas have been summarised in the Couplet No. 182 thus
in
:

the

Hamdn

zan nizbd parhiz bisiyar Chel digar ruz nashinad darinkar.

digar har che rasma

rah budah,

"The woman who gives premature birth or birth -to a still-born child, cannot go or run about where she
She even cannot converse with any person. That woman with great abstinence sits apart for 41 * The text for these three days." couplets is to be found in Shloka XI,
likes.

Hami dar pish u yak yak namudah. "And whatever other customs and
rules they had were all described to him one after another."

Raja grants permission to

land.

The 16th
runs thus
:

Shloka, as given in P.S.,

to

"The woman who has given birth a child does not move about for 40

She observes silence, and days. In couplets Nos. 177sleeps little." 178 Bahman saw an allusion to women giving child-birth. He therefore thought that the Shloka No. XI
related to

women who gave

to

mature birth or birth This is not child.

the Sanskrit text. to understand why
(if

prea still-born

We

warranted by
are at a loss our translation

Bahman gives the correct) period as consisting of 41 days instead of 40, as in almost all the
be
manuscripts.
to

In one

MS. belonging

Ervad Tehmurasp Anklesaria, we read might -qc=iiK<dHRiiM which

*

"May Hormuzd, the chief of the gods, the giver of victory and the giver of great wealth and the giver of prosperity to children and grandchildren protect thee, and destroy sins." Hearing this benediction the Raja said: "May you, who are Parsis, who are ever victorious, who are possessed of victory and power,
and who carry much strength come at pleasure, and obtain prosperity." The contents of this Shloka may be

but

" for another 40 " Might mean days, we do not find anything in Sanskrit

bearing this sense.

compared with the Couplets Nos, 14J

69
and 185 in the where we read:
Kisseh-i-Sanjan,

why the males were

him

not

Duayash kard

gofl ay rat rdydn.

similar compulsion. Our that either Bahman or

put under opinion is

some one

before

Haman hukma karda an niku rdya, Ke dar mulk mard sdzid mdwdya, "He (the Dastur) gave him beneThe
and said O king of kings very moment the good Raja ordered them to take their residence
diction
in his

kingdom."

Five Conditions Imposed by the Raja.

in the Kisseh-i-Sanjan allowing the Parsi refugees to land, the Raja wanted to know whether they would accept five the conditions, following (l) that they should give namely: him some information about their
It is stated

that before

comparatively recent times, looking to the then customs of the Parsis was, on the strength of certain passages in the Sanskrit Shlokas, led to put forward the theory that the Parsis who revered their old could only have been customs, compelled by the Raja to accept Hindu customs. That some Parsis knew Sanskrit pretty well in the time of Nerioshang follows from the fact that his translation was made in the Sanskrit language for pupils, nonThe knowledge pupils and others.* of Pahlavi and Pazand gradually disappeared and their place was taken up by Sanskrit, which was the common language, and learned Mobeds may well have tried to hide their
in

religion, (2) that they must give up the language of Iran and speak the

ignorance of their religious tongues

language of India, (3) that their women must put on clothes like

Hindu women,

(4)

that

they must

under the pretext that the Raja compelled them to give up Iranian langThe second line of the 4th uages. Shloka is thus read in P. S.

lay aside weapons and swords and (5) that good works such as marriages should be performed in the * tells us

Whose females " bodies ^Jfa &c.

"

apply

to

their

evening. the Parsis

ditions.

Bahman

that

Now

turning to the other

tj^*ii<q^
(

MSS. we

accepted

all

these

con-

Bahman

question is where did get all this information from. We do not know whether the Sanskrit Shlokas were actually recited It seems highly before the Raja. probable that an account of the

Now

the

religion

the

Raja at his request, later on when the Parsis good command over the language, the account was It may be that the Raja

and customs was given to and that

acquired
Sanskrit
versified.

to have and other The question as to what things). difficult be, was not 3TT?J^ could to answer; it was meant for "fragrant But it seems, that substances." some one seeing that the dress of our females was adopted from the Hindus started the theory that the Parsi ladies were compelled to dress like Hindu females by the king Jadi Rana.

find that the ladies are said

"put on"

sandal

imposed

the condition that the Parsis should in political and other matters use the Hindu language. But what shall we say about the condition that the Parsis should give up their language of Iran ? Also if the females

* In his introduction to the translation of Ijashne for instance Nerioshang says:

were made
*

to

put on clothes

like

Hindu women, we might

See Couplets Nts. 168-160.

well ask

have translated I, Nerioshang Dhaval, book of Ijashne-zand from Pahlavi-zand for into Sanskrit language being easily understood by good pupils> non-pupils, and "
this

"

learners (priests).

70
In Shloka III we read
:

however a few
*
to

put on a clean sacred garment (Sudreh) which has the quality of The comparison of a coat-of-mail." the Sudreh with a coat-of-mail may have induced some one to believe that at the time when the Shlokas were written, armoured dress had disappeared from among the Parsis, and that the Sudreh was the only dress, which reminded one of their Now the Parsis war- like habits. were a military nation when they landed in India. Therefore it was concluded that they must have been compelled to lay aside arms by the
Raja.

"Who

points, which help us determine the date approximately. We have no doubt whatever that these Shlokas must have been writ-

ten by
to

some learned Hindu could hardly

use

Parsi,

since

be

such

technical

expected words as

Hormazd, Yazads, Kusti, Atash, and and such Pahlavi words Nyasa,*
as

53

puhal, f^frT (Veh dindn}} &c.

In Shloka

IV we read

Melodious songs are sung and muplayed at auspicious marriage ceremonies on auspicious days men"
sic is

"

tioned

to

them

).

3^d^R^

in the time of the Kisseh-i-Sanjan (A. D. 1600) is quite certain, since Bahman has, as we have already seen, given a summary of some of the important The date oan be pushed Shlokas. back to A. D. 1567 when ChandaPrakasha was written. This book was composed in Sanskrit verses by a Mobed named Chanda on the After requestion of intercalation. ferring to the ceremonies to be performed in the intercalary month, the author mentions the things to be given to learned Mobeds in The Shloka No. 17 in his charity. book runs somewhat incorrectly

That these Shlokas existed

means"on

auspicious days mentioned" of course, by mobeds, astrologers and others but some one took ^TcT
to mean "as ordered by the king," and seeing the custom of the performance of marriage ceremony in the evening he started the theory that it was under compulsion from the Raja that the custom was adopted by the

thus

Parsis.

Thus then
planation
of

in our

the

five

opinion an exconditions,

which were alleged to have been imposed by the Hindu king, is found in the 16 Sanskrit Shlokas themIt seems to us that the traselves.
dition in

"Sweet food and eatables should always be given to learned persons, also land, cloth, gold, cow, horse and other gifts in the (intercalary) year also woollen Kusti and good Sudreh which has a great merit also wine, milk and rupees. Money should always be given with rows of pearls,
;

the Kisseh-i-Sanjan about

our arrival to India, was based on these Shlokas and the inscription of the Chalukya king Vinay^ditya (A. D. 697).

given in good vessels and jars." The writer of this Shloka has evidently borrowed some of the phrases and expressions from the Sanskrit Shlokas Nos.Vand III. The first line of the above Shloka may be compared

Date of the Shlokas.

It is not known when the Sanskrit Shlokas were written. There are
*

See Shlokas

I,

XI,

III,

XVI, XII,

See

also

Shloka XIII.

t ShlokasV,XI.

71
in

Shloka V.

The words

and <%$% are met with in Shloka III. The expression ^fi^lps is the same Even the very as in Shloka II. metre appears to be the same as that of the Shlokas, namely Sragdhard.
enables us the time had very imperfect acquaintance with the Sanskrit language. The Sanskrit kolophon of Meherban Kaikhusru dated Samvat 1378 also shows that the then Parsis could not write * It seems almost good Sanskrit. certain that since the time of Nerioshang a decay or deterioration had set in, which grew worse and worse in course of time. On the other hand the perfect metre, felicitous
to see that Parsi scholars of

wrote for the Hindu people. Therefore he could not have been the author of the Shlokas. There are two other cogent reasons for arriving at the same conclussion.
to in

The Chanda-Prakasha

doctrine of dualism is referred Shloka VI, and the two spirits are spoken of as the two limitless beings, the

The

In and the destroyer." Nerioshang's translation of the Yasna XXX- 3 the two spirits are said to be Hormuzd and Ahriman. This shows that the writer of the Shlokas must
creator

be different from Nerioshang.

Nerioshang always translates the Avesta word Fravashi(Pah\\\ Farohar] * But in Shloka X, the by 21%.
fq^ ; which shows that the writer could not be Nerioshang

word used

is

expressions and well-arranged compounds in the 16 Sanskrit Shlokas leave no doubt in our mind that they must have been composed in the

and that he selected this technical word, so that it may be easily understood by the Hindus.

time of Nerioshang or even

earlier.

Was

Nerioshang Dhaval the Writer of the Shlokas ?

Date Determined
Approximately.
P. S. seems to be a very old manuscript, since it is the only manuscript, which contains a reference to the "worship of the cow" and as the Kisseh-i-Sanjan also refers to "cow- worship," it is reasonable to assume that Bahman had P. S. before him. Now in P. S. the occurs n expresson FJ^fl-^iPT

not difficult to see that the to Sanskrit Shlokas were meant explain our religious matters clearly to the Hindu Raja, or at any rate to the Hindu people. This is provIt is

ed by such expressions as $pm (Shloka XIII), Si and HMII-f-KJ ( Shloka III. )

Shloka

XIII
the
in

as applied to

Hindu ^^Rt *pf ( mouth

Shloka

our Kusti. In scriptures Agni is called

of gods
);

Shloka VII, where the word

is

similarly

XVI

Atash

is

called

^l^^^-y ( mouth of Hormazd ). The Muktad days are spoken of as srngj^S

in

used in a good sense. Turning to we find Nerioshang's translation, that the Avestan word daeva is not
translated by him transcribed as

Shloka X.
to

Offering of dry Sandal-

anywhere but
in

is

the

sense

of

wood

fire is

spoken of as

^JTT

in

Shloka VIII. Now so far as we never know, Nerioshang Dhaval

true that a manuscript of a medical book was caused to be transcribed in Samvat
It is

a "demon." In the Sanskrit Ashirwada in the manuscript HI belonging to the late Dastur Hoshangji

1486 (A. D. 1430) at Broach by Ardeshir, who was a learned Andhiaru, for his son to (See Dr. Bhandarkar's Report on study. Sk. MSS. 1882-88). But we do not know whether this medical student could write good Sanskrit.

Jamaspji of Poona, (dated Samvat 1471A. D. 1415), the word daeva. is rendered as <faf (demon) ) (

^
*

and the word has continued to bear this meaning down to our own time.
See Ervad Sheheriarji Bharucha's Collected Sk. Writings II, Note 98.

72
Accordingly we think that the word ceased to be used in a good

sense

(namely, for "a good god") from the time of Nerioshang at least.

We
the

are therefore inclined to place date of the Shlokas before Nerioshang's time.

Nerioshang, we think that in view of the above Hindu custom, which had most probably disappeared in the time of the Revayats, and in view of the fact that foreigners like the Parsis would require at least
of

The expression sfftT: (bold), great warriors ), and of great strength ), all ( possessed show, in our opinion, that the marspirit

a couple of centuries to get complete mastery over such a difficult language as Sanskrit, the date cf the composition of the Shlokas may be

somewhere placed 1000 A. D.

near

900

or

tial

was

still
:

alive.

The

ex

(in

ShlokaXV)

shows that the glory of the Parsis was the subject of talk at the time. These expressions and the last Shloka, in which according to P. S. the king
grants
to

permission

to

the

Parsis

come and
the

live

in prosperity

"

prove that

Shlokas must have

some centuries before the time of Nerioshang.

been

composed

to

The word jffr is usually taken " mean white." That sense would

hardly be in keeping with the words &c. Could it be that

word was meant for the people as Gauras or Gabras, a name which came to be used in a bad
that

known

sense in later times ? In our opinion this word Gabra was connected with* the name of the Gaobarah

ended Sepehbads, whose dynasty with the Sepehbud Khorshed in the reign of Khalif Mancur (A. D. 754If the warlike spirit had not 775.) the Shlokas may be disappeared,
supposed
to

have

been

composed

shortly after our arrival in India. But there are other considerations.

No. XIV that an animal was killed by any one even accidentally, he had to drink u^jo^. This surely was a Hindu custom and we may well suppose that between the time of our arrival
It is stated in verse
if
;

and the

adoption of this custom, about a couple of centuries may have Since the Shlokas were in passed. our opinion written before the time
Gaobar=GaT-bar=Gab-bar=Gabar.

73

CHAPTER

No. 10.

THE MAGAS OR THE SO* CALLED MAGUS IN THE BHAVISHYA PURANA.

Story of Samba.
have" relied upon certain passages in the Bhavishya Parana to show that the Magas or " silent worshippers of the Sun from " Saka-dwipa," were the fire- worship" of Iran pers residing in India. With a view to see clearly what the customs and practices of these socalled Indian Parsi priests were, it is necessary to give a literal translation of some of the chapters dealing with the Magas in the Bhavishya Purana. By way of introduction we shall first give a very brief summary of the story of the Magas, as related by Dr. Wilson Samba, the son of Krishna, who was a prince, became leprous through the imprecation of the
scholars
:

Then Dr. Wilson gives details of the customs and religious practices of " these the Magas, and concludes details are more than enough to establish the fact, that the Bhavishya P urana intends by the Magas, the of Mughs of the Persians, the Magi " Greeks and the Parsees of India.

Samba becomes
Samba
says to

leprous.
'

Some

(Brahma Parva, Chapter 66).

Vashishta The irascible sage Durvasas was laughed then at by me through intoxication
:

acquired great leprosy through his 30. ) Afterimprecation ( ?TR ) ( wards I, who was stricken with the
I

disease
father,

of leprosy, went to ( my ) and with shame spoke these

words "

(31): arrogantly burns, my voice falters, the great disease of terrible

very

father,
kills

my body

form

my body

32

).

I,

who

am

wholly distressed, on account of a cruel

cation
is

am
act

suffering
;

pacifi-

irascible sage Durvasas,

whom

he had

Despairing of a cure by human skill, he went from Dwarka, and having crossed the river Chanoffended.

not likely to be attained by me through physicians or drugs. Therefore I (who am) such, wish to give up my life with your permission.

If

am

to

be

favoured

drabhaga ( Chinab ) went to Mitravana, where by fasting and prayer, he acquired the Sun-god's favour and
was cured of his disease. Out of he built a temple of the Sun. Samba wished to keep Brahmans
gratitude,
for

and for receiving the donations he would make in honour of the Sun but he was told, that
performing
;

rites

me permission". grant The father, who was 83-34). ( told thus, became afflicted with the He then thought sorrow of the son. for a moment, and spoke thus to him (38): "Oson, take coudo not let ( your ) mind be rage disease kills a sorrowful ( for ), a sad person, just as (= as easily as)
(=kindly)
:
;

according to the Hindu religion, the Brahman who performed idol worship as a source of emolument was to be condemned. He was therefore asked to go to Gauramukha, the Purohita
to Ugrasena, king of Mathura, who would tell' him about the priests he wanted to employ. Samba was then told to go to Saka-dwipa to bring the Magas.*

wind (blows away) dry grass-( 36). O son, be devoted to the worship of " the gods, do not be sad ( 37).

Samba is then asked to Note worship the Sun. Leaving several Chapters we read as under.
:

As the writer of the Bombay Gazetteer says, tales were invented to explain the admission of the Magas into Brahmanism

(Bom. Gaz.

IX, p. 439-440).

74

Samba is cured of leprosy Brahma Parva,

Chapter 127. Samba says: "O sire, I am
to
4

going

the forest
(

you should give

5).

me

permission by Krishna, from the northern shore of the Indus, and crossed the great river Chinab) Chandrabhaga ( Then having gone to Mitra( 6). vana, the Tirtha which was well known in all the three worlds, and

permission was given

(Then) he, who

went

he contemplated over the form (of the image), he should put up. Having taken a bath, (one day) he suddenly saw in front of him, the shining image of the Sun, being carried by the waves of water ( Hav3-4). ing taken it out, he placed it in 5 ). that region of Mitravana ( Samba, having placed the idol of that great Sun in the world, and having established the Sun god (f*T*t)
Mitravana with devoasked that very image of " the Sun with a bow, O Lord, who created this thy image, which is
in that beautiful
tion,

observed a fast ( there ) a secret incantation and worshipped the Sun ( 7-8),

having

Samba muttered

beautiful
tell

"

said to him,

"

6-8).

The image
Samba,
I will

Hear,

Sun, he [ Having prayed to asked the following boon ]. " May the impurity, which is located in my body be destroyed by whole thy favour, so that, O Sun, the " The of my body may be clean. the

"very well"; (then) did cast away that disease from (his) body, just as a snake Then he casts off skin (f 27-28). became beautiful again with a divine appearance, and bowing to the god with his head, he stood before him
said,

Sun

Samba

said, "Hear again, pleased, and I say to you, devoted one, that from to-day people (will be) faithful to those, who erect holy shrines (con(

29).

The Sun
I

worldy Formerly my form was enveloped with great lustre, and it was unbearable for any creature. I was therefore requested by the gods, thus: "May thy form be one, which will be bearable by all the creatures." Then I ordered Vishva-Karma, whose austerities were thus: great, "Having pacified (= lessened the effect of ) the lustre, After9-11). change my form ( wards He by my order having gone to Saka-dwipa changed my form

who you, form of mine.

created this

O Samba!

am

nected) with thy Place this world.

name

for

me

in

Then having formed me ( 12). on the Himalaya Mountain, which is inhabited by Sidhhas (= inspired sages), he caused me to be brought down for thy sake to the Chandrabhaga "(
14).

me

on

this

auspicious

(in a shrine) bank of the

Chandrabhaga
by thy name

(river), this city

O Samba;
will

be

Samba asks Narad a about temple Brahma Parva,

Chapter 130.
Then Samba goes
asks:
to

very famous.-.."

Samba acquires Sun's idol Brahma Parva,

ehapter 129.
Then
Samba,
accompanied
by
other men practising penance, went to the river Chandrabhaga, at not a very great distance (from it), for placing (the idol of the Sun in a shrine). ( 2). Having called to mind the round form of the Sun, he daily took a bath with devotion, and while bathing,

Narada and

made

the temple to be and in what region, O best of

is

"How

Brahmans; what (kind of) temple O twiceis enjoined to be made,

born, for the god of gods"(
7).

Having

heard

Ndrad's

reply,

Samba
"

says:

In that region, the best temple of " the Sun shall be made (flf&M
(

400

75

Magas, Zarthushtra, Padan Hvyanga Brahma Parva, Chapter 139.

Sambasays
to

ing of, to worthy persons. great sage, accept all ( I want to give you ), if you love me." Hearing these words of Samba the great sage replied

Narada:

"Through

(13-14).

your favour I obtained this my original appearance, and also (got) personal audience with the great Sun. Having got all this, my mind is again over-

powered by anxiety,
do the continuation

as

to

who

will

the keeping up ) of the Sun's worship. O Brahmana, you should in order to oblige me, tell ( me ) about the twice -born, possessed of virtues, and able to " Thus continue ( the worship ). spoken to by Samba, Narada returned
( lit'

Note: The reply is given at great length, but the purport is that, a Brahman should not accept any donation, nor should a king give anything to a Brahman for the service of god.

him answer:

"The Brahmans

do

not accept money offered to the Devas. Wealth remains ( behind ) virtue in this world. ( Therefore ) is to the ceremony be obtained which is done for money obtained through worship of a god is not holy.
;

Samba

said

"
:

Those Brahmans, who disregarding the ceremony over( this rule ), do come by greed are low Brahmans in this world, and are unfit to sit in the same row with caste-people(3Tqr=ficT?T:). That man of wicked soul, who lives
through avarice on god's wealth or Brahman's riches, lives on the leavTherefore ings of a vulture's food. no Brahman should do the service of
only will be able to tell you about the man, who knows the ceremony, who is learned and who is fit to do the service therefore go to him for assistance. Or O Lion of the Yadus, go to Gauramukha, the family priest of Ugrasena, and ask him. He will fulfil your desire "
(
)
;

are not to accept whom shall 1 give

If the Brahmans the donation ), to it you should tell

(
;

me what you may

(

have heard or seen"

replied
this
:

27

).

O
to

king,
;

Gauramukha hand over

city

to the Maga his is the right " the gods ( grains offered to " 28). Samba said what have you
:

been

told about this

Maga,

in

what

god god

for

money

(1-7).

The

Sun

place does he stay, whose son is he, O best of Brahmans, what is his appearance like"? ( 29). Gauramu-

kha
of

"

is spoken a divine excellent Brahman he is the son of the Sun ( 3). O Yadava, the goddess Nikshubhsi, who is worshipped by the

replied,

he who

as

Maga,
;

is

8-9 ). Thus spoken to by ( Narada, Samba, the son of jambavati, having gone to the Brahman Gauramukha, who had finished his religious duties of the forenoon, spoke " these words with modesty By the favour of the Sun, I have made a
:

people, having been cursed, acquired human form and came to this world from the Sun (world). Her family
(jfhf)

was

known

as

Mihira

it

possessed the J>est quality of Brhmanhood. There was formerly a pious son of a Rishi, named Sujihva; to him a daughter was born named

Nikshubha.

large house
I

That good dame

was

(f^5

JJf)

10-12

)...

have furnished it with everything and have placed the idol; therefore I wish to give donations, which I am think-

matchless in form, and was considered most beautiful in the world 31-34). ( By her father's orders, 85 ). that girl was thrown into fire (

76
While she
fire

was being thrown into according to law, the Sun, the

god of gods, saw her. Then that Lord of the gods became fascinated by her,

who was endowed

shall I

with beauty and

youth, and thought (thus):

"How

which worshipped by the gods, has been kicked by her. Having entered the forest, I shall marry that thinbodied one, who is worshipped by
marry her.
This
fire, is

shining face, due to the Khufeh in her, that darkness was dispelled by her presence. Now in the story of the Bhavishya Purana, the lady named Nikshubhct is the mother of Jarashabda, and the Sun who married the damsel seems to be Khureh. If Frihimrava is a corrupt form of Fra~ humrava (= the good speaker), his name may be identified with Sttjihva

(=the good tongued one

).

Thus

it

the people'

35-38).

Thus thinking, the Sun of numerous rays, entered the fire and at that time became its ( fire's) son.

TJien she,

who had charm,

loveliness,

beauty, youth and broad eyes, jumped over the burning fire. He ( the fire god's son ) became angry, and

assuming his own form saw the girl and was afflicted. The fire ( =firegod's Son ) then caught (her) hand with (his) hand, and spoke, O Lion " of the Yadus, thus The sun has not arisen, as you have abandoned the rites enjoined by the 39Vedas and jumped over me, ( Therefore (although) begotten 42). by me, that one known as Jarashabda,
:

appears that the writer of the Bhavishya Purina has adopted the story about Zoroaster given in the Dinkard (S. B. E. Vol. 47, pp. 18-19). Could he have taken it from the Dinkard itself ? An answer in the affirmative " is "not impossible, in view of the fact that much later events are referred to in the Bhavishya Purana.

Bhandarkar's Recount of Magas.

!

Sir

Ramkrishna Bhandaraccount of Vaishna'

kar gives an interesting the Magas in his book,

vism, Saivism" &c.

tbe

increaser of the fame of family, will not be (regarded as

his

(pp. 153-155 ), from which we quote the following important, though somewhat long,
passage
:

son

"

my)

43

).

Varahamihira ( in Brhatsamhita, tells us, that the Chap. 60, 19 ) installation and consecration of the images and temple of the Sun should be caused to be made by the Magas, and generally those who worship a
certain deity according to their special
ritual

"

Note

The name
bad

should be

made

to

perform the

was probably a
farashashda.

farashabda reading for

ceremony concerning that deity. This shows that the Magas were, accordVarahamihira, the special sun-god. There is a legend concerning this matter in the 139 ). ( Chap. Bhavishya Purina Simba, the son of- Krishna by Jambavati, constructed a temple of the Sun on the banks of the Chandrabhaga, the modern Chenab in the Punjab, and no local Brihman would accept
ing
to

The
closely

story of Jarashabda given here

priests of the

resembles the account about Zarathushtra given in the Dinkard Book VII, Ch. II 3-7. There it is stated that the Kh'ureh (Divine glory) flying on to the Sun, the moon and the stars, joined with the Atash ( fire ) which was kept in the house of Zois. Subsequently it left the Atash and joined with the wife of Frihimrava-Zois. This lady gave
birth to Zoroaster's

the

office of

a regular priest of

the

mother Dughdd,

who, when she was born, had such a

thereupon asl^ed Gauramukha, the priest of Ugrasena. He was told to get Magas, who were special sun-worshippers from Sctkatemple.

He

77
dwipa. Then is given the history of the Magas. Sujihva was a Brahman He had a of the Mihira Gotra. daughter of the name of Nikshubha, with whom the sun fell in love. The son of these two was called Jarashabda or farashasta, and from whom

Magi, but at whose instance and under what circumstances they came, it is difficult to say. The legendary tradition of their having been brought by Samba was current in the first
half of

the twelfth

century, as

we

sprang all Magas. Thereupon Samba went on the back of Garuda, his
father's
installed
priests

vehicle,

to

brought some Magas

Sakadwipa, from it and

the
office

them
the

into

of

of

temple,

he

had

constructed.

"
in

The Magas have long been known

the
literary

have seen from the inscription. The temple on the Chandrabhaga referred to above was that, which existed at Multan and a glowing description of which is given by the Chinese Four centraveller Hiuen Tsiang. turies later it was seen by Alberuni (India Vol I, p. 116 ). It existed till the 17th century, when it was

is an pur in the Gaya District, dated Saka 1059, corresponding to 1137-38 A. D., in the opening stanza of which the Magas, who sprang from the

There

India. history of inscription at Govinda-

Aurangzeb. finally destroyed by Multan is the same as the Sanskrit Mulasthdna, and this name may have been given to the place, because the new worship of the sun was first its organised there, and it was
original seat.

Sun, are represented to have been brought into the country by Samba... There are traces of the Magas elsewhere, and there are Brahmans of
that

name

in

Rajputana and some

other provinces of Northern India. Now these Magas are the Magi of ancient Persia, and the name Jarashasta mentioned above as occurring in the Bhavishya Purana connects them with the Avesta prophet Zarathushtra.

On the coins of Kanishka there occurs a figure with the name Miro The cult of Mihira by its side Mihr had originated in Persia and
it extended itself up to Asia Minor and even Rome, and the proselytising energy, which characterised its led to its first adherents must have extension towards the east also, and

"

which Avyanga, according to the Purana they wore round their waist, was the same as the Aivyaonghem of the Avesta language, which last signifies the Kusti worn by the Parsis at the
present day.

The

of this extension the figure of Mihira

on Kanishka's coin

The

an evidence. must have penetrated into India about the time

is

cult,

therefore,

of that Kushan prince, and the Multan temple, which was its original seat, must have been consecrated about the same time.

"Alberuni, speaking of the Persian Magians, says that they existed in India and were called Magas ( India Vol. I, p. 21 ). The idea of locating them on a continent called Sakadwipa must have arisen from the fact, that they were foreigners like the Sakas, with whom the Indians had been familiar, since the second or third century before the Christian era. Evidently then the worship of the sun or
priests

Mihira-worship was brought into India by the old Persian priests

An inscription at Mandasaur records the construction of a temple to the Sun in the year 487 A. D. by a guild of weavers, and its repair in the year 473 A. D. Another on a copper plate found at Indore mentions 5n endowment of Devavishnu in 464 A. D. for lighting a lamp in a temple of the Sun. And in a third is recorded a grant in 511 A. D. to a temple of Adityaorthe A great many more sun temsun.
ples

"

have been discovered especially

78
in
to

Western India from Multan down Cutch and northern Gujarat. *

"

The form

of the

idol of the sun

worshipped in such temples is described by Varahamihira ( Brhatsamhita, Chap. 58 ), but the features mentioned by him which have a significance for our purpose are that his feet and legs should be enclosed or covered up to the knees.. .and he should be encircled by an Avyanga

" In Albenmi's India" (translation Vol. Dr. Sachau I, p. 121) we by read about the Magas as under: " Further he (Rama) ordered that
servants and
priests
to

minister to

the idols should be

different classes of

nominated from
the
are
i. e.

people.

To

the idol of Vishnu

class called

devoted the
to the idol of the Magians."

Bhagavata,

the Sun, the Maga,

Accordingly the images found in the temples mentioned above have boots reaching up to the knees and a girdle round the waist with one end hangThis last is a downwards. ing
(v. 46-47).

of the

sun,

that are

Persian feature, ...... it is certainly The features of the idol not Indian. of the sun and the fact of Magas, who were descended from the Persian Magi being its priests, point unmistakenably to the conclusion, that the cult was introduced into India from Persia, and I believe that the construction of so many temples was also due to the foreign influence for, in the account of the Saura systems, there is not the remotest allusion to
;

Note on Govindpur Inscrip* tion re: Magas.

As
stated above, the legend of the

importation of the Magas by Samba is referred to in the Govindpur stone inscription dated Saka 1059 (1137-

38 A. D.).
of stone in

This was an inscription on a slab Narsingh Mali's house at Govindpur, in the Nawada sub-divi-

the temple of the sun. According to appearances, therefere, the cult prevalent in Northern India was entirely distinct from these systems....
all

sion of the Gaya district of the ProThe inscription vince of Bengal. consists of 39 Sanskrit verses written

The Magas themselves, the priests o/ the

cult, were gradually thoroughly Hinduised, until they became undistin-

new

Nagari characters, and at the end The date Saka 1059. immediate object of the inscription was to record, that a man named Gangadhara, who had himself comin
it

bears the

posed this poem,

for

the

spiritual

guishable from In the formed only a separate caste. copper-plate grant of Harshavadhana

the

other

Hindus and

benefit of his parents, built a tank, near which the inscription must have

been put up.

who

lived in the middle of the seventh century, his father, grand-fa-

ther and great grand-father are all styled great devotees of the sun ( Epigraphia Indica )

Opening with a verse which invokes the blessing of Vishnu, the

inscription, in verse 2, glorifies
( i.

Aruna
as

e,

the

Dawn

pp. 72-75). This is an evito show, that the sun cult, probably made up of a mixture of
Vol.
I,

dence

the indigenous and foreign form, prevailed in the beginning of the sixth century and was professed by great princes."
Burgess Architectural Northern Gujarat,
*

whose presence sanctifies Sakadwipa, where '' the Brahmans are called Magas. It also sanctifies the Magas themselves, who are said to have sprung from the sun's own body and to have been brought to India by Samba.
charioteer of the sun
),

personified "

the

The

verse 2 runs thus

Antiquities

of

79
worship was introduced under the Sassanian influence. ( Bom. Gaz. Vol I, pt. I, p. 142 ).

Hail to that gem of the three the divine Aruna, whose presence sanctifies the milk-oceanwhere the encircled Sakadwipa,
worlds,

"

Cunningham's Account
of Multan.
Major- General Cunningham's account of the ancient city of Multan
is

Brahmans
is

are

named Magas! There

a race of twice-born (sprung) from the Sun's own body, ground by the

wheel,* whom
hither.
in

Samba himself brought

Glorious are they honoured " the world.

Further up the author says, that the first of these Maga Brahmans

very interesting and important in connection with the story of Samba, and we think it right to give below a long extract from his book, named ''Ancient Geography of India"

was Bharadvaja, whose family had a hundred branches. In one of them, a certain Damodara was born, whose son Chakrapani was a poet. One of the sons of this poet was Manoratha, who, according to our author, was a " modern Kalidasa " ( ^T-^lfe^RT: )

(pp. 230-240): '' The famous metropolis Multan was originally situated

of

on

.two islands in the Ravi, but the river

has long ago deserted its old chanand its nearest point is now nel, more than 80 miles distant. But during high floods the waters of the

and
tells

his

own father. The inscription us distinctly that Gangadhara, father and grand-father were all
his

Ravi

still

flow

down

their old

bed...

poets.

(See Epigraphia Indica, pp.

).

Multan is known by several different names, but all of them refer either to Vishnu or to the Sun,
the latter being the great ^object of worship in the famous temple, that once crowned the citadel. Abu Rihan * mentions the names of

330-342

inscription shows that the legend of the Magas having come to India must have been in existence some centuries before Saka 1059 or A. D. 1137-38. On the other hand the legend is not found in Harivamsa, Vishnu Purana and Bhagavat Purana, in which other legends about Krishna and his descendants are narrated. Hence according to R. Chanda, it cannot be treated as an evidence

The above

Kasyapa-pura, Hansapura, Bhdgapura and Sdmbapura, to which I may add Prahlddapura and Adyasthdna. According to the traditions of the people,
of the twelve Adityas or Sun- gods by Aditi, and of the Daityas or Titans by Diti. He was succeeded by his son, the Daitya named Hiranya-Kashipu, who is famous throughout India for his denial of the omnipresence of Vishnu, which led to the manifestation of the Narasinha Avatar. He was followed by his still more famous son Prahldda, the ardent worshipper of Vishnu, after whom

syapa,

Kasyapa-pura was founded who was the father

by Ka-

of the

early migration of the

(

Magas

See R. Chanda's IndoAryan Races, pp. 224-225 ).

to India.

The writer of the Bombay Gazetteer observes, that the Multan sunTo diminish the Sun's intensity Vishvakarman placed the luminary on his lathe, to grind off some of his effulgence ( Vishnu Purina III-2). It is suggested that the Magas were produced from some of the
particles of the Sun's body.
*

* Abu RihSn Al Biruni ( A. D. 970-1089) (Bom. Gaz. I. pt. II. p. 507).

80
the city was named Prahldda-pura, His great-grand son, Bdna (commonly called Bdna the Asur ) was the unsuccessful antagonist of Krishna, who took possession of the kingdom of Multan. Here Samba, the son of Krishna, established himself in the grove of Mitra-vana, and by assiduous devotion to Mitra or the 'Sun' was cured of his leprosy. He then erected a golden statue of Mitra, in a temple named Adyasthdna or the First Shrine,' and the worship of the Sun thus begun by Samba, has continued at Multan
'

tween a sunbeam and a radish obviously lies in their similarity of shape For these reasons I infer that Mula is only an epithet of the Sun, as the god of rays, and that Mulasthdnapura means simply "the of the Temple of the Sun."
.city

Bhdga and ffansazTe well-known names of the Sun and therefore Bhagapura and Hansapura are only synonyms of the name of Multan.
;

"

The

earliest

name is

said to

have been

down

to the

present day.
of

pronounced Kassappur), which I take to be the Kaspapuros of Hekatasus, and the Kaspaturos of Herodotus, as well as

Kasyapapura

(usually

Krishna,

Samba, the son of in the Bhavishya Parana, but as it places the Mitraon the bank vana or Sun-grove
story
is

The

told

'

'

the Kaspeira of Ptolemy. The last is placed at a bend of the lower course of the Rhuadis or Ravi, just above its junction with the Sandobdg

town

of
its

Chandrabhaga or Chinab river, composition must be assigned to

a comparatively late period, when all remembrance of the old course of the Ravi flowing past Multan had died away. We know, however, from other sources, that the Sunworship at Multan must be very ancient. In the seventh century Hwen Thsang found a magnificent temple with a golden statue of the god most richly adorned, to which the kings of all parts of India sent Hence the place became offerings. commonly known amongst the early Arab conquerors as the Golden ' Temple, and Masudi even affirms
'

This identiChandrabhaga as it esis most important, tablishes the fact, that Multan or must have been the Kaspeira
or
fication

principal city in the Punjab towards the middle of the second century of

the Christian era. But in the seventh century it had already acquired the

name

of

Mulasthana

or

Multan,

which was the only name known to the Arab authors down to the time of Abu Rihan, whose acquirement of Sanskrit gave him access to the which he native literature, from drew some of the other names already
quoted.

The name
is

of Adyasthdna

or "First Shrine"

that

Multan means
'

'

medows

of

The people refer the name to Mulasthdna, which agrees with the form Mulatdna. Mula means 'root or origin, and s/hdna or thdna
'

gold. "

Bhavishya Purana temple of the Sun, which is said to have been built by Samba, the son of Krishna but Adya is perhaps
;

applied in the to the original

means

'place

or
'

shrine.'

Hence

Mulasthdna is the Temple of Mula,' which I take to be an appellation of the Sun. In the Amarakosha one of the names of the Sun is Vradhna,

only a corruption of Aditya, or the $\\n...Prahlddpur refers to the temple of Narsingh Avatar, which is still The great called Pahlddpuri... temple of the Sun was destroyed during the reign of Aurangzeb and the Jumai Masjid erected on its site.

which

is

also given as a

synonym of
radix
signibut root,

Mula
fies

In

Latin

also the

not only origin or radish so also does

;

Mula

signify origin or root and Mulaka or Muli= radish. The connection be-

"By the identification of Kasyapapura with the Kaspeira of Ptolemy I have shown, that Multan was situated on the bank of the Ravi in the first half of the second century
of the Christian era.

Hwen Thsang

81
unfortunately makes no mention of the river but a few years after his visit the Brahman Rajah of Sindh,
;

named Chach, invaded and captured Multan, and the details of his campaign show, that the Ravi still continued to flow under its walls in the midIn AD. dle of the seventh century 713 when the citadel was besieged by Muhammed bin Kasim, it is stated the city was by Biladuri,* that supplied wiih water by a stream flowing from the river (the name being left blank ). Muhammad cut off the
'
'
'

from the because Sun, they are famous as being divine" (44). Having thus spoken, the Sun god disappeared. Then the Rishi (Sujihva) knew by means of meditation, that the child was conceived (45). That one of great lustre, who was very wise,

and who had Rigveda on his tongue, threw himself down, (and) cursing "O most her, spoke these words: unlucky girl, the foetus, which was covered over with fire from the fault
of your

own

lustful self, will

become

\vater,

and the inhabitants, pressed

surrendered
at

46-47). That unworthy of honour" ( girl, who was distressed with grief
for
,

by
I

thirst,

discretion.
this

'

her) son, with painful eyes, be-

account as a proof, that the main stream of the Ravi had already deserted its old channel; but it is quite impossible that Multan could have been forced to surrender for want of water Even in the time of Edrisif the environs of the town are said to have been watered by a small river and I conclude that some branch of the Ravi must still have flowed down to
willing to accept

am

gan to think sorrowfully about that one (=the Sun), who has the form of fire (thus): "This child in my

womb

is

of

(i.e.

by)

(you) the
is

best

of gods; this great curse

given me;

you should make me worthy of honour ( 48-49). O Lord of gods, do that by which he may become worthy of honour." While she was thus thinking, the Sun god, having obtained the form of fire, spoke these words:
.........

Multan Muhammad Kasim may have captured Multan in the same

"That

illustrious (Rishi),

who

way that Cyrus captured Babylon, by

the diversion of the waters, which flowed through the city into another channel."

have quoted this long passage show, that the Bhavishya Purana, which mentions that the temple of the Sun was built on the bank of the Chinab, could not have been written before the middle of the seventh century A. D.
to

We

has Rigveda on his tongue, acts according to scriptures; (therefore) the curse pronounced by him cannot be altered ( 50-52). However, on account of the gravity of the matter, I shall make thy son, who is unworthy of honour, fit, best and well versed in the Vedas. (53). His family members will live as great descendants of Vasistha, limbs of my body,
possessed of great soul and expounders of the Vedas. They will be my
worshippers, my devotees, my servants and my vowobservers. They, the discerners of truth, will honour thee and me, and the Veda according to law always being devoted and attached to me (54-56) .......... They will always wear matted hair and beard
singers,

my

my

praisers,

said to have sprung from the fire, the Brahmans from the moon, and the Bhojakas

Now let us proceed "The Magas are

with the text.]

will
will

know

be always devoted to me, and the rites of the five perioh

An
Gaz.
I,

Arab
pi.
I,

writer

A. D. 892

(Bom.

p.

505

).

58). Having held ( Poornak in the right nan 1 and Varma in the left, and having covered the
face, which
is

End

of llth century A. D. (Elliot 1-74).

always pure with Pati-

82
ddna
holy."
( i.e.

Padana) they

are

ever

59).

the Vedas and Vedangas. They were specially called for the service of Sun's idol. This shows that they were mixed Zoroastrians.

Note.
sage which under:

The
is

text of the Jast

pas^

very important

as

Having thus consoled that ilivhunymph, the Sun, the water-thief,* the
one of great lustre disappeared, and she became glad. Thus, O son of Krishna (Samba), the Bhojakas | were born (thus) they, the lights those sprung of Vishnu, ( f^pTT: )

"

probably read Varshma which latter Varma, " " If the reading armour. means be f it would refer to Barsam.
Dr. Wilson
instead
of

The most
ddna. the

There

important word is Paliin is no such word

from the Aditya ( STrf^TT: ), those honoured by the people, were born."
(

63-64).
"
;

whose language, meaning would fit in with the context. The word is clearly the Avestan " a Paitidan (=Padan), meaning " mouth piece" or piece of cloth " with which the mouth is covered.
Sanskrit

To them give this town are competent to receive gifts

they from you and me, and to worship the Sun." 65 ). Having heard these words (

Gauramukha, Samba, the Yadava and son of Jambavati bowed with " O lion of his head, and spoke where do these the Brahmans,
of
:

Bhojakas, the sons of

the

Sun,

the

Mahatmas live, so that I may bring them " (66-67), Gauramukha

"

They

will dine

in

silence,

(thus)

gaining the strength of the great. They will have sorrowful minds self-conis want of there if 60 ). or want of kindness ( trol Even those who will worship me hereafter without rite or Mantra fall from will, although they will heaven, play in the sun world until
will

to

I do not know, O you of where the live arms, Magas great therefore go the Sun knows that " 68 ). his assistance ( ( to seek ) to Thus spoken by the Brahman (Gauramukha), Samba bowed to the Sun with his head, and spoke "

''

said

him

as follows

Who will

per-

Such (they are) exhausted ( 61). be thy sons on the earth the Mahatmas ( great souled ones) in the family of Maga, who will be well " versed in Vedas and Vedangas (62).

form thy worship ?" (69). Thus questioned by Samba, the image " Sun ) spoke to him O ( of the sinless one, there is none fit to wor70 ). ship me in Jambudwipa ( Go to Shakadwipa and bring here

my

membered

Sakadwipa is reworshipper. (as being) on the yonder salt ocean of of the coast

surrounded by and ( as being ) the ocean of milk and on the further

lit-

one who

steals

water

Note :
wore

We

find that

the

Magas

by drying
t

it

up.
also called Bhojakas.

matted hair,

and expounded

The Magas were

83
There the Jambudwipa. said to be of 4 kinds. They are Jfag's, Magagds, Mdnasd*, and Madangds. The Magas are
side
of of the

Mithra-cult,

the

members

of

people are

chiefly

Brahmans
to

the

Magagas
;

are

which, after their arrival in India (about the first two centuries A. D.)> were incorporated in the Brahman caste." (Indian XVI, Antiquary
p. 162).

known

be Kshatriyas

the

Ma-

nasas are known as Vaisyas; and their Sudras are Madangas." There is no

The

writer of the

Bombay Gazet-

intermarriage

^fiT
e.

among

teer says:

"That the Multan sun-

them
the

at

any

time so as
( /.

to protect

religion

so
(

might remain

intact)

that religion 71-74)....

worship was introduced under Sassanian influence is supported by the fact, that the figure of the Sun on
the fifth century Hindu Sun coins is in the dress of a Persian king: that the who performed the priests Multan sun-worship called were Magas; and by the details of the dress and ritual in the account of the introduction of sun-worship given in the Bhavishya Purana. That the Meyds or Mands had some share in its introduction is supported by the names the fact, that the Purana fourth or Sudra class of the sunThat the worshippers Mandagas. Meyds were associated with the Magas is shown by the mention of The third the Magas as Mihiragas. class whom the Bhavishya Purana associates with the introduction of The sun-worship are the Manas association of the Manas with Mihiras or Maitrakas suggests that Mana is Mauna, a Puranik name for the White Huns. That the Multan sun-idol of the sixth and seventh centuries was a Huna idol and Multan the capital of a Huna dynasty seems in agreement with the paramount position of the Rais of Alor or Rori in the sixth
century." 142-3).

Note:
(

In the

Vishnu

Parana

II-4 -69, 70).

Magdh

(or MrgdhJ,

Magadhdh* Mdnasdh and Mandagdh are given as the names of the Brahand mans, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas
Sudras respectively of Shakadwipa. In a Bengali MS. of the Mahabharata, the first two names are Magd and Masakd. In the Bombay edition of the Mahabharata, we have Mangdh

and Mrgdh instead

of

Magd.\

JIagadhd'oi the Vishnu Purana is evidently a mistake* or misreading for Masakd of the Mahabharata, and therefore the Magadhas cannot be connected with Shakadwipa. But as the Magas are not mentioned in the earlier books, although the Maare, the time of the Magas gadhas coming to India cannot be pushed

The

(Bom. Gaz.

I, Pt. I,

pp.

According to Prof. Weber "the Magas go back to an old mission

far bacfe.

This shows that the Magas had no marriage connections with other nations, when they were in their native country.
fin the

"On Sir R. G. Bhandarkar says: the coins of Kanishka there occurs a figure with the name Miiro (-^Persian Miher,

Avesta Mithra)

by

its

M. Bh. (Bhishma Purva

Shakadwipa

XI-34-36)

we

are four sacred are the Mrigas, Mashakas, MSnasas and Mandagas. The Mrigas are for the most part BrShmans ..Among the Mashakas are various Kshatryas &c."
provinces.

read: "In that

The Purana must have not of much value. been recast during the revival of Hinduism at the hands of illiterate men." (Vaidya,
M.Bh.
p. 79).

They

Cf. Atharva Veda V. 22; also XV. where Magadha is related to Vratya, mentioned in Panchvimsha Br. XVII-4. (Vratya was a

J C.

V Vaidya says
.

the statements

in

"In our opinion the Vishnu Puntna are

:

descendant of a Sudra father and Kshatriya mother).

84
side

The

cult,

therefore,

must

"

They, who

have penetrated to India about the time of that Kushana prince (120 A. D.), and the Multan temple, which was its original seat, must have be^n constructed about the same
time."*

O Samba, having mounted Garuda and going quickly

Magas
without further thought, bring those here from Sakadwipa for " The sun of (S2). my worship
very well and having taken his permission went back to the city Dwdr-

always offer ( 77-79)

are my followers, best prayers to me

"The Magian missionaries

of

Mith-

Jambavati
"
;

(= Samba)

said

"

raism probably did not come to India alone, and were adopted, as Weber observes, into the ranks of the Brahmans themselves under the name of
together Shdka-dvtpiya Brdhmans, with some members of the other Iranian immigrants."! ( Indo-Arvan Races, pp. 224-227.)

viiti

(Dwarka), attended with lustre (83). He told his father every-

thing about his audience with the god. Having obtained Garuda from him, Samba mounted it, and marched
on.
their
trious

Samba whose
ends
(out

Sakadwipa and Magas as he was told (84-85). They were worshipping the Sun with incense, lamp and other auspicious He bowed to them, and things.
having
first

hairs stood on of joyj reached saw there the illus-

made circumambulation

Their Vedas are four, and were produced and made by me with (their) secrets and accompanied by various great and secret incantations mentioned in the Vedas, (76). They think of me only, they always worship me, their minds are devoted to me,
they are

'

honour), he asked those illustrious persons about their welfare " You are the performers and said
(out of
:

of holy acts and are well towards beautiful objects

disposed

You

are

devoted

my

praisers,

my worshippers, my devotees, my servants, my vowThey put on Avyanga

with

observers.

(religious) acts

monies.

"

accompanied by cere-

Note:

The
to

text

runs-:

the worship of the Sun and to you gifts can be (lawfully) given ( 87). Know rne to be the son of Vishnu, named and famous I have as Samba. enshrined the (idol of) Surya on the banks of the Chandrabhaga (88). I am sent here by him. Get up and let us " then answered Samgo " They " ba Yes, undoubtedly. (89). The god told us also formerly. (Therefore) 18 families of Magas, wh3 know the Vedas, will go with thee as ordered by the god" ( 90). Then Samba, having placed those
to
:

18

families

Avyanga seems

be Aivyanghan or sacred girdle as suggested by Dr. Wilson. The word occurs very often

hastily

together on 91 ). returned (

Garuda
In only reached

a very short time,

Samba
;

as

we

shall see later

on.

Mitravana from there, having carried out the orders of the Sun and he told (the Sun) ( 92). everything. " " The Sun said and very good, gladly spoke to Samba ( thus )
:

'

These are

my

worshippers,

who
best

Vaishnavism &c. p. 154. t See also Indian Antiquary

are the pacifiers of people.

XXX,

p. 287.

of

Yadus,

they

will

perform

my

worship according to law you shall never again have any anxiety for diem" ( 90-94).
;

of

Customs and Ceremonies Magas Brahma Parva,

ehapier 140.

that

Having thus brought the Magas, Mahatma .Samba took them

town on the banks of the
;

" the story and said While con^ templating the Sun, while thinking about the Bhojakas and their history, there is a doubt in my mind ( 22), How are they the worshippers (of the .Sun) ? Who are the Magas ? Who are the Bhojakas ? What is the best thing to be known about
:

them
(

2-3).

into the

Who among them Why are they

they

is

famous

called

di-

vine,

and having Chandrabhaga enshrined the Sun (idol), he collected much money and gave it to the Bho1-2 ;. That town, which jakas (
river

why do

hold

Koorcha,

why why

are they devoted to the Sun, are thev known as Vdchakas?"

was sacred to the Sun,

in the

is

famous

three worlds, and is known as Sambapura, since it was built by Samba. In the middle of that town, the Sun god was enshrined and all were made to settle by him in that town which bore the stamp of his 3-4 ). The Magas' acts name. ( were worthy of the families, who
;

Note:

The

text runs thus:

wti

weir
for

had experience of (such acts; their service of the god was chanted with the rites mentioned in the Vedas. 5 ). Then young and holy ( Samba, whose object was fulfilled',
)

In

Sanskrit
of

^f
grass,
is

stands

bunch
ing

Kusha
this

lieve that

word

but we bea corrupt read-

having obtained the boon, having to the Sun, the first and oldest god, and afterwards having bowed to all the Magas and having saluted them, started to go to the City Bwaravati. ( 6-7 ). ( Then ) the of gentile, great- souled grand-son Vasudeva called the daughters of Bhoja for the purpose of the Magas. The best of the Bhojakas gave daughters to those Magas. All those with girls were together adorned

for Goorja (mace), which was carried by the priestly class of the Zoroastrians. means de^fft^cT

bowed

votion
It

or

vow

to

?;

i. e.

the Sun.

would be wrong to say that this word is a bad reading for Ahura, because the word occurs in several passages, and everywhere it is used for the Sun god only. The Magas are called Vdchakas, probably on
account of the Baj prayer or cere-

mony.

coral

and jewels ( 8-9 ). All those were honoured (by Samba) and were sent to the temple of the

Then Samba (^fajpJi). there again asked the Sun " Tell me about the history, god Vedas and Avyanga of the Magas. " Hearing these words of Samba, the Sun spoke "Go to Narada and ask him; he will tell you everything."
going
: :

Sun

Why and for what purpose de they chant the Vedas energetically, and what is the measure of the " of the bodice ? auxiliary part 25 ( ).

"

Thus spoken to, Samba went Narada ( 10-12) him

to

to

Narada professing ignorance asked

go
to

Vyasa.

Samba

repeated

86
Note: The
last

l^^M
it

f%

Wit
4^^

passage is: In the

I

printed book 3?2fn%

is

one word

to observe the rules of conduct v.ith silence and also all these great siges eat with silence, (82). Moreover

they

may be 3T2ff ff =F^>. If we take the whole as one word, the meaning may be that the bodice resembles (i.e.
is

the dwellers in

Saka-dwipa are the

$^>

as thin as) the skin of a snake. probably refers to the Sudrth.

is used in the same sense in the 3rd Shloka of the 16 verses said to have been recited before the king Jadi Rana. 3JT

The same word

performers of all the rites, that sages Therefore he who does perform. not desire demerit should eat in silence ( 33 ) They are known to be always devoted to the worship of the Sun ( 34). They are known
as Bhojakas, as they were (the progeny) of the daughters of Bhoja- Just as there are four Vedas known among

means the component

part.

This auxiliary
is
is

Sudreh

which

or auxiliary part of the Kusti, the measure of given hereafter. It may

Brahmans namely Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda, so O you of good vows, the Vedas of the Magas are also known
the

be noted that in the

3rd

Shloka

(35-36).
are

These Vedas
to

of

theirs

recited before the king Jadi Rana, the ends of Kusti are said to resemble the mouth of an Ahi or snake.

be false ( they are ) Veda, Vishvamada, Vidvata and Vahni-rasa (37). Formerly the
Prajapati communicated these Vedas
to the

known

Magas"

38).

"

How

the gods and

sacrifice

do they chant ( prayers ) to how do they perform ? "pTRT ( <pt ^Tfsj JTPJTcT

==pf )

26

).

What

is

hotra;

what are known

their Agnias their 5

? Tell me about all these 27 )". cusfoms of the Bhojakas ( of these words Samba, Hearing the sage of great lustre Krishnadwaipayana ( / e. Vyasa), the son of noble words Kali, spoke these " O best of Yadus, good, very good; you have asked me good questions; O you, strict in the observance of vows, the customs of the Bhojakas are undoubtedly difficult to be known

festivals

Note:

Veda, Vishva-mada &c.

are said to be the Vedas or religious works of the Magas.

It is difficult to identify

them, but
;

we

guess that
vesta

"Veda" was probably

vetta

Avesta

Veda

Vishva-

Vidvat Vispard, might be Vidoevodat and Vahni-rasa, might be Atash Nyash. The Sans-

mada

might

be

krit

writers

usually

appearance

28incomprehensible). ( of the Sun, I also learnt (them) from the Smriti,

(i.e.

to foreign

gave Hindu names, as we

are

29

).

By the favour

and I shall tell you fully, as they are mentioned by Vasishtha ( 30 ). O

son of Krishna, the customs of the Magas are the best; hear (them). They are well-versed in knowledge, and are devoted to religious and
worldly rites
(

see in the case of the names of the personages in the Bible referred to in the Bhavishya Purana.

^4l*i

^WTfyRTT

Could it be that the Smriti re" ferred to by Vyasa was the Parsi Smriti" the old manuscript P. S., containing the 16 Sanskrit Shlokas according to which also the Parsis worshipped the Sun and observed
silence, while taking
satisfactory proof
is

31).

All these Rishis are

known

meals? More however required

87
the identification. The word Smriti occurs again in Chapter 142 6-7.
for
us,

and

BO)

it is
(

among them
live.

not to be 46 ).

touched

Although not desiring to live, they They go round their dear Sun and always bow to it ( idol ), with sacrifice, Mantras and rites mentioned in the Veda ( 47 ). As the sacrifice of the Magas, who believe in the Tatva, is performed with
several Mantras, therefore they are known as sacrificers ( 48 ).

"Justus
just as

(lowers
*

are arranged

by

the Brahmans at the time of worship,

Just

as

among
is

Darbha

grass
just as

is

arranged
these are
so

Agni hotra

the twice-born, well known, so among

is

among the twice-born

and
also
sacrifices,

in all the rites

the Magas, Adhvahotra

and

The name of that

such is the Rishi
this
(

regarded as holy among them,

is

performed. is Achcha;* undoubtedly the statement of

sacrifice

the case with the Magas by these verily the chiefs of the Magas obtain success in that island.

49).
is

Five times incense

always world.
brings

to

be offered
in

success

the

(41-42).
to

they belong they have holy customs, they are attached to sacriare devoted and they fices, they recite Mantras in the commencement 43 ). O lion of the Yadus, O de( lighter of the Yadus, the dear Bhojakas recite the Veda Mantra, which is like a missile 43 ). O best of ( Yadus, the Sdvitri f of all Brahmans is considered our best, first utterance.
best
families,

They

are

learned,

Magas Marry Bhojaka GirlsBrahma Parva, Chapter 141.

Samba
said
:

the Bhojakas,

The Avyanga of which you spoke of

"

and which purifies the body, is said to be the bond of devotion. What is their caste"? Vyasa said: "When all those sons of Bhojakas were questioned bv you, what did they tell
you.

(45).
It is but proper, that they eat with silence, humility and freedom from infatuation what belongs to Smriti \ is not to be touched (among
;

Tell
said:

me

that

fully"

(1-2),

"I have told you fully about the habitations of the Bhojakas.

Samba
You
"

will tell
(

me
),

truly,

what

is

their

caste

Dr. Wilson says, that the Magas used we have seen that in Chapter Vars.hma 189-59 the wjrd used is Varma=a.rmo\ir. But here it appears that the Magas also used Darbha. t Sdvitri or Gdyatri is the verse in Rigveda 111-62-10, which runs thus
; :
I

glorious one, who was speech spoke these words:"O Samba, the youths of the Bhojakas, about whom you spoke and heard

Then

that

skilful in

||

What

is

Smritika

Does

it

refer

t 5f: $Nl<V4m, II May we attain that excellent glory of Savitar the god. So may

Myazda, which is not to be touched by aliens ? The reading 4/^ejj (dead) might
to

he stimulate our prayers." resembles our Ahunavar in

in
is

This Gdyatri every respect.

be suggested

for

meaning would be
not to be touched.
*

t^ld'ft. In that case the that the dead body was

Ahunavar is also represented as a missile Vendidad XIX-9. Could the Mantra of the Magas be Ahunavar ? The evidence
certainly
J

What

is

this

Achcha

sacrifice,

it is diffi-

very meagre.
is
:

The passage

ft

rn"

means purCi " The sacrifice may be Yasna clear. ceremony. Just as Afaisya becomes Machclia^ so,Yasta ( Yasfya ) might become Yachc/ia
cult to say.

In Sanskrit, 3fv$$

Achcha}.

are

as my Magas.* to be known Eight of these were Sudras, called Madangas." "

of the Kurus, their caste is, no doubt, exactly as 1 told you. I shall also
tell

Having known this and with a bow to the Sun with the head, ten
born in the family of Bhojaf were given ( in marriage ) to ten
girls

Avjanga

you about the characteristic of hear, as it is mentioned.

;

Avyanga or Kusti of Magas Brahma Parva,

Chapter 142.
Vyasa
serpents,
celestial

(youths).
also,

And

to

the

Madangas
(

eight girls were

given.

4said:

O S^mba, I entered Remember this, that town. were the slave girls ( ^f^F^r ) eight and the Bhoja girls were ten those ten and eight (girls) should be known as ( the wives ) of those There the twice-born begot youths. those those sons on the Bhoja girls sons were called Bhojakas and were
6).

Then

"The

gods,

sages,

their

numerous Gandharvas, damsels, Yakshas, and Rak-

the named divine. Brahmans, Those who were begotten on the slave girls by the Madangas, named 'the degraded, were really the Madangas who were worshippers of the. Sun. They were surrounded by wives and sons in that Brahmanic town (7-10). By those Rishis, who had begun to sacrifice accord'

'

shasas live' in the Sun in different seasons in regular order ( 1). There ( the celestial serpent) Vasuki hastily the chariot of the raised up a cloud Sun and with a bow to the Sun quickl} returned to his own place 2 ). As a favour he gave the (

Sun an Avyanga, which was

celestial,

'

decorated with the heavenly Ganges, and not very red nor very white 8 ). He tied it lovingly round ( for this reason, his body; ( the

Avyanga) which was produced from the body of the king of snakes, was worn by the Sun.* ( 4 ). Therefore out of affection
for the

ing to their own religious duties, the Sun was worshipped in Sakadwipa with Vedic Mantras of different kinds ( 11). (These) men, putting on Avyanga pray to the Sun. See-

Sun, a

ing their Avyanga, " excited (12).

my

curiosity

was

Bhojaka desiring to worship ( him ) wears it and becomes holy by the performance of ceremonies and by 5 ). If it is worn daily, the truth ( But those Sun becomes pleased.
of the Bhojakas, the

Sun-worshippers

Samba,
said
is

once
the "
:

again
son
of

bowing,

to

(=Vyasa)

Satyavati best of sages, what

Avyanga, which you spoke of. Whence was it produced, why When is it to is it considered pure ? be tied, why is it put on, what, Sir, is said to -be the measurement of " 18-14 ). this Avyanga ? (
this excellent

not wear it, are undoubtedly beyond the circle of the Sun-worshippers, are not venerable and are They are unfit to carry on impure. the duties enjoined by Smriti and are unworthy to worship the Sun 6-7 ). If they worship the Sun ( they fall into the Raurava Hell; they do not smile nor do they stand up, to reap ( the fruit ) of their prayer"

who do

Hearing these words of the son

of Jambavati, Vyasa, the son of Kali " lion spoke to Samba (thus):

(8).

* Here is a very important statement for us namely that the Bhojakas and the Magas The words are used inwere identical. discriminately by our author.

said tj have married t Bhoja or Rajput girls and to have become the Brahman Bhojakas of Dwarka ( Bom

The Magas

are

Gaz. I,pt.

I,

p. 142).

snake may be connected with the legend in the Haoma 26 in which it is stated that AhuYashta ramazda first brought for Haoma the Kusti, which was decorated with stars.
celestial

The above story Avyanga from }he

of the

Sun receiving

It (the Avyanga ) should be of one colour, so that it brings about success in actions; in measure......

"

incense-smoke
o.f

offered

in

honour

made

ment
( i. e.

it

200

should be 100 more than 100 ) finger breadths (^355).

the Sun produced by the Bhojakas, and how, O Mahatma, the ablution of water before re( ), sipping

^R

ligious

ceremonies

34N*H
"
)

and the

Such an Avyanga is the longest of middle in measurement; one measure should be 20 more (than 100 i. f. 120 finger breadths); and the shortest should be S more than 100 ( /. e. 108 finger breadths).* Shorter 10-11. ). than this it should not be (
Its form was made and produced by Vishva Karma (the Almighty ); among the Bhojakas it is called Parasshata. ( 12). Although cleansed one does not become pure without it; therefore, O hero, by wearing it, he becomes pure at the time ( 13), ( when ) oblations, offerings &c. and all auspicious ceremonies take place
.........

giving of venerable offerings

(

are

made by them

(3J%R)
Having
:

heard these words of Samba, the 1-4 ) great sage Narada spoke ( O lion of Kurus, I shall gladly tell you about the incense, smoke and ceremonies ( to be offered ) to the Sun also about ablution, water-sipping and gifts of gold. Having sipped water thrice, having taken a bath, and putting on stainless, clean and holy clothes, which should not be moist, he ( the Bhojaka ) should stay
;

and with pious effort drink, facing the north and east ( 5-7 ). He should
not drink while in water, but should do so devoutly, coming out of water; (for) in the water there are the Sun, fire and the goddess mother Sarasvati

(U)
As
of a
Jcf:
t

it

was produced
(
(

from the body

it is

serpent,

therefore

called

Avyanga
)

15

J:

because
therefore

it

is

a part
called

and feet

of this serpent,

it is

Having washed the hands as far as the knees, he should devoutly and gladly drink water which is well-collected three
(

) ......

Avyanga
......... O best of Yadus, those who worship the Sun without it (Avyanga} do not obtain the reward of worship, and they go to hell" ( 27 ).

He should twice do times (10). the anointing ( of the idol ), and thrice the sprinkling (of it) by water, (after) having touched ( with watei ) his own forehead and cavities of the body.
Having sipped water, he should bow to the Sun, and become holy He who among holy persons.
performs ceremony without sipping water through infatuation, is a Nas ika an unbeliever) (12). All his ( ceremonies here undoubtedly become fruitless, because the Vedas state, that the gods are desirous of purity 13 ) ...... Having ( water, sipped and remaining silent, he should go to the house of god hav( \4\*\\{ )

Worship of the Sun IdolBrahma Par va, Chapter 143.

having heard the origin of Avyanga from Vyasa, the son of Satyavati, went away. Then that illustrious Samba going again to the hermitage of Narada of great power, spoke these " O Rishi, how is the words to him,
*A Gaja
is

That wise Samba,

thus

thus defined:

A Gaja is 30 6nger breadths of an ordinary man." Therefore == the longest Avyanga is ^o_o_ g| Gajas
:
I

ing
(

covered
breath
(

the

mouth and nose

the

breathing organs (for preventing from touching holy *

)

long the middle one is and the shortest one

;

L2J> =4
is

Gajas long

objects)
),

J^s^ga.

Gajas

long. These are just the measurements of our Kusti.

and having covered the head devoutly for turning off water from the hair, he should perform the wor-

90
ship of the Sun with holy flowers * 15-16 ). various kinds. (
of

Having recited the Gayatri with a

bow and
offer to

with devotion, one should the fire, incense with the offering of guggula (a fragrant sub-

Then having held stance). (17). a handful of flowers in its flame

with devotion, it should be placed on the head of the Sun (idol) after Deva- Mantra having recited the The times for offering (18) in the incense are known as five five Dhupas 1 shall observe the five " &c.... ceremonies, namely Havana From the appearance (i.e. rising ) of the Sun, its worship should be performed three times. In the then forenoon the sun is half risen In the half the sun is powerful. forenoon, (the following) should be offered to the Heli (morning Sun), in the noon to the Jvalana (=burning Sun), and in the afternoon to
;

and going near the chest of the Sun (idol), he should give the offering to the Sun (28). "Om, a bow to the Sun, the lord, the Vishva (= god), lying in the sky, the Brahman, the maker of the worlds, the ruler, the old one of thousands of eyes, a bow to you, to Soma, to Rik, (a bow to) the Yajus, and Atharva
;

earth, atmosphere, heaven, Mahar (fourth world), fanah (world of deified

mortals),

Tapas

(Tapas-world)

and Saiya (Satya-world).

A bow

to

Brahman, the Sun, to its top, middle * ( 29-30). portion and front.
Having offered incense to Sun with this ceremony, the Bhojaka shall enter the interior house ( 37). Having entered there, he
the

should
(SffcTTT^)

offer incense to the idol with the Mantra thus: "(this

the yjya/tm0(=burning Sun) (namesandal ly) lotus flowers mixed with water, and with fragrant water, and Kara-vera tree-leaves and red chalk 22-24 ). ( Having put flowerwater mixtures, Kuruvia flowers and charming fragrance etc. in a copper vessel and having offered incense and offering of guggul to the fire, O hero, and having taken an Arghya (offering) vessel one should" invoke O you, the Sun (thus) ( 25-26): Sun of the thousand rays, mass of lustre, lord of the world, be merciful O Sun god, accept the to me.

ever for Mihira, for Nikshubhd. a bow to Rddni ( Sun's wife), then a bow to Nikshubhd a bow to the one who bears the name Dandanayaka (judge); a bow to Pingala the Sun); ( name of an attendant on and a bow to the lord Srausha and to the lord Garuda. ( 38-40).
is)

Then

Note:

The last
)
is

passage

cT^IT

With this (prayer), offering" (27). and the invocation should be made
;

falling
*

on the knees

to

the

earth,

very important. ( is a corrupt form; but what is Srausha? In the dictionaries and Koshas, the It word is not to be found. is Zoroastrian evidently the angel
?r*r:

the Sun-worRegarding the Sun-worship performed by the bauras or Sun-worshippers, Sir R. " Water is G. Bhandarkar says sipped
ship.
:

Here the author describes

The pray tr runs thus

3ft

by repeating a formula expressive of a wish, that the Sun. Manyu and Manyupati may protect the adorer from sins. After that three offerings of water with or without
the ether

3ft
^

3ft
1 1

ingredients are

made

to the

Sun
q^f:
||

'

'

'*&

after repeating the Gayatri, water is whirled round his

and then the head by the adorer by repeating the Mantra (That " (Varshnavism &c. Aditya is Brahman)
p.

As

T \ ^\ this prayer contains the mystic

'
I

^M

words
it is

^9^'-^^

clear

and the syllable 3ft beyond doubt, that this prayer

151).

is

un-Zoroastrian.

91
Srausha.
in

This passage shows, that worship, the Magas and Bhojakas invoked Hindu as well as Zoroastrian deities.
their

Makdra, which

is

Truth

itself

the

Makara being known as the lord god Sun are known as Magas on account of the contemplation and meditation of the Makara ( 23-25).
Because they cause the thousand rayed Sun to be glad ( >?M^Pcf ) by
incense, flowers and offerings, therefore they are called Bhojakas. *

Then having made circumambulation, an offering should be made

to

the gods of the quarters*

If best flowers are

40

).

An Account of Bhojakas Brahma Parva, Chapter 145. Vasudeva said "O great sage,
:

not

then

leaves

might be

available, offered. If

leaves cannot be had, then

incense.

If incense cannot be had, then water. If none (of these) is available, then

best of Brahmans, give me an account of the Bhojakas as my curiosity " is very great 1 ). Vyasa said ( " Learn the account, as I speak. " He ( Bhojaka ) abandons the
:

one should worship by falling prostrate. If one is unable to fall prostrate, one should worship the Sun in (lit. by) the mind. All these
(alternative) ritual offerings are joined, when there is no money.

dress,

which

is

contaminated

by

bones, which has come into contact with ( fleshy ) muscles, which is

en-

should offer all (these) ( 51-53). When one offers incense to the Sun with Mantras and ceremonies, the Sun becomes pleased with incense by their recitation
54). He, having devoutly and properly covered his head, nose and mouth, should worship the Sun and should not be lax (in worship) ( 52).

who has money,

He,

by flesh and blood, which is by skin, which is foul smelling, which is spoiled by urine and faeces, which is worn by persons in old age and sorrow, and which is stained
soiled
tied

by menses.

(2-3)
146.

Who are Low Bhojakas ?

Brahma Parva, Chapter
That Bhojaka, whose wife is a Shudra, and who does not wear Avyanga should be undoubtedly
unworthy to sit in the same O eminent dinner ( 12 ). lion of Yadus, (in the house of) that Bhojaka worshipper, who worships the Sun with ceremonies, (but) without having bathed and without Avyanga, who from the Sudras, who eats food abandons even the who t ploughs, god's idol, who does not perform the ceremonies of the birth of a child &c., who does not recite Gdyatri with the Mantras at dawn in that Bhojaka's wicked house, a Brahman

Words Maga and Bhojaka Brahma

Parva, Chapter 144.
men, those who meditate upon Omkdra ( the sound Om}, which is made up of three letters, and upon that Omkdra which consists of three half
accurately

Derivations of the

known
at

as

row

best of

who speak

syllables,

the

which is a consonant, (regarded) as a half syllable, and who ponder over the knowledge contained in the
bow should
* In subsequent passages we read, that a be made to all the gods, to the Rudras, to the serpent Sftes/ta, to the Daityas, DSnavasand Pishachas of Tala, Sutala, Pdtdla, Atala Vitala, Rasdtala. and other hells This throws abundant light on the religion of the Bhojakas.

Makdra (sound ma}

of the

The author gives fanciful derivations words Maga and Bhojaka.

a duty of the f Ploughing was probably low class at the time. According to Bhagvad Gita XVIII-44, ploughing

was a duty of the Vaibhyaa.

who

not pure (13-15). without performing worship of the Sun, the manes, gods, men and beings, is irre( pious )
eats,
is

He who

eats

is devoid of He, who ligious. * and without Shankha Abhyanga and who wears hairs oi> the head should be known as the meanest

Those, who take away others' wives, who plough (land), or take up king's service, are to be known as fallen,* those, who eat food (prepared) by Sudras, are my enemies ( 5)

Bhojaka(16-17).
All
(

Those, whose heads are always shaven, who wear Abhyanga, ivho blow the Shankha ( (K4Pd ) arc

thought
of

ceremonies
god's

Bhojaka,

who performs

worship,

Homa

be divine Bhojakas ( 12). Those who have well washed (their bodies) and are devoid of anger, who
to

offering ceremony,

and ablution, who gives offerings to the manes, gives charity and praises the Brahmans, but who is devoid of Abhyanga,

always worship me three times, are my dear Bhojakas ( 1 3). Tho^e who 3Tt observe a fast on my day ( ?T^I%

become

fruitless

(18). O

lion

of

Yadus, this Abhyanga is known as pure and best,- and is under the proO tection of all gods and Vedas. at the end of the best of Yadus, Abhyanga of the Bhojakas stands Han ( i-e. Vishnu], in the middle Brahma of great lustre, and in the front Shiva. At its end is Rigveda, in its middle Sama Veda entirely, and also the best Yajur Veda with Atharva Veda- The three fires and the three worlds (also) stand ( there ) in ( proper ) order; such is the sacred Abhyang* of the 19-22 ). That Bhojaka, Bhojakas ( who is devoid of it, is a low Bhojaka, he should be known as one unworthy of dining together ( Offer23 ) red chalk ( Kunings of eatables, kiima} (offered) to the gods and the Sun are pure. Those Bhojakas who give or sell (them) to the Sudras

Sunday) at night, and on the 6th Tithi and on the 7th Tithi and on Sankramana dayt are to be known as Bhojakas, divine Brahmanas and my
worshippers
(

14-15).

O
my

hero, those

day

(=

wise men, who on Sunday) and also on the

6th Tithi, do not eat at night are

favourite

my

Magas

'20).

Those Bhojakas who do not make

offerings every

anniversary)

year on the (death day of (their) fathers

and mothers are not

my

favourites

(21) A Bhojaka
(

is

said to
to

be venerable
the
Sauras.

<^T

specially

husbands are venerable to Just wives, and masters to pupils, so the Bhojaka, O Yadava prince, is veneras

and who take away things belonging to God should be known as the lowest
Bhojakas
(

able to the Sauras. ( 33). ...*.. all those Sauras who eat the food (prepared by) the Bhojakas without hesitation, are freed from sin and go to the Sun 35 ). the world of (

'24)

Good and Bad Bhojakas

Saura Religion

Brahma
151.

Brahma Parva,

(Chapter 147.

Parva, Chapter

Those Bhojakas, who do not capture others' wives and treasures and

who do

not revile the

gods, are

al-

ways my favourites ( 3 ). Those Bhojakas who deal in merchandise and agriculture and ( those who ) speak ill are all my enemies ( 4 ).
*

This best and famous Saura religion of all people, who are plunged into the ocean of worldly life, was produced for the well-being of the
Brahman should only do ihe service of the godi, he should not be an agriculturist or a servant of any kind.
f Day on which the Sun passes from one zodiacal sign to another. It must be stated that the Zoroastrians do not blow Shani/ia or
*

Here instead

of the
is

word Avyanga we
very commonly

have Abhyanga which

used.

also

observe

fasts.

93
16). Those, who being the Sun, with quiet minds and with the desire to obtain happiness, serve the great religion, are undoubtedly Sauras. 17 ) ( They, who remember the Sun with prayer once or twice or thrice every day, are at once freed from all sins,

world.

devoted

to

am

Abhyanga and performs three Savanas (Soma ceremonies) (44). I

by night
always *

worshipped and day.

five

times

although committed in seven births. ( 18) ...... The essence of the Saura religion is that the Sun's worship is

That (worship) is indispensable. mentioned by the Sun to the gods

as

21) ( consisting of 16 parts: namely, (1) ablution in the morning, (2) muttering prayer, (3) Homa ce(5) remony, (4) worship of god, honouring Brahmans with devotion, (6-7) worship of the cow and Ashvatiha tree, (8-9) hearing history and Purana with devotion and faith, (10) study of the Vedas, (11) love for people, with my worship, (12) faith
in prayer,

A Bhojaka should not perform the consecration of the idol of any other god. He should never do even mine all alone ( A Bhojaka should 46). never eat all the food, which is offered (to the god) he should not go to a Sudra's house and eat (there) 47). ( Bhojakas should always with effort abandon the remains of a Sudra's dinners. How can those Bhojakas, who always eat food of the Sudra at his house, obtain in this world the fruit of their worship ?
;

(48-49).
(

be blown near
all

When 50). of a sudden,

up,

conch should always a Bhojaka the Shankha is blown

me by

my

springs

(and

love undoubtedly continues) for 6

which

is

worthy of respect,

(13) loudly reading books with devotion before me (a thing) which is always dear to me, (14) hearing

months, just like the hearing of Purana ( ol). Therefore the Shankha should be always sounded by a Bhojaka devoutly
;

his chief

function

is

my

stories always, (15) change in voice and (motions of) eyes and body
),

(16)

always

re-

52 ). ( offerings to me. They are said to be Bhojakas, because they do not eat what is not to

making

membering me with prayer and faith. ...... Him who worshipfully offers to

be eaten those who (always) think about Maga are called Magadhas.
;

me
I

leaves, ilowers, fruit and water, do not injure, nor does he injure me* ( 21-25, 28).
[

(53).
enjoy,

They always make

therefore
as
cf

me
are

We

shall

now
as
it

translate

some

of

they

the
of

passages
that

from

known
<3

Chapter
a

117,

Bhojakas
"JTteRfl":

f*T( ^frjRTfff *Tt

which gives,
all,

were,

summary
].

we have noted above

FJcTF: ) ; and the which is the best puriAbhyanga, fier is worn with devotion ( 54 ).

^f

Religious Customs of Bho jakas Brahma Parva,

Chapter

117.
will
tell

Bhojaka, who is devoid of Abhyanga becomes impure without any doubt. He who, O hero, worships me without Abhyanga, has no progeny, and I do
not love him. The head should be shaved and a tuft of hair kept with
perseverance. day at night

O
out

Garuda,

(Sun)
is

you

what Bhojaka

like.
is

He

carries

always ready to obey (me) ( 43). The study of the Vedas is the first thing then marrying a wife. He always wears
;

my

orders and

(55-56).

On

Sun-

and on the 6th Tithi and the 7th Tithi and my Sankramana. day, a Bhojaka should observe fast out of love for me and he should
mutter Gdyatri loudly thrice a day
*

This description of the baura religion shows that it must be Mithra worship, which was spread far and wide a few centuries
after Christ.

The

Zoroastrians do

not

worship the

Sun

at night.

94
before me.
( 58). Having covermouth with effort and having abandoned silence and anger with perseverance, he should worship me He, who through avarice or ( 59).

ed

his

the Mithra worship of about the 5th or 6th century A. D., and were devoted to the worship of the Sun-idol.

offerings
verily

greed gives the holy remains of my to Sudras and Vaishyas,

to

Their religion was a mixture of Hinduism and Zoroastrianism and in course of time they were incorporated
into the

Hindu

caste.

goes wicked-souled Bhojaka, who through to avarice gives my flowers another, without placing them on me, should be known as my great enemy he is not fit to worship me. The remains of my offerings should be
(

hell

60

).

That

given
(

to

holy)

men

like

Brahmans
always
eat

61-62

).

He

should

He 63 ). ( things offered to me who takes away flowers from my body should immediately throw them into water my offering should not be
;

Whatever fragiven to another touched my flower has or grant thing body should never be given to he should take Vaishyas or Sudras it himself and should not sell it on any account ( 66 ). He who without placing flowers on me, gives
; ;

them
hell

in

the

world,

verily goes

to

(67).

Conclusion.
None of the Puranas was written The date of Bhabefore 400 A. D.
vishya Purana cannot be determined it could not be earlier than 400 A. D. What is known as
accurately, but

the Bhavishya Maha Purana clearly appears to be an extension of the old Purana, belonging to very recent times because, in the Pratisarga
;

are chapters, which contain interesting particulars about

Parva there

Adam, Noah, Christ, Mahomed, Taimurlang, Kabir, Nanak and even Akbar.
Considering all the evidence bewe conclude that the Magas were not pucca Zoroastrians. They appear to have been the priests of
fore us,

95

APPENDIX,
Criticism on

Or. Spooner's
Re:

was taken to this identification, as Patna is not situated near the confluence of the above said rivers. This however has been explained by a

Paper

change in the bed of the river Sona, which is established on best geographical

evidence.

(Max
p.

Mullet's
;

Zoroastrian Period of Indian History.

Ancient Sk. Literature,

280

Vin-

cent Smith's Early History p. 114).

Patliputra

of India,

Dr. D. B. Spooner who was in charge of the excavations at Patliputra wrote an important paper in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland in The paper deals with A. D. 1915. a novel but interesting theory about " a Zoroastrian period what he terms
of Indian History to discuss.

was also called Kusumpura, Kusumadhvaja and Pushpapura, (Dutt's Anc. India Vol. II, p. 121; V. Smith's Early Hist. p. 31), and was known as Palibothra in the
Classical writings.

"

which we propose

In

the

very

beginning we must

say that in spite of our best efforts to fall in with the views of Dr. Spooner, we could not in our heart of hearts bring ourselves round to accept his

theory,

which however fascinating and agresable it appeared to the Parsi community, failed to appeal to us, as it was inconsistent with the facts and circumstances we had known from the histories of different reliWe need hardly say that gions. although we differ from the worthy
Doctor on
several
points,
still

Megasthenes, who was the ambassador sent by Seleukos Nikator f to the court of Sandrokottos, that is, Chandragupta, was the author of a He was an acute book on India. observer and was of an inquisitive In this book he has turn of mind. given a faithful account of what fell under his observation. This work is lost, but numerous fragments from it

have been preserved by Strabo, Arrian, Pliny and others. Megasthenes describes Palibothra as being the Capital in those days. The city was a long narrow parallelogram
about 80 ( stadium

we

thoroughly appreciate and sincerely admire the zeal and enthusiasm which
inspired
in his arguments. an ancient city, the was Patliputra

him

capital of
It

Magadha or South Behar. was the capital of Chandragupta, the founder of the Mauryan dynasty (320 to 290 B C.). f It was situated
at the confluence of the

and 15 and was surrounded by a ditch 600 feet wide and 30 cubits deep. Its walls were adorned with 570 towers and 64 Anc. India, ( Me. Crindle's gates.
202i
yards),

stadia

or

9 '2

miles long

stadia or 1.72 miles

wide,

pp. 204-8; Smith's Early Hist, of India, p. 114, and Dutt's Anc. India Vol. I; p. 217, Cunningham's Anc.

Ganges and

Geography
*

of India, p, 452).

the Sona, and has been identified with the modern Patna. Exception
As stated at page 4, it was at first intended to reserve the discussion on Dr. Spooner's paper for a separate book, but as his theory and the several points he has urged in favour thereof are intimately connected with the subject matter of this book, it was at the
suggestion of a friend, thought advisable to
insert our criticism here.
*

Bha"sha in his play, Act I. twice mentions Pataliputra as a capital of Darsaka, who ruled till 464 B C. Darsaka was succeeded by his son Udayashva. who in 460 B. C. built Kusumapura-"the City of Garden?"

now Bankipore. (Hindu History by A. K. Mozumdar, pp. 821-322) (Archaeological

Survey of Westren India Vol.
6, p.

48).

t According

to

Max

Muller 815
Pt,
I,

B. C. (S. B. E. Vol.

to 291 Introd. p. 39)

f One of Alexander's great generals, and king of Syria, who sent Megasthenes in 800 B. C. to Chandragupta (Rapson's Anc.
India, p, 114.)

96
* who Asoka ( 260 to 222 B. C. ) was the grandson of Chandragupta built an outer masonry wall round famous city and beautified it this with innumerable stone buildings. A great portion of this city and the remains of the palace of Asoka, still under the houses and lie buried fields of the village of Kumrahar on the south side of the railway between Patna and Bankipur at a depth of from 10 to 20 feet. (Encycl. Bri. llth Ed. XX. p. 929; V. Smith's Hist,

cavations led Dr. Spooner to believe, that not only the hall but its surroundings also showed close likeness of the Achaemenian prototype, and

that here

"

we had

conscious

Mauryan copy
logist,

of Persepolis."

Dr. Spooner being a great Archaeowe as laymen have nothing

archaeological
is

of India, p. 114).

Excavations at Patliputra.
excavations of Patliputra about 25 years ago under the supervision of Colonel Waddell, and Mr. P. C. Mukherji. The second excavations were commenced in the beginning of 1913 by the Archaeological Department of the Government of India under Dr. Spooner. For this purpose the late
Sir

the literary evidence, which is of the utmost importance for us, because on this evidence the learned Doctor bases his inference as regards the "Zoroastrian period of Indian History."

say against his But it conclusions.

to

The first were made

Dr. Spooner observes: Asoka has hitherto been credited with having introduced the use of stone, and Greeks have shared with Persians the hononr of inspiring him." But " he asks Is there any trace of
:

"

Greek influence
court
in
?

at

Chandragupta's

all

the

thenes

"

records of Megas-

Ratan Tata of Bombay had made

a munificent donation of Rs. 20,000 every year for a number of years.

know that the Greeks as well as the Persians had assisted Chandragupta in his wars against the last
monarch of Magadha, namely Dhana Nandana and it appears clear, that the connection of the Greeks must
be as close as that of the Persians. The very fact that Megasthenes was frequently sent as an ambassador to

We

While the excavations were being carried on, Dr. Spooner came across one big column and fragments of other relics, polished pillars and from which he concluded that there must have been a vast pillared hall
on the spot. From further materials he concluded, that this hall was "square with stone columns arranged
in square bays over the entire area, placed at distances of 15 feet or 10

Chandragupta

proves

this.*

(Max

Muller's Anc. Sk. Literature, p. 277; McCrindle's Anc. India, p. 88). As we shall see later on, the Greeks

were as well famous

tectural

for their archi-

Mauryan

cubits

Now as it is edicts of Asoka are after the style of the cuniform inscriptions of Darius

each from each." well known, that the

buildings

as
it

the Persians.

in spite of this the Mauryan hall

But

might be, that was built after

the

design of the Persepolitan hall

Hystapes, and as the excavated columns had the peculiar Persian polish, it was inferred that the hall at Patliputra closely resembled, nay it was almost a copy of the throne room of Darius, the hall of a hundred columns at Perse polis. Further ex*

by some Persians at the court of Chandragupta or his successors.

Evidence of Mahabharata and 71 sura Maya.

Let us now consider the
evidence.
Prof. Jacobi's
literary

suggestion

Butt's Anc. Ind.

Pt.
I(

X.

Intro, p. his Early Hist, of to 229 B. C.

24; and S. B. E. Dr. Bhandarkar in Deccan (p. 14) gives 268

I, p.

39.

Daimachus was sent as an ambassador Dioby Antiochus I. (280-261 B. C ) and nysius by Ptolemy Philadelphia (285-247 B.C.) (See Rapson's Anc. India, pp. 103-4).

97
the Mahabharata might throw light on the question, drew the attention of Dr. Spooner to a passage
that

some
in

(=Arjuna ) aforetime the palaces of the Danavas were wrought by me."

In this translation Dr. " Spooner renders f^feRisft as the Creator "
is not correct, as we shall see hereafter. The learned Doctor that "Asura Maya was the says, Creator, and that Maya could not

Hopkins' Great Epic ( p. 391 ). In this passage Hopkins remarks, that

'the architecture, which is of stone and metal, is attributed in all the

but this

more important building operations the demon Asura, or Danava Maya who by his magic power builds such huge buildings as are described, immense moated palaces with arches
to

state

and a roof supported by a thousand columns."

Dr. Spooner supposes, that Asura is the exact equivalent of Ahura Mazda, and that his association

Maya

buildings is in entire accord with the language of the inscription on the great Porch of Xerxes, wherein the emperor said, " that he made the portal and many other noble monuments in Parsa by the grace of Ormuzd." (J. R. .S.
architectural

with

Neither in the epitaph on the Porch of Xerxes nor in Persia generally was Ahura Mazda looked upon, in Achaemenian times as the literal builder. But neither need we suppose, that in the days of the Mauryas, the Asura Maya was so looked upon either. The conception of the Asura Maya as an active architect is an essentially later

his identity clearer terms

with

Ormuzd

in

.......

development."

Our objection
take
f^^^Tlf

is that, even if we in the sense of the

1915, p. 444).

Although Ahura is the exact equivalent of Asura, still Mazda cannot be equated with Maya, as Dr. Spooner has himself acknowledged. But it is stated that an ordinary Indian would not care to follow the rules of
philology and would roughly following the sound, equate Anura Mazda with Asura Maja and then Asura

Creator, still the parallelism between the passages of the Mahabharata and the inscription of Xerxes, which Dr. Spooner refers to, fails, because in the Sanskrit passage the Creator is represented as building the whereas in the Persian palaces, inscription the palaces were wrought not by Ahura Mazda himself but by the grace of Ahura Mazda.

Maya.

This argument is reasonable, but we must not forget, that ever since the later times of the Rigveda, the word Asura had come to be used in a bad sense and a Hindu writer, such as that of Mahabharata could hardly be expected to use a bad word for the Hindu deity or divine personage connected with architecture.
Dr. Spooner quotes a few passages from the sacred book of Mahabhdrata in support of his argument. He lays great stress upon the following passages, wherein Asura Maya thus

Danavas.
The
other
objection,
to

the

argument of Dr. Spooner is the meaning of the word Danava. We are told that the Sanskrit word for Venus being Asura-guru (teacher of the Asuras ), and also Danava(one worshipped by the pujita the Danavas were Danava),
identical with the Asuras.
It is not difficult

to

see that

the

fallacy consists in this, that some of the Asuras were

although Ahurians

speaks about himself:

or believers

in

were not and that

passages are translated thus:I am the Creator, the great Kavi of the Danavas.,.O Partha

Ahura Mazda, all* D&navas were

Gayasura,
Bfina'sura,

The

For example,

"For

JatSsura, Vfitapi-asurn, be Peisian names.

Illavasura could not

98
those did not believe in

probably
is

Asuras,
to

who
It

Ahura Mazda.

Ahura Mazda.

an important question

determine

who

these Danavas were; and herein the knowledge both of Avesta and Sanskrit is quite essential.

If then Asura Maya was the great god of the Danavas, he could not be identical with Ahura Mazda.

References about Asura

In two passages in the Fravardin Yasht ( Yt. XIII. 37, 38 ) we see, that the Danus were the enemies of
Zoroastrians;
for

Maya

in

Mahabharata.

Dr. Spooner has quoted some passages from the Mahabharata and put
certain interpretation upon them. To test the correctness of this interpretation, it is quite essential to quote In Chapter '^28 of other passages.

we

are

told

that

where the powerful warriors raise a war against the Danus, there the Farohars go to help the warriors;
there they break off the strength of the Turani Danus; there they remove the wickednesses of the Turani DaNow as Dr. Geiger says, the nus." word Danu is also found in the Rigveda, as well as Danava, another form of it. (Civilisation of Eastern Indians Dastur Darab Sanjana's Tr. Vol. I p. In several passages of the 34). Rigveda ( IV, 30, 7 II, 11, 13 ) the Danus are represented as the ene;

"

the Adi Parva of the

called are told,
(

Mahabharata Maya-darshana Parva), we

that

while

the

Khandava
an Asura,

forest

was being burnt,

named Maya came out of the dwelling of Takshaka and begged Arjuna to protect him. The words of the author a're:
II

mies of the Vedic people. Even in the Atharva Veda f and Mahabharata we see, that the Danavas were treated as enemies. According to Dr. Haug both in the Avesta (Yt. V. 73.) and the Veda ( Av. IV. 24-2), the Danavas were the enemies with whom wars were 'waged.

n
T:
I

89-42).
(

"Then Madhu-siulana

Krishna

We thus see that the Danavas were enemies of those who believed in
*

An Asura

is

dogya

Upanishada

thus defined in the ChhdnV1II-8-5

:

at this day, one who does not give (in charity)) or has no faith, or does not sacrifice, is said to be an Asura." Then the writer proceeds: "They (the Asuras) adorn the bodies of the dead with gifts, with raiment and jewels, and imagine that by this means they shall attain the " world to come '(See Muir's Sanskrit Texts 11. p. 396). According to the the Crahmana XIII-8 1-5 Shatapatha Asuras constructed round graves. These Asuras could not be Zoroastrians.

" Hence even

saw an Asura named Maya, running away quickly from the dwelling of Takshaka. Then Fire, with wind for its charioteer, wanted to burn him. So he assumed a body; and putting on matted hair, he thundered like a cloud. Knowing that he was Maya, who was the best of the chief Danavas and the best of architects, Vasudeva ( Krishna ) stood with a Chakra lifted up.
In the Salha Parva, which is the second book of the Mahabharata, and from which Dr. Spooner has quoted passages to form his theory, Maya tells Arjuna, that as he wants
to

return
says

his

obligation,

Arjuna

should say whaj he wishes him to do.

Maya

3Tf ff

Nishambhu and Hayagriva were names

of DSnavas,

wh'ch are not Persian names.

t Atharva VedaX-6-10, and M. Bh Vana Parva Chapters 94 3-4, 154 7-11, 100 23 &c.

6 ) "I am the all-doer, a great ( sage of the Danavas. O, Pandava, I desire to do something for thy

sake."

99
Then Arjuna
T

answers:

^
n

3TPT

very few scholars

to accept.

will

be

prepared

sfcffKt
I

irfr

).

The author

further tells us that:

"O

Ddnava,

do

not desire to

fru-

strate your intentions; do something for Krishna, so that I shall consider

we

if

"Maa Danava." Now Ahura Mazda was the great Kavi (/. e. great god) of the Danavas,who, according to Dr Spooner, were Zoro:

In this last verse Maya is called a Danava. Similarly in the Adi Parva * 18 ),' ( Chap. 234 Maya is called

myself requited."

clearly see, that

19-21).
the

intention of

"According to the Pandavas and the

illustri-

high-minded Krishna, the

ous
(

astrians,

would

it

Ahura Maxda

human

being,

not be absurd to call a Danava that is a and not a god

'?

Maya

did

auspicious

acts.

Then having

Let us proceed.

Krishna says

to

thousands of best Brahmanas with ( sweet ) drink and giving them wealth of various kinds, that strong one measured
satisfied

Maa:

ground, 10,000 arms square, which was beautiful, heaven-like and full of merits in all seasons." Further up we are told that the throne-hall was built in 14 months.

( rTT^ff $$ I *Riq; 11-12.) best of architects, if you desire to do me a good turn, then O Daitya (=Danava), build such a hall for Yudhishthira, that no one in the whole world will be able to imitate
II

*&&

"O

Thus then the Sabha Parva clearly that Asura Maya was a human being. No doubt, as we shall presently see, Maya was endowed
shows
with
later

supernatural powers in much times but that has happened in

;

it."

the best of architects" and he is to build the palace for Yudhishthira.

"

Here again Maya

is

called

the case of

all illustrious

persons.*

Asura Maya
Now
let

in

Kathamoment
to

Sarit-Sagara.
Further up we read
:

m3
(15).
pleased,

us

turn for a

cTjr^R
rt

*wf

JHTCCRT

*mr^ u who was Maya, accepted his word, and made

=^> if^rer OTJJ.

"Then

Pandava's beautiful hall of the form After a couple of of a balloon." verses, the author informs us, that

Katha-Sarit-sagara a work written by Sonadeva in the 12th century! A. D., from which Dr. Spooner also quotes a phrase. " We read in that There is a mighty book, as under Asura of the name Maya, famous in
:

"Maya began to
the

build the palace-hall

a

In the

RamaAana Rama
in the

is

depicted as

Pdndavas." (18). The stafor tement, that the hall was built for Yudhishthira or the Pandavas (that and his brothers), is, Yudhishthira
For, if this hall very important. was the same as that of the Mauryas, it might follow that the Mauryas were and this conclusion the Pandavas
is

man, but

as an incarnation of

Mahabharata he appears \ ishnu. (R. Chanda's

Indo-Aryan Races, p. 116). Through the performance of good deeds the Ribhus obtained divinity. They prove the aHmi'sion at an early date of the doctrine that men

might become divinities (Wilson's Rv. IV'I he 35 3, 8). Andhra King Royadoo is to-day worshipped as a god at Siccacollum on the river Krishna. (Muir's Sk. Texts

11-432).

See also Chap. 48 called Danava.

8 where he

is

also

Max

t R. C. Dutt's Anc. India Vol. Muller's Anc. India p 243.

II,

299.

100
the three worlds.
to

And he
him

fled

Shiva as his

protector.

Shiva,

having promised
built

security,

he

are told in several Finally, we places, that Maya was "the king of the Danavas (Vol I. pp. 414, 421 )

the palace of Indra. But the Daityas were angry with him, affirming that he had become a partizan of the gods." *

and "the excellent Danava."

see, that the Katha-sarit sagara completely corroborates the

W e thus
of

be seen from the above passage that Maya was a worshipper of the god Shiva. This latter fact is corroborated by another passage, where Maya advises the king ChandIt

will

Mahabharata and strengour conclusion about Maya being a human personage with this difference, that in some places he is
story

thens

raprabhd to perform a great sacrifice in honour of bhiva. (Tr. by Towney

Vol.
I.

p. 416),

represented as being possessed of miraculous powers. He was probably a foreigner and had subsequently become a worshipper of Shiva.

The hermit Kashyapa speaks to a human being when he Maya as "

says
:

My

son, thou
to

didst remain
lifted

undaunted, even

when Indra

up

his

weapon

strike, therefore

thou shalt remain unharmed

I.

by the plagues of sickness and old age" (Vol.

p. 434).

There are references to Maya in the Surya Siddhanta also, according to which some lime before the end of the Krita age, Maya practised the most difficult penance and obtained knowledge of astronomy.

Probable Date of Asura

the art of Maya was well versed in " he recited magic; for we read that the Sankhya and the Yoga doctrine

Maya.
Now let us for a moment consider the question of dates. We admit, that the dates of all ancient works cannot be determined with accuracy. The early portions of the Mahabharata are supposed to belong to B. C. 1000 to 800, and the later interpolations to 400 B. C.* (Bom. Gazetteer Vol. I. pt. I. p. 11; Butt's Anc. India Vol I. p. 1*20 ff ). The latest date assigned to the Ranayava by Gorresio is 950 B. C. Therefore, since the story of Maya is mentined in these Epics, the conclusion is that Maya may have lived before 400 B. C. But this conclusion may not be
specially because R. Chanda and Vaidya assign the date 200 B. C. and 100 B. C. respectively to the present form of the Mahabharata. We have, however,

with its secrets and taught the king the magic art of entering another body (Vol. I. p. 418).

In some places we find that Maya with supernatural was endowed

We read, for instance, that powers. took leave of the king and quickly carried off to Patala, SuryaThere prabhah and his ministers he taught the prince ascetic practices of such a kind, that by means of them, the prince and his ministers And quickly acquired the sciences. he taught him also the art of providing himself with magic chariots."
Maya
(Vol
I. p.

readily accepted,

407

).

The
thira,

built the

that Asura Maya had assembly hall of Yudhishis in also mentioned the
fact,

more

substantial

Katha-sarit-Sagara, where we read: "There is a great Asura Maya by name, an incarnation of Vishvarkarman, who made the assembly
hall

ground

to

go upon.

The name

of the

important per-

sonages of the Mahabharata-such as

* Mr. Ram&prasad Chandra states that the M. Bh. was reduced to its present form

of Yudhishthira

"

(Vol

I.

p.

310).
*

about 210 B.C. (Indo-Aryan Races, p. 116).

is however mentioned in Ashvala"yan's Grihya Sutras and in Panini VI-2-38 idem p. 28).
It

Translation by

Towney

I. p, 258.

ici
Yudhishthira, Arjuna, Bhima, Subhadra &c. are distinctly mentioned in Panini's grammar, which accordMax Muller belonged ing to Prof. to 400 B. C., and according to Sir Ramkrishna Bhandarkar 800 B. C.
(Anc.
Sk.
p.

Patliputra built by Magic (!)

Dr. Spooner refers to Katha-SaritSagara, in which occurs the phrase

Lit.

p.

44.

B. R. A.

J.

Therefore, Yudhishthira must have lived before 400 B. C.* at the latest. Now if Asura Maya built the palace for Yudhishthira, as we gather from the old traditions in the Mahabharata and the conclusion Katha-sarit-sagara, is that Maya did so before 400 B. C. a. date long prior to the date of the Mauryan kings. According to some later Hindu writers, as will be seen

1885

341).

According to the Doctor this signifies, that Patliputra was built by magic and magic was the peculiar property
learned
;

TnirftcT

qkf^H

of the Zoroastrian Magians.

We regret
other
as the

we cannot agree to this. nations knew magic as

The
well

Magi. The Hindus practised magic. For example it is stated that Maricha the friend of Ravana, turned himself
deer,

magic power into a golden which carried away Sita * (Griffith's Ramayana, p. 277).
by
his

a Yavana or Greek. If so, he could not be the of actual builder of the palace Yudhishthira and must therefore be an architect of later times. But in our opinion the writer who called Maya a Yavana used that word in the sense of a foreigner, while later writers took it in the sense of a person of the Greek nationality.
hereafter,

Maya was

Therefore the phrase d oes not furqBr^J^t carry us ther than the fact, that Patliputra was built by the Danavas, who were
expert in

magic.

inclined to believe, that the description of Patliputra being built

We are

Why
We
architect,

is

Hsura called

Yishva-Karma ?
have seen that Maya was an an astronomer, a magician and an expert in ascetic and as the Katha-saritpractices, " he was a treasure sagara says house of all sciences (Vol I. p. 432). Therefore he might well be called Vishva karma "a. man of all works."
This
that
is

by magic, is metaphorical. Fa Hian the Chinese traveller uses a similar metaphor, when he says about Patli"In the city is the putra, that: royal palace, the different parts of which Asoka commissioned the genii to construct, by piling up the stones.

The

walls, door-ways and sculptured designs are no human work." (Dutt's

I p. 58). The metaphor is not difficult to understand. We have seen, that at one time the Danavas were the enemies of the Indian Aryans. But the word " " Danavas was also used in its ex'" tended sense of the enemies of " " " demons, as we clearly f or gods,

Anc. Hist. Vol.

also one
in the

of

the

senses

of

Rigveda (X.-166-4). Asura Maya was not H^I^W the " " allCreator," he was simply an " He was not a Kavi orj"god" doer. of the Danavas, he was merely a " " " of the Danavas, a sage king of " " the Danavas, an excellent Danava.
*

word

the body of the dead king

The BrShmana Indradatta passed into Nanda of Magadha and made grants to Brahmans out of the

dead king's mouth. Ammianus Marcellinus (A. D. 380) heard that the Brahmans

"

R. Shamshashtri, Yudhi1260 B. C. (Gavam Ayanam p. 153). Varaha Mihira says in Brihat Samhita ( XIII-3 ) that the Great Bear was in Magha\ when that king luled, that is in B. C. 2448 (Dr. Kern's translation J. R. A. ?. New Series Vol. I p. 79),

According
died

to

shthira

in

moved in the air among the altars in the ea^ly sixth century the Chinese traveller Sung-Yun found, under Brahman spells a dragon turned into a man ; he was himself cured of sickness by charms ( For authorities see Bom. Gaz. Vol. 9, p, 437 ).
;

f See Geiger's C. E. I. tr. by Dr. Darab Sanjaoa I. p. 84 Wilson's Vishnu Pur&na p. 72, Sacred Books of Marathas IX p, 77 andM. Bh. XII, 185-122.
;

see in the Mahabharata in the Vishnu Purana, and in the Garuda Purana.

Now the descriptions of the palaces in the Mahabharata, to referred Ramayana &c. shows that it was the usual practice to attribute the erection
of large magnificent palaces of later We times to Danavas or demons. can thus easily understand why the

Scholars have identified the king in the inscription with Ptolemy of Egypt who ruled from 285 B. C. to 247 B. C. ( Me. Crindle's Anc. India 374, 52; Dutt's Anc. India 11-12 ff ). Thus then we see that the name Ptolemy assumed the form "Turamaya"* into

Turamaya mentioned

Pali.

Chinese traveller Fa Hian and also

Prof.

Weber

thinks that
or

"

Asura

Houen Tsang

said that the

build-

ings were built by genii.

Hsura Maya according to Weber.

Let us now see, what European scholars have to say about the identification of Asura Maya and his

Surya Burgess " Sidhanta says, that this conjecture of Weber is powerfully supported by the fact, that Al-Biruni ascribes the Paulica Sidhanta to Paulus" But al-Yunani, Paulus the Greek.
question is whether Ptolemy Philadelphus or his predecessor or successor known as Ptolemy or anyother Ptolemy is referred to in the
the

of the Greeks pp. 253, 274 ).

Maya was Turamaya "

(Hist

Ptolemaios of Indian Lit.

in his

On of the inscriptions nationality. Therein of Asoka gives the clue.

we read
:

passage of the Mahabharata,

which

we

It is true that are considering. Ptolemy, who was called the son of

(See
p. 73). f

Wilson's

Rock
King

Lagos, but
Inscriptions,
of the

who was

in reality the

son

"

Where

the

Yonas

dwells and beyond this Antiyoka (dwell) the four kings, Turamaya by name, Anti-

(Greeks), Antiyoka by

name

kina by name, Maka by name, and " Alikasudara J by name.

These travellers came to India ia A. D. 399-413 and 629-645 respectively (Cunningham's Anc. Geography pp. VIII, IX).
T The 13th Edict at Shatibazoiri the text in full thus
:

generals appointed by Alexander in his Indian This Ptolemy may have conquests. come into close contact with the But we have no definite Indians. evidence to say, who was the architect of the palaces.

of Phillip was one

of

the

Were

the Palaces Built by Greeks or Persians ?

<*ive.v

Epigraphia

Indica

II. p.

463).

The inscriptions of Asoka are found al Girnar near Jun&gad in Kathiawar. at Dauli in Kattak, ;it Kapurdigiri or Sahbazgiri in Afghanistan, at Jangad near Ganjam in the Northern Circars, and at Khalsi, near Masuri, in the Himalayas (B. B. R. A S. XVI, P. 308),
II

The next question is, whether the palaces were built by some architect belonging to the Greek nationality. We must say, that there is a considerable difference of opinion among the scholars about the influence exerGreek architecture over cised by We give below the opinions India. of some. Vincent Smith says, that there is no evidence, that Greek
272). (SeeKapson's Anc. India p. 21), The dates of the deaths of these kings as

(1) Antiochus J These sovereigns were : of Syria (B. C. 261-246), (2) Ptolemy

given by Lassen differ somewhat r Epigraphia Indica I p. 471).

,

(See

Philadelphus of fcgypt (B. C. 285-247), (8) Antigonus Gonatas of Macedon (B C. 217-239), (4) Magas of Cyrene (B. C. 285239) and (5) Alexander of Epirus (B. C'

in

Sanskrit

becomes

in Pali,

thus

^TT^cTrrllfc^. Similarly

dropping
into Pali.

the word

^^-

becomes 9^

103
architecture
of

was

introduced

into

India.... The earliest

known example

Indo-Greek sculpture belongs to the reign of Azes (50 B. C.)" (Early Weber informs Hist. pp. 212-213), that in the most ancient edifices, the presence of Greek influence is unof Indian Lit. mistakable ( Hist, Sir John Marshall observes p. 274). that the columns and capitals of

palaces referred to therein were the We answer, palaces of Patliputra* that there is no such proof.

Asoka were wrought by Greco-Persian masons (J. R. A. S. 1915 p. 71). Major-General Cunningham, noting
a few specimens of the Lndo-Persian Style of architecture, which according to him belonged to the two centuries between 50 B. C. and 150 A. D., "As the different styles of says
:

On the contrary the proof is From several against such a theory. passages in the Mahabharata, we find that the Sabha or hall was built in Indraprasthaf and not in Patliputra. Indraprastha has been identified with the modern Inderpat near Delhi it stood on the left bank of the Yamuna while Delhi stands on the right,
;

whereas, as we have already seen, Patliputra was situated at the confluence of the Ganges and the Sona. (See M. Bh. Sabha Parva Chapter
1-21,
11-1,

XXII-19,

20).

Thus

Greek architecture must have been

introduced into the Kabul valley and the districts lying along the Indus as early as B. C. 200, it is a source
of great disappointment to me, that no specimen of Indo-Grecian archi-

these two cities were totally distinct cities, and therefore the palaces in them were not identical.

Mahabharata
pavilions,

Dr. Spooner quotes verses from the to show, that Maya built in former times splendid palaces,
pleasure

tecture has
I

been discovered,

to

which

gardens,

fancy

can assign an earlier date than about SO B.C." (Archaeological Survey Vol. V, pp. 185-89). R. C Dutt concludes, that the Greek influence greatly modified the style of architecture of Gandhar Viharas or monasteries,

ponds &c. tor the Danavas. These Danavas (or Asuras, as they were called) were not the aboriginal tribes
of India. There is so specific evidence, that the early Hindus had such buildings. Passages quoted by Curtius and Strabo from Megasthenes show that we come across similar

and many capitals and

figures

discovered in the Punjab are distinct(Anc. India II, ly Greek in style

p.

80).

Asoka has been credited with having introduced the use of stone for buildings, and it is believed by some scholars, that in this he was inspired by the Greeks, and by other scholars, that he was inspired by the Persians. Sir John Marshall is of former opinion, Dr. Spooner holds the
latter opinion.

buildings, pavilions, gardens, ponds &c. belonging to the Court ofChandTherefore Dr. Spooner ragupta. would identify the palaces &c. mentioned in the Mahabharata with those
of
*

Chandragupta

at Patliputra.

In the face of this contradictory evidence it would not be safe to assert, that the palaces of the Mahabharata were built under the supervision of a Greek architect.

Unless it is conclusively proved, that all the passages relating to the Sabha: (or Hall) were later interpolations. We know that some scholars hold this opinion but the fact that both the Mahabharata and the Kathasarit-sagara distinctly menti ^n, that the Hall was built r-y Maya for Yudhishthira points to a deep-rooted tradition in olden times. Mr. Yaidya has, in his book, given a list of the

Chapters which appear

to

him

interpolations by Sauti the

to be later third eoitor of

Palaces

in

Mahabharata.

Now we might well ask, whether there is anything in the passages of the Mahabharata to show, that the

the Mahabharata (between 800 and 200 B.C.) but the chapters relating to the SaBha are net included in the list (See Vaidya s MahSbhaTata pp. 193, 196).
It

t Its another name was Khandavaprastha. vas the capital of Yudhisthira and the Pandavas. See Vaidya's MahSbhSrata p. 19,

104

We are sorry, we cannot readily accept this conclusion. In the Adi Parva (Chapter 207) of the Mahabharata, there is a beautiful description of the town, Indraprastha, which so closely resembles that of Patliputra

Hindus had many clever

architects.

Besides the royal hall at Indraprastha, we read of another grand hall, built
at

given by

we

shall quote a

Megasthenes, that few stray passages

to

Hastindpura a town situated about 50 miles north-east of the modern Delhi. In the 49th Chapter of the Sabha Parva (48), Dhritarashtra, father of Duryodhana, the

from the Chapter referred

there.

fcTSdl

II

II

30-31

).

was adorned with a ditch as deep as the sea, and was surrounded by a rampart wall, which reached the It shone with doors as beauskies. tiful as the wings of a garuda bird, and with tall houses it was closed by gates, which reached the sky and resembled Mandara mountain."
It
;

"

king of the Kurus, says ITT f fcff 3ldK'l " Rlfr^M: II Let the archi3TTU ft^J tects quickly build for me a large, pretty and beautiful hall, with one thousand pillars and one hundred
:

^W

doors."

Let able men quickly build for me a grand hall, one kos in length and breadth, with a thousand pillars, with pictures of gold and lapis lazuli, with one hundred doors, and with crystal
festoons."

"

Then we
(

are told, that thousands

(

36-S7

was shining with several, best, white mansions. It resembled heaven and was called Indraprastha
It

"

of clever architects
:

W^3T ft&W
:

....

There
region,

hall, which was ) ^"tfi'df similar to that of the Pandavas (see Sabha Parva Chap. 56, 15-20,

built the

in

that delightful blessed there was the palace of the

Kaurava."

Now according to 7). Chap 53 the Mahabharata, the blind king, Dhritarahtra with his hundred sons, continued to rule at the old capital of Hastindpura on the Ganges, while he assigned to his nephews, the five Pandus, a district on the Jamna,
they founded Indraprastha. (Rapson's Anc. India p. 173). Thus we see that these two were totally different cities, and each contained a

where
II

48)

There
reside.

all

On

all

architects came to sides of the town,

royal hall in

it.

there

were delightful gardens. It shone with houses, as pure as lookingglasses, with vine pavilions of various

Buildings in Rigvedic and Later Times.

with pleasant picture-houses and artificial mounds. Beautiful lotusponds of various kinds, covered over with lotuses were there and (also)
kinds,
;

We

come

across thousand-pillared
:

Rigveda, in the second book of which we read " Those two kings take
buildings
, . . .
.

in the

many

large

and delightful lakes."

It will

thus be seen, that the above

description of the town Indraprastha is almost the same as that of Patliputra.

Jn

the

Epic

period,

the

their seat in their supremest house, the thousand-pillared, firmly-based" (Rv. II-41-5, V-62-6). In another place, we read of Varuna's house with thousand portals (Rv. VII-88-5). IH a third place we have a reference

105
to

"hundred

stone-built

towns"

(Rv. IV-30This passage* is very importstone-built ant, as showing that in the towns were known even Rigvedic times. Dutt rightly says " in about the Vedic Hindus, that numerous Hindu towns many structures and surrounding walls were of stone. That the art of building was
20).

is the 1st verse of the 7th meeting which deals with Ayurddya Adhyaya,

or length of life.

It runs

'*

The
e.

years assigned

by Maya
Saktipurva

Yavana, Manittha
( i.

and
to

carried to some degree of excellence to manappears from many allusions " sions with thousand pillars (Anc. India Vol. I, p. 46).

Parasara

the
five

Sun

and

others

(moon

and

planets),

when they

In the Epic period (1400 to 1000 B. C.) also the Hindus built many beautiful cities and palaces.
In the the king

are all in their exaltations are (respectively ) ten accompanied by nine, fifteen, five, two, five, eleven, and ten ( i. e. 19, 25, 15, 12, 15, 21 and 20 ).

Apastamba Sutra (11-10-25),

is

directed to build a royal

town and a palace for himself, so

that "the palace shall stand in the heart of the town and in front of it, there shall be a hall, called the hall This work of Apasof invitation." tamba belonged to the Rationalistic
period,
to

Bhattotpala in his commentary on this passage says 4|4*iWI ^M|: " The person named ?^5^RR5Rn^ Maya was a Danava who had obtained the favour of a gift from the Sun." This commentary is of Shaba 888 (976 A. D.)
: :
I

that

is,

between 1000 B. C.
Anc.
India
I,

You

will find references to

Maya

320B.'C

(Dutt's
).

(a) in

pp. 14, 220

cannot agree with Dr. Spooner, when he says, that "there is one period of Indian history and one Indian Court, where definite evidence exists for just such things, as are mentioned in the Mahabharata, and the works of the Classical
therefore
writers,

We

Weber's Sanskrit Literature pp. 253, 254, 260, 274 and 275 (3rd edition of
1892).
Dikshit's of Indian History

(3)

in S. B.

(Marathi)

Astronomy pp. 178, 468, 482, 486 and

513.

who have quoted Megas-

thenes."

Mr. Kharegat's Views about

ftsura

Whitney's and Burgess' SuSiddhanta comments rya on the opening 8 verses. {d] Dawson's Dictionary of Hindu Mythology.
(c)

Maya and

the Hall.

In the

Maya
In reply to our letter Mr. Muncherji Pestanji Kharegat (I. C. S., retired) writes his views as under:

is

said

present Surya Siddhanta, to propitiate the Sun

(Surya) by great penance and to obtain knowledge of astronomy from him through a representative of the
to

The
alluded
*

passage of the Brihat Jataka

to

by

me

at

last

Saturday's

Sun, and to communicate it later on some Rishis. In the second verse Maya is described as J-HHWI *TU^:
I

Col. Waddell says that the buildings

previous to his (Asoka's) epoch, as well as the walls of the city, seem to have been of wood." (Col. Waddell's Report of Excavations at Patliputra p. 1). Cunningham holds a different opinion. (Archaeological Reports XXII. Introd. p. 4).

commentary on the Surya Siddhanta (Shaka 1525

Ranganatha
in

his

* Meeting of the Society for the Promotion of Research into Zoroastrian Religion held on 9th June 1917, where the first part of the

Paper was read,

106
A.

D. 1603) says:

f^rfcf

^TNT

accordof Jnaning Bhaskara, for .instance > this Maya is distinctly assigned to Romaka-pura I have not got the in the West."
(p. 253) says, that to later tradition (that

Weber

"

He is therefore not logy or Index. an ancient Asura, but a foreigner, who had been, according to the custom of ihe Hindus, called a
Daitya,
It
is

Danava

or Asura.

may be

noted, that Maya's

name

Jnana-Bhaskara, which appears to be a work on medicine. But we

find the same tradition in some copies In some of of the Surya Siddhanta. these (one of which copies was seen by Dikshit and two by Burgess) the 7th Shloka of the 1st Adhyaya is:
^rt

also quoted in connection with the building of houses ( Vastu Adhyaya

and Vajralepa Adhyaya ) in Varaha's Brihat Samhita and lines from his work are also quoted by the Commentator Utpala. This work may have been a special one on a'chitecture. or a general one like
Varaha's Samhita.

One can easily un-

Maya " says Therefore do you go while I am (or to your native city perhaps, you are) holding the Avatara of a-Mlechha owing to the curse of
(

The Sun
:

to

after his

derstand, how to such a writer came to be ascribed the building of the Sabha Mandapa in the Mahabharata.

penance)

Brahma."
Dikshit thinks this Shloka to be a
later interpolation
it

and Whitney thinks, part of the original book. However that may be, it seems, that
is

Hindus themselves had the traMaya being a Greek long before the time of the modern European scholars.
the
dition of

The tradition is also supported by a statement of Al-Biruni in his work on India ( Ch. XIV p. 157 of Sachau's translation Vol. I ), that one of the authors of a Jataka work was Mau the Greek this seems to be a
;

Of course as I said at the meeting, the fact that Maya was a foreigner, does not by any means justify his identification with Mazda. Neither the position ascribed to him, nor the acts done by him. as was pointed -out by you, bear any resemblance to those of Ahura Mazda; his position as well as his acts are those of a man, cleverer than ordinary but still a man. At the time the epithet Maya came to be applied to him, the Hindus did not certainly use the word to mean a god but just the
reverse.
I

may remark,
halls

that

Hindus may

long before the Mauryan dynasty, as pointed out by you, but it seems probable that those

have pillared

transcription

He is 333. with connection mentioned Parasara, Satya and Manittha, so that there can be little doubt, that he is the same as the Maya of the Hindu writers, and thus the tradition seems to be at least as old as 1030 A. D.
of
JPI

in

were of wood. Of course one But cannot be sure in the matter. the absence of the remains of any stone structures of times preceding
pillars

Mauryas, as well as the testimony of wooden the about Megasthenes

architecture
of Patliputra point to this conclusion.

seem

to

to the

That Maya's name became known Hindus at a late stage may

be inferred from the fact, that does not occur in the old Vedic literature or even in the Brahmanas, or even in Panini (so far as I know ). This name is not quoted
also
it

eunninqham's pinion about Stone Buildings.

With reference to Mr. Kharegat's remark in the last para we take the
liberty
to point out, that MajorGeneral Cunningham holds a diffe"I have long rent opinion. He says:

by Macdonell

in

his

Vedic Mytho-

107
that the Hindus practised the art of stonecutting at least two centuries before the time of Asoka. Indeed the very name Taxila or Takshashila Nagar the city of cut-stone buildings' proves, that the art was known and used long before the time of Alexander." (Cunningham's Archaeological

held the opinion,

knew and

know, that Dainghdw is the form of Dainghu, which is but another form of Dakhyu. The
plural

We

'

Reports XXII Intro,

p.

IV.)

Were

the

Mauryas Zoroastrians ?

exact Sanskrit equivalent of Dakhyu Dasyu. As we have already seen the Avestan Ddnu is the same as the Sanskrit Ddnu. Therefore Ddnu and Dasyu are quite distinct terms, bearing opposite meanings for, the Danus were the enemies of the Zoroastrians. We therefore cannot admit, that the Dainghdvo were the same as the Danavas, although we agree with Dr.
is
;

Dr. Spooner takes us a step further "The palaces, to says: which the Mahabhftrata refers, are those of Patliputra. We have, how-

when he

One cannot Spooner's remark, that strongly stress the fact, that in names and dealing with foreign borrowed foreign words in India, the rules of ordinary phonetics can almost
too

"

never be applied."
'

ever, seen above, in the line

5^T TT^

these structures were erected by the Danavas, who according to Weber were a foreign people. But if, the monarchs for whom Persian palaces were built by a divine spirit reminiscent of Ahura
that

We now come to Were the Mauryas

the question " Zoroastrians ?

:

Mazda, were themselves non-Hindu Mahabharaia implies, it follows obviously enough, that they must have been Iranian in race and
as the

Dr. Spooner adduces proofs to show, that not only Chandragupta was a Zoroastrian, but that even Chdnakya,* the well-known Brahman Minister of Chandragupta was a Zoroastrian. As Asoka was a great patron of the

Zoroastrian

in faith.

Were then the

not
this

I do Mauryas Zoroastrians ? myself see any escape from

Buddhists, attempts were made by to writers that prove Chandragupta belonged to the same But we are surfamily as Buddha. prised when Dr. Spooner tries to show, that Buddha also was a Zoroas-

Buddhist

conclusion.

The

logic of the argu-

trian.

ment seems to me unimpeachable." Further up the learned Doctor

proceeds to argue that the Indians pronounced the Avestan word Danof Sanskrit (the ghdvo cognate Dasyavah} as Ddnavah and as Manu associated the Pahlavas, who were the Zoroastrians, with the Dasyavah Danavas were Zoroastrians. Therefore if the Mauryas were Danavas,
they were Zoroastrians.
is

arrests our native tradition assigns the paternity of Chandragupta to Dhana Nandana ( the last of the Nanda kings, who ruled over

The name Maurya\

first.

attention

Magadha ) by a woman of Sudra caste named Mura. The Brahmana Chanakva made this base-born
child of the king the
his

instrument of

to the above argument the students of the Mahabharata know, that the Danavas were not Zoroastrians. They were the sons and descendants of Danu, one of the daughters of Daksha. About 50 Danavas have been named in the Adi Parva, Chapter 65, but none of the names is Iranian.

Our answer
that

wicked designs, and putting Nanda and his sons to death, placed him on the throne. Dr. Spooner
does not believe this story of

Mura

* Otherwise called Kautilya or Vishnugupta (V, Smith's Hist, of India p. 36) or Dramila, which name is inscribed on Kanheri rock (8. B. R. A. S, V. p. 2-29.)

t Traces of the Mauryas remain in the Maratha surname More (Bom. Gaz, Vel. 13 p. 420).

108
but we must say, that the classical writer Justin confirms it, when he
Sanskrit
also

he was of humble origin" says that Lit. Anc. Sk. Mailer's (Max
p. 275).

"

There is another story, related in the Buddhistic books, which is not Tradireferred to by Dr. Spooner.
Chandragupta's father reigned over a small kingdom,
tion

drama Mudhra Rakshasha he is spoken of as a Brahmana, who had taken a vow, that he would not tie up his tuft of hair, until he had completed his task. According to Prof. Max Muller the title Maurya was used by the
Buddhists as a proof of Asoka's royal decent, although it is explained by the Brahmanas as a metronimic

runs,

that

situated

in

valley

among

the

Mura being given

one
of

as

the

name

of

Himalayas and called Maurya, from the great number of Mayura or peaHe was killed in an invasion cocks.

queen by his enemies, but his escaped to Patliputra, where she gave birth to Chandragupta. She exposed him in the neighbourhood
of a
cattle

Nanda's wives. This however only rests on the authority of the commentator of the Vishnu Purana;* but Chandragupta's relationship with Nanda and so also his low caste origin, are confirmed by
the Mudra-Raksnashat(Max Muller's Anc. Sk. Lit. p. 297.)

shed.

bull

named

Chandra protected him for some time. The child was found by a shepherd, who called him Chandragupta, i. e. "protected by the bull Chandra." At that time a Brahman named Chanakya, who came from the city of
was living in Patliputra. To him Dhana Nandana, the king of Patliputra, had given an insult. Consequently Chanakya was
Taxila in the Punjab,
casting about for means to effect the He bought destruction of the king. the royal boy Chandragupta from the shepherd and trained him in the art of war. Chandragupta in due course collected a force of mercina-

Alouru,

Merv and Meru.

Dr. Spooner connects the name town Maurya, with the Avestan Mouru, which is known as Margu in the

Achaemenian
step

inscriptions.

He

further and locates the mount Meru of the Hindu mythology in Merv. But he does not take this Merv to be the modern Merv, since he identifies it with Mervdasht, the plain of Merv, sometimes called the the plain of Murghab, on which

goes a

Persepolitan

platform

stands,

and

invaded Magadha, killed the king and captured his capital PaltiThis tradition is found in a putra.
ries,

Ceylonese chronicle, named Mahavamso* and in a Pali commentary

on the strength of this identification he argues that the royal hall at erected against a Patliputra was as was sacred mountain, just But as the case at Persepolis. Dr. J. J. Modi has pointed out, it is
certain that at least the Mouru of the Vendidad is the Central Asian Merv, and not the Merv of the Mervdasht
or

named

commentary on Dhammapada by Buddhaghosha, written in the 5th century A. D.

Atthkatha,
a
Hist, of Early Deccan p. 11, B. B. R. A. S. 1885 In these books Chanakya p, 276 ]. " Brahis clearly referred to as the mana Chanakko." The Vishnu Purana calls him "the Brahmana KautiIn the lya" (Wilson's tr. p. 468 ).
[
Pali epic poem of Ceylon written in the 6th century A. D. ( Rapson's Anc. India p. 75) Max Muller gives the date 459-477 A,D. (see S.B.E. Vol. 10 Pt. I Intro, p.39.)
*

Bhandarkar's

Murgab

in

the west.
p.

Asiatic

268 ). Dr. Modi thinks that the names Mervdasht and Murgab, which are applied to places near Persepolis are more modern, not Achaemenian or old Iranian ( idem We therefore think that p. 269 ). Meru could not be in Iran. Nay, acPapers Pt. II
*

See Wilson's
vrishala

tr. p.

469.
is

t In Act 111-11

Chandragupta

called

Maurya

i.e.

Maurya

the Sudra.

109
cording to some scholars it was only a fabulous mountain. Dr. Spooner urges that Mourva is an altogether fitting centre for the Meru legend for the following reasons (1) A Pali tradition runs that the Asuras were located at its base and the Heaven of the Thirty-three
:

(1) the evidence of the coins (2) a (3) aversion passage in Patanjali to the Mauryas (4) assistance from
; ;
;

Persian troops. We shall have to deal with each of these questions at

some length.
(I.)

Evidence of Coins
first

gods was situated upon its summit. " " (2) This number thirty-three has according to the learned Doctor
peculiarly Zoroastrian associations. (3) The recorded height of the mountain is also Zoroastrian. The

Now
What
coins,

as regards

the

coins.

are called the

"punch-marked"

were the oldest coins of India.

They were

Puranas

tell us, it

was84,000j'0/a//tf.y

so called, because the devices on the coins were impressed not by means of a die, covering the face of the coin, but by separate

The number is curious. It is high. derived by multiplying the two preeminently sacred numbers of the
Persians,
seven

punches applied irregularly at various on the surface. points According to Vincent Smith, these coins were
a private

and

twelve.

coinage

issued

by guilds

We
to

regret,

we cannot
opinion.

subscribe

and silversmiths with the permission

the

above

The

number "thirty-three" was a very number among the Hindus as we shall see hereafter. also, The numbers seven and twelve were equally sacred among the Hindus. For instance in the Rigveda we read
usual

about 7 horses of the Sun, 7 metres of the Veda, 7 priests, 7 regions of the earth, 7 Rishis, 7 rivers, 7 Adi7 castles, 7 communities, 7 tyas, fiends, 7 flames, 7 hotris, 7 singers, 7 sisters, 7 splendours and many other seven things. In the white Yajur Veda we read of 7 waters, 7 Hotars, 7 domestic animals, 7 organs of perception, 7 vital airs, 7 mansions of Agni, 7 logs of wood. Instances might be multiplied ad nauseam. Similarly about the number twelve. We know of 12 days, * 12 moons, 12 forms, 12 spokes, 12 Adityas, 12
letters of Jagati

The obverse powers. impressed by the different moneyers, and the reverse marks were the signs of approval by the controlling authority (V. Smith's Catalogue of Coins p. 183). Dr. Spooner opposes this theory. In his opinion these were Mauryan coins, the component parts of which were a symbol of the sun, a group of suns, a branch, a bull and a chaitya. The sun was worshipped by the ZoroaThe branch, which is unstrians. traceable in the Hindu Symbolism is, according to Dr. Spooner, inthe sacred as branch telligible The bull was the of Haoma. Mithraic bull. The Chaitya, which signified a hill, suggested the mount
of the ruling

punches

were

Chhanda

evidence of the Mauryan coins, the learned Doctor thinks, that the Mauryas were
Zoroastrians.

Meru, which was situated Iran. Hence from this

in

Merv

in

f etc.

Alleged Proofs about Mauryas being Zoroastrians.

Dr. Spooner produces four kinds of further proof to show that the Mauwere Zoroastrians ryas namely,
*

Cf Prakrit Yadna.
see

t For this and "12 days" Vana Parva Chap. 184 19.

M. Bh.

A conclusive answer to these arguments is furnished by the mono" graph of E. Thomas, entitled the " We can Earliest Indian Coinage. As to the extracts. only quote symbol of the sun, he says " Savitri or Surya undoubtedly held a high position in the primitive Vedic theogony and it is a coincidence singularly in accord with its
:
;

110
typical isolation on these pieces, that the Indo- Aryans, unlike their Persian

dhism, but
clusively times, as

it

to
it is

did not appertain exthe Buddhists in early

to

brethren, dissociated the sun from Then other planetary bodies again arises the question, as to the which whether sun-type, appears the earliest among all the does not refer to the mint dies Indian traditionary family of the
all

be seen on a very

ancient

Surya Vamsas
It is

"

(p. 9).

is important. symbol, usually made up of two semi-circles placed side by side with one semi-circle Someplaced exactly above them. times we come across a pyramid of three semi-circles, with two above them and one at the top. The word * f^cfl" Chaitya was connected with

The symbol of Chaitya

a pyramidical

implying a directly opposing faith, in the fact of its bearing the name of Vishnu-deva. The Bodhi tree is no more essentially Buddhist than the Assyrian sacred tree, the Hebrew grove or the popuvenerated (Tulsi) trees of larly India." (pp. 20 and 5).
coin,

In the Plate, which Thomas has given in his book, we find a number of devices, which are found on ancient coins and these include bulls, cows and other animals.
the fourRegarding the symbol of "

(heap) and it is "supposed that" it for" mount "or hill. merly meant a With reference to this symbol on the "Its coins E. Thomas observes: form ultimately entered largely into the exotic elements of Buddhism, but
it is

doubtful, if Buddhism as expounded by Sakya Singh (j. e- Buddha)

was even thought of, when these fantumuli were first impressed upon the public money.. ..As the Buddhist developed itself religion avowedly in the land and was no foreign importation, nothing would be more reasonable than that its votaries
ciful

sun we read that Many of ancient symbols, more especially the four-fold sun, are found established on the fully-struck coinage of Ujain, of a date not far removed from the reign of Asoka, who once ruled as a sub-king of that In short, "these primitive city." punch-dies seem to have been the
fold

these

produce of purely local thought."

home

fancies and

retain

many

of the devices,

that

had

acquired a quasi-reverence among the vulgar." (Earliest Indian Coinage, pp. 10-11). According to James Prinsep "this symbol of Chaitya occurs on the Pantaleon Greek coins, on the IndoScythic group, on the Behat Buddhist dug up in group, on similar coins " (J. R. A. S. Ceylon and in India. B. VI, 389 IV-686).
already
;

It will thus be seen, that Dr. Spooner's arguments about the symbols on the Mauryan coins, do not prove, that they were the exclusive If property of the Zoroastrians. there had been any Zoroastrian influ-

ence, we would have come across the usual fire-altar, or images of Yateads, or the Taurus symbol or the Farohar symbol. Finally it may be pointed out that in 1906 Dr. Spooner thought, that the above mentioned

As

to

"The Tree is another chosen emblem of later BudThomas

*
:

the device observes

of

the

Tree,

symbols were Buddhist and in 1915 he thought that they wereZoroastrians. In our opinion they were neither the former nor the latter.
(II.)

Passage

in

In Buddhistic architecture it had quite a different signification; it meant " a church " or assembly hall, excavated in rocks. The Kanheri cave near Bombay, the Karli cave and between Poona Bombay &c. are Chaityas (Dutt's Anc. India Vol. II, p. 72).

Mahabhashya.
Now we come
which
was
the
to

the passage of

Patanjali, the author of Mahabhashya,

commentary

on

Ill
Panini's Sutras.*
gling,

According

to

Eg-

for deriving a

livelihood
( 3RtJ^ ).
:

Max

Muller, Apte,

Peterson,

and

is

not

vendible

Now
The

Keilhorn and Bhandarkar, this commentator lived in about 150 B. C.

Patanjali raises

this question

Now
that

Panini's

when from
to

Sutra V-3-96 a word such

states,

addition of the condition, that the image should not be vendible renders

as 3p^

such forms as f^R:,

grammatically
...R'SlKsi

^f>^:

and

you wish

form the name of likeness or imitation of the object, you must add the termination thus 3^

unjustifiable

horse,

and

3p^

the

imitation or

But Sutra No. Vfigure of a horse. 3-99 says, that sfrfw^ ^FP^, that
is to

say,

you must drop

^ when
}

the figure in question is one by which a man earns his livelihood and which is not vendible.

He must here be |ffi: ). mean, that these figures are current and that the description "not " is not applicable to them. vendible " " he asks. not Why ( 1% <OTT )> " Because the Mauryas, seeking for gold or money, used images of gods
taken
to

as

means" SPpf^RTT ). ( Jftt: Here then the author must be under-

On
ment

this Patanjali makes his in his Mahabhashva

com-

stood to say, that the description " " is not not vendible applicable to the images RR:,'^: and R^IKN:,

f%

because such images were sold by the Mauiyas. They are therefore vendible objects, though as a matter of
fact they are not for sale, and though the selling of such images of gods is discreditable.. .Hence the termi-

which

a very difficult passage, has taxed the energy and called forth all the powers of learned scholars like Goldstucker, Peterson,
is

This

nation

(%) cannot be dropped in accordance with the rule, and they

called

Nagojibhatta, Sir Ramkrishna BhanSir Ramkrishna darkar and others. has discussed the translations of the first three scholars in the pages of the journal of the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society for 1885. We shall give here Sir Ramkrishna's translation or rather explanation.

should be

fefi:,'^F: and
are called fifa:,

but they

and 1%M:I
,

"It

may be

that the rule about the dropping of ^ is not applicable (*f^l^), to them, i. e. to those ( cfTig ) images of gods, which were sold by the

Panini lays down a rule, that the termination 3>, which is appended
to

"

MaurydS. But as to these ( ^cfT: those called by the names RT3":,

)(vt'z.

^^:

the

name

of an

something
( ^)> image
(

resembling

object to signify that object

is

and
is

fWM:

the correctness of which

in question),

whichV

^)

are at the
(

provided that something

is

an

^\
*

dropped (Mldtdl ), is used when the image ^, )

"

present day used for worship is applicable I^T:), the rule "
( cTTl

^Ml%

to

them

^RN^T ).
3>

That

is,

the termi-

An interesting " battle of books has been waged by scholars about the date of Panini. The latest date is that assigned by Max Muller, who places him in the 4th century B. C. According to Sir Ramkrishna Ehandarkar and Mr. Dutt. he lived See Shatapatha in the 8th century B. C. Br, p. -29, M. Muller's Anc. Sk. Lit. p. 44, 243. J. R. A. S. 1885 pp. 181-341. Butt's Anc. India I. p. 274; Indian Antiquary I,
p. 802.

should be dropped in their case, and the forms whose correctness was questioned are correct. "Jf the passage were put in the form of a dialogue between a Doctor and his opponent, it would stand
nation
thus:

"Opponent

Panini

inserts

the

condition, that the

image should not

112
the forms f^Rr^ fifW^- are not correct according to this rule, ( because, these forms express images of those gods
suffix

be vendible.

Then

^^: and

and should have the "

Doctor

Why

"Opponent
ryas
i. e.

Because,
of

the

Maumoney,

desirous

raising

used as means the images of gods, and they they bartered them consequently belong to the class of vendible objects.)

understood in the only other known sense, namely that of the royal dynasty founded by Chadragupta Now what is this about 320 B. C. fact, which Patanjali mentions regarding the Mauryas ? It may be Weber has stated, that the as Prof. Mauryas coined money by stamping images of god's pieces, or it may be anything else" (J. B.R.A.S. XVI

1885 pp. 206-10

)
:

"Doctor

Those images may not

rule ( because they bartered them, and consequently they may not drop 3J.) But these in question) which at ( i. e. those the present day are used for worship, come under the operation of the rule the ^ ( and consequently

come under the

"The Mauryas Dr. Spooner says did manufacture images and made a but they were not trade in them used by any Pujari as a source of livelihood and were not the object of direct adoration. Images of the latter class we shall call idols those the Mauryas made were merely This is the distinction, statues. which Panini would make."
;

dropped. ) " forms are Explanation The correct, because they signify images of gods, which are now worshipped and are not vendible objects, because such images were used by the Mauryas for raising money; but the vendibility of some does not make those,

is

may not dispute Dr. Spooner's interpretation or rather explanation

;

We

but
is

we do not agree with him, when

as
this

he suggests, that
appropriate
sculpture,

distinction

for

Zoroastrian

and
the

as

idolatry

was un-

known

Zoroastrian religion, the Mauryas were Zoroastrians.

to

worshipped vendible, and consequently the names of images do come under Panini's rule and drop
that are

We

shall

presently see, that the

^
"Does this contain passage Sir R. G. Bhandarkar history"? answers that the past tense shows that the Mauryas existed at a time, which preceded the present time and the present time must clearly be the time, when Patanjali wrote. Sir Ramkrishna that the thinks, Mauryas could not have been a caste of idol-makers, as Nagojibhatta for if they were, there supposed was no necessity for referring them But Nagojibhatta to past time. lived about 150 years ago and did not care at all for history.
;

Hindus practised idolatry in the Mauryan period; but was it universal ? "The Vedic According to Dutt, religion was to the very last a religion
elemental gods, of Indra, Agni, Surya, Vamna, Maruts, Ashvins and From the most others * ancient times down to the last days of the Rationalistic period (1000 B. C. to 320 B. C.), kings, priests as well as humble house-holders offered sacrifices to the fire and knew of no image worship." Dutt's proposition may
of

....

Mclrkandeya

word Maurya is used in the Purana to express a But these certain class *of demons. demons could have nothing to do here. The word therefore must be

"The

not be readily accepted, for, as we see later on, we are told in Lalita Vistara, that some days after the birth of Buddha, his mother took him to a temple, which contained the images of Shiva, Skanda and It appears probable other deities. that some Hindus practised idolatry
shall
*

of

Prof. Max Muller says, "the religion the Veda knows of no idols (Chips I.

p. 38),

113
in

the time of Buddha, but all did

It

"

The

old

MSS.

(of the

Mahabhashya)

not.

"

when

certain as Dutt says that the Code of Manu was comis

of the
to

South make the allusion of making and selling idols apply not

pleted,

image worship was gaining ground and was condemned by that

tribe

conservative law-giver.

The

practice

Mauryas but to Pouras, a peculiar also mentioned in the Vishnu Purana* If Pouras

......

gained ground, until it became the essence of modern Hindu rites and celebrations." (Anc. India Vol. II, pp. 188-189). Thus we see, that in the time of Manu,* which was about the time of the Mauryan period, some Hindus still condemned idolatry. Therefore we have no proofs to say that the Mauryas were Zoroastrians.
steadily

however

be the right word, so much controto the

versy about the allusion of Patanjali Mauryas will vanish at once."

Mauryan
The

Religion.

Arthashdshtra f of Kautilya or

book "the Age of Patanjali (pp. "The Maha7-9) thus concludes: bhashya says that the Mauryas were

Pandit N. Bhashyacharya in "

his

makers and worshippers of idols, such as those of Shiva, Skanda and Visakha and were begging from door to door, taking the idols with them. If according to the Buddhist records, the Mauryas had belonged to a royal
family instead of being beggars, then these Mauryas mentioned in the Buddhist records must be quite different from those mentioned in the Mahabhashya. If they had been Buddhists, they would not have been
If the worshippers of idols Aryans were worshippers of idols, he would have said so on the contrary,
;

Buildings within the Fort," Kautilya orders, that "the lKtM^q<ir ( Royal deity of the city ) shall be In the centre situated to the north. of the city the apartments of gods such as Aparajita, Jayanta, Vaijayanta, Siva, Vaishravana and Ashvin shall "

Chanakya throws light on the religion of the Mauryan period. In the section "
on the

be situated.

The chapter on "Means

to

injure

Enemy"
mulas:
tion
to

concludes with these for"Salutation to Aditi, saluta-

to Sarasvati and Svaha to Agni, Svaha to Soma, Svaha toBhuh Svaha to Bhu-

Anumati,

Savitri;

vah."

....
in his

The chapter on medicines and mantras contains the following verse:

"I bow to Bali, son of Vairochana; Shambara -acquainted with a hundred kinds of magic; to Bhandirapaka, Naraka, Nikumbha, Kumbha, Devala and Narada I bow to the goddesses Suvarnapushpi, and Brahmani, to (the god ) Brahma, and Kushadvaja, to serpents and goddessto

work to along the Aryan worship of the 33 Vedic

all

he alludes
It

gods. that

is

therefore

conclusive,
of

the idol worship of the Mauryas, a non-Aryan

when he speaks

tribe is meant Mauryas who were

poor and

The who

earned their livelihood by (making and) selling images were not a tribe in any way connected with the Mauryas who were ruling princes, such as Chandragupta, Asoka etc.
Dr. Buhler fixes the remoter limit of the date of Manusmriti in about 2nd century B. C. ( S. B. E. Vol. XXV. Intro p. 117 ). In Manusmriti III. 152 and 180 the Devalakds or are hated. "temple priests" The distinctive feature of PurSnic Hinduism in the matter of observance is image worship ( Dutt Anc. India Vol. II, p. 188 )
t

es."

Further up we see that Devatapmtima (images of gods), Chattyas and Stupas (that is to say, the sepulchral mounds inhabited by evil spirits)

were regularly worshipped.

*

Amsa

4.

Ch. XXIV.

p.

826 (Madras

Edition).
j-

of state-

Sk. treatise on the conduct of affairs It confirms the account of Megas-

thenes.

114
The
to

fourth
for

religious

processions,

arranged

edict of Asoka refers he that the edification of his

grandfather Chandragupta ? As the first Indian emperor, we should not have been surprised to find him
deified.

In these processions imasubjects. ges of gods riding on chariots and One of elephants were exhibited. the passages of the inscription runs " Those gods, who up to this thus time had been unassociated (with
:

The

reason

is

quite clear to us.

Chandragupta was after all a usurper, and had come to the throne by the machinations of a disaffected Brah-

These associated with them." gods were not the Vedic gods or gods of the modern Hindus, but they were
the Brahmanical gods of the people
of

men) made

in

Jambudvipa, have now been

*

man

minister

of

his

Magadha.
It

is clear that the religion as set forth above could not be Zoroastrian

orMagian religion. No doubt Mayayoga (t. e. Magic) occupied a very for instance, prominent place in it
;

have seen, that according to the Hindu tradition and also the classical writer Justin, he was of humble This coupled with the fact origin. that he was mentioned in glowing terms in the works of the Buddhists who had chucked up Hinduism, is the reason why he and his followers were treated with contemptuous silence in the Hindu'books.

We

predecessor.

the Artha-Shastra we read, that persons acquainted with the rituals of the Atharva-Veda, and experts in magic and yoga shall perform such ceremonials, as ward off the danger from demons." But magic was not the monopoly of the Magi. As Dr. Otto Schrader says: "There was among the Aryans, just as among all other people, a more ancient way of within bringing the supernatural reach of the natural than sacrifice

"

in

(IV)

Help by Persian Troops.

Let us now take up the fourth point,

namely, that when Chandragupta invaded Magadha, he was assisted by Persian troops. This fact is referred to in the Sanskrit drama, Mudra Rakshasha, composed by a writer named Vish^kha-datta, who according to the late Mr. Telang lived about the beginning of the 8th Rikshasha century "A. D. Mudra " means Rakshasha with a
It is

and prayer, namely, magic" (Encycl. of Reli. and Ethics II. p. 40; R. Chanda's Indo-Aryan Races pp. 230239).
(III).

signet. of political intrigue, consisting of 7 acts and is partly based on historical events. Accor-

drama

Aversion Co Mauryas

come to the third point. aversion to the Mauryas implied by the silence of the Hindu books in regard to them, Dr. Spooner observes, that that is conceivable,
As
to the

We now

ding to Vincent Smith, it undoubteda genuine historical embodies ly tradition (Early Hist, of India p. 113).
In the second act of the

we

read, that

drama, Chandragupta besieged

(

so

far

as

Asoka

is

was a Buddhist.
The text in tion runs thus:
*

concerned, as he But what about his

inscrip-

Kusuma-pura,

that

is

Patliputra

the SMhbSzgari,

with his troops consisting of the Sakas (Scythians), Yavanas (Greeks), Kiratas ( people living below the

Himalayas),
Parasikas
(

Persians

Kambojas, (Kabulis), and Balhikas )

(Bactrians).
thus translated by Dr. G. Buhler " The sight of the cars of gods, elephants and other heavenly spectacles were exhibited to the people." (Epigraphia Indica Vol. II.
It is
:

In the fifth act, the armies of Malayaketu, who was the survivor of the Nanda line, have been mentioned
as

consisting of Khasas (Khasia

),

of

pp. 451-2,461),

Bengal

Magadhas,

Gandharas

iis
Yavanas, (people' of Kandhar), Chinas and Hunas (Huns).
It will

Brahman Kautilya
nine

will

root out the

Sakas,

thus be seen, that both the sides raised armies of mercenaries and that the Parasikas or the Persians were engaged, along with other foreigners, for the purposes of inva-

Nandas." 467-468 ).*

(Wilson's

Tr.

pp.

We need hardly point out that the statement of the Vishnu Purana is
in the
it

form of a prophesy, although

really a matter of the past.
easily
It

was

nothing to show, that the Persians who fought under Chandragupta, were men of his own religion, as Dr. Spooner suggests.
sion.

We

have

is

thus

first

Nanda

intelligible why the and his successors were

cordially

hated.

The

last

two
the the

Nandasf

Possible Objections to Dr.

worst conclusion

undoubtedly of the whole lot. But

were

Spooner's Theory.
But what
shall

must

that the Nandas have been Persian invaders,

we

say about the

reputed connection of Chandragupta, with the Nandas, and what about

because they were hated by the Hindus, is strange as well as absurd.

Was Ghanakya
Zoroastrian ?

Chanakya, through whose machinations Chandragupta became successful ? Were these Nandas and
this

Chanakya

Zoroastrian

?
is,

Dr.

Spooner's

answer
of

that

"the alleged connection

Chandra-

Nandas, that gupta was with the is to say, with the new Nanda^, and not the nine Nandas. The earlier

the other quesa Zoroastrian? Dr. Spooner says, that he was not an orthodox Hindu Brahman, and practically suggests, that he was a "Magian Minister of State." He was a
to

Now we come

tion:

Was Chanakya

Nandas were good Hindus, but

authorities

native of Taxila, who began his career as a practitioner in medicine;

all

and medicine, although

associated

particularly

agree in putting a great gulf between these ancient kings and the low upstarts, who succeeded them. The latter were hated cordially, and is it not recorded, that they exterminated all the Kshatriyas ? If they were Persian invaders, this is
sensible

with the Magians, has never found much honour in the East. Also the fact, that Chanakya dedicated his book, named Arthashdshlra to Venus and Jupiter shows, that he was a student of astrology,
Dutt remarks we find in the above extract mention of low caste kings, ascending to the throne of the Kshatriyas have also mention of Kautilya, the
:

enough.

Hindu Kshatriyas
thing
is

were they themselves, the

If

"

unintelligible."

We

cannot accept Dr. Spooner's above statement in view of what we read in the Vishnu Purana,

We

renowned Chanakya, who vowed vengeance against the house of the Nandas, and helped Chandragupta to ascend the throne of Magadha" (Anc. India Vol. II p. 86).
t From the records of Megasthenes it appears that when Alexander was stopped

namely
"

The

son of

Mahananda

will

be
;

born of a
his

name hapadma;
lator

of the Sudra class will be Nanda, called Mafor,

woman

he

will

be the annihi;

after Kshatriya race him the kings of the earth will be Sudras. He will bring the whole earth under one umbrella. He will

of the

advance at the Hyphasis (Bias) in 826 B. C., he was told of a king of Magadha, who must have been one of the Nandas. This reigning king was alleged to be extremely unpopular owing to his wickedness and base origin. He was the son of a barber,
in his

have

and sons, ( Sumalya eight others), \vho will reign after Mahapadma, and he and his sons will govern for a hundred years. The

the paramour of the queen of the last sovereign contrived his death and exterminated the royal family. Afterwards he got a son, who was reigning at the time of Alexander's campaign and who was odious and contemptible to his

who having become

(V. subjects pp. 83-85),

Smith's

Hist,

of

India,

lie
in

which the Persian

priests

were

For these reasons Dr. Spooner would look upon Chanakya as a

experts.

Zoroastrian.
true that medicine, though regarded in general, did not come off without a sneer among the Brahmans. In the Taitteriya Samhita (VI-4-9-3 Cf. Maitr Sm. IV-6-2 and
It is

well

iiwl-f Shat Br. 1-5-14) we read: %^R ^ ^T%| " a Brahman should not
is
is

healing quality, do I apply to thee. Medicine was ( Av. VIlI-7-^6 ). indeed a very honourable profession as we find a poet boasting, that his father was a doctor ( Rv. IX-112-3). That medicine was held in great respect by a majority of the Hindus is proved by the fact, that we meet with several divinities presiding over medicine. "Rudra is the lord of balmy

"

the reason, that practise medicine" assigned, being that the physician

impure, and that the practice enpromiscuous mingling with men. Medicine was connected with the Atharva-Veda, which, as we shall see hereafter, was looked upon with contempt in the later Hindu literature. But as Prof. Bloomfield re" the Vedic people could not marks,
tails

Rv. 1-43-4, The Ashvins are called 1-114-5). leeches with medicines to heal men. Soma- Rudra are ( Rv. 1-157-6). invoked to heal men and cure them." ( Rv. VI-74-3 ).
(

medicines, and his sovran medicines

hand

is

full

of

is interesting to know, that centuries ago, Alexander the Great, kept Hindu physicians in his camp for the treatment of diseases,

It

22

altogether, when in the proper mood, to estimate the medicine of the time at its right value." (S.B.E. Vol. 42 Intro, pp. 39-40).
fail

which Greek physicians could not heal. ( S.B.E. Vol. 42, p. 257). Such was the great respect enjoyed by the

Hindu

doctors.

In the Rigveda, Atharva Veda and other Vedic texts, we come across Oshadhi- stutis or hymns in praise of the curative qualities of plants. Contrary to the statement in the Shata-

Astrology

Among

Hindus.

admit that astrology and fortune-telling were regarded as impure

occupations. (Baudh-yayanaII-1-2-1 6, ManuIX-258). The practice of astrology was forbidden to ascetics; and the astrologer was excluded from the

We

patha Brahmana, we

find that in

far

earlier times, the Brahmanas had acquired great fame as good doctors.* We read for instance, in the Rigveda, that that Brahman was called a physician, who had many herbs at

hand, who was a fiend-slayer, and chaser of disease. ( Rv. X-97-6 ). Also we read, that the plants saved from death the man, whose cure a Brahman undertook (Rv. X-97-22).

Shraddha. ( Manu VI-50, III-162, Vishnu 82-7 ). But this was also due to the fact, that these practices were connected with the Atharva Veda, which was cried down by the
law givers.

The

medicines doctors prepared from plants, which not only saved

the lives of men, but they

Ghanakya's Book and Atharva Veda.

Dr. Spooner proceeds to point out, that in his book Arthashashtra, Cha-

had

Am-

live for a rits, which made men hundred years. They must have been indeed clever physicians, for

the poet-doctor, while treating his " as many plants, patient cries out, as human physicians know to contain a remedy, so many, endowed with
See Rv. X-91. A. V. VI1I-1, MaitrSyani Samhita 11-1-13, Taittiriya Samhita IV-2-6, Vajasneyi Samhita XII-75-96.
*

nakya places Anvikshiki, which comprised Yoga, before the three Vedas; and as the Yoga practices were akin to Magian mummeries, the suggestion is thrown out, that Chanakya was a Magian.
It

may

be, as Dr. Spooner observes,

that

no orthodox

Brahman

would

give precedence to anything before the triple Vedas. But we do come

117
across passages, in Veda ( the fourth

which the Atharva

made

Veda

is

exalted

above the three Vedas. For instance, in the cosmogonic account of the universe, as given in the Gopatha Brahmana (1-1-4-10) the Atharva

himself invisible to men, observed what was passing in distant regions or in the stars and planets, conversed with spirits, travelled in
the air or through water, and acquired various superhuman powers.
(Dutt's Anc. India II. pp. 286-287).

Veda

stands before

the Rik,

Yajus,

and Saman; and in the Vaitana Sutra (6-1) the Atharvan is placed at the head of the four Vedas. (S.B.E. Vol. 42 Intro, pp. 48-49 ).

Were these duties and exercises practised by the Magi or the ZoroasIs there any trace of future trians ? births or occult powers in our religion?

Even if we admit, that Chanakya's is impugned, still that orthodoxy does not mean, that he was a Magian.

The answer
negative.

is

emphatically in the

The

We know

that the old

name

of the

reason

why

Anvikshiki

i.

e.

Nyaya, or Reasoning or Investigation) is placed first is thus explained by Chanakya: " Righteous and unrighteous acts are learnt from the triple Vedas; wealth and non-wealth from Vdrtta
(

Atharva Veda was Atharvdngiras. Both the elements in this name Atharvan and Angiras are recogni" " * sed as words by good Persian Dr. Spooner. Hence he supposes
that although the entire Veda is not of Persian origin, still it is a mixture
of the

agriculture

or

business);

the

Magian

expedient and inexpedient, as well as potency and impotency, from the

science
of

beliefs

among

doctrines with similar the Hindus of the

time.

Government; Anvikshiki,

viewing these sciences in the light of reason, does good to the world, keeps the mind steady in weal and woe alike, and bestows skill in knowFurther ledge, speech and action."

up Anvikshiki is called stffa: ^t^TTTT^ "the lamp of all sciences." (See Races R. Chanda's Indo-Aryan
pp. 228-229).

admit, that this is a very question for the Parsis, and the answer may be found in the very learned introduction by Prof. Bloomfield in the Sacred Books of the East Volume 42nd. The term Atharvan referred to the Bheshajani
interesting
i. e., auspicious or holy practices of the Veda, which conferred prosperity on the other hand the term Angiras referred to the Abhichdra or the hostile sorcery practice namely " terrible witch-craft." the
;

We

regards say that they had several duties to perform, such as, assuming special postures for meditation, regulation of the breath and abstraction of the organs from their natural functions.

Now

as

the

Yogins,

we

may

Prof.

number
range show,

has collected a of passages from the whole of the Hindu scriptures to

Bloomfield

It

was

practise

^KW

on them to obligatory *3R ( steadfastness ),

what position the

in the

Atharva

Veda occupied

times of the

and ^WTPH (mediThe early exercises to be tation). practised by the Yogins were asceticism and the muttering of the mantras. These were supposed to overcome all The afflictions, egoism and desire. object of Yoga was to preclude future The occult powers described births. in the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali (B.C. indeed wonderful. A 150) were Yogin knew the past and the future,
(contemplation),

Vedas, Brahmanas, Upanishadas, Grihya- Sutras, Smritis, Epics and He shows that from the Puranas. Vedic times down to the times of " the Smritis there is no evidence of " repugnance or exclusiveness of the Atharva Veda, and concludes, that
* Atharvan is the same as the Avestan Athravan but what is the equivalent of it Is Angra in Yasna Ha Angiras ? 43-15 ?
;

118
a sober survey of the position of the the Atharva Veda yields result, that it was considered within
its

"

Veda

of the

that Angiras

Magas meant

is,

the fact that

witch-craft.

No

own sphere

as a

Veda

in perfectly

good

standing" (S. B. E.

Vol.

42

Intro., p. 40).

Now coming to the times of the Smriti or law books we find that " there also the Atharva Veda retains in a measure its place by virtue of
its

profound

hold

upon

popular

beliefs, because indispensable sciences like medicine and astrology

doubt "sorcery and house-practices there were in India at all times," even from the Rigvedic times downwards (Cf. Rv 1-191, VII-50, VIIBut a change of thought 104-16). had come round in later times, probably due to excesses in \vitchcraft and magic. Granting that Angiras was the Veda of magic, it does not follow that it was influenced by Magian doctrines, since magic was
exclusive property of the it In the Arthsahashtra is that a king should stated, employ as Purohita or family priest

are Atharvanic

because

-it

by distinction, and performs for the king

in

not

the

Magi.

inestimable
p. 46).

services

the

and overthrow of enemies "* (idem

injury

On
of the

the other hand, the inferiority Atharvan is put outright in

Apastamba (II. -11, " 29, 10-11), the knowwhere it is said, that ledge of women and Sudras is a " supplement of the Atharva Veda The Vishnu Smriti (V-19I) counts
him, who recites a deadly incantation from the Atharva Veda, as one of the seven kinds of assassins. Magic

the

him, who performed rites according to the Atharva Veda and the king shall follow him. From this, Dr. Spooner concludes that Chanakya was a follower of the Atharva Veda, " which is pre-eminently the Veda of magic Consequently there was every likelihood of the ceremonies and doctrines of the Magian people of India, being preserved in such a
book, though, of course, in fragments. If the first imperial rulers of India were Persians, it is not strange, that this otherwise singular pre-eminence at court was gained by the Atharvan
priesthood."

abound

practices against non-relatives which in the Atharva Veda, are

forbidden by Manu Smriti, Vishnu Smriti &c. ( idem pp. 48-50).

The

position of the

Atharvan

in

the Mahabharata and Ramayana is, that its practices are familiarly known and not subjected to any criticism The Puranas speak ( idem p. 51 ). of the Atharva Veda with favour, but the Vishnu Purana and Bhavishya Purana speak about the Angiras as one of the four Vedas of the

We cannot answer Dr. Spooner's argument better than in the words of

"The Prof. Max Muller, who says: was original division of the Veda a three-fold division. This however
proves by no means, that at the time, when the Brahmanas were composed, the songs of the Atharva Veda did not exist. It only shows, that originally it formed no part of the sacred literature of the Brahmans. A passage in the Shatapatha Brahthe time
*

Magas, who have been identified with the Magi, (idem p. 20). The reason why Angiras was called a
* To illustrate these remarks \ve shall In Manu Smriti quote a few passages (XI-83), the Atharvan and Angiras are recommended as the true weapons with which the Brahman may slay the king's enemies. According to Yajnavalkya (I312), the king must choose for his Purokita or chaplain one who is skilled in the Atharva Veda. In the Atri Samhita the Atharvan
:

mana (XIII-3 when

At

1-1)
it

shows,* that at was composed the

three:

the Vedas were known as first Compare Shatapatha Brahmana IV-

6-7-1

5T3jttf^n'^%3T^'yl^fPl^t
science,

tTcf

priests skilled in astrology are recommended for the performance of ShrSddhas and sacrifices.

namely Rich, Yajush, and Sma this only. "See also Sh. Br. XI -6-4-18 and Ait. Br. V-22, Chhandogya Upanishad IV-11-1 and Manusmriti
1-23.

"There was three-fold

119
songs of the Atharvangiras were not
only known, but had been collected, and had actually obtained the title of
Veda.... These songs were chiefly intended to counteract the influence of any untoward event, that might sacrifice. They happen in the
city of Taxila.

He

was the son of a

certain

Brahman at that place, and man who had achieved the know-

ledge of the three Vedas, could rehearse the manias (i. e. mantras), was skilful in strategems and dexterous in intrigue as well as policy." Sk. Lit. p. 286 ). ( M. Muller's Anc.

imprecations and blessings and various formulas If once sanctioned, these Magic verses would soon grow in importance According to the original distribution of the sacrificial offices among the four classes of priests (Brahman, Bahvricha, Adhvaryu the and superviChh^ndoga), sion of the whole sacrifice and the
also

contained

Thus we have the

clear testimony of the native writings to say, that he was a Brahman, and not a Zoroastrian.

Exposure of Corpses Among

Hindus.
In connection with the Atharva Veda, Dr. Spooner puts up a footnote, which is very important. He
suggests,
funeral
that

any mistakes, that remedying might happen, belonged to the Brahof

man. Vedas

He had
If
it

to

to follow in his

know the three mind the whole

there

is

allusion in the
in a

Atharva Veda

possible to Parsi

office of the Brahman to remedy mistakes in the performance of the sacrifice, and if for that purpose the ( magical ) formulas of the Atharvangiras were it considered of special efficacy, follows that it was chiefly the Brahman, who had to acquire a knowledge of the formulas....It was evidently the most important office, and in many instances it was held by the Purohita or the hereditary family a knowledge of priest... .Because the songs of the Atharvangiras was most important to the Brahman or Purohita, these songs, when once admitted to the rank of a Veda, were called the Veda of the Brahman ."

sacrifice.

was the

customs. Some years ago paper read before the Society of Researches into the Zoroastrian Religion we showed on the authority of the Atharva Veda and Al'Biruni, that exposure of the corpses was one of the methods followed by the

Hindus

in ancient times.

In the Atharva Veda (XVIII-2-84) we read

:

"
are

They, that are buried, they that

scattered away, they that are burnt, and they that are set up all those Fathers, Agni, bring thou to

eat

oblation."

(Anc. Sk. Lit. pp. 446-450).

The

commentator

Chapter of the Aitareya in the Adi Parva of Mahabharata, it is seen that it was obligatory on a king to appoint a Purohita or house-priest. According to Yajnavalkya (I, 312 ) and Gautama (XI-15-17) the king must choose for his Purohita one who is skilled in the Atharvan and Angiras.
In the
last

Brahmana and

Sayana explains ^fedi: as *Hrtl<lTK<wls " &fe$ foj3r% fcTcff: Standing on an elevated place ( and afterwards )
in the world of the Fathers, at the time of the disposal ceremony." Whitney says, that "this method refers to the exposure on something as is practised by elevated, such many people." Macdonell and Keith

are also of

the

same opinion
I p. 8).

see

already quoted a passage from the Vishnu Purana, which mentions Chcinakya as the "Brahman Kautilya." " The Atthakatha clearly Ch&nakko lived in the says, that

We have

Vedic Index Vol.

"In Al-Biruni, in his India, says: the most ancient times, the bodies of the dead were exposed to the air by being thrown on the fields without

120
there any ceremony... Thereupon appeared a legislator, who ordered people to expose their dead to the wind. In consequence they constructed roofed buildings with walls of rails, through which the wind blew, passing over the dead, as something
similar is the case in the grave towers of the Zoroastrians. After they had

XIII. 137.
440.)

Bom. Gaz.

Vol. XIII. p.

It is therefore incorrect to suppose that the Buddhists adopted the custom of exposure from the Zoroastrians. The custom existed also among

the Hindus who the Buddhists.

may have

influenced

practised this custom for a long time Narayen prescribed to them to hand

Maqadhas.
As we have already seen, Atharva

the fire, and ever since they are in the habit of burning them." (India Vol. II, p. 167). the dead over to

Veda

is

also called

Atharvangiras

The

writer of the

Mahabharata

also

speaks of 4 different modes namely cremation, burial, exposure and disposal of the corpse by drowning it into The following Shloka rewater.*
fers to exposure:

Atharvan and Angiras. Now in the Vishnu Purana there is a statement to the effect, that the Angiras is one of the Vedas of the Saka-dwipa the warrior class of which was called Magadha, and we are told, that in
Sanskrit, "Magadha" means not only a resident of Magadha, but also a "Persian warrior" and "half caste."

l:

WTT:

*f

" When ( Adi Parava Chap. 90-17 ) the bodies are eaten up by birds, in what condition do they remain; how are they re-born ? " This is spoken in connection with'the Hindus. No doubt exposure was practised by the later Buddhists, as it is But practised to this day in Tibet.
is almost certain, that Buddha it never preached it; for, if he did, we fail to understand why his own body was cremated by his followers. (S.B. E. X. Intro, p. 31, Dutt's Anc. India Vol. I. p. 341 ).

We admit, that in Manusmriti (X-ll-17.), Magadha is defined as

the name of a mixed tribe, who were children of Vaishya fathers arid in Similarly Kshatriya mothers.

Amarakosha we
THTq":
I

read

^R^RT

t-

^i^icli "One born of a Vaishya father on a Kshatriya woman But we have no is a Magadha."
proof to show that Persian warriors.

Magadhas were

According

to

Vincent Smith ex-

posure was, in the ancient times, the usuage of the Lichhavisf of Vaisali, a city 27 miles from Patna. (Hist, of India p. 135; Rapson's Anc. India p.
169; Cunningham's Geogr. p. 443.)

Dr. Spooner points out that in the Atharva Veda (V 22), the Magadhas are spoken of contemptuously, and that in the later work PrabodhaMagadha is chandrodaya* the country "

named

among
by

those

inhabited

mostly

Mlechhas."

be noted, that in Java Hindus, was said in 1818 to expose the dead to the air as an offering to the sun. ( As. Res.
It is also to

a sect of the

But the answer is that Mlechhas were not necessarily Persians or Zoroastrians. This word Mlechha is used in the Bhavishya Purana &c. for Christians, Mahomedans and
others.

Adi Parva, Chap 90

6, 17.

f Dr. S. C. Vidyabhushan thinks that " they were a Persian tribe whose original home was Nisibis, which they left for India and Tibet in the 8th and 4th century B. C. respectively" ( Indian Antiquary XXXVII.
p. 18. )

that

In the Vishnu Purana it is stated in Saka-dvipa the Brahmans were called Magas, and the KshaDr. triyas were called Magadhas.
*

Written about the century A. D.

latter half of the

llth

121,
relies upon this Parana, but the Magadha in the Purana is a mistake for Mashaka* in Mahabharata, which was an earlier work. The Magadhas were not therefore connected with the Magas. The fact that they were spoken of with contempt in the Atharva Veda does not prove that they were Zoroastrians.

Spooner

were the Magi, who had come to India some centuries after Christ, and who had got mixed up with the Hindu people in course of time and it is probably these Magi, that the
;

Bhavishya Purana refers

to.

Garuda and Garonmana.

If

the

Magadhas

i.

e.

Magi came

We
the

do not say for a moment, that Persians were not living in the

Gangetic valley in ancient times. On the contrary we have ample evidence to show, that they were living in northern India, and had probably got mixed up with the Indian people
ties of marriage or otherwise. therefore welcome the pregnant notices of the Bhavishya Purana, that in olden times (probably after 400 A. D.) some Persians or mixed classes of Persians were living in

from Saka-dvipa, how did they do so ? Dr. Spooner says, that "the vehicle, by which these Magi entered India was Garuda," and that he was much impressed with the striking resemblance between the sculptured images of Garuda in India, and the
usual
fig'ure

of

Ahura-mazda
art.

in the

We

by

was therefore much gratified, when he read " the Vendidad passage, namely I invoke the Garo-nmanem, the abode
ancient Persian
of

He

Ahura-mazda."
Dr. Spooner seems to take

India, f
to

be

in

Saka-dvipa and Magas.

to Hindu Mythology, world consists of a number of islands, the usual number being seven. Saka-dvipa was one of these. Dr. Spooner identifies it with some "vague Persian country" from a notice of the Bhavishya Purana, which led Dr. Wilson to believe, " that the Magas or silent worshipof the Sun from Saka-dvipa pers were the fire-worshippers from Iran." Now we Zoroastrians do not worship the Sun silently. However we are prepared to concede that these Magas

"Garuda"
there

According

the

Gara " or "Garonmana" means "the abode of songs " from gar ( *Z ) to sing." This idea that the heaven is the abode of songs is also found in the Rigveda (X-135-7).

"

is

or Garutmat." But " no such connection.. Garo,"

Garo" some way connected with "

"

The

discussion

of

the

vehicle,

Garuda, leads the worthy Doctor to think of the Garuda Purana. According to Dr. Wilson, Garuda Purana shows nothing in its contents, which
could justify the name, as it deals with Sun-worship, astrology, &c. Hence, Dr. Spooner guesses, that
this

Purana

is

"a document

of local

Mahabharata Bhishraa Parva XI, 34-36, Roy's Tr. p. 38. f The Pur^nas are 18 in number. Dutt assigns them the period between 500 to 1000 A. D. According to Vincent Smith the Vayu Pura"na is the oldest and was written in about 400 A. D. (Early Hist, of Dr Wilson supposed that the India p. 25). story of the Magas in Bhavishya Purdna had a reference to the Parsis who had come to India after their flight in the 8th century A. D. On the other hand the writer of the

Indo-Zoroastrian origin."

The answer is that Garuda* is the In the Sun-bird, the Sun itself. often quoted verse of the Rigveda,
f^T:
ly
^T Sq*rt

noble-winged

1-164-46),
bird,
is

Garutman " (Rv. Garutman is the celestial

^l<

"He is heaven-

Bombay Gazetteer says that the account of the introduction of fare-worshipping priests of Persia belongs to the 6th century ascendancy of the fire-worshipping Mihiras. (Gaz. IX. Pt. II. p. 183).

namely the Sun. Therefore it but natural that the Purana about Garuda or the Sun, should deal with the Sun-worship.
*

In

the

M. Bh, he is the brother of Aruna, Charioteer of the Sun. (Adi Parva.

34).

Chap. 31

122

Yavanas.
Now
the question
is
:

"Who

were

Yavanas"?

The word "Yavana"

Scythian successors and finally to the Arabs (See Indian Antiquary I p. 178).
Sir

was usually applied to the Greeks in olden times and we have the authority of one of the inscriptions of Asoka to say so; for, as we have already seen, Antiochus has been there called In the Kanheri a "Yona" raja. inscription No. VIII a Greek archi(Xenotect, named Dhenukakati
crates)

R.

G.

Bhandarkar

says:

"That the Indians called the Greeks only Yavanas during the three centuries

preceding the Christian era and about as many after, is a fact. Asoka calls Antiochus, king of Syria, a Milinda or Menander is Yona-raja.
so styled in the Milindapanho ( a Pali work), and in the Gargi Samhita the

who

lived

in

about the

first

He is century B.C. is mentioned. expressly called Yavana in the Karle

inscription No.

astronomers;

V. pp. 20, reads the

(B.B.R.A.S. Dr. Wilson name as Dhanakkaja and identifies it with Theonikos (B.B.R. A.S. IV. p. 372). But two centuries
156,

XIV.

176

).

Yavanas are spoken of as good wherefore the Greeks must have been meant. Kanishka and his successors are called Turushkas in the Rajatarangini, and the
Indo-Scythians, who overran a large part of the country, were called Sakas. Persians or Parthians are spoken of as Pahlavas; and the Huns, who poured into the country are styled

afterwards
inscription

we
of

find, that in the

Girnar

Rudradaman (150 A.D.), Tushdspa, who was a Persian officer of Asoka was called a Yavana
raja.

Hunas."

(B.B.R.A.S. XVI-p.2 15).

The word "Yavana" has attracted the attention of several scholars. In E. J. Rapson's opinion:--" The Persians became acquainted with the Greeks chiefly through the Ionian colonists, and therefore came to use " the term Fauna, lonians," which the in occurs inscriptions of Darius in a wider sense to denote Greeks The corresponding Indian forms
(Sk. Favanaand Prakrit Yona), which were borrowed from Persia, have the

Dr. Spooner states that the word Yavana meant a Zoroastrian. We agree with him so far as to admit that in later times, namely after the second or third century A. D., Yavana

meant a "foreigner" including probably a Zoroastrian. We have, therefore, nothing positive to assert, that the Yavanas who invaded Orissa between 538 and 421 B C., and again between 421 and 300 B.C. were Zoroastrians, as Dr. Spooner
supposes.

same meaning

in the

Indian

litera-

ture, and inscriptions of the last three centuries before and the first huo centuAt a late ries after the Christian era.

Legend about Yavana King.

But in order to prove, that the Yavanas were Persian tribes, Dr. Spooner brings into requisition cerHe tain legends from the Puranas. refers to the Yavana king Bhagadatta, who was a king of Pragjyotisha, and tries to determine his nationality. The name Bhagadatta might be a Sanskrit form of a Persian name, the first part of which is the A vesta word Baga. Pragjyotisha* might be a
"In JyoMr. A. K. Mozumdar says. z. e. Garga, astronomy, Brahma, Vivasvan and other seers were very great. It is said that Brahma, when he lived in KSmarupa (Assam) for some years fer pene1

date, these terms

to

were used in India denote foreigners generally"* (Anc. India p. 86).

According
to

Prof.

Weber, under

the name Yavana we are to understand the Bactrian Greeks or their

successors.

The name Yavana passed

to

from the Greeks over

their Indo-

* In the Chitorgadh inscription of the orince Mokala of Mewad dated Samvat Vikrama 1486, the words Yavana and Saka are used for the Mahomedans ( See Epigraphia Indica Vol. II p. 409).

tisha

because the word Magian settlement " " in which astrology signified
science the Persians were experts. Therefore the learned Doctor concludes, that the king was a Persian and was the ruler of a Persian settlement. Moreover the king was called an Asura, and was the ally of the king

father, battle."

to

stand

against you

in

Here

then

we have

an

statement. important Bhagadatta was a friend ( that is a worshipper ) of the great god Indra, and was therefore a Hindu. The Zoroastrians always hated Indra as an enemy of
their religion

(Vendidad XJX-43).

Kalayavana. who attacked Mathura number of with the help of a Mlechhas. Also when Pragjyotisha was attacked and stormed, it contained 21 lakhs of horses from Kamboja, a country "near the Paradas and Pahlavas on the confines of
Persia."

Sakti and Sakta Quit.

Dr.

Spooner
"

then

proceeds

to

trace the origin of the goddess Sakti to a Persian or Magian origin. He

The goddess Ishtar was perhaps the most popular divinity

says
:

regret to say, that it is extremely risky to build up theories on words, such as "Bhaga" and "jyohowever are purely tish," which The fact, that Sanskrit in form.

We

among

the

Persians,

particularly

the Kalayavana was assisted by Mlechhas does not prove, either that he was a Persian or that the Mlechhas were Persians. Nor does the

presence of Kamboja horses in Pragjyotisha prove, that it was a

Dr.

Persian settlement.

Purana

Spooner has referred to the stories relating to Bhagadatta

but has omitted to give the story about the same king, which we come across in the 26th Chapter of the of Sabha Parva Mahabharata. Arjuna wanted to conquer the whole world. Having defeated the kings of the Shakala-dwipa and Sapta-dwipa he invaded Pragjyotisha. At the time there was a great king named Bhagadatta ruling there, with whom the Pandavas fought many battles. Having fought with Arjuna for 8
days,

with the Asuras and Danavas. Witness the compounds Asuragura ( teacher of the Asuras ) and Ddnavapujita (worshipped by the Danavas ), both of which are Sanskrit names for Venus Are not the Tantrik system and the Sakta cult a development on the Indian soil of the sympathetic magic rites in connection with this goddess as the symbol of fertility, ( Ishtar), which Jastrow tells of ? This unravels for us the whole mystery * to which Wilson calls attention. Furthermore this explains the curious fact
associated

mentioned

dhyaya

to me by Maha-mahopa Shastri, that Haraprasad

according to his own researches, the Sakadvipin Brahmans were specially associated with this cult."

Bhagadatta
3jf
crra

thus

spoke

to

him
"

^ff *t|*J^ ^K'Wi^'t, ^

w&ftt ^ %

Our answer is that Ishtar was not a Persian or Magian goddess, but she was a Babylonian divinity. After the conquestof Elam by the Medes and Persians, the old goddess Innana ( of Erech ) was identified with Anahita and underthat name enjoyed extensive

^13

sg*;mr gfa n

I am the friend of the great Indra, and am in no way inferior to him in warfare but I am unable,
;

homage The cult of Anahita spread from Iran to the west. Anahita (Ardvisura) was the goddess of sacred
. . .

waters.

Under the

influence of the

tential purpose,

made certain astronomical observations. Hence that country received the name Prdg-jvotisha (first astronomy)"
(Hindu
Pr
>f.

History p. 141). According to Apte Prag-Jyotisha was the capital of Kamarupa on the Brahmaputra.

* Namely, that Assam, or at least the north-east Bengal, seems to have been, in a from which the great degree, the source Tantrik and Sakta corruptions of the

of Religion proceeded.

the

Vedas

and

Puranas

124
Chaldean star-worship, * Andhita or Nahida became the planet Venus.

whom

the Persians also, as Herodo-

The Indian goddess Saktior Durgd who was worshipped by her devotees,
called

tus tells us, called Sakae, just as the Indians did. (Lib. VII 64 Griffith's
;

Ramayana
tions

p. 66).

In the
find,

inscrip-

the Saktas, cannot be comIranian pared with the divinity because Sakti was the Anahita; mother of all, the creatress even of
.

of

Darius
(

we

that one

of the nations

conquered by Darius
Col- I para 6
).

was the Saka

Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva; whereas Anahita occupied a very subordinate The Hinposition to Ahura Mazda. du divinity, who was identified with Venus was not the goddess Durga, but the god Sukracharya, the preceptor of the Asuras.

According to Vincent Smith the Sakas or the Se (Sek.) of Chinese histories were a horde of pastoral nomads, occupying the territory to the west of the Wu-sun horde,

not correct to say, that the Saka-dvipin Brahmans were specially associated with the Sakta cult." The history of the Sakadvipiya, Bhojaka
It is

"

or

Maga Brahmans

shows, that they

were associated with the worship of For example, in the Sun and Stars. the Brihat-samhita of Varahamihira ( 587 A.D. ) it is stated, that "the consecration of the images and temples of the Sun should be caused to be made by the Magas."f

between the apparently situated Chu and Jaxartes (or Syr Darya) rivers to the north of the Alexander mountains. Strabo clearly stated, that the Sakae came from the neighbourhood of the Jaxartes. Megasthenes said, that on the north of India and beyond the Himalayas, the country was inhabited by those Scythians, who were called Sakai. About 163 B. C.
they were expelled from their pasture grounds by another horde, the Yueh Chi, and compelled to move in the
southerly
of
direction.

The

flood

the

Who
of the
to

were Sakas ?
to

upon

barbarian invasion burst Bactria about 140-130

This leads us
Herodotus, Buhler, Telang Scythians. Dr. correctness of argues that the
also

consideration

B. C. The Saka flood, pouring on, surged into the valley of the Hel-

word Saka, which according

Fleet, Max Muller, and others means the

mund

river,

and

so filled that region,

Spooner admits the this meaning, but word for a long time
of Saka-dvipa, "

meant
is

"men

that

to say, the

quently he

Iranians. Consesays that the Sakas, who

and northern India in the early times were Iranians. Several scholars have dealt with the question as to who the Sakas were and where We propose to they came from. give short extracts from their books.
lived in Gujarat

the modern Sistan, that it became known as Sakastene * or the Saka Other branches of the barcountry. barian stream, which penetrated the Indian passes, deposited settlement at Taxila in the Punjab, and Mathura on the Jamna, where they displaced the native Rajas and ruled for several the ancient generations, assuming Persian title of Satrap. They were seemingly in subordination of the Parthian power. Probably they recognized Mithridates I. ( 174 to 136 B. C. ) and his successors... as their over- lords. They could not otherwise
* Isidorus of Charax, who lived about the beginning of the Christian era, gives the

Von. Schlegel says that the Sakas were nomad tribes, inhabiting Central Asia, the Scythians of the Greeks
Such is the view of Religion and Ethics I p. dehishna chap. V.
t See R. Chanua's pp. 153-163.
*

name
thians

of Sakastene to
calls

Drangiana, and

the greater part of the people Saka-Scy-

the Enclyclo. of 415- b. see Bun-

(Cunningham's Archaeological ReThe Sakas are mentioned ports II. p. 45.) in the Jain inscription No. 82 of about the
first

Indo-Aryan Races,

a black

century B.C. One Gotiputra is called serpent (=a great fighter) who fought with them (Epigraphia Indica 1-394).

125
have adopted
the
Persian
title

of

Satrap. Another section of the horde, at a later period, pushed southwards

domination of the Persian kings, and were influenced by the Zoroastrian

religion,

and occupied the peninsula of Saurashtra and Kathiawad, founding a for Saka dynasty, which lasted centuries and was overthrown in 395 A. D. ( V. Smith's Early Hist, of
India pp. 186, 187, 200, 202, 218, 255; Dutt's Anc. India Vol. I p. 223 ).

were

does not prove that they Zoroastrians in the days of that is, Gautama Sakya Muni, Buddha. They were then the enemies of the Persians.

Mr. Telang observed, that the Sakas were a tribe, inhabiting countries on the north-west frontier of India between the Indus and the ' sea. They gave their name to the royal dynasty, from which the Mara'

E. J. Rapson also points out, that Herodotus expressly states that the term Sakas was used by the Persians to denote Scythians generally. It is true, that some of the Sakas were connected with the Pahlavas but that was the case in about the first century B. C. and first century A. D.
;

thi

word 3T% meaning era, is derivMr Telang is supported by the writer of Periplus ( A. D. 250).
ed. *

"There is eviRapson: dence of an intimate connection between Pahlavas and Sakas, e. between the family of ( the Pahlava )
for, says
/'.

(Bom. Gaz.

I Pt.I. p.

543),

who

calls

the valley of the Lower Indus Scythia. Sir A. Cunningham says: "From Kipin (=Kabul ), the Sakas rapidly extended their conquests to the eastward, until they occupied the whole of the Indus. valley Ptolemy apparently limits his district of IndoScythia to the province of Sindh, below the junction of the five rivers ...... The author, of the Erythraean Periplus t calls the countries at the mouth of the Indus the sea-board ' of Scythia, but the capital which he names Minnagar, was at some distance " inland. (see Archaeological Reports, II. pp. 45-46).
'

Volones, with the family of ( the Saka ) Maues. This connection appears to be proclaimed by certain coins, on which Spalirises the brother of the king Volones is definitely associated to Azes who was almost cerThe tainly the successor of Maues. family of Volones ruled in Seistan,

Kandahar and north Baluchistan, and, that of Maues ruled in the West Punjab and Sindh, until towards the end of the first quarter of the first
century A. D., the two kingdoms were united under the sway of the Pahlava Gondopharnes, as to the Parthian character of whose name there can be no possible doubt."

(Rapson's Anc. India pp. 144-5

&

184).
that a Saka was connected with the Pahlavas, and were probably influenced by the religion of the latter
line of rulers

It

is

easy

to see,

that Plotemy,

Telang and the author of Periplus

give the habitation of the

Thus then we see

Sakas of

muck later times. \ What we are concerned with is to know the original home of Sakas in 477 B. C.,

when Gautama Buddha died. Also the fact that about the year 160 B. C., the Sakas were under the
*

only in ab*>ut the first century before Christ. We have no evidence before that date.

Were Sakyas Zoroastrians?

Dr. Spooner says, that the word Saka is the same as Saka, and reminds one of Sdka-dwipa and as the Sakas or Sakas were Zoroastrians, Saka-dwipa was necessarily the land
;

Mudra Rakshasha

intro.

p.

28

V.

Smith's

His. of India p. 201.

A sailing directory for Greek Merchants; see Pandit Bhagvanlal's Remains at Sopara,
t
p. 6.

t The Sakas invaded N. about 100 B. C. (Rapson's p. 184).

W.

Anc.

India in India

or

home of the Zoroastrian Magi. Further up the learned doctor points

126
out, that in the Vishnu Purana and is a in the Mahabharata there

that

Buddha was a

Zoroastrian.

description

of

the

Saka-dwipa

He has the quoted for our information from the Mahabharata, that passage " there was a mighty Sdka-ttee in " and that "there the Sakadwipa, was no king there."
whence came the Magians.
But we regret, that he has omitted to tell us from the same Chapter of the Mahabharata (Bhishma Parva XI-28), that the people of the Sakadwipa always adored the above-said Saka tree, and that in that island
Shiva was worshipped. Are we ready believe, that the Zoroastrians or the Magians were ever devoted to Besides it the worship of Shiva ? " this Sakashould be noted that dwipa was surrounded on all sides it If so may well by ocean." have been the country between the Indus and the Sea although according to the writer of the Bombay Gazetteer it was Sakastene, since " name explains the statement that in the Bhavishya Purana, that Sunworsbip was introduced by Magas into Multan from Sakadwipa, the Gaz. I. land of the Sakas," (Bom. " the MulPt. I. p. 143), and that introduced tan sun-worship was " under Sassanian influence (idem
to
;

have seen that Sakadvipa was in the west; and Dr. Spooner admits it. On the other hand, Kapila-vastu, which was the birth-place of Buddha, was in the Sakya territory at the foot of the Nepal hills, in what is now known as the Nepalese Tarai. This Sakya territory was bordered on the north by the Himalaya Mountains, on the east by the river Rohini, and on the west and south by the river Achiravati ( Rapti ). It was to the north of the modern Basti and Gorakhapur districts, and was a

We

dependency of Kosala, the modern Oudh. (V. Smith's Hist, of India

Dutt's Anc. pp. 24-25, 139 Vol. I p. 320 Rapson's Anc.
;
;

Therefore we p. 161 ). to believe, that Saka dwipa was quite distinct from the territory of the
Sakyas, and that the Sakyas had no connection with the Sakas.

India India have reasons

Sakyas and Next-of- kin

Marriage.
Spooner tries to support his theory by relying upon a legend of the Sakyas, which is as follows A king named Ambattha sent his sons into exile at the instance of his wife. most favourite They took them their sisters. with They met the sage Kapila on the shore of a forest of a lake surrounded by Saka trees and there they settled. In the absence of suitable wives
:

Dr.

p. 142).

Leaving aside the question whether Sakadwipa was Seistan or the country between Indus and the sea, one thing seems certain that it was situated in the west.

in that

own
their

locality, they wedded their sisters. This act delighted

we get the lost form Sakiya," from " which came Sakya." The original

Dr. Spooner argues that from Saka "

father

when he heard

of

it,

home
(as

of the Sakyas being Sakadvipa

and he cried out ^qRTT 3cT *M$*IKI: " M<*KIWI ifr fTKT: Clever indeed
are the
princes, they are indeed extremely clever." We can see, that in the above passage, there is evidently a pun on

proclaims), the ancestors of Buddha, the Sakyas of Kapila-vastu are not to be differentiated from the other Sakadvipins, or in other words the ancestors of Buddha were the inhabitants of the land of the Sakas and were Zoroastrians. For this reason and for many other reasons to be mentioned hereafter, we are asked to believe,

the

etymology

Now the the word ?&& or Sim. statement, that the Sakyas married their own sisters, points to a similar custom attributed ( wrongly in our opinion ) to the Zoroastrians or MaAnd for this gians of olden times.

127
reason Dr. Spooner concludes that *" were of Zoroastrian the Sakyas We shall see hereafter origin." that some of the ancient Hindus also If practised next-of-kin marriages. Sakya so, the statement that the
princes married their sisters, does not conclusively prove, that they were Zoroastrians.

3-33, Sha. Br. I-7-4-lff, Pan. Br. 8-2-10, Rv. 1-71-5).* Kumarila, the well-known opponent of BudBr.

dhism and the predecessor

fable.

of

Shanthis

karacharya correctly " explains

Lord
sun,

says of Creation, is and is so called

is

He

Prajapati, the the name of the

protects all creatures.

because he His daughter

it is

Buddha a Zoroastrian!
The discussion of the word Sakya leads us to think of the great Sakya Muni, Gautama Buddha (B. C. 537 to 477). Relying upon certain external and internal circumstances the learned Doctor does not hesitate to
put
that

Ushas

the

Dawn.

And when

said, that this only

he was in love with her, means, that at sun-rise,

the Sun runs after

Similarly

Dawn."

the Rigveda, (VI-55-4-5, 1-115-2) that Pushana is the paramour of his own sister
find in

we

forward

external circumstances has been referred to above, namely that the Sakyas of Kapilavastu, the ancestors of Buddha practised next-of-kin marriages like the Maand that gians or Zoroastrians, therefore they were identical with

Buddha One of the (l)

the astounding theory, too was a Zoroastrian.

Dawn and his own mother Surya. Now Pushana is nothing but the sun
and

Thus the
and
its

light of the sun. fable relates the close connection of the sun with the dawn,

Surya the

own
I.

light.

(Dutt's

Anc.

India Vol.
Similar

p. 186).

legends are found in our

In the beginreligious books t also. ning of creation, the male element

these people.

Next-of-kin MarriagesPersians, Hindus, &c.

We have shown elsewhere that the so-called next-of-kin marriages referred to in our religious books were but legendary descriptions of certain natural phenomena and that
they

was Ahura-mazda himself. He created Spendarmad, who was therefore This was the his own daughter. first female element. Ahuramazda married his daughter, and Gayomard, the primitive man, was born from Here then we have a the earth.
philosophical legend of the creation of the first man and it indicates the divine and earthly elements of
;

were misinterpreted by some ruling monarchs for their nefarious

which man
are
*

is

made.*

It is impossible to believe, object.* sanctioned the that the religion alleged practices or that masses of But Zoroastrians indulged in them. are not such practices referred to in Stories of the the Hindu books ? incest of Prajapati with his daughter such as are related in several books the Aitareya Brahmana, Shatapatha

told,

that

Gayomard
1,

Further we married

Also in Rv. X-61-4 to

III-12-28ff.

PurSna

See

also

and Bhagvata Muir's Sk.

Texts V. pp. 45-47. f Dinkard

II.

Chap. 80 by Dastur Pesho3-4

tan B. Sanjana.
J Cf.

Bhagvad Gita XIV.

Brahmana, Pancha-vimsha Brahmana, and even in the Rigveda (Ait.

so-called

For the story of Bahman marrying his sister Ilomaya see KutaVs Shahname Vol. VII. p. 8 and preface. According to Herodotus Cambysis married his but Herodotus clearly says that no sisters Iranian married his sister before Cambysis 31). (Herodotus III.
;

My womb is the great Brahma; in that (Shri BbagavSn) place the germ ; thence comes the birth of all beings, Bhfirata. In whatever wombs mortals are produced, Kauntiya, the great Brahma is their womb, 1 their generating father."

"

128
Spendarmad, who was his own moThey became the parents of first the Mashi and Mashyani, human twins, who married and
Gaz. Vol.
9. pt, I. p,

440

).

As we

ther.

already stated, Dr. Spooner identifies the Magadhas with the Persians. It would follow, that the

have

begot the

human

race.

The

author

of this legend did not care to see, that it contained a very obnoxious It was, however, readily principle. caught hold of by some unscrupulous

Gandhara Brahmans were Persians. have however shown that the Magadhas were not Persians. The Gandharas were Indians for the

We

following reasons:
(1.)

kings and their followers.

The

Gandhara

Brahmans

The same was probably

with at least three Hindus, namely the Gandharas, people of the Uttara Kurus and Pandias; and as early Buddhism was a sect of Hinduism ( as we shall see hereafter,) it would not be wrong to infer, that the Buddhists might have borrowed their custom of the next-ofkin marriage from these Hindus.

the case sects of the

mentioned in the Kama Parva of the Mahabharata (verse 2076 ff ), W^fr 3*5 %5f: where we read
are
:

"The senseless GanMadrakas and B^hikas are lustful and without restraint ( but ) " only one in a family is a Brahman.
II

dharas,

(2).

Unlawful Marriages Gandharas.

The Rajtarangimi which

Among
is

mana
sage

In there

the
is

Shatapatha Brahan allusion to a royal

son of Nagnajit, the
thus:

Svarjit,

Gandhara, which runs

a San-

l[

skrit chronicle of the Kashmir kings written by Kahlana Pandita in the 12th century A.D. *is a book dealing with several important points of hisOne of the passages in this tory. book relating to the Gandhara Bra-

"Then
spoke. dhara.

Svarjit,

Now

<l>!HHifcr c3 son of Magnajit Nagnajit was a Gan-

This which he spoke, he spoke as if he were a Kshatriya

brother."
(3) Nagnajit, the Gandhara is also mentioned in the Aitareya Brahmana ( VII-34) as one of the persons,

hmans
T

runs
IJ

thus:;
I

TRKsfl<H

llt;dd:

TTm: Then the Gandhara Brahmans took rent-free lands. They were descendants of Mlechhas and were shameless to consort with These sinners, who (their) sisters.
T:

^fcf

"

who received
(4) In the

instruction

of a parti-

cular rite from Parvata

and Narada.

2441) we
disciple

read:

were attached
their

to

the intercourse with

offered
their
I.

of

Mahabharata (1-2439, "Nagnajit (the Prahlada) and Subala

daughers-in-law wives (to others)." (Raj. Tar.

ff.)

307

Now who
Brahmans
?

were these Gandhara

were then born ...... Two children were born to the king of Gandhara (Subala), Shakuni Saubala and the mother of Duryodhana."

writer of the Bombay Gazetteer thinks, that the Rajatarangini describes the Magadhas as

The

As Dr. Muir
are
sufficient

says, these passages to show, that the

Gandhara
Mihirakula
accursed

Brahmanas
of

brought

by

(A.D. 450-530), who

children

Gandharas were a people, with whom the Aryans of India were in the intercourse and habit of holding
Wilson Prof. contracting affinity. notes that these Gandhdras were a people found both on the west of the Indus and in the Punjab and

were the lowest

Brahmans, the of Mlechhas,

sisters.
(

marrying their own

*

Bom.

Dutt's Anc.

India Vol. V. p. 42.

were well known

to

classical

writers

129
as Gandarii * and Gandaridae (Vishnu Parana p. 191; As. Res. XV105). Lassen concludes that "though

and Magadhas were, on the contrary,

tribes

have thus
to the

living in South Behar. in the verse two nations

We

the Mahaand contempt are hatred expressed in reference to the tribes living on the Indus, yet there is no trace of these tribes being ever
in individual passages of

bharata

regarded as .of non-Indian origin.

That there was no

in their

essential difference

language is proved by the testimony of Panini." We therefore conclude with Dr. Muir, that the tract of the country to the west of the Indus was inhabited by races of Aryan origin and of common descent with the Indians. (Muir's Sk. Texts Vol. II pp. 483, 484, 353-356).
here say that in view of a passage in the Atharva Veda, the writer of the Bombay Gazetteer is not correct, when he identifies the Gandharas with the Magadhas. The " As soon as passage runs thus thou art born, O Takman, thou sojournest among the Bahlikas. \ Go Takman, to the Mujavats, or far We transfer away to the Bahlikas Takman, as a servant, and as a treasure, to the Gandharis, the Mujavats, the Angas and the Magadhas" 14 ). Now as Dr. ( Av. V- 22-5, 7,
:

north-west and two south-west." (Muir's Sk. Texts Vol. II pp. 351-352). It will thus be seen, that the Gandharis were totally distinct from the Magadhas. This is further seen from Varaha Mihira's Brihat Samhita (chap. XIV), in which Magadha is classed among the in countries the east and Gandhara among the countries in the north R. A. S. New ( see J.
situated to the

Series Vol.

5.

pp. 82, 86

).

Thus then the Gandharas who practised illicit marriages were Hindus and not Persians.

We may

Incest

Among

LIttara Kuril

Tribes.
The
practice of

the

next-of-kiri

marriage was prevalent among the In people of the Uttara Kurus also. the Bhishma Farva of the Mahabharata there is an (Sec. VII.) account of these people. Verses Nos. 7 to 12 run thus:

Muir says "The Mujavats, being mentioned along with the Bahlikas, t a Bactrian race, and with the Gan:

dharis, may be a hill tribe in the The Angas north-west of India

*

Cunningham

says:

Gandhara

is

descri-

bed by Strabo under the name Gandaritis as lying along the river Kophes, between the Choaspes and the Indus. Its chief towns

were Pushkala'vati (Peukelaotis), Varusha (Paladheri), Salatura (Lahor) and ParashSwara (Peshawar). (See Ancient Geography of India p. 47 ff). It corresponds with the modern districts of Peshawar. (Archaeological Survey Reports I. p. 15). Gandhara is placed by Lassen to the west of the Indus and south of the Kabul river. (See Muir's Sanskrit Texts II. p. 842),

"

All

men

there take birth

as

if )

from heaven. All are of pure birth and are extremely handsome.
fallen

There twins
born, the
ras

of opposite sexes

are

women resembling Apsa-

which f The view of Roth and Weber, Zimmer once accepted namely that this was
an Iranian tribe ed by Macdonell Vol. Up. 63),
( cf.

Balkh and Keith.

is

not accept-

in beauty. They drink the milk, sweet as Amrit, of those milkgiving trees. And the twins born there grow up equally; both (male and

Vedtc Index

beauty,

female being) possessed of equal both endowed with similar

130
virtues

thus,
like

O
a

king,

and both equally dressed both grow up in love,

;

his

own

sister

next heir.

was the mother of the But the Pandias were a

couple

of
persons

Chakra-vdka
are are
live,

birds.

These
illness

free

from

and

cheerful.

Ten

thousand and

always ten
king,

hundred years they and never abandon

class

each

other.

Bharunda, furnished with sharp beaks and posof

birds

called

Indians altogether the south of India, and among whom peculiar marriage institutions obtained ( probably copied from the native inhabitants), such as the marriage between sisters and brothers. The same story has been copied by Ferishta" (Vaidya's
different race of

who

settled in

sessed of great strength, take

them

Mahabharata

p.

67

).

and up, when dead, "

mountain caves.

throw them into

Comment is unnecessary. We
that in view of the

think,
it

above

facts

is

have here references to the next-of-kin marriage of practices and exposure of dead bodies. The Commentator, while explaining
says
:

We

high time that the general idea that the customs of the next-of-kin marriage and exposure of corpses were "Zoroastrians* or peculiar to the either modified or Magians is
given up.

"The

Chakravakas are bird-couples,

"
together. that the

who move
suggested

Hence
twins

it

is

lived

as

Gaya, Buddha's Holy Place.

(2) stance, is, that centre.

husband and wife.

Further
T ^Ifffi
I

up the
thus:

Commentator explains

The second external circumwhich we have to consider

Gautama selected Gaya
According
to the as his

^far

ft 3TTC 5ltR.3F5ffi:

"

The

bodies their abandon couples together." This evidently refers to the custom of Sati, in which the wife consigned her body '-to the flames along with her dead husband.

Dabestan. The ancient Persians claimed Gaya as a temple of their foundation,

"

where Gaya
planet

that
)

is,

Kaiwan

or the

Saturn

was

worshipped.

were these people of the Uttara or Northern Kurus ? Aitareya Brahmana (VIII, 13-14) shows that they were Hindus. They could not have been Zoroastrians in view of the Sati practice which prevailed among them. According to M. M. Kunte these people and the Madras lived on the Punjab side of the Himalayas. ( See Vicissitudes of Aryan Civilization in India p. 374 ).

Now who

intelligible

Dr.'Spooner thinks, that it is now what the author of the Dabestan meant. "GayS, was an
early
seat
of

Magian

worship.

Gautama Buddha,
dent went
place of his
trians.

as a religious stuthither as to the holy

own people, the Zoroas-

The Magian Brahmans, who

did not accept his reforms, had held the spot sacred before his time, and
his followers naturally held sacred after him."
it

doubly

Incest
story is

Among
says:

Pandias.
"The
curious

Let us however see, what the Dabestan says on the subject. After
referring to the fire-temples in Iran " the writer says They also assert,
:

Mr. Vaidya
related

by Greek authors, that Heracles ( i. e. Krishna) had a daughter by name Pandia, on whom he raised progeny by incest, and
assigned it to a country, which lies extends to the to the south and sea ( McCrindle's Ancient India ). Here is a jumble of names and facts. The Pandavas were no doubt the sons of Krishna's father's sister, and

that there were fire-temples in several parts of India, as in Dwarka was the temple of Satuin, called

Dizh-i-Kaiv&n (Saturn's
the

fort),

Hindus

turned

into

which DwArka.

* For incest among other nations see Genesis XI-29, XX-12, Exodus VI-20, Me. Lennan's Anc. Hist. pp. 175.117; Eraser's Adonis Attis Osiris pp. 394-397.

131

And

called

also was an idol- temple, Gah-i-Kaivan (or Saturn's residence), which was turned into Gya. In Mahtra also was an idoltemple of Saturn, the name of which that is, chiefs or was Mahetar Mahetar resorted thither, which word " (Shea by degrees became Mahtra and Troyer Vol. I. pp. 52-53). Now Dwarka. Gaya and Mathura But the are pure Sanskrit words. author of theDabestan, who belonged

in

Gya*

from Persia into Dwarka probably belongs to the 6th centuryascendancy of the fire- worshipping Mihiras or Gurjjaras and white Huns" note ). ( Bom. Gaz. IX pt. II. p. 183
priests

Buddhism
proofs,

Parallelisms Between Zoroastrianism.

&

to

comparatively

modern

times,

wanted to derive these names anyhow from Persian words, because he had heard, that there were Parsi
It may be, that lire-temples there. was a holy city of the Hindus in ancient times, (and no doubt that

Dr. Spooner then adduces internal which have been noted by We must say Spiegel and othersthat these same parallelisms were noted long ago by our learned friend Mr. G. K- Nariman to show the influence of our religion on Buddhism.

The

learned

Doctor
:

notes

the

G tya
was

following parallelisms

we sec in the Mahabharata, Ramayana, f &c.), it may be that Buddha was born in this holy city,
so, as

(1) Zarathushtra planted a cypress tree before the fire-temple Gautama

;

planted the bo-tree at Bodh-Gaya.

(2)
is

it

may be

their are we justified

that, the Zoroastrians built lire-temples in this city, but

in

Kharenangha

or kingly

glory

concluding from

mentioned in our religion. This closely resembled the Chakravartin

idea of the Buddhists.
(3)
in

these premises, that Buddha was a Zoroastrian ? Why could it not be, that this city was a holy place of all the three religions at different times or possibly even at one and the same time ?

The

Fravashi of Zarathushtra

was seen by Geush Urvan as residing

heaven long before his -birth Gautama's spirit was in heaven long before he was born.
similarly
(4) In

Dwarka, it was an ancient town built by Krishna and destroyed by an inundation of the sea ( Vishnu Purana pp. 566, 613 ). It actually exists as a town with a celebrated temple in Gujarat. We have already
to

As

both

the

heaven was the region of

light."

the religions " eternal

(5) The doctrine of future millenour religion, is nial prophets in analogus to that of the Boddhisatvas.
(6)

seen that according to the writer of '" the Bombay Gazetteer The Hindu of the account fire-worshipping
In the foot-note the translators say, that is Gaya, a town in the province of Behar, 35 miles south of Patna. It is one of the holy places of the Hindus,
*

the

The Buddhist books mention "heaven of 33 gods." We

ratus,

have 33

33 Firashtas 33 forms

of ordeal &c.
(7) When Zarathushtra was conceived in his mother's womb, Vohu-

" the true name

which pilgrimages are performed. It was made holy by the benediction of Vishnu, who granted its sanctity to the piety of Gay&i the Rajarshi, or according to another legend to Gaya, the Asura, who was overwhelmed by the deities with rocks. This place is also considered by some Hindus
to

man and Ashavahishta conveyed

earth his Fravashi

to

which combined

with

Khureh and
at

Similarly

material body. the birth of Gautama,

as is

Brahma and Indra

attended, seen from the bas-reliefs.

either as the birth-place

ot

or as the residence
1

Buddha."
t RSmSyana Bk.
II.

the
Ch. 101, and Katha
82,
-

sarit-sagara Vol.

II.

p. 383.

Parva Chap. 84 PurSna Chap, 13.

96,

M. Bh. Vana 97 ; Garuda

All nature at (8) rejoiced of birth and Zarathushtra, similarly at the birth of Buddha.

The
the

evil

attempts

made
are

to

kill

infant Zoroaster

analogous

132
to the

attempts made on the the infant Buddha.

life

of

of

Brahmanism" (Anc.

Sk. Lit. pp.

261-262).

both 30, (9) At the age of Zarathushtra and Buddha received enlightenment or divine light of After the revelation revelation. came the temptation by evil fiends in the case of both the prophets.
(10) Asoka was

Prasad in his book, the " Ganga " Fountain Head of Religion tries to show, that Buddhism was based on the Vedic religion. He says " Buddhism spread in this country, because originally it was only a
:

a true

Vishtaspa

both
these

being

copy of famous for

their proselytising zeal-

From

all

circumstances, Dr.

righteous protest against the unjust distinction of caste, cruel slaughter of animals, and an appeal for the " and morality practice of virtue

arrives at the conclusion, Spooner " Buddha's system was an adapthat

(p. 59).

Indian conditions,'' or in other words Buddhism was a cult of Persian origin, wherein both Magians and Hindus were united in one common fold."
tation of the

Magian

faith

to

Gautama was not a thoughtless destroyer, nor a needles^

Dutt says
:

"

and

enthusiastic opponent of that was orthodox and ancient

all,

Buddhism originated from

Hinduism.
regret, we cannot agree to the learned Doctor. conclusion of the All the scholars are unanimous that Buddhism was a modification of Hinduism. We give the below

We

opinions of some of them.

Prof.

because he caste, found it mischievous and believed it to be a late :and corrupted form of He proclaimancient Brahmanism. ed the fruitlessness of Vedic rites, because he found them as then practised to be silly, meaningless attended with needless forms, " cruelty to animals and loss of life ff India Vol. I. 296 Anc. ). ( p.

He denounced

Max

Muller

though Buddhism, social and philosophical system

reaction against
is

"Alsays: as a religious,
is

Brahmanism, there an unbroken continuity between

two
hostility

the

no

general,

Buddha himself shows to the Brahmans in nor does he seem to have

Rhys Davids says: "Gotama was regarded by the Hindus of that time We should never foras a Hindu born and get, that Gotama was brought up and lived and died a Hindu. His teaching, far-reaching
and
day,

subversive

original as it was, and really of the religion 'of the

been fond of arguing against BrahWhat he attacks is Brahmanism manic sacrifice, as it had been developed in the Brahmanas, the privileges arrogated to their caste by the Brahmans, and the claim of a for the divine revelation set up Veda, particularly by the Brahmans."
(

was Further up
concludes: an Indian

"

Indian throughout." the same writer thus

system.

Buddhism is essentially The Buddha

Physical Religion pp. 94-95).

himself was, throughout his career, And whata characteristic Indian. ever his position as compared with other teachers in the west, we need here only claim for [him, that he

In another place the same scholar says," Buddha learned the Rigveda and was proficient in all the branBrahmanical lore. ches of His
pupils were

was the greatest and wisest and best of the Hindus" (Buddhism, its History

and Literature, pp. 116, 117).

Chanda's arguments
on
this

R.

many

of

them Brahmans,

and no
Buddhist

hostile

Brahmans

feeling against the finds utterance in the

point are quite conclusive. "The accepted view that Buddha was born a Hindu

He

says

Gautama

canon.

Buddhism

in

its

original form,

was only a modification

is based on traditions and legends, enshrined as the in such canonical works,

133
Mahdvastu, Divydvaddna and Lalita works Vistara. and non-canonical like Ashvaghoshd's Buddha-charita and the Pali Niddnakathd. These works agree in representing Suddhodana ( father of Buddha ) as a A Brahman named Brahmanist. Udayana was his Purohita (domestic priest ).

to

be practised by Buddhism were;

Life is suffering. (1). (2). cause of suffering is thirst after

(3).

The
life.

The conquering
to

of

that thirst

leads
(4)

The

cessation of suffering, and extinction of that thirst

can
Vol.

be achieved

by a holy

life.

Ten
'

days after the birth

told in

(Mahavagga

1-6 quoted in Anc. India

of the future

Buddha, we are

the

Buddha-charita

(1-88,

89),

Suddhodana

offered for his son most

Mr. Ganga I. p. 343, 355). Prasad points out, that these truths occur repeatedly in books of Vedic
For religion and philosophy. ple, in the Nyaya Sutras (I,
read
:
I

elaborate sacrifices to the gods with muttered prayers and oblations,' and gave to the Brahmans cows full of milk. According to the Mahdvastu, when the child first entered Kapilavastu with his mother, he was taken to the temple named Sdkya-vardhana for bowing to the feet of the god-

exam2) we

"Of

suffering, attachment ( to life ), evil motive and false knowledge, the extinction of one leads to the extinc-

dess Abhaya. (3fff2n% ^)% Ti<*Ki ). In the Divydvaddna, the temple

tion of that, which precedes the extinction of suffering

it

and
the

is

summum bonum"

(^<p5) is called Sdkyavardha. In the Lalita Vistara it is said, that the temple contained the images of Siva, Skanda, Narayana, Moon, Sun, Vaishravana, Shakra, Brahma and the If one chooses to ignore Lokapalas. these traditions, while crediting others like the next-of-kin marriage practised by Buddha's ancestors, anything can be proved about him." (R. Chandra's Indo- Aryan Races pp. 'J41-242.)

Commandments
Buddhism.
According
five

of

to Dhdmmika Sutra the commandments, which are obliall

gatory on
(1)

Buddhists are
is

Not

to kill living beings; (2)

Not Not

to take to

what

not
;

given
(4)

(3)

BudAccording to Vincent Smith dhism was a sect of Hinduism unknown beyond very restricted limits ...... When Asoka accorded to it his invaluable support, it was but one of
the many sects struggling for existence and survival." ( Hist, of India
pp. 167 8).

'

'

Not to drink intoxicating drinks and (5) Not to be unchaste.* Dutt says " these (commandments) were suggested by Vasistha's five Mahdspeak falsehood
:

pdtakas or great
Vol.
I.

sins.

(Anc. India

p.

358

).

tracing them to rules of conduct,

Patanjalit in his

Ganga Prasada the five yamas or

mentioned
by
Sutra. (11-30)^

Yoga

Cardinal Truths of

Buddhism.
The
*

four cardinal truths,* enjoined

four Truths or

"Not to kill animals, not to speak falsehood, not to commit theft, not be unchaste, not to indulge in sensual pleasures, are the rules of con-

The
"

the four words o

truth are

:^5^

destruction

"pain" ^JJ^T "origin" " and "road" jr

273 S. B. E. Elsewhere the four
;

"Buddha duct,"] concludes thus: did not preach any new religion or
*

See S. B. E. Vol. 10 Part

It

Il-p. 66.

Dharamapada Chap. 20

Vol.

I. Pt. I. p. 67). holy truths are given thus: Pain, the origin of pain, the destruction of pain and the eight-fold (way that leads to the quiet91 ing of pain. Dhammapada Chap. 14 S. B. E. Vol. IPt. I. p. 52).

might be argued that Patanjali was The answer is probably a later writer. that such Suttas must have been in existence
f

long before Patanjali 's time

the

Brahmans

would not borrow any dogma from their enemies the Buddhists, *ho bad chucked up Hinduism.

134
any new truth. He only repudiated which were no part of
religion.
(

ful

damsel,
his

who comes
way
to

to

receive
Similarly

certain evils, true Vedic

him on
in the

heaven.

therefore

by which

we

Buddhism, have to

understand the noble precepts taught by Gautama), is based on Vedic religion." (See Sacred Books of Hindus Vol. IV. p. 155; Fountain Head of Religion pp. 54 62.)

( verse 220) we "There do his good works receive him, who has done good,

Dhammapada

read:

and has gone from this world to kinsmen the receive other, as We must a favourite on his return." admit that this parallelism is not so complete, as we would wish it to be.

Parallelisms.
As regards the various parallelisms
once admit, that our religion may have exercised some There is influence on Buddhism. no religion in the world, which has
will

ehakravartin and Shri

Ideas.
Khannatigha or kingly glory has been compared with the ChakravarIt might tin idea of the Buddhists. be, as well, compared with the idea of Shri* or Lukshmi in the MahaWe are told, that "the bharata. Asurasf were originally just, good and charitable, knew the Dharma, and sacrificed, and were possessed of many And therefoie, Shri other virtues.
the goddess of prosperity dwelt with them during Yugas from the beginning of the world. But afterwards,
as they multiplied in

we

at

not exercised

some

sort

of influence

which came tt is well known, that Budafter it. dhism exercised some influence on Christianity, and the latter on MahoBuddhism sprang up medanism. directly from the Vedic religion such is, as we have seen, emphation
another
religion,

the opinion of Max Muller, Dutt, V. Smith, Ganga Prasad and It is therefore our duty to others. be cautious, and see whether the parallelisms cannot be traced back in the ancient Hindu scriptures.
cally

numbers, they
;

became proud, vain and quarrelsome Dharma and they infringed the

Zoroastrian Influence.
The
it

influence of the

Zoroastrian

religion on

Buddhism, however slight may have been, has to be acknow-

neglected to sacrifice ...... As they had thus changed their nature, Shri forsook them." (M. Bh. XII-8268ff. Fausball's Indian Mythology p. 20. M. Bh. Vana ParvaChap. 94. M. Bh. 20ff). Santi Parva Chap 228

ledged.

The

temptation of

Buddha

by the evil spirit Mara may have been borrowed from the Zoroastrian books, in which we read about the
.temptation of Zarathushtra by the evil spirit. Spiegel thought, that this was the single borrowing from a

Region of Light and 33 Gods.

It is stated, that according to the Zoroastrian as well as the Buddhist " rereligions, the heaven was the Do we not of eternal light." gion read in the Rigveda, that the heaven

Persian source, although Max Muller held a different opinion, even as

But as Max regards this influence. Muller has not adduced proofs, we are not inclined to accept his view. We have come across another parallelism, which is not found in Hindu books and which we give subject to correction. In the Hadokhta Nuska we read that after the death of a pious man, his good actions assume the form of a beauti-

Cf. Skandagupta's inscription gar where we read

at

Juna-

Luxmi, having with a firm mind well considered the causes of good and bad qualities, rejectecL one after another, sons of " kings, and at flst married him herself.
(B. B. R. A. S. Journal VII. pp. 122, 128).

"

t That

is,

Daityas and D&navas.

135

sqsraf where a place " there is ever-lasting light (Rv. IX113-9).

is

"

Avatars ).*

Of

these the

first

nine

Dr.
splfiRr.

Spooner observes about the or Buddhistic heaven of 33

gods, that "this number thirty-three in application to the gods is also It occurs to be sure in Zoroastrian. the Rigveda also, but in India the

prominent in Hindu works than in the Buddhist." We regret, we cannot subscribe to this.
idea
is

appeared in archiac and ancient times, but Kalki is still to come. In his tenth and last avatdra, Vishnu will appear as the destroyer of the wicked and liberator of the world from its enemies- This is to take place at the end of the four Yugas. Jayadeva thus refers to the Kalki avatdra in 110 +^ Gitagovinda
:

less

We

should think,

that

the

idea

is

more prominent in the Hindu scripMore than half a dozen tures.

passages can

be quoted

to

show,

that in the Rigveda, we have mention of 33 gods. (See Rv. 1-34-11,1-45-2,

1-139-11, 1II-G-9, VIII-28-1, VIIIIf these 30-2, VIII-39-9, IX-92-4). are not enough, we can quote instances from the Black Yajur Veda (1-4-10-1), the White Yajur Veda (XIV-31), the Atharva Veda X-4-27,

snr wtffrt n the destruction of the multitude of the Mlechhas, you will wield the dreadful sword, which is like a comet. O Hari, lord of the world, may you be successful having It will be got the body of Kalki." seen, that Kalki will perform a
^nftt

"

Keshava,

at

function similar to that of our Sosiosha. ( See Fravardin Yt. 129, also Garuda Purana p. 62, Note by

Earnest Wood).

X-7-13, 23),
(4-5-7-2.

Shatapatha

Brahmana

mana
rana, *

14-16-3), Aitareya Brah(1-2-10, 111-22), Vishnu Pu-

ter's

Nature Rejoiced at Zoroasand Buddha's Births.

An
important comparison
is

Ramayana
the

(1-41),

and Ma-

seen

Dutt rightly observes, hcibharata.f that "Gautama adopted the popular

belief in

in the fact, that all nature rejoiced at the birth of Zoroaster and that of

33

8ds f
I.

Hindu Pantheon the th- e Rigveda, and Brahma

(Anc. India

Buddha.

and the Gandharvas."

Vol.
p. 356).

Doctrine of Future Prophets.

As regards the doctrine of future millennial prophets, which we come across in the Zoroastrian and Buddhist scriptures, we may say, that
it is

Now it is well known to students of comparative religion, that glowing and miraculous accounts are found as quite usual about the births and of prophets, lives and apostles

found in the Hindu books

also.

The

ten incarnations or avatars of Vishnu are referred to in the following verse

:

We are not important personages. therefore surprised at the resemblances of the birth-accounts of Zoroaster, Buddha, Christ and Rama. We shall quote a few passages from the Ramayana
:

Rama
Chaitra,

was born on the 9th

day of

when

The moon
"
Fish,
Tortoise,

within

that

mansion
shone,

Boar,

Man- lion,

Dwarf, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki " ( are the 10
See Wilson p. 123. These were 8 Vasus, 11 Rudras, 12 Adityas, Prajapati and Daksha,
t Adi Parva Chap. 66
37.
*

Which
*

Aditi looks kindly on,

in

Raised to their apex

the sky,

BhSgvata PurSna gives 22 incarnations; of these the last two, Buddha and Kalki, are to come in the future (see also Muir's Sk. Texts IV p. 156).

136
Five brilliant planets

* beamed on high,
in

Turning to the Gathas (Ha XXIX) and Bundehishna (Chap. IV.) we

a council of the Angels is under the presidentship of Ahuramazda, in which Geush Urvan the world's soul complains of the calamities and miseries on this earth, and implores the heavenly spirits for help. Ahuramazda shows to
see,

Shone with the moon,

Vrihaspati

Can-

that

cer's sign,

held

with

light
I.

divine.

(Ramayana Bk.

Ch. 19

).

Prof. Griffith says, that the poet intended to indicate the vernal equinox, as the birth- day of Rama; for,

Chaitra
that

is

the

assigned to

of the two months thus see, spring.

first

We

born in the commencement of spiing; and such was also the case with Zarathushtra.

Rama was

Geush Urvan the Fravashi of Zarathushtra, which was created long before his birth, and says, that Zarathushfcra will be
to

sent

as

prophet
in

remedy the

evil.

presided over by the Pushya Nakshatra. \ The of birth of Bharata, the brother Rama, was presided over by the same constellation Pushya, as we read
in

The

birth of

Buddha was

similar

story

is

seen

the

Ramayana.

At the

sacrifice of

Da-

Vishnu, sharatha, (father of Rama) Indra, Maruts and all the holy gods

Ramayana (Bk. I. Ch. 19). The Archangels Vohuman and

the

assemble and complain to Brahma, the ruler of the sky, about the tor-

ments of Ravana thus

Asha conveyed Zarathushtra's Fravashi, which united with the Khureh in his mother's womb. Dr. Spooner supposes, that these Ameshaspents were the archtypes of Brahma and Indra, which loom largely in the
bas-reliefs of the

That

lord
fell,

of

giants fierce and

Scourges the earth, and heaven

and

hell,

Mad

with the boon, his impious

the words Vohuman and Brahma are to be connected." We however fail to see any connection, because the Sanskrit word e^H'EMs the exact equivalent

He

adds,

that

"

birth

of

Buddha.

rage Smites saint and bard and god

even

and sage.
said, that he would half of divide himself into 4 parts his self would take birth as Rama,

Then Vishnu

of the Avesta word Vohumanangh. This point, however, is immaterial. But what shall we say about Ashavahishta and Indra ? They are of each other, certainly the enemies

quarter as Bharata, and one quarter as Luxman and Shatrughna.

one

Then Vishnu,
dwell,

fain

on earth
Sire

to

Bade the Almighty

well,

fare-

as

the Vendidad and (Vend. XIX-43. Bund. At the birth of 1-127, XXX-29). Zarathushtra, the god Indra and several other devas were terrified

we

see

in

And

vanished, while a reverent

saints
in

Bundehishna.

and they
kill

tried to find

out

means

to

him

(Vend.

XIX-43/46).

We

bowed (Griffith's Tr. Ra mayana I, Ch. 14-15-19). Don't we see very close resemblance in the two stories
?

crowd Of gods and

worship

thus see, that the analogy entirely fails here.

the lady of the lunar mansion The five planets and their the Sun in Ariesi positions are given thus: Mars in Capricorn, Saturn in Libra, Jupiter
Aditi
is

better

parallelism

found in the
Punarvasu.

however is Bhagavata Parana, for

which I am indebted to my friend Mr. K. E. Punegar. The poet says: "

The goddess Earth, being oppressed

in

Cancer and Venus

in Pisces.

t Ganga Prasad's Religion (p. 61).

Fountain

Head

of

of thouby the heavy load of tens were who of hosts, sands Daitya

born as arrogant kings, sought the

shelter of Brahma. She took the form of a cow, and with tears running

down her cheeks,

piteously related

her grievances to the Lord Creator. Brahma carried the complaint of the cow to Vishnu, and the result was " the avatarship of Shri Krishna *

(Study of Bhagavata Purdna by P. N.

Sinhap. 245).

No doubt Purinas are later productions, but it is easy to see, that the Hindus would be the last men to
borrow ideas from their religious enemies the Buddhists.

Let us proceed further. RaghuVamsa, the well-known poem of

Kalidcls

The author further tells us, that the infant Rama was of unrivalled lustre. He outshone the lamps in the lying-in-chamber. At the birth of Rcima, the four quarters breathed freely, as it were, by means of the breezes, that were free from dust. Fire and the sun, who were oppressed by the Rdkshashas became freed from grief the one on account of his being smokeless, the other on account of his clearness. The fortune of the Demon shed drops of tears. The gods played on the musical instruments in heaven, and the Santanaka tree all-yielding
poured a shower of flowers in the palace of the king Dasharatha (Raghu Vamsa X, 66-67).

gives

us

genuine tradition

and semi-historical account of Rama and his ancestors. The three wives of Dasharatha, who had become pregnant at one and the same time, saw in their dreams, that their own persons were protected by angelic beings, that they were carried in the sky by the Garuda of golden wings, that they were waited upon by Luxmi, and that they were worshipped by the seven holy Rishis (Raghu

Does not all this show, that nature rejoiced at the birth of Rama, just as it did in the case of Zarathushtra

and Buddha

What ground have

the Zoroastrian religion influenced Buddhism in this matter and that the Hindu religion did not
to say that

we

do so

Vamsa X-59,

63).

Buddha
The
ing.

&

Zoroastrianism.
Gautama Buddha
indeed astoundis

does not this Luxmi resemble Khurehy which encircled Zoroaster,

Now

theory, that

and Maya which grasped Buddha ? Do not the angelic beings remind us of the archangels, who attended on the infant Zoroaster, and the gods Indra and Brahma, who waited upon
the infant
*

was a Zoroastrian,

Buddha

point would strike every student. As we are Avestan told, that the Scikyas, the ancestors of Buddha, were Zoroastrians, Buddha must have been a Zoroastrian

One

from

his birth.

Now

it is

argued by

C. V. Vaidya points out that." The usual story of Avataras given in the Puranas, namely, that the Earth, oppressed, goes to Vishnu in the form of a cow to implore for redress, and he comes to life together with all the deities of heaven for the purpose of destroying her oppressors is found in the MahSbhaTata in a nucleus form. In Chapters 65 and 66 of the Bhishma Parva it is
stated that Brahma, surrounded by Rishis and gods praised Vishnu, the Supreme Being, and implored him to be born for the deliverance of the earth. Vishnu thereon was pleased and promised to grant his In Chapter 167 of the Adi request.' Parva, the oppressed Earth goes to Brahma, who directs all gods to go down to the earth and be born as mortals. They then all go to Narayana and Indra implores him to be born on the earth &c. (See Vaidya's Mahibharata pp. 40-48).

Gautama of the Fravardin Yashta was Gautama Buddha. If so, we see that a born Zoroastrian had questioned the truth of his own religion, and had invented quite a new faith in other words,
some
scholars,* that the
;

he was the
ed down
terms.

and such a circumstance would have been handfirst

apostate,
in

to posterity

indubitable

Doctrine of Karma.
The theory of transmigration or rather of Karma might here claim a
few words from
us.

Gautama Buddha

held, that after the death of any being, there survived nothing at all but that

138
being's

Karma,

the

result

of

its

gion,

Buddhism pp.

92,

106,

107,

mental and bodily action, and that every individual was the last inheritor and the last result of the Karma of
a long series of past individuals. read, for instance, in the Buddhist " after death the wrong Sutras, that

236,80, 73, S3).

We

Thus then this important theory of Buddhism was certainly not borrowed from the Zoroastrians.

doer

and
(

reborn into unhappy state, the well doer is reborn into

is

Moral Triad in Buddhism and Hinduism.

state." The Dhummapada verse 325 ) says: "when a man becomes fat and a great eater, a slug-

happy

gard rolling this way and that, again and again does that fool enter the womb." In the Sutta Nipata " calls him (verse 647), the writer a Brahman, who sees through heaven and hell, and who has reached the end of births." In the Sotapattisanyutta," men are said to be reborn in purgatory, animal kingdom, and condition of ghosts, gods and men."

We have done with Dr. Spooner's important arguments, so far as Buddha is concerned. But our learned friend Mr. G. K. Nariman has adduced some more arguments, which
arrest our attention.

there are constant

moral philosophy Triad of Humata, Hukhta and Hvar-

In our religion references to the contained in the

"Good thought, good word shta. and good deed" or the opposite thereof. There are similar references in the Buddhist For scriptures. example, in the Dhammapada (XXVI
verse 391) a
fined:

Now
ists.

this theory

is whence was borrowed by the BuddhThere is certainly no such

the question

Brahman

is

thus

desin
is

commits no by body or speech or mind, and

restrained in the three I call a Brahman."*

"He who

theory in our scriptures.

to

According

Rhys Davids "the Aryans did not

respects-him Now was this

bring a belief in transmigration with

them

in India, and this doctrine is " entirely absent in the Vedas. however find traces thereof in the

We

moral triad peculiar to the Zoroastrians and the Buddhists ? Not at all. We come across the triad in the

Hindu

scriptures

also.

Rigveda ( X-16
been
in the later

),

which may have

passage from

the

Here is a Brahmana of the

interpolations.

Anyhow
)

Yajur Veda

Upanishadas ( 600 B. C.

the

theory suddenly appears in perfect completeness. For example in the

read:

Chhandogya Upanishada ( V-10) we "Those whose conduct has been

"

What

man

contemplates in
;

good, will quickly attain a good birth as a Brahman, Kshatriya or Vaishya." Similarly in the Kaushitaki Upanishada it is stated that "all who depart from this world go to the In the dark fortnight the moon moon sends them into new births... and they are born as worms, grasshoppers, fishes, birds, lions, boars, serpents, tigers, men &c. according
to
this

what thought, he speaks in speech he speaks in speech, he does in

deed."f
In
the

Manusmriti

we read:
n

(Manu
(

XII. 9

fixed

condition

minerals) on
*

attains the of vegetables and account of his faulty

)
(

"Man

their

deeds
his

and

knowledge."

Buddha and

theory that they added the doctrine of the of transmigration. eternity (Rhys Davids' Origin and Growth of Reli-

followers adopted with the modification,

we read: " His thought is quiet, and deed are quiet" (.S. B. E. Vol p. 28.) Cf. KSlavagga XIII-7.

See also Dhammapada VII

97 where his word

10-pt.
I.

t Quoted in Fountain Head of Religion by Ganga Prasad p. 168. See also Muir's Sk. Texts Vol. I, D. 31.

139
actions arising

from the body; the

sions."

(S. B. E.
).

Vol.

pt.

I.

birds and quadrupeds on account of his ( faulty ) speech, and the lowest condition on account of

condition

of

p. 29 note

Killing

Noxious Creatures.

his

faulty

thoughts."

In
(

Garuda
)

Purana
=

Saroddhara

111-12

we read
"

Another parallelism is, that both in our religion and Buddhism there are * injunctions to kill noxious creatures.
similar commandment was also in vogue among the Vedic people. In the Rigveda (1-191-15 ) we read
:

II Those followers of the King of Justice (Yama) know accurately all the virtues and vices of mankind, and the Karma born of mind, speech and body." (Also see

idem VIII-36, VIII-59, X-47).

In

Bhagvad Gita^ XVI1I-15 we

:

Whatever action a man begins to do by his and speech body, mind" &c.
Prof.

have "

"The poison-insect is so small; I crush the creature with a stone I turn the poison hence away, deThis parted into distant lands." stanza is a part of the hymn, in which
venomous reptiles, insects, scorpions, aquatic worms and noxious creatures, lurking in grass, cow-pens, houses etc. are made to vanish by spells and charms. Under these circumstances we cannot say with certainty, whether the Buddhistic moral triad and the commandment to kill noxious creatures were borrowed from the Zoroastrian or the Hindu religion.

Max

Muller's remarks on this

He quite convincing. "That this very natural threesays fold division, thought, word and deed, the trividha-dvdra or the three doors of the Buddhists was not peculiar to
subject are
:

the

Buddhists or unknown to the

Brahmans, has been proved against Dr. Weber by Prof. Koppen in his
'Religion des Buddha'
I.

p.

445.
to

He

particularly called
;

attention

Manu XII, 4-8

added
;

and he might have

Mahabh. XII, 4059, 6512,

Muller

Temptation by Evil Spirit. Now as to the temptation of the Prof. Max prophets by an evil spirit "
observes
that
:

We

are

not

6554, 6549 XIII, 5677 etc. Dr. Weber has himself afterwards brought forward a passage from the

surprised,

Buddha should
called Mara,

be
for,

represented as having been tempted

by an evil

spirit

Atharva-Veda VI-96-3 (q^gqr fr^T 3TRT 3HlR*r ), which however has a different meaning. A better one quoted by him from the Taitt. Ar.

such temptations form an inevitable element in the lives of saints and founders of every religion."

fi).*

Similar expressions

have been shown to exist in the ZendAvesta and among the Manichaeans. There was no ground, therefore, for supposing, that this formula had found its way into the Christian for, as Prof. liturgy from Persia Cowell remarks, Greek writers, such
;

Further up the same writer says 'At the incarnation of Buddha a the blind great light appeared, received their sight, the deaf heard a noise, the dumb spoke one with the crooked became another, But straight, the lame walked &c.' such phrases are found in the Rigveda also. Thus in Rv. II-] 5-7 the lame stood, the blind saw, Indra did this in the joy of Soma.'
:

"

'

as Plato
*

employ very similar expresevil

deed was done by speech or deed."

" What

my mind,

* Mr. G. K. Nariman quotes a passage from the Pali Jitaka in J. R. A. >. 191?

p.

256.

140
In Rv. VIII-79-2 the same miracle ascribed to Soma himself Soma covers what is naked, he heals all that is weak the blind saw, the lame came forth. In Rv. 1112-8, the Ashvins are said to have helped the blind and lame to see and to walk.' If the ancient Vedic gods could do this, it was but natural, that the same miracle in almost the same words should be ascribed to Buddha." (Max Muller's Physical Religion pp.
'

suggest, that this region must

prehistoric times
If
?

is

have been settled by an Iranian body in "

A Zoroastby the expression " rian Period of Indian History Dr. means that the Zoroastrians Spooner settled in India in prehistoric times,
we have nothing to say against his abovesaid conclusion, although the premises might be easily challenged; but that is evidently not his meaning, when he calls the Mauryas Zoroastrians, and Chandragupta Maurya a Persian, (J. R. A. S. 1915 pp. 413, 417 ), and uses such expressions as " the first imperial rulers of India were Persians, &c." ( p. 421 idem).

"

390-394).

Or. Spooner's Letter in the Bengalee.

has restated his Dr. Spooner theory in a modified form in a letter published in the Bengalee of Calcutta, dated llth March 1916. In this " I do not say, that letter he says either Chandragupta or the Buddha was a Persian in our modern sense. I say, they were members of a body of Aryans, who came into this country at a date subsequent to the arrival of the first Aryan immigrations,
:

R. ehanda's Reply.
Spooner's premises have been R. Chanda in his challenged by " book named the Indo- Aryan Races"
(p. 220 to give
fF )

Dr

from which we propose

brief

summary with our

of

remarks.
(l)

The

classification

the

when
nian

for the

time had elapsed Vedic Hindus and their Iracousins to have developed
sufficient

Aryan languages of Northern India into two groups was never regarded
as

beyond

the

differences of faith."

by Dr. Hoernle and adopted by Sir George

is

all explanation. explanations put forth

One

of

Dr. Spooner then proceeds to sum " When the up his evidences thus Linguistic Survey of India shows us,
:

Grierson

as under:

The Midland extended from

the

at that time beyond all explanation, that the Aryan languages of North
fall into two groups when the Prakrit grammarians assert, that the (obviously Iranian) dialect of Balkh was integral part of Magadhi ; when

Himalayas on the north to the Vindhya Hills on the South, and from Sarhind in the Eastern Punjab on
f the the West to the confluence Ganges and the Jamna on the East. Round it lay the Outer Band, which included the modern Punjab, Sind, Gujarat, Rajputana, Oudh and Bihar. Now a comparison of the modern vernacular shows that the dialects of the Outer Band are more closely related to each other than the dialect It appears, that at of the Midland. an early period there must have

India

the language
tics,

ot these

Outer Band
characterisat

Districts display Iranian

when excavation
pottery with

Patliputra
it,

discloses
fire-altar

the

emblazoned on

as

Persian well

a group of palaces agreeing in minute detail and even in grouping with the complex of Persepolis
as
;

been two

Prabodha-chandrodaya tells that Magadha was a country us, peopled mostly by foreigners and when the present population of Bihar shows such a number of
;

when

the

sets of Indo-Aryan dialectsone for the Midland and the other From this it is for the Outer Band.

argued that the inhabitants of the Midland represent the latest stage of
est arrivals

admittedly
is
it

Skadvipin

Brahmans,
to

Indo- Aryan immigration. The earlispoke one dialect and the

sp

wholly preposterous

new-comers another.

141
Dr. Haddon thinks, members of the Alpine
that

some

latter

half of
It

from the highlands of South-West Asia

race

came

into India in pre-historic times.

:

In his review of R. [ Note Chanda's book Dr. Keith disputes both the theories given above. He says: "The theory of Dr. Spooner, which sees in the outer people, descendants

Magian immigrants, is decisively rejected; but in place of Magians are supplied men of the physical type of the Homo Alpinus, the original inhabitants of the Pamirs and the Takla-Makan desert, as determined by the investigations of Mr. of Tocharian, an Joice, speakers Indo-European but not Indo-Iranian It cannot be too often speech and too clearly asserted, that the two invasion hypothesis of Dr. Hrernle and Sir Grierson has not the slightest support whatever in the

of

Magadha was mostly inhabited by Mlechhas" ( ^p&Wtt: ). But the Mlechhas could not necessarily be the Persians. In the -Bhavishya Purana Noah is called a Mlechha, Moses an Acharya of the Mlechhas and Mahomed the Preceptor of the Mlechhas. They were not Persians. The word Mlechhas was undoubtedly
used in the sense of
(5) also

A. D. * "

the eleventh century contains a statement, that

"

"

foreigners.

known

The Sakadvipin Brahmans are as Bhojaka or Maga

as

Brahmans,

we have

already seen.

Thus then the data submitted by

Dr. Spooner are easily disputed.

Pacts Brought out by Dr. Spooner.

But notwithstanding all, that we have said above, we must say, that we Zoroastrians would be failing in our duty towards Dr. Spooner, if we did not appreciate his arduous work both and archaeological. literary We must acknowledge our indebtedness to Dr. Spooner for bringing into prominence the following facts, namely that a few centuries beChrist, the Persians fought in India for their Mauryan masters, that
fore

Vedic literature. It has clearly no secure support in the Prakrits it has therefore to depend on theories as to the modern vernaculars, i.e., deductions are to be drawn for the period 1500-1200 B. C. from our imperfect knowledge of the comparative development of these tongues in the last five centuries or so."] (J. R. A. S. 1917pp. 167-175).
(2) Among the languages of the Outer Band, the modern languages of Bengal, Beh^r, Assam and Orissa

owe

their origin to

Magadhi

Prakrit.

glance at the tables given by Dr. Muir in his Sanskrit Texts Vol. II.
that Prakrit Pali will show, languages display Indian peculiarities to a very great extent. (8) The Persian pottery and the

masses lived as subject-races Northern India long before the Arab conquest of Persia, that their leaders were made chiefs and even petty Rajas, and that their masons had probably a hand in the erection
their
in

of

the Mauryan

palaces after

the

and

style of the Persepolitan halls.

the Mauryan Persipolitan style of palaces disclosed by the excavations at Patliputra should be attributed to the Persian architects employed by the Mauryas, and not so the natives of Magadha, whose ancestors are supposed to have come from Iran.
is a (4) Prabodha-chandndaya Sanskrit drama written about the

Note on Nahapana (pp. 14*15) V. Smith says: "The arrow and

thunderbolt of Nahapana's coins connect him with the Parthians, and the northern Satraps Hagana and " Hagamasha." Nahapana is a good old Persian name." Coins in ( Cat. I. M. Vol. I. p. 195; J. R. A. S.

1906
'

p.

211

).

See Epigraphia Indira

I.

p. 220.

INDEX.
Ardeshir Papakan 18. Arisimha (Arsi) iv, 58-60, 63.

Abdaases

19, 20.

Kais 50. Abisares 3. Abu Fazal 1, 59.

ul

Abd

Arjuna 97, 98, 123.

Arrian 3, 95. Arsacidse 26, 40. Arsakes 3, 20. Arthashashtra 113-1 If, 118. Asfandiar 1.

Abul Feda 57.

Abulama Achchha

11, 13, 14.

87.
xiii.

Adam

94.
8.

Adarparwa Ahasuerus

Ahmed

al Biladuri 41.

Ahunavar 87. Ahura (-mazda)

Ashirwad Sk. 32. Ashtanga-yogahridaya 60. Ashvaghosha 133. Ashvalayana JOO. Asiatic Researches 21, 22, 24, 50. Asoka xi, xii, 8, 10, 11, 12, 96, 103,
106,

85, 88, 97-99, 107, 121, 124, 127, 136. AitareyaBr. 3, 119, 127, 130,

105-108, 110, 132, 133.

Aspandiarji

113,

114,
v,
vi,

122,
vii,

135.

Kamdinji

Aivyaonghem, Avyanga, Abhyanga

31,68.

(=KustU
Ajanta 22, 37.
Ajatashatri 8. Ajeysi 62, 63.

77, 78, 84-89,

91-93.

Assemani
Asura

xiii.

Akbar

xvi, 94.

Ako

100, 103, 106, 109, 123, 124,131, 134. Asura Maya xi, 96-103, 105, 106. Atash Nyash xiv, 86.
(s) 3, 97, 98,

v, vi, vii.

Atharva Veda

Akrureshwar 46. Alafkhan (Alpkhan) 57, 63-65.

Al Biruni
x, 8, 51,

xi, 83, 86, 90, 92, 98, 114, 116-121, 135, 139.

53,

77,

79, 80,

102, 119.

Alexander 24, 29,95, 102, 115, 116,

124. Alla-ud-din
iv,

55, 57, 59-65.

Amarakosha iii, 80. Ambattha 126. Amir Khusru 61, 64.

Athasho 21. Atthakatha 108, 119. Aurangzeb 77. Avanti (Ujain) S, 23, 24, 36. Avtara 79, 80. Azes 19, 103, 125.
Azilises 19.

Ammianus Marcellinus
Anahita
vii,

101.

B
Badami
44.
iii,

123, 124.
22, 32, 36, 37,
40, 42,

Anantadeva 53.
AnklesariaB. T. 53. Anklesaria T. D. 53, 68. Anquetil du Perron 50. Antiochus 96, 102, 122. Anvikshiki 116-117.

Bahman
Bahu Bana
Banasa

v, vi, vii, 1,

66, 67, 68.

27. 8, 80.
14.

Apastamba 105, 118. Apte 111, 123.

Arabs xv, 30, 33, 35-37, 41, 44, 50,
52, 54. 80, 81, 122, 141. Archaeological Survey W. I. 14, 15. Ardeshir 56, 57,60, 71.

Banerji R. 15. Bappa 61, 63.

Barot 64.65.

Barsam 82.
Barzuya 23.

Ardeshir

Bahman

54.

Bashpa 58. BaudhyAyana 116.

144
B. B. R. A.
S. J. iii, x, 5-7, 11, 13, 15, 23-25, 32, 33, 36, 37, 41, 43-45, 54, 55, 68, 101, 107, 108, 111, 122, 134.

Bundehishna 80, 124, 136.

Burgess Dr.
v, 13, J4, 25, 78, 102, 105, 106. Burne 56.

39,

53,

Behistun ii. Bengalee 1 40. Beramgore 7, 21, 22. Bhagadatta 122, 123. Bhagvanlal Pandit 6, 11,
.

Bursom

28.

0, 23, 25,

Caldwell Dr. xviii, 27. Cambysis 127.

27, 32, 39, 43, 45, 46, 53,

125.

Campbell

Sir J. 31, 36, 57, 63.

Bhagvat and Apte 2. Bhagavat Purana 79, 127, 135-137.

ChachSl.
Chahal Sang 55.
Chaitya 110, 113. Chakravati M. 7.

Bhagvad Gita
Bhandarkar

91, 127, 159. Dr. Sir R. G. iv,

viii,

6, 29, 38, 40, 44-49, 56, 60, 71,

Chalukyas

iii,

32, 33, 35-37, 39-41,

6,

76, 83, 90, 96,

101,

108, 111,

43-49, 61.

112, 122.

Chanakya
v, vi, vii,
viii,

xi,

107,

108,

113,

Bharata 136.

115-119.
79, 84, 99, 100, 114, 117, 124, 132, 183, 140, 141. Chanda Prakasha viii, 70, 71. Chandrabhaga (Chinab) 73, 74, ',6, 80, 81, 84, 85.

Bharucha Sheheriarji
52, 55, 60, 71.

Chanda R.

Bharukachha (Broach) 14, 19, 22,

35, 36, 46, 51-56, 61, 71.

Bhasha 95. Bhashyacharya N.

Bhattaraka 39.
Bhattotpala 105.

33, 113.

Chandragupta
140.

xi,

4, 6,

10-12,

18,

95, 96, 103, 107, 108, 112-115,

Bhavanagar

State

Inscriptions

11,

32, 58-61, 63.

Chaul 32, 55, 57, Chavannes xiii.

58.

Bhavishya Purana vi, viii, ix, xv, 28, 29, 73 ff, 121.

x, xiv,

Chavda

32, 33.

Bhimsi62.63. Bhoja 58.

Bhojakas 81, 82, 85-94, 124, 141.
Bikajiv (Bhikaji) 54. Bilazori 30, 81
.

Chedi era 32. Chhandogya Upanishad

Chinas
Cholas
Christ
5,

98, 118, 138. 115. Chitrakuta (Chitor) 25, 55, 57-65.

8.
i,

Bloomfield Prof. 116, 117. Bombay Gazetteer 5, 6, 11, 14-16, 20-30, 32-36, 38-40, 42-48, 50-53, 57-61, 65, 79, 81, 83, 88, 100, 101, 107, 120, 121, 125, 126, 128, 129, 131.
Briggs 18, 57, 64. Brihat Jataka 105. Brihat Samhita viii, 8,

Chronicle,

94, 135, 141. Bombay xv.

Chrysostom 5. Codrington 25.

Cowley

Prof. 10.
xii, 4, 8, 16,

Crindle Me. 17, 95, 96, 130.

Cunningham

18, 19-21,

23, 25, 26, 79, 95, 103, 105-107, 120, 124, 125, 129.
9,

124.

Curtius 103.

Buddha

20, 110, 113, 120, 125-127, 130-137, 139, 140.

xi, 8, 18,

Cyrus

ii.

Buddha Charita 133. Buddhaghosha 108.

Buddhist (Buddhism)
21.
xi,
xiii.

Dabestan 180.
20,

Dadda

39.

107, 110, 118, 114, 120, 127, 128, 131-135, 138. Buhler Dr. 11-13, 19, 20, 113, 114, 124. Bulsar 40, 42, 45, 46. Bulsara S. J. 28.

Dadestan ix. Dadophori x.

Dahanuka

15.
7, 11, 15, 38.

Daji Dr. Bhau 6,

Dakshamitra 15.

Damana

15.

146
Damanganga
32, 44.

Danavas 97-103, 106, 107, 123, 134. Danus 98, 107. Darab Hamaziar 6.
Darius x, 3,
4, 8, 96,

Fa Hian 101, 102.

Faridun 1
Fausball 134.

122, 124.

Darmesteter Prof,

ix, xvi, 2.

Dasyu

3,

107.

Fergusson 14, 22. FiWu^i xvi, 1, 7, 22, 31.

Fireshta 1, 15, 64, 130.
Firujrai 1.

Dawson 105.
Demetrius 24. Desai P. B 8, 57. Dewal Rani 64. Dhabhar B. N. 26.

Fleet Dr.

J. F. ii, 15, 22, 27, 32, 36-39, 41-45, 4S, 124.

Forbes 25. Frahimrava

134, 138.

76.

Dhammapada 108, 133, Dhammika Sutra 133.

Dhana Nandana
Dharashraya 45. Dhenukakati 122. Dhinki 39.
Dhritarashtra 104.

Framazd

1.

96, 107, 108.

Eraser 130. Fravardin Yashta. 98, 135, 137. Futh-ul-Buldan 41.

G
Gabra (Guebres) 33, 52, 64, 72. Gadaphras (Gondophares) 19, 20,
125.

Dibal 35. Dikshit S. B. 105, 106. Dinidaru (dasa) Bahman 56. Dinika 14, 15.

Gadharupa

22.

Gadhia-paisa. 24, 25.

Dinkard 31, 76, 127.

Dinpanah 32, 52, 53. Div 31, 32, 34, 35, 39-41,
Divatia
v.

49, 50.

Gakars 3. Gandharas 114, 128, 129. Gandharvas 135. Ganga Prasad 132-134, 136, 138.

Divyavadana 133. Dozy R. 81.

Ganges 88, 95.

Ganjeshayigan xvi. Gaobarah 41, 72. Gardhabin 21.

Drammas

24.
v, vi,

Drurnmond Duff C. M.

68.

35.

Dughda

76.

Garuda xi. 29, 77, 93, 121, 137. Garuda Purana 28, 121, 131, 13S,
189.

Durvasas 73. Dutt R. C. 11, 95, 96. 99-103, 105, 110-113, 115, 117, 120, 125128, 132, 134.

Gauramukha
Gautama Gay&77,

29, 73, 75-76, 82.

Gautamiputra 6, 80.
28, 119. 78. 130, 131.

Duval

xiv.

Dwarka

73, 84, 85, 88, 130, 131.

Gayatri 87, 90, 91. Gayomard 127. Gazetteer of India 62.

Gehlot 62.
Edrisi 18, 54, 81.

Geiger Dr. 98, 101.

Geush Urvan 131, 136.

Girnar
33, 52, 54, 57,
ii,

Kdulji Nowroji viii. Elliot's History 1, 61, 64, 81.

10, 11, 24, 122.

Godrej 18.
Goldstucker Dr. 111.

Elphinstone 25, 39. Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics 114, 124. Enti B. E. v, vi. Epigraphia Indica 8, 10, 17, 19-21, 24, 27, 78, 79, 102, 114, 122,
124, 141.

Gopatha Br. 117.

Govindacharaya A xviii. Gregory xiv. Grierson Dr. G. A. 55, 140, 141. Griffith R. T. 5, 124, 136.

Guha

x.

Esther

Gurjjaras 21, 29, 32, 37, 39, 46, 131.

8-

Gutschmid

19.

146

H
Haddon Dr. 141.
Hadisa-nama 57. Hadokhta Nuska 134.

Iranshah Atash Behram

56. Ishtar 123. Isidorus of Charax 124.

44, 45, 50,

Hagamasha 141. Hagana 141.

Haihayas 27.
Hajjaj 36.
35-

Hanjamana

Jadi (Jai) Rana 31, 3D, 66, 86. Jahiz xv, xvi.

36,

41-49,

Haoma

v,

88.
9,

Jamaspa
27, 79.
46.

7.

Harivamsa,

Harpharana 13, 14. Harsha 8, 22 23, 24. 30,

Hastinapura 104.

Jamaspi 54. Jamaspji Minocheherji Dastur 32,

58-55, 61, 86.

Hatra

14.

Haug

Dr. 98.
18, 33, 52.

Jambudwipa 82, 88, 114. Jamrud 2. Jamshed Maneckji Rustomji 68.

Jarashabda 73, 77.
Jastrow 123. Jaubert 54.

Haukal Ebn.

Heliodorus 26, 51. Herakles 21. Herbert Sir T. 35. Herodotus 4, 80, 124, 127.

Jayabhatta 35, 39, 46.

Jayadaman
37,

11.

Hitopadesha Hodivala S. H. Prof.

23.

81-33,

41, 53, 57, 64, 65. Hoernle Dr. 7, 140, 141.

Jayadeva 36, 39. Jayashikhara 33. Jayashraya Mangalaraja

46, 48, 49, 50. Jayasimha 37, 43.

iii,

44,

45,

Hoffmann xiii. Horn Bahmanyar 54. Hopkin 97. Hora 17. Hormazdiar Framarz 56. Hormazdiar Ramyar 54, 55. Horopharnes 13.
Hoshangji Jamaspji Dastur 55, 71. Hoshang Memorial Volume ii, 2, 16. Huart M. Cl. 31.

Jayasimhavarman 44-46. J. J. Madressa Jubilee Vol. 52, 53. Jnana Bhaskara 106. J. R. A. S. 9-11, 15, 16, IS, 19, 21,
28, 37, 95, 97, 101, 103, 110112, 129,139-141. Jordanus 55.

Junagadha inscription 6, Jl, 15. Junaid Ibn Abdur Rehman 36.

Junner inscription 11, 15. Justin T08.

Hummira

58, 63.
Hi,

Hunas (Huns)

5-8, 21, 23,

28,

30, 83, 115, 122, 131.

Huvardhi 10. Huviksha 20, 21.

Hwen Thsang

8, 77, 80,

102.

Ibraim Gaznavid 53. Indian Antiquary 9, 11, 27, 29, 32,

35, 36, 38, 40, 42, 43, 46, 50, 83, 84, 111, 120, 122. Indo-Sassanian coins 25.

Kabir 94, Kai Khusru 2. Kaikhusru Jamaspji Dastur 56. Kalachuri (Cbedi) era 32, 42, 46, Kalayavana 123.
Kalianrai 52. Kalidas iii, 7, 8. Kalila and Dimna 23.

KamaK.
Kambojas

R. xiv, 31, 53.

xviii, 3,

Indra

112, 131, 137. Indraprastha 103, 104. Innana 123.

2,

Kambaya (Cambaya)

Inscription from 16.

Cave Temples
xiii,

14,

Kamdin Kamdin Zarathosht Kanga x.

83, 85. 114. Shahryar 54.

54.

Iranian Association Journal

xvi.

Kanheri 32, 58, 110, 122.

147
Kanishka
122.
17, 20, 21, 26,
77,

83,

Karaka Dossabhoy Karapa 17.

Karttikeya
ix, x.

54, 57, 58.

Karle 11, 14, 110, 122.

Lassen 102, 129. L^ta 32, 44, 49. Lichhavis 120. Lok^ditya 43. Lord, Henry 34, 40, 41, 44, 48, 49.

Luder
7,

Prof. 16.
27.

Kasyapa-pura 79, 80. Katha-Sarit-Sagara iii,

103.

99-101,

Ludwig 2. Lukshmana

Kaus 2. Kaushambi

M
8,

Macdonell Prof,
119, 129.

i,

ii,

iii,

xii.

106,

Kaushitaki Upanishada 138.

Kftver 38, 40, 48.

Magadha

(s)

5, 6, 28, 95,

Kedar Raja

2.

Keilhorn Dr. 111. Keith Dr. i, 119. 129, 141.

107, 108, 113-115, 128, 129, 140, 141.

96, 101, 120, 121,

Magas

Kern Dr. 101.

Kershaspa
Kesurai
1.

1.

vi, viii, x, xii, xv, 28-30, 53, 73, 75, 77-79, 81-85, 87, 88, 91, 93, 94, 118, 120, 121, 124,

Khaharata (Kshaharata) Khalifah-al-Mahdi 36.

Khalif

14, 15.

141. Magavritti xiv.

Magh(Mugh)61,64,

73.

Umar

35.
i,

Khareghat M. P.

105, 106.

Magi, (Magian) viii, xi, 28, 52, 78, 84,101,114-118,121,123, 125,

126, 130, 132, 141.

Khizar Khan 64. Khorasan 34, 53, 54.

Khordadbeh Ebn 33. Khorshed Sepehbud 72. Khulagu Khan 55.

Maha-banu 23, 59. Mahabharata iii, 3,

98.

5, 9, 40, 83, 97,

Khumm&na
Khusru 22,

58. 23, 37.

101-107. 109, 118-121, 123, 126, 128, 129, 131, 134, 135, 137, 139. Mahabhashya 110, 111, 113.
133. 108. Mahavastu 133.

Khwaf

33.

Kirtivarma 37.
Kisseh-i-Sanjan
44. Kohistan 33. Koorcha 85.
28, 26, 29, 73, 74, 76, 80, 82, 86, 98, 99, 130, 137. Kshatrapa 11-13, 15. Kshatriyas 30.
1,
iii,

Mahavagga Mahavamso

v, vii,

80

ft.,

66.

Kobad

Mahayana

xi.

Mahomed 94, 141. Mahomed Begda 57,

M^hy^r
xiv, 54.

63-65.

Krishna

Maitra"yani Samhita 116. Malayaketu 114.

Mamun

Fazl xiv.

Kulaipa 11, 12.

Kumarila Bhatta 9, 127. Kunte 130. Kurus (Uttara) 88, 89, 128, 129.

Mangalesha 39. Mangalaraja 45.

Manikiala inscription 16, 20. Manittha 105, 106.

Kusha 9. Kushans viii,

Kusti
vii,

Manucci
6, 17, 21. 6, 95.
1,

35.
xviii 3, 7,

Manusmriti

30, 118, 116,

26. 22, 127.

Kusumapura
Kutar's

Shahname

118, 138, 139. Mao 21. Mara 139.

Mardan Farukha Margu 108.

Lakumsi 62. Lalana 17.
Lalita Vist^ra 8, 112, 183.

52,

WAricha 101. Markandeya Purana 112. Marshall Sir J. H. 10, 108.

Mashi, Mashyani 128,

146
Master Sir
S. 35.

Multan 29, 30, 77-80, 84, 126.

Masudi 18,

22, 33, 50, 52, 80.

xviii, 4,

Mura

107, 108,
xvi.

Mau

106.
xi,

Muskavaih Ibn
99, 101,

Mauryas
141.

95, 96,

37, 106-113, 140,

12,

11,

Maus (Moa, Maga)

Max

Muller

',2,

19, 125. -5, 95, 96,

Nagnajit 128 Nagojibhattalil, 112.

99,

101, 108, 111, 112, 119, 132, 133, 139, 140.

124,

McCormack
Mediomah

x.

Mazdayasnians 30.
26.
xii,

Nahapana 14, 15, Nahavend 31. Nana 21. Nanaka 94. Nanda 101, 115.
Nandini 10.

141.

Megasthenes

95,

96,

103-106,

113, 115, 124,

Megha, Meghanada 6. Meghaduta 8. Meheran-gushnasp xiv. Meherban Kaikhusru 32, Meherji Rana Dastur 52,
Mehernarsi
Meillet
xiii.
xiii.

Narada 74, 75, 85. Narayana 120, 137. Nariman G. K. xiii,

131, 138, 139.

2,

22, 30, 41,

53, 55, 71. 54.

Nariman Hoshang 56, 65, 71. Nariman Kersasp 1.

Nasik inscription 14-16. Nerioshang Dhaval vii, 54,
72.

55, 69,

Menander
Meriah 28.

24, 122.

Newton

Justice 24, 25.

Meru Merv

108, 109. 108,

iv,

Nidanakatha 133. Nikshubha 75-77,

90.

Noah

94, 141.
7,

Mewad

27.
ii,

Meyer Ed. Mihira (s)

121.

Noeldeke xvi. Noshirwan (Nowshirwan)

ix,

22, 28,

viii,

x.

28,

75,

77,

25, 59.

Nowsari (Nuncery)

Mihirakula 28, 123.

iii, 34-36, 40, 44-46, 48-50, 54, 55, 57, 63.

Mihireshwar 29. Miiro, Mithra 21, 29, 83, 90, 93, 94, Min-nagar 18, 19 25, 125.

Oado

21.

Minocheher 1. Minokherd x, 54.

Missar bin Mukhalihal 32.

Mithraism 84.
Mithridates 14, 19, 124. Mitravana 73, 74, 80, 84.
Mitrojiv 64.

Obollah 11, 13. Odoric 55. Orthagnes 20. Orthagno 21. Oswal 29. Otto Schrader 114.
Ousley 33, 52.

Mlechhas xviii, 5, 7-9. Modi J. J Dr. 2, 6, 30, 31,

Monier-Williams
i,

33, 34, 37, 41, 52, 54, 56, 57, 65, 108.
ix, x, xii.

P
Padana 82. Padmani 62, 63.
Pahlavas
ii, xviii, 3, 5-11, 13, 16, 18, 19, 25-27, 30, 40, 107, 122, 123, 125. Pahlavi iii, ix, xiii, xiv, 22, 23, 32,

Moses 141.

Mozumdar A. K. 6, 8, Mudra Rakshasha iii,

125.

9, 95,

122.

6,

108,

114,

Mughirah Abul Asi 35. Muhammed bin Kasim 81. Muir Dr. 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 27,
127-129, 133, 138, 141. Mukherji P. C. 96.

52, 53, 55,69. Palasini 12.

98,

99,

Pallavas

ii, iii,

27, 37.

Panchatantra 28.

Mulchand

I,

Panchavimsa Br. 83, 127. Pandava ( s ) 99, 103, 104, 123, 130,

149
Pandyas 38, 128, 130.
Panini ii, 129.
xii, 2,

Pudumclva 13.
Pulakesi 22, 36, 37, 44, 45.

100, 101, 106, 111,

Parada 15. Paradas 3, 27.

Parajas 27.

Panchayet (Parsi) v. Punegar K. E. 136.

Puruaspa 17. Pushyagupta 11, 12.
i,

Parasara 106. Parasikas (Parsis)

5-9,
-26,

ii,

Hi,

xviii,

52,

27, 29, 31-41, 45-50, 53, 55, 57-61, 63, 65,

Qasim Muhamed

36.

R
Rabadi Framji 57.

69-73, 95, 114, 115, 117, 119,

131. Pargitar 16.

Parsa

ii.

Parsi Prakasha xiv, 54, 55, 56. Parsi Smriti (P. S.) 67, 69, 71, 86.

Raghu 7. Raghu Vamsa Rahupa62.

72,

7,

60, 187.

Rajashraya 38.
Rajatarangini 3, 122, 128.

Parshu i, ii, xviii, 2. Parthians ii, xiii, xviii, 3, 13-15, 18, 19, 24 27, 122, 141.
Parviz 22.
Patanjali 109-1 3, 117, 133. Patel Dabhai 55. Pathak Prof, iii, 7.
1

Rajna

ix, x.

Rama

7,

135-137.
102,
118,

Ramayana

5, 10, 40, 99, 124, 131, 135, 136. Rana Je^ung 54. Rana Kamdin 55.

RapsonE.

Patkanian

xiii.

Patliputra (Palibodhra) xii, 4, 6, 23, 140, 95, 101, 103-108, 114,

96, J. 19, 20, 26, 95, 102, 104, 108, 120, 122, 125, 126.
ix.

Rashid-ud-din 18.

141.

Rashnu

Patna 95. Paul Horn 30. Paulica Siddhanta 102. Paymaster R. B. iv, v, 43, 66.
Periplus 18. 19, 125. Persepolis, Persepolitan Halls 4, 14, 96, 108; 140, 141.

Ratanpura 58, 59, 64.

Ratnamala 33.
Ratnavali 8. Ravana 101, 136.

Rawlinson 3, 4, 8, 14. Rehatsek Prof. 41.

fteinaud 26, 50. Rhys Davids 11, 132, 138. Rice L. 40.

Peshawar 16, 22. Peshotan Ram 54, 55.

Peterson Dr. 111. Pharro 21. Phrahates 15.

Rig Veda

i, xi, xii, 3, 61, 86, 90, 92, 97, 98, 104, 105, 109, 116, 117, 118. 121, 127, 132, 184, 185,

Piran-gushnasp xiv.
Piruz 7, 22. Pliny 50, 95. Porus 3, 19. Pouras 113. Prabhasa 14.

138-140.

Romaka

9.

Prabodhachandrodaya 120, 140, 141. Pragjyotisha 122, 123 Prairies d'Or 33. Praja Mitra and Parsi 22, 30.
Prajapati 127. Princep J. 24, 110. Prithu i, xviii, 2.

Romakapura K)6. Roth 129. Roy 5. Rudra ix, 116. Rudra Daman ii, 10-12, Rustam 1.
Rustamji Sanjana Dastur

122.
ii.

Rustam Mehrap^na

53, 55.

S
Sachau Dr. x, xi, 8, 78, 106. Sacred Books of Marathas 101, 184, Saddar 26.

Procopius 23.

Ptolemy 3, 80, 96, 102, 125.

150
Sagar xviii, 29, 30. Saka-dwipa viii, 29, 73, 74, 77, 78, 82-84,86, 88, 120, 121, 123126, 140.

Shazat 53. Shiladitya 30, 45. Shirin 22. Shiva v, 21, 25-27, 29, 38, 60, 92, 100, 111-113, 124, 126, 133. Shorparaga (Sopara) 14, 83, 51, 125 Shryashraya 44, 45, 49. Siavaksha 11, 12,14. Siddharaja Jesung 54, 61. Sikand Gum^nik Vijar 52.
Silhara

Sakas

ii,

iv, viii,

xi.

xviii,

3,

5-7,

27-29, 30, 114, 115, 122, 124, 125. Saklatwalla J. E. xvi, xvii, xviii.
10, 16, 19, 20,

32,

Salemann

xiv.

Salivahana 20.
Saljuk xvi.

King

29.

Samarsi 61, 62, 63.

Samasa Samhita

9.

Sama Veda 86, 92, 117, 118. Samba 73-80, 82, 84-89.
Sambapura, 79, 85.

Simhala (Ceylon) 38-40, 48. Sindan 33, 35. Sinsarchand 18.

Sita 101.

SSm Nariman 1. Samudragupta 27.

Sanabares 20.
iv, 31-35, 37, 40, 41, iii, 49-51, 57, 58, 63, 65. Sanjana D. P. Dastur 54, 55, 98, 101. Sanjana Peshotan Dastur 53, 127.

Sanjan

11, 19-22, 27, 95, 102, 107, 109, 114, 115 120, 121, 124-126, 133, 134. Soma 93, 116, 139, 140.
xii,

Sivaram v. Skandagupta Smith V, ii,

96,

7,

134.

Somadeva

Someshavara 36,

7, 8, 99. 43.
xvi.

Sanj Vartman
Sanskrit

41, 54.
iv,

Shlokas

41,

43,

51,

Sophronius 20. Sorabji Jamshedji Sovasaka 11, 14.

66-70, 86.

Spalagadmes 19.
Spalahores 19.
Spalirises 19, 125.

Sapinuda 21. Sapoor xiv, 21, 22.

Saqafi 35. Sasan 20.
iii, 21, 24, 25, 30, 37, 39, 47, 59, 60, 126. Satriparana 13, 14. Satyashraya 38.

Spendarmad 127, 128.

Spenta 16.
Spiegel
2,

Sassanian

134.
xi, xii, xiv, 4, 29,

Spooner Dr. D. B.

Saura 78, 90, 92, 93. Saurashtra 11, 12.

95 ff. Srausha viii, ix, 90, 91. Stein 21. Stevenson Dr. 13.
Strabo 3, 24, 28, 95, 108,
124, 129.

Sayana

i.

S. B. E.

5, 11,

28,

52, 54,

55, 76,

95, 96, 108, 113, 116-118, 120, 133, 139. Schlegel 124. Scythians 18, 19. Senart 16. Sesodia 62. Setaphaiana 13. Shea and Troyer 131. Shamshashtri R. 101. Shankaracharya 127.

Sudarshana 11, 12. Sudas 2, Sudreh 86. Sughdian xi.

Sujihva 7o-77, 81.

Sung Yun 101.

Surajfcii 2.

Surya Siddhanta 100, 102, 105, 106.

Suvarnasikata 12. Suvishakha, Siavaksha 11-13, 26. Swaley 84.
Syrians 47, 48.

Shaoreoro 21.
Sharastani xiii. Shashtri Haraprasada 128.

Shatakarni 16.

Shatapatha Br. 98,

127, 135.

in, ng

118

Tabar-al-Masbuk Tabari 50. Taimurlang 94,

xvi.

151
Taittiriya

Taittiriya

Aranyaka 139. Samhita 116.

Vasudeva 20,
Vasuki
vi, 88.

21.

Takhatsingji Raol 58. Takshasila xii.

Tapi 15. Tarsa 61.

Tata, Sir Ratan 96. Taxila 3, 10, 16, 19, 107, 108, 115, 119, 124.

Vatapi 86, 37, 42, 44. Vatsa 8.

Vayu Purana
Vendidad

8, 121.

xiv, 2, 86, 121, 123, 136.

Vidyabhushana Dr.
Vijayaditya
iii,

S. C. 120.

Tehemuraspa
Teile 2.

1.

33, 35. 38, 40-50.

Telung, Justice

6, 114, 124, 125.

Vikramaditya 36-38, 43-46, 49.

Vinayaditya
iii,

Thana 33. Thomas E. 11, 109, 110. Thomas St. 20. Times of India 30, 41. Tod J. 19, 23, 25, 59-63. Troyer M. 3, 128.
Turushkas, Turks
60-63.
iii,

35-42, 44-48.

Vishakha 21.
Vishakhadatta 6, 114.

Vishnu 78, 79, 82, 84, 110, 124,

185-137.
21,

iv, 7,

30

Vishnu Purana

Tushaspa

10, 11, 122.

iii, xviii, 6, 9, 27, 79, 83, 108, 113, 115, 119, 120, 126, 135.

Vishnu Smriti 28, 118.

U
Uchha (Auohak)
94.

Vishnuvardhan 37.
Vishtaspa 132. Vishva Karma 89, 97, 100, 101.

Udayana 8. Ugrasena 73, 75, 76. Ulughkhan 56, 63, 64.

Vishvamitra
Visparad 86.

9, 10.

Umar

Khalif 50.
vii,

Vohuvarda
31, 53.

10.

Unwalla M. R.
Ursi 62, 63.

Vonones, Volones 19, 125.

Vrihat Katha
8.

Ushabhadata 14,

15.

W
Vachakas 85. Vaghela 32. Vaidya C. V.
137.

Waddel Weber
5,

Col. 96, 105.

Prof, xi, 25, 29, 40, 83, 84,

83,

100,

108, 130

102-105, 107, 139.

112,

122,

129,

Vajasneyi Samhita 116. Vajjada-deva 37. Valabhi 23-25, 32, 39, 46, 57. Valuraka 14.

West E. W. Dr. 32, 52-54.

Westerguard Prof. 54.

Whitney 105, 106, 119.

Vanaraja Chavda 86, 50._ f Varaha Mihira x, 9, 76, 8, 101, 106,

124, 129.

Wigram

xiv.

Vararuchi 23. Vardust 26. Variava Bariav) 34, 35, 54, 58, 59.

Wilford 22, 26, 27, 31, 50. Wilson Dr. 9, 23, 28, 36, 57, 63,
82, 84, 87, 99, 101, 108, 122, 128, 135.

121,

Varun (xii, Vasava 13.

2,

104 112.

Vashti 8. Vasishta xviii,

9, 27.

81, 86, 133.

Xenocrates 122.
Xerses
x, 8, 97.

Vasithiputa 13.

152

Yadava

2.

Yajnavalkya 118, 119. Yajur Veda 86, 90, 92, 109, 117,
118, 135, 138.

Zal

Sam

1.
ii.
i,

Zagros,

Zarathushtra, Zoroaster

xv,

29,

Yashodharman Yasna 2, 117.

Yavanas

7, 30.

53, 76, 131, 132, 134-137.

3, 5-7, 9-11, ii, iv, xviii, 16, 27, 30, 101, 105, 114, 115, 122.
iii,

Zohak

1.
i,

Zoroastrians

viii,

xi,

xv,

31, 33,

41, 82, 85, 91-95, 98, 99, 101,

Yazdgard

x, 7,

23,

30, 31, 34,

41, 59. Yogaraja 50. Yu-Chi 20.

107, 109, 110, 112-117, 119123, 125-127, 135, 138-141.

129, 131, 134,

Yudhishthira 99, 100, 101, 103. Yule's Cathay 21, 50, 55.

UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY

A 000049106