Page:Annual Report of the Archaeological Survey of India Vol 5.pdf/13



is the common name of the country which is now occupied by the Yusufzai Afghans. It comprizes the independent districts of SuwA&t and Bubner, to the north of the Hazirno and MahAban range of mountains, and the level plains to the south of the mountains lying between the Suwit River and the Indus.’ Its boundaries are Chitral and Yasin to the north, BajAwar and the Suwit River to the west, the Indus to the east, and the Kibul River to the south. The southern half of Yusufzai, which is now under British rule, is the only portion of the country that is accessible to Europeans. This is very much to be re- gretted, as the broad and fertile valley of the SuwAt River is known to be rich in ancient remains, which will only lessen both in number and value as successive years pass over them. During the past year Dr. Leitner eeu some specimens of Buddhist scul from Suwat; and lately I have been fortunate enough to obtain two inscrip- tions from northern Yusufzai, one from Suwit and one from Bajiwar. These few trophies, which have been wrest- ed with difficulty from the forbidden territory of a bigoted people, are sufficient to prove that both Suwit and Bajiwar must, possess Many ancient Buddhist remains of the same style and date as those of Takht-i-Bahi and Jamiél-garhi to the south of the mountains.


 * See Plate V1 for » emp of the Yusufzai District.