Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 1.djvu/120

 88 BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE. BOOK I. question. If those of Kanishka are the earliest, which appears to be the case, the great one which he commenced, at Manikyala, is probably also the last to be finished in its present form, inasmuch as below 12 ft. of solid masonry, a coin of Yajovarman of Kanauj was found, and his date cannot be carried back beyond A.D. 720. Between these dates, there- fore, must be ranged the whole of this great group of Buddhist monuments. There were perhaps no great Buddhist establishments in Gandhara before Kanishka, and as few, if any, after the 8th century, yet we learn that, during the earlier part of the period between these dates this province was as essentially Buddhist as any part of India. Fah Hian tells us, emphatically, that the law of Buddha was universally honoured, and mentions 500 monasteries, 1 and Hiuen Tsiang makes no complaint of heretics, while both dilate in ecstasies on the wealth of relics everywhere displayed. Part of the skull, teeth, garments, staffs, pots of Buddha impressions of his feet, even his shadow was to be seen in this favoured district, which was besides sanctified by many actions which had been commemorated by towers erected on the spot where these meritorious acts were performed. Many of these spots have been identified, and more will no doubt reward the industry of future investigators, but meanwhile enough is known to render this province one of the most interesting of all India for the study of the traditions or art of Mediaeval Buddhism. The antiquities of the western part of the province were first investigated by Dr. Honigberger, in the years i833-i834, 2 and the result of his numismatic discoveries published in Paris and elsewhere ; but the first account we have of the buildings them- selves is that given by Mr. Masson, who, with singular per- severance and sagacity, completed what Dr. Honigberger had left undone. 3 Those of the eastern district and about Manikyala were first investigated by General Ventura and M. Court, officers in the service of Ranjit Singh, and the result of their researches published by Prinsep in the third volume of his ' Journal ' in 1 830 ; but considerably further light was thrown on them by the explorations of General Cunningham, published in the second volume of his 'Archaeological Reports' for 1863-1864 (pp. 82 et seqq.}. Since then still further additions have been 1 Beal's translation, p. 26 ; ' Buddhist Records,' introd. pp. xxx., xxxi. 2 Honigberger, ' Reise' ; see also J. G. Gerard's 'Memoir' in 'Jour. Asiat. Soc. Beng.' vol. iii. p. 321 ; and Jacquet's 'Notice' in 'Jour. Asiatique' I He. serie, tome ii. p. 234 ; iv. p. 401 ; and vii. p. 385. 3 Mr. Masson's account was com- municated to Professor Wilson, and by him published in his ' Ariana Antiqua,' with lithographs from Mr. Masson's sketches which, though not so detailed as we could wish, are still sufficient to render their form and appearance intelligible.