Indian Antiquary Vol 21

SR No.: 032513
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 430
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 17 MB

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JUNE, 1892.
Court House at Mandalay on account of the Burmese Thingyan (Thinjàn). The new year, 1254, B. E, will begin at 0 hrs. 36 m. p.m. on Thursday, the 2nd waning of Naung Taga, 1253, (14th April, 1892)."
Thinjàn (th as in thin') means to the Bur. mese, the occasion on which the head of Brahma in the custody of seven female spirits, is transferred from one to another at the commencement of each new year, and has several interesting derivatives, e.g., thinjanjà and thinjan-atája, letting go the head : thinjanjat and thinjanatáját, the passage of the head : thinjandet and thinjan-atádet, taking up the head and lastly thinjankò, the state of washing the king's head at the new year in order to wash away the sins of the people, one of the many curious Court expressions now passing into oblivion.
The word thinján is, however, the Skr. san. kerama, the passage of a planetary body through a zodiacal sign, by which the Burmese understand the passage of the sun at the commencement of the new year, the sankordnt of the modern Hindu. The word in Burmese is spelt both sankran and san 8kran, pronounced thinjan. The Pali word is sankama. The Skr. derivation of thinján is therefore clear.
(2) Thinthagayaik= the Sanskrit Langnage. This word is written Sansakarók = Sanskrita. Compare amrók (ante, p. 94, there misprinted amrôt) for amrita. The Pali word for the Sanskpit Language is Sakkata or Saklata. The Skr. derivation of the Burmese word is here very clear.
R. O. TEMPLE.
BOOK-NOTICE. CATALOGUE OY TAX COINS IN THE GOVERNMENT protest against the scandalous indifference shown
MUSEUM, LAHOR... COMPILED BY CHAB. J. ROD by the Pasijab Government to the encouragement GERS, M.R.A.S, eto. Published by order of the of archaeological research, that is to say, to the Panjab Govern ment. Quarto, paper cover, Calcutta.
reconstruction of the history of India prior to the Printed at the Baptist Mission Press, 1891.
Muhammadan conquest. Madras used to be open Uncatalogued cabinets of coins are little better
to reproach on the same account, but the Governthan useless collections of old metal, whereas a
ment of that Presidency is now wide awake, and cabinet of very modest dimensions, if provided
is engaged in directing well-planned and well. with an adequate catalogue, may prove to be the
executed measures for the recovery of the lost source of much valuable historical and numis
history of the territories under its charge. The matic information. India, unfortunately, does
Bombay Government has given ample proof of its not possess any collection of coins which can
intelligent interest in the past by the magnificent compare with the European cabinets of the first
series of volumes of the Archæological Survey of rank, and, until a very short time ago, can hardly
Western India. In the North-West Provinces be said to have possessed any public collection.
and Oudh, ever since the time when Sir John Now, thanks to the exertions of Mr. Rodgers,
Strachey was Lieutenant Governor, early neglect Dr. Hoernle, Dr. Bidie, Mr. Edgar Thurston,
has been atoned for by considerable, though not Dr. Führer, and others, helped by the patronage lavish, patronage of archæological investigations. of the overnment of India and the Local The efforts of the Government of Bengal have not Governments, valuable public collections have
always been happily guided, but, at any rate, been cumulated, and continue to grow, at
something has been done, and the administration Calcutt. Madras, Lucknow, and Lahore, I have
is not open to the reproach of absolutely neglect. not of the Bombay Government forming
ing all enquiry into the history of the vast regions $ t of coins.
committed to its care. For the past thirty years mencipal public collection in India is that the India Office and the Government of India in v ian Museum, Calcutta, and I understand have been most liberal in their support of archæoth: Rodgers is engaged in cataloguing it. logical enquiry, and have done, I think, all that Mr. Edgar Thurston has done good sound work could reasonably be expected of them. It has in the issue of several little catalogues of the been reserved for the Government of the Panjab coins in the Madras Museum. No catalogue of to earn the ignominious distinction of displaying the Lucknow collection has, so far as I am aware, an utter indifference to the early history of its been published. The subject of this notice is a territories, which cannot be parallelod by any catalogue of the coins in the Lahore Museum, other administration in India. Yet, as all readers compiled by Mr. C. G. Rodgers, Honorary Numis- of the Indian Antiquary well know, the Pañjab matist to the Government of India.
is to the archæologist, as it is to the states. Before proceeding to discuss the book under man, by far the most interesting province of review I shall take the liberty of recording a India.