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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[Oor. 4, 1872.
Shah, A.H. 936. Mr. Blochmann stated that the reign of this king could not have been of long duration, and be might probably have only reigned in Western Bengal. The reign of Naçrat Shah ended, according to the historians, in 940 A. H, and his successor was cailed Mahmud Shah, no mention ever having been before discovered either in an inscription or on a coin of Firuz Shah of intended, if possible, to secure the stone with this inscription on it for the Indian Museum.-Englishman.
Bombay Br. Asiatic Society. At the monthly meeting of the Society held 8th August 1872.
Dr. Bhau Daji read the following report on 19 gold coins received from the Collector of Belgaum-3 larger and 16 smaller.
The larger three are circular, flat pieces weighing 66 grains. On oue side each has a circular line very near the run which is headed. Within the circle is the figure of lion rampant, face to the left. In front of the neck is short inscription in Devanagari characters comparatively modern, mentioning the name of one of the years of Brihas pati Chakr, or sixty years cycle of Japitor. Iu that year the coin was probably struck.
In one the name of the year is Subhakrata, the 36th in the cycle. The second has Pramods, the 4th in the cycle, the third has Pingale, the 51st in the cycle.
A little abuve the ear of the lion and closs to the circular line is a small circle and the crescent, evidently to represent the sun and the moon.
The coiu having the name of the year Pingala, has the Svastika symbol, just behind the raised tail, whilst that with the name of the year Pramoda has the same symbol under the raised front foot.
The form of the lion has a general resemblance to the lions found in the cave of Elephants and in the ruins of Mathura.
On the obverse of the coin with the Subhakrta year, is an inscription of five lines within a circle, the first line is in modern Devanagari characters, and may be read Siva Chitta. The line under has the same name but in a different character, probably the old Dravidian alphabet. The third line has the name of Sri Siva Chitta in Devanagari.
The fourth line rends exactly as the third, but the character is the old Caparese.
The fifth line has again Siva Chitta in Devanagari.
The coins having the name of Pramoda and Pingala have on the obverse inscriptions in five lines.
1st. Sri Sapta ko. 2nd. tisa lavvai ara vi 3rd. Ta Jaya kesi. 4th. Deva Malava. 5th. Is mari.
In the coin with the name of the year Pingala, the letter vi is at the commencement of the third line, and instead of lavvavara there is labhavara, which is equivalent to labdhavara in Sanskrit.
The legend may be translated"The brave Jayakesi who obtained the favour of Sri Saptakotisa and was the euemy of Mallavarma."
The temple of Saptakotisa (Siva) is Narven in Goe. In my paper on Madhavacharya, I have stated that Madhava Mantri established the shrine in the time of Hari-Hars.
The sixteen coins are all slike, being 59 grains in weight. On one side is the representation of an elephant with trappings, badly carved and never entire in any one of the coins.
On the obverse is a conventionalized leaf. These coins appear to be cast and not die struck.
The age of the coins, judging by the alphabets, is later than the thirteenth century of the Christian era. We have the name of a King Jayaksai and his enemy Mallavarma, but I am unable to find at present their exact position in the dynasties of Southern and Western India.
MISCELLANEA. NOTES.
posed, is carried through the streets. The bearers 1. In the Indian Antiquary, p. 174, Prof. Weber
are always masons. At intervals they stagger as if mentions that an Æsopic fable, -that of the flight
involuntarily, and shake the bier till the bones rattle. of the tortoise through the air, is found in Budda
I cannot give the reason assigned, and the procesghosa. This reminds me that the story is repre
sion has this year been abolished or suspended, but sented in a small panel sculpture at the entrance
the circumstance is curious in juxtaposition with to the Mundot (Buddhist temple in Java, near
Baber's story. Boro Bodor. The fact is mentioned by me in 3. I know not if the Maramal Department at the J. As. S. Ben, of 1862, p. 20.
Madras still flourishes by that name. But it is 2. Sultan Baber mentions (p. 144) & curious worthy of note that & standing commission for superstition in the hill country north of the Kabul the maintenance and repair of the ancient Cathedral River (Kuner, Bajaur, Swat, &c.,): "It is the cus- here bears the name of Maramma. It is a curious tom, when a woman dies, to place her on a bier
trace of the former extent of Muhammadan power which they lift up by the four sides. If the woman to find the same official phrase thus current in has lived virtuously, she shakes the bearers to such a Palermo and Madras. degree that even when they are upon their guard, 4. It seems to me all but certain that the and attempting to prevent it, the corpse falls from Semylla of Ptolemy and the Periplus, the the bier."
Saimar or Taimur of the Arab geographers, In an annual procession where I write (at Palermo) is Chaul. I should be glad to learn the oldest in honour of the Patron Saint of the City, St. known dative spelling of the latter name. Chansoul Rosalia, abier containing her bones, real or sup- Chamul, or Chantour would easily run into SemylSince writing the above I am told that the shaking is
I believed to have been discovered in a miraculous way. But intended to commemorate the bringing of the bones down
this may be a poutfactitiow reason. from the precipitous Mount Pellegrino, on which they are
