Indian Antiquary Vol 07

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 12

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JANUARY, 1878
the north-western districts of the Dakban; most exquisite portions of the sculpture of that while at about the same time the whole of the magnificent Buddhist monument were carved seaboard from the northern limits of the Chola about the very time of Fah Hian's visit to India. kingdom at or about the southern Pennar up And this splendid example of a Buddhist tope to the southern boundary of Orissa, together forms a fitting companion to his correspondingwith the whole of the inland country westwards ly grand Buddhist vih â r &, as a twin example as far as the borders of the Cheras and the of the high style of architecture which prevailed Kada mbas, was in the possession of these in these parts in his days. kings. Vengi remained in their possession | 4. Hiwen Thsang has shown that throughfor about two centuries later than the time of out the whole course of his journey along the Fah Hian, when about A.D. 608) it was wrest- upper eastern coast the monasteries of the Buded from them by Kabja Vishnu Var-dhists abounded everywhere, many of them still dhana, the younger brother of the Chalukya flourishing, and many more of them in ruins ; king; and Kanchi continued to be the capi. and that the greatest number of ruined Buddhist tal of their curtailed but still very powerful buildings, as well as the then preponderating kingdom until a much later date, and, with numbers of Brahmaņical temples, lay in those still. further curtailment of territory, very pro- | parts of his route which had but lately passed bably, until the tenth century, when the from the Palla vas into the hands of the Cholas, taking advantage of the decay of Vishņu-worshipping Chalukya. their power, and of the anarchy which resulted 5. The identity of the Palla va style of from it, carved the new state of Tonda man architecture with that of Fah Hian's kingdom dalam out of the last remnant of their pos- of the south is strikingly exemplified by the sessions. They were in the height of their Great Rath' at Mahamallapuram, on the seapower in Southern India, therefore, at the time shore about 35 miles from the Pallava capital, of Fah Hian's visit; and their extensive domi- Kinchipuram, and apparently its commercial nions were then fully entitled to be called the port. Mr. Fergusson has called this Buddhist kingdom of the Dakshiņa.'
monument "a literal copy of the Pigeon 2. That they were at least patrons of Bud- Vihara of Fah Hian's kingdom of the south: dhism seems clear from the fact of the existence and he regards it and the other raths at that of Buddhists and Buddhist institutions in their place as "the prototypes of the style" of Dra. kingdom and their capital city; and that they vidian architecture, and "the originals from were also tolerant of the Brâhmaņical religion which all the Viminas in Southern India were is shown by the circumstance that all their grants copied." Sir Walter Elliot, many years ago, of lands which are as yet known were bestowed connected these raths with the Palla vas: and as Brahmanical endowments. These facts, there. Mr. Fergusson assigns them to the 5th or 6th fore, run parallel in this respect with Fah Hian's century, "if not indeed earlier"--a date, espereport of the Samanæans, Brihmans, and cially when it is expressed in this tentative Heretics living together in the kingdom of the fórm, which brings their construction suffDakshina.'
ciently near to Fah Hian's days to connect the 3. Whether they were themselves Buddhists “ Great Rath" with his rock-cut monastery in or not, they were at any rate patrons of Buddhist point of time, as its form so remarkably does architecture. Mr. Fergasson has shown that the in point of architectural style. culminating point of Buddhist architecture was 6. While these considerations lead to the attained, or at least most prominently represent- conclusion that the kings of the Palla vas ed, in the Tope of Amrå vati, on the banks of were powerful, enlightened, and prosperous, the Krishna, which stood in the very centre of the sources of their great prosperity are not far the dominions of the Pallava s, and that the to seek. The central emporium of the whole of
He places the monastery in Kiao-sa-lo or Kosala, the Avarakila-safighfrimas. Probably this was B jw&d. After capital of which may have been about Vairagadh or Bhan- another 1000 X to the south-west and south he came to dak; thence he goes south 900 li to 'An-to-lo or Andhra, Chu-li-ye, the capital of which Fergusson would place at the capital of which he calls Ping-ki-lo, from which he Nelur on the coast, and Cunningham at Karnal on the Tunproceeded southwards 1000 li to T'o-na-kie-tae-kia (Dha- gabhadra. May it not be the Western Chalukys kingnakacheka) or Ta-'an-ta-lo (Mahe-Andhra), at the capital dom?-ED. of which were two famous monasteries, the Parvailland