Indian Antiquary Vol 11

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 13

JANUARY, 1882.]
VIJNOT AND OTHER OLD SITES IN N. E. SINDH.
Beads :-round, flat, and oval, mostly of An old Government survey map gives the carnelian apparently--one of the flat ones had a name of the place “Wingrote," and Mr. pattern marked on it in white (enamel ?). Robertson follows this by his “Vinjrote"; but A very similar one was picked up at Sirwahi this form is not known by the inhabitants now, with the same pattern apparently, only rather who insist that the only, and the correct premore clearly marked, and alike on both sides sent and old, name is Vijnôt. (Fig. 21). Camelian beads and ornaments of It is not mentioned in Cunningham's this description with almost identical markings Ancient Geography of India, nor in the Gazetteer in white have been taken out of the stone-circle of Sindh, but it must undoubtedly have been a graves in Central and Southern India. A few place of note and importance, and of some specimens of glass, green, blue and white, were antiquity. It does not appear to have been a found, the latter irridescent and in a state of fortified city, like Brahman å båd, Serw - flaky decay; and some pieces of plain (glass P) | hi, Mathela and Mau Mubarak, as the bangle, like those worn to the present day. outer iine of moands around the place are too
Many little fragments of copper or brass orna- disconnected to be the remains of a continuous ments turned up, and amongst them a complete rampart with towers at intervals. (though corroded) little anklet bell (ghangri), The presence of the Hindu temple, and the with a ram's-head pattern on it.
large size of the bricks throughout the ruins Besides the above many pieces of shells, and point to a pre-Muhammadan era. Local tradiamongst them a few cowries, some marbles of tion regards it as one of the five (or seven) stone and of earthenware, and some barnt clay | ancient cities of Sindh, and say it was desfigures of animals, probably children's toys. troyed by lightning for the wickedness of
At a few feet or less below the surface, bones the king Dilu-, or Dalu-R & i. Extensive were found in the last stage of decay, and, mounds of ruins exist a few miles to the here and there, well preserved pieces, with south-west, called Dildwar or Dirk war, charred fragments in close proximity, a few now nearly hidden by the sand. DilAwar of them undoubtedly human.
may perhaps be a reminiscence of the old Amongst the debris not far from the surface Raja Dilu-Rai. The name of “Bij& Rai," of the mounds, iron spikes, such as may have who was defeated by Mahmud of Ghazni at been used in fastening the roof and flooring Bhatia (Ano. Geog. Ind. p. 256), seems to be timbers, were found. One or two pebble stones more nearly connected with Bijnôt; particularly were picked up of an elongated or pointed shape, so if Bhâtiya or Bahâtiya is the same as suggesting the idea that they may have been Mahâtila (the modern Nagar Mathêlo), which used as domestio Mahadeva or Linga symbols. is only a few miles distant to the W. S. W. Two or three elight excavations were made in Vijnôt, - Vijnôr, = Vijnaur, = Vijnavapura, the mounds, which disclosed several layers of is very near to “Vichava-pura," M. Julien's charred debris, apparently undisturbed since rendering of Hwen Thsang's “Pichen-po-pr-lo," the burning.
the capital of the province in the seventh cenThe appearanoes generally were as if the tury (Anc. Geog. Ind. p. 249). town had been destroyed by a tornado, or an The age and long occupation of Vijnt is earthquake ; and that the ruins, composed prin, attested by the height of the mounds of ruins cipally of mud or sun-dried bricks mixed with and the extraordinary amount of saltpetre masses of inflammable materials such as timber about them, whilst the surrounding country is and thatch, had then caught fire. Or perhaps comparatively free from it. an unusually high flood may have overthrown The town would seem to have survived the ad. the houses, and the fire may have occurred vent of the Musalmans not only from the Arabic afterwards. The marks of a great conflagration inscription on the brick and the Kufic letters are unmistakable over the entire site, whilst it is on the coins mentioned by Mr. Robertson, but equally certain that some of the bones and also from the Muhammadan graveyard attached things found below the surface show no signs to the S. W. corner of the place, which is still of having been burnt.
I used. The newest graves only are built with Now-a-days r is usually substituted for 1, as in Alor for Aror, Dewari for Devell, &o.