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they have always been considered by the Hindus interpretation (Jour. Bo. Br. R. A. Soc. Vol. XIII. of historical India as syllables, and that the p. 303) and for that of the Pandu Leņ& inscr. changes which they show in various documents, (Bombay Gazetteer.) He discovered two new kings in the main depend on the character of the alpha of this dynasty, Mâdhariputa-Sakasêna or Sirisena bet used. In the interest of truth I cannot and Vasiļhiputa-Chaturapaņa (P) (Jour. Bo. Br. suppress the remark that Pandit Bhagvanlal's R. A. S. Vol. XII. p. 407 and Vol. XV. p. 306). By name ought to have been mentioned by Dr. BhQhis article on the Andhrabhritya coins (ibid D&ji in his article on the cave-numerals. I have Vol. XIII. p. 303) he contributed much towards strong reasons for the belief that at least a con settling the sequence of some of the later kings. siderable share of the results, at which Dr. Bhd As regards the later Indian dynasties, he has been Däji arrived, is due to Pandit Bhagvanlal's in the path-finder in the history of Nepal, for the dustry and ingenuity. Another service which he explanation of which his twenty-one inscriptions has rendered to palæography, is the discovery of (Indian Antiquary, Vol. IX.p.163, and XIII. p.411) the real value of some signs of the most ancient have laid the foundations. The pedigree of the Southern and Northern alphabets. He first re- Rashtrakațas of the Dekhan has been lengthened cognised the fa on inscriptions of Rudradêman by his discovery of the Eldra inscriptions (Arch. and of Palumâyi. His transcript of the first Suro. W. I. No. 10, p. 92). The recognition of rock-edict in the Shahbazgarhi version, Ind. Ant. the existence of a once powerful Traikataka Vol. X. p. 107, for the first time rendered the signs | dynasty in Western India is solely due to his for thi and mru correctly. The discovery of the tha revised edition of Dr. Bird's Kanhêri plate (loc. was made simultaneously by Dr. Hoernle. To his cit. p. 57), and to his paper on the grant of king skill, finally, we owe some of the finest facsimiles of Dahragéna (Jour. Bo. Br. R. 4. S. Vol. XVI., inscriptions, among which the Nasik series in p. 346). The elucidation of the history of the Volume IV. of the Archeological Reports of SilAhåra obiefs of the Dekhan and of the Konkan, Western India deserves a special mention. Pandit owes much to his two papers in the Jour. Bo. Br. Bhagvânlal's services to historical research are very R. A. S. Vol. XII. p. 329, and Vol. XIII. p. 1, numerous and varied. The fragment of Asoka's and to his contributions to Vol. XIII. Pt. II., of eighth rock-ediot, which he found at Supara, the Bombay Gazetteer. The history of the Gurshows that the great Maurya hell the western jara and Chalukya princes of Gujarat has gained coast of India as well as the eastern one, and an altogether new aspect, in consequence of his explains the occurrence of a later Maurya dynasty article in the Indian Antiquary, Vol. XIII. p. 80, in the Konkan. Equally important is his dis. and in the Verhandlungen des Siebenten Int. Or. covery of an era of the Maurya kings in the Cong., Arische Section, p. 211. I hold it to be Udayagiri inscription of Kharavêla. In my now evident the Gurjara Samantas of Broach were opinion, it is now probable that, though Ahoku not an ephemeral dynasty, counting only three dates according to regnal years, the Mauryas kings, but that they ruled over Central Gujarat had and used an era of their own; and I hope during four or five centuries. The great difficul. that, when the now absolutely necessary excava- ties which the Kheda plates of the Chalukya tions at Patna have been made, records will be Vijayaraja used to cause, have disappeared since discovered which will furnish a real and full it has been shown that they belong to a late account of the beginning of the historical period period when the Dekhan Chalukyas had grown of India. The same paper on the Hathigumpha powerful and extended teir sway to the western insoriptions, which makes us acquainted with the coast. Moreover, it has now become certain that Maurya era (Actes du Sixième Congrès Int. des Or. feudatory Chalukya kings ruled in Southern Vol. III. pt. 2, p. 182) gives also the first account Gujarat for several centuries, down to the conquest of the ancient Chêta dynasty which ruled Kalinga of the province by the Rathors. These results in the second century B.O. It also shows that are chiefly due to Pandit Bhagvanlal's discovery king Khiravêla was the contemporary of one of that an era, which began in the middle of the the early Sâta kaņis of the Andhra dynasty, and third century AD, was extensively used in thus establishes a valuable synchronism, the full Gujarat during the seventh and eighth centuries. importance of which will, however, only appear He was enabled to furnish convincing proof of when the beginning of the Muriyarâjakala has this fact, because, fortunately, he had kept a copy been definitively settled. Pandit Bhagvanlal's of the for the present inaccessible grant of Man. researches have also in other respects materially galaraja, the second prince of the Chalukya advanced our knowledge of the history of the dynasty of Southern Gujarat, who used the Saka Andhras. He first recognised the value of the era, while his elder and younger brothers preNanight inscriptions, and did much for their ferred the later one. Sir A. Cunningham and Mr
