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NOVEMBER, 1888.]
THE INSCRIPTIONS OF PIYADASI.
303
THE INSCRIPTIONS OF PIYADASI. BY É. SENART, MEMBRE DE L'INSTITUT DE FRANCE Translated by G. A. Grierson, B.C.S., and revised by the Author. CHAPTER II.
the first time in the Corp. Inscr. Indic. Vol. I.
Plate xxii., is addressed to the officers of THE COLUMNAR EDICTS.
Kausâmbi. They form a necessary appendix ITP to the present date we possess five in our revision of this class of edicts.
columns (or láts) on which are engraved The two last columns were discovered in edicts emanating from Piyadasi :
sites at short distances from each other, and 1.--The one which has been longest known, each contains the first six edicts:and which is the most important, is the Dehli 4.-One is that at Radhiah (R), which column, commonly known as the Lat of General Cunningham prefers to call Lauriya Firuz Shah (D), because it was that prince Araraj. who had it removed to Dehli from its original 5.-The other is the column of Mathiah resting-place. This is the one which bears
(M), which has received in the Corp. Inscr. the most complete set of edicts. It is, I
Indic. the name of Lauriya Navandgarh. think, most convenient to follow the enume
I do not propose to dilate upon the descripration of the edicts suggested by General
tion and history of these monuments. I Cunningham, and I shall therefore say that
could only repeat facts already dealt with by this pillar carries seven edicts inscribed in
Prinsep and General Cunningham, to which four groups, on each of its sides. An eighth,
I have referred in a general way in the Inengraved below, surrounds the shaft in several
troduction: It will be sufficient to recall to lines."
mind that the different texts are essentially 2.-Another pillar exists at Dehll, where it identical in all common portions. I have was also transported by Firuz (D'). It is the
therefore taken, as a basis, the longest and one called by General Cunningham the Merath
only complete text, that of the pillar of Firuz (Mirat) pillar, from its original site. It only Shah. This is the text which I transliterate, preserves a short fragment of the 1st edict, the giving in foot-notes the variations of the other whole of the 2nd and 3rd, and portions of the versions when they differ.' 4th and 5th. The 6th to 8th edicts are altoge
The orthographical or palæographical pecuther missing from it.
liarities which this set of inscriptions presents 3.-The Allahabad column (A), comprising to view are not such as to offer any peculiar edicts I. to VI. Only the two first are com- difficulties in translation. I therefore neglect plete. One line remains of the 3rd ; and of the them here, and shall revert to them when I others, fragments of greater or less extent. examine the philological and grammatical It is characterised by the presence of two questions as a whole. I may add that I have fragments which we do not find elsewhere, and considered myself authorised, by the experience which are unfortunately in bad condition ; acquired in the minute analysis of the Fourone, previously known to Prinsep, has been teen Edicts, to pass over in silence irregulanamed by General Cunningham, the Queen's rities of detail which can lead to no misunderedict;' the other, which was reproduced for standing.
En former volumes (IX. p_282 ff. and X. pp. 83 ff, on the Lat of Firoz ShAh or the Dehli Siwálik Pillar, and
ff, 209 ff, 269 1.) of this Journal, there have been on the Allahabad Pillar, nee ante, Vol. XIII. p. 304 - published extracts from Chapter I. of M. Senart's very EDITORS. valuable studies of the Piyadasi Inscriptions. We now * The text of D, and also that of A (see below), seem propone publishing translations of his further studies to have now becomo, as far as possible, conclusively
the same direction, forming the end volume of his i established by the facsimiles of Mr. Fleet, from which a Piyadagi Inscriptions. For this publication the texts reading was published by Prof. Bühler. ante, Vol. X111. bave been revised by bim with the assistance of the better p. 306. fog-similes which have become available since the original 3 The transcription in the original character, and the French edition was issued. For mechanical fac-similes, variants, are omitted in this translation. The latter are no prepared under the direction of Mr. Fleet, of the edicts longer necessary, now that the text of Dis established.
