Indian Antiquary Vol 28

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 53

FEBRUARY, 1899.] ARCHÆOLOGICAL TOUR WITH THE BUNER FIELD FORCE. 39
It was here according to Kator Shāh's statement that he picked up, from below the north face of the mound, one of the inscribed stones delivered to Major Deane. Of another stone said to have been found further down the slopes, the agent who accompanied Kator Shah on that occasion is supposed to have taken an impression.
I was particularly anzions to ascertain the position of the large inscription in unknown oharacters, of which an impression, marked as baving been obtained at Nawakili, had reached me from Major Deane in September 1896. It is now reproduced on No. 82 of Plate X prepared for my second paper on these inscriptions. But the villagers whom I examined would know nothing either of this or any other inscribed stone in the neighbourhood. Aslām Kbān wlio, I have reason to believe, acted as guide to at least one of Major Deane's agents in this vicinity, grew equally ignorant in view of this attitude. After repeated attempts to elicit information by various means, I was reluctantly obliged to abandon the search.
The motives of the villagers in denying all knowledge of inscriptions are not far to seek. Their combined fanaticism and ignorance must make them anxious to keep from the unbeliever, in particular when he appears as one of the invaders, information about records which might be supposed to lead to the discovery of hidden treasure or similar advantages. Obstacles of this kind could, among a popalation as fanatical as the Bunērwäls, be overcome only by the fear of a more immediate danger. But in the present circumstances, when the evacuation of the territory by the troops was known to be a matter of a few days only, the threat of more stringent moasures, even if I had been able to give effect to it, would have probably produced no result. It was but too clear that, with an escort of eight sepoys and the certainty of the near retirement of the troops, little impression could be made.
Zangi Khān Banda. - The advanced hour and the necessity of reaching before nightfall the distant camp at Barkili obliged me to forego a visit to Zangi Khan Banda. This place from which a series of stones inscribed with very peculiar characters had been secured on several occasions by Major Deane's people, was according to local information at a considerably greater distance towards the Malandri Pass than the available sketch maps had led me to suppose. Nor could I have reasonably expected to fare there better than at Nawakili, seeing that even Kator Shāh denied having had anything to do with the finds in that locality.
Mullaisap. - Marching thon baok from Nawakili I took occasion to visit Mulla isap (for Mulla Isuf P) which lies in a side valley opening to the south-east, about half way between Nawakili and Karapa. Two impressions had reached me of inscriptions near this village. But my local enquiries as to the actual position of the stones were here also of no avail. I could however, convince myself that neither here nor at Nawakili nor at Karapa were there any conspicuous ruins with which these inscriptions could be connected. On the other hand, none of the sites at which remains of Stūpas or monasteries are still extant, have hitherto contributed to our collection of Bunēr inscriptions. This observation seems to give some foundation to the belief that the originators of the latter must be looked for else where than among the founders or attendants of the Buddhist shrines still extant in ruins.
I reached Barkili Camp, where only a small detachment of troops had been left, late in the evening, having marched my escort that day probably not less than 25 miles. On the next day, the 18th January, the remainder of the troops still in Banēr was under orders to retire over the so-called Bunőr Pass and to join the 2nd Brigade which had in the meantime occu. pied the head of the Chamla Valley through the defile of Ambēja. In order to utilize the few hours still available to me on Bunēr soil I moved in the morning in a north-easterly direction down to the river. There an insolated hill rising several hundred feet from the plain close to the villages of Kalpanai and Bājkatta offered a central and very comprehensive view over the
Boa Nos. 47-50 of the insoriptions reproduoed in Part I of my "Notos on now inscriptions discovered by Major Deam. According to the information supplied with them these stones were "dug up from what appears to be sa old Memorial Stupa completely buried in the ground at Bughdarra, which is the revino DOAR Zangi Khan Banda." For other insoriptions from this locality soo Nos. 79-81 of Part II.