Indian Antiquary Vol 59

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 20

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
JANUARY, 1930
It has been stated that the caves at Ajanta fall into two groups, there being a complete hiatus between the early caves and the work of the great period of Ajanta, circa 500 A.D. The Vihara caves at Aurangabad and the early caves (I-V) at Ellora are approximately of the same period, though a few years later, as minor developments in plan show. The expansion of the Aurangabad community, however, was limited, perhaps owing to geological difficulties, or perhaps owing to lack of water. The problem of lay support probably decided the matter : there is no sign of a village site of any size between the caves and the modern city, over three miles away. This evidence seems to suggest that in the early centuries of our era, when Nasik, Junnar, Paithan, Karle and Kanheri were flourishing, trade deserted the Ajanta route, to return in the fifth century.
The history of Daulatábad is a long one. As Deogiri it is associated with the Yadava dynasty, which arose in the twelfth century, after the fall of the Western Chalukyag and the Kalachuris, who suoceeded them. In 1294 Aldu'd-din, governor of Central India under Jalalu'd-dîn Khalji, took it apparently by surprise, an event which marks the first Muhammadan intrusion into the Deocan. The place was ravaged in 1312' by Malik Kafür for nonpayment of tribute. It revolted after the assassination of Alau'd-dîn in 1316, but was retaken by Qutbu'd-din in 1318. In 1338 Muhammad Tughlaq Shah conceived the idea of making it his capital and commanded the inhabitants of Delhi to remove thither, renaming it DaulatAbad. According to Ibn Batâta it rivalled Delhi in size and splendour. Eventually it was absorbed into the Bahmani kingdom. The near-by city, which finally came to be known as Aurangabad, was founded by Malik Ambar. The whole distriot passed into Mughal hands in 1632. Tavernier visited Daulatábad and the Ellora caves; and so did Thêvenot; but he says that the prosperity of the ancient capital had greatly decreased.
Immediately above the caves at Ellora there is an ancient site of great interest. Its position may be described with referenoe to the three streams which find their way over the scarp. The first of these crosses the gh&t road about half way between the Guest House and the Kailasa (cave XVI). The second stream runs down from the south corner of the curred ombankment of a surface drainage tank, which lies on the high ground a little to the north of the Kailasa and about half a mile east of it (i.e., between these two streams rises the hill in which the Kailasa is cut). The third stream is the Velgange, which leaps the scarp imme. diately to the south of cave XXIX, which is provided with a water gate and steps down to the pool below. Between the second and third streams the ground rises about 400 feet. the general lie being easily discernible on the 1 in. map, which, however, does not mark the tank. Its looal name appears to be Dudhai Tallo (dadhiya, 'yielding milk ') but the Dhangar whom I questioned was rather soeptical of its purposes, for "who would build a tank on a hill-top?" It is in fact only just on the Ellora side of the watershed which gives rise to the Phålmasta stream on the Daulatabad side. The embankment is of earth, and immediately to the north of it are two cross-tracks, one running north to the Velganga, the other east, presumably to join the Rauga-Sonkheda track, which is marked on the map. Where they cross, these tracks are deeply worn beneath the surface of the land. Cultivation of a kind has evidently been carried on fairly recently, both on the plateau to the north of the tank and in the small triangular area, terraced in the hill-side immediately below the embankment. The whole area north of the tank is strewn, in the greatest profusion, with opal, bloodstone, and chaloedony artifacts and cores. These are somewhat larger than the average examples of Indian neolithio instruments. I found that fractured " blade" flakes were fairly common, and also an almost oiroular, beaked soraper, but could detect none of the well-known "Pygmy" types. The large number of quartz crystals which also strew the ground do not seem to have been worked, although elsewhere in India and in Ceylon quarts implements are found in large numbers.
Along the Kailasa Hill, approximately up to the line of the tank embankment, runs a double line, or "street," of roughly out and laid stone platforms (chablird). Just below the tank this