Indian Antiquary Vol 62

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

Page 149

JULY, 1933)
MISCELLANEA.
137
MISCELLANEA, INDIA AND THE EAST IN CURRENT recorded by Hsuan-tsang was one which, according LITERATURE.
to Oppolzer's Kanon der Finsternisse (1887), occurred Djdwd, 11 Jaargang, Nos. 5 and 6 (1931). These on the 4th May 248 B.C. M. D. Sidersky, in the parts contain a general survey of the indigenous
issue before us (pp. 295-297), now points out that the industries of Java, Madura, Bali and Lombok. The tables on which Oppolzer worked have since been survey is the outcome of a resolution passed at A
rovised by C. Schoch (1928), and that eclipses visible meeting of the Java Institute in 1928. The com.
in the East occurred on the 4th May 249 (not 248) mittee nominated to deal with the subject drew up
and the 15th June 942 D.C. He suggests that the and circulated questionnaires formulated in a
story related by Hsuan-trang may have referred to methodical manner. The induetries have been tabu.
the latter eclipse, which would have been almost lated under 26 heads, and the information gathered
total in the vicinity of Baroda, and sufficiently by the inquiries has been collated and systematically
noticeable at Benares and the neighbouring areas, presented by regencies, divisions, districts and sub
and that the interval of about seven years since districts under each of those heads. Appended is a
Adoka's pilgrimage (? 249 B.C.) to the spots sacred summarised tabular statement, arranged according
to the memory of the Buddha might have been to administrative divisions, i.e., on a geographical employed in the construction of the legendary basis. The result is a valuable record for purposes
84,000 stúpas. It is important that the correct of reference and for the use of any person interested
dates of these eclipses should be thus recorded. in a particular industry or handicraft.
The article entitled "18 WAķwak Japan?" by Bulletin de rÉcole Française d'Extrême Orient,
M. Cabriel Ferrand proposes a most interesting
solution of the origin of this peculiar name, so fami. XXXI, Nos. 1 and 2, Jan.-June, 1931.- In this number
liar to us from the accounts of the Arab geographers M. G. Coedde contributes another three of his 'Cam.
and others, as well as of the location of the people bodian Studies.' In the first he presente revised read.
described by it. M. Ferrand's unrivalled knowledge ings of two Sanskrit inscriptions (1) from the knoll of
of the Chinese and Arab geographical texts onables Thápmuối, and (2) from Tà Prohm (Bati), which have
him to establish, convincingly we think, that the hitherto boon regarded as 'Cambodian 'inscriptions,
islands, or the country of the Wâķ-wåk was not but which, he now conclusively shows, should be
Japan, as M. J. de Goeje was dispored to hold. He relegated back to Fou-nan times, and ascribed to the
traces the application of the name not only to a fifth century A.D. These inscriptions, one of which
locality in the Eastern Archipelago, but also to the names the two last kings of Fou-nan, Jayavarman
south-east coast of Africa, and he cites the opinion and his son, Rudra varman, while the other (the
of Mr. R. N. Hall, who had long studied the question older) names a king with the title "moon of the
in thore parts, that it was derived from the Bantu, Jinonge of Kaundinya," are of interest for more
who applied it to the Bushmen in mimiery of their than one reason. They confirm the information
speech, ns being like the bark of the baboon (which derived from Chinese sources as to the spread of
closely resembles was-wak). We seem to have here Indian culture to the East and the favour which Hinduism and Buddhism enjoyed there, and they
further evidence of the intercommunication in early
times between the Malay Archipelago and Madeprove that it was not the Kambujas who introduced
gascar And the south-east coast of Africa, as well as, the custom of recording inscriptione on stone.
perhaps, of the conception, preserved in the mape of Rendors of the L.A. will be interested to notice the
Ptolemy and the Arab cartographers, that the almost exact similarity (to which M. Coedés has
continent of Africa extended eastwards, enclosing drawu attention) between the aksaras used in these
the Indian Ocean on the south. M. Ferrand is ininscriptions and those of the Uruvupalli coppor.
clined to hold that the Pandanus utilis (the walud plates of Sir Walter Elliot's collection, described by
of Madagascar) was the original of the legendary Dr. Fleet at pp. 50-53 of vol. V (Feb. 1876) of this
vik-wak tree, and that the essociation of wealth in journal.
gold with the people so called points to Sumatra In the second note (26) M. Coedès shows that the
(the golden island '). In fact he concludes that foundation of Koh Ker and the installation of the
the Oriental Waķ-waķs were inhabitants of Sumatra, royal god (styled Tribhuvanesvara) must be ante. whom he would identify with the Pakpaks, a Batak dated by seven years, i.e., from 928 A.D. (according
tribe that dwell in what the Dutch call Pakpakland, to Aymonior's reckoning) to 921 A.D. The correc
& territory in the north-west of the Tapanuli protion raises some interesting points, which have been
vince, in the north-west of Sumatra, not very distant indicated.
from the Baroeg islands (the Balús of the Arabs and Journal Asiatique, CCXX, 2, Apr. June, 1932.- In the P'o-lou-che of the Chinese travellers). our issue of Jan. 1932 (vol. LXI, p. 17) we referred Acta Orientalia, 1X, Pte.ii andiii, 1931.-This issue to A note by M. Robert Fazy on the subject of an is devoted to a most valuable and scholarly work, eclipse of the sun in the time of Asoka. M. Fazy viz., a translation from the Tibetan, with introduce suggested that the eclipse reforred to in the story tion and notes, by E. Obormiller of Leningrad of the