________________ VAISALI AWAITS FURTHER EXCAVATION J. C. MATHUR and Y. MISHRA Vaisali (modern Basadh in the Hajipur subdivision of Muzaffarpur district in Bibar Province) is the birthplace of Lord Mahavira, the twentyfourth Tirthankara of Jainism (traditional dates 599-527 B. C.). It was frequently visited by Lord Buddha (577-487 B. C.), the founder of Buddhism. But it is a pre-Buddhistic site. It is said to have been founded by King Visala of the solar dynasty. The splendour of the city is described in the Ramayana of Valmiki according to which Rama on his way to Janakapura passed one pight here as the guest of the King of Vaisali. Later on Vaisali turned into a republic and became the strooghold of democratic and progressive ideas. Lord Buddha was a great admirer of the Licchavis of the - Vaisali republic and their ideas and institutions. It had trade relations with distant countries. It became a part of the Maurya Empire (fourth-third centuries B. C.). The coins of Kadphises II, Kaniska and Hoviska (first-second centuries A2D) found here prove that the Kusanas bad ruled over it for a considerable period. Vaisali rose again in the fourth century AD. It played an important part in the foundation and consolidation of the Gupta Empire Many coins and seals have been found here. It attracted the notice of Islam as well and contains a mausoleum of a famous Muslim saint Shah Qazin (1435-1495 A. D.), who came from Maner (Patna district) and devoted his life to the preaching of Islam in North Bihar. The Archaeological Survey Department of the Government of Ipdia was not slow to realise its importance and systematic excavation work was done here by Dr. Bloch and Dr. Spooner 'in 1903-4 and 1913-14 respectively. Dr. Bloch reached the level of the early Gupta period (fourth century A. D.) and Dr. Spooner claimed to have reached the level of the Maurya period (third century B. C.). . No excavation work was done after that apd. Vaibali remained neglected and ignored for the next three decades. In recent years fresh interest in Vaikals antiquities has been created through the efforts of the Vaigali Sangha (founded on March 31, 1945),
