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Jainism, Or, the Early Faith of Asoka

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CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY THIS BOOK IS ONE OF A COLLECTION MADE BY BENNO LOEWY 1854-1919 AND BEQUEATHED TO CORNELL UNIVERSITY Cornell University Library The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924022953529 JAINISM, THE EARLY FAITH OF ASOKA; ILLUSTEATIONS OF THE ANCIENT RELIGIONS OF THE EAST, THE PANTHEON OF THE INDO-SCYTHIANS. (Sead at the Meeting of the Soyal Asiatic Society, Feb. 26, 1877.) TO WHICH IS PREPIXED A NOTICE ON EACTRIAN COINS ANp INDIAN DATES. EDWARD THOMAS, F.R.S., GERMAN COKRESPONDANT DE L'INSTITUT DB FBANCE ; CORRESPONDING MEMBER ORIENTAL SOCIETY ; HON. MEMBER ASIATIC SOCIETY BENGAL ; VICE-PRESIDENT NtTMISMATIC SOCIETY. LONDON: TEtJENEE & CO., 57 and 59, LUDGATE HILL. 4^^^^// ^3^ Hertford: stephen austin_>n» sons, printkrs, PREFATORY NOTICE. The publishes of the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society—^under the impression that there are many points of unusual interest in the articles named on the title-page —^have resolved to issue a small edition, as a separate brochure, which' may be available to Orientalists at large, who do not happen to be Members of the Society, to the pages of whose JouiiNAL these essays would otherwise be confined. CONTENTS. ARTICLE I. (From J.R.A.S. Vol. IX. pp. 1-21.) PAGE Greek Monograms on Bactrian Coins, representing dates - 3 The rejection of the figure for hundreds by the Bactrian Greeks, in accordance with the conceptions of the Indian system - - - 3-5 Illustrative coin of the Bactrian King Plato, dated in Seleucidan_^^Mr«« 147= e.g. 165 .... 5-6 Spread of the Seleucidan method of computation in India - 7 Indo-Scythian Inscriptions in Indian-Pali and Bactrian- Pali - - . - - . 9-11 Historical traces of the leading Indo-Scythian Kings Sushka, Jushka, and KanisKka - ... 12 General recapitulation of the various schemes of dates, and their apparent relative importance ... 14 Contrast of optional data available under the three systems of SeleucidaB, Vikramaditya, and Saka ... 15 Difla.culties attendant upon the irregular omission of hundreds 15-16 Coin of the Saka-Scythian King Heraus - - - 17 Identification of the Saka-Scythian capital - - - 19-20 The relative employment of the terms Tvpawovvro^ and BewiXevoVTO^ - - -1- - - - 21 Practical application of the latter term, under the Su- zerainties of Antiochus, Diodotus, and Euthydemus - 21 Obverse dies of old Mint-issues, lettered anew, to meet the changed political positions of the Kings who furnished the original portraits - - - - - - 22 TvpavvovVTo^, its appearance and acceptance in Western India ... ^ 23 VI CONTENTS. AETICLE II. (J.E.A.S. Vol. IX. pp. 155-234.) PAGE ^ The theoretic differences of Jainism and Buddhism - - 3 Jaina discoveries at Mathur^ - ... General spread of Jaina edifices and precedence in the selection of sites - . - 4 Colehrooke's opinions regarding the priority of the Jainas - 5 Additional evidence to the same effect 6 Documentary evidence from the Mahdwanso - - 7 The testimony of Fah-Sian, the Chinese pilgrim - - 8 ' Ijpidications furnished by the LaKta-vistara - - 8 List of the Jaina Tirthankaras, with their several cog- nizances, etc. - - 9 Opinions of Colonel Low on the associate symhols of Jainism and Buddhism .-.-. n Dr. Stevenson's researches, —the Kalpa Siitra, etc. - 12 His inferences identical with those of Colehrooke - 13 The Ante-Brahmanical worship of the Hindus - - 13 The original claim of the Jainas to the shrine of Jagganath 15 The Jaina Mahavira and his disciple Gautama, Sakya Muni, from the Bhagamati - - . \q Further notices from Chinese writers and the travels of Siomn Thsang - - ... 18 Mt. Brian Hodgson's denial of the claims of the literature of Buddhism to any antiquity - 19 Colonel Tod's information regarding the Jainas 20 General Malcolm's personal observations on the sect - '21 M. Eousselet's contributions to the general subject 21 Data regarding Jainism to be gathered from Brahmanical sources - - 22 The FAITH of Chandra Gupta 23 The succession of the Maurya Kings - 04 Brahmans and Sramans ----- 05 \jaiSu.6 ~ - Oft Aryan influence on Indian Caste - 07 The FAITH of Vindusara 29 s CONTENTS. yii PAGB . The Early FAITH of Asoka- ... 30 The testimony of Abul Fazl ... - 30 Asoka introduces JAINISM into Kashmir - - - 31 Confirmation of the fact from the Eaja Tarangini - - 32 Eesum6 of the Edicts of Asoka 33 Dr. Kern's new translations - - ... 33 Professor Wilson's opinion as to the total absence of any reference to Buddhism in the Eock and Pillar edicts - 35 The gradations of belief to be detected between the periods of the Eock and Pillar edicts - - - - .. - 37 Facsimile of the alphabetical characters of the Inscriptions 39 The edicts dating from the tenth and twelfth years of Asoka' reign - ... 41 Mention of Antiochus, the Greek kirig 41 (Plate I. to face p. 42.) The Pillar Edicts of the twenty-seventh year - 46 Eeference to the Five Greek Kings (Note) - - - 46 The aim and purpose of the Inscriptions - - - 51 POSITIVE BUDDHISM (the Bhabra Edict) - - 52 The disuse of the title of Devanampiya, " the beloved of the Gods," as incompatible with Buddhism - - 54 /The later FAITH of the Maurya Dynasty - 55 Saivism - - - - - 67 Saivism under the Kanerhi Kings - - - 57 Saivism under Kadphises - 58 The newly-discovered hoard of gold coins at Peshawar - 59 General Legends on the Kanerki coins 60 Description of the Coins inserted in Plate II. - 61 (Plate II. to face p. 61.) The large amount of Eoman influence to be detected in the types of the Peshawar _/?»(? - - -. - - 65 Eoman coins found in a Tumulus at Manikyala - 65 The causes which may have led to the introduction of so much Eoman Art and so many Eoman Gods into the coinages of the Indo-Scythians - - - - 68 vili CONTENTS. PAQK Suggestion of the domestication of the prisoners of the army of Crassus at and aroimd Merv-ul-rud - - -69 Mechanical Mint-processes of adaptation - . - - 70 Introduction of Grseco-Eoman Science - - - - 70 Alphabetical influence of Latin upon later Zend - - - 71 Comparative weight of standards - - - - 71 The Grods admitted into the Indo-Scythiau Pantheon - - 73 Identification of some of the Zend and other names 74 I. Yedio - - - - . 74 II. Iranian - - - 75 III. Persian - . - 77 IV. Eoman - - . 78 V. Brahmanic'al - - 78 VI. Buddhist - ' - 79 The Mathura Archaeological Eemains 79 Dated Jaina Inscriptions incised during the reign of Vasudeva ... ... - 81 BACTRIAN COINS AND INDIAN DATES. EDWAED THOMAS, F.E.S. A SHORT time ago, a casual reference to the complicated Greek monograms stamped on the earlier Bactrian coins suggested to me an explanation of some of their less inTolved combinations by the test of simple Greek letter dates, which was followed by the curious discoyery that the Bactrian kings were in the habit of recognizing and employing curtailed dates to the optional omission of the figure for hundreds, which seems to have been the immemorial custom in many parts of India. My chief authority for this con- clusion was derived from a chance passage in Albiriini," whose statement, however, has since been independently supported by the interpretation of an inscription of the ninth century a.d. from Kashmir,^ which illustrates the provincial use of a cycle of one hundred years, and has now ' AlblrlJni, vmting in India in 1031 a.d., tells us, " Le vulgaire, dans I'lnde, compte par sifecles, et les sifecles se placent I'un aprSs I'autre. On appelle cela le Samvatsaia du cent. Quand un cent est ecoule, on le laisse et I'oii en com- mence im autre. On appelle cela Loka-kSIa, c'est-^-dire comput du peuple." —Eeinaud's Translation, Fragmmta Arabes, Paris, 1845, p. 145. 2 This second inscription ends with the words Saka Kdlagatavdah 726-^thalt is, " Saka K61a years elapsed 726," equivalent to a.d. 804, which is therefore the date of the temple. This date also corresponds with the year 80 of the local cycle, which is the Loka-kdla of Kashmir or cycle of 2,700 years, counted by centuries named after the twenty-seven nakahatras, or lunar mansions. The reckoning, therefore, never goes beyond 100 years, and as each century begins in the 25th year of the Christian century, the 80th year of the local dyole is equivalent to the 4th year of the Christian century.—General A. Cunningham, Arehaological Seport, 1876, vol. v. p. 181. — " — 4 BACTEIAN COINS AND INDIAN DATES. -Ur. been definitively confirmed by information obtained by the cor- Biihler > as to the origin of the Kashmiri era and roboration of the practice of the omission of "the hundreds in stating dates" still prevailing in that conservative kingdom.* Since Bayer's premature attempt to interpret the mint- monogram hp, on a piece of Eucratides, as 108,^ Numismatists have not lost sight of the possible discrimination of dates as opposed to the preferential mint-marks so abundant on the surfaces of these issues, though the general impression has been adverse to the possibility of their fulfilling any such functions.* ' " Dr. BiiUer has found out the key to the Kashmirean era : it begins in the year of the KaJiyng 25,,or 3076 e.g., when the Saptarshis are said to have gone to heaven. The Kashmir people often omit the hundreds in stating dates. Thus the year 24 (Kashmir era) in which Kalhana wrote his Rijatarangml, and which corresponded with Saka 1070, stands for 4,224." Athetueum, Not. 20, 1876, p. 675. " Since this' was written, General Cunningham's letter of the 30th March, 1876, has appeared in the Athenceum (April 29th, 1876), from the text of which I extract the following passages. These seem to estahUsh the fact that the optional omission of the hundreds was a common and well-understood rule so early as about the age of Asoka.
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