The Early History of India, from 600 B.C. to the Muhammadan Conquest, including the Invasion of Alexander the Great c28.78

c28.78

¹ For the topography of Gandhāra, the region around Peshāwar, the only trustworthy authority is Foucher's admirable treatise, *Notes sur la géographie ancienne du Gandhāra* (Hanoi, 1902). Tāranāth (Schiefner, ch. xiii, p. 62) mentions the neighbouring town of Pushkalāvati as a royal residence of Kanishka's son. The fullest description of the great relic tower is that by Song-yun (Beal, *Records*, vol. i, p. ciii, and in Chavannes's revised version, Hanoi, 1903). It is mentioned by Fa-hien (ch. xii) and Hiuen Tsang (Bk. ii, Beal, i, 99 ; Watters, i, 204). Even so late as A. D. 1030 Albērūnī alludes to the *Kanik-chaitya* (Sachau, transl. ii, 11). The monastery is described by Hiuen Tsang (Beal, i, 103). The identification of the site is due to Foucher (op. cit., pp. 9–13, with view and plan). The site indicated by Foucher has been excavated by the Archaeological Department with remarkable success, the most notable discovery being that of the now celebrated relic casket bearing an image and inscription of Kanishka whose Superintending Engineer had the Greek name of Agesilaos (*J. R. A. S.*, 1908, p. 1109 ; *Ann. Rep. Arch. S., India*, 1908–9, pp. 38–60 ; *Hist. of Fine Art in India and Ceylon*, pp. 356–8, pl. lxxv).