Archaeological Survey of India Report of A Tour in Eastern Rajputana in1871-72 and 1872-73 (Volume 6)

In the cold season of 1871-72 Mr. Carlleyle started from Agra to make a tour in Rajputina. He first visited several old sites in the Fatehpur Sikri range of hills to the west of Agra, where he discovered stone cairns and other early remains at Khera, and Satmas and a curious aboriginal fort and tomb at Tontpur. He next visited Baidna and the neighbouring hill fort of Vijayamandargarh, where he found an inscribed pillar dated in the Samvat year 428. This inscription, which is quite perfect, is of special value, as we have hitherto found but very few dated records of so early a period. Here also he discovered a curious minar of the time of Muhammad Sayid of Delhi. He then proceeded to the ancient town of Machari, where he discovered another aboriginal tomb and some dated inscriptions. Here also he found an ancient temple of some interest. He next proceeded to Bairdt, where he was fortunate enough to discover a rock inscription of Asoka. It is imperfect; but after some time I found that it was a third copy of the dated inscription of Asoka, of which two nearly perfect texts had been found at Rapnath and Sahasaram. At Deosa Mr. Carlleyle discovered several ‘monoliths. He next visited the old Mina fort of Nai or Nain, and the neighbouring city of ChAtsu, at which place, as well as at BAghera and Thoda, he discovered some curious stone circles of the aboriginal inhabitants. At Thoda he made plans and other drawings of two fine temples, and at Visalpur he found a dated inscription of Prithvi Raja in -the temple of Visala Deva. He made drawings of this temple as well as of the cave temple of Gokarna.

Mr. Carlleyle remained in camp during the whole of the hot weather and rains of 1872, when he was engaged in exploring all the ancient sites in the neighbourhood of Chitor. One of these, which he discovered 12 miles to the north-east of Chitor, is of special interest, as it is undoubt- edly one of the oldest cities in Northern India. It is now called Karkot Nagar, or simply Nagar. Here he obtained. some coins with an inscription in Asoka characters, which I read as—

Majhimikdya-Sibi-janapadasa.

" [Coin] of the Majhimikayas of the country of Sibi." Accepting this reading as correct, the city of Nagar may be looked upon as the old capital of the district of Sibi.

After visiting several minor places, Mr. Carlleyle reached another old city called Tambavati Nagari, or simply Nagari. It lies 30 miles nearly due north from Bindi, and 12 miles to the west of Unidra. In the maps it is named simply Nagger. At this place Mr. Carlleyle obtained upwards of five thousand copper coins, nearly the whole of which bear the name of Mélavdn, which I take to refer to the Malavans of the Hindu Purdns. As this name occurs in characters of all ages from the time of Asoka 250 B. ©. down to about 500 or 600 A. D., I conclude that the city must have flourished through the whole of this long period. Mr. Carlleyle also visited Bijoli, where he made plans of the temples. After examining some other minor places he returned to Agra early in 1873, having spent thé greater part of the two cold seasons of 1871-72 and 1872-73, besides the whole of the intervening hot season and rains of 1872, in this prolonged tour through Rajputana. His report, illustrated by 24 plates, forms the subject of the present volume.

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