ASI Report of A Tour Through Behar, Central India, Peshawar, and Yusufzai in 1881- 82 (Volume XIX)

DURING the cold season of 1881-82, Mr. Garrick made a tour through the 'district of Shahabad, for the purpose of photographing and exploring the old temples at Markandi, Mahadeopur, and Barnarak. He then visited the old sites of Bhojpur and Darowli in Western Shahabad, where he found numerous square monoliths, which Dr. Buchanan thought must have been the work of the aborigines. He next crossed the Ganges to explore the remains of an old Buddhist monastery at Barmayan, which I had proposed to identify with the monastery built by Maharaja Sri Gupta for the use of the Chinese pilgrims who visited India.

He then visited the territory of Rewa, for the purpose of exploring the ruins of the ancient city of Gürgi. In the northern hills he found an inscription of Maharaja Gânggeya Deva, the Kalachuri chief of Tripura, contemporary with Mahmud of Ghazni.

As the Punjab Government just at this time had sanctioned the employment of a Company of Sappers for explorations in the Yusufzai district, I took the opportunity to depute Mr. Garrick to see the excavations, and to explore certain sites which had hitherto remained unvisited. He was particularly instructed to examine the old mounds about Hashtnagar and Chårsada, which are the remains of the famous old city of Peukelaotis, or Pushkalavati. He was also instruct. ed to obtain photographs of the great rock inscription of Asoka at Shahbâzgarhi.

The present report gives the result of Mr. Garrick's first complete tour as an assistant of the Archæological Survey, and I think that it promises well for his future success. Some of his deductions and derivations are perhaps too strongly and positively stated, and may be open to modification and correction, but I have thought it better to let them remain than to alter them, and to make this report a mere echo of my own opinions.

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