Jain Stupa And Other Antiquities Of Mathura

This document is the introduction and early chapters of "The Jain Stupa and Other Antiquities of Mathura" by Vincent A. Smith, published in 1901 as Volume XX of the Archaeological Survey of India, New Imperial Series. The book's primary purpose is to present and describe a collection of Jain artifacts and sculptures unearthed in Mathura, India, primarily from the Kankali mound.

Here's a summary of the provided pages:

Overview and Context:

• The TFIC Fair Use Declaration: The initial pages outline the "Fair Use Declaration" by "The Free Indological Collection" (TFIC) from www.sanskritdocuments.org. It clarifies that the book is provided for individual educational or research use, believed to be in the public domain, and aims to increase accessibility. They disclaim responsibility for any copyright violations.
• Book Identification: The document clearly identifies the book as "THE JAIN STUPA AND OTHER ANTIQUITIES OF MATHURÂ" by Vincent A. Smith, part of the "Archæological Survey of India. NEW IMPERIAL SERIES, VOLUME XX."
• Publisher and Date: Published in 1901 by the Government Press, North-Western Provinces and Oudh, Allahabad.

Preface:

• Smith's Role: Vincent A. Smith took over the publication of this work because Dr. Führer, the original excavator, left the project with prepared plates but no accompanying text.
• Scope of Work: Smith's approach was to provide concise descriptive text, a short introduction, and references to previous publications, rather than an in-depth discussion of linguistic, historical, or artistic complexities.
• Limitations: Smith acknowledges the limitations of compiling a work from materials collected by another person in an incomplete state. He notes the poor cataloging and display of the collection in the Lucknow Museum.
• Spelling and Transliteration: He follows the system adopted in "Epigraphia Indica" for Indian words and uses Roman characters for inscription transliterations.

Contents:

• A detailed table of contents is provided, listing the chapters and the types of antiquities discussed, including:
  • Maps, views, and plans
  • The Arhat Nandyavarta
  • Ayagapalas (Tablets of Homage)
  • Veneration of a Stupa
  • Sculptured panels
  • Naigamesha-Nemesa
  • Toranas (gateways)
  • Decorative work, pillars, railing pillars, coping stones, etc.
  • Jain images (quadruple, colossal, of specific Tirthankaras like Rishabhavatha and Vardhamana).

List of Plates:

• This extensive list details the numerous plates, categorizing them by subject matter. It highlights key artifacts like the plan of the Kankali mound, views of excavations, the Jain Stupa plan and section, an image of Arhat Nandyavarta, various Ayagapalas, sculpted panels, Torana elements, pillars, railing pillars, and numerous Jain images.

Introduction:

• Kankali Mound: The introduction focuses on the Kankali (or Jaini) mound as the primary excavation site, located southwest of Mathura city. It explains the origin of the name (from a modern temple) and its historical use as a quarry.
• Excavation History: It details the involvement of several archaeologists: General Cunningham (1871), Mr. Growse (1875), Dr. Burgess and Dr. Führer (1887-1896), and Mr. Harding.
• Finds: It summarizes the significant findings from the Kankali mound, including:
  • Buddha statues
  • Mutilated statues of finer execution
  • An elephant figure with an inscription dating to King Huvishka's reign
  • A square pillar with four Jinas, dated in King Kanishka's reign
  • Numerous other statues and sculptures, predominantly Jain, made of coarse red sandstone with old inscriptions and some in finer material with later inscriptions.
• Cunningham's Contributions: It lists specific finds from Cunningham's work, including their dates (Samvat years) and remarks, often mentioning Kushan kings like Kanishka and Huvishka, and figures like Vasudeva.
• Führer's Excavations: It elaborates on Dr. Führer's extensive work from 1888-1891, emphasizing the discovery of the Jain Stupa and foundations of Jain temples belonging to both Svetambara and Digambara sects.
• Key Discoveries by Führer:
  • Inscribed statues of Svetambara Jinas.
  • Sculptures from a significant Svetambara Jaina temple.
  • A statue of Mahavir surrounded by other Tirthankaras.
  • Colossal statues of Jinas.
  • Inscribed bases of Jina and Buddha statues.
  • A pillar with a dancing girl.
  • Buddhist railing pillars and decorative elements.
  • A notable Torana with a relief of a Stupa worshipped by "Centaurs and Harpies" (Kinnaras and Suparnas), suggesting Hellenistic influence.
  • Inscriptions with dates ranging from 150 B.C. to A.D. 1023.
• Reuse of Materials: The discovery of sculptures carved from older ones indicates that Jain structures from the Kushan period reused materials from even older temples.
• The "Stupa Built by the Gods": A significant finding is an inscription on a statue's base dated Samvat 79 (equivalent to A.D. 156), mentioning a "Stupa built by the gods." This suggests the Stupa was incredibly ancient, possibly predating the Christian era by several centuries and potentially being the oldest known building in India. This is further supported by later Jain texts that describe this Stupa.
• Chronology and Era Determination: The introduction discusses the difficulty in definitively dating the sculptures due to the undetermined era used by the Kushan kings (Kanishka, Huvishka, Vasudeva). It explores various theories regarding the start of the Kushan era and its relation to the Malava or Vikramaditya era. The inscriptions range from the beginning of the Christian era to the mid-11th century A.D.
• Hellenistic Influence: Smith highlights the presence of Hellenistic art in Mathura, evident in the "Silenus groups," "Hercules strangling the Nemean lion," and decorative motifs on sculptures, suggesting artistic exchange with the Alexandrian school.
• Jainism and Art: The text emphasizes that Indian art was not sectarian, with Buddhist, Jain, and Brahmanical religions drawing from a common pool of artistic conventions and symbols.
• Corroboration of Jain Tradition: The discoveries provide substantial evidence supporting written Jain traditions, confirming the antiquity of the religion and its early form, including the belief in the twenty-four Tirthamkaras.
• Jain Church Organization: Inscriptions reveal details about the organization of the Jain church, with terms like guna, kula, and sakha, and provide evidence for the existence and influential position of Jain nuns.

Chapter 1: Maps, Views, and Plans:

• Frontispiece (Map of Mathura): A reproduction of an earlier map, noted as the best available but not perfectly accurate, showing key mounds.
• Plate I (Plan of the Kankali Mound): Prepared by Mr. E. W. Smith, it clearly shows the Jain Stupa but lacks a key to identify other structures like Jain temples.
• Plates II & IIa (General View of Excavations): Photographic plates depicting the excavation sites.
• Plate III (Plan of the Jain Stupa): A detailed plan of the excavated Jain Stupa structure.
• Plates IV & V (View and Section of the Jain Stupa): Plates showing a perspective view and a cross-section of the Stupa, with a note on the variation in brick sizes found.

Chapter 2: The Arhat Nandyavarta:

• Plate VI: Describes the base of an image of the Arhat Nandyavarta, dated in Samvat 79 (likely A.D. 156).
• Description of Plate VI: Details the sculpture, including the central symbol (wheel on a trisul), worshippers, clothing of the women, and the inscription.
• Inscription Translation: Provides the transliteration and translation of the inscription, which mentions the gift of an image of Arhat Nandyavarta by a female lay-disciple named Dina, wife of Wan, to the "Volva Stupa, built by the gods."
• Historical Significance: Discusses the importance of the inscription in proving that Jains built Stupas and that the "Volva Stupa" was considered divinely built and likely very ancient, possibly erected centuries before the Christian era. It also touches on the internal structure of the Jain church.

Chapter 3: Ayagapalas, or Tablets of Homage:

• Plates VII to XIII: These plates illustrate Ayagapalas, described as ornamental slabs with representations of Jinas or other objects of worship, used for homage.
• Plate VII (Sihanaḍika): Describes an ayagapala set up by Sihanaḍika, son of Sihaka. The central figure is a seated Jina, surrounded by Persian-style pillars and sacred symbols. The inscription is in archaic characters.
• Plate VIII (Inhabitant of Mathura): Features an ayagapala with a sacred wheel at the center, surrounded by various ornamental and symbolic designs. The inscription is from an inhabitant of Mathura.
• Plate IX (Unknown Donor): This ayagapala also has a seated Jain saint at the center, with different symbolic ornaments, including a svastika, fish, a stupa, and sacred trees. It reinforces the Jain veneration for Stupas.
• Plate X (Wife of Sivaghosaka): Depicts an ayagapala with a seated Jina, identified as Parsvanatha due to the seven-hooded snake canopy. The inscription is partially preserved and in archaic characters.
• Plate XI (Wife of Bhadranadi): Describes an ayagapala with a central Jina (unidentifiable), surrounded by massive pillars. The inscription, approximately from the Kushan period, provides details about the donor's lineage.
• Plate XII (Sivayasa): Illustrates an ayagapala showing a Jain Stupa with a perambulation path, railing, and a Torana gateway. The inscription is in characters older than the Kushan period.
• Plate XIII (Sivamitrā): Presents a fragment of an ayagapata with decorative elements like lucky fish and scroll work. The inscription is archaic and contains historical information about the donor's noble descent and possible military conflicts with the Pothayas and Sakas.

In essence, these pages introduce Vincent A. Smith's scholarly work, establishing the context of the Mathura excavations, detailing the methodology and challenges of the publication, and beginning the detailed description and illustration of Jain antiquities found at the Kankali mound, with a particular focus on the Stupa and Ayagapalas. The content highlights the richness of Jain art and history in Mathura during the early centuries of the Common Era and the influence of foreign artistic styles.