Lecture 1 EARLY REFERENCES TO NEPAL

EARLY REFERENCES TO NEPAL

The earliest epigraphic records of Nepal are the pillars erected at Lumbini and Nigali Sagar in 257 BC by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka (269-232 BC). The Lumbini pillar inscriptions record that Ashoka came to pray at the spot because Lord Buddha was born there. The inscription on the other pillar at Nigali Sagar refers to the repair and expansion in size of the stupa of a previous Buddha called Konakama in 254 BC and his personal visit and offering of reverence in 249 BC. Legendary accounts of Ashoka’s visit to Nepal are not substantiated by Indian or Sri Lankan records. The five “Ashoka Stupas” of Patan have been credited to Ashoka. Four lie roughly at the cardinal corners of the city while one is situated in the centre, however, Slusser contends stupas may be funerary mounds of pre-Buddhist origin and may predate the Mauryan period (Slusser, 1982). Neils Gutschow and Tiwari, however, do not accept this and believe they are no older than 16^th century (Tiwari, 2001). The four chaityas associated with Ashoka are claimed by other Buddhist legends to be Chilancho Chaitya of Kirtipur, Swayambhu Chaitya, Chabahil Chaitya of Devpatan and the Patuko mound of Patan (Tiwari, 2001). Svayambhu Purana account of Ashoka’s daughter Charumati marrying a local prince Devapala and establishing Deopatan and a vihar of her name is also not substantiated by Indian and Sri Lankan records. (Slusser, 1982)

The epigraphic record of the valley is pushed back significantly by the discovery in 1992 of a stone sculpture of King Jaya Varma dated 185 AD (Slusser, 1982). Ancient Brahmi script states he is the 4^th king who died in the year 107 Saka Samvat, which coincides with Jayadev II record on the stele at Pashupati and the account of Gopalarajavamsavalis. Before the Jaya Varma inscription, the earliest dated document of the valley was the stone inscription at Changu Narayan erected by Mandeva in 464 AD.

Buddhist chronicles refer to monks at Sravasti, an important trading centre (Set Mahet village by the Rapti river) who joined a group of wool merchants bound for Nepal but who had to return because of the difficult passage. This clearly indicated trading existed between India and Kathmandu Valley during 5-6^th century BC. (Slusser, 1982) Kathmandu was connected to the Uttarapatha, the great northern Indian trade route which passed through the Sakya capital of Kapilavastu and existed at least from the 6^th century BC and connected the eastern Gangetic basin with the civilization of the Near East. The Uttarapatha was connected to another great trade route, the Dakshinapatha which was connected to the Buddhist communities of Sanchi and Ujjain. In early 7^th century AD the Tibetan nation was established which brought tranquility to the surrounding territory. From then on Nepal became the preferred trade route between Tibet and India. Till the late 18^th century, trade was the primary source of the Valley’s wealth and its main raison d’etre. (Slusser, 1982)

Mauryan statesman Kautilya (244 BC) referred to woolen blankets from Nepal in Arthasastra (Slusser, 1982). Italian excavations in Hadigaon unearthed built cultural remains dating back to 150 BC ( Tiwari, 2001). Since the timing is relatively close to the time of Kautilya, conclusions can be drawn that settlement of distinct urban pattern existed to accommodate such heightened economic activities. The history of settlements in the valley can thus be pushed back more than 600 years from established date of historical beginning (Tiwari, 2001).

Hsuan-tsang, Chinese pilgrim to India in mid 7^th century heard in Vaisali about red copper, yak, Mingming bird and use of copper coins in Nepal. Wang Hsuan-tse, Chinese envoy on his way from the T’ang court to meet Harshavardhana at Kanauj, visited Kathmandu valley in the mid 7^th century during the reign of Narendradeva and noted that “merchants, fixed and itinerant, were numerous and cultivators rare”. (Slusser, 1982)

The 4^TH century AD pillar inscription of Samudragupta at Allahabad lists “Nepala” as a frontier state. T’ang dynasty, contemporaries of Lichchavis, referred to Nepal as Ni-po-lo.