Shahji -ki-Dheri Relic casket Inscription at the time of #Kanishka – the year 1
Provenance: Shahji -ki-Dheri (Two large mounds) outside the gate of #Peshāwar city
Language Prakrit
Script Kharoshthi
References:
Spooner, ASIFC for 1907-08, pp17 ff, for 1908-09, pp 14 FF, ASIAR for 1908-09, pp 38 ff, 1909-10, pp 135 ff,; JRAS for 1909, pp 1056 FF and Pl II; Sten konow, C.I.I Vol II Pt I, pp 135ff.
Text
1. Upper surface of the lid: अचर्यन सर्वस्तिवतिन प्रतिग्रहे
2. Lower edge of the lid: स (म ) (हरज) स
कनि [कखस] (1) इमण नग (ग्र) र् [+] [ध ] (र्मा) ग (र्ग )र्यक
3. Main body of the casket between the heads of the figure of the principal frieze: देय -धर्मे सर्व-सत्वन [- ] हिद-युव सुहर्य [- ] भवतु
4. Between the feet of the figures in the main frieze: दस अभियाल णवकर्मिअ [क ] नेष्कस विहरे महसेनस संघरमे
संस्कृत छाया
आचार्याणा सर्वास्तिवादिना प्रतिग्रहाय सं वत्सरे म (हाराजस्य) कनिष्कस्य अस्मिन् नगरे ध [ना र्मा] गारके देवधर्म सर्व – सत्वानां हित सुखार्थ भवतु दास: अग्नीशाल: नवकर्मिकः कनिष्कस्य विहारे महासेनस्य संघाराये
Footnote
1. konow restores महरज़ – भ्रत – मणीगुलस
and suggests that जिहोणिक
(Zeionises whose coin legends give the name of his father as Manigula) was the son of a brother of King Vima Kadphises, and was already at tha time of issuing the present inscription, a claimant to the throne of Vima, just deceased, but failed in his bid to succeed the latter against Kanishka.
3. Modern Chach near Taxila
Text
1. Upper reference of the lid अचर्यँन सर्वसित्वतिन प्रतिग्रह
2. Lower edge of the lid. त (म ) (हरज) स कनि (क्खस) इबण नग (ग्र ) र् (ध )
र्म ग्र र्यक
3. Main body of the casket, between the heads of the figures of the principal frieze) देव धर्मे सर्व सत्वन हिन्द सुहर्य भवतु
4. Between the facts of the figures in the main frieze.
दस अमिवाल यवक्रमिस (क ) नेष्कस विहरे महसेनस संघरमे
English Translation of the inscription
For the acceptance of the Sarvãstivãdi teachers. In the year 1 of (the maharaja) Kaniska. In this town connected with the —— mansion, this religious gift has been made. May it be for the welfare and happiness of all beings. The slave Agnisala is the architect. In Kaniskas vihara, in Mahasenas Samgharama
This is pertinent to mention here that
Maharaja Kanishka was a great emperor of kushan dynasity & is famous for his military might as well as various other achievements in religious & spiritual aspects of his kingdom.
He is a descendant of Kujula Kadphises the founder of kushan empire.
He played an important role in the development of the Silk road.
1. Reproduced from C.I.I, II, Pp 136 and I37, T, pp.136, and 137. Pl XXV is hardly legible.
2. Spooner: परिग्रहे
.The name shahji-ki-Dheri is today remembered by archeologists, only as the provenance of outside the gate of Peshāwar city.
Little is now known concerning this site itself, though architectural remains are still visible on the site.
The area around this site contains important ruins in the immediate neighbourhood of Peshawar. It is now also possible to construct a clear picture of the remains from their contemporary descriptions and from the forgotten archaeological records of this period.
https://youtu.be/1X5CDC6Jcfw
Reference:
http://sasnagar.co.in/aman/ancientindia/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/FILE-VOLUME-I-1.pdf