Rajgir
Rajgir, 1908
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Ruined town in the Bihar subdivision of Patna District, Bengal, situated in 25 2' N. and 85 26' E. Population (1901), 1,575. It was identified by Dr. Buchanan-Hamilton with Rajagriha, the resi- dence of Buddha and capital of the ancient Magadha , and by General Cunningham with Kusa-nagara-pura ('the town of the kus grass'), visited by Hiuen Tsiang and called by him Km-she-lo-pu-lo. Rajagnha, meaning the royal residence/ was also known as Ginbraja, ' the hill surrounded ' ; and under this name the capital of Jarasandha, king of Magadha, is mentioned in both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
It is also described by Fa Hian and Hiuen Tsiang, the Chinese pilgrims, the latter of whom gives an account of the hot springs found at this place. The five hills surrounding the town 3 mentioned in the Mahabharata and in the Pali annals, have been examined by General Cunningham. The first, Baibhar, is identified with the Webhars moun- tain of the Pali annals, on the side of which was the famous Sattapanni Cave, where the first Buddhist synod was held in 543 B.C. The second hill, Ratnagiri, is that called by Fa Hian ' The Fig-tree Cave/ where Buddha meditated after his meals, and is identical with the Rishigin of the Mahabharata, and the Pandao of the Pali annals. A paved zigzag road leads to a small temple on the summit of this mountain, which is still used by Jains. The third hill, Bipula, is clearly the Wepullo of the Pali chronicles and the Chait-yaka of the Mahabharata. The other two hills have Jain temples.
Traces of the outer wall around the ancient town of Rajagriha may still be seen, about 4 miles in circumference. The new Rajgir is about two-thirds of a mile north of the old town. According to Buddhist records, it was built by Srenika or Bimbasara, the father of Ajatasatru, the contemporary of Buddha. Dr. Buchanan-Hamilton stated that the town stood upon the north-west corner of a fort, which is an irregular pentagon in form and apparently of great antiquity. At the south-west extremity are traces of a more modern fort, with stone walls, which might have been a kind of citadel. It occupies a space of about 600 yards. The eastern and northern faces had no ditch, but there is a strong stone wall about 18 feet thick, with circular projections at intervals. The eastern approach to Rajagriha was protected by a stone wall, 20 feet in width and running zigzag up the southern slopes of the hills. A watch-tower on the extreme eastern point of the range corresponded with a similar tower immediately over the town. One tower still exists, and also the foundations of the second tower. South of the ancient town of Rajagriha are found inscriptions on huge slabs of stone, which form a natural pavement. So far as is known, the characters have never been deciphered.
{Archaeological Survey of India, vol. i, pp 16-34, and vol. viii, pp. 85-100.]
