Epigraphic heritage: The mysterious treasure!

One of the major epigraphic treasures of Kashmir is known as copper plate inscriptions, but this is still a mysterious treasure trove as archaeologists have not yet succeeded in finding this treasure trove. In fact it is still a historic puzzle and is only mentioned in historical records

The students of Kashmir history, archaeology and culture are very much aware of a mysterious puzzle of Kushan era. The puzzle is about the hidden Buddhist copper plates. It is very much recorded in the ancient scripts of this land as well.

The most significant event associated with ancient Buddhism in Kashmir is the holding of an international council in the period of Kushans in about 1^st century AD.  The council is said to have sat for six months and collected scattered sayings, theories and dictums of various doctors of the law.

The council is believed to have, ‘composed 100,000 stanzas of Pupadesh Shastra explanatory of the canonical sutras; 100,000 stanzas, of Vinayas Vibhasa Sastras, explanatory of the Vinaya; and 100,000 stanzas of Abhidharma Vibhasas Sastra, explanatory of the Abhidharma. For this exposition of the Tripitaka all of learning from remote antiquity was thoroughly examined; the general sense and the terse language was again and again made clear and distinct, and learning was widely diffused for the safe guiding of the disciples’.

The commentaries of the council are said have been written in Sanskrit on copper plates, which were enclosed in stone boxes. These boxes were then deposited in a stupa specially built for the purpose. Neither Kalhana nor any other ancient historian has recorded  anything about holding of  this international Buddhist council  of ancient  Kashmir, but it was Huen Tsang, the Chinese traveller who was first to give birth to this mystery when he arrived here in 7^th century AD to study the Buddhist manuscripts.

He, in his accounts made the mention of the Buddhist council   and inscribed copper plates, but he has not given the exact location of venue of the conference.      Where the stupa under which the copper plates are buried no body knowns.

However, the 20th century Indian scholar called Tarrant has suggests Kundal Van’ as the place where the council was held. But where is that place that is still to be identified. Different scholars have been identifying Kundalvan with few places of Kashmir bearing somehow a similar name. The names of the places suggested in the process are Kuntikleun (the area from Harwan to Gupkar in Srinagar) Kund in Kulgam and Kanelvan in Bijbehara.  Kumdalen in Shopian as the corrupt form  of Kundalvan. Dr. Token Sumi a Japanese scholar believes that ethnological studies about the Yakshas in Kashmir may lead the archaeologists towards the right direction.

Several local  scholars and historian got individually involved in tracing of this mystery. The most prominent amongst them included Mohammad Amin Ibni Mehjoor, Mohammad Yousuf Taing and Fida Mohammad Hussnain.  Mohammad Yousuf Taing has also been identifying various places in Shopian where he thinks that the copper plates are buried but perhaps he has not taken into account the mysterious hill rock of Lahanthoor and site of Kumdalan which are located towards its eastern outskirts.

It is in place to mention  that no Buddhist population nowadays exists in Kashmir valley, and Buddhism is hardly practiced any where  here but before the conversion majority of Kashmiris are learnt to have followed Buddhism. In fact  few ancient Buddhist sites and artifacts have also been found  from Kashmir valley, but  the hidden treasure of Buddhist copper plates  has still been a  unsolved  mystery.

The preliminary exploration and survey of these Shopian sites particularly, Memender. Nagisaraan, Kumdalan and Lahanthoor needs to be taken to make certain surface studies. The history departments of Shopian and Kulgam Degree Colleges can easily avail this opportunity to explore the hill rock of the Lahanthoor Shopian and collect the requisite data. These colleges can also approach the archaeology and history departments of Kashmir University and in a joint adventure explore this forgotten isolated hill rock.

The writer is senior archaeologist and an author