[Footnote 580:  For a bibliography of the literature about these inscriptions see Vincent Smith, Early History of India, 3rd ed. 1914, pp. 172-4.]

[Footnote 581:  The dialect is not strictly speaking the same in all the inscriptions.]

[Footnote 582:  Piyadassi, Sanskrit Priyadarsin.  The Dipavamsa, VI. 1 and 14, calls Asoka Piyadassi and Piyadassana.  The name Asoka has hitherto only been found in one edict discovered at Hyderabad, J.R.A.S. 1916, p. 573.]

[Footnote 583:  The principal single edicts are (1) that known as Minor Rock Edict I. found in four recensions, (2) The Bhabru (or Bhabra) Edict of great importance for the Buddhist scriptures, (3) Two Kalinga Edicts, (4) Edicts about schism, found at Sarnath and elsewhere, (4) Commemorative inscriptions in the Terai, (5) Dedications of caves.]

[Footnote 584:  Asoka came to the throne about 270 B.C. (268 or 272 according to various authorities) but was not crowned until four years later.  Events are generally dated by the year after his coronation (abhisheka), not after his accession.]

[Footnote 585:  I must confess that Law of Piety (Vincent Smith) does not seem to me very idiomatic.]

[Footnote 586:  See Senart, Inscrip. de Piyadassi, II. pp. 314 ff.]

[Footnote 587:  The Second Minor Rock Edict.]

[Footnote 588:  Rajuka and pradesika.]

[Footnote 589:  I.e.  Syria, Egypt, Macedonia, Cyrene and Epirus.]

[Footnote 590:  Kingdoms in the south of India.]

[Footnote 591:  The inhabitants of the extreme north-west of India, not necessarily Greeks by race.]

[Footnote 592:  Possibly Tibet.]

[Footnote 593:  Or Nabhapamtis.  In any case unknown.]

[Footnote 594:  All these appear to have been tribes of Central India.]

[Footnote 595:  Dipav.  VIII.; Mahav.  XII.]

[Footnote 596:  Pillar Edict VI.]

[Footnote 597:  Perhaps meant to be equivalent to 251 B.C.  Vincent Smith rejects this date and thinks that the Council met in the last ten years of Asoka’s reign.  But the Sinhalese account is reasonable.  Asoka was very pious but very tolerant.  Ten years of this regime may well have led to the abuse complained of.]

[Footnote 598:  Jataka, no. 472.]

[Footnote 599:  See for instance the Life of Hsuean Chuang; Beal, p. 39; Julien, p. 50.]

[Footnote 600:  I consider it possible, though by no means proved, that the Abhidhamma was put together in Ceylon.]

[Footnote 601:  For the Burmese Canon see chap.  XXVI.  Even if the Burmese had Pali scriptures which did not come from Ceylon, they sought to harmonize them with the texts known there.]

[Footnote 602:  Pali Tipitaka.]

[Footnote 603:  So in Maj.  Nik. xxi. a man who proposes to excavate comes Kuddalapitakam adaya, “With spade and basket.”]

[Footnote 604:  The list of the Vinaya books is: