caskets; and the records prior to the seventh century A.D. are very few.
The oldest northern document is probably the Sakya dedication of the relics of Buddha at Piprawa, which may date back to about 450 B.C., and the number of inscriptions anterior to the Christian era is considerable. Records of the second and third centuries A.D., however, are rare.
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Piprawa inscribed vase containing relics of Buddha.
Supposed to be the oldest memorial of Buddha, probably about 450 B.C.
The numismatic evidence is more accessible as a whole than the epigraphic. Many classes of Indian coins have been discussed in special treatises, and compelled to yield their contributions to history. From the time of Alexander's invasion coins afford invaluable aid to the researches of the historian in every period, and for the Bactrian, Indo-Greek, and Indo-Parthian dynasties they constitute almost the sole evidence.
The fourth class of materials for, or sources of, early Indian history, namely, contemporary native literature of a historical kind, is of very limited extent, comprising only two works in Sanskrit and a few poems in Tamil. None of these works is pure history:
