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This monograph is meant for the researchers of South Asian studies with a focussed interest on the history and art of the late fifth century CE.The new study proposes a reconstructive chronology of the times. It clarifies that the fifth-century rock-cut monuments of India were all Buddhist with only a few exceptions. The excavations had begun in the peaceful times of circa 461/462 CE. However, by circa 480 CE all the cave temples were abandoned even before completion. The study re-examines the cause of the abandonment and presents some new revelations.It was ca. 465 CE when the Hephthalite H¿¿s attacked the Early Alchon H¿¿s in the Greater Gandh¿ra region forcing the Buddhist monks to disperse inter alia towards the Deccan, which was then peaceful. ManyBuddhist rock-cut sites were flourishing there under the Gupta-V¿k¿¿aka-Traik¿¿akas: Bagh, Ajanta, Ellora, Mah¿¿, Dh¿r¿¿iva (Jain), Banö¿, Ghäotkaca, Nasik, Lö¿¿, Kondavite, and Kanheri.The ousted Alchons led by Mah¿¿¿hi Kh¿¿g¿la (r. ca. 440 to 492-496 CE) advanced into India and came up to the Narmada-Tapti valleys. The new intrusions witnessed many battles, particularly those of ca. 469, 472, and 477 CE wherein many great Indian emperors and kings were perished: Kum¿ragupta I, N¿gabhäa, Ghä¿tkacagupta, Skandagupta, Narasimhagupta, Narendra Sena, Ravis¿mba, Kum¿ragupta II, Hari ¿e¿a, and Dahrasena.These disturbances in India now forced the migrant Gandh¿ran and the resident Deccani monks to escape to distant lands including Kucha in Central Asia. Consequently, there was catalysed the Kuchean Period III, which witnessed the introduction of many Gandh¿ran and Deccani ideas.Finally Buddhagupta ousted the Alchons in ca. 478 CE. The persistent defeat had taught the Alchons a lesson. They now imbibed the Indian values of liberalism as statecraft, which allowed them unobstructed rule for the next one century and two decades (ca. 479-ca. 600 CE) when they ruled from Greater Gandh¿ra to the Narmada valley.The new picture comes out when we attempt to synchronise and iron out the anachronisms from the known chronologies of the Early Alchons, Early Guptas, V¿k¿¿akas, Traik¿¿akas, Gandh¿ra, and the rock-cut monuments of India and Kucha in the late 5th century CE. It is revealed that the monasteries were abandoned due to the attacks by the Early Alchon H¿¿s.

This book contains: Colour photographs of 70 Ajanta narrative paintings. 84 abridged Buddhist legends. Elementary introduction to the Ajanta paintings. Information based on the current research. A window to deeper studies. References to the scholarly works that first identified the nearest textual sources of the painted legends.

The monograph contains 15 Buddhist legends painted on the walls of Ajanta Cave No. 1 in the latefifth centry CE. All episodes of the stories are arranged in the same way as the painters painted them.It is a compendium of the ancient paintings systematically documented for the first time with colourphotographs.The monograph covers 14 of the total 15 narrative paintings of Cave 1. It has at least one photo ofevery episode of the narratives. It has systematically arranged material in accordance with the Ajantacorpus of Dieter Schlingloff.There is summary of all the 15 legends. The picture descriptions are based on up-to-date research oneach painted episode. There is a concise bibliography of the nearest textual concordance of thenarratives in the Buddhist scriptures.Dr. Rajesh Kumar Singh has spent nearly fifteen years to study the Ajanta caves in detail. Prior to this,he has published, produced, or edited 2 monographs, 11 research papers, a CD-Rom, and 5 videos onAjanta. The contents of this monograph is meant for academic libraries, educators, students, andgeneral readers.