Tibet, according to the Chinese, was inhabited by many scattered tribes up to the end of the sixth century, when they first heard of the establishment of a kingdom in their midst by Luntsansolungtsan, who, according to the ‘Reearches’ of Ma Tuanlin, during the period K'aihuang, (A.D. 581–600) of the Sui Dynasty, extended his dominion on the south-west as far as P‘olomên (Brâhmaṇa—Central India), till at the beginning of the T'ang Dynasty their army numbered 100,000 warriors, and they become a powerful state. He is probably the Luntsansu of the genealogy on p. 443. It was his son Ch'itsunglungtsan who sent the first mission to the Emperor T'aitsung of the T'ang Dynasty in 634, and was given a Chinese princess in marriage in 641.

During a three years' stay that I made in Persia, while travelling about the country, and living in Tehran, Meshed, Ispahan, and Shiraz, I made a small collection of coins, and passed many pleasant hours in trying to decipher their legends, and reading in Persian histories what I was able to find about the kings and princes whose names occurred theron. Since I have come home, Mr. Poole, the Keeper of the Coins at the British Museum, has kindly looked over my collection, and, while pointing out what is new, has most courteously given me the benefit of his scholarship in clearing up many difficulties; to his various colleagues in the Medal Room I am also indebted for assistance and instruction.

The following three Pāli suttas strictly bear on the much-diputed question of the Buddist Nirvāna, and I trust they will, as far as Southern Buddhism is concered, help to finally settle the question.

The suttas are taken from the Saṁyutta Nikāya, and form respectively the 4th, 5th, and 9th part of the SaỊāyatanavagg0, which itself forms the fourth part of the Saṁyutta Nikāya.