Relics played a key role in early Buddhism. As Buddhism spread across Asia, so did the cult of relics and practice of building shrines to contain them. The reliqueries discussed here are the earliest example known, and because many of these reliquaries carry inscriptions, they are of great importance for the history of early Buddhism in the first two centuries BC. The historical background is surveyed in the book's extensive introduction, which includes an account of relic worship, an examination of how sacred space was controlled by the monastic community, and ground-breaking reassessments of Indian history and early Indian sculpture. These issues are crucial for dating the reliquaries and for putting the reliquary sites in the wider context of Buddhist art and architecture.