146 Captain Tod's Comments on a Sanscrit Inscription. 



Said * means sister's husband, in these regions. Whether the Franks, or 

 Frisians, had as good a foundation for using the word, which denotes ex- 

 chision of female succession, might be doubted. The old German tribes 

 liad much in their mythology, manners, and institutions, analogous to these 

 Sacae of India. 



Delhi had ceased to be an imperial residence, from the period of Sanc'ha- 

 DWAJA ofKeniaon, expelled by Vicramaditya, until the middle of the eighth 

 century, when a remnant of the old Fdndava line once more obtained this 

 ancient seat of power ; and a dynasty of twenty-one princes filled the throne, 

 until Ananga-pAl adopted his grand-child, the subject of our inscription. 



SoMESA, during his son's minority, gained many victories over his foes ; 

 but was at length slain by the Prince of Guzzerat, which entailed the feud 

 on Prithwiraja, ending in the death of his opponent, and in the annexa- 

 tion of several of his provinces to the empire. 



The history of this feud forms one of the most interesting of all the 

 sixty-nine books of the works of Chand : each book is the subject of some 

 great event in his sovereign's reign, to the last fatal battle, fought o i the 

 plains of the Kaggar. 



It would occupy too much time, to give even an outline of the history 

 of Prithwiraja, following the guidance of this poem. It forms an useful 

 history of the period, and contains much of geographical description. In 

 this, every noble family of India can trace some of his ancestry, amidst 

 the foes or warriors of Puithwiraja : it becomes accordingly the grand 

 volume of faith and knowledge, in every Rajput's hands ; for he amongst 

 them, who cannot quote Chand on occasion, must be a dolt. The poem 

 is the authority for every action of his life ; and from which he may glean 

 passages applicable to every transaction. The bard, in his introduction, 

 gives the reader to understand and expect this. Grammar, the rules of 

 composition, languages, religion, he promises a little of every thing. 



That sort of mauvaise honie, which might prevent the modern bard from 

 lauding his own skill, seems not to have been known to the scalds of old, 

 whether of India, or their brethren of Scandinavia: and Chand attributes 

 as supernatural, an effect to the power of his verses, as did the scald with 

 his runics. " I have a song (says one of these) of such vu'tue, that, were 

 " I caught in a storm, I can hush the winds, and render the air calm :" 



• From tlie Sanscrit St/dla. 



