218 Major Tod, on an InscrijUion at Madlmcarghar. 



At the period when tliat distribution was made, the Prdmdra well merited 

 the title which Chand bestows on him, of Cliaku-a, (C/iacravarti) or para- 

 mount Lord ; for, not only was all that immense space, described in my 

 former paper as Hindust'han, subject to him, but a great part of the Dakhin. 

 The grant is mentioned as {ddnd) gift ; not specific enough for a grant on 

 the tenure of service. 



Piut'hwiraja made many conquests. He left the conntries to the con- 

 quered, but exacted submissions, in treaties, in which subservience was the 

 chief stipulation, such as mark the connexion with their descendants and the 

 British government of India. Many of his hundred Sdzvanis, or leaders, 

 were thus ; as the Parihdra of Mandowar ; Jait and Silakh ot A'hA ; the 

 Dahima of Biana ; the Tdl> of Aser ; the Yddava of Surdshtra, even to the 

 prince of Go'drd-ciind, or Golconda. It was a feudal association of the first 

 magnitude, such as existed in tiic East from the days of Darius and his 

 Satrapies, to the twenty-two Subahs of Akber. Alexander pursued the 

 same system, and entered into their mode of accepting service and homage 

 by delivering a banner to the conquered prince, returning his dominions for 

 service. The kings of Delili followed this course. The princes of Mexvar 

 did so. Each nation has its flag and armorial bearings ; the Rd?ids, a golden 

 radiated sun on a crimson field ; Ambere, the Pancharanga, or five-coloured 

 banner ; Chanderu had a lion (red), on a field .nrgent ; and so on. 



Richartlson's* ideas, that the grand outlines of the feudal system came 

 from the East, might have been received with more attention had he been 

 enabled to detail more of the minutise of it. 



But I must return to the subject of the Prdmdras. Of the different 

 works, or remnants of those which relate to tliis family, are the Vicrama- 

 charitra, and Vicrama-vildsa ; the Vaildla panchaiinsati, familiarly known, 

 and which is a mere collection of fables. The Bhdja-charitra and Bhdja- 

 pralxnidha, as they now exist, are far from possessing much value; yet, from 

 the first of these, something may be gleaned, and it is of interest as re- 

 cording the same names of princes, and in the same order of succession, 

 as my inscriptions, on copper and marble. The few historical facts, separated 

 from the chaff, are worthy of preservation from the testimony of their ac- 

 curacy yielded by these less perishable records. 



The Bhqja-charitra (which, with the Bhoja-prabandha, I present to the 



* Dissertation prefixed to Persian Dictionary. 



