Capt. Franklin's Memoir on Bundelklnmd. 26l 



story of the moon {Chandra) appearing in human shape to a Brahman's 

 daughter on the banks of the Ken river, and the result of that interview, 

 the birth of Chandra Varma, explains that his origin is from the lunar 

 line. And another part of the fiction ascribes to him the foundation of 

 Mah6ha* and also of the fort of Calinjar (Calanjara) ;t but the Brahmans 

 ascribe a much earlier date to the construction of that celebrated fortress. 



The author of the Chohdn-rdsa quotes a list of twenty names as the suc- 

 cessors of Chandra Varma. 



It is to be regretted that there are few historical data regarding any of 

 those personages : all that is known respecting them is from the poetical 

 chronicle abovementioned ; and from it we gather, that the first on the list 

 was the founder of Bdrtgliar, and the second of Sirswdghar ; the ruins of 

 which fortress are still to be seen on the banks of the Pohawajt river. 

 Keerut Brim (Kirti Varma), the nineteenth on the list, extended his terri- 

 tory on the side of Gondwana, and Parmdl Deo (Pramal D£va), the last 

 in it, is stated to have occasioned the downfall of their power, by his folly 

 and mal-administration. 



The perversion of mind and intellect, in the instance of Parmal Deo, 

 which is said to have occasioned the ruin of this dynasty, is fancifully 

 typified according to the taste of the times, by the author of the Chohdn-rdsa, 

 under the fiction of Indra and his ministering courtezan ; but it may also 

 be gathered from the same author, that the immediate cause of quarrel 

 between Parmdl Deo and his formidable opponent Rdjd Pirt'hirdJ, arose out 

 of a chivalrous exploit of the latter, in carrying off Padmavati, the daughter 

 of Padma Sen, Rdjd of Sanand Sikhar. A party of the retinue of the 

 Chdhdn chief, on its return to Delhi, passing through Parmdl De'd's territory, 

 was opposed by that chief; and the haughty Rcyd of Delhi, indignant at 

 the insult, resolved to avenge hunself by attacking Mahoba. This event is 

 stated to have occurred in lliO H. S., or about 1083 A. D. ; and although 

 Parmdl Deo was permitted to retain Mahdba, he was evidently reduced to a 

 tributary condition. 



This overthrow, and the invasion of Mahmud of Ghiziii, which followed 

 shortly afterwards, appear to have annihilated the power of this dynasty ; 

 and although the fortress of Calinjar withstood repeated sieges afterwards, 



• >fahobad, Mapt, S[C. t Callinger, Kallinger, Calanjara. — Hamilton's Gazetteer, Maps, S^c. 



% Pohouj. 

 2 M 2 



