OF THE HI KDt'S. <2C)$ 



By Prachi (in Sanfcrit) ortheeafr, is underiiood all 

 the country from Allahabad to the ealternmoir. limits 

 of India : it is called alio pnrva, an appellation of 

 the fame import, and pitroh in the fpoken dialects. 

 This lail has been diftorted into purop arid prurop by 

 European travellers of the Lift century. From prachi 

 is obvioufly derived the name of Prafi, which the 

 Greeks gave to the inhabitants of this country. Il is 

 divided into two parts : the firft comprehends all the 

 country from -Allahabad to Raj-mehal and die weitern 

 branch of the Gatiges ; the fecond includes Bengal, the 

 greatcit part Of which is known in Sanfcrit under the 

 name of Gancara- \ or countrv of Gancara, from 

 which the Greeks made Gdngaridas or Gdngaridai^ in 

 the lirit cafe. Gancara is ftill the name of a fmall 

 diitriel near tlie fummit of the Delta. 



Perhaps from thefe two countries called Pur*va is 

 derived the appellation of Parvaim in Scripture, which 

 appears with a dual form. According to A man's Pe- 

 riftns, Bengal was famous for its highly refined gold, 

 Called Keif in in the P \riplus, and Caiiden or Cahlen 

 10 tliis day. It is ealled Knrdcn in . the Ayefti 

 jlrkbcry * . 



The capital city of Prachi proper, or the weitern 

 pa/t of it, is declared to be R/ij-griha, or the royal 

 manfion. According to the punhias it was built by 

 a fon of king Priihu, called Haryacjha. It was taken 

 afterwards by Bala-Rama, the brother of Crijhna, who 

 rebuilt it, and ailigned it as a reiidence for one of his 

 ions, who are called in general Baliputms, or the chil- 

 dren of Bala. From this circumirance it was called 

 Balipura, or the town of the Ion of Bala ; but in the 

 fpoken dialedts it was called Bali-putm, hecaufe a pu- 

 tra\ or Ion of Ba/i, relided in it. From Bali-puira 

 the Greeks made Palipatra and Pali-hotl:ra y and 



* Vol. III. p. 254, 



R 3 the 



