OF THE HINDUS. 271 



In the Ganga-mahatmya, in which all places of wor- 

 ship, and others of note, on the banks of the Ganges, 

 are mentioned, the prefent town of Raj-mehal is poii- 

 tively declared to be the ancient city of Raj-gnha of 

 the funinas, the capital of Pracht y which afterwards 

 was called Bali-putra. 



Raj-gnha, and Raj-mehal in Perfian 9 fignify the fame 

 thing. It is alio called by the natives Raj-mandalam, 

 and by Ptolemy Paliholhra-mandalon for Bali-putra- 



vnmJahim : the firlt iignifies the royal manlion, and 

 the fecond the maniion of the Bala-futras. In a more 

 exteniive fenle mandalam Iignifies the circle, or coun- 

 try belonging to the Bqti-putras, In this fenie we 

 fav Coro-mafhh'L for ChoJo or rather Jala-numdah 



Here I Limit obferve, the prefent Raj-mehal is not 



precifely on the fpot where the ancient Raj-gnha, or 

 Rall-putra, flood, owing to the ftfange devaftation 

 of the Ganges in that part of the country for feveral 

 centuries pait. Theie devastations are atteited by 

 univerfal tradition, as well as by hiitorical records, 

 and the concurring teftimony of Ralph, Fitch, 

 Taverxier, and other European travellers of the lalt 

 century. When I was at Raj-mehal in January lalt, I 

 was delirous of making particular enquiries on the 

 loot, but I could only meet with a few Brahmeus, and 

 tnoie very ignorant ; all they could tell me was, 

 that in former ages Raj-mehal, or Raj-martdal, was ah 

 iminenfe city, that it extended as far as the eaftern 

 limits of RogVipoore towards TernagulJj, but that the 

 (ranges, which formerly ran a great way towards the 

 N. E. and Eait, had fwallowed it tip ; and that the 

 prefent Raj-mehal, formerly a fuburb of the ancient 

 city, was all that remained of that famous place. For 

 farther particulars they referred me to learned pundits, 

 who unfortunately lived in the interior parts of the 

 country. 



R 4 Cn 



