CHRISTIAN" RELIGION IN INDIA. 87 



or Salbj the followers of the cross, or of him, who 

 was crucified. According to A. Roger, there is still 

 in the Dekhin a considerable tribe of men called 'Sd- 

 lavddis, from the Sanscrit 'Sdlavdilicas, the Sdlavas or 

 followers of Sa'la, 



In the VayU'purdna, they are called Sacas, and in. 

 that passage, this name is used in the room oVAryyd 

 to be found in other Pw;y///«^ ; and it is declared 

 there, that they would appear with the Andliras and 

 Pulindas ; the dynasty of the first began in the year 

 ly 1 after Christ : and it is obvious from the context, 

 that the dynasty of the Sacas, \4ryijds, or 'Sdlvas was 

 contemporary with those of the ylnd'/iras, and Pw 

 Hildas; though we cannot fix precisely the time when 

 it began. By Pulindas, they understand dynasties 

 of Kings from the lowest and vilest classes in India, 



The descendants, or followers of King 'Saca, are 

 called by Mr. Joinville, and Captain Mahony, 

 'Saca-Rdjd'Vdnsas, a true Sanscrit expression, imply- 

 ing as much : and we have seen, that there are still 

 in the Dekhin, and Ceylon, some families or tribes so 

 called to this day. I was greatly surprised, sometime 

 ago, to hear from most respectable Pr/w^zY.?, that there 

 was in the district of Benares, and in the province of 

 Oude, a tribe of Rdjaputras, who boasted of their de- 

 scent from Sa'lava'hana ; and that the chief of that 

 tribe was considered as a living hereditary deity, 

 and a form of Vishnu, like their Sire Sa'lava'ha- 

 na. What is still more surprising, is, that this chief 

 does what he can to conceal his divirity, and to 

 make people believe, that it is not so. But in despite 

 of his endeavours, some peculiar circumstances will 

 occasionally betra}^ him ; and such an instance, it is 

 said, happened last century. They are descended 



G4 



