69, ESSAY OX 



and their subjects soon relapsed into their former 

 modeofhfe. The Mohammedan travellers of Re- 

 NAUDOT, speak of the power of the kings of Jllabed; 

 and declare, that they used to send, every year, em- 

 bassadors to the Emperor of C7?i;i<7, with presents: 

 but that these embassadors were narrowly watched, 

 on their entrance into the Chinese territories. They 

 lived in peace with China, but were not subjects of 

 its monarchs. These travellers consider Aldbed, 

 and 3Itijet, or 3Iaied, as distinct countries : and there 

 are some grounds for it; and it was perhaps so 

 originally. The inhabitants of Asam were divided 

 foimerly, into Cig and MuJ ; and the appellation of 

 Alujef niay be derived from Miij, whom I suspect, 

 however, to be the same with the Magas, or Barmahs, 

 who greatly imitate the Chinese manners. Thus, for 

 Magog, they say Magiuge. After the death of Pu- 

 lima'n", the whole country was thrown into con- 

 fusion, according to the Puran'as and Chinese 

 Historians, as we observed before. One of his 

 chief officers, called OlonachUn, seized upon the 

 kingdom, but was made prisoner by the Chinese 

 embassador, w^ith the assistance of the Emperor of 

 Tibet. 



Then, say the Faiiran'ics, the Axd'hra-bhrityas, 

 or servants of the And'hra kings, set up for them- 

 s.elves : but one, more fortunate, surpassed the others 

 in power : his name was Ripunjaya, with the title 

 of VisvASPHURJi, the thunder of the world. He ex- 

 terminated the remnants of the Barons or Cshettris : 

 and filled their places with people of the lowest 

 classes : he drove away also the hrahmciis ; and 

 raised, to the priesthood, men of the lowest tribes, 

 such as the Caivartas, boatmen and fishermen, Patus, 

 Pulmdas, and Madracas : but these Brdhmens were 

 no better than MkcNhas, or impure and base born 

 men. These boatmen and fishermen, being used to 



