VICRAMADITYA AND SALIVAHANA. 15\ 



BTcru, He ascended the throne of Persia ; and, 

 after having overcome his enemies, he went to India, 

 in disguise, to the court of a powerful prince of that 

 country, who took particular notice of him, on ac- 

 count of his valour and personal merit. The Indian 

 prince loaded him with caresses and honours ; and 

 gave him his daughter, with an immense fortune; 

 when he was recognized hy some nobleman, who 

 had carried the usual tribute to Persia. Being thus 

 discovere<:l, he returned to his own country, after an 

 absence of two years. The Hindus assert, that he 

 refused to take his wife along with him ; and that, 

 in consequence, she killed lierself. They shew, to 

 this day, the place M'here he lived, about one day's 

 march to the north of Baroach, with the ruins of 

 his palace. In old records, this place is called Gad- 

 ^hcndra-puri, or the town of the lord of asses. The 

 present name is Goshcra, or Ghojdra for Ghoska-rdyd 

 or Gliosha-rdja : for, says my Pandit, who is a native 

 of that country, the inhabitants, being ashamed of 

 its true name, have softened it into Glioshera, which 

 has no meaning. Baiikam, the ass, had ]I20(X) danc- 

 ing women sent to him, from India ; and it is sup- 

 posed, that those of that profession, in the same 

 country, to this day, are descended from them, Tliis 

 Bauram had been brought up among Christians, 

 in Arabia; and king Nooman, who had been in- 

 trusted with his education, died a Christian. But 

 Bahram abhorred the Christian name, and cruelly 

 persecuted all those of that profession ; and this was 

 the cause of a bloody war with the Boman emperors, 

 in which t4ie armies of Baiika.m were rej>eatcdly 

 defeated; and i? nee forced to j)lunge into the Eu' 

 phrates ; when above 100,000 men were drowned. 

 His son inherited all his rancour; but, being be- 

 loved by his troops, the emperors of Constantinople 

 were obliged to submit, and to pay a yearh contri- 

 bution. 



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