154 ' ESSAY ON 



nm^ and the countries to the westward : some resided 

 at Padvih:ati (or Patna;) others at Prayu^a, (or 

 Allakdhad). There was a hranch of them who set- 

 tled at Canti (now Cotwall near Gzvalior,) and 

 another at Mathura: and there were nine families 

 of them. There is still a tribe of the Nagas, or 

 NacaSf on the banks of the Jumna^ about Calpi. 

 They seem to form a singular tribe, but I am other- 

 wise unacquainted with them. 



Thus Su'rya-pa'la, or Soma-pa'la, built this 

 fortress, in the year 773, andofViciiAMA the son 

 of Bahram-Gu'u 332; which computation is fu|- 

 ther confirmed by another epoch. Aja-pa'la or 

 Gebal, is said by Ferishta', to have been assisted 

 in his wars against Mahmud, by Tandepa'la king 

 of Gxvallor. There is one Dhand'hupa'la, in the 

 Persian list of its kings, and the sixteenth from 

 its foundation. He was the friend and ally of 

 Gepal, and their combined forces were defeated 

 by Mahmood, about the year 1017. 



The dynasty of Su'ryapa'la consisted of eighty- 

 iive princes, according to the prediction of Gopa'- 

 CHALA the hermit, (called in the Persian list Gua'- 

 lipa';) and ended in the person of Te'ja-ca'rx'a, 

 103 years before Gwalior was taken, by Sham- 

 SEDDix, or FiROZE the 2d; (who ascended the im- 

 perial throne in 1289;) having lasted above 410 

 years, which is certainly too little for 85 reigns : 

 but these inaccuracies are not uncommon with Hindu 

 chronologers. Lieut. Wilso.v informs me, that a 

 Brdhmen, in the service of Ca'ndu-jee, has some- 

 time since written a history of Gualior, in Sans- 

 crit, in which he places Su'rya-pala, or Soma- 

 pa'la, in tlie Ihcapar age: and the author declares, 

 that his account is conformable to ancient inscrip- 

 tions, still existing on thu rocks of Gwaliar ; and 



