1862.] Vestiges of the Kings of Owalior. 393 



S'urya uninterruptedly held the stronghold and the territory around 

 it for several centuries, until at last a daring prince, in the person of 

 the 85th descendant, Tejakarna, neglected the surname and lost the 

 principality to the Pauvars of Amber. How far this fable is worthy 

 of credit, it is scarcely worth while to enquire ; never in the history 

 of Indian principalities within the last two thousand years, has there 

 been an instance of uninterrupted succession of 85 potentates of one 

 race all enjoying the same patronymic ; while certain it is that 

 during the period which would belong to the Palas, there were several 

 kings of the Pramara and other races who exercised the powers of 

 either immediate rulers or suzerains, over Gwalior. This fact would 

 argue very strongly against the authenticity of Tieffenthaler's list ; 

 nevertheless we think it possible that a small principality with limit- 

 ed powers, sometimes independent and sometimes in vassalage, might 

 exist for a long series of years in the same family. At any rate it 

 will not be too much to assume, on the strength of the tradition 

 which has borne paternity to the list, that the Kushites were the 

 founders of Gwalior and that they did long exercise sovereignty 

 within its precincts. No monument, however, has yet been found 

 which records the name of any of the Palas, as an immediate ruler 

 of that place. 



The earliest name that has been found in any inscription in con* 

 nexion with Gwalior is that of Toramana, and next that of Pashu- 

 pati his son. But both are put down for suzerains and not immediate 

 rulers, and this is most probable as we find their names in connexion 

 with Malwa, Guzerat and Kashmir, where the Palas have had no 

 control. The record which bears their name exists on a Vaishnavite 

 temple in the fortress of Gwalior and is marked No. 1 (Plate I. 

 fig. ]) in Colonel Cunningham's collection. 



A translation of it has already been published in this Journal 

 along with a conjecture of mine on the identity of the sovereigns 

 named in it with two of the Gonerdya Kings of Kashmir.* How 



* Professor Fitz-Edward Hall, M. A., D. C. L., Inspector of Schools, Sagore 

 Division, North- Western Provinces, has honored me with a patronising tap on 

 the shoulders for this paper (Ante Vol. XXX. p. 383). He hails it " as an en- 

 couraging sign, that the natives of this country are beginning, here and there to 

 evince an intelligent interest in the history of their forefathers," although the 

 paper is not the first of my contributions to the pages of this Journal. As in 

 1847, I had for some months had the honor of giving the learned Doctor lessons 

 in Jiengali, I feel very thankful to him for the kindness with which he notices me 



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