1850.] or Chronicles of TripurL ^37 



Scythian race, the brother of Puru, who was banished to the Eastern 

 provinces by his father Yajati who held the Samrdt or supreme govern- 

 ment of India. He built a city named Tribeg on the banks of the 

 Kupal (Brahmaputra) and subsequently abdicating the throne, he re- 

 tired to the jungles to devote his life to religions objects. His son 

 Tripura succeeded him, a profligate tyrant who oppressed the wor- 

 shippers of Siva ; his subjects reduced to poverty emigrated to Hir- 

 ambu (Kachar), but returned after five years, as Hirambu the Raja 

 of Kamrup gave them no aid. On this they became votaries of $iva 

 who promised them a son named Trilochan by the widow of Tripura, 

 who would be successful, provided he adhered to the worship of the 

 Sun, and Moon, and that they worshipped at break of day, on certain 

 occasions, the fourteen gods, i. e. the Sun, Moon, Himalaya, Kamadeva, 

 Fire, Ganges, Water, Prabha, Ganesha, Kartika, Brahma, Sarasvati, 

 Siva, and Vishnu. In the course of time Trilochan was born and placed 

 on the throne with the unanimous consent of the people, who waved two 

 sacred banners over his head ; he was distinguished for his wisdom, and 

 the neighbouring kings paid him homage when he was ten years old : 

 the Raja of Hirambu offered him his daughter in marriage ; he proceed- 

 ed to Kachar where the marriage was celebrated with great pomp, and 

 for nine days, food was supplied to every one at the king's expense : 

 twelve sons were the fruit of the marriage.* Kamrup, called also 

 Pragjyotisha, the Kdmdkhyd of Sanskrita literature, the region of love 

 according to the Hindus, is famous from an early date ; Bhagadatta 

 king of Kamrup is mentioned as a warrior in the Mahabharata ; 18 

 centuries ago marriage alliances were formed between the royal families 

 of Kamrup and Kashmir, the boundaries of the country were extensive, 

 reaching South of the Brahmaputra from Bontali to Kapalimukh, and 

 on the North from the Karatya river to the Dikolai. An account of 

 Kamakhya is given in the Kalika Purana : it was the Kali Ghat of 

 North Eastern Bengal. 



On the death of the Raja of Hirambu, a dispute arose among his 

 grandsons as to who should succeed to the throne. On this Trilochan 



* The heir to the throne of Tripura has been always selected from this family, 

 the family marks are a " middle size with a nose of moderate proportion, round 

 body, ears well formed, large chest, small belly, with a neck like an elephant and 

 legs like a plantain tree, arms round as a palm tree ; these bodily qualities are to 

 be combined with devotion to Vishnu and #iva." 



